#And I know Cities: Skylines didn't stick either

[atomskdluffy]

Today was pretty much Sunday part 2 for me, mostly because I did laundry I didn't have time for yesterday, but also because I pretty much did nothing (on purpose). Or so I thought, but I actually started a few things I had been meaning to do for a bit, so it doesn't feel as much like nothing as it could have. Either way, I need to figure out what I'm doing tomorrow. Either I'm going for a walk or playing VR games all day, we'll see what happens!

[six-costume-refs]

Six Makeup: Details from Erin Ramirez's Story

I made a post compiling makeup information from the queens across productions and queens, which you can find here. ----------- After leaving Six, Erin Ramirez did a series of Instagram stories talking through some of the makeup she used while in Six. I compiled that information into this post. Couple notes: - All of these links are to US sites/sellers. I don't know about brand/product availability outside of the US. - The availability of some of these products might differ now. - I'm listing Erin's recommendations as she said them (note that this is paraphrased). But know that not every product will work for everyone, due to coloring or ingredients/formulation. Do your due diligence on what will work for you and individual companies/products/allergens before buying. - And, as always: This is what Erin and some other Six queens use. That does not mean it's what anyone else need to use. Many are expensive and you can typically find cheaper dupes. They're also used for stage makeup and may not translate well to normal lighting or convention stages. The colors may match Erin's costumes but not the materials any given cosplayer is using. Again, it's up to you to determine what works best for you.

GLITTER EYESHADOWS

Lemonhead Space Paste Colors: Viper (green/Boleyn), Wonderland (pink/Howard), Malibu (blue/Parr) - Erin said: These are a paste. Because of the consistency they need to be applied in thinner layers. You have to play around to get to the right application process. - They're the brightest and best glitters for stage out of what she has. - These glitters were given to the Aragon Tour cast by Six while they were performing in Boston.

Designer Dust Co. Face Sprinkles Colors: Emerald City Skyline (green/Boleyn), either Bubblegum Bae or Disco Pants (pink/Howard), Blue Fly Skies (blue/Parr) - These are not as bright onstage as the Lemonhead, but Erin said they are easier to apply (smaller chunks/less pasty). - One of Erin's glitters dried out, but you can spray setting spray in the package to reactivate them. - Erin suggested that the company's glue and silicone applicators be used in tandem with the face sprinkles (more details below).

MAC Glitter Colors: Silver (Platinum, neutral used for all queens), Emerald (Boleyn), Rose (Howard), Cerulean (Parr) - Note: These are slowly being phased out and the colors Six has historically used are either no longer available or have been renamed. Some of them do currently exist in the MAC Pigment which is a similar product. - This is a loose glitter rather than a paste and tend sto have bad fallout. Erin suggests doing eye makeup before the rest of your makeup if you're using it and/or using eyeshadow tape. - These glitters were given to the actors by Six.

NYX Metallic Glitter Color: Beauty Beam (all) - Erin used this on her inner corner for all queens. She said it looks pink in package but looks neutral when worn.

KVD Dazzle Eyeshadow Stick Color: Green Flash (Boleyn) - Erin said this was too mellow for onstage, but she found it easy to apply and great for a night out.

OTHER EYESHADOWS/LINERS

Beauty Creations Dare to be Bright eyeshadow palette Colors: Boujee (green/Boleyn), Bomb af (pink/Howard) - These are no longer sold directly/individually by Beauty Creations. - You can buy the green from Beauty Creations in a pack with other products or individually from Beaute and Hoot. - You can buy the pink on from Beauty Creations in a pack with other products or individually from Amazon. - There are other sources for both of those eyeshadows, I just linked the first few options. - She said the only issue was that these could lean neon under stage lights.

MAC Dazzleshadow Extreme Colors: Celebutante (Howard). Erin also had blue and green but didn't mention those shades that I heard. The green may be Joie de Glitz. I don't think the blue shade is still sold.

Maybelline Tattoo Studio Gel Pencil Colors: Erin just said she had pink and turquoise. I'm not sure on the shades. - She liked these for detailed designs.

Haus Labs Hy-Power Pigment Paint Colors: fuchsia matte (Howard)

CRYSTALS

Designer Dust Co. Face Sparkles Colors (presumable, Erin did not specify these): Green (Boleyn), Glow Pink (Howard), Blue (Parr)

LIPSTICK AND LIPLINERS

MAC Lip Liner Color: Talking Points (Howard)

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint Color: Uncensored (Boleyn), Unlocked (Howard) - Erin said she liked these because it created clean lines and was long lasting.

ACCESSORIES

Designer Dust Co. Glue - Erin suggested that this be used with the Designer Dust Co face sprinkles, although I suspect it could be used to similar effect with some of the others. She said this was helpful for easy removal as it allowed the eye look to be peeled off in one go.

NYX Glitter Primer - Erin said this is what was provided to the actors by Six. Was used with MAC and possibly others.

Designer Dust Co. Silicone Applicators - Erin suggested using these with the Designer Dust Co sprinkles. She said they can be used to smear the glitters on "like a spatula." - She also mentioned the liner applicators specifically.

[alakazamboni]

Tumeric Trailhead

MP100 Fanfiction, Gen, Serizawa Katsuya, ~700 words

Part of WawaWeek Day 1: Observation/New

Serizawa has the day off and goes on a nature hike.

...

Monday. The S&S office was closed as Reigen-san's landlord fumigated the building. Katsuya, of course, offered to help, but Reigen-san forbade it. Apparently, this was just one of those things that landlords were supposed to take care of. That, and Reigen-san always got something of a wild look in his eyes whenever they talked about bugs. If Katsuya didn't know any better, he'd think that his boss had a phobia.

Either way, he didn't have anything to do until this evening, so he found himself walking around the border of town. The sensation of flying solo was still very new, and he didn't trust himself enough to go traipsing around downtown.

He stepped up to the beginning Tumeric Trailhead and followed its unkept gravelly path. The trail twisted and turned as he climbed up the hill. It traced along the ridge, the trees falling away on the occasion to allow Katsuya to see the Seasoning City's skyline.

Even in the harsh midday sun, the city was beautiful. He never properly appreciated it during his brief stay in the Culture Tower. But now? Something about this being his home made him extra attentive.

He could see the big bridge over the canal. The void where broccoli used to be. And the spots of greenery dotting the concrete cityscape.

Katusya breathed in and appreciated the sense of belonging. His friends all lived there. He worked there. He learned there. Even as foreign as this experience was to him, he knew enough to savor it. Things don't always last forever. Reigen-san had said that. It was best to enjoy things in the present.

Tearing his gaze away, Katsuya followed the trail as it descended back into the thick of the forest. Though he was alone, his footsteps were far from the only sounds that accompanied him. Leaves and sticks rustled as creatures fluttered and scampered about.

At a clearing, he spotted a collection of small prints in the soft dirt. A creek bubbled in the distance. It couldn't hurt, he figured, to follow them.

