Sunstone character relationship discussion

[dalhart]

I recently picked up some volumes of Sunstone (erotic comic book series) after reading earlier parts ...a few years ago? Anyway, one thing I'm curious about is whether the whole "we're just friends" thing between Ally and Lisa is realistic? Also, the seeming discomfort with admitting to being lesbians or bisexual seems odd: like, they're doing obviously sexual things with and to each other, they're emotionally very involved with each other...where's the conceptual hang-up?

I've never been in a D/s relationship, but I know that a romantic relationship doesn't have to be part of it: It's all the other stuff that they share, but they can't admit their romantic relationship?

 

[Bramblethorn]

I recently picked up some volumes of Sunstone (erotic comic book series) after reading earlier parts ...a few years ago? Anyway, one thing I'm curious about is whether the whole "we're just friends" thing between Ally and Lisa is realistic?

Might be useful here to talk about Ally's history with Alan, which is mentioned in the first arc but covered much more closely in the second (currently in progress).

Ally and Alan meet at university. They figure out that both of them want to explore BDSM, and their options are limited by lack of money and lack of kinky contacts, so they start out sharing BDSM porn and watching it together and that turns into a kinky friends-with-benefits arrangement. They're not really compatible since they're both dominant by inclination, but they're willing to take turns for lack of better options. There's one point where they kind of go "hey, it's Valentine's day, we're fucking, are we supposed to be in love?" and each of them is relieved to find that the other doesn't feel that way. That all seemed pretty plausible to me; horny people with limited options will try all sorts of things, and Ally and Alan have enough in common as friends to keep it together for a while despite the dom/dom thing.

That's Ally's main relationship experience at the point where she hooks up with Lisa, so it seems pretty plausible that she goes into things with Lisa expecting another FWB relationship, just this time with somebody who's actually submissive. IIRC Ally doesn't have any previous experience with women, so she may not realise that she's capable of developing romantic feelings in that direction.

Obviously, in the end, Ally and Lisa are not "just friends" the way Ally and Alan are, but I didn't have any difficulty believing that they might go in expecting things to work out that way.

Also, the seeming discomfort with admitting to being lesbians or bisexual seems odd: like, they're doing obviously sexual things with and to each other, they're emotionally very involved with each other...where's the conceptual hang-up?

Sexuality and identity is complicated. There are a TON of guys who call themselves "straight", not gay, not bi, despite fucking other guys; it's enough of a thing that sexual health medicine tends to refer to "men who have sex with men" because otherwise those "straight" men won't get the messages they need to get. Similarly, I've known more than one woman who considered herself "lesbian" despite sometimes fucking men, because she wasn't romantically attracted to them - but the kinky dating pool was small and she couldn't find a woman who was into the right things, or she wasn't actually looking for a romantic relationship just then.

So I didn't find it hard to believe that somebody's going into that relationship with an attitude of "well I don't think I'm romantically into women, but I like her and we can have some fun kinky sex together"... then to get ambushed by FEELINGS.

I've never been in a D/s relationship, but I know that a romantic relationship doesn't have to be part of it: It's all the other stuff that they share, but they can't admit their romantic relationship?

But remember: if you admit that romantic relationship, and the other person doesn't feel the same way, you're risking rejection AND potentially blowing up all the other stuff that you share with them.

 

[dalhart]

Oh, shit, coming in with that cogent analysis I see you, Bramblethorn.

That makes more sense to me with the context of Alan for Ally. Still don't quite see the disconnect from Lisa's perspective, but I guess the risk of losing what they had up to that point would be a real fear -- totally understand that from my own life. Besides that she had some communication issues that revealed themselves in her marriage (or were they just engaged?). Probably in benefiting from narrator Lisa's perspective and the knowledge they end up together makes it more frustrating that they have to go through all the drama just because they can't be honest with each other. On the other hand, as a reader, knowing they do end up together makes it easier to invest in the characters since you know they're sticking around.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Oh, shit, coming in with that cogent analysis I see you, Bramblethorn.

That makes more sense to me with the context of Alan for Ally. Still don't quite see the disconnect from Lisa's perspective, but I guess the risk of losing what they had up to that point would be a real fear -- totally understand that from my own life. Besides that she had some communication issues that revealed themselves in her marriage (or were they just engaged?). Probably in benefiting from narrator Lisa's perspective and the knowledge they end up together makes it more frustrating that they have to go through all the drama just because they can't be honest with each other. On the other hand, as a reader, knowing they do end up together makes it easier to invest in the characters since you know they're sticking around.

Šejić jokes about Sunstone being "a mature comic about immature people" and Ally and Lisa both have a lot of maturing to do from where they start out there. Unfortunately the main way most of us learn those lessons is by inflicting stupid drama on ourselves until we figure it out. I guess without that the story would be a lot shorter!

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I've never been in a D/s relationship, but I know that a romantic relationship doesn't have to be part of it: It's all the other stuff that they share, but they can't admit their romantic relationship?

Well, LIsa and Ally seem to be pretty solid. https://www.deviantart.com/shiniez/art/October-649934196 looks pretty much like their wedding.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Well, LIsa and Ally seem to be pretty solid. https://www.deviantart.com/shiniez/art/October-649934196 looks pretty much like their wedding.

One has to be a little careful with individual images out of context because Šejić has drawn scenes that didn't actually happen (e.g. Ally/Lisa/Anne threesome stuff, which never got beyond fantasy and mutual interest). But AFAIK the wedding did.

 

[lisaharlot]

I just discovered these last night and checked out the first one from my library. I loved how anxious they both were before meeting, it’s really fun to read. I was never a comics person really but this one converted me.

I wish there were a few panels showing depicting their sessions but I have a healthy imagination.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I just discovered these last night and checked out the first one from my library. I loved how anxious they both were before meeting, it’s really fun to read. I was never a comics person really but this one converted me.

I wish there were a few panels showing depicting their sessions but I have a healthy imagination.

There are! I don't recall exactly which volumes have what content, and I'd have to get out of bed to check, but as the series goes on it shows more of their sessions. Series 2 (Mercy) has more, though that's not Lisa/Ally.

As one of their Patreon reward tiers, Šejić and his wife Linda also have a side story called "Crimson" which features more explicit scenes from various of their stories, mostly Sunstone and Linda's Blood Stain.

 

[lisaharlot]

There are! I don't recall exactly which volumes have what content, and I'd have to get out of bed to check, but as the series goes on it shows more of their sessions. Series 2 (Mercy) has more, though that's not Lisa/Ally.

As one of their Patreon reward tiers, Šejić and his wife Linda also have a side story called "Crimson" which features more explicit scenes from various of their stories, mostly Sunstone and Linda's Blood Stain.

Thank you! I love it when real BDSM goes mainstream. We’re not there yet but this series helps a lot.