#If you guys wanna ask stuff you can once all the gang concepts are finalized

[knorrentitiez]

I DID A SMTH-

I would like to share - my beautiful au...

Overboard AU!

Here is the first batch of design concepts.

Sea General Howdy Pillar

Cartographer and Scholar Frank Frankly

AND NONE OTHER THAN

Captain Wally Darling

I'll be posting the rest of the gang and some info soon. For now...

Welcome aboard, neighbour...

[transneonneko]

Things from Archie Sonic that I would love to see return in the Mainline Games and/or IDW Sonic!!

Recently, I decided to read some of the Archie Sonic Comic, from like issue 186ish up until the first MegaMan crossover and the reboot, mainly because there were some gaps in my knowledge of those stories. Mainly Issues 198 till 235, which I never got to read as a kid and, I have to say, there were a lot of really interesting concepts during Ian's run of comics before the reboot that I really loved. There was a lot of really interesting concepts I love after the reboot too. I wanna celebrate that. A lot of these concepts and story idea I feel really deserve another chance.

So I wanna make this list of stuff I wanna see return in either for stories in the Mainline Games or the IDW Sonic comics. Before we start, I do wanna add somethings. This post isn't meant to be shitting on IDW and being like "IDW would be better if they did this". I really love the IDW comics and universe. I also know that some of these concepts likely can't be done due SEGA Mandates and I'm not gonna include stuff like "Bring back the Freedom Fighters" because I feel asking to bring back characters isn't gonna be very productive, as much as I would like to see their return. Anyways, let's begin.

The Fate of the ARK

One thing that really inspired this list was this scene right her. We'll talk more about Silver's Future later but for now, let's focus on the ARK. I'm gonna assume anyone reading this knows the story of the ARK from SA2 and Shadow. Sadly, the ARK hasn't really been revisited in the main canon since Shadow, despite how iconic of a set piece it is. In the Archie Comics, we get a look at Silver's future and one of things that may have been the cause of how bad things are is the ARK crashed. Sadly, Archie got rebooted before the writers could go more into it but, from SA2, we know that the ARK was set to crash into the planet if all 7 Chaos Emeralds are placed into it, wiping out all life on the planet. This could be an excellent premise of another Silver adventure, whether it be in the comics or games, where Sonic, Silver and some friends have to stop someone from making the ARK crash into the planet.

Expanding the Eggman Empire/Egg Bosses

Something I've always found a bit lacking in the game canon is how the Eggman Empire itself has been presented. In the games, the Eggman Empire is usually just made up of Eggman, Metal Sonic, Orbot, Cubot, a bunch of robots and (recently) Infinite. It's not really an Empire if it's just one guy and a bunch of robots. The main goal is the conquer the world but we hardly see Eggman actually see what happens when Eggman conquers a place, like what happens to the people who used to live there, besides like Colours and Forces, where the Wisps and Mobians are usually just seen being imprisoned. The Egg Bosses are the perfect solution to this and adds so much to Sonic's World.

The Egg Bosses are Mobians who, either willingly or unwillingly, aligned themselves up with Eggman for whatever reason, becoming commanders of the Eggman Empire. This usually comes about when Eggman has taken over a part of the region and the people living in that region have no choice but to join the Eggman Empire, for their own safety. Not only does this make the Eggman Empire feel more than just one person but it also makes Eggman more a villain himself. It able to portray Eggman as someone to be feared and, I mean, this is a dictator and genocider who is pretty much declaring war against the world.

It also brings up some interesting thoughts about the world. Characters like Maw, Thunderbolt and even Nephthys to a degree joined up with Eggman because they felt it was the right thing to do for the sake of the world, or in Nephthys case, to stop things getting worst later on, meanwhile characters like Grand Battle Kukku are plotting to usurp Eggman, with Clove and Beauregard only working for Eggman to protect family or close ones.

As I said before, having these Egg Bosses also makes Eggman look more threaten, both because he's able to look like a "bigger bad" next to these villains he has command of and, because almost all the Egg Bosses hate Eggman's guts, they are cyberized, a terrifying process in which those who work for Eggman are focus to have parts of their body replaced with cybernetics, with either bombs which will blow if they decide to leave or a locking mechanism that will paralyze their entire body, ready to be locked up.

If either in the game or the IDW comic, I would like to see the Egg Boss concept return. It doesn't even need to be the same characters or use the name "Egg Boss." It would help expand the army of the Eggman Empire, as well as provide some fun bosses for the games I think.

Mobians and Humans living together

This was always a weird hangup I felt the series had. In the case of games between Sonic Adventure & Unleashed, Sonic and friends were the only Mobians, humans made up the NPCs while Mobians were reserved for main characters. Then in Forces and IDW, Mobians made up the background characters, so then Eggman is the only human. I really prefer it when they have the two living together, it makes it seems more normal and, honestly, a better solution than the whole "Two Worlds" explanation.

Eggman Seemingly Defeated

Can I just that I love Issues 198-200? In these 3 issues, Sonic and friends Eggman's main base, the Egg Dome. This including fighting on the outside of the base, involving fighting hoards of the Dark Egg Legion soldiers and Eggman in the Egg Phoenix. After dealing with the outside, Sonic and friends raid the Egg Dome itself, taking different directions, with the Dark Egg Legion seemingly retreating, until they reach the center of the base, where they are blocked off by a barricade, which only Sonic can pass through, giving a "Point of No Return" vibe, Dark Egg Legion soldiers lining up and saluting Sonic. Then Sonic reaches the center and finds Eggman in the Egg Tarantula, starting their final battle which Sonic wins. This defeat is enough for Eggman to lose his sanity, seemingly ending the war Sonic and the Freedom Fighters have been fighting their entire life.

Of course Eggman returns but, god, it's just such a memorable couple of issues. There's a real sense of finality to it. I would a sequence like this in the games, something that feels like truly ending the Eggman Empire and defeating them once and for all. Of course, it wouldn't be the end, Sonic games are always needing to be made which would lead to...

The New Rulers of the Eggman Empire

In the comics after the defeat of Eggman, the Eggman Empire is taken over by some of it's Commanders, the Iron Queen and Iron King, who rules the Empire as their own until they are defeated and Eggman's return.

I love the idea that even if the Eggman, there will always be someone there to take his place. The games could do this by having Neo Metal or Infinite take his place. Hell, IDW did have Neo Metal take over but I think what made that less interesting was that Neo Metal wasn't doing it for himself, he was doing it for Eggman. I think this would work well if a concept like the Egg Boss was introduced in the games, maybe have one of the characters part of that group take over OR have a lot of the more ambitious Egg Bosses war against each other to take command, until eventually Eggman returns and puts them in line.

Silver's Future

Silver is one of the most recurring characters, who always joins the gang when his future is in trouble. The problem is that we never see his future besides 06. We have no idea what Silver's future is currently until it's in danger and, even then, we never see it.

We see Silver's Future in both continuities of the Archie Comic, with two different takes. Pre-SGW has a destroyed city vibe, like 06 but less lava. Post-SGW brought a whole new take where people are ruled by a corrupt council where people are put into class groups, and security robots will arrest if you are not at your job at the right time. They even re-contextualize Silver's bracelets as cuffs that the robots can activate. With Silver being my favourite character as a kid, I remember being obsessed with this new world and story, wanting to know more.

I'm not saying they would need to copy this world exactly but it would be nice if they gave us a concrete and consistence look for Silver's Future.

The Heroic Metal Sonic

Right before the SGW, we were introduce to Shard the Metal Sonic. His story is that he was the original Metal Sonic, the one that raced Sonic in Stardust Speedway. He appeared later in the comic, where Sonic made him realized there was more to life than just being Eggman's killing machine. He seemingly died, but was rebuilt to serve as a member the Secret Freedom Fighters.

This one would be tricky to be included. It worked in the Archie comic as they had been many Metal Sonics throughout the series, each one getting destroyed. Meanwhile, there's only officially been one Metal Sonic in the games made by Eggman (two if we count Classic and Modern). Admittedly, Gemerl fits Shard's personality and does need to be used more in the games but having it be Metal Sonic is just a cooler concept.

I think a solution to this is that we have Metal Sonic 1.0 made by Eggman and, in Rivals 2, we have Metal Sonic 3.0 by Eggman Nega from the future. But what about Metal Sonic 2.0? I think we could have a game where after Metal Sonic fails, Eggman builds a replacement, being 2.0, which would give reason to Metal Sonic wanting to revolt, which could lead to a redemption? While I am loving the IDW comics, I do really miss a lot of what both Archie continuities offered. I haven't mention the some other concepts and stories I liked that really focused on certain characters such as Naugus, Geoffrey St. John, Dimitri etc. Maybe I'll talk about that another day...

[moxfirefly]

Good afternoon, this has been in the works for a while now and I finally got around to finishing it and being pretty content of it (this is gonna go up on AO3 soon along with the others that aren’t request) but I wanted to post it here first. Enjoy!

Rated Explicit (18+ only)

“Wish you were here right now

All of the things I'd do”

Gaming was always an escape.

From childhood to adulthood. There was some gaming equipment in your hands, controls, handhelds, keyboards and so on. There was just something calming about entering a fantasy world and immersing yourself in scenery and stories that made you stray from bad days and long nights.

For Donatello it was the same.

On one of his many supply scavenges Splinter had found a dumpster near a toy store that was going out of business. It was a memorable haul for them. What they expected to be routine things mixed with some type of groceries had turned into literal Christmas in July. Stuffed animals, board games, action figures and even a few gaming consoles with some cartridges and cd’s. Noticeably they were considered damaged or improperly manufactured, but they didn’t care and for Donnie he had spent a good week and a half fixing up the Nintendo and Play Station 2 consoles back into working conditions.

That alone had been plenty for him but nevertheless Mikey being so excited about playing wanted him to join him. They had played for hours and each disc or cartridge they tried out held a new story, a new set of controls to learn, new visuals and such. He was immediately hooked.

When he had gotten the first parts to start building a PC from scratch he knew there would be another world of possibilities for games.

Now gaming is a leisure for Donnie. Something he does for enjoyment and an escape when his projects become too much. The world of online gaming allowed him to also explore the possibilities of chatting with others though, the humans they were not allowed to see or speak to (with the exception of their Hogosha) but needless to say it wasn’t like Donnie broadcasted his identity and whereabouts. More so these people only came to game and speak game.

Donnie absolutely does detest the unnecessary sexism that gaming brings. Many a time he had read on chats or heard on his head set such derogatory comments thrown at female players. Never the one to stand such misogynistic behavior (he was raised better and had heard enough horror stories from April) he always shot that shit down quickly. Given his status as being far above his gaming peers he had developed respect and none of them ever shot back at him.

That’s how he runs into you.

On the opposing team nonetheless.

Once your female voice ran through the ears of the group he had been stuck in, the comments began to rain down. Some colorful, some lazy and some downright disgusting. Donnie had had enough and with some of his more illegal methods, had managed to push out the players in his party and send the audio recording to the email of the developers.

On exceptionally petty days he did far worse.

You had been stunned, wondering why the gang of immature boys had suddenly disappeared. Only one of them remained with the gamer tag specifying ‘Don_DuzMachines’ you couldn’t help but giggle at it.

You had asked if the sudden disappearance had been a weird glitch and if Don (as you assumed you should call him) had anything to do about it.

“Let’s just say I’ve got my ways” His soft voice rang through your headset.

“Well it’s hardly the first time I’ve had a gang of prepubescent boys tell me to suck their dicks” You started to move away in the map but stopped abruptly.

“Hey do you wanna play something else?” You asked tentatively. “Figured the least I can do is thank you” Donnie sat back pensively, well there was no harm in that now was there?

And so it started innocently.

Co-op games even the occasional match against one another. Each game you two always spoke through your headsets. Mostly banter about strategy or directions for who to do what or the occasional friendly jabs. You hadn’t revealed much that wasn’t the nickname you used as your gamer tag, and well Don had basically done the same.

That is until you decide to poke a little into his life. “You go to college?” You had asked, fingers gliding over the keyboard as you both partook in a raid. Donnie hadn’t expected such a question and he didn’t necessarily want to divulge much, he opted for a more ambiguous response. “I do my own studying, sort of like home schooling if you will?” Well he wasn’t wrong, Splinter had been both father and teacher to them, Donnie had just excelled more quickly and soon enough he was teaching his brothers on the academic side.

“You broke too, huh? Trust me it’s not worth the insane debt you’ll develop in six years that’ll take forty years to pay off” You chuckled with a hint of bitterness, Donnie couldn’t help but laugh and snort.

“That’s cute” You said sincerely. Donnie smiled, heat creeping up his neck.

How innocent things had been at the start.

