#rent queercanons

post-breakup, roger tells mark to go find a nice couple to adopt (and sodomize) him if he's so worried about being Forever Alone, because he's a sarcastic fuck; and perhaps because he underestimates mark's obsessive nature, he doesn't expect to come home and find mark with 22 tabs open researching types of nonmonogamy and signing up for 3 different online dating sites at once.

he's bemused, but not particularly sorry; he figures that maybe mark will at least find someone to pass the time with on one of those sites, and tries to ignore his own confusion about his relationship with Mimi, which is both on-again-off-again and not exclusive, something he still doesn't entirely know how to deal with- especially because it seems like the only other person his girlfriend is sleeping with is his ex, who lives with her just one floor below.

he's got enough on his mind, between that, writers block, and the weird drama he has going on with his boss at the bar, who also happens to be april's ex, and seems to personally be taking it out on him. so he doesn't really take much note except to laugh as mark goes on a series of awkward unsuccessful dates, some blind, and finally gives up in complete despair when he realizes that everyone seems to be defining polyamory differently and he's never going to find a perfect match.

mark and maureen still have a standing friday night skype and/or movie date, and he's so damn confused. he ends up at his favorite lgbt+ cafe, morose and in need of a chocolate chip muffin, where he runs into collins and angel.

collins, of course, recognizes him on sight- he also recognizes the dejected slump of his shoulders. he's gotten his job at nyu and a life partner since they last met and he's eager to hear what mark has been up to. angel introduces herself and mark goes beet red, because how is it fair that the guy he had a lasting crush on also has a fucking gorgeous crush worthy partner? they sit and chat for hours, and hit it off, and somehow at the end of it mark finally realizes that he's managed to follow roger's advice, because collins has an arm around his shoulder and angel has hers around his waist, and they're heading back to show mark their apartment before he knows it.

he comes home with /two/ new partners after a week of nothing but incredible dates and incredible sex, and roger is flabbergasted. he tells mark that he was just being sarcastic- but inside he's horribly jealous, and collins has plenty of fun pushing his buttons because he can totally tell.

angel is mimi's childhood best friend, as it turns out, and they see each other often still- it's a coincidence that mark's never seen her before, apparently. everyone is star struck by her, even roger. angel runs a very successful etsy and a costume makeup how-to channel on YouTube, which means mark immediately has to collab with her. she makes jewelry, so Maureen is all over her, and they teach each other how to make things. Angel teaches Maureen how to sew, too, because she makes or modifies all of her own clothes, and they're fast friends.

april and joanne are both feeling a little left out with all of this going on, so it's not surprising that they stumble upon each other during mark's honeymoon period. when she's not sitting in court, Joanne is waiting around in a law firm stationed right next to an animal shelter. she's a huge sucker for animals, especially baby ones, so she goes over sometimes on her lunch to visit with them. April is a cat person with severe depression (she owns three and desperately wants to take more home, because they help ease her symptoms so much) and has been volunteering at the animal shelter for years in the mornings before the tattoo/piercing parlor opens and she has to go in for work. she happens to be working with the rescue cats one day when joanne comes in, and once they figure out who each other are, they get along so fabulously that Joanne ends up being talked into taking home one of the oldest cats at the shelter, a cantankerous brown and white tabby named Pookie.

maureen is a staunch vegan and theoretically, she loves cats... she's just never owned one. so it takes some getting used to. mark tells her that years of watching him take loving care of his odd assortment of pets - his cockatiel, which he left at home with his parents, his turtle (which died), and his many fish which roger frequently complains about because their tank takes up half of the living room - to know what to do, but she's still at a loss.

watching mark having all of these incredible relationships, even still seeming close with Maureen where roger had hoped that their breakup would leave him room to take up where she left off as marks priority, leaves roger very frazzled and discouraged.

collins

self-identified queer &/or omnisexual

skeptical of gender in general, but probably like an agender dude

subscribes to relationship anarchy

primary life partner is angel

he considers all of his close friends to be his partners and is very protective of them all tbh (even benny), but he has a special fondness for mark, roger, and joanne

angel

queer, pansexual (she loves this term and uses it whenever she possibly can fit it into the conversation)

believes in fluid sexuality

transfeminine genderqueer gal

polyamorous af

primary romantically/sexually involved with collins

qp girlfriends with mimi

qpps with mark in a triad with collins

mark

asexual and very confused about it. self-identifies as bi without a suffix because he’s honestly just Never Sure. possibly aro spec.

if the word quoiromantic had existed back, that’d be him

nevertheless has a horribly high sex drive and is in despair

nonbinary guy, pretty quiet about it (alternatively transmasculine, but probably still nonbinary even in that scenario- i can totally see him taking testosterone injections, for example, n having top surgery)

has a qp/sexual relationship with roger, considers him his life partner

has a qp triad with collins and angel

has a qp friendship with joanne, qpp with april

has a romantic friendship with maureen

roger

so fucking bi it hurts, demisexual and probably aro spec

he’s got tons of trauma that affects his identity

experiences lots and lots of alterous attraction but doesn’t know what to call it so he’s just. very frustrated.

has Complicated Gender Feelings and Dysphoria, not cis, not binary

really does not understand how to do romantic relationships

in a romantic/sexual relationship with mimi

qpps and life partners with mark

fwb with april

mimi

cis girl? she’s never rly questioned it

self-identified bi/polysexual and pretty evenly attracted to any gender she’s come across so far

loves to customize and explore her relationships thoroughly, so monogamy is ok but not required!

in a romantic/sexual relationship with roger

qpps with angel, mark, joanne, april

would happily sleep with maureen

has sort of a qp relationship with benny still

april (if she were still alive)

identifies pretty much as a woman, not interested in exploring that

mostly disinterested in labels, would if prompted probably categorize herself as having a preference for guys sexually but girls romantically/platonically

learning about alterous attraction would probably change her LIFE

she’s more of a fwb kind of person but rarely does do romance

fwb with roger

qpps with mark and mimi

maureen

so bisexual!! so much!!!! she favors the “two or more” definition. she may also call herself omnisexual once collins introduces her to it.

mostly a cis woman but super open to exploring gender. maybe genderfluid or a nonbinary woman, if she did explore it.

polyamory is her favorite word and she has a polyamory symbol (infinity heart) tattoo on the side of her boob

her primary romantic/sexual partner is joanne

she has a romantic friendship with mark still

she has a huuuuge crush on mimi

joanne

butch lesbian, demisexual &/or demiromantic

doesn’t feel totally comfortable with womanhood, maybe some kind of demigirl (she has mild dysphoria sometimes)

prefers monogamous relationships, but doesn’t mind her partners having platonic/quasiplatonic committed relationships

romantic/sexual partners with maureen

has a qp friendship with mark and collins

benny

cis guy (unfortunate) but he makes an effort to not be transphobic

not straight but unwilling to ever admit that

previously was in a qp/sexual relationship with mark (was super jealous when roger came into the picture)

mostly interested romantically/sexually in mimi and his wife now (still kind of hung up on mark, occasionally)

doesn’t even realize polyamory is an option, poor guy

i change this up a lot so *shrug*

and maureen knew that like, maureen was a lesbian to begin with and she was the first one mark came out to

all fantastic ideas anon