Above the verdant communal courtyard, Eugene makes his way down the steps beyond the door to his apartment, with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and walks briskly to his car – parked safely in his assigned spot, before making the drive to his place of employment. Among the tree lined streets in midtown along his route are pleasant stores, appealing restaurants and cozy suburban neighborhoods – broken up with light car and pedestrian traffic from time to time.
In Southern California is a particular city named Rancho Duna. Like many contemporary cities in North America, Rancho Duna is full of polytheistic temples and spiritual centers of all kinds. In the bookstore and gift shop of one of Rancho Duna’s many temples, Eugene works as a cashier. He sells not only books but also sacred charms and spiritual supplies to the general public. He also offers emotional and spiritual consultation to those who need it.
The grounds of Wellspring Temple are even more lush than the rest of Rancho Duna. Tall, elegant juniper trees line the cobblestone pathway leading to the main temple. The whole area where the temple sits is just as much an arboretum as it is a temenos – possessing well-maintained shrubs, various herbs and flowers of many types and colors. These are all regularly maintained.
The main temple and the bookstore next to it are made in a modest, traditional Gallo-Roman style – with bright pillars, simple doors, small windows and terracotta shingles imported directly from France and Belgium. In addition to the clear European influences are Near Eastern architectural motifs from modern Assyria, Canaan, Arabia and Kemet – as well as woodwork and cobblestone from England and the six nations of the Celtic Union. In addition to Celtic motifs are strong Scandinavian influences including runic stones and godpoles around the temenos. Approaching the entrance to the bookstore, Eugene takes a moment to admire the work his community has put into the temple – before readjusting the bag on his shoulder and opening up the store for the beginning of the day.
Eugene is a middle-aged male boar with a full frame, pointed ears, a boarish snout, prominent tusks and bristly brown fur with a light touch of gray. Like most days, he is currently dressed in casual clothing – but not without a heavy chain around his neck, large gauges in his ears and rings around his adult tusks. Like his younger years, Eugene’s love of underground culture is evident in his bold personal style, but is tempered by his gregarious countenance and mystical mindset. This is the spirit he brings to his work at the bookstore and the consultations that inevitably follow.
After taking some time to settle in and tidy up shelves, the bell above the front door of the Wellspring bookstore chimes brightly as a new customer arrives into the space. Unlike Eugene, this young, male fox is short and slender – with vulpine features and reddish fur. He has the more reserved and hesitant attitude of an uncertain, fresh-faced college student exploring the world on their own for the first time. In contrast to Eugene’s more seasoned, alternative look, Preston has a more understated aesthetic – preferring muted tones and a comfy hoodie. He’s wearing thick framed glasses and has a set of black headphones around his neck for private listening.
“Welcome! Is this your first time in the store?” Eugene says cheerfully.
“Yes, it is.” Preston says plainly. “I was invited here by a friend.”
“That’s wonderful! Your friend has good taste.” Eugene replies. Noticing the headphones around his neck, Eugene continues, saying, “It seems you have your own sense of good taste with music. Is there anything you like to listen to especially?”
“I listen to a little bit of everything” Preston says with a bit of a guarded expression. “I like to get lost in the vibe of a particular album on my walks.”
“It’s good to keep an open mind” Eugene says with a smile, “but it’s okay to prefer certain things over others. My boyfriend Magid and I love underground music the most.”
Relaxing his posture, Preston replies, “Lucien has been introducing me to a lot of new genres. It’s been a lot of fun. He’s the guy who invited me here too.” Preston smiles nervously and strokes the back of his neck for a moment.
“My name is Eugene. What’s your name?” Eugene says.
“Preston. It’s nice to meet you.” Preston replies.
“It’s nice to meet you as well” Eugene says.
After a brief silence, Eugene says, “We have a lot of books here in the store – including many about fairly germane subjects. Feel free to take a look at them while you wait for your friend. We have a dedicated study area in the back if you find something you want to explore further.”