Stepping along the side the tracks, Katsuya was careful to not destroy the fragile imprints. He had no idea what kind of creature made prints like these, but he hoped he'd soon find out.

After a few minutes of following the wild trail, he did in fact find himself on the edge of a silty creek bed. The water level was low, streaming though narrow ruts in the mud. Several more animal prints crowded around the water source. Many, Katsuya proudly recognized, were birds. Some others might be deer or maybe pigs. Something with hooves, at least.

Plopping himself down on a boulder, Katsuya stripped off his shoes and dipped his feet in the water. It was shockingly cold, and the mud was soft and pleasant to dig through. He sighed happily, content in his little oasis.

Then, he spotted something odd peaking out from under a leaf.

Curious, but not willing to give up his seat, Katsuya used his telekinesis to drag it closer. Strange, gelatinous orbs were glued to the leaf in a tight cluster.

Dropping the leaf in his hands, he brought the curiosity closer to his face.

Each orb appeared to house a tiny dark squiggle. They pulsed and moved in a hypnotic jerky display.

Reaching for his phone, Katsuya let the leaf bob around in the air. After snapping a quick picture, he sent it to the S&S groupchat, and promptly returned the leaf. Tome would probably love seeing something like this, he mused.

On the way back to town, Katsuya's phone chimed.

Tome👽: Gross! Tome👽: Bring that to the office tomorrow. I want to see it. Reigen: 👏👏 Absolutely not. 👎 Shigeo: Those are tree frog eggs. Tome👽: Lame. Shigeo: They look close to hatching.

Katsuya smiled as he read through the messages. If he wanted to see tadpoles, he'd have to make this trip a few more times. He'd never seen baby frogs before, and he wondered if Shigeo would like to come with.

*** Bonus ***

Tome👽: Change of plans. My friend says she wants to eat it. Tome👽: On a scale of 1 to 10. Tome👽: How edible do you think they are? Reigen: ZERO Reigen: Don't you have school? Tome👽: It's called playing hooky old man Tome👽: You wouldn't know cause you're not cool enough

[keefwho]

September 08 - 2024 Sunday

10:58pm

5.5/10

The first chunk of today was a blur, as usual I took a long time cooking breakfast and I wasn't sure how to start my day. Part of me wanted to spend a lot of time in Cities Skylines but I didn't get around to that. I couldn't even watch my shows because the internet was bad. I kinda messed around and did nothing until JD was free to hang out. We played Planetary Annihilation for a good while. We started off against 2 "bronze" AIs which absolutely swamped us. It was pathetic. Then we fought each other but using only bot factories and I totally smoked him. He got a little frustrated though so I felt a little bad. Although I also feel good because of how he was always the winner when we were kids, especially when it came to RTS games. We hopped on VRchat for a little after that so he could show me this world he found. I didn't think it was very good tbh, especially with the world size but he thought it was cozy. At this point I was feeling the need to talk a little deeper so I asked him how he was. We talked about whats been stressing each other out a bit and that helped. I think he got a lot of benefit out of that, more than me today. Right now and the past couple days I've been feeling strong, like I've been staying true to myself well, making plans, and sticking to decisions. My big focus has been on making sure I'm being myself. I think thats the only requirement I need to have friends or be loved. Also if I keep sacrificing who I am too much for others, I will not be able to take it anymore. I'm forced to respect myself lest I snap.

I was peaking at mods and stuff for PA when DS let me know she was free. We watched some youtube, took a practice drivers test, and then she bought Hades so she could stream it. We moved to my server for that. It was a lot of fun, it was more pleasant to watch than I thought it would be. I knew I'd have fun either way but I really got into it. Unfortunately someone annoying joined for awhile but he did leave eventually. He was backseating and doing that thing where he talks to his pets out loud WAY too much without anyone having any context for what he's doing. DS and I would be trying to listen to the dialogue but he'd be yapping to his dog. In bed we did classic puzzles. I felt like I shared a good sentiment to DS tonight which is not caring or giving into people that might think something about you. Its really toxic behavior I've learned and I hope that sometimes I can help quell that kind of thing because I don't like to see her or anyone else I care about losing themselves to others. I think I'm right with this new emphasis on being myself and I want to spread that to others. True connection happens between 2 entities that identify each other as separate beings. And we can only do that when we act like our own being knowing we will be accepted for it. Either entity bending to the will of the other creates an unbalanced dynamic which often results in harm.

I think a lot like a sleep schedule is the foundation of all scheduling, being yourself is the foundation of many things as well. It's a core requirement to pursue anything higher effectively.

Lately being myself includes accepting how I feel and loving strongly. It also includes making the tough decision to enforce more boundaries and take care of myself in an attempt to be more effective at contributing to my environment in the ways I choose to. Thats whay I want, to be a well functioning individual that helps improve areas I personally think need it. I also want to help my loved ones and let them know that I love them very deeply. It's something I was a little ashamed to admit because my behavior has often been pointed out to be problematic or undesirable. Over time I've taken to believe that my form of "love" is unwelcome so I cannot experience it anymore. I'm not allowed. But I am. Maybe I have made mistakes in the past but they do not bar me from experiencing a basic human need and trying to do it right. I love. I love a lot. I refuse to hide it.

[echantedtoon]

Love Is For Bloomin' Pecknecks! Ch1 First Crush

How could someone so sour fall for someone so sweet? Or is this all just a bittersweet punishment for an old Peckneck like himself?

(Contains Cooking Cat x Conductor)

(A side story that takes place at the same time as A Bloom In Time and is a part of the Bloomverse A Hat In Time series. I headcannon Mustache Girl's real name as Muriel for this story. No Characters are mine and all belongs to GearsForBreakfast. Coverart done by Monster-Mon on Tumblr.)

She was always a different cat from the rest of the litter.

