#defunct coasters

[hyper-coasters]

She will be missed. <3

[tacoma-narrows]

Currently 1am and feeling sad abt wanting to get back on some coasters I haven't ridden in a rlly long time but can't bc they're now defunct </3

Shown here are some of my defunct credits - High Speed Thrill Coaster at Knoebels, closed in 2008 [image credit] - Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion, closed in 2019 [my photo] - Vortex at Kings Island, closed in 2019 [my photo] - Thunder Road at Carowinds, closed in 2015 [image credit]coaster

[thelegendofmrrager]

Ngl I forgor you could just read about theme park accidents... so guess what I'm doing now 😎

That was like, top ten past times as a kid once I found out wikipedia existed. The world is your oyster.

[secretmellowblog]

Okay, here are some random panels I’m personally looking forward to at the online Les mis convention Barricadescon starting tomorrow!! (note that this off the top of my head, and they’re in no particular order, and that I am excited for all of em.)

(Also note that it’s the last day to register, which you can do on their site here. You can also see the full program of all the panels/their descriptions here.)

1. I’ll say any of the Guests of Honor (Jean Baptiste Hugo, the descendant of Hugo will be talking about his project photographing his ancestor’s house; Christina Soontornvat, author of the award-winning Les Mis retelling “A Wish in the Dark;” and Luciano Muriel, playwright of a 2018 play about Grantaire.)

2. @psalm22-6 ‘s panel “Early Transformative Works,” which is about the earliest Les Mis retellings, parodies, and “fanfics” from the 1800s/early 20th century. They’ve shared deeply cursed sneak peeks with me. Apparently in 1863 a man wrote a “proper Christian” retelling of Les Mis where Javert is reimagined as a proper Christian woman following poor criminals around giving them charity while they keep rejecting her kindness. Powerful. Javert as Mary Sue. (Note that I may be explaining poorly because I haven’t seen the panel yet.

3. History podcaster David Montgomery’s panel “The Yellow Passport: Surveillance and Control in 19th Century France,” which dives into the role of the police and strategies of government surveillance at the time Les Mis is set!

4. My own panel “Why Is There a Roller Coaster in Les Mis,” which I shared the first five minutes of here. There’s an actual scene in Les Mis where Fantine rides a roller coaster so I made a full defunctland video on how that roller coaster got to Paris in 1817, the fascinating historical context behind early roller coasters, and why it became defunct.

5. @thecandlesticksfromlesmis ‘s panel “Beat for Beat,” analyzing the script of Les Mis 2012 and contrasting it with the book and musical. Discussion of 2012 is almost overwhelmingly always about its music or cinematography, and I’m fascinated to hear someone finally analyzing the screenplay/ structural changes.

6. Morbidly curious for “Lee’s Miserables,” the academic panel discussing the paradoxical popularity of a censored version Les Mis in the Confederate South (with all the references to the evils of slavery carefully removed of course)

7. “Barricades as a Tactic,” a panel discussing how barricades actually functioned as a tool of warfare historically and the echoes of them in the modern day.

8. All the little social meetups, including the Preliminary Gaieties drinking game!

9. I’m biased because I’m also helping present this one, but the @lesmisletters panel (on the Dracula-daily inspired Les Mis readalong happening now.)

10. “The Fallibility of History in Les Miserables,” by @syrupsyche. It’s a panel analyzing the way Hugo often treats Les mis as a story that he learned about through research/gossip, rather than a fictional narrative— analyzing where Hugo does that in the text and what it means thematically.

11. The Unknown Light Examined, by Madeleine— a panel analyzing the chapter where the Bishop confronts the elderly revolutionary, and is forced to re examine his political beliefs! An iconic chapter, and the abstract is very compelling.

But also a lot more, check out the exhaustive list here XD. And also register at this link!

[harmonictechnicality]

So for no particular reason other than terminal brainrot, I spent my morning researching if Indiana had any notable theme parks…

Now mostly, they have water parks. Which, okay fine. That’s good to know too. But also, there used to be a theme park in the mid 80s to late 90s that had an entire Renaissance Fair Village as one of its attractions. The whole article and wiki page on this place is super interesting (and tragic), so I highly recommend reading it if you’re as into defunct theme parks as I am.

