| 1 | %% |
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| 5 | %% Note that this comic also has a Characters page at https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/MenageA3 |
| 6 | %% PLEASE check that anything you're about to add here is not already adequately covered there! |
| 7 | %% Tropes which are clearly specific to a single character should go on that page and not here. |
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| 10 | %% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1650937706053826100 |
| 11 | %% Please do not add new images to alphabetical trope subpages. |
| 12 | %% |
| 13 | |
| 14 | MenageA3/TropesAToF | '''Tropes G-L''' | MenageA3/TropesMToR | MenageA3/TropesSToZ |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[Webcomic/MenageA3 Back to the main page.]]\ |
| 17 | [[Characters/MenageA3 Over to the Characters page.]] |
| 18 | ---- |
| 19 | * GambitPileup: The first public performance by "[[ArtistAndTheBand Zii and the Troublemakers]]" is set up to be an epic pile-up, partly due to various characters' gambits, although in the end, there are fewer collisions than there might have been: |
| 20 | ** Zii and Yuki mostly just want the gig to be a success. However, the other band playing, "Pretty Boyz with Electric Toyz", happen to be led by their old rival, Angel (on a guest appearance from ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns''), and Zii isn't going to back down from any confrontation there. (Angel used to work with them, but the relationship broke down when Zii had sex with Jerzy, who was Angel's boyfriend, at least in Angel's eyes, at that time.) An informal BattleOfTheBands ensues. |
| 21 | ** [=DiDi=] regards the gig as an opportunity to seduce Gary. [[spoiler:However, she thinks of giving that idea up for various reasons, then gets distracted.]] |
| 22 | ** Sonya is in the band, but has brought Peggy along to seduce Gary -- but in [[PaperThinDisguise disguise]], as she also wants to preserve the fiction that she and Peggy are in a relationship, so as to make Zii jealous as part of a long-term seduction scheme. [[spoiler:Peggy gets diverted when she mistakes Matt for Gary.]] |
| 23 | ** Amber, visiting from ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'', regards the gig as an opportunity to seduce Gary. Initially she hopes that Dillon will be absent, clearing the way for this; later, Zii just points out to her that Dillon really should be over his own crush on Gary by now. [[spoiler:She keeps a fairly low profile, but actually does end up with Gary.]] |
| 24 | ** Angel wants to crush Zii, and has summoned an old friend and former lover, Jerzy, to provide moral support. This leads to problems, but more in the ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' plot strands. |
| 25 | ** Dillon, guesting in that ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' {{crossover}}, is there (disguised as a woman) to see what his boyfriend Jerzy is up to with Angel, but is also prone to being distracted by his crush on Gary, whatever anyone may hope. [[spoiler:In the end, his goofy ideas and poor impulse control lead to a crash and burn almost entirely by themselves.]] |
| 26 | ** Ruby, also visiting from ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'', doesn't initially want to be there, but Dillon brings her (disguised as a man) to provide him with some kind of cover. She does enjoy playing detectives and watching Dillon being embarrassed; she's less happy about various embarrassments and uncomfortable realisations she herself suffers. |
| 27 | ** Matt brings Kiley to meet his friends. Largely thanks to some slightly peculiar anonymized conversations, neither realizes that Yuki (who they both know) is in the band, that Kiley has already met Zii and [=DiDi=] briefly, and most importantly that Gary is the subject of both their sets of peculiar obsessions, which they've been helping each other work through. [[spoiler:They end up apart for most of the evening, and go off with [=DiDi=] and Peggy respectively for various reasons, so there are few big revelations.]] |
| 28 | ** Erik is now managing Pretty Boyz with Electric Toyz; his feelings for Zii since their traumatic break-up are somewhat undetermined, but he's evidently not yet fully over her. [[spoiler:He mostly remains in the background.]] |
| 29 | ** Gary was planning a guys' night out with Jung, and is largely oblivious to others' intentions. He enjoys the evening from start to end, one moment of minor embarrassment aside. |
| 30 | ** Jung is there to deliver the band's stage costumes, hang out with Gary, and be snarky. He may not realize how good the opportunity is for the last, [[spoiler:but his costumes work fine]]. |
| 31 | * GeekyTurnOn: |
| 32 | ** Zii gets a job in the comic book shop because, among other reasons, comics fans tend to think that they have a chance with indie girls like her. |
| 33 | ** When Zii and [=DiDi=] come home dressed in ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''-style costumes (for complicated reasons), Gary instantly admits that this resembles one of his dreams. (See strip #190, August 14, 2009, NSFW.) |
| 34 | ** It's not ''exactly'' a turn-on, but when Gary gives Yuki a bouquet of faux flowers he made out of drumsticks and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario mushrooms]], she warms to him considerably and even starts showing genuine if platonic affection for him...except in her erotic dreams, where he's morphed into a combination of himself and Zii. |
| 35 | ** In fact, the mutual interest between Gary and Yuki seems to be powered at least as much by their geeky turn-ons as by their respective physical attractions (although neither is exactly ugly). At their first meeting, [[UptightLovesWild Gary sees Yuki as like a fantasy girl out of the anime he loves]], and then discovers that she's a wannabe manga writer with family connections in the industry. For her part, Yuki initially sees Gary purely as a potential professional partner, but she's pleased that he likes her father's non-porn work, and she subsequently falls for him partly because he puts up with her so well (him being a desperate and compliant nerd). |
| 36 | * GenderFlip: |
| 37 | ** Dream sequences will frequently feature one, and it's usually Gary. |
| 38 | ** Bonus strips in the [[WebcomicPrintCollection print editions]] of Volumes 4 and 10 flip everyone who appears. |
| 39 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/fantasies-in-print Zii discovers]] a {{yaoi|genre}} comic which seems to illustrate her gay male fantasies ... about herself. Even she is a little disconcerted by this. |
| 40 | * GenericCuteness: Giz seems to have difficulty drawing a really unattractive character, unless it's a [[{{Gonk}} total grotesque]] like Eulice. To certain extent, this is perhaps the point of the comic; it's an amiable SexComedy with a significant {{fanservice}} element. There are just a couple of borderline-case aversions: |
| 41 | ** Jung, the comics-store-manager geek, could be considered pleasant enough (if noticeably well fed), and his nameless nerd customers are just gawky adolescents. |
| 42 | ** Yvan would probably be regarded as quite passable, in a chunky, PermaStubble'd sort of way, in the real world -- but in this setting, it's almost understandable when [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/get-a-better-look Zii gasps in shock at the sight of him]]. Admittedly, his use of AnticipatoryBreathSpray doesn't look good, and he is also [[CannotTalkToWomen socially clumsy]]. |
| 43 | * GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: When gym owner Gilbert discovers his employee Roxie tussling with [=DiDi=], [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-just-got-this-job he sacks her on the spot]], until [=DiDi=] intervenes. Probably {{Justified|Trope}} in this case, in that Roxie ''is'' fighting physically with a customer, and is also a recent hire who might not yet have job protection -- but the scene is written as a fairly classic instance of the trope in action. |
| 44 | * GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: |
| 45 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/calm-down Kiley does this to Yuki]] to stop her from tearing up every magazine with naked men in the store where she works. She even says this exact line. Well, y'know, except for the "man" part. |
| 46 | ** Performed by [=DiDi=] on Zii when she considers sex (and then a threesome) as a way of apologizing for breaking Gary's rare toy. |
| 47 | * GilliganCut: |
| 48 | ** Strip #363 (NSFW): Gary decides to follow Dillon's advice and think of Amber as a person instead of a sex object, wondering if he would like that she jerked off to a poster of him, but promptly dismisses the idea, thinking: "As if a girl would ever come, while looking at a picture of me". Cut to Sonya holding a picture of Gary while Zii gives her cunnilingus. |
| 49 | ** [=DiDi=] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/you-sure-this-is-your-girlfriend talking about Kiley]]: |
| 50 | --->'''[=DiDi=]:''' I love her, and she loves me. No other girl will come between us!\ |
| 51 | ''[cut to Kiley in bed with Sonya and Yuki]''\ |
| 52 | '''Kiley:''' ''[thinking]'' HOW DID I END UP BETWEEN TWO GIRLS?!! |
| 53 | * GirlOnGirlIsHot is invoked in-setting from time to time: |
| 54 | ** Zii lands her job in the comics shop by [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/cakewalk exploiting the effect ruthlessly]]. |
| 55 | ** In strip #173, July 7, 2009 (NSFW), two clothed girls hugging distract a crowd of men from a naked stripper, although the crowd's reaction may come more from CutenessProximity than from DistractedByTheSexy. (The stripper manages to regain the crowd's attention in the ''following'' strip by exploiting The Sexy.) |
| 56 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-like-girls Zii is reminded]] that Gary is likely to be highly susceptible to the effect. |