Welcome to Nyakuza Metro where the blinding lights would bedazzle you and blind you from thievery that would take place there. Giving the city a bad rep. Giving CATS a bad rep. Fur as black as night. Claws all sharp. Faces constantly hidden behind masks. Every single cat the same except for one place. Welcome to Alpine Skyline Mountains. Where the cats were tan, wore more masks,....and were still thieves honing the mastery of cloaking magic to disappear without a trace after they nabbed your things. Thieves. Thieves. THIEVES!!! All thieves. The planet of Subcon knew of Nyakuzians and their kind. Thus after countless years of thievery and bad reputations a stigma was born. All cats were untrustworthy no matter which corner of the planet they came from. So cats were not to be trusted. And you either followed the crowd or were labeled an outsider. But what happened when one was born an outsider? Well...I guess you would get her. From the moment she was born she knew she was different. For one her fur was not a correct color at all. No. A natural born Nyakuzian who wasn't born with ink black fur. Not one spot of dark midnight on her whole body. She didn't even have the tan-brown fur of their Alpine cousins! Her fur color was all...Wrong. Orange. Bright orange with darker orange spots all over herself. A giant thumb sticking out among the crowds but oho it got better. She never wanted to take part in anything her kind had to offer. Thieving was just..Just..Wrong. And it rubbed her in all the wrong ways. She had gotten a few things of her own swiped by other cats who didn't like her being so different and picked her out of the crowd because of her unusual look and personality. It felt so bad when her things and money were taken. Why would anyone chose to actively do that? But there was one thing about the city that called to her. The cooking. The tantalizing aromas wafting through the air, the way the food melted in your mouth. She was a natural the first time she tried and passed Nyakuza City School Of Cooking like a breeze! Even made up a catching name for herself. Now she could do something that made her happy right!?...Right? Wrong. No one cared if she made new dishes, they never ate them. No cafe would hire her because of her unusualness so she was without a job. What was the use of a cooking degree if no one would eat your cooking or hire her to cook? Eventually she did get a job in one of the many, many, many fast food trucks around the metro and every single one sold the very same dishes. And the rules absolutely forbid anything new. No one would eat it anyways. Too different...Like her. She could lose her only job so she went with it. At least she'd still be working with food like she always wanted right? It would be good to fit in where she could right? That's how it was for a very long time. Get up, go to work, make the same food like everyone else, and then go home to repeat the same process the same day. This was her life...Until one day she saw it. One late night commercial on TV that filled her with newfound hope.

Mafia Town!!

A town of humans that lived halfway across the world. AND THAT WERE ALL COOKS!! A cooking town!! It was perfect! With her skills she could easily get a job there as a chief just like she always wanted! Or so she thought. She spent weeks saving every pon and penny she could get her paws on. Careful to not let others know how much she had or to let thieves get close to her. Then after so much time of saving she finally had enough to leave the metro forever. She grabbed her things and quite her job immediately fleeing the city entirely. Moving all the way across the planet until reaching Mafia Town and it-.....It wasn't as good as she thought. IT! WAS! WORSE! Everything was so chaotic. So unfinished. So...Wrong. She was barely able to find a complete house to call her own before being able to settle in. Ok. Now it was time to talk to the boss. She went right up to the head honcho. The Mafia Boss! Wearing her professional chef attire to make her intentions clear to the red jacketed man. She said she wanted a job in his kitchen and that she was a great cook and promised to work hard. She was hired immediately! Just like that! He said she'd make an excellent addition to his kitchen! She was so excited that she barely slept that night and started her job first thing in the morning! .....WHAT THE PECK WAS THIS!? THE KITCHEN WAS FILTHY!! ABSOLUTELY FILTHY!! So filthy a grey haze covered the entire room. Dirty dishes everywhere. Red liquid oozed out of the fridges. Sticky messes all over the floors and counters. And many spots on the ceiling and walls black from multiple kitchen fires. A foul smell in the air a mix between rotten and burnt roods. It was...It was...HORRIBLE!! How was she supposed to cook in these conditions!?...Oh. She wasn't cooking? They only hired her because she was a cat and thus could help with their..rat...problems.....She was heartbroken upon hearing those words. Devastated even. They only hired her on the basis she was a cat and she didn't even LIKE rats. All the way here spending her entire savings...for nothing!! ...Wait. Maybe not nothing. An idea struck her. She followed the rules last time. But maybe if she cooked and she proved herself a worthy cook she'd finally be able to make a name for herself! But how? I know! The Mafia were terrible cooks but if she helped them then she'd be doing a good deed as well as doing her passion! It was perfect. So that's what she did. Finding a place in the rafters and stealing ingredients to cook before sneakily replacing them with the Mafia's dishes before the waiter mafia took them to the awaiting guests of the casino. No one ever suspected it and the rats left her alone since she left them well enough alone as well. It was a good operation! She was cooking SO SO many different foods making her heart feel full. Got used to life in the crazy town as well learning quickly about the young blonde girl who ran around to avenge her old home. She sometimes even got glimpses of her but they had never ever interacted directly. And then the little alien came along with the end of her career. She was just in the rafters one day when small footsteps approached her.

"What are you doing?"

"AH!! Oh Goodness!" She had cried out and swung around only to find a small girl somewhere between the ages of seven to nine and wearing a purple tophat staring back at her curiously. What the- "Oh my. You gave me such a fright. What are you doing all the way up 'ere? Did you lose your parents?"

And the little girl shook her head. "Nope. What are you doing?"

"Oh...W-Well don't tell noone but I'm fixin' these here dishes."

"Why?"

"The Mafia are terrible at cooking. But fear not. Cooking Cat is here! I prepare the actual dinner up here and swap the food before anybody eats the Mafia's cookin'. I'm fairly certain someone would die if they ate the Mafia prepared food."

And then she left right after like nothing happened taking a random bucket of lobsters with her. Strange. Hope that little girl made it home to her parents ok. It was only after her work that day did she find out who that little girl actually was. THE ALIEN!! The alien everyone had been talking about!! Funny. She didn't look anything like aliens were supposed to look like. No antennas or green skin or stubby legs or anything. Then she got to wondering...What were aliens like? Which lead to the questions about their kitchens and well...Curiosity killed the cat as they say. Her curiosity was too much to handle. She just had to see it for herself, but how? She knew it was wrong but she ended up 'borrowing' a moon transporter from a moon penguin guests who happened to try the famous 'mafia' cooking leaving a note she'd return it right away. This thing could teleport them to the moon city and back and on any transport ships they rode on too, so logically that also meant it could work to transport her to the alien ship too right? Well it worked, when she aimed it at the alien ship floating in the sky and pressed the button on the wristwatch like device. The feeling of being suddenly transported was weird for sure and she ended up crashlanding in the CUTEST alien spaceship she'd ever seen. She spent time looking around the place and the vacuum cleaner before finding the kitchen. It was....surprisingly rather simple. Plain oven, sink, fridge- Everything. It wasn't any different from a small apartment's kitchen. None the less her curiosity still got the better of her and she ended up staying for so long the little alien came back. Cookie had froze seeing the small alien in the doorway probably coming to investigate the sounds of her rummaging around in her kitchen but she didn't look angry. More confused.

"What a lovely spaceship you've got here! Sorry for the break and enterin'. I just wanted to see what an alien ship was like. Y'know I expected aliens to be more green and probably with a thirst for flesh. But I guess you aliens come in all shapes and sizes huh?"