But I just know that our fantasy-loving metalhead was there opening day in 1983 to fuck up a turkey leg and watch some jousting tournaments. He probably went every weekend and was thrilled to learn the construction plans were to build bigger attractions. Thrill rides. Roller coasters.

That is, until, he found out who the park owner was: the most popular guy at his high school’s father. And as much as Eddie hates the rich and despises Steve Harrington’s undeniable charm…

… He’ll do just about anything for a discount.

[unholyverse]

waterparks // alternative press issue #341

(full article text under cut)

WATERPARKS

THESE POP-PUNK UPSTARTS HAVE CATCHY SONGS, AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE MADDENS AND AN UNIRONIC LOVE FOR HAIR DYE AND FUNKY-COLORED JELL-O. THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT TO PROVE-AND THEY'RE READY TO GET TO WORK.

STORY: EVAN LUCY x PHOTOS: JONATHAN WEINER

Awsten Knight knows what you're thinking: This time last year, his band, Waterparks, were veritable nobodies. You'd probably not heard their two EPs (2012's Airplane Conversations and 2014's Black Light), and the band's SEO was likely so suspect, there's no way a Google search would place the Houston-based trio above their hometown Wet 'n' Wild.

What a difference a trip around the sun. makes. Since late last year, the group scored a record deal with Equal Vision, picked up Good Charlotte's Benji and Joel Madden as their managers, performed at the 2016 APMAS and even graced the cover of AP's Warped Tour issue-all before releasing their first album. Along the way, they've cultivated a passionate (and ever-growing) fanbase, thanks to an irreverent sense of humor, insatiable work ethic and saccharine-sweet pop-rock sound. But as their star has grown, so have the rumors and confusion about just how they ended up on a collision course with success.

"I saw somebody online say, 'Isn't this that industry-plant band? Like we were made by a label or something." Knight remarks from Los Angeles, where he and his bandmates are putting the finishing touches on bonus tracks for their debut full-length, Double Dare, and filming a video for the album's first single, "Stupid For You." "People are always like, "Where'd this band come from? This band blew up overnight! That's really not the case."

Indeed, it's been a grind for Waterparks, who formed back in 2011 and, after years of hustle and hard work, got signed last year after a demo serendipitously ended up in Equal Vision's online submission box. Even today, as Waterparks—Knight, guitarist/vocalist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood-seem to have an indefinite amount of momentum and a limitless future, there's always some humbling experience to remind them the big time is still a few steps away. Look no further than their method of transportation for this summer's Warped Tour: a modified Sprinter van handily equipped with sleeping quarters- but no air conditioning.

"The van didn't have A/C until we got to the North, Knight remembers. "We did Texas and Florida, the whole South, with no A/C. People thought we were in a bus. It'd be like, 'Oh yeah, when you guys go back to your bus…" He laughs. "How can you be egotistical when you're sitting there in a sweaty van going, 'Fucking kill me?'"

Lifestyles of the rich and famous it isn't, but that's fine with Waterparks. They're used to surprising people, whether it's with their origin story or their music. A testament to both their artistic vision and desire not to be pigeonholed as just another pop-punk band, Double Dare sounds like an album made by three men raised in iPod shuffle culture. The album opener "Hawaii (Stay Awake)" skews toward more standard pop-punk fare (a sound that definitely provides a backbone for the 12 tracks that follow), but the band are quick to add bits of pop, electronica and (surprisingly) hip- hop to the melting pot, leaving Double Dare feeling instantly reminiscent, yet wildly unpredictable. There's the unabashed pop charm of "Take Her To The Moon," a DeLorean ride back to the scene's neon days that's awash in glassy synths; the biting "Little Violence," which takes aim at "fake-ass band guys," along with the now-defunct site AbsolutePunk; "Stupid For You," a roller coaster of vocal runs mixed with razor-sharp hooks; and the jittery "Dizzy," which combines mile-a-minute rapped verses with a towering half-time chorus.

Knight, a textbook over-writer, wrote and demoed more than 40 songs for the album, which the group whittled down to the 17 or so they actually tracked in Los Angeles with producers Courtney Ballard and Benji Madden. What makes Double Dare such an engaging listen is not just the songwriting, but the way Waterparks dress it up. Throughout the album, Knight's voice serves almost as a third guitar, cutting in and out and swirling around the mix to give things added depth and a secret sonic weapon their peers lack.