| 57 | ** When Kiley [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/help-you-with-at-least-half-of-that complains to Matt]] that she has to have sex with a woman, he responds: "As you should. That's hot." |
| 58 | ** Damien (rather crassly) invokes the trope in strip #1319 (July 6, 2017, borderline NSFW). Perhaps fortunately for him, Tess is intent on flirting with him, and just tries to exploit the effect. |
| 59 | ** When Sonya gets her revenge for, as she sees it, being dumped by Zii by making a move on Zii's new lover [=DiDi,=] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/learned-tricks-from-you-both Zii is torn between anger and being turned on by the scene]]. |
| 60 | * GivingUpTheGhost: The comic shows its manga influences by borrowing this motif in strip #202, where Yuki [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-guess-i-misjudged-you almost kills Gary]], #915 (August 2, 2014, NSFW), when Kiley is almost suffocated, and the April 18, 2017 strip (NSFW), in which Gary almost expires from an excess of sex with [=DiDi=]. |
| 61 | * TheGlomp: |
| 62 | ** Yuki does this to Zii on occasion. |
| 63 | ** Izz and Yuki [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/omigosh-band-hug/ add themselves]] to a GroupHug with low-velocity glomps, each marked by an UnsoundEffect, to Sonya's increasing discomfort. |
| 64 | * GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Both types can be identified, although the comic generally has a relaxed attitude to sex and to open relationships. (On the other hand, it has few married characters.) The general assumption seems to be that cheating (in marriage or other committed relationships) is bad, but if the wronged partner subsequently cheats themselves, that's forgiveable revenge. So Angele, who had been putting up with a cheating husband for years, is in effect rescued by Zii, whereas Nathan's adultery is just part of his general obnoxiousness. On the other hand, Sonya letting herself be seduced by Zii, despite being in a relationship, is treated as just something that happens, and Amber and Dillon aren't judged much if at all for sleeping with Nathan, even though they know that he's married. |
| 65 | * GoodAngelBadAngel: A standard comics trope that shows up here from time to time. |
| 66 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/you-heard-the-tiny-angel Zii has a pair]], though her moral issues don't always reduce to Good vs. Bad. |
| 67 | *** The trope is occasionally subverted by [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/Coop-Lungeuhil the two]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-am-losing-him working together]]. |
| 68 | *** At other times, the devil has the angel BoundAndGagged, as [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/You-heard-the-tiny-angel here.]] |
| 69 | *** At others again (strip #846, February 04, 2014, NSFW), her shoulder figures are simply a pair of naked women -- Zii isn't getting any moral or immoral ideas from anywhere, she's just being driven to the point of insanity by temptation. |
| 70 | *** And at perhaps [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/you-do-not-have-it-in-you her weirdest moment]], the devil gives up without trying, knowing that it will lose this argument, giving the confused angel a nervous breakdown. |
| 71 | ** Gary's shoulder angel is unsure how to handle the AttractiveBentGender Dillon; both it and his devil are [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/wowipop highly tempted to make out with their counterparts from Dillon's shoulders]]. |
| 72 | ** [=DiDi's=] duo show up occasionally: |
| 73 | *** Her shoulder devil gets called up for the first time since the third grade when she contemplates a little manipulative lesbian adventuring in strip #261 (February 10, 2010), and is [[DistractedByTheSexy promptly impressed by her own bust]]. However, it's scared off by her gigantic [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/good-girl good angel]]. ([=DiDi=] sees herself as a very good person, at least at this point.) |
| 74 | *** Later, her angel -- operating at more normal size -- actually manages to smack her hard enough to sting for having bad thoughts. (Strip #585, April 07, 2012; borderline NSFW.) |
| 75 | *** Later still, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/we-can-pass-this-test-of-hers both angel and devil are shown in almost-rational conversation]]. Both are now the same size, which may or may not deliberately symbolize her [[CharacterDevelopment developing a more balanced personality]]. |
| 76 | * AGoodNameForARockBand: [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/a-little-rebellious A minor example is hastily adopted]] after Zii has suddenly realised that her new band ''needs'' a name. |
| 77 | * GoThroughMe: Zii tries this when running interference for Gary and his apparent new girlfriend Kiley. [=DiDi=] merely sets her aside (strip #554, January 26, 2012, NSFW). |
| 78 | * GratuitousFrench: The series ''is'' set in Usefulnotes/{{Montreal}}, the largest city of French Canada, though [=DiDi=] seems to be the only major character afflicted with the condition. [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/nerf-ball At least one one-shot character]] also manifests the trope, though. In addition, the comic's title may count; see BilingualBonus. |
| 79 | * GratuitousJapanese: Yuki, being Japanese, uses Japanese idioms several times. |
| 80 | * GroinAttack: Yuki does this a ''lot''. |
| 81 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/chuk Poor Gary]], especially since it's NotWhatItLooksLike. Though [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-hard-way he had it easy]]. |
| 82 | ** Later, Yuki goes on an epic rampage after a psychotic breakdown when Sonya produced a strap-on -- right after Yuki ''almost'' got over her condition enough to go down on Gary. She almost calms down, then she overhears some guys talking about art her father drew of two characters based on her having tentacle sex together... |
| 83 | ** And another groin assault is implied in [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-touched-it another strip]]. Poor Gary. |
| 84 | ** Much later, it's established that [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/goodie-goodie-facade Yuki is something of an equal-opportunity groin attacker]]. |
| 85 | * GroupHug: Subverted in [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/omigosh-band-hug/ this strip]]. In the first panel, the depressed Zii is hugging Sonya for comfort, which Sonya is happy to provide, but she's less happy when two more people [[TheGlomp glomp]] themselves to the dogpile. Note her expressions across the four panels. |
| 86 | * TheGruntingOrgasm: Male responses in the comic's numerous sex scenes vary, but some occasionally make some noise. Notably, Gary's first time involves a very audible "virginnnnGhhggnnn", to Kiley's bemusement. (Strip #539, December 15, 2011, NSFW.) |
| 87 | * GuyOnGuyIsHot: Not only do we get Dillon and Matt as an early homosexual couple and more than enough [[{{Fanservice}} random male homosexual couples making out to decorative effect]], we also get [[YaoiFangirl Zii]] proving obsessed with {{yaoi}}. [=DiDi=] doesn't exactly seem to mind yaoi either. |
| 88 | * HalloweenEpisode: A very minor example, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/spoooooky-candle but the strip's date is what it is]]. |
| 89 | * HandOrObjectUnderwear: |
| 90 | ** Gary first tries to use a pillow, then, when [=DiDi=] takes it away from him (in her sleep), Lita (which, according to Zii is [[GroinAttack a really bad idea]]), then finally, when Zii startles him and he drops Lita, his hands. |
| 91 | ** Matt mentions the end of a [[OrphanedPunchLine funny story]] about Gary where he ends up using a ''jar of pickles'' this way. |
| 92 | * HandSignals: Many of the characters are prone to use these, albeit often as much as signs to the readers of their reactions to events as attempts to communicate with each other. Many of the specific signs they use come from anime or manga; these act as a cultural BilingualBonus to readers familiar with that material. |
| 93 | * HandsomeLech: Many of the cast fall into this category in their weaker moments — including, a little unusually, some of the women. Matt is the most egregious example, combining model-grade looks with a very poor sense of responsibility, but Zii can be almost as bad (though usually marginally more ethical, when she remembers), while Senna is vain and arrogant about it. |
| 94 | * HandsOnApproach: Adopted by Gary [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/My-derriere-is-the-best when teaching Sandra about video games]]. |
| 95 | * HappyPlace: Yuki has one. When first seen, it contains three Ziis, all dressed as Franchise/SailorMoon; she [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/poppushikuru goes there]] when stressed from trying to give oral sex to Gary. |
| 96 | * {{Headdesk}}: |
| 97 | ** Gary's [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/do-not-be-silly reaction]] to what Zii says about Yuki. |
| 98 | ** Zii [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/where-it-all-began does this herself]] when she realises just how many ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' cartoons she's just promised to watch. |
| 99 | * HeroicBlueScreenOfDeath: "Heroic" is a debatable adjective for any character in this comic, but the writers seem to like using this effect for comedy, although the blue screen effect rarely lasts very long. |
| 100 | ** [=DiDi=] can induce a [[DistractedByTheSexy BSOD]] in many people by walking into a room in a tight top. (Strip #10, June 06, 2008; NSFW, because it's [=DiDi=] in a tight top.) In one sequence of strips, when Zii is feeling especially susceptible and [=DiDi=] persistently fails to comprehend the problem and [[InnocentFanserviceGirl keeps being careless about clothing]], Zii ends up in a series of incoherent [[HeroicBSOD blue-screen states]]; see, e.g., strip #854, February 22, 2014 (NSFW). |
