Teahouse

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Atros and his courtesans (sans Linneus)

Who can remember faces when they're buried in pillows the entire time? —Rhys

Teahouse is an adult (18+) Yaoi webcomic from Emirain, two professional comic artists. First issue is online at the Teahouse comic website.(NSFW) A fuller version is available for purchase.

The story so far is about the owner, courtesans, and clients of a brothel called the Teahouse, located in the fictional country of Ivore. The country itself has a rather rigid class system in place, and the courtesans belong to the brothel's owner, much like slaves. The main source of drama is the three couples of the series, whose wide variety of personalities keeps it all interesting. And, you know, the Fan Service.

The art is impressive, especially for a webcomic, and currently runs in a weekly format.

Now has a fledgling Character Page

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Tropes used in Teahouse include:

• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Axis certainly fits the bad boy image, and he's the top earning courtesan not anymore, mostly because he's the lady clients' favorite.
• All There in the Manual: backstory is explained and teasers provided via separate galleries and image descriptions.
  • Linneus and Atros' history gets explained: heavily implying if not explicitly stating
• Alt Text: Starting in chapter 3.
• Anchored Ship: Atros and Linneus... it's clear that Linneus loves Atros very much, but Atros' emotion towards him ranges from cool and polite to downright frigid and uninterested.
  • In the latest installments Argent (in one of her only lines in the comic) states that a line was crossed when Atros called Linneus his "whore", resulting in even more tension between the two.
• Almost Kiss: UST spanning tens of pages coming to an end? Of course not.
• A Man Is Not a Virgin: Inverted and defied. Rory is a virgin and is highly prized for it since virgin males are a rarity.
• Arranged Marriage: Rhys has one with Reed's cousin... and he's not happy about it.
• Artifact Title: The Teahouse really was a teahouse once.
• Bishonen: Several examples, but special mention goes to Linneus. But not Axis, Atros's father or Gilder.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Axis and Rhys's whole relationship seems to be fuelled by this.
• Bigger Is Better in Bed: In the print version, Rory is blessed with this, and his client pretty much calls it his only redeeming quality. You know what they say about what comes in small packages.
• Bishie Sparkle: Rhys gets snark sparkles in the chapter one book.
• Blatant Lies: When Linneus disrobes Gilder and in the process, lots and lots of daggers (plus the sword) hit the floor. The bottom panel shows blood on one of the daggers.

Linneus: "What's... Why do you... so many..." Gilder: "I, uh, cut trees..."

• Blondes Are Evil: Lilith is a bitch and an Ice Queen, although Argent is nice, just a bit scary.
• Boys Love: The whole point of the comic.
• Buxom Is Better: Claret's dress especially emphasizes her assets, and Axis does seem to prefer her for this very reason. Rhys also makes a point of stating that his fiancee has a lovely (massive) set.
  • Inverted or averted when it comes to the tastes of the customers - although she is the most well-endowed of the female characters, she is the lowest earner in the house.
• Cast Full of Gay: It is a yaoi webcomic, after all. Axis makes a big deal of appreciating Claret's generous figure though, and several of his female clients get cameo appearances.
• Covered with Scars: Gilder, introduced in Chapter 3, has one huge scar across his nose and even more on his body.
• Curse Cut Short:

Axis: *grabs his crotch* Why don't you come here and choke on my-- Xanthe'': AXIS!