"Listen to Kesha," Knight implores. "People have heard a lead guitar a billion times-no one gives a shit about a sick guitar lead. What's going to sound sonically cooler to the average human: a lead guitar- which people have been hearing for the longest time- or the literally unlimited sounds I can cut my voice up into and make it [serve the same purpose]? It just sounds cooler."

As a teenager, Knight studied raps by the likes of Busta Rhymes and Ludacris (he even performed a cover of Fergie's "Fergalicious" at an early show), and he thinks it would be "sweet" to be in a boy band. "You have to stand out, otherwise there's nothing interesting about what you're doing," he explains. "We've always tried to do different shit. A lot of our songs are a pop-driven thing, but it's a band. Girl-pop, to me, is the best genre [in music]. Even if you don't speak English and you hear a Kesha song or a Katy Perry song, it's going to sound so good. The melody is everything: It sounds so happy. Put those songs next to whatever progressive metal band and their fucking guitar sweeps. That's the difference between being a band people like and being a musician's band. [Adopts nerdy voice] 'Oh, that time signature change, blah blah! No one gives a shit except nerdy dudes, and nerdy dudes aren't going to buy your record, anyway. I want to make shit my little sister and her friends would be into."

If Knight is that unabashedly honest about his musical intentions, the words he writes take it a step further. At its core, Double Dare is the antithesis to the public image Waterparks have cultivated over the years. From their irreverent music videos to any number of off- the-rails interviews (including some from this summer's Warped Tour where Knight donned a wedding veil), the band's public persona is that of perpetual Peter Pans. While that might be true (Knight frequently drops words like "butthurt" in conversation), the open-book nature of his lyrics here reveals life isn't all fun and feces jokes.

As such, the songs on Double Dare read like pages ripped from a personal journal. Whether he's dealing with crippling insecurity ("I wish I was as brave as my last name"), self-doubt ("And I'm doing all right/ But is 'all right' enough?/Because I'm living my dreams, but I live at home") or true love ("If you died, I'd hope you'd haunt me"), Knight's words are blunt, painstakingly detailed and instantly relatable. He might project as a court jester, but he's deadly serious about his art.

"There's a time when Awsten can be serious, and that's when he's talking about his music, Benji Madden offers. "In order to sell records or magazines, people feel like they have to be sensational or play a funny game. If you talk to Awsten about anything other than music, you'll get totally jokey, bullshit answers-which I love. But if you talk to him about music, he's a really smart, intentional, thoughtful guy."

"Being honest about it is the best way to go about it," Knight says of his songs. "I've never liked the vague lyrics, like, [jokingly sings] "I've gotta find my way. I've gotta get out of this place! All my favorite lyricists are killer with metaphors or are able to uniquely describe things. I like getting into things and being specific." He references the acoustic ballad "21 Questions," easily one of the album's highlights, but a song slated for the cutting-room floor until Madden stepped in. ("I feel like that song could be one of those scene classics," the Good Charlotte guitarist offers.) It's hard to imagine the album without it.

Outside of being a steady hand in the studio, the Maddens are the perfect mentors for Knight, Wigington and Wood. After all, it was 15 years ago that Good Charlotte went through everything Waterparks are currently navigating, claims of being a test-tube band and all. They've learned everything is cyclical, and they're passing on the lessons they learned to the bands they manage.

"They're so wise," Wigington explains in a separate interview. "You shut up and listen. They've told us, 'Hey, things are going to start getting weird. There will be things you haven't been used to, especially if you're out on the road! But they've told us to look out for each other and have each other's back and helped instill a sense of camaraderie so we can deal with whatever weird shit comes our way."

If their current career trajectory continues, things will be getting weirder and weirder in the Waterparks camp soon. The band have secured the opening spot on Sleeping With Sirens' fall tour, and they're already making plans well into 2017. With a new album ready and the furthest reaches of the scene at their fingertips, it seems like there's really no limit to how big this thing can get. It's already surpassed their wildest dreams in the past year; imagine what one more could bring. Not that it would change their demeanor, of course.