| 101 | ** The prospect of dating two girls at once is too much for Gary; Zii and [=DiDi=] find him lying on the floor in a TroubledFetalPosition. He also passes out entirely when he realizes that he had just [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/can-i-have-your been practicing the "swirly" technique by eating Amber out rather than kissing Dillon]], and suffers similar effects on other occasions -- such as [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/that-makes-things-easy here]], when a sexual prospect is combined with a tough choice in other respects. |
| 102 | ** Zii seems to be suffering a brief blue screen as she realizes that [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/like-any-other Erik may be more than a quick fling to her]]. She also gets momentarily hysterical but then depressed and introverted (and maybe even thoughtful) when [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/not-that-i-care Peggy gets inside her head]]. |
| 103 | ** Allie occasionally suffers brief paralysis in the face of Sonya's odder behaviour, leading to reactions such as [[DramaticDrop dropped]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/mad%EF%BC%9F-mad%EF%BC%9F coffee jugs]] and [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/you-take-the-initiative trays]]. |
| 104 | ** [=DiDi=] suffers one in the face of [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/it-is-just-a-mild-craving Zii's attempt to clarify her feelings for her]]. It's probably the "nothing to worry about" that makes Zii's speech confusing, or maybe terrifying. |
| 105 | ** When Gary returns to Montreal after his trip to Paris (with guest appearance in ''Webcomic/SandraOnTheRocks''), he and Zii provide each other with brief summaries of events in the two places (though Gary's account, being more detailed, is a bit of a WallOfText). As a result, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/that-i-had-in-this-room-actually Zii induces a momentary blue screen in Gary]], and then [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/famous-brazilian-fashion-model Gary completely stuns Zii]]. |
| 106 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: Dillon and Sandra have gone off to their own titles (''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' and ''Webcomic/SandraOnTheRocks'' respectively), but both still make occasional appearances in this comic. Hence, when they do, they can be regarded as Heroes of Other Comics here. |
| 107 | * HiredForTheirLooks: |
| 108 | ** Zii gets her job at the comics shop largely as “counter candy” (though she’s considered for the post thanks to a Gary asking a favor from Jung). |
| 109 | ** [=DiDi=] doesn’t want to believe that she’s being considered for a major professional wrestling position because of her looks and specifically her bust size, despite two other characters more or less telling her that this is obviously the case. Then [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/this-is-a-professional-sport she encounters one of the existing employees]], and maybe can’t duck the issue any longer. |
| 110 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Matt strong-arms Kiley and Gary into an orgy in an attempt to humiliate Gary. When Kiley finds out, she dumps him right away. |
| 111 | * HollywoodProvincialism: Appears in one of the standard forms when Isabelle acts seductively toward Zii, and [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-right-romantic-moment Zii says that she hopes that Isabelle is over 18]]. The age of consent in Canada is 16. This is a little odd, in that the comic normally does a good job of {{avert|edTrope}}ing the trope, maintaining a subtle but distinctive Canadian flavor; it might be excused, though, in that even if the ''legal'' age of consent is 16, doing it with someone who's still a minor in every other respect ''is'' kinda creepy if you aren't very close in age (and as Zii is likely in her mid-20s, no, they aren't). |
| 112 | * HollywoodPsych: |
| 113 | ** Yuki's "delusions" follow Hollywood logic. She's entirely sane (if [[{{Yandere}} abrasive]]) all of the time except for one very specific trigger, whereupon she becomes '''completely''' psychotic and violent, then snaps back to normal as if nothing has happened. It's the usual Hollywood combination of schizophrenia with dissociative identity disorder (and possibly post-traumatic stress disorder), while {{Flanderiz|ation}}ing psychosis (meaning out-of-touch with reality) into rampaging violence -- all frequently PlayedForLaughs, although the idea that Yuki is ''tragically'' nuts does sometimes arise. |
| 114 | ** The way that various mostly-sane characters hallucinate Gary's face onto other people, often during sex, is something probably not much found in the annals of realistic psychiatry, either. |
| 115 | * {{Homage}}: When Kiley is attempting to investigate the nature of [=DiDi's=] emotional problem by the (yes, very questionable) method of making love to her, she needs to become very romantic. Her imagination promptly draws on ''Film/DonJuanDemarco'' -- a movie about a psychiatrist who becomes emotionally involved when treating someone with romantically-based psychological problems. [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/open-your-heart Her imagination generates some appropriate (and cute) imagery, too.]] |
| 116 | * HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Well, Porn Star with a Heart of Gold, in fact. Early on, Gary imagines Amber (known professionally as Amber-Amber) as [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/shy-girl matching this trope to the stereotyped letter]]. When she becomes an on-screen character, it turns out to be more or less true, although Amber has her self-serving flaws, and is much more pragmatic about certain matters than Gary's dream version. |
| 117 | * HopeSpot: |
| 118 | ** For a long time, every time it seems like Gary might get laid, StatusQuoIsGod comes into play, preventing him enjoying even the thought of a possibility of sex, if he even makes it that far. (Whenever [=DiDi=] or Zii guilt-trip themselves into the idea of giving themselves to him, one talks the other out of it; Amber wants to repay him with a threesome -- but with [[HoYay Dillon]]; Yuki and Sonya fight a tug-of-war over him, etc.). He finally succeeds when ''Kiley'' of all people pounces him after he consoles her over her failure to help Yuki. |
| 119 | ** Further to that last, though -- Gary and Kiley seem made for each other, helping each other with their insecurities and problems. It seems they have overcome their woobie tendencies with each other, only to discover that Yuki never left the country, and so Kiley ends things for her patient's benefit. |
| 120 | ** Also, for much of the comic's run, every time it seems like [=DiDi=] will finally get an orgasm, something prevents it, like guys just being [[SpeedSex unable to satisfy her]], her first time with Matt being [[InterruptedIntimacy interrupted]] by Zii, or Yuki [[GroinAttack kicking]] Matt in her psychotic rage. Her first attempt to get Gary to use the Swirly-Go-Round on her is interrupted because there are other people in the house, while her next chance with Matt ends up in lots of pain for him over some "salad oil" that wasn't. Then, when she and Matt are actually ''in coitus'', she ruins the mood with a WrongNameOutburst, which also makes Matt hallucinate that he is in bed with a female Gary. But then, as with Gary, the problem goes away ... or rather, changes its nature. |
| 121 | * HospitalHottie: |
| 122 | ** Thanks to a combination of GenericCuteness and the need to set up a gag, this trope is demonstrated by [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-demand-you-examine-this-man a male nurse]]. |
| 123 | ** Peggy's good looks are generally treated as unrelated to her job as a nurse. However, in a 2015 PDF bonus story associated with a Kickstarter project, meeting her on duty at the hospital causes Gary to dream about her more or less falling out of her scrubs. |
| 124 | ** Another bonus story has Peggy initially objecting to the trope, but then finding it amusing to get ''Gary'' dressed up in a "sexy nurse" outfit. |
| 125 | * HotLibrarian: The effect is demonstrated magnificently by [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/she-planned-treachery the evil version of Sandra]], with a healthy added dose of sex appeal. Unfortunately, this strip is about Senna being an UnreliableNarrator. |
| 126 | * HypocriticalHumor: |
| 127 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/yaoi-on-the-job Jung chastises Zii for reading]] {{Yaoi|Fangirl}} when she's supposed to be working. She points out that ''he'' eats when ''he's'' supposed to be working. |
| 128 | ** After Amber storms out after wildly accusing a groggy [=DiDi=] of maltreating Gary, Yuki gives us this gem: |
| 129 | --->'''Yuki:''' Zii, you need to stop hanging around crazy people. |
| 130 | * IAteWhat: A similar reaction to this is sparked when Zii asks Yuki if she washed the spatula she had used to spank [=DiDi=] before using it to make crepes. |
| 131 | * IBangedYourMom: Zii [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/no-need-for-formality makes this a valid claim]] as [[DisproportionateRetribution revenge on an internet troll]] [[{{Irony}} who has this as his sig]]. |
| 132 | * ICallHimMisterHappy: In strip #760 (Jul 02 2013, not ''exactly'' NSFW, but let's not take chances), Kiley, Yuki, and Matt all refer to Matt's penis as "Mr. Pokey." No, we're not going to give you more context. |
| 133 | * IdealizedSex: A lot of characters in this comic have a lot of ''good'' sex, some of which may tip over into idealization... |