For six months the two of you divulged little to no information. You never asked to video chat and Donnie never asked for your socials. It had just been a mutual agreement to keep the mystery that just wasn’t verbalized. Maybe it was for the better, because surely what had began as a gaming buddies situation had escalated to, well Donnie couldn’t really explain.

The first instance the two of you had been stuck on a map solving intricate puzzles. It was one of the more relaxed games the two of your partook in together when you didn’t want to deal with other players in a lobby.

“Dating apps are a nightmare, they’re only worth it for getting dumb funny stories” You had been playing but also checking some of the matches you’ve gotten on a site. Donnie swallowed, why did that settle so oddly in his stomach?

“Well any funny ones you’d like to share?” Don asked curiously hoping he wasn’t over stepping any boundaries. “One guy wanted me to cover my feet in marmalade, I really almost hit fuck it and did it” You couldn’t help but smile when Don choked, coughed and bursted out laughing.

“What kink is that even related to? I mean I know people enjoy feet but marmalade?” He was bewildered. “Come on Don don’t kink shame the poor guy, who are you to police his eclectic culinary desires?” Now the two of you couldn’t help but burst into another fit of laughter. Both your avatars were idle standing, the game somewhat abandoned in favor for the conversation.

“Hey I’m not kink shaming, we all have our weird kinks” Donnie smiled sitting back on his swivel chair. You clicked out of the dating site, chin resting on your hand. “Are we finally having this conversation? Cause I love this shit, it’s my bread and butter” You sat back in your gaming chair, tucking your knees.

Donnie felt so shy but the barrier of mistery the two of you had built urged him on. He was curious, like stupid curious what you looked like and while he had everything to figure out exactly where you were, it wasn’t morally correct for him. So why not just indulge in the conversation?

“Well it’s not feet, sorry to disappoint” He heard you laugh, an infectious sound he had grown to enjoy so much. “Feet are so passé anyways, what about bondage?” You spun slowly in your chair, the sounds of Don adjusting and clicking on the keyboard ringing in your ears.

“Bondage is a go, especially sensory deprivation” He was checking some documents April had forwarded to him in regards to a case they were dealing with, but he could multitask. You made an approving noise, nodding while taking a sip of your drink. “Into that D/s stuff?” You asked wanting to see what else he might like.

“Well yeah, but I do enjoy more um... Fem Dom stuff” He finished up the email he wrote out for April and hit send. “A man with taste, not something we get often” You chuckled but decided to add. “I wouldn’t mind having a guy submit to me” You bit the inside of your cheek a little shy suddenly.

Something about that statement made heat spread south for Donnie. The concept of being dominated? By a woman? He peaked a look behind him, pushing one side of his headset down to hear what his brothers might be up to but he heard only music and chatting voices.

“What’s your favorite thing?” He inquired almost too softly.

“Erotic ASMR” There was no trace of embarrassment in your voice and that somehow made Donnie hot.

“Maybe we frequent the same sites for that” Don boldly threw out. You made an approving face before sitting forward and typing on your keyboard. A beat or two later Donnie saw an email notification from you on one of his many burner emails. He opened it finding links to audios from various sites all catered to erotic audios. Donnie whistled, this was a gold mine and true to his predictions you did indeed have some of his favorite sites to peruse.

“It’s not just male audios by the way, there’s women too” You sat back once again, nervously playing with your hair. “Thanks... Well I do like hearing both” Donnie confessed, voice avoiding a stutter.

You grinned. Oh he was even more fun that you could’ve expected.

Curiously enough that had been the tamest experience into yours and Donnie’s sex talks. Because it hadn’t really stopped at that, they progressively escalated little by little. Fave kinks had turned to fave sites, fave sites had turned into fave videos. Donnie never pictured he’d share his hidden folder with a stranger no less.

You nor Donnie could really say how the two of you had ended up one late night, with yet another abandoned game, talking about weird but satisfying cyber sex experiences. Some of your stories had been on the more comical side but a few had riled Donnie up to the point that he couldn’t ignore it. There was a shift in your voice as well, an allure that enticed him.

“Can I be honest?” You licked your suddenly dry lips. Donnie tensed momentarily, not sure what to expect. “Of course, please” You squeezed your thighs together, ‘please’ shouldn’t sound so good coming out of his mouth. You trace lazy circles on your thighs, something pushed you. “I’m kinda turned on by this...by talking to you about all this stuff” Maybe this was overstepping it, surely there was nothing wrong between two adult friends discussing such matters.

There was no need to tell Don that you had yearned to put a face to the name. But his hesitance spoke of insecurities and you could understand that.

“I am too...” Donnie looked up at what he called a ceiling in his home, the darkness of the sewer system and concrete. He’d never have a chance with you, it was a deeply rooted desire for intimacy and if virtually he could obtain it then so be it.

For all your boldness you felt a wave of bashfulness hit, crashed around your self confidence. Then Donnie steps up and you feel your toes curl in excitement. “Do you want to have a better experience?” Donnie runs both hands down his face, who was he to provide better experiences, he’d never even physically had a partner. The slow sigh that escapes your throat is comforting static in his headset. “Yeah, yeah I really do actually” You feel a smile etch itself on your lips.

“You can call me Donnie” It’s the closest to his name, and truthfully he really wants to hear you say it.

“Y/N,” You say to which Donnie makes an approving noise, he finds your name to be pretty. He rolls it in his mouth, testing the syllables, he can envision moaning it, well he wants to moan it if he can be completely honest. He wants to put a face to that name but he quickly pushes the thought out. There’s a pregnant pause where neither of you engage or make the first attempt. Not wanting to let this mood flee, Donnie swallows and closes his eyes. The hum of the abandoned game grounding him.

“Say my name again” It’s not a forceful demand, all the contrary he wants to hear the pitch in your voice when you say it, he wants to picture how each tone would variate depending on what he would do or say. “Donnie...” You smile to yourself when you say it, a hint of desire nestled in it and Don notices that and wants more of it.

There’s a lengthy sigh from your behalf, hands wandering up your thighs towards your chest. “I’d like to be there right now, would like to say it against your lips” Your bold confessions makes Donnie’s pulse quicken. He runs a ghosting touch up his plastron, the vision of a delicate hand doing it. The imaginary weight of you on his lap grinding down on his hard member. Donnie grips himself through his shorts a soft groan escaping his parted lips.

“Want you to kiss me” He swallows dryly, the approving noise you make pushing him forward. “Feel your lips all over, feel your mouth around me...” He lifts his hips, hand cupping himself and the small hitch in your breath is a sound he wants permanently recorded in his brain.

“God are you big? I bet you are” You kneed your breast, thumb and forefinger pinching the sensitive nubs until they’re perked. Donnie smirks to himself, freeing his aching member and looking down at himself. Mutant genes aside he feels somewhat shamefully proud of his cock, he wonders if you would like it... deeply buried within you. “Yeah I am, I think you can take it something tells me” You catch that teasing tone and the urge to swallow him whole and make him see stars is too much.

Your hand finds its way into your underwear, the warm wetness making you moan as you tease your middle finger between the lips to find your sensitive nub there. You bite back another lengthy moan but recover enough to breathlessly say, “oh fuck, Donnie” and that very sound makes him shiver. Never did he think he’d hear something so temptingly good, said with such sincerity. God the things he would do to smell your arousal right now, to taste the wetness. “Push two fingers in slowly” Donnie almost pleas, his voice shakey, hand pumping his cock at a steady pace. You do as he wishes, your gutted moan making more precum gather at the tip of his member.

“God-shit- you sound so good, wish you were riding my big dick right now” He wants to chastise himself for saying something like that, but he can’t deny that statement shakes something in you. He can hear it, the sound of your fingers mixed with a continuously rising string of moans. “Ohmygod” Words tumble out strewn together by your pleasure. “Donnie please, please fuck me harder” That alone makes him sit up and push forwards, one hand on his desk as the other works himself up in upward twisting strokes.

Donnie can’t erase the idea of slamming into you right here on his desk, maybe bent over, maybe you’ll let him cum on your face...

He pushes the idea away, he can’t envision your face now, not right now, not when your moans have you sounding this deliciously in need. You’re plunging two fingers into your core as your free hand runs firm circles around your clit. “Christ Donnie you sound so good baby” You moan, perspiration covering your body and Donnie can only groan his approval.

There’s a few minutes where it’s just the two of you lost in your own pleasure together. The constant chants of ‘fuck’ and ‘god’ and ‘yes’ mixed between the two of you. “Say it... again” Donnie groans out, hand quickening, briefly gathering some saliva and letting it fall on his hard member for better traction. “Don-oh, Donnie cum in me!” You’re so far gone, not caring what comes out of your mouth. The wet sounds in your head set and a vibration you figured could be static mixed with his groans was all you heard.

Donnie’s hips twitch, feels that request swim inside of his brain and the image of burying himself as deeply as you could take is all he needs. Just as your moans rise in crescendo he feels the first twitch and relief of his orgasm overtake him. He’s never felt it hit him this hard it knocks the wind out of him, each rope shooting out onto his hand and floor. In his minds eye though, it’s your suffocating heat taking it, milking him until he’s a shivering mess. It plays perfectly like a movie, he swears he can even feel your lips at his neck and arms holding him tight.

Your sounds are enough to keep him stroking, the way your voice pitched up with the sound of his name entwined, forever recorded in his brain. Your entire body tensed to the point of uncomfortable but it was impossible to stop abruptly when he sounded so lost in you. Your leg shakes and stiffens and it takes every inch of control to not become liquid and slip away into comforting bliss.

Eventually the sounds of heavy breathing slowly but surely settling are the only things the two of you can hear in your ears. There’s a mess, for you and for him. The understanding of things transpired crossing each of you two’s brains. Should you speak first? Should he?

“Um, you with me?” You settle, skin sweaty and mouth dry. There’s movement on the other line, a quiet cuss here and there and you smile. “Yeah, sorry just... made a mess” His voice has that sheepish tone and you can’t help but chuckle.

“Great thing about being a girl, we can conceal the evidence better” You stretch your aching legs enjoying each joint pop. “The female anatomy never seizes to amaze me, trust me” Donnie leans back in his chair, napkin cleaning any other soiled spot.

The silence was somewhat comfortable, the buzzing of good chemicals slowly settling.

“Was this okay?” He asked, hesitant tone in your ears.

“More than okay if you ask me” You kept it light not wanting him to feel odd or even ashamed.

You ventured on slowly, forming the question in your brain and bouncing it back and forward with a swallow. “If, and I mean if you want to, we can maybe do this from time to time” You worried a thumbnail between your teeth. Donnie’s gaze watching the idle screen of the abandoned game, he thought hard but briefly.

“I... yeah I would” He smiles to himself, even if the nagging thought that this might not last clutches the back of his mind. Why ruin a good thing? This was good more than good and you suggested to continue.

He doesn’t want to preoccupy his brain with scenarios, or if that dreaded ‘let’s meet’ sentence decides to cross your lips. If this is the inch of intimacy he gets to have and it’s with you, who he has grown so fond of, then he’s selfishly taking that inch and guarding it with his life.

Mutely you both remain on the line, no words spoken from the agreement, just simply enjoying that the two of you were present.

Even if not physically.

[thefanficmonster]

Corpse Infested

Corpse Husband & Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Mentions of dysfunctional family, Family problems, Swearing

Genre: Humor, Comfort, Platonic fluff, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: When your friend disappears for a long time, seemingly having lost interest in what fueled the most passionate fire in their life, you cannot not worry about them. Even if you wanna give them space, you will reach out, you will offer your help. You will tell them they always have you to rely on and talk to.

Requested by Anon. Hi dear! I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long to complete and post your request, but here it finally is! Hope you come across it and if you do I hope you enjoy the read! Love, Vy ❤

For me, it’s never hard to find things to do. I’ve constantly got things on my mind and tasks to tend to, keeping me occupied and my mind focused at all times. I think that comes with living in a home as dysfunctional as this one. I honestly can’t recall a time when my parents got along nor can I think of a time where there was at least one second of peace while the two are both present in the house. It’s always a warzone up there. I’m saying up there because I tend to live out of the basement of their home. I know living in your parents’ basement is considered a peak loser point, or the bottom of the bottom, but you’d have to believe me when I say - I wasn’t always like this. In fact, I only recently came back to this hell-hole and boy do I regret it. I mean, it was a decision forced upon me by circumstances. Trust me, I tried every other option there was. When my dorm was to be closed down and demolished, we were given a notice to start planning our next move about a month early. You can bet I immediately started looking at places but my very tragic and miserable budget didn’t allow such a purchase. No rent was adequate for me and my near-empty wallet so my second option was moving in with my best friend who was also not in the greatest of situations but I thought I’d give that a shot too.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t work out. She lived in a tiny apartment with her boyfriend and his best friend at the time, so four people in one apartment was a nightmare. Still a lesser nightmare than this one but a nightmare nonetheless. Some unwanted and downright traumatizing events chased me out of that place after barely managing to pack my stuff. Therefore, finding myself on the streets again, I had no other option other than the obvious and least liked one: moving back in with my parents.