"I'd like to be able to live comfortably to the point where I could ride a bike into a swimming pool filled with Jell-O and have it not be a big deal," Knight says unflinchingly, when asked what success would look like for him. "I was thinking blue or purple because I like cooler colors. Red seems messy. Not yellow or orange, because I don't like those flavors as much. I used to be allergic to blue dye when I was younger, so I'd probably pick that just so I could be like, 'Fuck you." alt

[retrowave-racer]

The anomalies opened up portals across the galaxy and transported many alien species to Earth. Fortunately the Talbot Research Centre was there to focus on learning to communicate with and learn about the various different types of aliens they encountered. A young Eveylnn Price has recorded and archived some research for us all to read to this day!

Decided to start posting some stuff I had originally planned to post for OC_tober this year a bit early! I hadn’t posted in a while and am starting to want to do a bit more traditional work in the sort of spirit of Inktober back when I used to do it! But to start things off, I got the idea a few months back to design some defunct Towers coasters, but wanted to make them more monster/alien in design. Had so much fun with all these critters and creatures! The Bobins are a huge personal fave. Can any of you guess which rides they are based on? ;)

[beepsparks]

Uhh random thoughts. Hosts and their fav attractions at the Disney parks bc Disney theme park attractions and history was a special interest of mine for 3 years (btw FUCK Disney obviously im just putting these hcs here bc despite its no longer a special interest I am still nerdy as hell about the theme parks specifically and I like to give characters favorite rides)

Cookie: this man seems like a thrill ride seeker. He will go on as many extreme rides as possible until he eventually has to go to the bathroom to throw up from motion sickness. I have the feel he’d like the Tower of Terror. He’d probably drag Schmitty on it despite Schmitty seems like the type to be absolutely TERRIFIED of drop rides. (He’ll go on anything else tho)

Buzz: okay call it obvious but Buzz Lightyear (and whatever the hell other name they give it istg it’s the same ride but they all have different names at every park). Tell me Buzz WOULDN’T like the LASER SHOOTER GAME RIDE. He probably thinks it’s cool as hell and would challenge others with beating his score. Nobody wins against Buzz.

Nate: this ride is defunct and no longer exists (unfortunately bc I think it’s awesome) but Extra-Terror-estrial Alien Encounter. Something tells me Nate’s weird little interest in conspiracy theories would lead to him liking the REALLY DARK lowkey horror attraction about a transportation device sending a violent alien into the room and characters getting attacked by it. (Btw if you don’t know what the ride is, look it up, its awesome) He’d probably take Buzz on this one and Buzz would be terrified with all the screaming from both the crowd being scared and the characters getting killed by the alien while Nate is having the time of his life lmao. Anyway, unfortunately since Alien Encounter no longer exists, I guess I’ll just say that Nate’s other favorite ride would be Rock N’ Roller Coaster. (Unfortunately, Buzz finds that ride too extreme for his liking as well so Buzz would NOT have fun getting dragged onto there by Nate)

Schmitty: without even thinking about The Lost Gold, I feel like he’d like Pirates of the Caribbean. Idk I Just get that vibe from him. That and he’d also probably like Soarin’ because he’d find it REALLY relaxing (the soft breeze the ride gives ya plus the calm movements and nice visuals and smells) can you tell I want Schmitty to have time to relax and be all chill yet. (Anyway projecting here but considering It’s a Small World is referenced TWICE in The Lost Gold, I headcanon Schmitty secretly likes the ride. It’s not his favorite but he likes it. Shhh I want the funny man to at least somewhat like my interests too)

Guy: Guy also seems like the type to like thrill rides as well (but he’d be able to TELL when hes getting motion sick unlike Cookie) but he also seems like the type to like rides with music that’d get at least somewhat stuck in his head, so while I can’t REALLY decide I guess the closest option is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, because it’s a roller coaster that has the chance to play one out of seven songs while the ride goes on. (Fun fact actually I’ve been on it before and it’s literally the only roller coaster I can stomach (i hate coasters) and it played Everybody Wants to Rule the World lmao)

Bonus, REDACTED: The Haunted Mansion. I think we can all agree on that. He’d be upset that the ghosts on the ride aren’t real, though.

[techycatartist]

Happy National Rollercoaster Day!

On this day in 2019, I showcased my Great Adventure personifications to the public for the very first time. This drawing served as a “preview” for these personifications, with their full character designs being revealed the following year. But with two new coasters and two re-themes occurring since then, I figured that this was the perfect time to remaster it! Also, you could consider this a “part two” to my Great Adventure 50th anniversary drawing— I wanted to include everyone in the festivities!

