FSE

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Cas yawned when Troika entered the hatchback and sat down on the passenger seat. "Back so soon? I thought you went to take a dump."

The calico cat managed to flash a smile at the red fox. "I'm good now. Sorry, we can go now."

His attempt at trying to act normal failed, however, because the fox's ears perked up and his eyes opened slightly wider, staring at Troika.

"Is something wrong, Troy? You seem a little nervous about something," the worried fox asked. Then, he saw the anxiety on Troika's face. "Did you get a stomachache?" He quickly reached to the backseat and grabbed a water bottle and handed it to Troika.

"Thanks, Cas. No. No, I'm fine, really. I just... I just had a flashback about something. I'm OK." Opening the car door, Troika splashed his head with some water and lightly shook it off such that his fur would remain damp but not overly wet. He took a deep breath and laid his back against the seat.

Cas didn't say anything after that and started the car. Although he still glanced at Troika from time to time, he drove the car without asking more about the flashback that Troika allegedly had.

And this was why Troika liked to be with Cas. He knew when not to ask any more questions, no doubt from his experience observing other animals while being raised in a religious family.

Fortunately for them, the awkwardly silent road trip didn't last long, for half an hour later, a sign with the message "Welcome to Horseshow Grove" written in an embellished font came in sight. Exiting the highway at the indicated exit, the duo could at once see that something festive was taking place nearby. White tents sprung up everywhere, and a huge crowd gathered at the location with animals of many different species mingling together like they were in the middle of Los Angeles, not a secluded town in the middle of the desert.

"Whoa," Troika said. "Will you be able to find a parking space with so many animals here?"

"Can't tell unless we try," replied Cas.

The sedan turned the corner marked by a sign with a big letter "P" written with red paint, and the two were greeted by a large wooden board with plates hanging from the nails. Each plate showed a number, which could be swapped with a different number as the number of empty spaces fluctuated. At the moment, however, all the plates showed "0", indicating that there was no empty space in any of the parking lots from Lots A through Z.

"Hey," Cas called to an attendant sitting groggily in the shade next to the wooden board, "do you know any other place we could park the car?"

The attendant, a young marten presumably in his mid-teen, responded, "If you don't mind walking two miles, there's another lot at Schuster Arena. I don't think many folks bother to park there because it's a little inconvenient. They'd rather use the indoor parking at Strawberry Hill Mall, but they charge four times our rate here because of the rock festival."

Troika could see Cas frown at imagining paying quadruple just for a parking space. When asked where that stadium was, the marten jotted down a simple map of the area on the back of the receipt that Cas passed to him.

"Thanks, kid," Troika said, giving the attendant two one-dollar bills before they turned the car around.

Schuster Arena was a three-story building located near a residential area, and surrounding it was a large parking lot which was almost overrun with weeds and other plants. Upon close inspection, the arena was closed and appeared to be so for quite some time. The windows were dirty and the grass around the entrance grew taller than half a foot. The building was in dire need of proper maintenance.

The attendant was correct that not many animals parked their car there, for the parking lot was not even a quarter filled. Cas parked the hatchback and opened the rear door to take out their daypacks, each containing three bottles of water and some towels in case they got soaked in sweat.

"Alrighty!" Cas shouted as he jumped up and down, eager to start moving again after the four-hour drive. "Let's get a move on, Troy! The Fest awaits us!"

After paying the parking fee for the day at a booth by the entrance (Cas was elated when he saw that the parking fee was even lower here), the two walked on the sidewalk toward the location of the event, commenting on the scenery from time to time. There wasn't much of a difference between Horseshoe Grove and Lagarra. The two towns were equally modest in terms of resident population and the businesses that dwelled there, with Horseshoe Grove resembling a desert due to the lawn being browner here than in Lagarra due to the drier climate.

One thing that they found out soon enough was that the marten had understated the distance they had to walk. They walked at a brisk pace of between four to five miles per hour, but it took them almost an entire hour to reach the entrance. By then, the fox and the cat were panting from the heat. A wet towel was wrapped around the fur of their necks to keep them moist such that the water would cool down the fur when it evaporated.

The entrance to the music festival was marked by a tall arch with "Star Rock Festival" shown in colorful block letters which could be seen from a mile away. As the two approached the entrance, more and more animals gathered together. Food trucks and tents selling memorabilia were everywhere, and from the distance, the two could hear a rock band blasting their music through the speakers.

Looking around, Troika couldn't find a queue of animals waiting to buy their tickets to go inside. "Where do we get the tickets?" he asked.