| 134 | ** For example, in strip #780 (Aug 20 2013, NSFW), Gary manages an allegedly earth-shaking performance with Senna despite being very drunk, on an aircraft seat, and potentially distracted by Senna's [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} anatomy]]. However, it's possible that Senna is piling on the flattery there, and also conceivable that Gary's previous SpeedSex problem has been ''mitigated'' by the booze. |
| 135 | ** The trope is also {{discussed|Trope}} when [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/wing*girl* Zii explains to Gary]] why porn is not a good source of information as to what women do and don't like. |
| 136 | ** The idea is also exploited and averted for (slightly cruel) laughs after Yuki and Gary first have full intercourse. Yuki, who was in a partial fugue state at the time, convinces herself that is was passionate "Lovemaking to make the gods weep!" Actually, she was psychotically violent, and almost throttled Gary. |
| 137 | * IdiotBall: Keeps passing from one character to the next. Semi-serious fan theory has some of the cast being somewhere on the [[UsefulNotes/HighFunctioningAutism autistic spectrum]], but even the more socially adept ones can turn stupid when the plot demands it. Sometimes, the idiocy tips over into sheer insanity, as for example when Senna interprets Gary's enthusiastic explanations of geek culture to Sandra as him attempting to sabotage Sandra's career as a favor to her. |
| 138 | * IdiotHair: Seen, in subtle forms, on Gary and Zii, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-can-not-wait here]] and elsewhere. However, in this comic, serious single-strand effects are mostly used to represent surprise rather than stupidity or weirdness, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/sure-does-clean-up-nice as here.]] |
| 139 | * IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: Specifically [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/it-is-encouraged invoked by [=DiDi=]]] the first time that she decides that she's bisexual, in order to reassure Zii that their [[JustFriends friendship]] will remain secure. Zii finds this very frustrating. |
| 140 | * IfItsYouItsOkay: |
| 141 | ** [=DiDi=], whose sex appeal verges on the supernatural, seems to induce this in women. Early on, the straight Sandra seeks to have an affair with her (though that ends badly). Then Sonya, whose only previous lesbian interest has been in Zii (itself seeming to be a possible example of the trope, and probably making Zii her ClosetKey), is drawn magnetically to her breasts. Then Peggy offers her PitySex, but admits to being quite happy to do so; while Peggy's interest in lesbian sex is normally limited, it gets a lot stronger with [=DiDi=] in prospect. Later, when Kiley gives her an example of a hypothetical romantic proposition, [=DiDi=] is overwhelmed and proposes sex; Kiley accepts, though she hadn't shown any interest in women before. |
| 142 | ** Conversely and ironically, [=DiDi=] herself, while sometimes unsure of her own sexuality, mostly pursues men. However, following that incident with Kiley, she decides that she's found the love of her life -- and hence that she is now a lesbian. |
| 143 | ** Sonya generally [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday insists]] that she's ''Not A Lesbian'', with an exception for Zii. However, it's obvious to anyone who knows what the words mean that she's a functional bisexual (with Zii as her ClosetKey). How she adjusts her self-image when she starts having full-scale sexual relationships with other women remains to be seen ([[spoiler:though given that the first other woman in question turns out to be her arch-enemy Yuki, there's plenty of scope for weird denial]]). |
| 144 | ** Back when Angel and Zii were friends, Zii believed that Angel was strictly into women, and she tends to be clear on stuff like that -- but then it turned out that Angel was (and still is) [[LoveMakesYouCrazy obsessed]] with Jerzy. (Strip #862, March 13, 2014, NSFW.) Ironically, Jerzy says at that point that they were never a couple and their one night together was a mistake ([[spoiler:though things get a little bit complicated in that respect in ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'']]). |
| 145 | * IgnoreTheFanservice: It's not something at which this cast are very competent, but... |
| 146 | ** Zii has a spectacularly hard time doing so when supposedly advising Sonya what to wear for a date with Gary -- not surprisingly, as Sonya is actually taking the opportunity to try and seduce Zii. |
| 147 | ** Also -- "Hello? Naked girl upside down on a pole here!" (7th July 2009, NSFW). Sandra and [=DiDi=] get men in a ''strip club'' to ignore the fanservice. |
| 148 | * IllBeInMyBunk: Strip #319 (June 25, 2010, possibly marginally NSFW) provides the trope illustration (at least, the last two panels do). |
| 149 | * ImaginaryLoveTriangle: [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/little-bumblezii One develops and dissipates within a few seconds.]] |
| 150 | * ImagineSpot: Single-panel fantasy scenes, quite reliably delineated by a thought bubble, are used fairly frequently throughout this comic for comedy effect. For example, [=DiDi=] imagines herself as a superheroine after [[spoiler:her first orgasm]], Kiley imagines herself with a HookHand after getting her hand accidentally crushed, and Gary imagines both Senna (with Sandra VoodooDoll) and Tracy (with James, who realizes that they're being imagined and says Hi) while talking about his recent and possible relationships. Many of these spots invoke {{manga}}-style art and sometimes specific manga, {{anime}}, or video game characters, especially when it's appropriate for the imagining character to think that way. |
| 151 | * ImAManICantHelpIt: Funnily enough, the male characters don't generally bother much with this excuse, at least on screen; Gary is just too passive and confused to make coherent excuses for his occasional, largely accidental, philandering, and Matt just knows that he's a bastard. Anyway, the female characters are just as openly controlled by their hormones. However, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/that-was-tight Zii does point out to Yuki that Gary may tend this way]], which may be why Yuki isn't too surprised to find a couple of naked women in Gary's wardrobe later that evening. |
| 152 | * TheImmodestOrgasm: Very few of the cast are exactly quiet at moments of climax, and sexual activity usually seems to be audible through closed doors. |
| 153 | ** The Swirly-Go-Round technique amplifies this, enabling Gary to induce the effect in Amber, and later in Kiley. And Yuki. And Sonya. And others. |
| 154 | --->'''Yuki:''' ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext TIRAMISUUUUUUUUU!!!]]'' |
| 155 | ** Jane demonstrates the trope while delivering a LampshadeHanging in-joke: |
| 156 | --->'''Jane:''' You know everyone's bi in ''Montreaaaalll!!!'' |
| 157 | ** For a variant, [[spoiler:Didi's first]] orgasm, given to her by [[spoiler:Kiley]], is only moderately loud, but is intense enough for her to ''crush [[spoiler:Kiley]]'s hand''. |
| 158 | * ImplausibleDeniability: |
| 159 | ** Gary suffers badly in an early meeting with Yuki: |
| 160 | --->'''Gary:''' YOUR DAD IS TAKERU "TENTACLE KING" OYAMA?! THE PREMIER TENTACLE HENTAI ARTIST OF THE DOUJIN WORLD?! ''[catches Yuki's [[DeathGlare look]]]'' I... I mean... I have no idea who that is. |
| 161 | ** In strip #317 (June 21, 2010), when Zii nibbles Gary's earlobe: |
| 162 | --->'''Zii:''' D'you just cream your--\ |
| 163 | '''Gary:''' No, but on an unrelated topic, I need to go shower right away. |
| 164 | * IncompatibleOrientation: Clear cases, slightly foggier ones, and aversions, are all present: |
| 165 | ** Gary and Dillon were never meant to be, despite Dillon's hopes. [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/polish-your-pearl Dillon admits this early on]], but can't stop hoping -- or refrain from pushing his luck with Gary. |
| 166 | ** [=DiDi=] initially thinks she is entirely straight, to the frustration of bisexual Zii. Then she decides that she might be gay or more likely bi, but JustFriends Zii. Then she decides she is definitely straight. Then she gets experimental again, but is too terrified by Zii's ensuing declaration of passion to follow through there, especially once they had both sober up. But anyway, in all cases, the result is a frustrated Zii. |
| 167 | ** Yuki and Gary seem for a while like another case in point, despite Zii's belief that Yuki is bisexual. However, Yuki starts having erotic dreams about a {{Gender Ben|der}}t rendition of Gary, and sets out to resolve the issues that keep her away from men. This leads in due course to a not-fully-consummated relationship, but that ends unhappily. Still, with Yuki again seeking therapy, that story may well not be over yet. |
| 168 | ** After Amber experiences Dillon's version of the Swirly-Go-Round technique, she keeps angling for repeats for a while, despite Dillon's tendency to scream in terror at the request. |
| 169 | ** Dillon had an experimental and totally unsuccessful threesome with two very willing girls back in his schooldays. [[ChickMagnet His tendency to attract women]] despite his lack of interest in them is a problem that recurs in [[Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns his own comic]]. |
| 170 | * InconvenientAttraction crops up at least a couple of times, both involving Sonya: |
| 171 | ** She and Yuki, who like to think of themselves as arch-enemies, unfortunately find that they also share an irresistible sexual attraction. It's very annoying for both of them... |
| 172 | ** Simultaneously, Sonya has what she at least thinks is her more romantic attachment to Zii. [[spoiler:Their eventual bad break-up leaves Sonya violently angry with Zii, to the point of seeking revenge, but she also finds it impossible to forget the attraction. The problem is solved when Sonya encounters Bianca. The fact is, what Sonya really loves is ''excitement'', and while she associates Zii with the excitement of their early encounters, Bianca's lifestyle actually involves repeated physical danger, which really turns Sonya on.]] |
