[Vexx]

Volume 03 Chapter 20 ("Legs")

Spoiler for vol 03 ch 20 content:

“Legs” – ZZ Top
Glycerin peered intently at the grill chef’s hands as he prepared breakfast for the band. Her view was shared with her other self, the one who called herself Ping.

Are you memorizing all this, Ping? You seem to have become a touch better at estimating quantities than I am.

The tall woman nodded to herself and then heard Tsika clapping. Glycerin realized that Tsika had been chattering to her the whole time she was focused on discerning the recipe for the omelet the tall guitarist was about to eat.

“You are so brave, Glycca Ping! I did not think you’d wear the outfit! I have all the stuff to make it work! You will look very dangerous and sexy onstage tonight!”

Bloody hell! What did we just agree to? My little doll has that devilish grin she has when she dresses us in something risqué! We wonders who the actual doll is when she likes to dress me up like she does!

“Ya gotta try this, ya blooming idiot. We be running owt o’ Japan time!” Sashiko was trying to shove something Glycerin didn’t recognize down darling Hank’s throat. He was resisting.

“Wait! Wait! Give me a chance to slug down this beer first to inoculate me! That smells worse than fishy kim chee and looks like it died before we got to Japan!”

“Is black becuz it is fookin’ black tofu! Wouldn’t be black if it weren’t black!”

Glycerin took odds that Sashiko didn’t actually eat the stuff herself. Even Glycerin balked at that dish and she would eat almost anything that wasn’t crawling off the table too fast. The shy guitarist felt a large warm hand wrap around her neck and begin gently massaging her shoulders. She couldn’t help purring at the touch.

“We may have to find you an even lighter guitar when we get back, Little Dancer. You keep stepping up your energy level on stage … you must lose five pounds a performance with all that exercise.”

“Not if-if it means my Blar touches me less. S-s-s-so nice after the g-gigs. We loves his touch.”

A small crash at the end of the table drew both Glycerin and Blar’s attention. Kpau was laughing and snapping pictures while dodging Tsika’s attempts to stab her with a chopstick.

“Augh! No fucking god damn pictures! I was slurping my noodles! My makeup isn’t done and my hair is exploding mess! Fuck you! Sit still and let me stab you!”

“Nuh uh! This is fabulous blog stuff! Princess caught in the raw! Well, not so raw. I did give you that pic back when your towel slipped the other night. Whoa! You’re getting faster! Eat! Eat! Vampire hummingbirds have to eat!”

Glycerin smiled gratefully. Her friends. These were her friends. They took care of her and protected her, keeping her out of some scary asylum. She loved them. She could get up there on stage, and pass through the terror into her happy place with them. Her omelet dish arrived and she examined it, trying to memorize the seasoning smells. She snapped a picture of it and then began eating. She could see Blar’s eyebrows wrinkling as she sniffed her food.

“Okay, why do YOU take pictures of your food? I see people do it for webby narcissist reasons but why you?”

“My Blar, we w-want to make these dishes at home, s-s-s-so Ping and I are both figuring the recipes out and remembering. The p-p-pictures, they helps us remember.”

Kpau snapped a rapid fire of photos at everyone at the table before a tragic expression took her face. “Oh my god, now I’m homesick! I miss your cooking, big Mouse!”

Blar wolfed down the last of his croquettes. “Just hold it together a few more days. Tonight is the Field of Heaven stage performance. That’s a level up for us. We’ll be playing our original works to a large audience with some important ears listening.” The long-haired man checked his notebook. “Has anyone seen Sasaki? I’d like to see a couple of bands playing in the afternoon before we set up.”

Sashiko stuck her hand up in the air. “The wee sprite is sayin’ bye to her beau. I done think we’ve made him sick with all the partying and odd hours. I dew think he had fun once he got used to our crazy foreign nonsense.”

Hank was chugging his beer after blanching at the bite of the rotten tofu delicacy. “Ugh. Yeah, I think Sasaki scored more points with him with all the swag and backstage moments. He got to see some major talent just hanging out.”

“Heh! And now! Now we know Sasaki-chan makes some fascinating noises in the night with Keiichi! Almost as much porn radio as the vampire! Must be something about the tiny throats!” Kpau rolled and hopped up to run as Tsika took after her in hot pursuit.

Blar rolled his eyes as he put his napkin down. “Tsika might actually murder Kpau after that crack.”

Glycerin stopped him from getting up. She got up instead. “We’ll g-go check, love. You can have the rest of my omelet. I’m full. We don’t thinks there’s a real problem. Kpau is probably consoling her already while apologizing.”

Glycerin happily ran her fingers through Blar’s hair to straighten it out before heading off to tend to her warrior princess doll and her little white dove.