While you’re all familiar with most of these faces, there’s a new girl in town— my personification for The Flash: Vertical Velocity! Though it’s unfortunate that her coaster got delayed until next year, I’m happy that it’s at Great Adventure and can’t wait to ride it. I think Flash will be a real “sleeper hit” amongst the stacked new-for-2025 coaster lineup.

Out of all the parks I’ve personified, I’ve invested the most time and effort into Great Adventure’s— and wouldn’t have it any other way.

(Also, a remaster of the “Defunct/Relocated/Repainted SFGAd personifications” drawing will be coming soon!)

[qualitysigns]

Primm, Nevada, USA

this casino has a now defunct roller coaster out front, and was the real world location that the Bison Steve casino and hotel in Fallout New Vegas was based on.

[hyper-coasters]

Scorpion, by Anton Schwarzkopf, at Busch Gardens Tampa closed on September 2nd, 2024.

[tacoma-narrows]

Thinking abt Daidarasaurus that used to be at Expoland in Japan. Apparently it was an absolutely ridiculous 7,677.2 ft (2340 m) long, making it the second longest non-alpine coaster ever built behind Steel Dragon 2000, and closed with the park in 2007. Also thinking abt how cool Daidarasaurus would be as a character name

[comrade-bastard]

I love documentaries. I love defunct land. I love u youtube videos about roller coasters

[noneofthisisreal]

(via The Great Old Amusement Parks (PBS FULL DOCUMENTARY 1999) - YouTube)

Idlewild and Soak Zone- Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

Cedar Point– Sandusky, Ohio.

Astroland– New York, New York.

Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, New York.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk– Santa Cruz, California.

Lake Compounce– Bristol, Connecticut.

Kennywood– West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

Rye's Playland- Rye, New York.

Oaks Amusement Park– Portland, Oregon.

Mission Beach Roller Coaster– San Diego, California.

Lake Winnepesaukah– Lakeview, Georgia.

Whalom Park– Lunenburg, Massachusetts.

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari– Santa Claus, Indiana.

Lakeside Amusement Park– Lakeside, Colorado.

Lakemont Park– Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Not covered here are defunct parks.

West View Park, Olympia Park, Rainbow Gardens, Luna Park, Playground By The Sea.

[kermit-emoji-writes]

Night City Crawlers (Cyberpunk 2077 x The Lost Boys AU) Poly!Lost Boys x Fem!Reader

A/N:Hi! I wanted to make this au because like I love cyberpunk and I thought the boys would fit really well within the universe. I’m ngl this is really self indulgent lol. I’m gonna have 4 more parts where each chapter is about the growing relationship between reader and each boy.

Pairings: Poly!Lost Boys x Reader

Word Count: ~3k

Warnings:Mentions of poverty (Reader lives in their car), cursing, reader is mentioned to have a cybernetic metal leg but there’s no other physical descriptions beyond that, Paul gets bullied a little, lmk if I missed anything else!

It was a gloomy day, fucking humid, but gloomy. It had been raining off and on all day. Rain soaking every surface in Night City. If you actually had your own place you’d be inside, but considering you were still living out of your truck a year after leaving the Aldecados you didn’t have it in you to stay in your car all day. So here you are, at night, walking along the boardwalk in Pacifica. Rain and sweat coating the skin that was exposed.

You leisurely strolled, soon coming up to a group of men standing around a console for a defunct roller coaster. Two of them were bickering. “I thought you said you knew how to fix it!” A tall blonde whined, hair teased and set in every which way. “I do! Will you get off my dick?!” A short blonde with curly hair shot back, shoving the taller one.

Two other men stood nearby, one a tall broad brunette he seemed to be amused by the other boy’s actions. Lastly a platinum blonde stood away from the rest, he leaned on the platform leading up to where one would get on the roller coaster. A cigarette hung from his lips.

While you got closer you noticed strange symbols on their jackets, all the same. You averted your gaze as you got closer, not wanting to cause any trouble ‘cause you couldn’t keep your eyes ahead of you.

You thought you were out of the woods as soon as you passed the only man keeping guard.

“You’re a long way from home, little girl.”

You turned around. “Excuse me?”

“Your jacket, it says Aldecados on it. What’s a little thing like you doing in Night City?”