After that the two spoke for a little bit before she felt like she was overstaying her welcome and left but what she ended up coming back to wasn't a pretty sight. Her boss was...now a talking jar with a hat? And the moon penguin guest was not happy to see her either. She was made to give back the angry guest's watch which was fair she had stolen it which she'd own up to but she left a note and she was fully intending on returning it. She was called a thief (again stung but she deserved that one) and was fired for 'conspiring with an alien' which was the worst part because she was NOT conspiring. She just wanted to see an alien kitchen. But her sayings fell on deaf ears and she was promptly kicked out. Sadly she did leave all the way back to her home where she sadly found herself back at square one. No job. No cooking. Nothing. All her hard work had once again been undone again because those thieves wouldn't even hear her out. She could own up to taking the watch but what would she even conspire with an alien about? Recipes? New cooking tips? These Mafia guys were too stubborn and not bright enough. She saw the alien a few more times before she disappeared. Next thing she knew the world shifted and she was in a nightmare of lava and traps thanks to those magic alien hourglasses and the blonde child was the one responsible trying to judge all the 'bad guys'. Which was absurd since she wasn't a bad guy. She stole one thing once but she owned up to that and apologized and vowed to never do something like that again. When the two girls were fighting she yelled at the blonde girl to get lost along with many other folks and the world was back to it's regular old self in no time. She found herself back in her old home in Mafia Town and the little alien gone. Life had gone back to it's sad normal self. She had to get out of here. She had enough to get out of town, didn't have a whole lot of belongings so she could just pack up easily and leave. But where would she go? One place caught her attention. Express Town. You could get there by a train that was just outside Mafia Town. They were always needing new hires she heard. Full of Express Owls but compared to the Mafia and the Nyakuzians she would rather take her chance with a bunch of birds. What she wasn't expecting was picking up another passenger to add to her life. And it all started one rainy night when it was near time to depart-

A drip. A drop. A sprinkle. The water gently pouring down from the dark sky had started a little more than an hour ago, thunder and lightning waking him up every while due to his anxiety acting up to loud booming noises reminding her of some of the cannons and explosions that these mafia guys did on a daily basis. Unfortunately she DIDN'T like the rain too much. Especially being a cat and all that. Water was just not her thing. She still forced herself to take baths and use water for lots of her recipes, and she drank it of course. Gotta keep your self hydrated and healthy after all. But it didn't mean she had to enjoy it of course. Speaking of Mafia. Mafia Town was pretty much a deserted ghost town at the moment, only a few Mafia guys working this time of day as it got dark and the storm still wore on. Her feet patting against the wet pavement while her umbrella and raincoat kept the rain off her. Note to self. Get a pair of rainboots when she finally got out of here. Which would be soon. Three days in fact. After getting fired from her job for 'conspiracy with the kid in the hat alien girl' and missing her opportunity for working on that cruise ship, a miracle happened in the form of a famous director Penguin showing up on her doorstep with the proposition of working for his studios and having her own Cooking Show!! It was a DREAM COME TRUE!! And it was all thanks to that lil alien gal who just happened to mention her to him. ...Maybe it was fate anyways. She didn't feel like a cruise ship on water would've been a good place for her considering her aversion to water, and it ended up sinking anyways. So this was a great chance! A dream she had ever since she was a kitten! She had practically all her belongings all ready to go for the moving team in two days on that weekend to take the train out of town and to Express City where the famous Dead Bird Studios were. Where many a movies and shows were filmed. Soon she'd be out of this terrible place and soon start her own life away from this awful awful town. But for now she just wanted to get back to the comfort of her still soon-not-to-be home and cook up this delicious food she bought from the Mafia Town marketplace. The plastic bag in her hand was starting to get heavy the more she carried it walking along as the sound of raindrops hitting the earth and thunder shook the sky along with the occasional lightning. ...Gosh this just made her glad she didn't have to live here or have her job here anymore further. The Mafia headquarters where she USED to work was all the way on the other side of town and it was always such a long distance away from her home which was on the edge of town and near the train station. Made things easier to do when she moved at least.

She was almost home too. Just had to cross this bridge and walk along this road towards the back of Mafia Town and her home would be the first one you'd come across. She was hungry and could already taste the mouth watering cheesy fish steaks she could whip up. However it was when she was coming to the end of the bridge did she hear something. Being a cat meant she had extraordinary hearing so being able to hear things before she saw them wasn't usually a big deal, but what WAS was the kind of noise it actually was. Sniffles. crying. Small chokes, sobs, and hiccups. And in a young girl's sounding voice too. That's what made her pause. What was...that? Standing there in the rain the cat blinked for a moment shocked at what she was hearing before turning her head about and looking around. No one was on the bridge with her, and surely a grown Mafia Man wouldn't have sounded as young or as high pitched as these sobs were. ..And this was the first time she ever heard such a thing like this when crossing this bridge multiple times. So where as it coming from?...She paused. An ear flicking towards the end of the bridge where she was heading and she slowly turned to it. The sounds were coming from there amongst the rain and thunder and lightning. She stood there silently for the longest time before she slowly started her way forward. Her feet making small PLAP sounds with each step as she approached. The noises getting louder and louder before she reached the end of the bridge and looked over. And blinked again when noticing a small orange-yellow light coming from under the bridge. Was it some kind of troll? She wouldn't doubt it since meeting an alien and a ghost a couple times on her ship. Eventually the curiosity of the sounds got the better of her and she carefully descended down the small hill to look beneath the bridge. And what she saw made her yellow eyes widen. It was a little girl! But not just any little girl. OH NO!! One she definitely recognized all too well in fact.

It was that trouble making no good Mustache Girl as she liked to call herself and sprayed graffiti everywhere. Mostly art of making fun of the Mafia which she didn't mind too much as she wasn't the fondest person either, but what she had DONE to the world in that weird pocket dimension of lava and chaos still sent shivers through her fur. In fact she shivered just from the memory of it. Having been so angry enough she actually joined the crowd in wanting her to "Get Lost!" and return to her normal life of cooking. And she thought she had. In fact...She hasn't seen hide or tail of Mustache Girl since the whole time and space incident nearly a year ago now. In fact she hadn't even given it much of a second though too focused on her own string of bad luck in losing her job, missing her opportunity of her second job, and afraid she might've had to move back to Nyakuza City and settle for just being a plain chef in one of those cheap food vending vans. At least with that plan she would've still got to cook for a living. And focusing on her good luck with the new job and stresses of moving. Her life had been so busy she barely even remembered the girl before her...Well to be far she hadn't known much of her since moving to Mafia Town either and getting a job working at Mafia Headquarters. She'd sometimes she Mustache Girl causing trouble for the Mafia or running past her escaping or sometimes overhearing the Mafia grumble and complain about her a LOT while she was working. But the time incident might've been the first time she ever spoke to her despite chanting "Get lost!" in a crowd and only two times had she really come face to face with her. Then in the crowd and no just standing one or two yards away from the girl. She was huddled knees up to her chest and arms hugging her legs as she buried her face into her legs making those crying sounds she had heard earlier, her blonde hair tied in two ponytails on each side of her head. She learnt what was making that light at least. A small pathetic fire built just a couple feet away from the girl, why you couldn't have even roasted a marshmallow on it if you tried....She blinked and shook her head. About to turn now. Didn't matter. Best not get involved with someone who nearly destroyed the whole world for some hero complex. If she wasn't careful she might've come after her next for used to work for the Mafia. ...And yet. She couldn't get herself to turn around fully. Staring at the crying girl still as she sniffled....And yet. She WAS still just a child after all. What was she doing here all by herself without anyone to look after her? Well, she guessed Mustache Girl must've felt eyes on her because after a moment the sniffling stopped. And in an instant her head was snapped up and towards the direction of the cat. Yellow eyes met other yellow eyes as the two stared at one another for a long moment. Her eyes widening seeing her face. Pink and puffy from crying so much as a few tears still fell down her face. They continued to stare at one another before with a tilt of her head she decided to speak.