“Thank you” Preston replies quietly.
Taking some time to peruse the shelves at the bookstore while Eugene deals with a steady stream of customers, Preston takes a few books and passes through an open hallway to the study room that Eugene mentioned earlier.
Passing through a short hallway, Preston notices a small kitchen to the left and a door past it that leads to a back patio. Further down, the hallway opens up to the main room. It has comfortable couches, a coffee table, and a small nook surrounded by shelves of obscure books. There is a draped window with midday sunlight pouring through and soft incandescent lighting around the whole space. Preston decides to take a seat in the cozy nook at the far end and enjoy the quietude of the study room.
After some time of reading, and a little bit of daydreaming, Preston hears the soft steps of someone down the hallway. Looking up, he sees Lucien gazing at him with a soft smile and a confident, masculine, foxy pose.
“You look cozy” Lucien says playfully. “Did you find anything good to read?”
“A few things” Preston replies sheepishly while looking at the sizeable stack he brought into the study room before Lucien arrived.
“I can see that!” Lucien says with a laugh. “So, I heard that Eugene talked to you a little bit about music when you first arrived. Him and Magid can’t get enough of the underground. I’ve definitely picked their brains about music, art and culture many times.”
“How long have you known them?” Preston inquires.
“I’ve known them for a few years now” Lucien replies. “Right around the time I was first looking for a new temple – something different than the one my parents go to, I met Eugene and Magid at a music concert. They invited me to the Wellspring bookstore shortly afterward.”
“Do you go to the temple a lot?” Preston asks.
“Sometimes” Lucien replies. “I often make offerings before big exams or when I need some spiritual motivation in my life.” Lucien looks at Preston intently with a soft smile. “You should come with me during the summer solstice. There’s a big midsummer festival coming up. There’s tons to do.”
Preston is hesitant, but he has trouble saying no to Lucien’s brilliant amber eyes.
“Alright. Let’s do it!” Preston says.
In the balmy summer days leading up to the solstice festival, Eugene spends his free time preparing the bookstore for the increase of customers that are bound to soon arrive. For this particular festival though, Eugene is deferring to his other workers – particularly Irene, who is quite eager for the opportunity to help the store in a big way.
In addition to assisting with festival duties around the temple, Eugene is going to act as the head priest for the main solstice ritual – a high festival in honor of the Roman goddess Ubertas. She is a deity of particular significance to the Wellspring Temple.
“I know you’ve been putting in a lot of effort this year, Irene, but I thought a few volunteers would be in order – given all the public interest, and how many donations our temple has been getting so far” Eugene says calmly. “This is Lucien and his boyfriend Preston.”
Lucien and Preston both give friendly yet casual waves to Irene.
With Lucien’s hand placed firmly on his shoulder, Preston is reminded how imposing his boyfriend actually is. Lucien is shorter than both Eugene and Magid, but his physical strength is well-attested by a sculpted physique – one that he freely shows off with fitted jeans, a tucked-in shirt and an extra-large, wolf’s head belt buckle.
Irene says, “I’m very grateful to you two. If you’ll give me a moment of your time, I’ll walk you through some of the things I need the most help with.”
Irene, much like Preston, is quite slender, but she’s rather tall – even for a raven. She’s barely a few inches shorter than Eugene or his boyfriend Magid. She has a dark beak and soft, shimmering black plumage. She also wears glasses, but prefers a bit more flair to her outfits than Preston – particularly during the solstice, where her love of summery boho aesthetics and bold accessories really shines brightest.
Hanging back a bit is Irene’s girlfriend Cassandra – a tall and athletic young raven with an intense gaze and formidability that rivals the goddess Sekhmet. In contrast to Irene, she finds herself most comfortable in activewear with a form-fitting tank top – belying her strong interest in gym life and the scenery she hikes with Lucien as her trail buddy.