The blonde dropped his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out before taking two steps towards you. His voice got the attention of the other men.

“Fuck you, you look just as old as me, dirt bag!”

He let out a breathy chuckle and smirked, clearly amused by your reaction. “Oouuu~ feisty~” You looked up to see the two blondes bickering at the console with their eyes trained on you. The small one smiling as he sized you up, thumb held up near his mouth. “Hey, hot mama! How’d you get the cool leg?” The wild one called out to you, drawing attention to your metal cybernetic leg, one you customized with car paint.

“It got blown off by a raven shiv a few years back.” You explained. “Hell yeah! That’s badass!” You shifted in place from the compliment. “Thanks.” You huffed out.

Your eyes went to the Brunette who had yet to say anything, he simply looked at you with an unreadable expression.

“You think you can fix this for us, babe?” The small one asked, pointing to the console. You thought about it before hesitantly nodding. You didn’t doubt your abilities, but you needed a moment to weigh your options. These guys were kind of fucking strange, just like the rest of Night City, but you weren’t explicitly threatened by them.

You walked up to the console, after plugging yourself in you began hacking. In your trance you didn’t notice the men huddling around.

“You think we should invite her?” A voice said it belonged to the smaller man.

“I think so, she’s hot.” The wild one spoke up, chuckling after his statement.

“Paul only wants her in ‘cause she looks like one of his BD girls.” A deep voice you haven’t heard before said.

“Hey! That’s not true!” Paul you assumed, whined

“He’s right, Dwayne! She looks like one of his favorite joytoys!” The small one retorted

You almost had to restart hacking the console because you were being nosey and listening in on their conversation, but it was the most amusing thing you’ve ever listened to.

“I don’t even pay for joytoys dickhead! You know that Marko!” The men simply laughed at Paul’s reply.

“Yeah! Cause you’re so ugly BD girls are the only ones you can get!” Marko replied.

At this point you were done unlocking the console and turned to see Paul lunge at Marko, but he quickly dodged Paul, too quickly, like he phased out of reality and reappeared. You had gotten into scuffles with Tyger Claws plenty of times so this kind of tech wasn’t new to you, but what Marko had was on a whole other level.

Paul quickly turned to see Marko running away at a human pace. Paul almost disappeared just to show up in front of Marko. Marko, laughing the entire time, “tried” to run away. Paul simply reached out to grab the collar of Marko’s highly embellished jacket to bring him into a headlock.

You watched in amusement as the two bickered back and forth, your lips quirking up into a smile.

“What do you say, girly? Wanna join us?”

You nearly jumped out of your skin at the proximity of the voice. You turned around to see the platinum blonde standing face to face with you. You whipped your head around to look at where he was previously standing only to see the brunette shoot you a wink. There’s no way he could’ve gotten this close to you without breaching your line of sight… unless he also had the same chrome as Marko and Paul.

Looking back at him he had a smirk stuck on his face.

You took a minute to weigh your options.

There’s no way you could fight or run away from them, they would slaughter you before you even had the chance. You had no idea what they wanted with you, they could be looking for sacrifices for all you knew. And lastly they were weird! Freaks even!

“I know what you’re thinking.” He said while he watched you wrack your brain. You audibly gulped. “Y-you do?” You wouldn’t be surprised if he could somehow read your thoughts, as impossible as that may be.

“Not literally, my optics can sense your emotional state.” You visibly relaxed.

“Obviously my boys took a liking to you, and you don’t have a tribe anymore.” He said while taking a gloved hand and flicking imaginary dust off your jacket.

“I’m just an ex-Aldecado, I can’t give you anything.”

“Well sure you can, you worked on all kinds of things in the Badlands right?”

You simply nodded.

“We have some bikes that could use some metinence.”

You thought for a moment, but were brought out of your haze when you heard yelling.

“We told you rats to stay out of Pacifica!”

“Shit! VDBs!” Dwayne yelled before running away with Marko and Paul in tow.

“Think about it.” He told you before running off with his pack. The Voodoo Boys ran after them as they let off their guns yelling obscenities. Within the commotion you made your escape.

—

A day passed since you last met the strange men in Pacifica. You now sat at a Takoyaki stand in Japan town, chin resting on your hand as you zoned out thinking about your strange encounter. You mindlessly took a bite out of your food. As you chewed you received a call. The caller ID read as unknown. You pondered who it could be, you didn’t know many people in Night City as is, but if you didn’t pick up the curiosity would eat at you.