"Oh, uh. Sorry if Ah disturbed you any," the cat apologized shrugging her shoulders. "I was curious 'bout the noise is all."

the girl then gained a scowl before wiping at her face. Ok. Guess she wasn't the talkative kind. "W-Who are you?"

"Mah name's Cookie! What's yours?"

"Why should I tell you that? *sniff* You could be a bad guy!"

"Hm. That's a fair enough answer."..Taking a pause Cookie rose a brow and took another look around the cold and rainy place. Under a bridge was no place for a child. "But what's a lil girl like you doing under this drafty old bridge? It's all chilly." And that was putting it lightly.

She frowned more and turned her face away. "It's n-none of YOUR business! Why don't you mind your own business?"

Both were interrupted by a growling noise. Cookie blinked at the noise of a grumbling stomach and the girl shifted embarrassed more away from her. Slowly she held out her paw towards her. "Good gracious. Was that you're stomach a grumblin' away like that? It sounds like you haven't had a good meal in a while." Looked like it too by the looks of her. Mustache Girl's attention was gained back towards Cookie when the cat held up the bag and shook it making the contents rattle inside. "Say. I've got a great idea! I was just headin' home myself and cook up a delicious meal. Why don'tcha come along and I'll make ya something great ta eat?"

The girl stared at the bag for a big smacking her lips...before frowning again and giving her a suspicious look. "Ha! I wasn't born yesterday y'know. How do I know this isn't some kind of trick? Huh? Why would I go with you?" Her stomach growling a second time answered her making Cookie chuckled a bit.

True. Maybe it was a dangerous or even stupid idea, but...She couldn't just leave a little girl like this all cold and hungry and she'd obviously been crying. And despite what had happened...Giving her a hot meal to cheer her up wouldn't hurt a bit would it? "Come on. I'll whip you up a nice hot meal and you can get out of the rain for a bit. Alright?"

She continued to stare at the cat for a long moment before sighing and standing up. "Fine. But don't try anything! I can spot a bad guy a mile away!"

For better or for worst, Cookie lead her the rest of the way back to her home. But not before making sure to safely put out that fire under the bridge and Giving the little girl her umbrella to help keep the rain off her. Sure she hated the rain hitting her raincoat, but she wasn't about to let this poor hungry girl get all soaked and wet. Well...maybe not poor as she did try to destroy the world once, but right now...Cookie had a feeling she was back to being nothing more than another little girl just as much as that little alien and her friend was. And she couldn't just let a little girl be left all by her lonesome here of all places hungry and in the rain. Mustache Girl side eyeing her suspiciously all the way but she couldn't blame her. This was a sudden choice after all. She blamed it on the motherly cat instinct in her for this 'kitten'. It wasn't long before they arrived back at her home soon to be not home and she followed Cookie inside. Blinking and looking around at all the boxes and packed up things around her.

"I do apologize for the mess," Cookie explained closing the door and going to take her raincoat off, "But Ah'm in the middle of moving you see. So things are gonna be a bit unorganized. Why don't you go sit down and warm up while I get to cooking." Cookie paused as she walked past her, and now noticed how dirty and scraped up the child was now that she had a chance to look her over. "....But first I think you'd better do what everyone does before dinner and go wash up."

"Wash up?"

"Yes. Fully. As in a bath."

"You can't tell me what to do!," she pouted crossing her arms, "And you can't make me take a bath!"

"Hmm. Maybe not but I can control whether or not I give you food if you don't."

She continued pouting for a moment before her stomach grumbled again and she groaned. "UGH! FINE!! But this better not be some trick to fool me into lowering my guard! I should warn you I'm highly strong!"

"Dear the only 'highly strong' thing about you is your oder."

"Hey!"

Not paying attention to her protest, Cookie turned around and started walking away. "Follow me. I'll show you where the bathroom is, and I think I have an outfit that'll fit ya. No way you're wearing those dirty clothes."

Cookie had showed her where the bathroom was and had gifted her an old set of pjs for her to use. They were about the same height so even if they don't fit exactly, they should work in a pinch. As the girl went to bath she went back to the kitchen and set to work. Washing her paws, descaling and deboning the fish, chopping it into pieces, throwing a pan on the stove and turning it on, and starting to throw the fish fillets onto the pan. The fish sizzling inside with the oil and spices and herbs she threw in along the way. Her hard work shown in the delicious smells wafting through the air. Having so much experience cooking meant she could do it pretty fast and get dishes done in record time. Infact during that time, Mustache Girl came walking back in hair down all wet from the bath she took following the smell of food. Cookie caught her out of the corner of her eye and smiled her way.

"Ah! You got here just in time! The fillets are almost done, so you can just sit at the table while you wait. Ok Sugah?" She did as she was told slowly walking over to the chairs and table and climbing into one as the cat continued to cook away at the stove made specifically to her hieght. Sizzling sounds coming from the pan. About twenty minutes later Cookie had put two things on plates and decorated with some veggies on the side before grabbing them and with a smile turned and walked on over to the table. "Here we go. Hope you don't mind fish." She placed the plate right in front of her and noticed the blonde mustache he had previously was gone. Must've been a fake one to make her look tougher she guessed.

She looked to it hungrily and smacked her lips seeing it but still weary. "....What is it?"

"Cheesy fish fillet and some mixed veggies. A recipe I picked up in Nyakuza. Might not be everyone's taste but it's one of my favorite dishes." She stared at it for a little while before reaching out to prod it with the fork provided for her. Before finally taking a piece of it and sticking it into her mouth.....Her golden eyes widened to the size of plates. And she greedily began to dig in. Cookie blinked for a moment watching her scarf it down like her last meal before chuckling. Guess living on the streets meant she hadn't eaten a proper meal in a while. "Guess you were hungry. Slow down. You'll choke on your food. If you're really that hungry I'll give you seconds." And she did. After finishing her own plate she offered her own to the girl who eagerly took that one as well but ate it at a slower place. "You certainly do have a healthy appetite. Your mother must have a handful feeding you."

The girl paused for a moment mid bite....before slowly lowering her fork and giving her plate a frown. ".........I don't ...have parents."

Cookie blinked. Smile completely wiped from her face as she did. No ...parents? "Ya don't have any folks?" She shook her head no again to her question. That...would explain a LOT actually. "Then where's your other family? Surely there must've been somebody."