“So, Cassandra and I will deal with setting out most of the festival items to sell in the bookstore” Irene says. “You and Lucien can set up signs, decorations and whatever else you can get to today. Let me know if you have any questions.”
After separating into two groups and getting to work, in a moment of silence Cassandra says, “Hey sweetie. I just wanted to say I appreciate you putting in a good word with Eugene. Working here has been so much more relaxed and getting into meditation here has been a nice contrast to my high energy workout routine.”
“It’s my pleasure” Irene says warmly. “Speaking of temple activities, did you know that Lucien will be teaching traditional martial arts at the Wellspring?”
With a lot of surprise, Cassandra replies, “He told me that he had something big planned, but I had no idea it was this involved.”
“I only ask because, despite appearances, Lucien has a soft heart” Irene says. “He wants to ask you to be a part of the class after the festival, but he doesn’t want you to feel pressured.”
“I’d love to be a part of something like that, honestly” Cassandra replies.
“I agree. It would also give you a way of contributing to the temple in a more substantial way than being an errand gal for your girlfriend” Irene says playfully.
Cassandra smirks and says, “Well, I can still help you with heavy lifting from time to time.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way” Irene replies.
Cassandra fondly recalls how her and Irene met. She remembers her reticence to interact with anyone – much less someone as striking as Irene. In those early days – fresh out of high school in fact – the difficulties she had in school were still fresh on her mind.
Being quite the tomboy, there was a fair amount of teasing from girls – especially other raven fellows – who thought she would be better suited to catty bathroom conversation than the sports she was far more interested in.
Though Irene is hardly the sporty type herself, many of her older brothers are, so it just so happened that they were learning martial arts at the same dojo as Cassandra. Despite her bookish nature, Irene quite boldly asserted herself into conversation between Cassandra and her older brother, and in the days that followed, Cassandra and Irene began talking regularly.
In time, Cassandra grew more trusting, so being encouraged by Irene to enter a fight competition was a big step for her – both in her relationship and her ability to be more confident. This confidence was also reinforced by Eugene’s boyfriend Magid – a great fighter in his own right.
In a small reading area for kids, Eugene’s boyfriend Magid is sitting on a chair with a group of younglings and sitting on the floor at looking up intently. It’s clear from their glances that many of them are utterly fascinated by his bold punk attire, band patches, flashy jewelry and imposing boar countenance. But more than that, they are captivated by the way he tells captivating stories.
“Since the solstice festival is upon us, I thought I’d tell you all the story of the birth of the goddess Ubertas” Magid says warmly to the children before him.
“Raise your hand if you have heard of Ubertas” Magid says aloud. A few kids cautiously raise they hands – one after the other. “A few of you do, it seems. Very good. You can put your hands down now.”
“As the story goes, Ubertas, the mistress of the marshes, is a very special goddess. Unlike many other deities, she emerged as a fully formed being” Magid says brightly. “Ubertas emerged from out of the sacred waters, at the edge of the first land – the fertile soil that rose up from the endless abyss. This is what would become known as Earth.”
“What makes her so special?” a juvenile male boar asks Magid.
“Do you know what a bath house is?” Magid replies softly. The boy nods. “Bath houses aren’t just a place to keep cool, wet and relaxed. They are also a place where fellows of all kinds can set aside their differences and grow closer to one another; They can bathe and relax in places set aside for fellows of all ages and backgrounds.”
Eugene walks over to Magid and sets a gentle hand on his shoulder before saying, “That’s why Ubertas is also a great protectress. She especially protects women and children.”
Magid says, “Ubertas loves joy and play too, but she doesn’t like too much mischief. That’s why we all want you to be on your best behavior during the solstice festival. Make sure to listen to the adults around you and don’t wander off during the main event.”
The children nod in agreement and Magid continues telling them more about the festival itself before the rest of story time is finished.
Once the children clear out for the day, Eugene gives Magid a gentle kiss before Magid says playfully, “What was that for?”