"We don't need to," his companion replied. The fox opened his daypack and took out two wristbands, both having the words "Star Rock Festival" printed on them. He put one of them on his left wrist. "I bought these online beforehand. The staff at the entrance will scan the QR code printed here," he explained, pointing to the black-and-white matrix barcode next to the festival's name, "and you can exit and reenter as many times as you want."

Once the two were inside, Cas could barely hold in his excitement. Almost every animal surrounding them wore a T-shirt or tank top showing the logo of their favorite band, and there was a long row of shops which sold goods and merchandises extending as far as the eyes could see.

"Oh my Dog!" he exclaimed gleefully. "What do you wanna do, Troy? Go to the shops, start watching performances, or grab some food?"

"Let's grab lunch first." Troika rubbed his stomach. "I'm in the mood for some meat!"

After contemplating for a few minutes, they quickly decided on hotdogs. There weren't many picnic tables nearby so many animals simply sat down on the lawn nearby to eat their food. Having brought a picnic blanket stowed in his daypack, Cas laid the blanket out on an available location in a nearby field and sat down. The two then began eating their hotdogs.

"Let me see the schedule for today's concerts," Troika asked, and Cas handed him the brochure. "Do you really think Deathbed will be here? I checked the official website yesterday and there wasn't anything like that written there."

"I'm sure of it," Cas said, swallowing his last bite. "Besides, if they want it to be a complete surprise, they wouldn't wanna advertise it beforehand."

"But is it even allowed to jump into some other band's performance like that?"

"Usually no, but I'm sure they must've got it figured out with the management." Cas looked at his watch. "Speaking of which, the concert of You Only Live Nine Times is at seven PM so we've got plenty of time. Also, there's one concert every hour on the sharp, and each performance last for about forty minutes, leaving twenty minutes as intermission to get the next stage ready. Do you wanna go around visiting merch shops until the next one starts?"

Troika agreed. "I'll follow your lead, Cas."

"Alright! In that case..." Cas looked at his friend with a playful grin. "Wanna go grab some nice, cold beer?"

---

The next hours went by faster than anything Troika had experience before. With bands after bands pouring their soul out on stage, it was impossible not to be swayed by their ardent performance. Although he didn't know most of the bands' names until this day, the cat found himself screaming and jumping with the rest of the crowd when the guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, or drummer reached their most heated cadenzas, and when the vocalist yelled his thanks to the excited audience.

It was no surprise that after attending four shows out of the five that day--they needed to take a break between the second and third shows, so instead of being in the audience, they sat under the shade and just listened--Troika found his voice raspy and cracked from all the shouting, his feet also sore from the constant jumping. The two decided to get an early dinner afterwards and sat under a tree at the far end of the field so as to avoid the crowd while they ate.

"That was intense, right?" Cas said, giving him a bottle of water and taking a gulp from his own after they finished their hamburgers. "Live performance is a whole different world from listening to CDs. No matter how good a stereo you got at home, it doesn't hold a candle against the atmosphere the Fest offers. And that's why I love attending these events. Almost makes you feel like you're one with the crowd and the world, you know?"

"I do now," Troika said. "Thanks for inviting me to come here, Cas. I'd never have thought of attending any music festival myself."

"Don't mention it." The fox was looking at the distant crowd, at the passersby who mostly traveled in groups of two or larger. "Besides, it was more for me than you. I've always wanted someone to enjoy this event with me, so you're doing me a huge favor by agreeing to come. Thanks, Troy."

The red fox turned to look at Troika. Cas's eyes, glowing ever more warmly in the setting sun, held a sincere and earnest tenderness. Troika's face and ears got warm again, but he wasn't sure if it was from the summer weather, the excitement from the festival, or something else entirely. He didn't mind this sensation--he enjoyed it, in fact--as he stared into Cas's golden eyes, and Cas into his hazel eyes.

The entire moment lasted no longer than a couple of seconds at the most, and before Troika could say anything, the alarm on Cas's phone went off. "Oh, You Only Live Nine Times's show is about to start soon," the fox said, standing up and picking up his can of beer from the ground. "Let's go!"

"Uh, yeah." Troika followed him, his mind still remembering the fox's warm gaze and unsure of what to make of it.

The crowd that gathered for the indie band's concert was not much different in size from that of the previous band, but Troika noticed a few attendees wearing Deathbed shirts like Cas. He assumed that they must have been at the private forum where Cas learned the clandestine plan. The two stood at the location where they could see the center of the stage, which was now being prepared by a few stagehands who scurried about the scene with electronic equipment and cleaning utensils.