Making money during my first year of college hasn’t been easy. Working two jobs at once and also streaming video games on the side was what my time was filled with all throughout the first semester but then this damn pandemic started and now ruined everything for me. I had things going for me, I was slowly getting my life together and now it has all fallen apart yet again. The places I worked at closed down due to quarantine and I haven’t been able to steam, not only cause I’d be the victim of my parents’ comments but also cause my terrible home life would be exposed to all my fans and viewers. It’s not like I could cancel out the commotion going on right above my head, it’s a livestream and this house’s walls are cardboard thin meaning all the arguing I hear almost 24/7 will serve as background noise for my streams.

I haven’t reached out to my friends or fans to inform them of this which I feel slightly guilty about but I’m really not looking forward to having to lie to them, just as much as I’m not looking forward to having to tell them the truth so instead I’ve picked silence which is probably either worrying them or driving them insane. Either way, I’ll make my comeback soon.

Well....not very soon by the looks of it...

I have to gather the money, then I have to find a place, then comes the packing, moving out of here, moving into the new place...oh God, there’s so much to it that I don’t even wanna think about. Just that thought that I’ll be inactive for that long makes my stomach turn. Streaming’s where I’ve been channeling all my negative emotions, turning them into something positive and entertaining with the help of my friends.

Speaking of my friends, I should probably put emphasis on how amazing they are. Basically the older siblings I’ve always wished I had. I’m the baby of the group, the eighteen year old freshman in college, powering through life the best they can cause they are constantly getting tripped up by inconvenient occurrences such as this one for example. I tend to have the gang poke fun at me quite frequently - all lighthearted and with good intentions obviously - but they are also the ones to get super defensive if anyone gets the balls to talk shit about me. They’d never allow me to be the victim of any smack talk or online rumors and ‘cancel culture’ or whatever the hell people will come up with to leave others restless and wondering if they did something shady a decade ago. Well, to be fair, I didn’t even know about the concept of social media a decade ago and I’ve never been one to post much but I still have a protection squad in case anyone decides to come after me.

Little do they know the people I need protecting from are the very people that are supposed to protect me - my parents. Luckily, they don’t venture into to basement very often if at all and I have my own exit to the outside world so I don’t have to run into them unless I absolutely have to. The only time I emerge to the surface of the house - aka the ground floor - I do so to leave my share of rent money on the dining table and I usually do it when they aren’t home or when they’re asleep - that happens often with how many bottles they each knock back on the daily.

*sigh*...at least I don’t have to talk to them, right?

Anyhow, remember how I mentioned I always have things to do? Well, right now I’ve tasked myself with rifling through the large boxes containing random stuff I found in one of the basements down here to see if there’s anything I could possibly sell online. For starters, I’d like to hope there aren’t any severed body parts in here because this was one shady-ass basement before I moved in and un-creeped it a bit so I wouldn’t have to become an insomniac due to the paranoia of there being a homeless person down here with me or some paranormal entity. Regardless, old basements tend to be, apart from haunted, also filled with junk no one would find valuable despite it actually being worth something after all. That’s basically what I’m hoping to find at the moment.

As I dig through the contents of the first box, the YouTube playlist I have put on on my phone cuts off causing me to furrow my brows in confusion for a second before my ringtone pierces the silence the lack of music created.

I quickly mute the ringing and take a look at the Caller ID to see a name I never thought would pop up on my screen as an incoming call - Corpse. I, as well as many of our friends, know that he’s not the biggest fan of talking to people on the phone so this is rather surprising. Still, I pick up the call in case it’s not a mistake and an odd chance that it’s somethin urgent cause Lord knows Corpse doesn’t call people willy-nilly. 

Thank God it’s quiet up there at the moment.

“Hello?“ I try my best to cover up the confusion in my voice but I can only assume I didn’t do the best job considering Corpse replies with a slightly awkward chuckle.

“Surprised you, didn’t I?“ He asks, getting my cheeks to redden a bit, “You can’t blame a guy for calling after up and disappearing on him and on the whole internet. Where’ve you been?“

I open my mouth to respond when I hear the sound of glass breaking a shouted curse from upstairs.

Oh for fuck’s sake!

“Um...you know, places?“ I’m aware the answer isn’t only nonsensical but also sounds more like a question, but I can hardly focus on that right now. I’m too buys praying to an entity I don’t fully believe in for the situation above to not escalate.

“Uh, is everything ok over there? Where even are you right now?“ The teasing tone to his voice is all but gone at this point, replaced with deep concern, having obviously heard the commotion that did the exact opposite of what I prayed for - escalated.

“Y-yeah, it’s ok. It’s just another Thursday, you know.“ I attempt a small laugh but it’s blatantly miserable, “I moved back in with my parents when they announced the quarantine so that’s where I’m at now. They’re not the quietest of folks as you can tell so...“

“I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I HOPE YOU DIE“

Oh crap, here we go.

“...So I can’t really stream a lot...or at all.“ I mutter, cringing with all my might, “But it’s only temporary! I’ll get back in the saddle as soon as I find another place to stay.“ I don’t dare mention how long that’s gonna take me, it’ll be too disappointing and depressing for the both of us. “So yeah...um...thanks for showing concern but there’s really nothing to worry about. I’m ok, everything’s ok, things are just...a bit off the rails, but I’ll fix em no problem. Like I always do!“ I attempt to sound as cheerful as possible with little success due to the overwhelming anger I feel towards those people upstairs and the gut-wrenching nostalgia for the world of streaming I can no longer be a part of because of them. Actually, I put the blame first on the pandemic and second on my parents - if it wasn’t for Covid I’d probably still be in my dorm!

“Hey...um, I think I know an affordable place where you can take up residence. Only if you want to, of course.“ He sounds hesitant but I easily overlook that as excitement bursts throughout my entire being at the sound if an escape being offered to me just like that. Had I known I’d find the solution to my problem in the very people I spent time avoiding because I was afraid of their pity, sympathy and judgement.

“Oh please, it could be a rat and roach infested shoe box and I’d go running to it. How much is rent?“ I ask through a gasp of hurried laughter that’s a result of my inability to contain said excitement. Listen, I’ve been sitting here in Hellsburg for three months now and haven’t gotten a proper shuteye during that whole period, whatever Corpse is offering has to be better than this misery.

“Rent can be discussed once you move in...“ He trails off, “And it’s not rat nor roach infested but there’s a slight issue...“

“Which is?“ I’m honestly expecting the worst: in a bad neighborhood; faulty wiring with a high chance of being electrocuted; faulty piping with a high chance of flooding; people have died there; things get randomly moved around in the middle of the night etc. However, I don’t voice any of them to avoid getting laughed at for my wild imagination.

“Well, uh, it’s corpse infested.“ He says a little awkwardly, causing me to let out an inaudible sigh.

So my ‘people have died there’ guess was on point, huh?

“People have died there, huh? Well, I can turn a blind eye to that as long as I don’t find their bodies in the closet or meet their spirits at 3AM.“ I attempt to joke, now second-guessing my eagerness to accept the offer.

Corpse bursts out laughing his ass off at my statement, getting me to furrow my eyebrows in confusion and wonder what I said was so funny - it was a poor attempt at a joke, it in no way deserves that sort of reaction, barely a chuckle in my opinion.

“You’re golden, Y/N, I swear.“ He says once he forces the laughter to subside, “I meant corpse infested as in Corpse Husband infested.“ He breaks out in another fit as my brain slowly starts connecting the dots.

Oooohh he’s asking me to go live with him

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait, hold up for a sec. Are you aware of what you’re offering me? I mean, we’ve never met IRL, you barely know me and....and for all you know I could be the serial killer in this situation!“ I have no idea why I’m pushing my luck, don’t ask. I just don’t want him to make a decision he’ll later regret, I guess. “Like, I could kill you in your sleep!“

“Would you?“ He asks confidently, silently stating he already knows the answer.

I roll my eyes, “Of course not! But...” He cuts me off.

“Great, the offer stands on my end. I’m not a noisy nor nosey roommate so I suggest you start packing. If you choose to live in that hell-hole over living with me, I’m sorry but I’ll be hella offended, just so you know.“

Corpse sounds like he’s about to hang up on me, a decision already made, so I hurry to stop him. “Wait! What about rent?”

“Fuck the rent, pack your bags.“ And just like that, despite my efforts, he hangs up on me.

Well...this is a chance of a lifetime that I know refusing would lead me to not only remain stuck here but also put me in the hugest loser bin. There’s also the fear of being Corpse’s burden which I’ll try my best not to be - I mean, I’m a super independent person and Lord knows that if this offer came any other time or from any other person, I would’ve declined asap, no discussion.

But streaming

But sleeping properly

But having a normal life again

Yeah those are most certainly the reasons I get up and go into the closet in search on my emptied suitcase. Time to fill it up again, I guess. This time with a smile on my face and excitement fueling each and every movement of mine.

@maat-the-prescriptive  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @itsminniekat  @hacker-ghost  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios  @maehemscorpyus  @loraleiix  @letsloveimagines  @annshit  @i-cant-choose-a-username-help  @enigmaticmaze  @divine-artemis  @waterlilypat  @idontknowwhatthisisfam  @evi-ka  @classyandfabulous00  @redperson58  @lilysdaydreams @solowheein  @mythicalamphitrite  @axen-gers  @luckygirl144  @nj01  @buddyemily   @the-albino-lioness  @stardream14  @gdhdkfnn  @nomadicgypsyy  @preciousskye  @fluffysuicideunicornsworld  @o-kaelin  @manacharlotte  @awkward-youtube-trash  @lolalee24  @bonky-beerns  @meme-lord-and-savior-sebastian  @strawbrinkofdeath  @teenloves  @tams0527  @browneyespinkhair  @starstruckllamapuppy  @daisychains012  @y0ulooked  @tinytacosuitcaseflap @supernatural-is-my-only-life  @jula-pauline  @melodykitty  @just-that-bi-girl  @crazybutconfidentaf  @lowellshade @alphakees  @bellero  @weallneednamjesus  @starryhanji  @boiled-onionrings  @husherstan  @fockingwhore  @melaningoddessthings  @prettypastelpetals  @haleypearce  @godwhyamiawkward  @y-napotat  @daisychainyoonmin  @little-miss-rebel3  @free-wheelin-bi-sexual  @redmoon261 @darkacademic2  @wiseflamingoqueen  @into-the-end  @namikhai-i  @nastiablr  @thelittleplantlover  @mirktuan  @dont-hyuck @jjk-bunny  @vintagegothlover  @easygoingtheatre  @itsrandombooklover  @miiaivi  @emmybaybee  @befourgolden  @jjk-is-my-shit  @eternalteaaars  @spacebadgerx  @princesslunalight  @acequinn14  @samm48  @misselsbells06 @simp-lykawa  @fo-love  @marishimomura-blog  @therealglenncoco  @cinnamonbun332  @killtherandomness  @sanshinexxxsan  @fee-btheweeb  @press-lay  @cathleenpotgieter16  @jazzydoesstuff  @moonlxghtbay  @forestrain2000  @hyunjinhugs  @blood-of-fandoms  @lovellylies  @ukiyolixx  @simpforhpcharacters  @chrisdylan17  @parkerjisung  @pedernille  @theodonyous  @wineandionysus  @malfoystilinskii05  @morbid-x  @coryisagee  @jessewa26  @scoobydooluver97 @mindintheskies365  @raeanneinwonderland  @indecisive-empanada  @gluttonypalace  @loriane2503  @btsiguess-kpop  @khaoticbunny  @lucidlycactus  @smiithys  @rottenroyalebooks  @kpopgirlbtssvt  @fangirl-tc27  @fr0z3n-1  @notmesimpingfortechno  @shotarosleftpinky  @kunoi-chan  @idk-whats-wrong-with-me  @yikeroonie  @goldenstarofthunderclan  @poetry-and-tea  @ama-do-writing-stuff  @wishbonewolf  @emeraldxhope  @t0xick1tty  @kusuinko  @speakyourselfloveyourself  @sophia902103  @lo-manburg  @classsykittykat  @dmgama  @depressedpuppythatneedscoffee  @btsiguess-kpop  @akaashi-baby  @gun-jong-simp  @geschichtenfee  @yerapotato-wp  @browneyedgirl365  @thysagclub  @sparklycloudnight  @helloatomicshadow  @queentorresstuff @vtte @val-gal  @lucy-bunny17  @aaliyahh0  @katluckybear  @boyleanti  @straybids  @franchesca-791  @cosmicstorm19  @averyisbackinthetrashcan  @aomi-nabi  @xlanawriter  @allensimpsforcorpse

[sunnykeysmash]

premise that I'm writing after having written this post: this ended up becoming a bit of a stream of consciousness, and it's kinda long but I'm on my phone so I can't add a "read more". please bear with me.