"Yeah.....Used to be. My grandpa before the Mafia came." She glared at her plate and ended her sentence by stabbing her fork down into the fish.

"Well where is he now?" She again paused.....before shaking her head. And Cookie had a good idea of what that could mean. Before the Mafia came huh? If that's the case she must've been on her own since a very young age, and she was still pretty young. GOODNESS GRACIOUS!! How long has this been going on!? "Goodness gracious." She looked to Cookie when the older cat put a paw on her shoulder with a look of pity...And guilt from even thinking bad about her. Doesn't excuse her misdeeds, but she didn't have anyone to guide her in life so no wonder she went a bit wild. "Sugar, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

...After a moment she frowned again. "It's fine. I'm used to it by now. I thought I could get my town back from the Mafia if I tried hard enough, but it didn't work and now everyone hates me."

"Oh sweetie that's not true. I don't hate you. You're just a little girl." She patted her head much to the girl's surprise. Maybe she DID not like her too much before. But she couldn't say that now. "People make mistakes growing up. That's how we learn."

"......Hey. Why are you being so nice to me anyways? Don't you hate me too for the whole...eh...World domination thing happening?"

Well yes maybe she was still salty about that but this was hardly the time to argue. So instead Cookie smiled. "Because you're just a little girl in a bad town. I don't expect you to be perfect, no one is. In fact this town's the reason I'm moving away."

This seemed to catch her attention as she blinked. "You can do that?"

She chuckled. "Of course. If I'm unhappy where I am I can move somewhere that makes me feel better. I did it before." She looked around at some more boxes. "In two days I'll be out of here on a train."

"Oh wow. I....Hadn't thought of that...Maybe somewhere else can use a hero too?"

She chuckled. "Maybe."......She slowly looked back to her. "Hey, Sweetie. If it's not too personal can I ask you something?" She blinked at Cookie but nodded. "Do you have anyone special here or a home?" .....She shook her head no again. "Then why stay here? You can come with me on the train."

"What?," the little girl asked wide eyed.

"Why not? I don't have anyone to ride it with, and I don't think staying here would be good for either of us. You don't have to say yes, and I'll respect you if you say no of course. Just thought I'd extend a friendly offer to a little girl who needs a hand."

They...continued to stare at one another in the silence other than the rain beating down on the roof...before eventually the girl looked down to her plate with a hum. "Eh. I'll think about it. No promises though."

Cookie chuckled before patting her head again and turning to the doorway. "Well you think about it then while I wash those old clothes of yours. You're free to spend the night on the couch, wouldn't want you caught up in the rain. I can't guarantee it's as comfy as a bed but it's probably a lot better than a rock." She stopped in the doorway all of a sudden before turning. "Oh. By the way. I don't think I caught your name. I don't really think it's 'Mustache Girl', so can you tell me what it really is?"

The girl stared at her STUNNED. As if no one had even given her the time of day to even think to ask that of her. After another silent moment she turned her face back to the food. And mumbled out one word no human could hear under her breath but thanks to her good hearing she heard her speak it. "Muriel."

...Cookie smiled. "Well, Muriel. I believe it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Surprisingly the little girl hadn't ran away the next morning and Cookie smiled seeing her trudge into the kitchen groggy for breakfast she was happy to cook for her. My my. And without the obviously FAKE mustache glued to her face. As promised she had washed and repaired the little girl's clothes from before and while Muriel was suspicious still, she seemed to mellow out around the calm kitty. Especially since she was keeping her belly full and head out of the rain. When two days had gone by and she was ready to leave she found Muriel right behind her. And more so the little girl who was no older than the alien held her paw the whole time and head down to keep from being noticed. The poor dear. Well long story short they both made it onto the train and out of Mafia Town thank GOODNESS. Although the train ride all the way there to a western like town in the middle of the desert with a giant movie studios around it. There were a couple businesses surrounding the studios along with housing and lots of birds living there. By some miracle of luck Cookie had enough money to afford a small house where they stayed and found some odd and end jobs to keep them afloat during the duration of the time before the small alien came back and she was excited to see the small youngster again. Enough to buy a teleport watch this time and go see her. And thus the next stage of her life began. She would visit the little aliens often. Finding them more and more adorable and became a somewhat mother figure to them, making and leaving them food, maybe tidying up a bit for them, and sometimes she'd even bring Muriel. Bow was the first one to fully forgive her bless her heart but Hattie needed more time. Now they got to the stage where they were more frenemies but it was better than full on hating each other and (after hearing the whole story) she had a very long talk with Muriel and had her apologize to them both and promise she'd never take another time piece again. Small but it was a start. She also met the girls' 'Not' BFF. A ghost. An honest to Subcon sixteen foot purple noodle like ghost. Sometimes he was there reading a book and waiting for the two to show up from wherever they went and she would say hi but that was it. But the strangest thing was that he always stole the bacon she brought whenever she tried to cook a dish with it on the ship. Annoyed her to bits but she didn't feel like dealing with a ghost on top of her other problems. Which was finding a job. She did manage to find ONE which was around the time the two girls came back. A cook on a cruise ship who desperately needed one. One call with the number presented in the ad and she had gotten the job! Ecstatic she packed and prepared for Muriel to be watched in that time but tragedy struck before she could even leave for her new job. It was all over the news and everything. The ship went down on it's last cruise. Which left her without a job. Again. Now what were they gonna do? Days went by and she'd still visit the little aliens and cook for them, sometimes she'd even see them around the town and Studios. She must've let it slip that she was having hardships because she'll never forget how that little alien helped her out. One day she was just minding her own business when there was a knock at the door and of course she opened it. Standing on the other side was none other than a moon penguin but not any penguin she'd ever seen before. He looked flashy with big sunglasses and shiny clothes and afro haircut.

"Good Evenin', Darling!," he spoke in a loud and boisterous but happy tone, "I am looking for a fabulous Ms. Cookie. Might the lady of the house be in?"

"Oh. That would be me."

"Excellent! Mind if I come in?"

"Oh. Sure. Have a seat over there."

Muriel and herself was confused as to why a moon penguin was here of all places. The bird made himself at home and introduced himself has Mr. DJ Grooves. ONE OF THE DIRECTORS AT DEAD BIRD STUDIOS!! And he heard from a little alien that cooking was one pecking good cook. He needed a side gig as he called it to help wrack in views and sales. Something simple yet practical. Friendly for all ages. And a cooking show like the little alien suggested was EXACTLY what he needed! It..It must've been some trick right?..Wrong! Mr. Grooves was as serious as a Mafia was stubborn and he happily accepted. The inside of the studios was amazing! She'd never seen so many penguins and props all in one place and the kitchen area set up for her had EVERYTHING she needed! Her heart was back to being happy! Although she was a little nervous to be explaining her recipes and talking to the camera her persistence came through. the show...WAS. A. HIT! Not at first. After five episodes, one per week, she had a few penguins and owls complimenting her for her excellent recipe on birdseed pancakes and her creative use on using no eggs. Which eventually grew into a whole fanbase world wide. Mr. Grooves couldn't be happier either. He never treated her any different than a penguin because she was a cat and seemed ok around Muriel, he was the kindest boss she could ever ask for. Everything was going great. She even got to set up her own small Nyakuzian themed restaurant right across from the studios. It was going so well. Until she met ...HIM that is. Going in only to film one show a week and with the other director being so busy she hadn't ever ran into him before now. She knew there were two directors in the studios and hadn't thought much of it. She just walked into the studios one day to film excited to show the world her famous salted caramel sushi dish when she got into the studios she was in for quite a sight.