| 173 | * InelegantBlubbering: Most of the characters in this comic are more sentimental than they maybe want to admit, and can be provoked into dramatic crying at times (perhaps because of manga influences on the writing and art). For example, Matt demonstrates this tendency over [[spoiler:Kiley]], Adrien responds to a couple of traumas by weeping, though quietly and not forcefully enough to count as OcularGushers, and Kiley can get this emotional too despite her determination to act as a cool-headed therapist. |
| 174 | * InformedPoverty: Well, at least informed income mediocrity among many of the cast. For example, the lead trio share what looks like a nice apartment, rarely worry where the next month's rent is coming from, and seem to have adequate free time. See the notes on FriendsRentControl above. |
| 175 | * InHarmsWay: The comic is a comedy soap opera, with a fair number of break-ups and screaming arguments, and occasionally physical violence (usually when Yuki runs amok). But it has become clear that some of the characters ''like'' things that way, and some even get happy endings on that basis. |
| 176 | ** Zii, while developing a serious relationship with Erik, keeps being tempted by her "irresistible poison" Sonya and by sex goddess [=DiDi=]. |
| 177 | ** Sonya emerges from her original life as a naive waitress to become a {{competiti|onFreak}}ve {{thrill seeker}} who not only chases the exciting Zii but deliberately provokes Yuki from time to time, breaks up with Gary because she finds him too inexperienced, and seems to regard [=DiDi=] as ''interesting'' competition. At the end of the comic's run, she runs off to Europe with [[spoiler:professional spy Bianca]]. She's last seen in the middle of a fight scene with dynamite being thrown around, and clearly loving every moment of it. |
| 178 | --->[[spoiler:'''Bianca:''']] Anyone who shared my life... would share the danger.\ |
| 179 | '''Sonya:''' [whispers] Some people like danger.\ |
| 180 | [[spoiler:'''Bianca:''']] I'm talking guns-in-the-face, tied-to-a-bomb danger. Nobody enjoys that kind of--\ |
| 181 | '''Sonya:''' [blushing and smitten] Try me. |
| 182 | ** Matt ''really'' lives for danger, and is a ThrillSeeker in his sex life (see [[Characters/MenageA3 the characters page]]), but not enough, initially, for him to want sex with Yuki. Once he gets over that fear, though, the excitement proves irresistible, and they end the comic's run as a couple, with Yuki endangering Matt's genitals on a regular basis. |
| 183 | * {{Inherently Funny Word|s}}: [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/my-begonias "Begonias"]] according to [[WordOfGod Dave Zero1]] |
| 184 | * InnocentFanserviceGirl / ShamelessFanserviceGirl: In the sense of “Little Or No Nudity Taboo”, is something of a prevalent trope in the setting. A couple of specific instances: |
| 185 | ** [[MsFanservice DiDi]] enjoys the sun on her skin, goes in for a lot of [[WorkoutFanservice sweaty work-outs in skimpy garb]], and sleeps (and indeed [[HomeNudist lounges round the house]]) in minimal babydoll nighties and thongs if she's [[SleepsInTheNude not simply naked]]. She also assumes that everyone else SleepsInTheNude.[[note]]Which said, her assumption is generally right, at least in that household -- even Gary, who for a time keeps finding a gay man in his bed, doesn't slip into a pair of sweats.[[/note]] Given [[StatuesqueStunner her figure]], the results are often dramatic. She isn't entirely unaware of her effects on other people -- nobody could be ''that'' stupid -- and she knows that nudity taboos exist, but she can be terribly forgetful sometimes. However, as time goes on, her exploitation of her own {{fanservice}} potential begins to look less and less innocent. After she has modelled naked for Gary at Yuki's request, Yuki asks her to be naked around Gary ''all the time'', and she acts innocent while agreeing, saying that she'll do it if it will help his art, although clearly she is hoping to seduce him. |
| 186 | ** Matt and Senna don't bother putting any clothes on when Sandra walks in on them having sex, although they do for Gary (in order to keep him from lapsing into a coma). Much later, in strip #815 (November 12, 2013, NSFW), Senna casually strips naked (with astonishing speed) rather than have Gary see her in unfashionable underwear. However, calling Matt or Senna “innocent” is an extreme stretch. They’re both just too confident (and vain) to care about nudity. |
| 187 | * InnocentInnuendo: "Dillon! What have you done to my giant-size man-thing?! It's... It's all STICKY!!!" Yes, this sentence can have an innocent meaning. [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/nothing-exciting-ever-happens See here, and the following strips.]] It's the name of a real [[http://marvel.wikia.com/Giant-Size-Man-Thing-Vol-1-2 comic book]]. |
| 188 | * InsaneTrollLogic: Several characters demonstrate this at times. Yuki is especially prone, particularly when she's upset. She sometimes [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/any-physical-affection recognizes when she's being unreasonable]], though it doesn't always stick: |
| 189 | -->'''Yuki:''' He kissed another girl! How can he possibly do that when he doesn't even know that I might possibly be considering liking him?! Oh, right... All that stuff I just said... |
| 190 | * InsultBackfire: [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/stick-with-you-for-life/ Sonya dishes out high praise to Zii with what should be a stinging insult in the tail]], but Zii is currently far enough down that she really, really needs the compliment, and the insult (''"stubborn unattainable bitch!"'') is one that she can live with. |
| 191 | * IntercontinuityCrossover: A minor example; according to [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/worst-moment-to-pass-out---guest one guest strip]], [=DiDi=] is BFF with Cecania from ''Webcomic/SoreThumbs''. |
| 192 | * InterplayOfSexAndViolence: |
| 193 | ** The trope is kind of accidentally invoked when Yuki and Sonya's SlapSlapKiss turns out to have been [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/goodie-goodie-facade a particularly extreme case]]. |
| 194 | --->'''Sonya:''' Oh you're into kinkier stuff than your goodie-goodie facade lets on. ''I'' had never been "fisted" before.\ |
| 195 | '''Yuki:''' Oh, ''that!'' Actually, [[GroinAttack I punched you in the vagina]] and my hand got caught. Sorry 'bout that, I guess. |
| 196 | ** Later, toward the end of the comic’s run, Yuki (who does have some self-control issues) gets into a relationship with Matt (an adrenaline junky with masochistic tendencies), despite (or because of) Yuki’s tendency to turn violent during sex with men. It starts out essentially pragmatic, but they eventually recognize that it’s become downright romantic. |
| 197 | * InterruptedIntimacy: Matt being interrupted during sex is a RunningGag. It also happens to [[spoiler:Yuki and Sonya]], and Erik and Jim walk in on the four-way sex scene in the apartment. |
| 198 | * IntimatePsychotherapy: Kiley and Matt meet while both undergoing therapy from the same professional (for problems that have more in common than they realise), begin comparing notes constructively, and rather rapidly end up in bed together. They refer to this as "therapy", and do seem to get a lot of help from it. |
| 199 | * IntoxicationEnsues: When Senna notices that Gary is nervous about flying for the first time, she offers to get him a drink. He tries to tell her that he doesn't want anything alcoholic; she doesn't listen. She fetches him a Blue Curacao-based frozen cocktail, and tries to tell him that it isn't, as he thinks, a Slush Puppy; he doesn't listen. [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/digging-this-new-flavor Things rapidly go downhill from there.]] [[KissingUnderTheInfluence A long way downhill.]] [[QuestionableConsent A very long way.]] |
| 200 | * IronicEcho: Between [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/a-musical-empire this page]] and the next: |
| 201 | -->'''Angel:''' By contrast, with Yuki and Sonya by my side, I'm ready to found a musical empire. I'll be like the genderfluid… I don't know… Julius Caesar.\ |
| 202 | ''[The next page, with Sonya having announced she's quitting the band and Yuki eager to rejoin Zii's band]''\ |
| 203 | '''Angel:''' ''I'm surrounded by traitors!!! Traitors everywhere!!! I'm like the genderfluid Julius Caesar!!!'' |
| 204 | * IronicEchoCut: |
| 205 | ** [=DiDi=] decides that it's up to her to deflower [[NerdsAreVirgins Gary]] because "Every Man should know the intimate touch of a woman". [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/intimate-touch Cut to]] Gary being pinned down by a nun-chuck twirling [[DoesNotLikeMen Yuki]] screaming "Die pervert!!!" |
| 206 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/you-sure-this-is-your-girlfriend In this strip]], [=DiDi=] declares her love for Kiley, followed by a cut to [[WhatDidIDoLastNight Kiley waking up in bed with Sonya and Yuki]]: |
| 207 | --->'''[=DiDi=]:''' No other girl will come between us!\ |
| 208 | '''Kiley:''' ''HOW DID I END UP BETWEEN TWO GIRLS?!!'' |
| 209 | * {{Irony}}: Sandra's dialogue [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/hyster-cal-blonde in]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/dans-les-fesses%EF%BC%9F these]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/looks-like-a-man strips]], among other occurrences in this comedy comic. |
| 210 | * IsThatCuteKidYours: Sort of inverted when Sandra mistakes the adult (if petite) Zii for [=DiDi=]'s daughter. |
| 211 | * IThinkYouBrokeHim: See strip #82, November 28, 2008. NSFW; well, the breaking trigger ''is'' the offer of a threesome. |