Ok so, I have something to say about sheep symbolism. I've read up about it a little and often sheep are seen as a sacrificial animal, which to me connects again with the whole theme of "sometimes in order to save something you have to destroy something", and yeah in the promo footage we see them all fall down from the tower, to me this is close to the seeds metaphor, it's something that's clogging the flow of things, that you need to get out, or sacrifice, in order to clear up the passage again. or to connect back to tends bar, to clear the lines.

to pull the wool over someone's eyes is also to deceive them, and dennis has been particularly irked by the concept of lies and inauthenticity these last eps, so to sacrifice the sheep would be to be able to finally see things clearly and be truthful.

I've actually been thinking more in general about my old friend the death vs life/love meta that I made a while ago, and if you haven't read it then I think it could be interesting to understand this post better, because I cover this stuff in previous seasons and especially s14. but anyway, I was thinking about it because I looked up bell ringing symbolism, and realized that they of course can be rung for both funerals and weddings, which... plays pretty well into that whole thing. not to mention the circle of life thing is brought up again by mac in goes to ireland, like how it was featured in the gang texts, which incidentally also features goats (that are to be slaughtered to a lion... it's a whole thing, I feel like my friend @cutemeat can do this justice more than I can), but the point is, this theme seems to be back and in full force. even if you take in consideration the manatee story, it swam into a boat propeller because the guy didn't show up. and once again, the lack of love leads to death. the heart wants what the heart wants.

we have had a lot of death in season 15. the cat, the corpse, the beheadings, the manatees, dennis ending up in the hospital, you name it. hell, thinking about it now, and I know it's a stretch but I think it's neat, dennis takes offense at the "flies" bit in the song, and we all know flies surround what's dead, usually. which, by the way, dennis mentions that it sounds like he's asking her "to forget the flies surrounding me", which connects DENNIS once again to this whole meta thread, along with the fact that it's, again, Dennis, who can't smell the dead cat. something has gone bad, it's about dennis, and it's an elephant in the room that is being covered up/ignored. but that can no longer be ignored, because it's hitting dennis directly now, by choking, no longer being able to breathe, again something that's clogging the flow of things, and it's bringing HIM closer and closer to death. in addition to this I would like to mention dennis driving on the wrong side of the road, because I think that's once again going against the authentic flow of things. instead of things working how they should, they're going in the wrong direction, and no one will confront it, because "they don't wanna drive headfirst into a maniac".

menopause itself can be included in this, as it is the end of fertility, the end of your ability to create new life. which in the end brings me back again to the seeds, because those are a beginning, instead. new life. and new LOVE, too, as the song puts it

in which, again, life and love seem to go hand in hand.

dennis thought he had found the Life he was looking for in his son, the very essence of a new life and beginning if you think about it, but in the end he was still living a lie, walking in the shoes of a dead man, so it could never work. the actual, real new life he needs is for himself, and it has everything to do with his identity, like it did for mac in mfhp. in that episode, mac's dad misinterprets mac's struggle as him having had a son (thank you @cutemeat for pointing this out to me!), but you can't start again with a new life by running away from the one you have. it's not life you find in or give to others, it's one that comes from within. from being born again once you become confident in your identity. in the end, something new is born. I think generally speaking, this is the strongest theme that season 15 is tackling. identity, change and new beginnings, all three intertwined, and what you have to sacrifice in order to achieve them.

this actually reminds me of big mo. in that episode, they're afraid that going out there, breaking the borders, exploring etc, will bring a Death. in season 15, we learn that it's the opposite. much like the cat, that fused with the carpet and died because he could not exit the room. what kills you is getting stuck in your ways, even when that means going against the correct flow, swallowing every new opportunity that may arise and choking on it instead of letting it grow. denying that there's anything wrong at all just so you can hold up a false sense of control and status quo, when really you're losing yourself ("the monkey could do our job", dennis becoming possessed, dennis choking so hard he loses his voice/the ability to speak for himself, the gang handing creative control of lw to someone else, investing money in fictitious businesses and getting turned down when the loan was actually for their legit one) losing the humanity that's supposed to come with every decision. (jumper)

it becomes something you can no longer ignore, something that won't go down anymore (like the beers at Patty's teehee) or you risk killing everything you've built.

there was a fear that by breaking the borders you'd destroy what makes sunny the way it is, the gang at its core is supposed to be "stuck in the room", like in goes to hell, torturing each other, unable to escape, and in the end, almost dying... that is, until they are saved, and get a second chance at life. at least the way goes to hell went. kinda crazy how the season 11 finale could connect so well with the current themes. and thanks again to cutemeat for talking to me about this.

now, I haven't seen episode 8 yet, but the whole "carrying a corpse up a mountain as a ritual but it keeps rolling down" immediately reminds me of Sisyphus, and I think this fits perfectly with what I've said so far. a sisyphean task is at its core, repetitive and futile, according to wikipedia. the way big mo put it, it makes no sense to do something if you're not enjoying it, but instead of ending the show (beheading) because it doesn't feel authentic anymore ("the hair is a lie"), they decide to do it in a way that is enjoyable to them. breaking the borders, removing the wool, planting new seeds, breathing new life into it.

I also think the speech Dennis does, where he says "identity doesn't have to factor into absolutely every decision you make" follows the same thread as jumper, where they are also trying to make a decision, using an algorithm, and again, trying to keep feelings out of the equation. So in a way, it isn't identity that dictates your actions, it should be your feelings. and then, once you've assessed that, then you can think about adjusting to it, fitting your identity around that, not letting it control what you do. works for sunny, works for mac and dennis. it's all about allowing yourself to factor in your own humanity and emotions for the choices you make.

I think dennis almost dying from covid is what he needs to accept that he needs someone by his side, needs someone who will confront him and not just let him drive in the opposite direction, someone to keep him awake (grounded) and alive, because stubbornness and denial will be the death of him otherwise.

in chokes, the right way for mac to impress dennis was to make his own decisions, not following someone else's plan or indication, but doing something because it is what you want to do. and this, again, ties with dennis' speech about identity. actions should be taken because you're following your feelings, not depending on a plan (from someone else's or god's plan)/algorithm/identity that you have predetermined. the action should be motivated by feelings, it should come first, and the rest will naturally follow. "don't ask, just do". and I don't think mac wanting to become a priest is a choice motivated by his true feelings, it is a choice based on what he thinks he should do. even the leaks called it "being a priest for all the wrong reasons".

instead, he needs to listen to what his heart truly wants, he needs to speak from the heart. and get dennis out of this jam.

unless... unless he doesn't. because here's the thing. this conclusion to things still left a fear bubbling within me. I started thinking... what if dennis gets himself out of his own jam? what then, will he think he no longer needs mac? because mac didn't prove himself to him like he feared in chokes? and another phrase from still in ireland was hanging over my head. when frank FINALLY gets the seed out, shows it to charlie, and when charlie is grossed out, frank says, "I thought you'd be happy for me."

something still wasn't clicking, and it was making me nervous for a negative outcome, so I brought this concern up to @cutemeat hoping to connect some dot that was escaping me.

and we did. the wrong reason as to why mac is joining priesthood, it's not from his identity crisis, or rather, not entirely. not just that. it came as a direct consequence of dennis snapping at him because he brought up sleeping with guys. mac skipped over that part of his identity because of it. and that's something dennis has done other times in the past, so much so that in tends bar, mac's idea of it is that he's uncomfortable with mac being gay. even in the monkey episode, as soon as mac brings up the idea of introducing a new guy to the bar, dennis shoots that idea down immediately. in short, what I think could be happening here, is that mac is joining priesthood so he never has to have sex with another guy again, and that will finally draw him and dennis closer together.

Mac is clogging things up on purpose, to draw him and Dennis together, because he thinks this is what Dennis wants, what will make him happy, and we all know all Mac truly wants is to see a smile on his face at the end of the day.

But here's the kicker, that's not going to make Dennis happy. That's doing something for the wrong reasons, that's doing something, again, not because you truly want to, but because of someone else.

And most of all, that's doing something because of a massive misunderstanding, because that's not why dennis snaps at mac, "it's something else", and I think we'll uncover that, when dennis tries to stop mac from joining priesthood. Because dennis finally got the seed out from almost dying, and he needs to show mac, so they can sow it together.

or, well, it doesn't even have to be relevant to them at all, that phrase, because while it's true that charlie+frank and macdennis have always been (and continue to be) parallels, they don't always go in the same direction, and usually, while charlie and frank's plotlines are positive and they get along, mac and dennis' not as much. that has been a thing in the past, but now it's charlie and frank who aren't getting along anymore, so I think it's perfect that mac and dennis would, and they'd switch places in the gang dynamic. it still overall ties with the meta I have discussed in this post so far. something has to die, so that something different can be born, instead. sometimes, in order to save something, you have to destroy something.

love and life will have to win because that's the whole point, since macdennis meta and sunny meta are so closely linked (as previously established), the fact that sunny promises to go on forever and has already been renewed for 4 more seasons tells me all I need to know, with the show basically being born again after the fake ending that was big mo.

okay, I think this analysis/wild speculation post has gotten long enough. big thanks to @cutemeat again for discussing this all with me which helped me put everything into words.

[lloydskywalkers]

two a.m. tea

This is for the wonderful @kipskiff , who recently did some fantastic art of Lloyd and Nya and Pixal getting tea at two am together, which is a concept I really wanted to write something on, so here we go! This is...technically an AU, because Lloyd and Nya know about Pixal before season 8, but you know what it’s a good AU that should be canon, because I love these three.

Nya is a lot of things, but one thing she definitely isn’t is blind.

(…most of the time.)

So when the new Samurai X crops up, in her armor, and promptly refuses to answer any questions about their identity, Nya spends a week or two flailing about before she gets serious. If someone’s got her mech, no matter how well-meaning their actions seem (saving Lloyd definitely won them points, but still) Nya needs to know who it is. It’s just a safety thing, and with their track record, it’s better to be safe than ambushed and nearly-slaughtered by someone they thought they could trust in the middle of the night.

So Nya cracks down and really starts studying the new samurai, mentally cataloguing the way they talk and how they choose to fight, what weapons they’re picking and the mannerisms they use, and eventually she’s able to pin down who it is — she’s promptly torn between utter shock and wondering why she didn’t think of that earlier, but she thinks she handles it pretty well.

Ironically, Lloyd figures it out five minutes before she does. (Or at least she thinks he does — he looks suspiciously calm about the whole thing, and he’s been the most unconcerned from the start. And he does have a track record with figuring out the identity of Samurai X, so…)

At any rate, Nya’s pretty sure that her and Lloyd are the only ones to have figured out Pixal’s secret, so by the time they all head off on their Find-Master-Wu missions, it’s easy enough for Nya to stop back into town every once in a while and meet up with them for tea at the hole-in-the-wall shop in the rougher part of town that Lloyd picks out for them.

He claims it’s where his uncle used to go sometimes, but Nya’s still too suspicious that Lloyd never entirely outgrew his past to believe that. He also claims that it’s the only place in town to get a decent cup of tea at two in the morning, which Nya is much more inclined to believe.

“-and then he tried to run, likely because he realized he was outmatched, but he must have forgotten we were on the twentieth story, because he tripped over his own feet and ran straight off the edge of the building, still clutching the money as he went.”

Nya grins as Pixal continues to detail her story to them, her eyes lit up brightly as she gestures, looking as enthusiastic as Nya’s seen her. Lloyd is listening in rapt attention, laughing at all the right parts as he sips at his own cup of tea — which very likely has too many sugars in it to be healthy, but what can you do. He’s in his new gi, the bright green one with the stitching she’d seen him working on a while back. It looks nice — it kinda makes Nya want to change up her own gi design, actually, she’s been feeling blues lately, for some reason…

She spares a brief glance at her current outfit, and shrugs. Sweat pants are comfy, and it’s not like she’s here to impress anyone, anyways. It probably looks pretty funny, actually, Lloyd in his gi and Pixal in her armor, then Nya seated between them looking like she just rolled out of bed.

“I like your glasses, by the way,” Lloyd mentions to Pixal, after they’ve finished with her story (she caught the guy about three flights down, which is less than Nya would have let him fall for).

“Oh!” Pixal’s hand drifts to the large-rimmed glasses she’s wearing. “Oh, thank you, I had forgotten I still had them on.”

“I told you they looked good on you,” Nya says, with an air of satisfaction. “You should keep ‘em.”

“Really?” Pixal says, hesitantly. “But I don’t really need them. My eyesight is perfectly fine.”

Nya shrugs. “Kai doesn’t need hair gel.”

“Jay doesn’t need ten blue jackets,” Lloyd chimes in.

“Cole doesn’t need sleeves.”

