#sifuu

Everyone's been rejoicing because, in a future update, we're finally getting the chance of romancing none other than Sifuu. Something which had been largely requested since at least a couple years or so (at least that's how I remember this, having started playing this game literally the day after it came out of closed beta).

Normally I would be over the moon as well; I once said that, were Sifuu finally available for the romance route, I wouldn't have given two shish about being already in a relationship with Hassian. I would've still romanced her regardless. Without breaking up with the former first.

But now there's a "however!" that's been making me second guess this.

"However! ☝️", last day I completed the entirety of the new main quest: found out who the Beast of the Elderwoods is, saw Hassian and Sifuu finally reconnecting with Taylin, adopting Ulfe in the process… All good, very good. 🥺💖

Then I remembered S6 blog entry about Sifuu's future romance option, and it just… didn't sit right with me.

Like, it's very clear that Sifuu is absolutely stoked and eager to cover her wife in tons of smooches, because "until 10 minutes ago I thought you were dead!" (<- half-quot.) reasons. So, theoretically, a romance may get in the way of them mending their relationship back.

Please note that I'm saying so because the only other "couple" the players gets in the way in a similar fashion is when romancing Na'io or Kenyatta. Albeit not married, these other two are still dating nonetheless.

On my alt account I romanced Na'io alone, and in one of his dialogues he said that he broke up with Kenyatta to be with my human. On the flip side, IIRC you can have them back together if you, player, romance both without breaking up with either, so technically you'll end up in a poly relationship. Let's just ignore that you're in a poly relationship regardless of who you're dating, when you set your eyes on more than one romanceable villager hfgdsljkhfdsl. 😅

Given that this (so far) is the only example of how S6 has handled this kind of romance route, I now have One Fear™️ for Sifuu and Taylin. Like: wife's gone missing for over a decade and is now finally back, Sifuu can't wait to launch herself into her arms, then you (the player) come along… And then what? Sifuu and Taylin break up, just so that the former can be with you?

"Oh, Taylin! So glad you're alive! I missed you so much! And Hassian missed you even more! And Tau can't stop to wag his fluffy tail! Can you now sign these divorce papers I gathered while you were still comatose at Chayne's place, so that I can officially be married to that human eyecandy over there? Nothing personal, hunnie~ Aw, chin up, Hassian! You'd get three parents, doncha? And also child support benef- What's that, Kenli? Child support is only for actual, underaged children, so technically I should pay child support to Taylin, since she's the one who adopted Ulfe? ... Aw shi-"

I know it's too early to be worrying about this, though.

Sifuu's romance route has only been mentioned with no further details on how it'll work out, while Taylin has been freshly added to the roster of NPCs along with Eshelon, so there's time for the devs to add a friendship (and maybe romance too, at this point?) route for both the newcomers.

It's just… I couldn't help but think that something doesn't really add up with the announced romance for Sifuu.

Na'io and Kenyatta become your poly of choice only if you romance both, I jsut hope we won't need to get there with Sifuu anmd Taylin as well, and that S6 will give us the option to romance Sifuu without her breaking up with/divorcing Taylin first.

Right now Taylin (as well as Eshelon) is treated like some sort of "NPC decoration"; you can try and talk to her at Chayne's Apothecary, but the only interaction so far is the random, greeting lines. Right now this makes me feel like she's been some kind of plot hole the devs wanted to fill, only because this way they can give themselves permission to later release the romance route for Sifuu ("Sifuu's no longer tied up in plot strings").