“You’re so good with kids” Eugene says warmly.
“You don’t think I’m too firm with them?” Magid asks.
“Sometimes kids need a firm hand. You did well today babe” Eugene replies.
“Thanks Eugene” Magid says.
“You’re welcome.” Eugene replies. “Let’s finish the rest of the festival preparations together. I want us to get this just right when we perform the ritual together.”
“Me too” Magid says. “It’s gonna be amazing.”
“I agree” Eugene replies. “Let’s get to it.”
***
As the day of the summer solstice festival finally arrives, the grounds of the Wellspring Temple – even more than usual, is brightly decorated. Sacred statues from a large array of polytheistic traditions in and around the main Wellspring temple are decorated with cloth sashes, vibrant summer flowers and a wide assortment of food offerings or other votives from the local community. Various vendor stands line the square as children and their families explore them with cheerful wonder. Escaping from the dry desert heat in Rancho Duna, some of the patrons outside make their way into the Wellspring temple bookstore as well.
Above the main entrance of the bookstore is a worn sign that greets customers as they pass through. Eugene, along with other founders of Wellspring, commissioned the sign from a local craftsman. Given the opportunity to choose a name for the store, Eugene decided on Lotus – both because of the watery associations of the lotus flower and because of the store’s focus on blossoming spiritual potential.
Unlike most days however, the current focus of the Lotus bookstore during this festival is less about quiet refuge and more about lively celebration. This change in tone is shown in the ways Lotus mirrors the bright festival décor outside. Sacred charms and jewelry for the occasion are on full display, and festival relevant books are available for purchase.
In addition to Eugene and Magid, the other original temple founders, Phineas and Lucretia, are also participating in the event. Whereas Eugene and Magid are set to perform a ritual in honor of Ubertas in the evening, Phineas and Lucretia are providing healing and blessing services to attendees of the summer solstice festival.
In contrast to boars like Eugene and Magid, Phineas and Lucretia are tall, statuesque, lizards with smooth green scales and dark eyes. They are both modestly dressed for the occasion, but not without sacred jewelry to adorn themselves with.
Taking a break from services in the temenos, Phineas and Lucretia visit Eugene and Magid inside the Lotus bookstore – approaching the front counter with cheerfulness.
“Greetings Eugene” Phineas says. “I see you’re busy as ever.”
“That’s certainly true, but I’ll have some free time in a little while” Eugene replies.
“That’s good to know” Lucretia says brightly. “Phineas and I wanted to know if you’ll be at the martial arts demonstration in the community center on the west side of the temenos.”
“Lucien and a few of his new students will be showing off their skills and giving a basic introduction to the festival attendees who are interested” Phineas says.
“I thought you were busy with healing services today” Eugene says.
“Phineas and I are finished for the day” Lucretia says. “All that is left for the festival is the martial arts demonstration, some festival entertainment and the evening ritual you and Magid will be performing.”
“Well, I was just about to close up the shop for the day – since the festival entertainment will be taking precedence over quiet book reading after sundown” Eugene says.
Irene chimes in, saying, “Magid and Cassandra will also be a part of the demonstration, and they both want us to watch them.”
“Give me and Irene a little while longer and we’ll meet you over there” Eugene says.
Sometime later, Eugene and Irene enter through the large double-doors of the west building in the Wellspring temenos. It is a large open area with multiple rooms for things like crafting, workshops, meditation and the martial arts demonstration they are all about to watch.
Much like both the main Wellspring temple and the Lotus bookstore, the Wellspring community center is built with a mixture of Gallo-Roman and Alexandrian elements. There is a lot of warm wood and the colors of terracotta clay – evoking not only the importance of hearth cultures but also the themes of pure water and fertile mud that dominate Wellspring.
There are several small shrines in different locations around the space, but one of the largest is a shrine dedicated to the powerful god Sobek. In the back of the area set aside for martial arts and other more physical activities is the particularly watchful gaze of a crocodilian Sobek statue – carefully adorned in honor of the summer solstice festival.