“Nya doesn’t need Starfarer socks.”

“Lloyd doesn’t need seven of those extra soft blankets.“

“Yes I do, there’s seven nights in a week,” Lloyd defends.

Nya shakes her head. “The point is, you might not need them, but you can want them. And if you want them, wear them! Simple as that.”

“Oh,” Pixal says, turning this over in her head. She finally nods. “I will keep them, then.”

“Nice!” Lloyd raises his teacup. “To Pixal’s glasses, then.”

“Hear, hear,” Nya clinks her cup against his. Pixal looks slightly confused, but she clinks her cup against theirs nonetheless. Lloyd snickers, and Nya leans back, sipping at her cooling tea.

“So, how’s it been on your side?” Nya asks Lloyd, nudging him.

Lloyd’s expression falls a bit, though Nya can tell he’s trying to look content about it. “Oh, it’s good,” he says, his cheer sounding forced. “There’s, um. There’s some late nights and stuff, but it’s not…it’s not bad, or anything. It’s good. Good times.”

Nya trades looks with Pixal.

“That was a terrible lie,” Pixal says, turning back to him.

Lloyd buries a hand in his hair, leaning back. “Ugh, fine. It’s a little lonely, that’s all, okay?”

Nya’s heart dips, and she bites her lip. It’s been lonely on her side, too, traveling the countryside by herself, but Lloyd has always taken that sort of thing harder.

“You know you can call us whenever, right?” Nya reminds him. “And Pixal’s here too, if you wanna talk to her,” she adds, as Pixal nods.

“Yeah, I know, it’s just-“ Lloyd sighs. “I dunno, it’s harder to enjoy stuff when it’s just you,” he mumbles, shifting his teacup in a circle on the table. “And like, I love protecting the city, but it’s a little more difficult to do it on your own.”

“I actually miss the guys and their dumb catchphrases, too,” Nya admits. “It is less fun on your own, huh.”

Pixal looks between the two of them. “I’ve never been part of that,” she says. “So I cannot empathize, I’m afraid.” She sighs, brushing a tuft of silver hair from her face. “I do wish to experience it someday, though,” she says, quietly.

“You should join up with us, then!” Lloyd says, eagerly. “When the guys get back, you can be on the team too-“

“Lloyd,” Nya says, quietly. Lloyd looks at her, then at Pixal.

“O-only if you want to, that is,” he says quickly, deflating a bit. “If you wanna…reveal yourself, and stuff. It’s up to you.”

“Thank you for the offer,” Pixal says, smiling slightly. “I’ll consider it. But in the meantime-“

The TV in the shop corner suddenly scratches, warbling out the tinny alert of a news update as a reporter’s harried voice comes through.

“-violent activity in the northwest city quarter again as another bank is hit, suspected to be attributed to the recent rise in biker gangs. Police are on their way to the scene as we speak-“

“In the meantime…” Nya mutters. She meets Lloyd’s eyes, then Pixal’s. She carefully sets her cup of tea down. “Anyone up for a little team bonding right now?”

Pixal and Lloyd look at each other. “Yes,” Pixal replies enthusiastically, standing. “Let’s go kick butt!”

Lloyd’s face splits into a grin. “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” he says, shooting up from his own seat. “Let’s show these guys who’s boss. The uh - the bosses. Multiple bosses, ‘cause there’s three of us.”

Nya snorts, but she stands as well, shouldering her katana as she does. Looks like she’s fighting crime in sweatpants tonight.

“Was that too assertive?” Pixal whispers to Nya, as they trail out of the restaurant.

“Nope!” Nya grins proudly. “You’re doing great. Kicking butt is the number one ninja requirement.”

“Oh, good,” Pixal says. “Samurai, as well?”

“Pix,” Nya says, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “Here’s the thing you gotta remember. Ninja kick butt. Samurai? They do it better.”

*********

There wasn’t really a conscious choice, per say, to split their team up like they did — a lot of it ended being convenience, timing, Jay and Cole arguing so much nobody else wanted to deal with them, and that sort of thing — so it’s not like it was a purposeful decision that Nya and Lloyd got stuck on solo missions.

Well, just Nya gets missions, really. At least she gets to travel, and stuff — Lloyd is stuck babysitting Ninjago City on his own, which is slightly funny and even more concerning, because Lloyd should not be babysitting anyone when he’s the one that needs babysitting.

(Look, Ninjago City has never claimed it was “perfectly fine” after taking a crowbar to the head, then tried to double-flip over to the next building and ended up nearly cracking its skull open on the dumpster it fell into instead.)

(Lloyd has…a questionable track record, that’s what Nya’s trying to say.)

So it’s more than a little relieving that Nya knows Pixal is there to keep an eye on him.

“-I mean, what if she hadn’t been there, Lloyd?” Nya says accusingly, as Pixal carefully wraps Lloyd’s wrist from where she sits across the table from them. “What were you gonna do? Take another twenty fists to the face?”

“Id wasn’ twen’y fisds,” Lloyd mumbles into the napkin he’s got pressed against his nose, which is just barely not broken.

“It was certainly close,” Pixal pauses and frowns, studying Lloyd’s wrist before continuing to wrap it. Nya gives Lloyd a pointed glare, and he wilts into the booth.

They’ve chosen a 24-hour breakfast diner this time, one of those ones that looks like it’s been there since the dawn of time and will likely be there until the end of the world itself. The circular lamps that hang above their table cast them all in an odd yellow lighting, that makes Pixal’s hair look almost blond, and the bright green in Lloyd’s eyes look like it’s glowing. The linoleum floors beneath their shoes are cracked, the walls of the diner coated in plaster layer upon plaster layer that’s been half-heartedly hidden behind old music posters — and this one old picture Lloyd likes that’s got a cat eating a bunch of pancakes.

It’s around four in the morning when they meet there — because that’s when Pixal yanked Lloyd out of the drug bust — so their only other companions in the joint are heavy-eyed truck drivers and half-conscious people who are probably regretting hitting up as many bars as they did. It’s nice, though, because the employees seem like they’ve served hell itself with a bored expression, so no one really looks at the two ninja and a samurai crammed into the vinyl booth twice.

Lloyd pulls another bloody napkin away from his nose, making a face as he replaces it with a new one. “I’m fine, ‘kay,” he says, voice muffled as he winces, trying to stop the blood flow. “Id’s nod a big deal. I had id handled.”

“I hope that isn’t what you all consider ‘having it handled’,” Pixal says, gently tying off the bandages around Lloyd’s wrist. “There. All done. Ah, I believe that ice helps alleviate the pain, if you wish to…?”

“Yeah,” Lloyd flashes Pixal a small grin — Nya cringes at the blood on his teeth — as he takes the napkin-wrapped ice from her and sets it against his wrist. “D’anks, Pixal.”

He finally pulls the napkin away, prodding cautiously at his nose before deciding it isn’t going to bleed anymore. Nya gives him another pointed look, and Lloyd sighs, gathering up the bloody napkins and walking them over to the trash can.

“Thank you, seriously,” Nya mutters while he’s gone, rubbing a hand across her temple. “I was so far out, I don’t know what I would have done…”

“Of course,” Pixal says, patting Nya’s hand a little awkwardly. “I will always help Lloyd if he needs it. And I promised you I would keep an eye on him, right?”

“Yeah,” Nya smiles at her. “Thanks. You’ve been stellar.”

Pixal smiles lightly, and takes another sip of her tea. She immediately wrinkles her nose. “This is…not as good as the other place.”

Nya makes a face at her own cup of tea, which is sitting untouched. “Yeah, it’s not the best,” she says, braving another sip. Ugh, nope, hasn’t gotten any better in the last five minutes. “We’re kinda just here for the food,” she says, apologetically.

Pixal shakes her head. “That’s perfectly fine,” she says, as Lloyd ducks back into the booth with them. “Food is good as well.”

She’s spoken not a moment too soon — a yawning server makes their way to them, flipping at his notepad apathetically.

“You gonna get anything to eat?” he asks, sounding like he couldn’t care either way.

“Hi, yes,” Nya speaks up, before Lloyd can. She cuts him a you’re grounded look, which Lloyd sinks lower into the booth at, sulking. “I’ll have the biscuits with a side of bacon. Pixal?”

“I’ll have the, um, biscuits as well, thank you,” Pixal says.

The server nods, scribbling away. He looks back up. “Anything else?”

Nya is highly aware of the plaintive looks Lloyd is giving her.

“…and we’ll also take two chocolate-chip pancakes, extra whipped cream please,” she sighs. Lloyd beams.

Geez, it’s like watching a puppy, she thinks in amusement, studying him. A puppy with hair that probably needs to get cut pretty soon, she notices, watching the way the blond locks now fall into his eyes.

Lloyd remains oblivious to her stare, too busy stacking the little syrup containers into a geometric-shaped tower.

“You better not be using all of those,” Nya says, narrowing her eyes.

Lloyd shifts. “Of course not,” he scowls, but she notices that he very visibly moves the syrup packets closer to him. Nya snatches at them before he can all but sweep them into his lap, and a muffled battle over the packets ensues, with Nya emerging victorious and Lloyd left with a mere two small packets.

Lloyd gives a miserable sigh.

“Here,” Pixal says, sliding the five — five?! — packets Nya had somehow missed over to Lloyd. “You can have mine.”

Lloyd lights up. “Thanks, Pixal!” he says.“You’re my favorite sister tonight,” he says, shrewdly glaring at Nya.

“Excuse me for not wanting you to go into cardiac arrest at the young age of thirteen,” Nya grumbles.

Lloyd turns pink. “I am not thirteen-!” he yelps — and immediately claps a hand over his mouth as his voice cracks. Nya bursts into snickers as Lloyd sinks back into the booth, pulling the neck of his sweatshirt up over his scarlet face.

Oh, Kai’s gonna be so mad if he gets back and Lloyd’s gotten over his awkward voice-crack stage without him, Nya thinks.

Pixal, however, isn’t snickering, or even smiling bemusedly like she normally does when she doesn’t get something at first. Instead, she’s staring at Lloyd with an odd look on her face, almost like surprise.

“Pix?” Nya asks, her laughter dying off. “Everything okay?”

Lloyd looks up as well, emerging from his sweatshirt a bit, rubbing at his bandaged wrist as he does.

Pixal shakes her head. “Yes, I just-“ she blinks, staring at Lloyd again. “You…you called me your sister.”

Lloyd turns a bit pink again. “Oh, uh, yeah,” he says, hesitantly. “Is that - was that okay? I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, or anything, I just-“

“No, no, that is not it!” Pixal says, hastily. “I just — I didn’t think you…saw me that way.”

Lloyd’s still pink, but he looks a little less hesitant as he shrugs. “Well, yeah, you’re family, right?” he says, in that innocent way he has, like it’s obvious.

Pixal blinks rapidly, but the start of a smile edges its way up her face. “Oh,” she says, looking down as if to blush. “Right.”

Nya feels a grin edge up her own mouth, watching the happy smile that plays across Pixal’s face as she sips at the tea, Lloyd digging in to the pancakes beside her, still sniffling occasionally but otherwise happy.

Fine, Nya decides. She’ll let him off the hook for this one.

*******

The next time they’re able to meet up is barely in passing, crammed into a tiny shop Pixal spots on the riverfront while on patrol one night. Between the three of them they’ve been hopelessly busy — Lloyd and Pixal have had their arms full looking out for Ninjago city lately, crime having picked up drastically. They keep talking about this new bike gang that’s been showing up, which is apparently giving them both a lot of trouble and a few killer headaches. Nya would offer to take a look into it, but she’s supposed to head out for the rural villages later this morning, and it doesn’t sound too concerning. Lloyd and Pixal assure her that it’s probably just a gang on a vicious streak, that’s all.

They can handle it, that’s the message Nya’s getting. She’ll take their word for it, for now.

The riverfront shop is right where the nicer quarter meets the rougher edge of town, and that’s illustrated in the shop’s decor, gold-trimmed wallpaper run with cracks, the dark wood tables nicked and dented with scratches and scrapes. It’s got a nice view of the river, though, and the tea’s pretty good, so they decide it gets a thumbs-up in their slowly growing list of places to get tea without being immediately recognized.

They get there in the early hours of the morning again — the sun is just peeking over the horizon by the time they start on their tea. Lloyd’s finishing up telling them about Jay and Cole’s last check-in, laughing as he recounts Jay’s reaction when he realized the monastery they’re checking out is on top of the mountain, not at the bottom.

“And how are Kai and Zane?” Pixal asks as he finishes, visibly hiding her interest.

“They’re good, too,” Lloyd says, brightly. Nya knows it’s because he got to talk on the phone with Kai last night — really talk with Kai the other night, which is always good for the both of them. “I think they’re hitting some of the southern villages, Zane was talking about wanting to double-check on some rumors there about crime and stuff.”