| 212 | * ItsNotYouItsMe: [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/our-arrangement-is-over This strip]] hints at an unusual variant of the trope (involving therapeutic ethics), and then lampshades the hint. |
| 213 | * ItsTheBestWhateverEver: |
| 214 | ** Jung was prepared to give the play in which Dillon features a horrible review, but after all the entertainment from Sandra's fight with Dillon over Matt, he pronounces it the "Best. Play. '''Ever.'''" |
| 215 | ** When Amber describes to Zii how wonderful she felt when Gary used the Swirly-Go-Round on her, she says it was the "Best. Orgasm. '''Ever.'''" Zii gets angry because she feels [[SexGod Gary has been holding out on her]]. |
| 216 | ** Gary thinks Yuki is the "Best girlfriend ever" when she tells [=DiDi=] that she must stay naked around him all the time. |
| 217 | * IveHeardOfThatWhatIsIt: Punchline of [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/must-be-made-aware the July 6 2010 strip]]. |
| 218 | * JizzedInMyPants: |
| 219 | ** Gary responds when Zii nibbles his earlobe (strip #317, June 21, 2010). |
| 220 | ** According to a flashback, someone called Dave apparently suffered similarly due to [=DiDi's=] charms (strip #125, March 16, 2009, NSFW). |
| 221 | ** Yuki shows Gary what she can do to Zii by targeting her [[AffectionateNickname "super secret cream-your-panties happy fun spot"]] -- Zii's big toe. Yuki makes Zii collapse almost instantly by sucking on that. Zii swoons -- and Gary gets a {{nosebleed}}. |
| 222 | * JustFriends: |
| 223 | ** Zii sticks Gary firmly into this category very early on, basically because he's such a hopeless geek. Her attitude towards him is mostly [[LikeBrotherAndSister sisterly]] at best, patronising at worst; she finds the idea of sleeping with him [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/vivacious-woman ridiculous]]. Gary accepts this; while both his confidence with women and his awareness of Zii's attractiveness grow through the course of the story, he identifies her as a cool friend who is prepared to help him (and as unattainable, if only because she has made that clear). However, there are very broad hints of a growing mutual attraction between them (and Zii is certainly intellectually curious about Gary's peculiar sexual talents); the problem is that this can’t overcome their shared established assumptions. In the end, [[spoiler:they remain friends, each with other partners on a more or less exclusive basis; their attraction is left as a bit of a dangling plot thread]]. |
| 224 | ** Even when she thinks [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/it-is-encouraged she may be bisexual]], [=DiDi=] sees Zii as [[IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship too good a friend]] to risk a sexual relationship with her (except when she gets ''very'' drunk and desperate). Zii's opinion on the matter is different. |
| 225 | ** Matt and Kiley hit the trope at a very odd angle. They quickly enter a strong FriendsWithBenefits relationship, which they both refer to as a process of [[IntimatePsychotherapy mutual therapy]]. Kiley wants to think of herself as a cool, objective therapist, and Matt doesn't see himself as a one-woman man. However, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/just-in-mutual-therapy it then becomes clear to readers that they are becoming a couple]], with strong hints of real mutual affection. Matt and Kiley, however, develop a bad case of shared SelectiveObliviousness. |
| 226 | --->'''Matt:''' Don't worry, Kiley. We are just in mutual therapy, like you said. We're not a couple.\ |
| 227 | '''Kiley:''' K.\ |
| 228 | '''Matt:''' By the way, we're low on bread and milk.\ |
| 229 | '''Kiley:''' And bottles of laundry detergent. Let's stop by the market to pick up a couple. |
| 230 | * KarmaHoudini is a label sometimes thrown around by outraged readers of the comic, as most of the characters seem to get away with comedic stuff that veers into the morally questionable. (Zii starts out as a self-indulgent trickster, Matt is an unfaithful bastard, Yuki is psychotically violent...) However, [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty things do tend to get more complicated for them eventually]]. The comic illustrates why the definition of KarmaHoudini generally requires that the work be finished before the trope is attached to any characters, though it's clear that "{{Karma}}" just doesn't work ''[[CallItKarma simply]]'' or [[FictionIsntFair reliably]] in this setting. |
| 231 | * {{Kayfabe}}: [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/show-her-the-ropes Roxie and Brandy are both bemused]] to discover that [=DiDi=] is unaware of the idea, and [[TheDitz takes wrestling completely seriously]]. |
| 232 | * KeepItForeign: In the French translation of the comic, [=DiDi=]'s GratuitousFrench is turned into GratuitousEnglish. |
| 233 | * KeyUnderTheDoormat: A trope used just once, when Sonya wants to get into the apartment with a view to seducing Gary; she knows that the residents keep a spare key hidden under a window ledge. (Strip #675, November 22, 2012, NSFW.) |
| 234 | * KinkySpanking: |
| 235 | ** Zii is inevitably TooKinkyToTorture; see strip #188, August 10, 2009 (NSFW). |
| 236 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/extra-credit "Extra Credit"]] -- an incident that perhaps started out more as ComedicSpanking, although it's not clear that [=DiDi=] ever actually intended to chastise the bound Yuki, who she thought was a burglar. |
| 237 | ** Yuki hogties [=DiDi=] with NES controller cords and tells her she'll only be released when she admits that Gary is Yuki's boyfriend; she doesn't, so Yuki spanks her. That may be more ComedicSpanking, but then [=DiDi=] seems to be getting into it, until Zii comes in. (Strip #612, June 12, 2012, onwards -- NSFW). |
| 238 | ** Tracy ropes Gary into assisting with one of her Webcam performances, which is all about spanking. After the show ends, she complains that he got carried away, apparently spanking her harder than he should have. |
| 239 | * KissingUnderTheInfluence: Typically turned up to 11 in this comic, as characters rarely stop at a kiss. |
| 240 | ** It's not their first time together, but Sonya finally gets Zii ''back'' into bed (well, on the floor to begin with) when they're both very blitzed (in strip #737, May 4 2013, NSFW). |
| 241 | ** The trope also appears, with possible overtones of [[QuestionableConsent dubious consent]], when Gary (finally) gets to have sex with Senna while he's very drunk (strip #780, August 20 2013, NSFW). |
| 242 | * KnuckleCracking: When Dillon [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/twirl asks Zii out of the blue if she wants to make out with him]] (in strip #159, June 03, 2009), she stands up, wordlessly hands her guitar to Gary, does the neck variant of this, and jumps him. |
| 243 | * LanguageFluencyReveal: In the strip for January 20, 2011 (marginally NSFW), Sandra is unconcerned about discussing her private life with Matt because she assumes that Senna, who is from Brazil, speaks "Brazilianese". She does, plus [[OhCrap four other languages including English]]. |
| 244 | * LaserGuidedKarma is actually rather rare in this comic, given the amount of karma-baiting engaged in by many of the cast, but there are occasional instances... |
| 245 | ** After sending Sandra on [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/senna-and-sandra---part-2---1-and-2-of-7 a series of difficult and pointless errands]], and generally treating her badly, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/senna-and-sandra---part-2---3-of-7 Senna gets hers]] when a rich, famous, and handsome photographer decides that he wants Sandra to model for him instead. [[CallItKarma Karma]], looking reliable for once in this comic, then drives the point home when the photographer puts Senna in a [[LiteralMetaphor female]] [[VisualPun dog]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/senna-and-sandra---part-2---6-of-7 costume]]. |
| 246 | ** Karma of a sort finally catches up with Matt in the course of his WillTheyOrWontThey arc with Kiley, when she breaks up with him over his treatment of Gary. The guidance system has taken over a thousand strips to kick in, mind you... |
| 247 | * LastGirlWins: Present, at least to a working approximation, when [[spoiler:Gary ends up with Peggy. He may have one or two passing encounters with other women after he first meets Peggy, but she's pretty well the last who looks like a serious contender for his heart]]. |
| 248 | * LastMinuteHookup: The last few comics feature [[spoiler:Gary and Peggy]] becoming an OfficialCouple. Many other couples aren't cemented that much earlier either, such as [[spoiler:Zii/[=DiDi=], Matt/Yuki, and Jane/Vance]]. |
| 249 | * LastSecondWordSwap: Happens [[http://www.ma3comic.com/d/20110201.html twice here.]] |
| 250 | * LateToThePunchline: Gary takes a while actually to see Zii as a ''girl'', rather than as a friend (strip #237, December 11, 2009, NSFW). |
| 251 | * LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Zii makes a reference to how much time she's spent as Gary's roommate. To express the frustrations she's caused him, he responds with [[WebcomicTime a time frame that matches up with the amount of years the comic had run at the time.]] |
| 252 | -->'''Zii:''' It's only been a ''month'' since I moved in!\ |
| 253 | '''Gary:''' Really? Feels like two years. |
| 254 | * LeftHanging: While unresolved PlotThreads aren't a major problem with this comic, the creators do occasionally set ideas running that evidently just don't work out. For example, at one point, Takeru acts as [[TheMentor mentor]] to Gary, while apparently expecting Gary to marry Yuki, and dangling the prospect of a job in his studio in front of Gary's nose. Then [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse he just disappears from the story]], presumably returning to Japan. Some such characters do occasionally return after long gaps, but it's not guaranteed. |
