What, you say? Flag Day was months ago? Well, yes, Flag Day was indeed months ago. But the Southern Domicile had been feeling a bit glum, with most of their friends off living it up in the Big Apple, and so Rochester decided that everyone's spirits would benefit from a good Flag Day celebration.
One of Leprosy's talents is a sense of ceremony. Give him an occasion, and he can put together an incredibly elaborate ritual for it. So Rochester gave Leprosy charge of the details of the ceremony. After some grumbling about how there weren't nearly enough animals to do it proper justice, Leprosy came through. So here they are: the Southern Domicile, beflagged.
Each of them tried to choose an appropriate flag. Rochester has the state flag of New York, of course; the Fox has the state flag of Massachusetts, where he's from; Leprosy has a Yacht Commodore flag (AJD's not entirely sure why he chose that one, but apparently he was adamant and seemed pleased with it); Quixley naturally has a flag in his own colours; and Meph has the creepy pirate flag because it's all ironic and stuff. Look how happy he is.
Barry somehow missed the memo that the ceremony was happening. He's been mopey ever since he found out that the Northern Domicile is in Duke Ellington's old place, and so Leprosy wrote him out of the ceremony. Naturally he responded to this by interrupting the whole thing and dashing out into the middle of it with the most attention-grabbing flag he could find.
It's not clear whether Barry's relationship with Leprosy can ever be repaired. Rochester's rather miffed at him too, because he's concerned that Leprosy will refuse to share his ceremonial talents ever again.
Butterfinger and Alcindarias played the role of audience; here you can see them looking on, bemused. Neither of them really got the point, although they were agreeable enough to pacify Leprosy's need for an audience. Alcindarias didn't get the point because in the Wild Mythic Federation, no one bothers with rituals like this. The WMF doesn't really have any concepts of nationhood or anything like that; they're a bunch of individuals who have a loose confederacy for purely practical reasons that do not include the emotional. Butterfinger didn't get the point because there wasn't any hugging.
Despite the hiccough in the middle, Rochester pronounced the ceremony a success, as it served its desired purpose: now no one is thinking too much about missing the Northern Domicile because they're all too busy taking sides in the current kerfluffle. Also, Rochester got to have a moment of patriotism, and that pleased him mightily. He's very proud of being from New York. AJD says he doesn't want to relinquish the flag now.