After a few minutes of waiting, the lights were dimmed on the audience's side and spotlights were directed at the stage with the announcement: "Lads and lasses, please welcome, and prepare yourselves for...You Only Live Nine Times!"

The crowd cheered as four cats appeared on stage. There was a tall Siamese cat as the bassist, a short Russian blue as the guitarist, a muscular Toyger sitting behind the drums, and a stout Burmese cat standing at the keyboard. The bassist stood at the center and adjusted the microphone. Troika assumed that the bassist was also the lead vocalist for the band.

"Hi everyone!" the Siamese cat said energetically. "And thank y'all for coming to our show! I'm Ricky, the vocalist also in charge of bass. Guitar is Jonah, keyboard is Aaron, and drums are Gus. Let's start off with our debut piece, 'Firebird'!"

With that short introduction, the band began playing their first piece. Troika didn't research their music beforehand but was pleasantly surprised at their energy and ingenuity. The group was not on the same level as some of the other bands he heard that day, but they were nevertheless pleasing to the ears. And based on the number of animals in the audience who shouted along with the vocalist during the chorus section of the song, the band apparently had some fervent supporters as well.

All in all, the show kicked off to a great start, and when the band finished their sixth piece, the crowd was hankering for more. The seventh piece began playing, and by that time the watch on Troika's wrist indicated that it was half past the hour, so this song was possibly their last for the night. Staring at the stage, Troika wondered if Deathbed was really going to appear as Cas said. He turned to his friend, but Cas's eyes were affixed to the stage, not blinking lest he miss the moment of Deathbed's appearance.

At that moment, when the song neared its end, a new vocal came out of nowhere into the scene, masterfully flowing into the song. Like a skilled driver merging onto a lane without having to change the speed of any vehicle around it, the voice intertwined itself with Ricky's in a harmonious unison. As the rest of the band continued playing, they gradually lowered their volume until it was practically a solo for the intruder, replacing Ricky's voice entirely. While many in the audience seemed puzzled as to who the mysterious guitarist was, Troika could sense Cas's excitement peak as the fox looked at the stage with cub-like glitters in his eyes.

Finally, about ten seconds into the solo, a tall, well-built arctic fox wearing a black tank top and studded jeans appeared from stage left, still singing into the wireless microphone he held in his paw. It was Thanatos.

As soon as he came into the scene, the crowd turned mad with all the roaring and clapping, droning out even the Deathbed vocalist's singing. When the song ended and the crowd's excitement subsided somewhat, Thanatos took a bow and spoke into the microphone, "Hello everyone, good evening."

Thanatos beamed at the crowd, his snow-white fur being illuminated by the spotlight and making him look almost ethereal. Although he was well into his thirties, his face didn't show it, for he remained as young and handsome as he was when he started singing for the band ten years ago.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Thanatos from a somewhat known rock band called Deathbed"--laughter came from some of those in the audience, for it was almost impossible to find a single animal attending the festival who didn't know Deathbed, a regular chart-topper on the illustrious Billboard Hot 100 and arguably the most famous rock band in the country--"and I came at the request of my dear friend and long-time acquaintance, Jonah."

The arctic fox beckoned at the guitarist to come forward, who walked toward the front of the stage timidly clutching his guitar.

"The reason I crashed in on the party today is because I have a very important announcement." Thanatos's voice was solemn now. "But since my band won't be holding any live show for the next coming months, I decided to spill the beans here." With that announcement, he pulled the Russian blue close by in a tight hug using his arm. He took a deep breath.

"Jonah and I are engaged. We're to be married next month."

In the next few moments, the entire audience was silent, processing the statement in their heads. But then, the crowd erupted into a disarray of reactions. Some were cheering for the two engaged, some were shocked, and some booed to show their dismay (which seemed to be by far the minority in the crowd).

As for Troika, his eyes widened into full circles and his jaw dropped when he heard the vocalist's confession. He loved Deathbed's music but did not care much for the private lives of its members, and he had certainly never heard of any rumor about the bandmembers' ongoing relationships. But now that he stared at the two figures--one a strikingly attractive arctic fox and the other a timid-looking Russian blue, both male--he saw a couple deeply in love with each other as the spotlight illuminated them and created a silver outline around their fur.

Once again looking at his companion, Troika imagined Cas to be equally surprised or cheering for the two on stage, but neither was the expression he saw in the fox's face.

Cas looked dazed, his mouth slightly ajar and his eyes opened wide but not completely round like Troika's were. The can of beer that he held in his paw was shaking slightly, and the fox's tail was swaying from side to side. He remained silent, without cheering or booing, just staring at the couple with an expression of...

