[Gift] June: Mantlas Pride

“d’you think it could be any hotter?” brioche grouches, though there’s no real heat behind his words, complaining to hear himself talk, really. he gets an elbow to the side for his troubles, sends a little smirk apollo’s way there his friend is walking at his side.

they’d met the year prior, almost a year to the day, really, at the parade then. much to brioche’s delight, it had been raining then, but no such luck this year, it would seem, given the way the sun is blazing above their heads.
since then, brioche had come to know apollo’s.. far grumpier pal, pom, and between the two of them, they had managed to convince the older mantlas out to his very first pride event.

shaking out his fin, brioche shifts his position in their little group, shoving up between pom and apollo, a paw-fin on each of their shoulders, with a bright, annoying little grin.
“we should find a nice, old guy for you to kiss, poooom~” he teases, just to rile the older mantlas up, cackles at the way pom’s cheeks heat beneath his fur, “i’m teasin’ ya, old man.. real happy you decided to join us,” his tone is far more sweet here, though he does still need to shout over the sound of queer joy around them, the swell of music and celebration.

brioche has been leading them towards one of the booths, some locally-owned table by an artist selling prints, shirts - all sorts of merch, really. he perks up at the sight of another familiar face, would recognize that dark coat just about anywhere. 
the younger mantlas tugs at one of apollo’s rabbit-like ears, earns himself a little hey! in response, “that’s ajin. remember?” because, sue him, he’s talked about the handsome mantlas quite a bit.

excusing himself to leave the two to shop, brioche sidles right on up to the wolf, watches from the corner of his eye as pom awkwardly sorts through the merch on the table. his tail puffs up, visibly excited, as the older mantlas seems to decide on a small trans flag for himself.. wonders, idly, if this is pom’s first merch he’s ever bought. remembers buying his own first little flag, how he’d hung it up on the wall above his bed, how it’s followed him all the way into his first, crappy little apartment - a space all his own, for him to grow and flourish.
he won’t say anything to pom about it, won’t tease him, for once, won’t risk scaring the older mantlas away from this small slice of community.

“catch ya later, ajin?” brioche grins, all bright and pure joy, reaching out to ruffle the wolf-mantlas’ fur before ducking away, out of reach and retaliation, to pad back on over to his little group.

he spends a moment or two browsing, before ultimately picking out a little trans pride bracelet for himself, paying the artist at the booth with a toothy grin. though he could ask apollo to tie it on for him, he.. pads up to pom, tilting his head to one side.
“help me out, old man?” it earns him a grunt and a roll of the eyes, but the older mantlas gives in pretty easy, brioche watching as those light paws secure the bracelet around his wrist. brioche hums to himself, tail swaying back and forth real lazily, “glad you’re here, pom,” he says again, more heart-felt than before.

glad pom is here with them, at pride, but also here. here as a queer elder, who has survived and overcome and kept going. who has helped pave the path for younger queer mantlas to be able to celebrate like this.

brioche grins up at the man, flexes his hand to get a feel for the bracelet, make sure it fits well, before he ultimately pulls his paw back towards himself.
“c’mon, i wanna find ya a hot date~” right back to teasing, it would seem, leaves brioche cackling at his own little jokes as he throws an arm around his friends and steers them right back into the crowds, back into their community.