* * *

“Bloody hell! Tsika! Where-Where is the rest of my bl-bloody blooming costume?!”

“But … you said you’d wear it, Glycca! I made it special!”

Glycerin winced as she looked at what looked like mere scraps of clothing laying on the bed. Tsika didn’t often use the personal pronoun with her Russian-accented English. When she did, there were almost always sad puppy eyes and a pout to go with it.

“Yes, love, I did agree we supposes. We’ll try it on but you might want to grab an extra bottle of rum for me.”

A few minutes later, Glycerin stared in horror at the mirror. So much skin!

“It’s not much more skin than your bikini top and school girl skirt, Glycca Ping. Does Ping like it?”

Glycerin let Ping have control while she took a time out to absorb the outfit Tsika had designed. The swap was a dance the two personalities were getting fairly adept at, even if Ping’s antics did make Glycerin blanch in embarrassment.

“I thinks it is scrumptious, pretty doll Tsika! Though … Glycca may need some bravery booze. It is quite naughty and evil looking! But nothing that might fall off. It all fits quite tightly! Lookit me legs! And me bum! Oooh, Mister Blar certainly is!”
Ping faded back into her shadows as Glycerin jerked around to see Blar at the door with a dumbfounded look on his face. She could feel her face radiating rosy heat. Tsika rocked on her heels in satisfaction.

“That’s the look I hoped for from dimwitted Bear! Was same look as when I showed off my sexy leather shorts back in Big Sur! Am I genius at fashion or what? Dance for him, Glycca Ping!”

“We most certainly bloody will not! No, Ping! I shan’t embarrass myself anymore!” Glycerin stared at her Blar’s boots as she meekly stepped towards him. “But … but my Blar … he … he likes it?”

Large warm arms encircled her and gentle fingers stroked the back of her head and neck.

“Yes, Little Dancer. You’re absolutely mesmerizing. But you don’t have to wear it no matter what Tsika says if it is going to make you too nervous or scared.”

“Hey! Why am I taking god damned blame?! She said she would fucking wear it at breakfast! She is beautiful in it! Legs up to my god damned eyeballs, juicy slinky butt, magnificent ti—ah, I stop now!” Tsika’s shoulders slumped. “Glycca doesn’t have to wear it if it scares her too bad.”

Glycerin tightened her jaw. She so hated her swamp of terror, fear, and panic that still dogged her daily life. She huffed to stop tears as her anger rose. “We WILL wear it. For my Tsika! And because our man gets that goofy expression when he looks at us.”
Glycerin’s cheeks were roasting after she spit that last part out. She was fairly shaking from the effort.

How does everyone else say such naughty things so easily?!

Tsika clapped and joined in hugging Glycerin. “Will be fantastic onstage, my Mouse! Wear your trench coat until we get there. Is cool enough this evening for it. Even I am going to wear something risky and am wearing coat. Kpau and Sashiko are wearing their strap-grommet things Kpau made with tight slacks. Is okay for making fashion contrast I think.”

“Maybe I’ll just take my shirt off. That’s about the only way anyone is going to notice me tonight.” Blar laughed. “I am still not stepping up enough to all this glam and glitter you four like.”

“I would dress you more, Bear, but just cannot figure out the manly fashion that would blend. You kind of are what you are. Don’t want to change that. You are not David Bowie nor are you theatrical metal like Cradle of Filth. Your open shirtless vest just seems to be you. I could embroider it? Wouldn’t want to do too much.”

Glycerin liked that the attention had swiveled from her to Blar. It let her take a moment to get used to the idea of the racy outfit Tsika had fashioned for her. It also made her happy to watch Blar squirm a bit as Tsika’s fashion design mania took hold. The little Russian was actually circling Blar as she stewed about dressing him.

“Whoa, fook! You’re smokin’ in those shorts, Glyc! Hang on, gotta reboot my stallion here. He done crashed.” Sashiko thumped Hank on the head as the pair stepped in from the suite’s common area. “If he cannae pretend to ignore ‘em – you’re gonna bloomin’ melt the stage! Soooo …. eh?”

Sashiko raised her arms and spun around slowly, showing off the straps that made up the entirety of her upper garment. “Consolations, Glyc. I feel lahk a burlesque stripper meself in this thing Kpau has on me.”

“You’re going to have the freckle counters in the audience transfixed, Sashiko.” Blar patted Tsika on the head and gave her a light push into Glycerin’s encircling arms.

“H’okay, h’okay, I get it. Is big project for fall to figure out proper Bear grooming. I hear Sasaki out there. Let’s go. Maybe we meet Black Sabbath on helicopter tonight.”

Kpau leaned into the room and tossed coats at their respective owners. “They ain’t here, ya vampire. More likely another garage band like us. Sasaki is out in the hall vibrating, let’s go, ya goobers! It’s showtime!”