“That sounds like him,” Pixal says, fondly. “Thank you,” she tells him.

Lloyd nods, stifling a yawn as he does and rubbing at his eyes. The gesture makes him look younger, but not by much. He’s looking older every time she sees him, Nya thinks with a pang, baby fat almost entirely gone, his voice pitching deeper by the day. Lloyd doesn’t seem to think much of it, but it pulls at Nya’s heart — Lloyd’s been the family baby for so long (he always will be, regardless), and it’s hard to think that he’s actually capable of doing something like growing up. He’s been living on his own, too, so he’s more independent than Nya remembers him. What’s next? A girlfriend?

Nya wrinkles her nose. She can’t imagine Lloyd dating anyone (much less anyone deserving him, at that, but she’s a bit biased).

But Lloyd isn’t the only one to have changed. Pixal looks different too, her hair pulled into a new style today, glimmering little earrings flashing when she moves. She looks like she’s finding out who Pixal is, something Nya had suggested several cups of tea back, and there’s no bittersweet edge in her happiness as she notices that.

“And there’s still no news about your uncle?”

Nya blinks back to the present at Pixal’s question — it’s something she’s been wondering herself.

Lloyd shakes his head. “Nothing,” he says, looking troubled. “I haven’t even heard from my mother yet.”

Nya twists her teacup in her hands, eyebrows furrowing. Misako doesn’t have…a great track record, but she’s at least been steady at letting Lloyd know how and where she is. The radio silence is probably concerning.

“Hey, I’ll keep an eye out for her while I’m traveling, okay?” Nya says, reaching out and briefly squeezing his hand. “I’ll let the guys know, too.”

“Thanks,” Lloyd says, with a weak smile. “Appreciate it.” He glances over at Pixal. “We’ve got the city in the meantime. We’ll make sure it doesn’t burn down while you’re gone, or something.”

“With Kai abroad, I think we’ll have even better chances,” Pixal says with a hint of a smile, and Lloyd snorts.

Nya chews on her lip as she watches them. Lloyd doesn’t just look older, he’s quieter now, too, more subdued. It’s making her heart hurt — and weirdly, making her feel even more protective. Like she needs to stay here for a little longer, keep a closer eye on things, instead of setting out just yet.

Or maybe she’s just tired.

Nya watches him spoon sugar into his cup, and feels a slight flare of relief. At least he’s not totally grown-up.

She glances at her watch, and sighs. Lloyd notices the action, and his face falls a bit. “That time already?”

Nya nods, heart sinking. “I wish I could stay longer,” she says, regretfully. “I mean, there’s another bus I could take this evening, but-“

“Nah, you don’t wanna get stuck in rush hour traffic,” Lloyd says, with all the wisdom of someone who’s spent too much time on the Ninjago streets.

Pixal nods, looking serious. “They’ve closed a few roads for construction, too. You won’t get out for ages.”

“Alright, alright, I see how it is,” Nya grumbles, draining the rest of her tea. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you two get back to running the city already.”

They both burst into protests, and Nya laughs, half-heartedly swatting them away as they embrace her. She lets them hold on for a second longer than usual, though, and perhaps holds on a bit longer herself.

It won’t be that long, she tells herself. Things can’t change that much more any time soon, anyways.

********

It’s a while before they’re able to meet after that, to the point that they almost forget entirely about their late-night tea meet-ups. They spend a good deal of time with each other in the early days of the Resistance of course, plotting against Harumi and Garmadon and trying to piece themselves back together, but they’re far too heartsore for any real conversation, and it’s hard enough getting Lloyd to eat or drink anything during that time.

But they make it through — battered and bruised and slightly worse for wear, but they make it through alive and unbroken. So by the time they’ve made sure all the Sons of Garmadon have been rounded up, and the guys have talked themselves into what’s probably much-needed sleep (Nya hasn’t seen Kai with dark circles that bad in ages), their spirits have picked up enough that they don’t sit in completely depressed and despairing silence at the coffee shop they find that’s miraculously still open amidst the chaos.

They do, however, spend a good few minutes sitting around in utterly exhausted silence, slumped around the battered table.

Nya’s not entirely sure why they’re even here — they haven’t even changed from their Resistance clothes yet, much less slept or showered. And they need it. Nya’s uniform has tearing holes that stretch over her left shoulder and lower arm, and Lloyd’s green uniform is colored black in places where it’s been charred, sporting as many, if not more tears than hers is. Pixal’s armor is dented and dirty, and she’s got her own charred spots from when she crashed the mech into Garmadon.

It’s not like they were trying to escape the recently-returned guys, either — in fact, the only reason they’re not currently with them is because they’re all dead asleep at the moment.

Something, Nya supposes, none of their trio really want to do at the moment.

Lloyd finally stirs, giving a low moan as he stretches, wincing as his shoulder shifts and rubbing briefly at it. Pixal stares into her tea cup as if it holds the answers to the universe, her eyes glassy-looking. Nya herself is about two minutes from face-planting into unconsciousness in her own tea, so she clears her throat, wincing briefly as she speaks up.

“Anyone want food?”

“Mm,” Lloyd hums absently. Pixal shrugs.

Nya tries again. “I was thinkin’ noodles.”

Lloyd gives a loud, sudden snort of laughter, closing his eyes and rubbing his hands over them. “Anything. Anything other than noodles.”

Pixal looks up, less groggy as she smiles ruefully. “I think we’ve had enough of those to last us a lifetime,” she says.

“We’re probably indebted to Skylor for a lifetime,” Lloyd mutters into his hands.

“Nah, those were all on the house,” Nya says. “We can put it on Garmadon’s tab if we want, though.”

Nya wants to bite the words back as soon as they escape her mouth. Bringing up Garmadon is exactly what she’d reminded herself not to do, an error matched only by mentioning Harumi.

Lloyd just lowers his hands though, shaking his head wryly. “Maybe,” he says, quietly. Pixal trades a look with Nya as he goes quiet, and Nya is considering changing the subject to something drastically different when Lloyd speaks up again.

“I think he only eats souls of the innocent right now, though.”

Nya gives a loud snort as Pixal breaks into quiet giggles. Lloyd just grins, an exhausted, weary grin, but one of the more genuine ones Nya’s seen in the last month.

Nya cuts her laughter off just as she feels it turning hysterical, threatening to turn into tears, and Pixal’s dies off soon after. They fall back into silence, but it’s more companionable this time, less horribly tired.

“Thanks,” Lloyd suddenly whispers. Pixal looks up at him, but neither of them really need to ask what for.

“For everything,” he continues, after the beat of silence. “I owe you guys.”

“We only did what you do for us,” Nya says. “Besides, we gotta stick together, us three.”

“That’s what family does,” Pixal adds, and Lloyd gives her a smile that’s only slightly edged in pain.

Their conversation dwindles off again, leaving only the sounds of people crowding the streets outside, sirens and construction and large trucks moving by. The sounds of life are loud in comparison to the unnatural, terrified quiet of the last few weeks, but they blur into a comforting sort of white noise with the soft piano music of the shop. Nya feels her eyes drift shut, bone-deep exhaustion leaving her feeling almost weightless.

“Hey,” Lloyd suddenly says. “D’you think I can still get my car back?”

Nya blinks up at him, opening her mouth then closing it. Pixal frowns, tilting her head.

“Did you get a parking pass?” she says. “I heard they’re strict about that at Kryptarium.”

Lloyd’s the first to give in, bursting into infectious giggles, so terrible as the joke is Nya follows right after, her loud laughter joining Pixal’s. It’s laughter edged in exhausted hysteria and the suppressed emotions of the past weeks, and this time Nya does let a few tears fall, but-

It’s real laughter, the kind that reminds Nya that they’ve won, and that gives the shop a pretty high spot on their list from that alone.

The tea’s not half-bad, either.

[hypmicreload]

chapter three

written by: Beenz

edited by: Miki

word count: 1593

previous part - next part

“Sorry we’re late!” Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, a few seconds later the two first-year high schoolers appeared at the bottom of the staircase in the hideout. The other three, Saikoro, Takeshi, and Hikari, had been sitting around speaking mindlessly on mundane topics. Their attention turned to the two. Nao was catching his breath, breathlessly scolding Ikumi for being too careless on the stairs once more—it was only a matter of time before she fell down them, he swore by it.

Both held two neatly pressed black dresses on hangers, along with white aprons and matching frilly headdresses. Their school bags were slung over one shoulder letting both students have one of their hands open, presumably because the girl of the pair was insistent they always held hands as they walked together.

“School held us in.” Nao explained with one final huff and set his things down in the corner.

“It’s no problem,” Saikoro waved his hand back and forth easily, eyeing up the matching dresses and raising an eyebrow. Then flashing a grin to his younger brother. “Can I ask?”

“No—!” He protested quickly, sticking his tongue out at his brother. “It’s none of your business!”

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by his usual overly excited friend.

“We’re running a maid cafe!” Ikumi held her dress up to show it off to the group. “Our class is doing it for the school festival! We’re gonna make cakes and stuff!”

Saikoro snickered, clapping his hands together. “Uwah! That’s so much fun! I’m surprised to see Nao so willing to participate...” He stood up, ready to taunt his sibling in every way possible.

“Didn’t you say before? ‘School festivals are stupid!’” Carelessly he threw his arm over his shoulder and messed up his soft brown hair.

“It’s for a girl, yeah? That's the only way you’d join! You’re tryna impress someone!”

“What!?” Nao almost choked as he gasped, however his eyes darted to the direction of someone, then back quickly to his brother. Nao broke away from Saikoro’s annoying hug and tried to cover his cheeks, which are now tinted the brightest shade of red.

“It’s not that at all! I-I don’t like anyone! I just wanted to wear the dress!”

As fate would have it, Nao was once more called out.

“Yukkun totally has a crush! I see him doodling hearts in his notebook all the time!” Ikumi doomed him with her comment, poking at his red face happily.

“He covers it up so I can never read the initials! But I’m gonna find out soon!”

“Oh, that's so sweet! You should tell us about her, Nao.” Hikari added with a soft giggle, laying her hand over her heart. “Young love is so precious.”

“It’s no one!” His voice threatened to break, the tone laced with begging. “Can we please drop this!?”

Hikari (his savior) stood up to intervene, thinking of a quick way to change the subject. “Alright, alright!” She paused for a moment, humming as she did so.

“What day is it? The festival? We should all go!”

The two teens looked to her, their expressions lighting up, Ikumi seemed to look the happiest about the comment. “You really wanna come, Hikarin?!”

“Of course! It sounds fun!”

Not even stopping to breathe, Ikumi rushed her words out, reciting all the details at once without a second thought.

“It’s in a month from today! It goes all day too, so you can come at any time! We’ll save a good cake for you. You two as well!” She turned to Saikoro and Takeshi, who both grinned and held a thumbs up.

“Sounds great!” Hikari mused, petting the now-out-of-breath girls back. “I promise we’ll all be there.”

“Then,” Saikoro clapped his hands. “With that settled, shall we start our meeting?”

In unison, everyone nodded, determined to start their usual training.

~

“That’ll hurt in the morning for sure...” Hikari grumbled, rubbing her arm as she flopped down on one of the couches along with everyone else.

As always, training was merciless.

Having been the only one with experience in rap, Ikumi was appointed the role of “coach” towards the others and though they had been together for a short time, she felt everyone was making stable progress. At least from what she had observed.

For beginners, they picked up on the concept of flow quickly and had begun to develop a style for themselves. It was impressive for starters, and further confirmed the idea that they really were the best—brought together only by fate!

However, they didn't come without faults, and for that reason, she had gotten into the habit of being stern in her training.

To her, sparing was the only way to get the results they wanted. The others agreed of course, it seemed like a good idea. Battling each other would give them a chance to get a feel for their own mics and to get used to the feeling of taking hits in a safe area… but none of them seemed to think that their self-appointed coach didn’t want to hold back.

And that was a mistake, really.

“You all did super good today.” Ikumi hummed, by this point, she was the only one who didn’t look completely exhausted. By some miracle, she was standing straight with barely a hair out of place.

Traditions formed fast in the group and as per tradition, to congratulate them, she reached into her bag and took out four packets of melon bread and tossed one to each of her friends.

“Koro is right, I think we’re ready!”

Nao tore into the bread quickly, taking a mouthful and swallowing it down within a matter of seconds.

He looked up towards her then to his brother and quirked an eyebrow. “Ready for what exactly?”

Saikoro was too focused on his own snack to respond, taking much smaller bites and covering his mouth with his hand delicately as he chewed in an attempt to always look cute.

“Oh! He asked me to get us a spot in the next underground battle.” Ikumi spoke up, setting herself down on the armrest next to Hikari.

