"—wow."

"That is... a very remarkable set of traits."

"Okay, Fernando, let's focus on the love thing because it might be psychologically important. Is it psychologically important?" Felix asks Sadde.

"It is very psychologically important," he says vehemently.

"Oh... do you need a hug?"

"I don't need a hug, but I very, very much want one. What are you all called? I'm Sadde."

"Kaede. Why do I feel you're playing that down?"

"Because I am."

"Felix Vaesteri," a round of introductions happens, "and I won't mind giving you a hug," and he does that.

Hug hug hug so much hug this isn't just a hug this is the hug of someone who is in complete love with the person they are hugging.

"Wow okay yeah I get you. He looks like you do when you look at the triplets," she says, directing that last part to Katur.

"Wait I look like that? I didn't know it was that obvious... could you explain the love thing further?"

He does not let go of the hug, but he does look like he'd rather everyone else there was also hugging him.

"It's—remember that part where I said my brain is upgraded? Everything is upgraded, every emotion, every thought, everything. If a human felt like this they would literally die of an oxytocin overdose. And then there's the magic part, where it's completely instantaneous and impossible to break—no magic can undo it, even magic that can destroy every other emotion or relationship. And it is really symmetrical. Like, if we spend long enough together, it will become very, very obvious that we would all get along like a house on fire. Or—I would get along with each of you like a house on fire, but as far as I know mating on more than one person is literally unprecedented."

Well, if Sadde is going to look at them like that, then Katur will just have to go over there and hug him too.

"Kaede, do you think this is the sort of thing your magic can figure out? Weird mating interactions, that is."

She blinks. "Probably, yeah—" Squint. Blink blink. "Wow. Okay this is—wow. I could not budge this thing if I wanted to." She reaches for the air between them. "There's... it's coming from him, and it's connecting him to each of us, yeah, and it's—wow." She starts moving her fingers unconsciously.

Eeeeee more hugs!

"What is up with your fingers?"

"Do you think you would be able to tell us how it reacts to five mates? Also, Sadde, it might be relevant that the five us are dating?"

"I figured something like that was the case, with you all snuggling like that," he says. "Oh, vampires don't have to breathe either, so when I sigh contentedly it's purely for effect." And he sighs contentedly.

She lowers her fingers. "Just fidgeting around the magic. And, er, if I could compare it to someone with a single mate bond I'd be able to figure it out, but as far as I can tell the five are... independent. They seem to just be five copies of the same, extremely durable thing." And she decides she wants to join in on the hug.

He purrs. It's a sound a human would be completely unable to make.

"Aaaw, we are being left out of the hug, Fernando. There is no way we can fit in there now."

"We should focus on figuring this out... For all we know it might be a weird reaction to Milliways, but I admit that doesn't sound likely," he looks at the conglomeration of hugged people, "Sadde... could you describe yourself?"

"Hmm? Like, what, ten adjectives?" he asks, grinning. "Curious, ambitious, extremely extroverted and sociable and generally good at people, very intelligent even for vampire standards, kinky, impatient, resourceful and good at planning, that could probably count as ten. There's also the basic census information, like very bisexual and very genderfluid."