#echoblr

The gang was at Carl's "Castle". Carl, Leo and Chase were smoking weed; it wasn't a terribly offensive behavious to the others, but still TJ and Sydney sat by the window.

"You know what's be fucking funny?" Carl asked.

"Language" chided TJ semi-playfully.

"That we host a pride parade here!"

"Are you completely nuts!?" Jenna said, "We'd be shot on sight by those hillbillies!"

"I say fuck 'em" Flynn said, "I'm carrying a gun myself so I'll kneecap those bastards."

"Same" Leo added, eyes still red from the pot.

"I second the motion" Sydney said, flexing his mucles, "The more excuses to beat up bigots for the greater good, the better!"

Jenna face palmed.

***

All of the pride parade amenities were purchased online by Carl. Rainbow capes, pins, shirts, whatever his friends wanted to express themselves. Delivery was terrible, but eventually the boxes arrived, on behalf of a bored mustang. After signing, Carl began digging through the boxes.

"Okay, a blue and green shirt for you Flynn, another for Leo, a pan t-shirt for me, bi pride capes for the rest, an enamel pin for Jenna."

"I'm used to capes" Sydney said, "So I can't wait for you to stumble on your own."

"How funny" Chase said, before he tripped on his own cape.

***

The parade would be a a short one, from Carl's mansion to Sydney's house. They avoided the tetanus alley like the plague and only made a brief stop at the dinner.

"Oh, don't you guys look lovely!" said Janice, handing them some sandwiches for the road.

The rest of the patrons looked confused while others started looking hostile, so Leo, Flynn and Sydney stared them into compliance.

***

The parade was indeed short, but quite fun. Sydney held his cape like a real villain, while Flynn and Carl complimented each other. Soon the sun began to set, so they retreated to Sydney's house for the night.

"Think we can pull another one tomorrow?" Chase asked.

They pondered.

Chase found a lipstick laying on the room table.

At first he thought nothing of it, but his curiousity grew. He decided to apply it, going to the bathroom as to have the mirror to himself.

As he applied it, he found himself… not exactly pretty, but quite easy on the eyes, like the sun on a cloudy day.

"Kudzu!" he called.

"Yes baby?" Kudzu said, rushing to the bathroom.

"Do you think this looks good on me?"

Kudzu had a knee jerk reaction, but he took it well all things considered.

"If there's anything you want to talk about I'm always here for you" Kudzu said, taking Chase's paw in his.

Chase giggled.

"Oh, it's not like that, I just think it looks funny. I think I might want to try drag."

"Oh?"

"If you asked me before Echo I'd definitely say no, because I hate how otters are perceived as clowns. But now that I've had more time to dscover myself, I think a bit of silliness is acceptable."

"Do you want me to buy women's clothes?"

Chase thought a bit. It was one thing to wear lipstick, but go full drag still held a bit of hesitation. But he squashed it.

"Yes, please."

"Are you almost done?" Kudzu asked outside their room.

"There, I'm ready."

Chase walked out of the room in what seemed to be a white ballroom dress, complimenting his flat chest, with purple lipstick and eye shadow.

"How do I look?"

"Brave, stunning, outrageous."

"You're just reading Ru Paul's critiques, aren't you?

"What if I am?"

"Then I'll stop you."

Chase hugged Kudzu and kissed him, the eyeliner and lipstick marking the raccoon's face.

"Oops, I-"

"It's alright, I kinda like it. Like all those guys with lipstick marks down bellow, if you catch my meaning."

"How crude!" Chase said, pretending to be posh.

Both of them laughed, and hugged one another.

"Do you think you could do a drag show for our friends?"

"Maybe, just not right now. Flynn would laugh his ass off, and Leo would have a heart attack."

"Give them time."

"In the meantime, we could just be done with this and go somewhere more.. appropriate…."

Murdoch breathed in deeply, the air fragrant with desert flowers. The air was thick with heat, but not oppressive. The normally opressive summer light was now pleasant, as if an encore was building up.

Murdoch loved Pride Month, and loved that his celebration of his sexuality matched the celestial tides, as well as his birthday. The sun would soon be at her apex, light triumphing over darkness, if only for a moment before the days withered and the nights grew longer again.

It was a beautiful symphony for him, the many divine forces at play, the many Celtic gods his grandma taught him alight with splendour.

It had been more than a week since his birthday, his official signature into the world, but to him that paled before this witching hour.

And so he had a moment of quiet, of contemplation. He lit some incenses, gave some prayers the Grian and Aine, and laid down on the couch, breathing in the flagrant smoke into a relaxed sturpor.

"Can I come in?" Cliff asked.

Murdoch craned his neck, and waved his lover over. They laid together on the couch, kissing each other and nibbling each other's ears.

"Why don't you make us a painting?" Murdoch said.

"Already did" Cliff chirped, "See, I know you. And I can research paganism online pretty well."

Cliff left, and Murdoch felt a small hollow in his chest. Cliff's light was as bright as the sun's. And when he returned, that light seemed to eclipse that of the goddess. It was an pastel painting, depicting a solar celtic triskele.

"That's beautiful!" Murdoch said.

"I knew you'd like it."