• Curtains Match the Window: Rhys, Reed and Mercutio are like this, to rather pleasing effect.
• The Ditz: Claret, as labelled in the print version's character list. It isn't that clear from the work itself yet.
• Do Not Call Me "Paul": Only Linneus is allowed to address Atros by his first name.
• Mr. Fanservice: Pick a character, any character.
• Gayngst: Axis might be going through this.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: Whenever Axis is particularly angry.
• Happiness in Slavery: it's all rather ambiguous, but at least Mercutio seems happy doing his thing. Axis is happy as well, considering his answers to fan-posed questions (going as far as to stating that if he ever got kicked out of the Teahouse, he'd find another brothel to work in). Linneus on the other hand seems to be unhappy, although that may be due to his Unrequited Love for Atros.
• Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Axis keeps loudly mentioning he's straight and drooling on the girls. He's totally not happy with Rhys' patronage. Especially because he's Uke.
• Holding Hands: Child-Linneus and child-Atros in the first backstory bonus pages. So sweet that it hurts.
• Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Claret, and likely Linneus as well. Whether Rory, Axis, and Mercutio qualify remains to be seen. Lilith, on the other hand, is not in any kind of danger to be labeled this.
• Huge Seme Tiny Uke: Reed and Rory. Reed's entire bio on the character page is "He's really tall", and Rory is two heads shorter. Illustrated marvelously here.
  • Gilder and Linneus fit this as well:[1]
• If It's You It's Okay: Fan theory is that Atros will eventually end up like this for Linneus.
• Incompatible Orientation: The central issue between Atros and Linneus, if Lilith is to be believed, is Linneus's gender.
  • Page 61 (chap. 2) would suggest that Linneus' gender is not in fact the main issue keeping the two apart after all.
• In-Series Nickname: Rhys calls Axis "Alice," much to Axis's chagrin.
  • "Thanks... kitten. ♥"
• Inter Class Romance:
  • Atros is far higher in status than Linneus, who was given to Atros' father in lieu of payment for a gambling debt.
  • Rhys is the King of the land, and Reed knows him (and his cousin is engaged to him) so its pretty safe to say he is nobility too, so their respective relationships with Axis and Rory fall under this.
• Interrupted Intimacy: Rhys kicks the door in when Axis is entertaining a client.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Xanthe.
• Legal Jailbait: Despite Rory looking to be in his mid-teens, the authors do claim he is "legal," if barely.
• Love Hurts: So very much. Especially for Linneus.
• Love Triangle: Mortal combat between Lilith and Linneus for Atros.
• Moment Killer: Claret, ruining Xanthe and Linneus' Almost Kiss, by bursting into the kitchen.
• My Name Is Not Durwood: Axis will have you know his name is NOT Alice.
• Nature Adores a Virgin: Rory's virginity is, quoth, "a huge asset to the house". Indeed, a gentleman ends up reserving him all for himself.
• One Head Taller: All the main couples, though it's most obvious with Reed and Rory. Per the cast page, Rhys is taller than Axis by half a foot.
• Opposites Attract: Rhys and Axis. The former is a tall, blue and snarky bastard, the latter is a short, loudmouthed, easily angered bastard. Not that Axis is interested in some gay-ass prick.
• Pitbull Dates Puppy: Reed and Rory.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Rhys and Axis, complete with blue and red hair.
• Right-Hand Hottie: Zephyr to Rhys and Vann to Gloria.
• Seme: the comic mostly follows the conventions.
• Sex Slave: or in the comic's terminology, courtesans.
• Shirtless Scene: Standalone artwork featuring Axis, mainly. Also Xanthe.
• "Shut Up" Kiss: NSFW Reed to Rory
• Slave Brand: All courtesans are branded with a tattoo of their brothel's insignia on their feet. Axis has several brands, which seems to indicate he belonged to other brothels before coming to the Teahouse. It's also possible that he ran away and was rebranded as punishment... But seeing how much he loves his job...
• Spit Trail Kiss: Axis and Rhys, natch. NSFW!
• Take Our Word for It: The extent of Mercutio's kinky appointments are only ever described/alluded to. That said, what is said (including the revelation of his extensive sex toy collection) and others' reactions towards him makes one wonder what kinds of appointments he takes.
• Technicolor Eyes:
  • Claret's are lavender, Argent's are red due to her albinism, and Xanthe and Axis have golden eyes.
  • Linneus has unique, electric-baby-blue eyes, which are quite striking, but rare in real life.
  • Rhys' fiance has gorgeous, green-gold eyes.
• Tempting Fate:
  • Axis' outburst "The day you replace me as top earner is the day I give a shit about what you think!" Well...
  • The bit with Axis blushing (NSFW) after Rhys pushes his hair aside when he fails to respond to a snarky remark, screams Tempting Fate in regards his eventual relationship with Rhys.
• Uke: gets played with more than Seme: Linneus follows the archetype faithfully, being very effeminate and a gentle personality, while Axis is a tempestuous ladies' man, very loud about his heterosexual preferences, and not happy at all about submitting to Rhys.
• Unlimited Wardrobe: The whole cast!
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: Atros and Linneus embody it from later second chapter and onto the third chapter.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Rhys and Evelyn have blue, Atros and Mercutio, both young men, grey; Claret green, Linneus soft pink, Rory bright flaming red. Axis, another redhead, seems to have naturally dark hair judging from his eyebrows and roots (confirmed by the authors). All in all the cast is very colourful in the hair department.