"ARE YE MAD!? YE LET A CAT INTO MY STUDIO!?"

She had walked into both directors arguing. Mr. Grooves looking calm and who must've been Mr. Conductor. She had known of him, seen pictures of him, and had seen many of his movies which honestly were pretty good to watch. And now she was watching these two arguing with the Conductor yelling at high volumes at Mr. Grooves who held up a single flipper.

"Calm down, Darling. She's a lovely lady and what do you mean 'your' studio? It happens to belong to the both of us, Conductor."

"Oh yeah!? WELL WHY DIDN'T YA THINK TA TELL ME 'BOUT THAT CAT!? THEY'RE NOTHIN' BUT TRRRRROUBLE!!"

"That's a hateful stereotype. And as the one who hired her, I don't need to tell you anything. You're not her boss. Besides what's it to you? I don't demand to know whenever you get a new hire, Conductor."

"IT'S A CAT!! THEY'RE THE MOST ROTTEN, DASTARDLY, NO GOOD, THIEVIN' PEC-"

"COOKIE!! DARLING!!" Conductor was interrupted by Mr. Grooves throwing out a flipper to wave at her and turn to her, the Conductor's head turning to follow his gaze- And he froze as Cookie approached. "There's my star right on scheduale as usual! I'm hungry for some views so I hope you brought some fabulous food!"

" But of course. I always come prepared!" She blinked looking towards Conductor and blinked at him..before frowning a bit at what he said. "Oh..And you must be Conductor. I heard a lotta 'bout you." Best to be polite in this situation.

Despite her smile the owl-..bird-..man scoffed and crossed his arms. "I can't believe ye let 'er in without even a backrrround check! How do ya know she's nah thief!? You must be the world's biggest PECK NECK or those glasses fog ye vision if ye make such a nah good descision!"

Now that made her frown. More than that. Scowl. What had she done to this man to make him say such a thing to her!? They didn't even know each other and already he was making assumptions about her again. It was like this all her life. Again and again and again now. Something snapped and she decided to give this owl a piece of her mind.

"Excuse me? Thief!? Who ever said I was a thief!? That's a lot ta accuse someone o' when you don't even know them, SIR!!" Conductor opened his mouth but it was closed when the cat his height stepped forward and poked him in the chest her voice raising up. "No decent owl accuses someone who they just met a thief! If ya think this is appropriate behavior of an owl you're age then you're sadly mistaken! How DARE you make such accusations!!" He opened his mouth again. "QUIET!! I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO USE SUCH VILE LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE ME!!"

"Bu-Bu-but-"

"Maybe some folks let ya get away with that but I don't care!!" She took more steps towards him backing him up until his back bumped against the front desk. "Ya don't even know all the hard work and set backs ah had ta endure 'cuz of small minded people like yourself think ah'm nothin' but a thief when they don't even know me! I would NEVER steal something after all the opportunities that was stolen from me! So maybe you should think about that 'fore ya insult someone again! What if someone called you a bad director or your movies were absolute garbage!? And don'tcha DARE insult Mr. Grooves! He's done nothin' to ya! If you can't respect him as your rival then the least you could do is respect him as another person in your profession. As far as I've seen he's been nothin' but polite and kind to everyone and considering he's not in mah face yellin' like a baby bird for his mama!" Her face was inches away from his now as she scowled and he gulped. Face turning red and feathers puffing up slightly from their closeness. "Now if ya'll excuse me-" She turned on her heel away from her to start stepping towards the Penguins' side of the studios. "-Ah have a show to run and some sushi rolls to caramel dip! Have a nice day, Mr. Conductor."

More silence settled around the entire place as Conductor dropped his jaw and the only sound that came out of him was something that sounded like 'A-Ah...ah..ah ah ah.....' in a stuttery way. Mr. Grooves's eyes were wide watching the cat disappear...before laughing a deep but loud laugh that filled the room with an almost joyful mood. That seemed to snap the Conductor from his trance and glared in the laughing penguin's direction.

After a moment, Mr. Grooves stopped and turned his gaze up to Poppy with a smile. "Darling! I never could've said that any better than how she did!"

"Wh-Wh-Who w-was even that!?"

"THAT was Ms. Cookie but don't let that little spat fool you. She's as sweet as candied birdseed." He reached over to pat his shoulder before Mr. Grooves also turned to follow after Cookie. "I'd love to stay and chat more, Conductor Dear, but I'm afraid she's not the only one with a scheduale to keep. I'll catch you later."

"Hmph!" He huffed crossing his arms still red faced as he disappeared. "Cat person p-peckneck....*sigh*...W-What a woman."

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Lonely Stranger

Word Count: 1,340 (+ lyrics- in bold italics)  Character: Ryan Brenner  A/N: This was a real damn treat for me to write, as well as an agonizing experience. I’ll explain a little more. Title of this drabble and lyrics used belong to Eric Clapton, not Ryan Brenner or I... and if you haven’t heard the song, please listen before, during or after you read this.  

(ARTIST APPRECIATION SUBMISSION)

Happy Sunday everyone! I am so pumped to share this next submission for the fanart appreciation event, for many reasons. First of all, the art itself is literally breathtaking. The incredible attention to the smallest of details in this not only show how badass this artist is, but perfectly mirror Ryan’s attention to the little things. The moment that I got this submission from @something-tofightfor to write for the piece that  @gollyderek did that was inspired by Neon Lights, I just about exploded with excitement. First of all, Neon Lights is my favorite piece of fanfiction on this or any plane of existence. If you haven’t read it you absolutely have to. Secondly, Laura’s artwork for it was and still is my happy place because it so perfectly depicts the magic of the moment that reader first sees Ryan. In fact, it makes lots of people’s days better, Laura. When she submitted this request, Rachael told me that this artwork makes her happy even on bad days. 

So the chance to write about not only a beautiful work of art, but one inspired by a beautiful work of fiction was sort of fricking amazing! I decided (with @something-tofightfor​ ‘s blessing, of course- Thanks for trusting me, Rachael!) to write this from Ryan’s POV. 