With a similar intensity to Sobek is Lucien – dressed in a white martial arts uniform along with Cassandra, Magid, his newest students and a number of excited guests.
“Like many of the practices from ancient times, what I’m about to show you is focused on grappling and wrestling techniques” Lucien projects into the room. “So, it’s always best to learn how to fall more than anything else.”
Cassandra steps up towards Lucien and they both get into appropriate stances – trading off between coordinated throws and opposing grapples to demonstrate the core concept.
“What I’m about to show you now is how this works in practice” Lucien says. “With the help of a few of my experienced friends, I’ll show you what sparring looks like.”
Turning up the heat and intensity, Lucien and Cassandra jump into much more of a combative posing – getting quite close and really showcasing their skill. Lucien lands the first throw – making a loud slam on the floor. With a look of excitement, Cassandra comes back towards Lucien with more zeal – exchanging a few more grapples and averting another throw by Lucien before tripping him successfully. She grabs his hand and pulls him up to his feet.
With much the same excitement, Magid gets into a combative stance before Lucien, and the intensity gets even stronger than before. Despite Lucien’s small size compared to Magid, he produces just as much strength and intensity. Lucien and Magid exchange a series of powerful trips and throws, with slams and grunting that reverberates throughout the community center – drawing the attention of attendees who seem quite entertained by the display.
Once they are done sparring, Lucien’s eager students practice with him. As well, a few of the attendees jump in to experiment with his techniques – emboldened by the excitement of the event. This sparring continues for a while longer – before a brief moment of silence falls over the building. Lucien, Magid and Cassandra make a silent prayer before the Sobek shrine and the demonstration ends with a sense of peace and calm.
All of the people who participated in the demonstration head to the locker rooms, take showers and get back into their normal clothes before exiting the community center into the open-air festival that is still going on outside.
“We have a little bit of time before we need to prepare for the ritual” Eugene says sometime later. “Would you like to enjoy some of the festivities until then?”
“Definitely” Magid says. “I’m absolutely starving.”
Under the warm glow of festival fires and lanterns, Eugene, Magid and his other friends enter into the main square beneath the imposing grandeur of Wellspring Temple – in the hours of early evening after the particularly energetic martial arts demonstration moments earlier. Vendor stands with various items and delicious food are quite popular – even more than then during the hours before sundown, and the cheerful noise of festival goers fills the air.
Quite the extravaganza, there are jugglers, illusionists, fire breathers, dancers, musicians and artists from all around Rancho Duna and elsewhere – filling the festival with the vitality that Wellspring is best known for. Not content to make the summer solstice a solemn festival, everyone involved has brought their excitement to every aspect of the celebration – something that fills Eugene with great joy and satisfaction as he explores the rest of the temenos with Magid and his friends.
“We are incredibly lucky” Eugene says with a soft smile.
“Why do you say that?” Magid says.
“We have so many people who are dedicated to making Wellspring and the Lotus bookstore inviting places for people to be” Eugene replies. “This year has even more excitement than ever.”
“It’s truly wonderful” Magid says “I’m sure that you and I will be able to show our gratitude when we perform the ritual later on tonight. But for now, let’s just enjoy some revelry.”
“Sounds good to me, babe” Eugene says happily.
Before the festival comes to a close, Eugene and Magid quietly break away to setup for the Ubertas ritual – getting into more formal clothing, lighting candles and incense and setting up various other ritual items.
Sometime later, Eugene’s friends and various attendees assemble into the Wellspring temple and stand in rows before the main altar space.
“On the night of the solstice“ Eugene begins, “We honor the fecundity, fertility and abundance of Ubertas – the mistress of the marshes and wife of the waters.”
“We present you many offerings and votives on your most sacred day” Magid says before presenting and addressing several offerings around the temple floor.