“We’ll be fighting against this one team, I think they’re called Orizon? They’re pretty weak and they haven’t placed before so I think we can beat them easily—”

“W-Wait, we’re actually going to battle?” Hikari paled, looking at the microphone sitting in her lap, hesitation settling into the pit of her stomach.

“I-I mean I knew we were going to, but… now? Are we really ready for that?”

Nao nodded along as Hikari spoke. “Yeah… going against other people is great and all but we’ve only ever fought each other…”

With a reassuring smile, Saikoro put the worries of the other two at ease. “We can do it for sure! We have each other's backs! Plus, how can we know if we’re ready to fight other people unless we actually fight other people?”  

The proposal made sense to an extent and seemed to encourage the weary gang easily—all except Nao who still seemed hesitant. Saikoro bit into the bread he was gifted and tossed his arm over his brother.

“No need to be nervous! If we lose, it’s no big deal either.”

“Not that we’re gonna!” Ikumi insisted, grinning as wide as ever “Right, guys?”

The expression on Naos face turned more worried, but he nodded along with the others who began to chat happily amongst themselves. All anxieties transforming into excitement.

~

After the practice, Saikoro left with the two girls.

Being out past curfew was dangerous and he knew the backroads well enough so he could easily sneak them back into their own divisions.

As for Takeshi and Nao, they stayed behind.

Nao didn’t like being in the car with his brother (who would always swear to be a good driver) and Takeshi had decided their little hideaway was a good location to study, it was quiet and away from any distractions—aside from Nao’s nervous expression that remained as he looked through meaningless images on his phone.

“Is everything alright, Nao?” He looked up from his books, keeping his finger in the place he was reading so he wouldn’t lose his spot.

“Ah—” He looked up from his phone, nodding quickly. “Of course, yeah, everything’s fine… I’m just a bit…”

“Nervous? There's no need to be. In the battle, those who lose are just as gallant as those who succeed! In fact, being in battle in of itself is a triumph—”

“It’s not that.” Nao laughed, enjoying Takeshi’s idea of a pep talk nonetheless.

“I don’t mind if we win or lose, we’re new to this whole thing and we’re still learning, but…” He shook his head. “I just know that some of us aren’t as good at… dealing with failure.” Nao rubbed the back of his neck, looking towards the roof which had a small crack running along it. His eyes followed the path it created absentmindedly. “It’s nothing to worry about though, I’m sure, she’s probably grown out of it anyway.”

“If you insist.” Takeshi nodded and turned his attention back to his book, never the kind to pry or nag someone to talk.

“Yeah… she’ll be fine. Then,” Nao stood up, picking up his school bag and the black dress as he did so. He turned on his heels and made his way to the bottom of the staircase before glancing back at Takeshi, his expression shifting into a plain smile and a simple wave.

“See you later.”

“Mm.”

[maychorian]

Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #30

Officially no longer a youngster. Get a job and get out of your parents’ basement, “weekly” rec list, for pete’s sake. Get it together.

Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

A Lonely Mind by Bandity Words:  11,292 (WIP 1/2) Author’s Summary:  Lance struggles with depression, choosing to hide his problems, he starts down a dangerous road alone. My Comments: I think I kinda freaked the author by leaving a RIDICULOUSLY long comment on this one. Go read that for my expanded thoughts. But yeah, fave of the list. You remember that post going around not long ago about how healing pods are scary? This fic takes that concept in a FABULOUS direction, and I love it to death.

Starve the Ego, Feed the Soul by Agapostemon Words: 1,595 Author's Summary: “So you want me to spy for you,” Keith observes blandly. “Exactly!” Hunk nods, “Oh, and keep an eye out for food stashes. I wanna know where all my ingredients are going. ”Keith sighs, “Fine, whatever. I’ll spy for you. But only because he’s my brother and I care about him.” My Comments: Really sweet and heart-achey exploration of Keith and Shiro’s relationship, through the scenario of Shiro hoarding food in his room.

Pizza, Pasta and some comfort by SerenePhenix Words: 4,405 Author's Summary: I love taylor_tut’s sickfics to death but the one that really stuck with me was the one about the college AU where Lance appeared on the gang’s doorstep and they all were like “let’s take care of this sick stranger”.I really couldn’t help myself… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Getting Lance to stop before he can collapse Shiro wonders what can be done to help the poor guy. Besides making sure that his temperature doesn't go through the roof... My Comments: Not long ago, I recced “The Pizza One” as my favorite taylor_tut fic, and here’s a nice long sequel! I love it almost as much as everyone in the fic loves Lance.

Food for Thought by WildWolf25 Words: 9,094 Author's Summary: After a very uncomfortable breakfast his first morning in the Castle of Lions, Ulaz learns that Galra and Earthlings (and Alteans) have some very prominent cultural differences, specifically relating to food. Once they get some misunderstandings cleared up, though, Lance gets a certain idea... My Comments: Crack alert! This is delightful. Gen, but technically NSFW for...reasons. Just read it, if you’re of age.

Stretch the Day by Stratagem Words: 886 Author's Summary: Lance and Hunk hang out with their siblings at a lake and have a nice day where nothing bad happens. Really! My Comments: I’m actually reccing every fic in this series, Voltron Space Family, this one just happened to come up first in my AO3 history because I read it the most recently. But yeah, you should consume everything. This author is SUPER good at child mannerisms, as well character interaction and feels. There’s a story where Shiro is rescued after the end of Season 2 by a misfit band of space pirates including one Matt Holt, and another where the Galra kidnap Lance and Hunk’s siblings, which is heart-rending. Very, very good stuff. I’ll be following this author with eager anticipation.

Distance by nawsies Words: 1,381 Author's Summary: Pidge misses her Mum so much and most of the time she refuses to think about it, Lance is in the right place at the right time and wants to help his friend (he helps). My Comments: Sweet, achey, homesick Lance and Pidge. Beautiful little fic.

Mermaid Rescue and Rehab Inc. by isabeau25 Words: 1,064 Author's Summary: Sadly, this isn’t the strangest phone call Pidge has ever gotten from Lance. The mermaid is new though. My Comments: MERBABY SHIRO RESCUED BY THE GARRISON TRIO. If that doesn’t make you want to read it I don’t know what will. Just go. It’s great.

Voltron Hug Collection by hufflepirate Words: 12,761 Author's Summary: 15 microfics, minifics, or oneshots featuring Voltron hugs. These were written based on tumblr prompts (plus 2) and to get me through finals week. Every chapter involves at least one hug, all hugs are platonic, and chapter titles will tell you the people involved and some idea of the plot or prompt, so keep an eye out for those. My Comments: I’ve been reblogging these fics in their tumblr post form, because they are all amazing, but if you missed any, here they are all handily collected for your convenience! I intend to comment on every single chapter, just haven’t gotten to it yet.

Lionhearted by Pidgeon_Online Words: 9,539 Author's Summary: It's a struggle for everyone. They're struggling to stay afloat in the sea of stress and anxiety.And Pidge accidentally tipped the boat.or Pidge gets sick and everyone helps while trying to juggle their own problems. My Comments: Sick Pidge with bonus angsty Lance and supportive everyone else. A pleasure to read. One Day at a Time by dem_hips Words: 2,818 Author's Summary: Being away from home at school is a little different from being away from home defending the universe, as it turns out. My Comments: Kind, supportive Garrison Trio. They’re all so very far away from home. Another fic where Pidge and Lance level up their friendship. I love it.

Caught in the Rain by WildWolf25 Words: 3,611 Author's Summary: “Hi, um, do you need help with your… robot car?”Pidge looked up to find a man looking down in bemusement at them. His black hair was cropped close to his head, shorter at the undercut and only slightly longer on top, save for a white-dyed tuft that fell over his forehead. “It’s a rendition of the Mars Rover, but ‘robot car’ works too.” Pidge said. “And I’m okay, I just need to dry it off. My teammates are delayed, so I just need somewhere out of the rain to wait for them. Sorry about using your awning.” (While waiting for their robotics club members, Pidge gets caught in the rain and takes refuge in the lobby of an onsen, where they meet Shiro) My Comments: This is such a warm, gentle, relaxing fic, much like I imagine an onsen visit to be. Love this modern version of Pidge and Shiro, with Lance being a disaster and Hunk being a suspicious mechanic, as it should be.

Heathens by TheCookieMonster77 Words: 8,785 Author's Summary: "You…"Keith looked completely bewildered and lost at Lance's outburst and Lance thought that that was probably the worst part of all of this. The heathen didn't even realize his error.Keith's face looked startlingly close to a kicked puppy. "What did I do?""I- You-" Lance let out a muffled shriek shout of irritation. "You," he growled, jaw clenched and teeth grinding, "just asked for pineapple. On pizza."What. An. Out. Rage.Keith blinked. "...Yes?"Hunk is an amazing angel (like always) who figured out how to make space pizza. Lance was ready to sing his praises to the universe, but then his teammates have to go ruin everything by insisting on pineapple pizza.Heathens. My Comments: Very fun and funny fic! I loved everyone’s different reactions.

A (Space) Mother's Work is Never Done by BajillionKittens Words: 2,851 (WIP 3/?) Author's Summary: A Mother's Day celebration for the team mom. Six times Coran took care of his kids and one time they returned the favor. My Comments: SO CUTE. I love the way Coran takes care of all of these children he’s suddenly stuck with. The different scenarios are all very good and fitting, and I’m looking forward to more.

Little Drops of Poison by Saereneth for BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 2,607 Author's Summary: Shiro had been trying to catch up to them, clawing his way through years of separation just to feel like he was part of them once more, but sometimes it was just too much, and he had to excuse himself for a while so he could come to grips with everything he’d missed. My Comments: @bosstoaster‘s Ten Years On AU bothers me on a very visceral level that I have trouble articulating, but this little exploration in the sandbox is lovely. I love Pidge unable to stick with her original concept and expanding into thing she finds interesting or just pretty, and the way Lance notices Shiro spiraling and subtly grounds him without being flashy is really lovely characterization. Very believable development of both of them, and Shiro is heartbreaking as always, but everyone’s going to take care of him.

Be Water, My Friend by xLoLix Words: 8,531 Author's Summary: So there are the quieter moments between missions, between exciting events, between the moments that matter. (The real secret are that those are the moments that matter the most.)Here are some moments between the paladins, starring Lance.Or; I air out some of my general grievances and de-stress from school by writing a fic about my favourite character. My Comments: Really lovely exploration of Lance and his relationships. I enjoyed it.

Finding Family by squirenonny Words: 17,214 Author's Summary: A collection of drabbles that don't fit neatly into the main Duality plotline. Most can be read independently of the main story, though each entry contains a note on where it fits in the timeline.Written based on prompts from readers. My Comments: Some mild Klance and Shatt. Every single of one of these is delightful. You should just read everything this author writes. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Previously Recced Fics That Updated:

As Color Fades Away by IcyPanther Truce by kyanve The Times They Remembered Pidge Was a Girl by MagmaWrites The Color Of Our Planet From Far Far Away by LonelyGirlInSpace Someplace Like Home by squirenonny  (THE GANG IS BACK TOGETHER) Secret of the Blood by exclamation (now complete) Garrison Days by castlestormed Towards The Sun by Eastofthemoon The Machinations of Perception by HapaxLegomenon Must Surely Be Learning by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) (now complete) The Garden of Heaven by Genesister (papirini)  (now complete) Love and Other Questions by squirenonny The Size Of Our Actions by buttered_onions Scattered by avidbeader A Dream Away by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Stardust, Silk and Steel by CalicoTomcat Shifting Sands by Cardigan_Quincy

[ripstocking]