You accepted the call. Your optics flashed blue before an image of the platinum blonde appears.

“Oh… it’s you.” You greet..

He smirked. “Don’t sound so excited.”

“I’m not.” You deadpanned

“So, did you think about my offer?” He asked, you took note of how eager he was for you to join his band of degenerates.

“I don’t even know your name, why should I even trust you.” You took another bite of your food, synthetic octopus and dough filling your mouth.

“What, you think I’m gonna whore you out like some joytoy?”

“And what if you do?” You responded with a mouth full of food. “I’m just saying, you guys are a little too pretty.”

He laughed at that, a hearty laugh filling your ears making you smile. “You really think I’m a pimp?”

“Well, you called them your boys… and I’d probably throw some eddies at the little blonde one if I had the cash.”

A broad smile stayed on his face as he shook his head, you didn’t want to admit it, but you liked the banter. “I’ll be sure to tell Marko that, anyway, think about my offer and make up your mind before night fall. Once you do come to the location I’m sending over by 9 sharp.”

“What do I get out of this?” You asked, before you even made a decision you needed to know what you were getting into. A life of squalor was much more promising than accidentally becoming a slave to psychos with chrome you’ve never seen.

“Well, if you come you’ll find out. Don’t keep me waiting, doll.” He shot You a wink and promptly hung up. Soon after you received a text.

“Here’s the location”

Your gps marked the outskirts of Corpo plaza just bordering Heywood.

Later you received another text.

“Tell the guy out front you need to talk to The Lost Boys, he’ll let you in. Remember, I don’t like to wait ;)”

Sighing you paid the food stand owner and got up to go about your day.

—

9 finally rolled around after what felt like an eternity. You were oddly giddy at the thought of seeing all the men again, but you weren’t sure why.

The location took you straight to Valentinos territory. You kept your head on a swivel as you looked around. Passing El Pinche Pollo, two Valentino’s sized you up. You kept your gaze straight and held your head high, as long as you looked confident and minded your business you were sure you’d be left alone. During your short time in the city you’ve found that the Valentinos were the only gang that had respect for others, unlike Tyger Claws and worst of all, Malestrom.

Soon you stood outside of the exact location. Bright pink fluorescent lights illuminated the small alley. ‘Six Shots’ the lights spelled out, along with a pair of lips and 18+. Oh god, you really were about to sell your soul to a pimp.

A cough interrupted your thoughts. You looked up at the bouncer, he simply quirked an eyebrow at you. You could still back out if you wanted, pretend none of this even happened. But you decided to go through with it anyway.

You cleared your throat. “Uh, I needa talk to The Lost Boys.” He silently looked you up and down. After he was satisfied he stepped to the side, “Go to the back and take the elevator down to the basement.” You nodded and walked through the door.

After crossing the threshold your jaw dropped. Bodies were crowded together dancing alone or grinding up on each other. Platforms were suspended in air as various scantily clad men and women danced along with the pounding music. The mix of alcohol, sweat and sex swirled in the humid air, it was intoxicating.

You braced yourself as you pushed through the bodies. On your way to the back you couldn’t even count how many times you were groped, prodded and grabbed.

After barreling through the bodies you reached the back doors where another bouncer stood. His eyes flashed blue and your own optics notified you that you were being scanned. “The Lost Boys?” He shouted over the music. “Yeah!” You responded. He nodded and let you back. Once you were in the back you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in, the music was now muffled.

You were now standing in a corridor face to face with an elevator. You looked left and right and saw doors on either end, most likely for the dancers you thought. You pressed the call button for the elevator and entered once it came.

While it made the descent you began toying with the frayed hem of your shorts, the weight of what you were doing just now dawning on you. Now you couldn’t back out anymore, whatever happens happens and you have to deal with the consequences. If you do die at least it won’t be under usual circumstances you thought, getting your skull crushed in by an Animal could be far worse.

The elevator made a ‘ding’ once it reached the basement. Once the doors opened your jaw dropped, you weren’t sure what you were expecting but the place was a lot nicer than you thought. Once leaving the elevator you stepped into a large living space, the middle dipped in to house a pit filled with coushins and blankets. Right in front of the pit a large TV was anchored to the wall. To the right of the pit was a kitchenette and bar, where the small blonde happened to be. He was cleaning a cup until he looked up at you and smiled. “You came!” He seemed incredibly happy at your presence.

