Well, it was the lesser evil in theory.

“I knew he was your type,” her mother said, her voice smug.

“I have many types, mother,” Rosalind replied, her tone flat. “That is the whole central issue. But I still need to borrow Mario for tomorrow. Just so I can get everyone on the same page at the same time.”

“Of course you can borrow him, sweety. Tomorrow is just an average day here. It’s far more important that you work towards figuring out your love life.”

Saying her thanks and goodbyes, Rosalind then hung up. She followed that up by face planting onto her over-priced armless couch, letting a tired groan leak out of her. It was about then that Mario stepped out of the shower, rapped in a towel and looking adorable with the apologetic expression on his face and all those still damp muscles.

“Apologies, but I only just realised I do not have pyjamas,” he said quietly. “It seemed a shame to change back into my dirty clothes after a shower… I would not normally be in just a towel around a woman, but, well… you’re…”

The way he trailed off caused her to worry about the expression of hunger she’d tried to keep off her face. It seemed she may have failed.

“You can borrow some of mine. I’ve got an oversized t and some loose pj pants that should just fit you,” she said, getting to her feet and hoping it wasn’t obvious just how much she was enjoying the view. “By the way, you don’t have to go into work tomorrow. I phoned my mother… we have something to discuss. In the morning, though. I want everyone there.”

“Capito,” Mario replied, in a slightly nervous sounding voice.

---

Despite not having work, Mario got up early. He’d no doubt done his best to stay quiet, but the ice maker was fussy and went off when he tried to get some water from the fridge. Which meant Rosalind was up and making breakfast at about 5:11 am. 

Putting their omelettes on the table, she noticed the blush on Mario’s cheeks while not being able to keep eye contact with her, and she sleepily tried to hunt for the cause.

“Ah… right. Morning—I didn’t realise I’d hidden it all that well last night,” she mumbled, spreading jam on her toast.

“It was just a… surprise to know you still…”

“Mhm. The spring leaves me with a physique similar to Hermaphroditus’ proper’s. Minus the wings,” she replied, taking a bite from the toast.

“I suppose I will have to be ready to… receive for us to both enjoy intimate moments,” Mario whispered, slightly pale.

Coughing, Rosalind choked on her toast for a few moments before regaining her breath. “You don’t—that isn’t… I mean, if you want to, I won't complain.”

Deciding it was funnier to leave Mario at least slightly off kilter, she returned to eating her omelette rather than explain how things really worked. Plus, they were about to eat and maybe it wasn’t the best pre-meal conversation. Mario slowly began to pick at his own meal. Things were quiet for a while, Rosalind not awake enough for any proper conversation. There were points where she was pretty sure she was nearly falling back asleep as she chewed her food.

After a few minutes, though, she realised she needed to text the others, to get them all up to the condo. It was about time she try hosting another gathering after all.

No one was likely to show up for a couple of hours, though, so she excused herself to go pass out on the couch with the phone beside her head. She was reasonably certain it would wake her up if it went off. Plus, there was a tv in the guest room and a gym on the third floor if Mario wanted something to do.

Unfortunately she didn’t sleep all that well. The couch was less comfortable than she’d remembered, and she simply lacked that ‘on the road’ exhaustion to pass out in any free moment. Instead she tossed and turned until Rachel replied to her text at about quarter after six, saying she would be over shortly.

Really, Rosalind should have expected Rachel to reply well earlier than anyone else, but she was also probably the most awkward one to have alone with Mario. It was so very difficult to figure out if it would be best to change or not, between the straight woman who was apparently in love with her and the straight man who was also apparently just as attracted to her. 

In the end, Rosalind decided to put on a sports bra and some masculine clothing, but remain in female form. That seemed a valid enough compromise in her eyes. Straight men liked tomboys and straight women could swoon for sufficiently masc women, right?

She was far too bisexual to figure out the hetero mind, but Rachel was willing to push her own boundaries a bit anyhow.

Rachel was also quite good at arriving quickly, letting herself into the condo as Rosalind hemmed and hawed about whether or not to put on makeup.

“Good morning,” Rachel said, taking off her shoes.

“You have a key?” Rosalind replied.

“I have many keys,” Rachel explained, walking over to sit on the couch. “So, have you come to a decision?”

“Uh... I’m working on that. Since, well, you probably heard about Logan’s proposal?” Rosalind offered.

“After mine.”

Rosalind sighed and took a seat in an armchair not far from the couch. “These things aren’t just ‘first come first serve’.”

That didn’t seem to impress Rachel, but she moved on for the moment. No doubt she’d strike again when Rosalind’s guard seemed down.

“Are you going to shut off the television in the guest room?”

“Mario is watching it,” Rosalind replied with a shrug.

“Do I know Mario? Do I like Mario? I don’t think s--wait, would he be the ‘grade A bel manzo’ Geordie mentioned yesterday?” Rachel asked, an eyebrow raised.

“... probably,” Rosalind replied.