Troika could not understand what the expression signified. It was certainly not negative, like disappointment or disapproval, but it was not happy or congratulatory, either. The expression held in Cas's face appeared to be...

"Thank you, everyone," Thanatos continued on the microphone, ending his embrace with his fiancé. "I'm happy to hear that many of you cheered for our engagement. I also heard some of you showing your disapproval. I understand how you feel. After all, until a few years ago, I could never have imagined myself falling in love with a male animal, let alone one of a different species.

"Being gay was something that I've always considered as happening in the world somewhere, but not to me. I was raised in a religious family and was constantly reminded of my familial duty to marry a vixen--preferably an arctic fox like myself--and raise cubs to keep my parents happy. I made friends throughout the years who were--and still are--gay, and I have full respect for them as much as I have respect for my straight friends.

"But something happened after I met Jonah. He and I met during Deathbed's cross-continental tour, and--long story short--I found out something about myself that I had never known before..." he trailed off temporarily, then shook his head. "No, that's not right. I think I've always been gay but continued to suppress myself from realizing that because of the obligations I felt I had to fulfill for my family. After knowing Jonah and finding out about my real needs and desires, I didn't wanna keep it a secret from the world.

"The reason for that is simple; this country needs to be more aware that there are animals like us, animals who love other animals of the same sex. We aren't from a different society, different culture, or different world--we're the same as everyone else, only we were just born to love others in a way different from some of you. We don't deserve the stigma placed upon us just because of whom we were made to love.

"Announcing that I am gay and engaged with a male animal should send a message to all my fans--and fans of Deathbed--that it's OK to be gay. I wish for other animals, especially those with young family members and friends who may be afraid to tell the truth regarding their sexuality, to keep an open mind and open arms in case they gather up the courage and consult with you. Please accept them for who they are, just like how you, hopefully, accepted me for who I am... Thank you."

The audience was silent when the fox spoke, so his voice reached to the farthest parts of the field. But as Troika listened, he could hear the voice gradually start to crack, and by the end of his speech it was clear that the arctic fox was weeping. There were a few nervous murmurs coming from some of the animals in the crowd--no doubt talking amongst themselves about the issues discussed by Thanatos. And then, one by one, the audience started to clap, and a few seconds later, the crowd filled the air with an applause louder than any that was heard that day.

When the applause died down, the onstage couple looked at each other with a smile, and Jonah took the microphone. "So as the last piece that we perform for the day," he said, "Thanatos and I would like to perform a duet in an original song that he and I composed together. The name of the piece is called: 'A Pair of Wings.'"

Jonah started strumming on his guitar in a quiet solo, then Thanatos hummed in before singing the lyrics of their newly composed song.

The song was about an animal, whose species was undisclosed in the lyrics, gaining a pair of wings and taking off into the sky, an unknown world full of possibilities. Anyone and everyone could have their wings, the song said, as long as their hope kept moving them to reach for the sky.

It was a simple ballad with a catchy melody and easy-to-understand lyrics. But its message was strong and direct, which helped the song resonate with Troika's heart.

As Jonah strung the last chord on his guitar, the crowd erupted into an applause louder than any other that was heard that day.

---

Troika and Cas walked toward the exit after the performance of You Only Live Nine Times, partly because they were exhausted from attending so many shows and also partly because of Thanatos's announcement. Troika could clearly see that his companion was affected by it, for Cas barely said more than a few words each time the cat spoke to him. The fox seemed somewhat dazed, deep in thought, as he and Troika walked out through the arched gate that welcomed them earlier that day.

Because the roads in the area had few streetlights and they didn't feel safe walking on the dark roads illuminated only by moonlight, the two took a cab to the parking lot, after which they drove the hatchback to the motel that Cas booked. The motel was located at the outskirt of the town, but the town itself was a small one, so it didn't take them long to reach it.

"Wait here while I go check ourselves in," Cas said, exiting the car. He returned five minutes later with a pair of key cards. "The complimentary breakfast starts at eight so we should get up tomorrow around that time."

The motel room that Cas booked had two double beds. Upon entering the room, the fox placed his daypack on the bed closer to the entrance, so Troika put his on the other bed. Afterwards, he asked Cas if he wanted to take a shower first. Cas said yes, so the fox went in first and Troika turned on the TV while he waited. Nothing of much interest was going on in the news, so he turned it off and closed his eyes.

An hour later, he opened his eyes as he heard the bathroom door open, and the fox came out looking clean but a little upset. "The dryer here sucks," he said. "It took me forever to dry my tail."

