Maple
Maple felt uneasy about entering the house knowing he only knew Fir. Apparently he had a new boyfriend. Maple didn't know Fir was bi so that was new. Not homophobic but he didn't expect that. Bi wasn't that big of a deal, I mean Maple didn't have a girlfriend, and the last time he'd had sex was months ago. It was a small village, so when outsiders showed up it was all fair game.
When Maple got to the house he met faces with a tanuki, a fox, a wolf very large, a lion, and a jaguar. And of course Fir.
Gawd so many dudes. Was not prepared for that he thought to himself.
"Maple!" Fir yelled out from behind the bodies. "We were just playing some drinking games! I'm currently winning." Fir snickered
"It's circle of death you idiot the point of the game is NOT to get wasted" Hyacinth replied from the table full of cards.
Maple joined in on the game, to which he'd found out that Fir was famously bad at. He was not even trying to avoid drinking.
After being quite inebriated Maple decided to strike up a conversation with the lion.
"So Azalea...how did you get to be friends with Birch and Fir?"
"I uhm...I'm dating the girl who had sex with Birch."
Birch stood up although hardly able to, he was also bad at this game.
"She rufied me and commited God knows how many sex violations!"
"Birch...we've talked about this..." Azalea said defensively.
Birch sat back down depressed.
"Yea...I know..." Birch replied.
"She's fucking psycho...Maple...that's all I have to say. But hey, she's hot." Azalea expressed matter of factly.
"Fucking psycho" All of the friends chanted together. Maple seemingly still out of the loop.
"Honestly though Birch, you're really fucking hot. You've got to be more careful..." Hydrangea said aloud, the most sober at the get together.
"What do you mean?" Birch asked.
"Look honestly even I've thought of doing things to you...I'm not proud." The jaguar tried to express feeling sympathetic.
"Wow." Birch's eyes lit up in surprise.
"No, ok we are not going to make me out to be the villain. You guy's have thought about doing stuff to Birch rig-?" Hydrangea began to say.
"-Yes" Hyacinth stammered before letting Hydrangea finish.
"Ok way to make it weird Hyacinth." She retorted.
"I'm sorry I thought it was just me..." Hyacinth answered back.
"Well obviously not" Hydrangea said rolling her eyes.
Enoki cleared his throat. "I feel that it's just respectful that everyone in the room know...that I have a feeding kink..."
"We know!" Everyone in the room answered sarcastically.
"But I also have a thing for Birch. I don't know why. He's just really hot. Maybe I can be into skinny guys too?" Enoki looked up at everyone a look of genuine worry worn on his face.
"Oh ok, If I'm so hot then why growing up did my brother Shimeji call me ugly?" Birch asked the group.
"Not to make this weird babe? But Shimeji acts really weird around you..." Fir coughed as he let it out.
"Fir he's literally my older brother." Birch seemed to reel back a bit in angst.
"That's not how he acts...you two bicker quite a bit. That's not normal man." Fir expressed.
"Oh bickering?" Birch looked confused.
"I would just give him some space...you shouldn't just be around him all the time. Just being the way you are..." Fir tried his best to look out for his boyfriend.
"And how is that?"
"Birch..."
"So everyone here thinks that my own brother has a thing for me?"
"Yes!" Everyone shouted in unison. Making Maple feel even further out the loop.
"Ok I've got to come out with it? I think I'm more than a little buzzed. Why didn't you tell me you were bi?" Maple asked Fir.
"Toxic" Fir replied
"Definitely toxic Maple" Hydrangea agreed with Fir.
"Fir didn't tell you because he's never really had to identify like that...welcome to the village Maple, that's how we are you should know at least." Birch said trying his best to be open and understanding.
"I've always identified as straight..." Maple scoffed.
"Well we all don't have to find our identity at the same time..." Birch started. "I didn't learn the word bisexual till I was 18...that's just how we are here. And there's no way we can all fit into these boxes."
"Well it's not a box, you're either straight or you're not" Maple stood up. "You know why I came here Fir. I thought it'd be cool to make friends with people. I know you guys know me, well we've never officially met but I'm open to the idea now. But now that I'm here I feel like you've been into me this whole time..." Maple wore a blank expression on his face.
"Fir is just more sexually liberated than most people is what we'll say..." Azalea responded.
"So he's wanted to fuck me this whole time..." Maple looked disgusted.
"Babe I'm uncomfortable..." Fir looked into Birch's blank expression.
"Just take another shot you idiot, its not that big a deal."
Enoki stood up, his entire frame looming over Maple. His face and eyes were red with fury and he was on the verge of a psychotic break. Enoki grabbed both sides of Maple's arm and gritted his teeth.
"You don't talk about Fir that way." Enoki muttered a deep ominous grunt. A threat that shouldn't be taken lightly at all. "I'm this close to snapping your neck"
Everybody at the party started freaking out. Birch was conversating with Enoki and calming him down.
"It's ok Maple..." Hydrangea started. "They're close friends he's just being protective is all"
"What are you talking about the guy was gonna' kill me for asking about the truth?" Maple was breathing heavy and the mood of the room had shifted entirely. "What is he gay for the guy?"
Everybody in the room sat quietly Enoki still in a furious stupor.
"Oh, come on?" Maple laughed at the sudden realization.
"You'd better watch your fucking mouth, or I'll rip it off." Enoki pointed his finger at Maple. "Miserable piece of shit."
Fir asked Maple to leave. But Maple was curious at this point and refused to go.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot. I just had difficulties finding out my old friend sleeps with guys now. I don't know anyone in the village anymore and this is it. This is my final attempt at making friends and I hope that you'll all accept me." Maple tried to convey his message as genuinely as possible.
The party continued and everybody had a relaxed experience. But in the corner of Maple's eye he'd noticed that Enoki was staring him down with murderous intent the entire time.
When Fir saw that Enoki was still staring at Maple he decided to end the party indefinitely and walk Maple home.
"Do you remember as kids we used to play by that bank?" Maple noticed walking around in the night. Stars shining in the sky.
"Yea I remember and the fish used to tickle" Fir was laughing at the nostalgia.
"I'm sorry I said all of that stuff, I just never expected that you out of all people would be bi..." Maple expressed trying to make an attempt at being heartfelt.
"Pffft it's ok, I don;t really assign myself to a label" Fir sighed.
"So like when did you first start liking other guys?" Maple asked questioningly.
"I don't know? It's all the same to me. I just love who I lovel. I can't control it." Fir replied.
"Oh..." Maple was confused but still listening.
"Yea I didn't tell you because I didn't even know"
"So why'd you dissappear? I mean me and my girlfriend would have been cool with it." Maple was asking more questions than he was getting answers.
"I just didn't know how to bring it up to you...I thought you'd judge me."
"No, no judgement here man. Just missed my bud." Maple reached across Fir and held his shoulder.
Fir blushed.
"Well here's your house. If I ever throw another party I'll be sure to invite you! And we can hang out whenever you're free. I'm sure Enoki will have calmed down by then." Fir smiled at his longtime friend.
"Sure, love you man. Missed you"
Fir turned away. He didn't want Maple to see him going stiff.