Rachel nodded for a few moments, staring off into empty space. Then she turned back to Rosalind. “Did you sleep with him?”

“No,” Rosalind replied flatly.

“You don’t seem surprised that I asked,” Rachel said.

“Well, no. You know me. I know you know me. It was a logical question... I think he might actually be one of those ‘wait until marriage’ types? Or he’s just a ‘gentleman’, I guess.”

“That or he’s smarter than I am,” Rachel muttered, leaning back on the couch. “Didn’t want to risk those bonding hormones that come from sex.”

Before the conversation could get any more awkward, Rosalind’s phone buzzed again. It was a text from Logan, promising he’d be over in a bit. That might take half an hour or so, with him on the other side of downtown. 

Still, it was hope for Rosalind. Someone to help deal with the icy chill in the living room at the moment. Even if it meant they were going to get closer to the time where Rosalind had to actually make a decision.

“Scusi,” Mario said, poking his head out of the guest room. “I heard someone else is here? Are we starting?”

“Not yet,” Rosalind replied, while Rachel turned to get a look at Mario.

A look that proved rather long and thorough. “Oh. This is Mario. Grade A beef indeed... Hello.”

The last bit was said with a predatory sort of tone that caused the poor man to squeak ‘ciao’ and then vanish back into the guest room.

“Wait,” Rachel said, turning back to Rosalind. “Is ‘ciao’ hi or ‘bye’? I can never remember.”

“Both. Which made it very effective just now,” Rosalind said, failing in her efforts not to smile.

“Well, I have to say, if you choose don’t me and you don’t choose him, I’m going to test your theory about him being the ‘wait until marriage’ type,” Rachel said, before starting to look around for the remote.

“Oh. Make a guy feel special, telling her who you’re going to rebound with,” Rosalind muttered, only realising after she said it how she’d mangled the gender terms.

“Says the woman juggling multiple proposals. Turnabout is fair play,” Rachel said with a slightly sing-song tone before flicking on the news. “Now, since Logan won’t be here for a bit, let me watch the news.”

The opportunity to shut her mouth wasn’t one Rosalind was going to argue with. Instead she sat back, vaguely paying attention to the CNC coverage. It was mostly focused on US politics, the emergency military government insisting they were still investigating voter irregularities or whatever their latest excuse was. American politics had been even more of a mess since Halifax than Canadian politics, which was saying something when the two largest parties had both imploded. 

All of it was too much for Rosalind to follow. Though it also had surprisingly little effect on her life. She’d just had to learn some new names at the last election and then vote Orange because she was gay. 

Though, she did suppose people had somewhat less energy to be transphobic on a political level when they were busy panicking about aliens. That benefited her now. So, maybe aliens blowing up a city had a silver lining?

More than that if the rumours they were going to start actually doing public business with Earth was true. There’d probably be lots of cool stuff imported from space. Though... believing in rumours felt even more questionable due to her recent experience.

Before she was able to get too bitter about that, her phone buzzed again. Logan was downstairs, waiting to be buzzed in. A click of a button later and he was in. A minute or two after that and she was letting him into the apartment proper, offering a sort of nervous smile.

“Maybe I should change,” she said (after they both gave their hellos). “Between you and Rachel I’d be more popular as a guy.”

“Be however you feel more comfortable,” Logan replied.

“I can stare you down better when you’re shorter, so stay a woman,” Rachel called out from the couch before waving to Logan. “I hope we can part on good terms whatever happens.”

“That sounds good to me,” Logan replied, smiling back. 

Not only was it unfair how perfectly handsome he was, but that smile could melt Rosalind’s heart. It had been so rare and treasured before he’d transitioned, and so, even though his smiles were fairly common now, they still filled her with warmth. 

But then Rachel was watching them, that authoritative and calculating intelligence in her eyes that made Rosalind’s heart flutter when it was on her side, defending her. Sure, Rachel was also a bit scary sometimes, but there was something wildly attractive about a cold and dangerous woman in Rosalind’s eyes. Plus, Rachel had always had her best interest at heart.

Ah, but Logan was so kind. His eyes were so soft as they sat on opposite sides of the coffee table. 

How was she supposed to choose?

“Are we starting now?” Mario asked, poking his head out from the guest room.

“We’re still waiting on Teddy,” Rosalind replied. “... I’ll call her. I don’t know when she normally wakes up.”

After a little debate about whether or not 7:45 am was a bit early to phone someone, they agreed it was probably acceptable in the circumstances. It took a fair number of rings before there was a drowsy answer. 

“H’llo?” Teddy mumbled.

“Hey. Are you free this morning?” Rosalind asked.

“... Ro?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Are you alright?” Teddy asked, seeming to become more awake.

“I’m fine. I just... I got some information that I think means I can give everyone an answer to the whole mess and I’d like everyone here at the same time to go over it,” she explained. “And, well, everyone else is here.”

“Oh. Um... I’ll need, like, ten minutes to get dressed and then... maybe an hour to get downtown?”

“An hour?” Rosalind asked.

