I wrote this new years day 2024, and I decided to put it here with some small doodles. Shout-outs to Skye, Steph and Ruby for reading this and saying it was cool, y'all are cool!
Echo wakes up early today. It’s Saturday, and his weekend starts with steaming his coat. It’s become matted over the week from wearing tight dress shirts and chinos. He wishes things came in his size, but doesn’t have the money to go with custom fitted work attire. He spilled wine on himself last night, the stain should come out with a few passes. He never drinks wine for this reason, but it was in a gift basket and he thought it shouldn’t go to waste.
Echo gets on the subway headed downtown, to the farmers market. The people there aren’t as judgmental as those in the supermarkets, but he still gets stares. He never won’t get stares, it’s the way it’s always been. Echo remembers a choice moment from when it was a child, another boy pointing and shouting ‘pink is a girls color!’ like he had some choice in the matter.
Echo gets 2 onions, a few big russet potatoes, some bell peppers, chives, and a juicy peach. He gets a few pounds of brisket from the butcher, who stares at his features. Echo knows he’s looking at different cuts, filets and steaks and fatty bits and viscera for stocks. If only he knew how little of him there was.
Echo meets up with a coworker for coffee, as the produce swelters in the sun. He’s cute, and charming enough, but a mustache doesn’t work on him. He stares at his ears the whole date. Echo stares at his. They both laugh it off. Echo pretends to drink his sparkling water.
Echo makes the man beef bourguignon, using the leftover wine and some mushrooms that were dangerously close to getting funky. He says it’s delicious, and asks to kiss the chef. When he leans in, he sneaks a hand to Echos stomach, patting the fur there. He can tell that all this man was thinking about was the texture of his coat, how much the fleece gives before the pressure of the stuffing becomes too much.
Echo takes a chance on the man. He insists he just wants to understand. He says he used to have a large teddy bear, and he wishes he could cuddle with it again. Echo obliges. His mustache scratches against Echos buttons, but he’s very sweet. He’s glad he steamed his coat.
In the mans embrace, Echo dreams of taking off his head, like a mascot costume. Theres a man underneath, and he looks tired and resentful. He puts a cigarette to his lips, and actually inhales. It doesn’t singe his coat like he’s used to.
Echo wakes in a start and goes to the bathroom. He looks in the mirror and starts to cry, but no tears come out. He grips the side of his head, pulling and pulling. Maybe there is someone normal underneath, someone who can really be loved. A seam on his neck tears, he cups the stuffing that comes out.
The man finds Echo in the living room, silently stitching himself up. He uses a ladder stitch, like he has many times before. The man comes out and sees this. Echo knows the man will never really understand, nor will he, but at the very least he seems sympathetic. Echo won’t spend his Sunday alone in a corner, at the very least.