#rivervale_lodge

"Yeah...I thought so. Even if you told him my name, how'd he know which one I was?"

"That's why I kicked you when you were spouting everybody's skills. Sorry about that, by the way."

"Not that it didn't break down.. but, like... " She frowns. "I'm not sure it was an accident."

"Bix, can I see the paper? Please?"

He hands it over "There's no glamour"

Just a phone number. Though if Sylvi checks it, it's unlisted, no id on who might own it by name

Which is not exactly unusual, as she points out when she hands it back. "Still...Bix, come on. If Dagmar's hearing one lie after another, and the thing with the name, and the trying to get you alone and owing him....it's not a good combo, right?"

"Just... it's shady shit."

"Oh! Plus trying to figure out how many people the Lodge has!"

Bix looks positively dispondent "Damn it, I LIKED him... like him"

"Right..."

A pause.

"Like-like?"

"Yeah...it sucks. You'd be cute together, if he wasn't...whatever he is."

"Like... you're gay?"

Sylvi grins a bit. "Kinda obvious you were into him."

Bix smiles "Bless you, Dagmar...yeah. I'm gay"

A furrow between Dagmar's eyebrows. "Shit, Siv's gonna be SO disappointed..."

"how long did you know before this, Sylkvi?"

"Siv? " He wrinkles his nose "I mean, she's nice...but most of the ships she likes don't even have engines"

"Oh, I didn't. I just figured it out today, really, but I wasn't really trying to sort it out before. I mean, you are what you are, right?"

"Siv? Really? I mean, no offense, Bix, but I didn't catch that Siv was into you."

"Better if she's not. No offense"

"Well, Siv's in a weird headspace, anyway, I think. Lotsa stuff going on with her. But hey, were you trying to hide it from us? It's no big deal, at least it's not for me."

"You don't seem gay."

Sylvi winces at Dagmar's comment and bites her lip.

"You mean...not all flame-y?"

"Um, yeah? I mean, you're just normal."

Bix looks at her, then says "I live in Iowa, I can't afford to flame... my cousins are fairly open midnded buthey'd still give me hell"

"Well, that's bullshit."

"Being gay is normal. The way Bix does it is okay."

"Look.. I'm gay, but I'm still a guy and a masculine guy at that. I mean.. I like the stereotypical guy things... mechanical stuff, sports, action movies...but I just am attracted to guys. Just like you can have...well, take Earl, he paints, likes broadway musicals, and thinks Sports are over rated. Until he got a girlfriend half the family was betting he WAS gay"

"Which wasn't fair to him now that I think about it but I was a childling. All I knew was that I was glad I wasn't him because I dnd't need the teasing"

"No, I mean it's bullshit your cousins would be jerks about it..."

"Ugh. That sucks. And...okay, it's no big deal for me, and I'm pretty sure that it's not going to be a big deal for most of us...but I bet Dirk is gonna put you through the wringer. Let me know if you want me to clobber him."

"I'm still a troll. I can do my own clobbering" He assures, "And thanks, Dagmar. The farm's better than it was, not the elders see it always."

"But the thing is...I mean, you haven't dated a lot, right, Bix?"

"Dating is all everybody thinks about."

"Hey! Not true!"

"Nope I haven't.." Then he looks at Dagmar "It's cool, Dagmar. Asexuals have their own challenges and if we make you feel more challenged let us know."

She pauses. "Well...kinda not true. But I'm not totally vapid!"

"And what I was going to say was, Bix, since it's new, you want to go careful. Your instincts about not wanting to owe him money? That was dead on."

"What? Hey.. no.. hey.."

Scowl.

"Um...maybe labels aren't such a good idea?"

"oh sorry" He says backing up, metaphorically "My bad."

"And ..yeah. I guess I'll just tell him I can't make it"

As they walk home, they see Siv

Dag is quiet, a deep line between her eyebrows.

"Hey, Siv." Sylvi gives her a somewhat subdued wave. "'Sup?"