Anyway! I could continue to gush about how talented both of these ladies are and how much both of their works mean to me, but let’s get on with it. Laura, from Rachael (and I) to you: THANK YOU FOR GIFTING US ALL WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART. YOU ARE TALENTED. YOU ARE APPRECIATED. YOU ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. Keep fuckin shit up in the best way. 

(Can you hear him singing? I can. Good Lord, I can.) 

Lonely Stranger

Once his fingers began to work at the strings, the guitar in Ryan’s lap stopped being separate from him. Hunched over the body and curved around the neck, he let the faces in the small crowd that had gathered disappear and gave all of his focus to the song he was playing. While he enjoyed playing for people, even taking requests to ensure that he played things that they actually knew and wanted to hear, what he enjoyed the most about music was the way that it didn’t begin and end with just his voice or his guitar. It required more than that. Soul and memory. Joy and mistakes. Got plenty’a both. 

Making music was about feeling all of these things and using them to say something through song, regardless of whether or not it was one he’d written. It was his chance to talk to people he might otherwise not get the opportunity to. Just as they slipped beneath the notes he played and the lyrics he sang, he felt himself become invisible to them. His dusty boots, stained jeans, roughly inked digits and all of the preconceived notions that they carried became muted details that mattered less and less with every pluck and pass of his fingers and thumbs, every line he belted out. Ryan became invisible enough to connect with these strangers, just enough to make them smile and keep him believing that people were better on the whole than the worst of their parts. 

They didn’t mind that they’d never see him again, and the older he got and the more he traveled, he realized that he didn't either. Ryan had a few people in his life that he knew would always be a part of it- Georgie and a couple of the friends that they played with together, Virginia, even if every day it got closer to too long since he’d seen her. Cowboy, even though he was gone. Ryan’s closed eyelids wrinkled as he connected that loss to the story he was telling with his song. 

I must be invisible No one knows me. I have crawled down dead-end streets On my hands and knees.

The people who knew him weren’t the ones standing in front of him as he sat perched on a milk crate suspended over the Strip. Those people were scattered elsewhere, acting as anchors for him to return to when needed, as he was to them- people who understood him, accepted him beyond what they could see and without trying to change him. Those people were few and far between, both figuratively and in miles, and Ryan had recently decided that that was for the best. He hadn’t left his home looking for someplace to settle into a new one, he’d done it to live on his own terms. It had been years since he’d met someone who had seen him beneath what they guessed about him, those guesses more often than not being wrong, so he’d stopped hoping for it. 

'cause I'm a lonely stranger here, Well beyond my day. And I don't know what's goin' on, So I'll be on my way.

It was easier to just make these little connections through music, to focus on the details of the city he was in. The skyline, the way clouds gathered and the colors that they cast over the landscape, cobbled streets and gravel roads, highways and bright lights and everything that made each place he visited different from the one before. That’s why he’d chosen the life he had, regardless of what people thought, and it was easier to enjoy those things than it was to try to find another person who saw them the way that he did, saw his lifestyle as a series of intentional choices and not one of circumstantial consequence. 

The desert heat hadn’t left with the sunlight, and though sweat ran in beads between his shoulder blades and left salty trails from his forehead and temples that dried on his skin before reaching his beard, he hardly noticed. He opened his eyes briefly as he played between lyrics, a few more people stepping up to join the audience, their featureless faces reflecting the colors of the neon lights that brought the city to life. Just people on vacation, checking “watch a street performer” off of their Vegas to-do list. Crinkled dollar bills and a small cache of coins littered the lining of the guitar case at his feet, and he was grateful for every cent of it because it allowed him to continue to live the life he wanted, even if it meant becoming a small detail in the scrapbooks of other people’s lives. 

He blinked as a drop of sweat rolled into his eye, and shook his head to clear it without missing a beat. Opening both eyes again, Ryan expected to be met with the same cluster of strangers that he’d just seen, but where before when his eyes had been able to skim across the crowd with ease, this time they found a sticking point- a young woman standing off to the side in a simple black dress, a soft pink glow illuminating her from behind. What? Ryan’s brow wrinkled, and he gave another small shake of his head as though trying to clear a mirage from his mind. 

But you were still there, your eyes wide and your mouth slightly open, body entirely still. But she’s… listening. Ryan closed his eyes, tight, and sunk himself back into the song. Doesn’t matter.   

Some will say that I'm no good; Maybe I agree. Take a look then walk away. That's alright with me.

But you hadn’t heeded the warning in the song. You’d stuck around as most of the crowd dispersed, continuing on to the destinations that his presence on the bridge had delayed them from. Why? He looked down as you tossed a bill into the case, the green paper landing on the small pile of other bills but standing out starkly due to the number in the corner being much higher than any that it sat atop. Oh. That’s… 

“That’s too much, you don’t have to-” he said aloud, assuming that you’d meant to slip something smaller into the case. Bringing his eyes up to yours, they locked onto something there that surprised him. Lips suddenly dry, his tongue darted out to wet them. “Please, that’s not-” 

But you wouldn’t let it go, insisting that he take the tip and the praise that came along with it. You didn’t run off, having checked a box and eager to check another, but stepped aside as he briefly thanked those that did have somewhere else to be. You stayed through another song- one he’d written- watching and listening with the same look on your face, closer now, the curve of your cheek and the tip of your nose highlighted by the yellow orange glow of a different set of lights. She’s… he thanked the couple in front of him, giving them a genuine smile and telling them to have a nice evening, but he was still stuck on your eyes. She’s stunning but I...it... When you’d overheard him answer someone else’s question of what his name was, you hadn’t waited for him to introduce himself to you before using it yourself, and when you did he could feel the way that his own eyes lightened, smiling from the unexpected way you’d maintained the connection that others so easily dropped the second the last note faded. 

Close enough now to see even more than he’d been able to before, Ryan realized what had made you different, even if he couldn’t fathom how he knew it. She’s been lonely, too. Knows it's not all bad, bein’ alone. It wasn’t sadness in your eyes that gave that away, it was clarity. Damn. But instead of looking for a way to cut it off, Ryan held onto the connection that the two of you shared, offering to play a song of your choosing. 

To him, your choice had only confirmed what he didn’t know how he knew about you. The odd comfort and jarring change of being seen, even if just for the length of a few songs adding to the list of things he’d add to the guitar, to his voice: Soul and memory. Joy and mistakes. 

And this… no matter what category tonight falls into.  

.

.

.

And now I am going to go cry about how much I love Ryan Brenner and this perfectly frozen moment in time that @gollyderek​ captured from @something-tofightfor​ ‘s beautiful words. SWOON and SIGH. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it even if it made me nervous AF and choosing a song for Ryan to be singing was more difficult than it should have been. Thank you a million times to all of you fabulous artists! If you are an artist in the Ben Barnes fandom, or you want to surprise an artist with a quick drabble based on their art, send me a message and link me to the posted artwork. Let’s show these talented folks how much we appreciate them and the things that they create!