“We honor you as she who emerged from mud and formed the fellows from sacred clay – out of the land at the edge of the abyssal waters of creation” Eugene intones.
“We ask that you keep us in your blessings, protect our community – particularly our women and children, and are honored by what we present to you now” Magid says.
In the Wellspring Temple, sacred music and dancing fills the space. More offerings are brought into the temple and the human form of her statue is blessed with fine oils and fragrant flowers of various types.
“As this most blessed evening ends, may all sacred divinities, powerful spirits, wise ancestors and assembled festival attendees depart in peace and benevolence” Eugene says – finishing the solstice rite with his solemn words and extinguishing all the candles with the help of his partner Magid.
***
A few days after the end of the summer solstice festival, Preston takes some time to browse the shelves at Lotus while Eugene works on his laptop behind the register. Finding a book of interest, Preston makes his way through the back door of the sales floor into the back study room.
Sometime later, after Preston has settled into his favorite nook in the study room – curled up not unlike his wild, feral pithecine cousins, the quiet hum of downtown Rancho Duna is interrupted by Lucien coming through the hallway into the study. Today, more than ever, he has a certain intensity that still intrigues Preston – months after their first date and those that followed.
“Hey Preston” Lucien says casually. “I’m glad to see you’ve made yourself comfortable again. I’m done running my errands now. Would you like some tea from the kitchen?”
“Sure” Preston says with a soft smile before returning to his book.
Lucien quietly makes his way into the kitchen to prepare some tea. Preston closes his book, moves himself over to the couch and checks some messages on his phone. Lucien has a broad smile of contentment on his face and hums to himself as he boils water on the stove.
Lucien grabs some loose-leaf tea and sets it aside. As the water heats on the stove, Lucien glances longingly at Preston from inside the kitchen and thinks to himself how adorable he is when he curiously scrolls through his phone with gentle motions of his finger.
A bit distracted by the pleasant view, the shrill and sudden sound of the kettle coming to a boil is enough to snap him out of his daze. Taking a breath, he pours boiling water from the kettle into a teapot filled with tea leaves. Taking a moment to compose himself, he grabs some honey from the kitchen counter.
Moments later, Lucien places a serving tray with both a teapot, teacups, honey and spoons onto the coffee table and sits on the couch next to Preston. “We’ll just let it steep for a bit now” Lucien says softly.
“So, I was thinking” Preston says. “Since I chose our first big date location at the playhouse, I thought it would be nice to do something you enjoy. I know theatre is not your favorite, and I’d like to expand my horizons.”
Lucien pauses for a moment – carefully choosing his words before saying, “Well, there is something I’m planning to do with Eugene and Magid in a few weeks, but I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”
A look of frustration washes over Preston’s face and with a sigh he says, “It seems like everyone wants to tell me what I’m supposed to like or dislike.”
“I’m sorry” Lucien says. “I don’t want to be yet another dismissive or controlling person in your life. I’m just so used to people passing judgment on me because of my tastes in music.”
“What kind of music?” Preston inquires genuinely.
“I like metal music” Lucien replies nervously. “A lot of people have strong opinions about it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being passionate” Preston says reassuringly. “I’ve never listened to metal, but I’m willing to give it a try if you’re willing to share your favorite artists and genres with me.”
Lucien gives Preston a relieved smile and says, “Okay Preston. I’ll try to be more open.”
Sometime later, Lucien pours tea into each of their cups. They sit quietly in the study room and Lucien introduces his boyfriend to a little bit of the history of metal music – as well as various styles.
“Have you ever had your leaves read?” Lucien asks.
“No, I haven’t. I didn’t know you did tasseography” Preston replies. “Sure. Go ahead.”
Lucien looks down at each cup – studying the position of the leaf fragments sitting at the bottom and interpreting the shape that appears. With a look of amusement and shock, Lucien says, “Wow. I can’t believe it. We both got the same symbol.”
“Which symbol?” Preston asks – leaning forward with increasing interest.