You gave him a small smile and raised your hand up to wave, it was by far the most awkward thing you’ve done. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “YO! DAVID! SHE’S HERE!”

You waited for a moment until the wild blonde came running out with the platinum blonde and brunette following behind.

“Babe!” Teased hair came bouncing towards you. He stopped in front of you and smiled, teeth showing. “Uh hey, how’s it going?” A smile was brought to your face, his attitude was contagious. Before you could answer, the platinum blonde pushed him aside. “Excuse Paul, he has a little crush.” You looked at Paul and watched him pout as he stood aside.

He extended his hand to you. “I’m David, and these are my boys. You already met Paul.” You shook David’s hand and shifted your gaze to Paul once more this time waving at you prompting you to wave back. “This is Marko.” David took back his hand and stepped aside revealing the curly haired man. “Hey.” He said, sizing you up again, you felt hot under his gaze. “Hey! Stop that!” Paul spoke up. “Stop what?” Marko responded. “You’re undressing her with your eyes!” Paul moved to shove Marko. “Awww, scared I’ll take away your girlfriend Paulie?” He mockingly cooed.

David let out a sigh and shook his head. “Sorry about them, they’re a little rowdy.”

“Shut up!” Paul shouted as he started grappling Marko. The smaller man laughed as he successfully riled up his partner.

You watched as David’s agitation grew. He huffed out air through his nose. “Dwayne, stop them.” The large brunette simply nodded and moved to the pair. Grabbing them by the back of their necks he pried them apart. Paul continued to reach for him and Marko stuck his tongue out and continued to mock him. “If you don’t cut it out I’ll break your necks.” Dwayne said as he tightened his grip on the two. Both quickly relented, reaching for his grip on them as they whined and sputtered out apologies, satisfied he smiled and released the two leaving them to crumple on the floor. David shot the taller a smile. “And this.” Dwayne strolled over to you and David. The blonde slapped a hand on his shoulder, “This is Dwayne.” He held out a hand to you. You shook his hand and looked up at him. You were startled at how beautiful he was. Dark narrow eyes rimmed by dark lashes looked down at you. You suddenly panicked and looked away, heat rising through your body. Dwayne noticed your reaction and chuckled, releasing your hand.

“So, let’s talk about our arrangement. Marko, get us some drinks.” You looked at Marko who was still writhing on the floor. “Got it!” He slowly got up and cracked his neck. “I’m good.” You looked at Paul and gave him a worried look. David and Dwayne walked over to the bar where Marko was working. “Hey, are you okay?” You gently nudged Paul as he lay on the floor. He opened his eyes and gave you a goofy grin. Smiling back you reached out a hand for him to grab, quickly he took it and stood to his full height. He kept his hand wrapped around yours as his blue eyes bore into yours.

You heard a snort. “I think I can see the hearts in his eyes.” Marko commented.

“Alright, Casanova.” David stood up to seat you by the bar. Once sat he cleared his throat. You could’ve sworn you heard Paul whine as well.

“What you get out of our arrangement is a safe place to sleep, protection from all of us if you ever need it, a cut from whatever missions we go on and whatever else you want, doll.” He smirked at you before grabbing the glass cup and downing it. You didn’t miss the suggestive tone as he finished listing the perks of joining them.

You cleared your throat trying not to think about what it would be like underneath Dwayne. “Uh, and what do I have to do?”

“It’s easy really, do some maintenance on our bikes, come on missions with us and most importantly…” he trailed off and held eye contact. “Give us your complete loyalty.” You looked back at David, his gaze staring straight into you.

Without thinking you immediately answered. “I’m in.” The corners of David’s lips quirked up while Paul and Marko cheered.

You grabbed the drink that Marko placed by you and downed it in one gulp, you were spurred on by the energy in the room. You received firm slaps on your back from the boys.

“C’mon boys, let’s go celebrate.” David caught you and the boys’ attention before they broke out in cheers once more. Paul wrapped an arm around you as you all piled into the elevator. “Welcome to your new life, mamas.” Paul said directly in your ear.

It was the last thing you remember before the rest of the night became hazy.