<divclass="codehilite"><pre><span></span><code><spanclass="nv">Of</span><spanclass="nv">the</span><spanclass="nv">interesting</span><spanclass="nv">topics</span><spanclass="nv">that</span><spanclass="nv">popped</span><spanclass="nv">up</span>, <spanclass="nv">that</span><spanclass="nv">of</span><spanclass="nv">polygamy</span><spanclass="nv">stuck</span><spanclass="nv">with</span><spanclass="nv">me</span><spanclass="nv">the</span><spanclass="nv">most</span>. <spanclass="nv">Michael</span><spanclass="nv">has</span><spanclass="nv">a</span><spanclass="nv">date</span><spanclass="nv">with</span><spanclass="nv">another</span><spanclass="nv">on</span><spanclass="nv">Thursday</span><spanclass="nv">and</span>, <spanclass="k">while</span><spanclass="nv">this</span><spanclass="nv">brought</span><spanclass="nv">up</span><spanclass="nv">issues</span><spanclass="nv">with</span><spanclass="nv">Merlin</span><spanclass="nv">and</span><spanclass="nv">Atrius</span>, <spanclass="nv">all</span><spanclass="nv">I</span><spanclass="nv">can</span><spanclass="nv">say</span><spanclass="nv">right</span><spanclass="nv">now</span><spanclass="nv">to</span><spanclass="nv">Michael</span><spanclass="nv">is</span><spanclass="nv">that</span><spanclass="nv">I</span><spanclass="nv">wish</span><spanclass="nv">him</span><spanclass="nv">the</span><spanclass="nv">best</span><spanclass="nv">of</span><spanclass="nv">luck</span>. <spanclass="nv">It</span><spanclass="nv">just</span><spanclass="nv">feels</span><spanclass="nv">like</span><spanclass="nv">it</span><spanclass="nv">would</span><spanclass="nv">actually</span><spanclass="o">/</span><spanclass="nv">work</span><spanclass="o">/</span><spanclass="nv">in</span><spanclass="nv">his</span><spanclass="nv">case</span>. <spanclass="nv">As</span><spanclass="nv">to</span><spanclass="nv">how</span><spanclass="nv">it</span><spanclass="nv">pertains</span><spanclass="nv">to</span><spanclass="nv">me</span>, <spanclass="nv">I</span><spanclass="s1">'</span><spanclass="s">m not sure if my mind could handle having two mates. Granted I still have a thing for Kory (hah, good luck with that) and a few others, I just don</span><spanclass="s1">'</span><spanclass="nv">t</span><spanclass="nv">think</span><spanclass="nv">I</span><spanclass="nv">could</span><spanclass="nv">find</span><spanclass="nv">another</span><spanclass="nv">who</span><spanclass="nv">a</span><spanclass="ss">)</span><spanclass="nv">would</span><spanclass="nv">be</span><spanclass="nv">willing</span><spanclass="nv">to</span><spanclass="nv">have</span><spanclass="nv">that</span><spanclass="nv">sort</span><spanclass="nv">of</span><spanclass="nv">relationship</span><spanclass="nv">with</span><spanclass="nv">me</span><spanclass="nv">and</span><spanclass="nv">b</span><spanclass="ss">)</span><spanclass="nv">I</span><spanclass="nv">could</span><spanclass="nv">have</span><spanclass="nv">that</span><spanclass="nv">sort</span><spanclass="nv">of</span><spanclass="nv">relationship</span><spanclass="nv">with</span>. <spanclass="nv">Ah</span><spanclass="nv">well</span>. <spanclass="nv">Something</span><spanclass="nv">to</span><spanclass="nv">think</span><spanclass="nv">about</span>.
<p>Michael and I’s relationship was rocky, tumultuous. We met through a queer group and from there wound up in a weird, heated romance that danced around sex, gender, mental health, everything. We fought, we made up. We got annoying. We made out a lot, we had sex, though with each of our individual hangups around sex, it was rarely penetrative.</p>
<p>There were bits of sexuality that didn’t work for me when I was bepenised. A lot of those make sense in a transgender context. Matthew was still a gay guy, but the Ship-of-Theseusizing was already beginning.</p>
<p>In two previous relationships, poly had come up, and neither time, it had worked. With Merlin and Atrius, I had immediately jumped to jealousy. I felt as though I was being set aside.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Never one to have a high opinion of yourself.</p>
<p>It didn’t last. That was part of the breaking point. Similarly with Andrew and Ryn. I’ve heard it said that jealousy is a sign that one’s needs are not being met.</p>