“We both have the symbol of the goat in our cups” Lucien says. “It is not only a symbol of independence, change, revelry and exploration, but also one of the most iconic symbols of metal.”
“Seems like fate to me then” Preston says with a smile.
In the days that follow, Lucien introduces Preston to more bands. With even more enthusiasm, Preston finds even more music on his own and starts to develop quite a nascent appetite for the metal genre as a whole. Preston grows even more excited to go to the concert with Lucien because of the sheer variety of bands he would be able to enjoy in such a tangible way.
On the day of the concert, Eugene offers to drive Lucien and Preston along with his boyfriend Magid riding in the front passenger seat. Turning towards Lucien behind the driver’s seat, Magid says, “So, are you gonna join me in the mosh pit again Lucien?”
“You know it!” Lucien replies excitedly.
“Don’t worry too much about what you should do at a concert” Eugene says to Preston while glancing at the rear-view mirror. “Everyone enjoys the music in different ways. I’m not into moshing, but some people definitely love it.” Eugene turns to his boyfriend and with a playful tone says, “Though I sometimes wonder if some people like it a little too much.”
After a short drive, the four men arrive at the concert venue – seeing crowds of people with band shirts and battle vests pouring into the building from the parking lot.
Seeing Preston’s nervous yet excited expression gives Lucien a lot of joy, and although there’s a part of him that thinks he needs to offer consolation, he resists the temptation and lets Preston take in the frenetic, powerful, anticipatory energy of the venue as the chaotic noise of the space begins to build.
Once they all find a spot for themselves, their double-date at the metal concert begins in earnest. With an unyielding intensity and enthusiasm, the bands begin to play. The roar of the crowds and the rhythm of arms and feet join the chorus of sound on the stage. Preston feels – for the first time in his young life, the power of live drums, deep bass and fearsome distortion. He hears the virtuosity of their instruments and the penetrating, evocative sounds of extreme vocals of many types.
Preston watches as Magid and Lucien are drawn to the mosh pit like moths to a flame. Seeing the chaos and aggression of the crowd is shocking at first, but also entrancing to Preston. With a gentle nudge from a smiling Eugene, Preston makes his way over to the mosh pit.
Feeling the power of the music and following the flow of the moshers, Preston joins in – being welcomed like a young man on his first hunt. Lucien finds himself nervous, but although he is tempted to step in, he decides to just stay close instead. The two of them share big smiles as the primality of the mosh pit sweeps over the venue – joined by a cacophony of extreme sound.
In the midst of the crowd emerges a particularly unruly mosher – more than a little drunk and quite disagreeable among an already chaotic group of people. This imposing, drunken, male lizard pushes people nearby and finds himself irritated by the joy around him – particularly Preston, who is smiling brighter than anyone. The drunk reptilian concert goer quietly yet firmly shoves Preston – which draws the attention of those in the pit.
With a fiery look in his eyes, Lucien draws nearer to his boyfriend. But just before he’s able to step in, Preston jumps high and head-butts the lizard right in his snout. As he stands there quite dazed, an amused, gargantuan male boar chucks the drunken lizard out of the pit and gives Preston a high five as everyone gets back enjoying the metal concert.
During a brief intermission, Lucien notices that the drunken asshole gets removed by security. Turning back to Preston, he notices how joyfully his boyfriend is befriending other people at the venue – exchanging numbers and being quite popular as a newbie to the metal scene.
Preston draws close to Lucien and says, “Thanks.”
“Thanks for what?” Lucien replies.
“Thanks for letting me be myself” Preston says with a big smile.
Preston pulls Lucien by the hand back towards the main stage where new bands are about to perform. Lucien finds himself in awe of the man he’s dating – stopping them both for a moment before saying, “Hey.”
“Yeah babe?” Preston says.
“You’re amazing” Lucien replies.
“We both are” Preston says with a smirk. “Now let’s finish the rest of the show. I can’t wait to see the headliner!”