“You never know about buses and sometimes the subway is slow,” Teddy replied.

“I’ll pick her up,” Rachel said, reading the conversation between Rosalind’s words and facial expressions. “Just tell me her address.”

-

After a brief debate, they ended up all agreeing to get into Rachel’s car. While Rosalind had prefered to do things at her own apartment the location hadn’t actually been that important. All that mattered was everyone was there when she gave her rundown of the situation.

Picking out seats proved to have a bit of a debate. Rachel wanted to keep an eye on Rosalind, but she was also the second shortest and the least in need of the front seat leg room. In the end, Mario got the passenger side seat, leaving Rosalind and Logan in the back.

The drive out was better than it could have been. Looking across the highway median revealed that. However traffic was still fairly significant in their outbound lane, the urban area of the GTA too big for free flowing traffic at rush hour no matter the direction.

They engaged in minimal conversation, Rosalind too nervous to form complex thoughts and the others clearly not sure what to say to one another. At least there was music to listen to. Unfortunately Rosalind was left feeling a bit odd when one of her (or, more ‘his’) songs came on. Especially when it, like most of her songs, was romantically angled, flirting with the listener. She could see the way all of the others blushed as they listened to it.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they finally parked in the small lot beside Teddy’s building and she was able to get out and get some fresh air. Or, well, something resembling fresh. It was a bit dusty from the construction sites in the neighbourhood, with noise carrying down from the nearest one. 

The short amount of time spent walking outside in the brisk November air was not enough to cool off her overheating stress. 

By the time they reached Teddy’s apartment she already had the door open and was waiting. 

“Oh, that’s a nice masc outfit, Ro,” she said as the group approached. “Thinking about going butch for girl days?”

“Huh? Ah. No. I’m too much of an indecisive bisexual to pick one or the other,” Rosalind replied with a shrug. “Plus, y’know. All the gender noise.”

“Fair. Fair. Anyway, come in, everyone... it’s, uh... a little bit of a mess, but I did what I could with fifteen minutes,” Teddy explained. “Er... don’t go in my bedroom, though.”

The other four filed in, taking their shoes off and briefly overcrowding the entry area. Then Teddy led them towards the small living room. The couch could only fit Rachel, Mario, and Logan, so Teddy sat on a kitchen chair. Rosalind, for her part, stood awkwardly in front of the tv, realising she needed to actually start explaining things.

“So. Um... last night, I talked with Salmakis. She’s easier to read than her, uh, ‘head-roommate’, so I was able to tell she was telling the truth when she said that they hadn’t done anything to affect any of your minds,” she explained.

“I told you as much,” Rachel said.

“The argument that we’d say that even if we were under a magical influence made sense, though,” Logan countered.

“Thank you,” Rosalind replied. “This does, of course, mean I need to take everyone’s proposal’s seriously. They’re genuine, and... and the problem is, as you were apparently all told... I reciprocate all of your feelings. So I... I don’t know what to do. Because I can’t say no to any of you.”

“So... don’t?” Teddy said.

“Don’t?” Rachel, Rosalind, and Mario all replied in baffled tones.

“Polyamory would be ideal,” Logan said. “But it’s not exactly legal.”

“Scusi? What is this ‘polyamory’?” Mario asked. “I do not know the word.”

“Non-monogamous relationships,” Teddy replied.

“Like... an open relationship?” Rosalind asked.

“Sort of,” Logan said. “They can also be closed, but with more than one person.”

“That doesn’t strike me as very romantic,” Rachel said, leaning back into the couch. “If you’re going to give someone your heart you should give them the whole thing.”

“If you have kids are you only going to love one of them?” Teddy countered. “Or, if you love all of them do you love them less for it?”

“Romantic love is different,” Rachel said.

“It’s a philosophical debate either way. The fact is that you can’t marry more than one person in this country,” Logan replied. 

“So?” Teddy asked. “Plenty of older gays said their vows before their marriages were legal back before we were born.”

“My zia did that,” Mario said. “Then she got married legally ten years later... which explains why she moved here. Italy still does not allow for gay marriage, sadly.”

“Wait. So... would I be able to marry you in Italy?” Rosalind said, having not really processed before that point that marriages she might have would be voided while on tour to a nation as major as Italy.

Mario shrugged, looking utterly uncertain.

“Huh... well, with that in mind... there probably isn’t a law against multiple engagements, right? So... we can at least experiment with polyamory?” Rosalind offered. “Give it, I don’t know... a 90 day trial or something?”

Logan and Teddy both shrugged then agreed, neither having any great reason to oppose it. For his part, Mario simply blushed, looking slightly overwhelmed by the idea.

“I don’t like it,” Rachel said, sneering slightly. “But I’m willing to try it if it means we’re sharing beefcake over there. He’d be good company when you’re busy.”

Mario’s blush became worse.

“I’m not opposed. Making things a little less ‘me’ centered reduces my stress and scheduling commitments. Four people is a lot to juggle,” Rosalind replied.