New York City: Artist Scott Ewalt’s life-long passion for burlesque is unparalleled. It inspires his art, has guided his career, and has lead to many friendships, but it’s perhaps most apparent in the spectacular interior of his East Village apartment. In 2000, when Giuliani’s mission was to clean up Times Square, Scott’s mission was to save as much of it as he could possibly store. His one-of-a-kind collection celebrates the trailblazing performers and venues of New York City’s legendary burlesque scene. In his own work Scott continues this obsession, blurring the lines between collector, historian, and visual artist. His last show at Participant Inc. was a grand installation that mixed theatre signage, wallpaper, and memorabilia. The star pieces were his depictions of gangs of seductive devils roaming through intricately detailed cityscapes of Time Square at the height of it’s sleazy chaotic glory; a decadent zone where all pleasure is encouraged. Talking with Scott is a brilliant web. His back-stories have back-stories. He’s obsessed with the origin of ideas. As he speaks he connects lines through history in order to explain where concepts in fashion, art, music, and culture began. His militancy about this has made him a leading expert in downtown subculture, some of which he’s lived first hand, playing a leading role in what are some of the city’s best moments. Scott’s fairy tale introduction to New York began with being discovered by Thierry Mugler while still an architecture student at Princeton. He became Mugler’s muse for his iconic Vampire collection, starting a collaborative friendship, and long wild ride through the height of the acclaimed designer’s dominance in fashion. Let’s start with Betty Boop. Was she your first introduction to burlesque? Probably. I was a big fan of Max Fleischer cartoons. He created her, Felix the Cat, and Popeye. I had a special interest in him because my great aunt was his nurse. Why were you so fascinated? I read that when Betty Boop danced, every tenth frame she would be nude. You can only see it if you stop and actually look at the individual frames. That made Max my hero. So, that I love strippers so much now makes perfect sense. Also, in the early cartoons, the backdrop for Popeye was always the Bowery, and I thought, ‘That looks great. I wanna live there’. How did you end up getting this apartment? The worst possible way. I was close friends with Luciana Martinez de la Rosa. I helped her move in here. She was only in the apartment for eight hours and she caught spontaneous meningitis and basically exploded. She had the boy in the bubble disease, but before they had even discovered it. Had they diagnosed it she would have had to live her whole life in germ free seclusion but instead she had this insane career as a Carnaby St. DJ, glam rock muse (Roxy Music), punk rock muse (Vivienne Westwood), and then she was the queen of the Blitz. As much as I miss her, out of everyone I’ve ever known she crammed the most into the fewest years. Yikes, how strange. Luciana was a painter. I know she would have been happy that a friend and fellow artist took the space. Yeah, so that’s the story. What was it like when you moved in? It really was the encyclopaedia of CBGB’s. You’d go to the deli and you’d see Suicide or two of the Ramones, and on the other corner, Gerard Malanga Lenny Kaye lived next door so Patti Smith was always around. And all the old beatniks like John Giorno, Robert Frank, who I’d see hanging out with that Broadway legend Uta Hagen. Almost anyone that wasn’t a bum was someone quite celebrated. I was in hog heaven and then all of a sudden it felt almost like someone unplugged a drain and all my heroes slipped through it. Everyone that made it special for me got pushed out. But you stayed? Well, in 2000 the building went up for sale for a ridiculously low price. Today I would get something the size of this bed for that amount of money I paid. So the other tenants and I pulled together to buy the place. We knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, plus I’d already collected all this burlesque signage and there was no way I’d be able to put this puzzle back together anywhere else. So, I decided to bite the bullet. I did everything I could, sold things, ran credit cards to the limit and borrowed. Even Thierry Mugler lent me money to close. I just barely made it. Once it was yours did you renovate? We had to. That’s when we found all the goodies. When we opened the walls they were stuffed with human hair because the top floor used to be a wig factory and when they would sweep the left over hair from the wigs would get trapped in the walls. Eventually it filled up the entire negative space of the whole building. It insulated great but at the same time it was kind of horrifying. And isn’t this place also rumoured to be the notorious Suicide bar? There was some debate about whether it was across the street or here. But when we excavated we found bottles of benzene which they used to make the cocktail so… Can you explain the bar? In the 1870s they served the Suicide cocktail, which was benzene, cocaine and rum, and it was served to prostitutes. One would make you high, and two would kill you. A lot of women would drink two and then jump out the windows… Dark… Let’s talk burlesque. At what point did you start collecting stuff? The first time I visited New York I stayed in Times Square and I was completely blown away. It was at its Koch-era peak of sleazy broken-down-ness. Everything was a hostess house, there was still taxi-dancing, and porno theatres that people lived in. I even saw a topless shoeshine booth. It was the Wild Wild West but in the middle of the city. And it was all based around Burlesque? Yeah, the girls didn’t have pimps. The majority of them weren’t even sex workers. I became fascinated with them. They didn’t sing or have a band but they were like: I’m starring in a show and that show is just ME! That takes such confidence. I have a lot of admiration for those performers because I wouldn’t be able to do it if my life depended on it. Do you remember buying your first piece of memorabilia? Around 1987 I became friends with Paula Klaw. She’s know for beating Betty Page with a hairbrush in all those famous pictures. She and her brother ran the notorious Movie Star News. They made those iconic Klaw movies with Paige, Tempest Storm and Blaze Starr. I started buying photographs from them. Paula saw I was hooked and said, ‘You know I have an actual Tease-o-Rama poster from 1955, do you want that?’ I told her I would kill to have it. She sold it to me for six dollars. Today it’s worth something stupid like $6000. That was my first piece of burlesque memorabilia and I still have it in the other room. How did you jump from that to signage? Giuliani started ‘cleaning up’ Time Square and with the space I have in this apartment I finally had the room to store stuff, so I made friends with all the Greek women that ran all these theatres. I told them, ‘I’m on your side, Giuliani sucks and I think your business is fantastic, so if you are ever in a position where you want all of this excellent stuff to go to a great home where it will always be preserved and eventually end up in a museum, then call me and I’ll pay you good money for it’. One by one they all called and that’s how I got everything. I also would go down to the south side of 42nd street and go to all the construction and… Pull stuff out of the trash? No. I would ask for whoever was supervising the demolition. And it was, you know, a construction guy that would always ask, ‘Why do you want this crap?’ And I’d say, ‘You’re just throwing it out, but I’ll offer you 50 bucks for it’. The next thing you know I had a team of construction scouts that would call me whenever they thought I might like something. I heard your collection has the oldest male strip club sign in New York. I think it’s the oldest in America period. (He points to the sign to right of his bed) That is the first outdoor sign that advertised showing all male films. They used to show Vapors by Andy Milligan at the Eros Theatre. That movie kept people coming to the theatre for fifteen years because a guy takes his towel off and goes off screen and you could see his blurry cock for like three tenths of a second. So, obviously when you put this house together it was about showcasing your collection. It was my therapeutic way of dealing with Giuliani. I thought if he is going to remove this amazing world from our city then I’m gonna make my own Time Square and sleep in the middle of it. Plus, I think it’s sexy. As I get older it may get creepy, but right now I still find it very sexy. I love that you collect both the male and female history of burlesque. It’s post-gay. My gender politics have always been that I like everyone. Gender equality for strippers? Exactly. I have definitely seen just as many of both. I like the exaggeration no matter what sex it is. They never look the same in real life as they do under a pink and blue light with music and costume. It’s a living illusion. Were you recently inducted into the Las Vegas Burlesque Hall of Fame? No, I was honoured with what they call a ‘Sassy Lassy’ award for outstanding contribution to the world of burlesque, and for my work helping the ladies figure out what the original soundtracks to their acts were. Some of them only had a memory of what they used to dance to. A lot of them hadn’t performed in over 30 years. It was a perfect symbiotic relationship, I got an inside track on the true history and they would get their act back together and a new friend. How did they feel about the Museum? Some of them, especially the ones that got married and found God, had guilt about their life in burlesque. The nicest thing about the Burlesque Hall of Fame is that it alleviated their shame and made them realise they were important sexual revolutionaries. Out of all the ladies you worked with who was your favourite? My favourite strippers of all time: Are Zorita, Kitten Natividad, Lilly Christine, Marinka, Liz Renay and Tempest Storm. Thanks to John Waters, Liz Renay and I struck up a friendship long before I started working with the museum. We were close for about fifteen years until she past away in 2007. She was like Debbie Harry and Mae West all at once, and super sexual. Up until she died she scheduled three dates everyday. She told me once that she was truly blessed because she never walked into a room where she wasn’t the most beautiful woman. I’m sure it was true. I met Tempest Storm through the Hall of Fame. That was a big moment for me. She did not disappoint. How old was she when you met? 80. She still looked absolutely unbelievable. She’s a real spitfire too. The ones with the names like Tempest and Satana have intensely strong personalities, and the ones with the softer names like Kitten really are the sweeter ones. They’re like comic book characters. They completely live up to their character’s names. Do they also honour male performers? Not yet. Male burlesque has been going on just as long as female burlesque but being a male stripper is even less socially understood. Not only are you a sex worker but you’re a sex worker based on a female profession. There’s double guilt so the history has been pushed underground. Many of the famous male performers still won’t talk about it. Is that something you try to correct in your own artwork? I have been working on the same series of images forever. I started off wanting to document what Time Square looked like. I didn’t want them to look like Edward Hoppers or nostalgic ‘70s photo-realistic paintings, because the whole thing about Times Square that made it magical for me was the confusion and chaos and the constant overlapping of pop culture. I needed something to inhabit these cityscapes and I decided the only logical occupant would be devil versions of the male strippers that I hire to work my night at The Cock. Obviously. So you combined all your loves? Yeah, that’s what I think art is about. It’s like a potion. You put in all the ingredients that you love in order to get what you want. I shopped the show around for years and got practically laughed out of town. Then, thanks to encouragement from Charles Atlas and Kembra Phafler, Lia Gangitano from Participant offered me the show last spring. It was super fun. I got to do everything I wanted to do. The press release mentioned ‘psychotronia’.What’s that? It’s the more exaggerated version of pop culture. If Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were the norm, then Jayne Mansfield and Liz Renay were psychotronia. It’s this whole attitude of life where everything is completely turned to eleven. The violence is ridiculously violent and the sex is ridiculously ridiculous and all the people that made the movies were incredible hustlers. The most successful psychotronic filmmakers were Russ Meyer and Roger Corman. For me psychotronic movies were actually closer to reality than what Hollywood was doing, trying to imitate reality. I’ve always loved this definition of camp: the lie that tells the truth. That is what psychotronia is. I never heard that definition. I love it… OK, one last topic. Is it true that you were one of Thierry Mugler’s muses? Hmm... Well. He heard about me form a mutual friend. When he approached me he said, ‘You’re the person I’ve been looking for this vampire collection I’m about to do. I heard you study architecture and you’re clearly a vampire’. (Laughs). He liked the way I cut my hair at the time because it was cut to a point and completely flat, when everybody else had their hair moussed as high as they cold get it. My group of friends were all going against that. We had flat hair-dos and were working outfits with unadorned silhouettes, basically black body stockings. He became fascinated with all of us. I was still in school at Princeton and he started sending me sketches of ideas for the vampire collection and invited me to come to Paris and model in the show with Jerry Hall. Wow. A New York City fairy tale! At the time I was a wallflower. I never considered myself good looking at all. He was the first person to say, ‘I love the way you look and that you go to this prestigious school and you’re a swimmer’. All the things I thought were social spurs he thought were super great. When we finally hung out I knew all of his references and he knew everything about everything. I fell completely under his spell. If he wanted to see a certain colour of red, he would take a Concorde to China and go see a parade. In that period he was really, really strong and his fragrance made him incredibly wealthy. From ’88 to ’98, he had his finger on the pulse more than anyone else in fashion. Why was he coming to New York so much? He was bored with the aesthetic repetition of Paris. At that point his entire social life was seated dinners with half men and half women and everyone dressed in Mugler, telling him, ‘Yes, you’re the greatest’. He needed to shake things up and find new inspiration, and he found us. We were all wild kids that lived ‘pedal to the metal’. It was really exciting because he took all of our suggestions seriously and could really make anything happen. He would ask, ‘Who’s really making a wave in pop-culture right now?’ And I’d tell him, ‘Everyone is in love with Traci Lords and Crybaby and the next thing you know, Traci Lords was on the runway. I was about 22 and he was 40. It was funny, we used to take a limousine that was a block long to Boy Bar. For a while, his New York family actually equalled his Paris court. Did he dress in his own clothes? He actually was the caricature of the Mugler man. I always felt that I could be brutally honest with him because I had nothing to lose. He once showed me a couple of the tapes from his shows so I told him, ‘The only thing that’s not incredibly excellent is the music’. At that time, fashion show soundtracks were either disco or classical. Those were our two options. Maybe, jazz if you were really feeling wild… (Laughs). So he said, ‘OK, you want to take the challenge. Here are the different themes for my next show’. So in ‘91 he invited me to Paris and we did a burlesque themed show starring Diana Ross, and everyone thought that it was the most revolting thing that they had ever seen in their entire life. Were you fired? No, it became the beginning of a new era for him. His Vampire and Atlantis collections had both done amazingly well. And by the third time we collaborated he was comfortable with my perspective and let me include all these odd bits of music. Some of my choices then, I would never dare do today. Like when in 1991 when I played Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n’ Roses as the woman that was about to become the First Lady of France walked the run way. At another show I used all this super racist, Chinese music from the ‘50s because the theme was ‘Hong Kong Honky Tonk’. Are you still friends? You said he loaned you money. He’s always been super, super generous with me and he’s just always been the most amazing guy, but unfortunately, when he became Manfred Mugler he started to pull away from most of us. That’s too bad. So now you know nothing about the apartment and everything about me. Perfect. As a nightlife veteran do you have any parting wisdom for the new kids? My advice for living in New York is to keep your overhead low. Also, this city is an endurance test. If you don’t pace yourself you’ll burn out. That elasticity that you have when you’re in your 20s really ends. After that you have to have six drinks instead of 20, and if you’re gonna do drugs, do them once a month. You have to realise your health and your time are extremely important.