| 255 | * LegCling: Having a "big announcement" to make to the trio (actually just that he has some free play tickets to give out), Dillon's joking sense of the dramatic kicks in; [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-greatest-of-gifts he carefully sets up]] a leg cling {{tableau}}, with Zii on one of his legs and [=DiDi=] on the other. Typically, although Zii just looks confused by this, [=DiDi=] throws herself into the act with enthusiasm. |
| 256 | * LesbianJock: Three out of the five female professional wrestlers introduced so far qualify (Roxie, Brandy, and Lynn). Of the other two, Maura is straight (she {{fangirl}}ed [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/she-went-to-see-her-now hard]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/wash-it-off over Lynn]], which could be mistaken for attraction, but [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/she-made-me-do-it she wasn't willing to go all the way]] — though she may have twinges of bicuriosity), and Tess is unconfirmed (she's only shown attraction to men so far, but [[EveryoneIsBi this is a Giz comic]] so one can never be sure). Also, new trainee [=DiDi=] currently identifies as lesbian, although her record is functionally bisexual. |
| 257 | * LetsWaitAWhile: Used in very limited forms, mostly for comedy, a few times: |
| 258 | ** Gary takes this line with Yuki (strip #523, November 8, 2011, NSFW), less out of moral restraint than because her dangerous psychosis is clearly still active. He repeats the sentiment later (strip #688, December 22, 2012, NSFW), for similar reasons. |
| 259 | ** His earlier [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-learned-a-lot "shouldn't we go on a date first" lines]] to Senna were more of a defensive reaction to her very ''forward'' teasing. |
| 260 | ** Peggy initially falls in with Sonya's plans to make her Gary's new girlfriend, but, being less drunk (and generally saner) than Sonya, she has [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/here-to-do-a-good-deed mild second thoughts]] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/gotsha when she gets the chance]], and suggests that she maybe ought to at least get to know Gary before having sex with him. Sonya is having none of that, however. |
| 261 | * LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Weirdly, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/better-you-maul-him-than-maul-me/ Sonya and Yuki's interactions slip towards this form]] -- after they've broken up, because that means they've achieved a bickering equilibrium. |
| 262 | * LingerieScene: The female characters disrobe fairly frequently, and may then turn out to be wearing more or less fancy lingerie. (BlackBraAndPanties is common.) However, the comic's lingerie scenes don't always rate as especially erotic, because it has such a relaxed approach to toplessness and rear-view nudity at other times. The trope has, though, been played more straight since the creators decided to stop showing female nipples in order to get more advertisements on the website. In recent strips, women often have sex while keeping a bra or a shirt on. |
| 263 | * LittleBlackDress: Several of the women in the strip employ this style from time to time: |
| 264 | ** [=DiDi=] [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/c-monnn wears one]] for her date with Sandra, and later, for a [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-perfect-evening date with Matt]]. |
| 265 | ** Sonya's use of the trope [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-real-woman is pretty much weapons-grade]]. |
| 266 | ** Chanelle [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/i-am-not-picky knows how to wear one, too]]. |
| 267 | * LongList: [[http://www.ma3comic.com/d/20100204.html [=DiDi's=] list of guys she considers inviting to a play]], and later [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/huzzabuh her list of past sexual partners]], are both epics. |
| 268 | * LousyLoversAreLosers: |
| 269 | ** Played straight with Didi's montage of numerous failed attempts at finding a boyfriend who ''doesn't'' suffer JizzedInMyPants at [[SoBeautifulItsACurse the sight of her naked]]. When meeting one of them later on, he breaks down crying "I'm a failure as a man!" on learning [[{{Anorgasmia}} she never had an orgasm]]. |
| 270 | ** {{Zigzagged|Trope}} with Gary. On the one hand, he does tend to be portrayed as a ButtMonkey, even after he loses his virginity (finishing in [[SpeedSex less than a minute]]). On the other hand, his being bad at sex is only a symptom of his ExtremeDoormat nature: even after he learns of and uses a kissing technique to dramatic effect for cunnilingus, has pornstars literally lining up outside his door to experience TheImmodestOrgasm and generally becomes a living vibrator, he's still quite shy. |
| 271 | * LovableSexManiac: Many of the characters verge in this in their better horny moments, but see especially Yuki in relation to Zii, during her early appearances. Shortly after her introduction, she demands that Zii [[http://www.menagea3.net/strips-ma3/grrr make love to her]] atop Gary's unconscious body. Later, she nearly succeeds in seducing Zii by targeting her [[http://www.menagea3.net/strips-ma3/happy-fun-spot! "happy fun spot"]], and finally succeeds [[http://www.menagea3.net/strips-ma3/polish-your-pearl by nibbling her earlobe]]; after which Zii gives in and "polishes her pearl". |
| 272 | * LoveDodecahedron: You'll need an organization chart (a big one, with lots of horizontal dotted lines), especially since the comic spun off two other comics that occasionally cross over with this one. The periodic switching of partners may sometimes look more like a DatingDoSiDo, but few of these relationships end cleanly or completely, so the dodecahedron image is more accurate. The Crib Notes for new readers: |
| 273 | ** '''Everyone''' except Dillon is attracted to [=DiDi=], one way or another. Even Eulice comments on her attractiveness -- and even Dillon is ''impressed'' by her. |
| 274 | ** [=DiDi=] is attracted to Sandra for a while; is attracted to Gary to some extent, becoming obsessed by stories of his sexual talent for a long while, and [[spoiler:has a one-night fling with him]]; has dated Erik, Matt, and apparently half the other men in Montreal; has sex with [[spoiler:Peggy]]; almost has sex with [[spoiler:Zii]], twice; and proposes sex with [[spoiler:Kiley]] in a moment of deranged romanticism after the latter gives her an example of a hypothetical romantic proposition. Weirdly, this leads to [[spoiler:Kiley giving her her first conscious orgasm, despite Kiley being straight]]. [=DiDi=] therefore falls in love with her, and traps her in a weird relationship for a while, subsequently rebounding onto [[spoiler:Gary for that one-night stand — then she starts an actual relationship with Zii]], before [[spoiler:Zii’s libido problems cause her to decide to accept Lynn’s advances]]. But that doesn’t lead to anything, so she ends up [[spoiler:back with Zii as a final pairing]]. Her feelings generally are ... somewhat enigmatic, often problematic, but usually very enthusiastic. |
| 275 | ** Zii had a relationship with Yuki; had sex with Amber years ago and has it again in the comic’s run in a FriendsWithBenefits arrangement, [[spoiler:Jerzy]] (months ago), and Sonya (plus Sonya's then-boyfriend Jake, in the course of the story); has a relationship with Erik; is attracted to Gary in a confused sort of way; and is so enthusiastic about an offer from [[spoiler:[=DiDi=]]] it makes her gabble nervously, later failing to seduce her. She can also have her brain briefly scrambled by Isabelle's flirtations -- [[spoiler:and so has sex with Matt to get Isabelle off her mind]]. She then [[spoiler:has casual sex with Sonya for a while]] before [[spoiler:starting a relationship with [=DiDi=]]], which despite [[spoiler:some libido problems and a resurgent, ever-more-intense attraction to Gary, ends up as an end-of-story pairing]]. |
| 276 | ** Yuki is attracted to Zii, leading to an on-off relationship; had a relationship with Gary, and remains attracted to him and determined to get back to that; was attracted to Sonya, despite hating her, leading to an angry sexual relationship that [[spoiler:blazed and died like a deranged comet]], involving Kiley along the way and ending with [[spoiler:a threeway with Gary]]; and ''notices'' [=DiDi=] as much as anyone else (and they've each ''chastised'' the other at different times, but that wasn't sexual, honest). She eventually [[spoiler:persuaded Matt to have sex with her (with some difficulty) as training for that relationship with Gary]]; then, when [[spoiler:Gary found out, he pointed out that Yuki and Matt actually seemed to be working well together]]. This creates a BettyAndVeronica situation for Yuki, who has to choose between [[spoiler:her long-term crush on NiceGuy Gary and her interest in the promiscuous exhibitionist Matt, who loves her ''for'' her psychotic insanity]]. She plumps for [[spoiler:Matt]]. |
| 277 | ** Gary is attracted to Amber and Zii, and has given the former oral sex; loses his virginity to Kiley; has a weird relationship with Yuki; has sex and a short-lived relationship with Sonya (and is later induced to have sex with her again); has sex with Senna; hangs out with Sandra and receives a passionate goodbye kiss from her; gets into an orgiastic encounter with [[spoiler:Amber, Chanelle, and a squad of porn stars]]; is passingly attracted to Isabelle; and has a threesome with Matt and Peggy (during which, he would say, he only does actual sex stuff with the latter -- though a print volume bonus strip shows what [[spoiler:Matt did to or for him, which is a whole other matter]]) -- leading to a ''relatively'' sane FriendsWithBenefits relationship with Peggy [[spoiler:that will eventually evolve into more]]. Although [[spoiler:[=DiDi=]]] jumps him along the way. Oh, and Sonya, on a whim, engineers a threesome with him, her, and [[spoiler:Yuki, during which he gives Yuki her first full heterosexual experience and she almost strangles him]]. |