Troika went in next. It felt good soaking his body fur with lukewarm water and washing away the dust and dirt that had gotten inside from walking and sitting outside. The tail was the messiest part of his body, but since a cat's tail does not have as much fur as a fox's, it didn't take long for Troika to finish washing up.

After wiping off excess water from the outermost surface, he stepped into the full-body fur drier installed next to the toilet and closed his eyes as warm air blew toward his body from all directions.

Cas was right. Usually, it took five minutes for a fur drier to fully dry every inch of his body fur, but the one installed in this motel appeared to be an older model. It took ten minutes. It wasn't difficult to imagine his fox friend standing impatiently in the drier for at least twice as long, waiting for the weak air to blow water away from his fur, droplets at a time.

When Troika got out of the bathroom, Cas was lying on his bed looking at his smartphone.

"Thanatos's announcement about his engagement is spreading among the social media like a wildfire," the fox said.

Troika sat down on his bed and unlocked his smartphone. "It's not hard to imagine," the cat said, scrolling through the newsfeed. "I bet it's going to be the biggest thing on tomorrow's entertainment news channel. Everyone and their mother will be talking about it."

"I suppose that was Thanatos's intention, huh?" Cas put his phone down and looked at Troika. "To get everyone talking about this...about others'...sexuality...and stuff." He seemed clearly uneasy getting the word "sexuality" out of his mouth.

"It's not something everyone feels comfortable talking about," the cat replied. "I think he wanted to be the catalyst for animals to start talking and thinking about this sensitive topic."

Troika thought about the crowd's various reactions immediately after the announcement. Some were happy for them, some were angry at them, and some were just plain shocked. And Cas was undoubtedly among those who were shocked about the engagement, about having a celebrity he admired suddenly come out of the closet.

Ever since they left the festival, Troika had been unable to read what was on Cas's mind, which was rather odd because Cas was usually very honest about himself and eager to express his raw and unfiltered emotions.

But now, even as he sat on the bed next to the fox, Troika was unable to discern what his friend was thinking. All of a sudden, it seemed like his friend was replaced with an entirely different person, and that made Troika slightly uneasy.

"Troy," Cas said. Troika cocked his ears at the fox. "What do you think about guys liking other guys? Do you think it's...weird?"

"No!" Troika responded hastily. The word came out stronger than he intended, but it was because he was taken aback that Cas would even ask such a question. So, he added, "Of course not. It's already the twenty-first century, for crying out loud. What kind of a dumb question is that?"

"Sorry. I knew you weren't like them...like those bastards who booed at Thanatos and Jonah when they announced their engagement. I just wanted to confirm, is all."

"Wait, so that's what was on your mind the entire time we drove here to the motel? Whether or not I was a homophobe? Is that why you were so quiet?"

"Well, no...I mean, yes...I mean..." The fox was stumbling at every word, trying to make sense of what was on his mind. "I don't know, Troy." The usual confidence that Cas had with him at all times was now gone, and now he looked like a teenager who was in trouble but didn't know how to ask for help from his parents. At least, that was how Cas seemed in Troika's eyes at that moment.

Troika looked at the clock. The digital display flashed 9PM. "We got plenty of time to talk if you want to discuss," he said. "You're my best friend, and I don't like it when you're all quiet. I want my talkative blabbermouth friend back." He showed Cas his biggest smile he could make.

"Thanks, Troy." Cas was smiling now. "And that's why I was worried about what you might think when I told you... I didn't wanna lose the best friend I've ever had because of this."

"I'll be your best friend no matter what you say, Cas," Troika returned reassuringly. "I promise."

By this time, Troika had sensed enough hints to have a good guess on what his friend might be wanting to tell him. But he didn't want to outright ask Cas whether his guess was correct. He thought that it was necessary for Cas to tell it to him directly, with his own words, at the timing which he decided. Troika had read a book on that topic a while ago--he borrowed it at a local library out of curiosity on his part--and understood that the process was a very delicate one and should be treated as such.

"Alright," Cas finally said after a short pause, taking a deep breath. "I...I'm gay."

_I knew it!_was the instant reaction in Troika's mind, although he repressed himself from saying it out loud.

Cas's confession was exactly what Troika had predicted, and the cat momentarily felt proud of himself to have been able to understand beforehand what his friend was thinking. Of course, the fact that his friend was attracted to another male was in no way a factor that would deter their friendship whatsoever. He began thinking about how to respond to Cas--to reassure his friend that he completely respects his sexual orientation and that their friendship shall always remain as is.

However, it wasn't the end of Cas's confession, for he then continued: "And I'm in love with you, Troy."

And with that, Troika's mind turned blank.