| 278 | ** Dillon had an actual relationship with Matt, a CastingCouch relationship with Nathan, and is attracted to Gary. He also gave Amber an orgasm through oral sex, more or less accidentally (it's a long story). He now has [[Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns his own comic]], where he has pursued a relationship with Jerzy [[spoiler:which went bad]] and showed interest in other characters. |
| 279 | ** Matt had relationships with Dillon and Sandra; had sex with minor characters Jordan and (in a bonus [[WebcomicPrintCollection print]]-only story) Jake, and with Senna; dated [=DiDi=]; had sex and started a relationship with Kiley [[spoiler:which crashed and burned, but possibly only after turning serious enough to have some chance of resurrection]]; was seduced by Peggy, due to a misunderstanding; became obsessed with proving his sexual superiority over Gary, which oddly led to [[spoiler:a threesome with him and Peggy]]; had rather unsuccessful sex with [[spoiler:Zii]]; [[spoiler:had casual sex with Sonya]]; and agreed to [[spoiler:have sex with Yuki for therapeutic purposes, despite the danger this involved for himself, which now seems to be leading to them settling down together]]. |
| 280 | ** Sandra had that relationship with Matt, thought she might be interested in [=DiDi=] despite being straight, went SkinnyDipping (apparently platonically) with Senna, is in a new relationship with Pierre in [[Webcomic/SandraOnTheRocks her own comic]], became flirtatiously friendly with Gary while using him as a consultant on {{geek}} culture (and a way to wind up Senna); and occasionally gets into other flirtations, sometimes accidentally. |
| 281 | ** Sonya was originally in a relationship with Jake; is in love with Zii, following some sexual encounters; was attracted to Gary until she found what he was really like; had the comic's standard reaction to [=DiDi=]; wasn't averse to trying to seduce Erik, largely as a means to an end but also for fun; briefly had sex with Peggy, though that relationship has now become a platonic friendship; and got into an ... [[SlapSlapKiss interesting relationship]] with [[spoiler:Yuki (who she still allegedly hates, but never mind, they’ve become friends now)]], which also sometimes manages to involve [[spoiler:Kiley]]. She also [[spoiler:had sex with Matt]]. After her relationship [[spoiler:with Yuki]] ended, she whimsically engineered a threesome with [[spoiler:Yuki and Gary, for closure]], and then [[spoiler:she had supposedly-casual sex with Zii again for a while.]] |
| 282 | ** Amber had sex with Zii back in school; worked in porn with Chanelle; had a CastingCouch relationship with Nathan; received oral sex from Dillon once in unusual circumstances; is much taken with Gary's oral skills, and at least considered some kind of relationship there; cheerfully entered a new FriendsWithBenefits arrangement with Zii in the meantime; and got into an interesting scene with [[spoiler:Gary, plus Chanelle and a squad of other porn stars]]. Her adventures continue in ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns,'' where she's entered a relationship with Ray. |
| 283 | ** Senna had sex with Matt, went SkinnyDipping (presumably platonically) with Sandra, subsequently chased, caught, and then lost Gary, flirted in passing with Pierre, and was last seen having sex with a nameless pilot. |
| 284 | ** Kiley deflowered Gary, got into a slightly peculiar relationship with Matt that ended badly, and despite being straight, ended up in a "therapeutic" relationship with [=DiDi=] that involved her giving [=DiDi=] a lot of orgasms and [=DiDi=] becoming insanely, romantically obsessed with her,[[note]]Even Kiley isn't clear how she found herself motorboating [=DiDi=].[[/note]] and also provided “therapy” to [[spoiler:Sonya and Yuki]] that the uninformed would have difficulty distinguishing from a lot of three-way sex. |
| 285 | ** Chanelle is a professional porn actress and "not picky" in her private life, gave Gary abortive oral sex, and joined a threesome (that then just grew) with him and Amber as a favor to the latter (and probably because she wasn't averse to exploring his skills), becoming very impressed by his oral talents. |
| 286 | ** Peggy dumped Jim to make a pass at Erik; was persuaded to go after Gary instead until he turned out to be missing; introduced [[spoiler:[=DiDi=] to lesbian sex as an enjoyable [[PitySex act of sympathy]]]]; received brief but effective oral sex [[spoiler:from Sonya, almost by accident; and accidentally seduced Matt, confusing him with Gary]]. She was also curious about Gary's sexual reputation, despite never having met him, which enabled [[spoiler:Matt to draw the two of them into a masked threesome]], leading in turn to a FriendsWithBenefits relationship between her and Gary. Then, when she was worried because that seemed to be getting too close, she decided to seduce Jane and Vince into a threesome. (And ''she's'' an OnlySaneWoman.) |
| 287 | ** A squad of porn stars had oral sex from Gary, and then mentioned in passing that they'd also done something similar with Zii at some point in the past. |
| 288 | ** Isabelle has a {{fangirl}} interest in Zii, though how far she's prepared to go there seems uncertain, and flirted briefly with Gary and also with Yvan. |
| 289 | ** Yvan found Zii attractive and didn't mind Isabelle flirting with him. His prospects of getting more than that seem slim. |
| 290 | ** Roxie turns out to have some kind of thing going with [[spoiler:Brandy]], who is instantly attracted to [=DiDi=] on sight. |
| 291 | ** Damien is attracted to [=DiDi=] (because it’s [=DiDi),=] and is pursued by Maura and Tess. The latter gets a date with him [[spoiler:and eventually more]]. |
| 292 | ** Maura gets a date with Gary and kind-of-flirts with Lynn despite herself. |
| 293 | ** Lynn is attracted to [=DiDi=] (because it’s [=DiDi,=] and because [=DiDi‘s=] physical strength might make Lynn’s wrestling skills less problematic in the relationship), but also pursues Maura in the meantime. |
| 294 | ** Jung was for a long time widely assumed to be asexual, but then ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' threw in a shock reveal. |
| 295 | ** Jane and Vince both fancy Peggy, which gives her a hook by which to drag them into a threesome — though their own (work-based) relationship looks more like a {{platonic life partners}}hip. |
| 296 | ** Eulice and Rob are never in play. |
| 297 | * LoverTugOfWar: Giz makes no secret of her fondness for Archie comics, which sometimes shows up in things like use of this trope. Note that Gary's inability to resolve situations that lead to tugs of war indicates passivity rather than chivalry. |
| 298 | ** Sonya and Yuki [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/more-like-mine fight over Gary]]. And of course, neither of them want to share, so when [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/glare Gary suggests getting together with both of them,]] they give him a joint DeathGlare. |
| 299 | ** [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/geek-culture It happens to him again a few hundred strips later]], with Senna and Sandra, the minor twist there being that Sandra wants his geeky advice rather than his affections. |
| 300 | * LoveTriangle: See the notes above on LoveDodecahedron. Mapping out all the triangular interactions within that mess would take forever. |
| 301 | * LovingAShadow: Sonya takes up with Gary because she thinks that he’s a sex god, and that her sleeping with him will make Yuki wildly jealous. When Gary turns out to be a sexually inexperienced nerd, and Yuki proves too depressed to get angry, Sonya drops Gary. Which said, all that time, she’s never denied that her real obsession is with Zii, which may be another, subtler instance of loving a shadow. In fact, most of the “deeper” relationships in the comic seem to feature elements of the trope; for example, Erik loves Zii as a cool rock chick, [=DiDi=] loves Kiley thanks to a dim-witted misunderstanding of something she said, and anyone who so much as looks at [=DiDi=] has their brain addled by lust. |
| 302 | * LuminescentBlush: Occasionally used in this comic as a visual sign that a characters is embarrassed. Perhaps a little unusually, the worst sufferer may be an adult male character -- Gary, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/a-like-minded-partner as for example here]]. This may sometimes be a CrushBlush, or rather the embarrassment may be triggered by badly-suppressed sexual desire -- the cast aren't especially prone to adolescent crushes as such. |
| 303 | * {{Lust}}: This has to be be distinguished from a simple [[EveryoneHasLotsOfSex liking for sex]], which most of the characters in this comic display very cheerfully. Characters afflicted with ''lust'' might include [=DiDi=] with her increasingly desperate quest for an orgasm, Matt with his need for excitement, Erik with his need to prove himself, and maybe Zii with her need for independence and the thrill of the sexual chase. The lust-driven characters tend to suffer painful consequences for their desires. |
| 304 | * LustObject: [=DiDi=] is a target of lust for [[HeadTurningBeauty a lot of characters a lot of the time]], but notably, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/it-is-just-a-mild-craving Zii attempts to make the fact explicit]]. It's just possible that Zii is fooling herself, and that [[LoveInterests her feelings run deeper at that point]], but she's probably trying to be honest while effectively describing the trope. |
| 305 |
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