* * *

“I guess this is what passes for the ‘Green Room’. Hey, I thought we were the opening act! Someone is up there making some serious rumbles!” Kpau watched the trailer’s ceiling vibrate with stream of sound pulses blasting from the stage.

Sasaki nodded happily as she helped Tsika maneuver an ashen Glycerin to a chair. “Yes! Change was made yesterday! They did not move your performance time, they expanded schedule! Your audience should be even bi-- …” Tsika’s death glare stopped Sasaki’s chatter. “Oh! Uh, yeah, we’re good.”

Glycerin was still recovering from the helicopter trip over. The ride had been bumpy with a couple of air pocket drops, breaking whatever tenuous hold the guitarist had with stability.

“Is th-there rum somewhere? We’d like a drinksie? Several?”

“Darling boy Hank and Sashiko are all over it, Mouse. Here, let me massage your temples. Look in my eyes, my lovely Mouse. Good girl … lovely girl … my precious Mouse.” Tsika stared into her friend’s fearful eyes as she massaged her friend’s temples and scalp. She couldn’t help herself. She kissed Glycerin with gentle passion.

“Oh my, bloody hell, love! You did that … in front of … thank you?! We feels wonderful now … but we’d still like the rum and cola?!”

“Fuck ‘em if they can’t get used to it, Glycca Ping. Practicing for the wedding.” Tsika knew she was blushing and jerked her eyes around to glare at everyone. She was surprised to encounter only smiles and smirks.

“Pbffffffft. Vampire, we know how it works. You do what ya gotta do for the band. And some things you do for the band because you love them. I am so fucking happy right now I need to pee. Off to see where our rum runners have gotten off to.” Kpau saluted and left the trailer.

Sasaki seemed the most stunned. “Now I wonder if something is different with me. I just saw huge love, not icky at all. Blar-san?”

“I love these two. That’s just how it is. I also love Kpau, I’m very fond of Sashiko. Hell, I think I’m in love with you, Sasaki-chan. No, no, you’re safe! Ha! But I’ll warn you you’re going to get an American-style bear hug before we leave.”

“Like you all like to say, Sasaki gets it! Still terrified, but I get it. I will fearfully await the nice hug when I least expect it. I will go check with stage manager now and make sure gear is in proper location. Zutto tsuzukete, Blar-sama!” She bowed deeply to Blar and excused herself.”

Blar sat down next Tsika and Glycerin. Tsika was still gently rubbing Glycerin’s forehead and temples as she sat in the tall woman’s lap.

“Do we leave the playlist alone?”

“Yes, stupid-head. We are all too frazzled by just being here to make last second change. It will be fine. We play to each other and have fun. Don’t we, Glycca Ping? Just for each other we play.”

“Yes, love. You’re qu-quite transparent but we appreciates it. Hold off a second. We wants another kind of fix.”

Glycerin leaned over and kissed Blar. Tsika processed her own feelings watching them. No anger. No insecurity. Little glimmers of happiness. So alien. It didn’t hurt that they both had their arms around her.

“Your turn, love.” Tsika leaned towards Blar but Glycerin intercepted her and kissed Tsiks. Warm, soft, shy little kiss and then a giggle. “Sorry, love, I pl-played you a little. Kiss your manservant now.” More giggles. Those sounds made Tsika happy enough she knew she was dripping tears as she kissed Blar.

“The stupid Bear helped my Glycerin get to this point. Will always LOVE …. THERE! I said it without stumbling! I LOVE my Bear!. I love you, Blar. I am defenseless. You can eat my heart at your leisure.” Tsika kissed Blar hard and passionately. She pulled back and mockingly glared at Glycerin.

“You get far too excited watching that, Mouse. A very naughty Mouse!”

Both Tsika and Glycerin broke into laughter, as Blar rolled his eyes and bumped their heads together.

“Okay, we’re centered. We got tonight and tomorrow night. Then a couple of days to play before we head home. Sashiko is going to drag us all over the area looking for her roots like I told her she could. And here’s the rum!”

Hank entered the trailer followed by Sashiko and Kpau. All were carrying bottles of rum and cola. “I didn’t pick up an entire bar, just went with Glycerin’s favorite. Rum and cola for all. Rock on, I guess.”

* * *

Glycerin adjusted the strap on her belt that held the wireless for her mike and guitar. She was a little concerned about the weight of it pulling her brief shorts down and kept tightening it.

Don’t look at the audience. We hears them. Keep our hat tilted, our hair a curtain. Watch our friends. We’re playing for our friends. Sod buckets. We knows they’re out there. We just won’t look.

She watched Tsika over across on the opposite side of the stage. The little princess was joyful to watch, bouncing on her toes like in the old days when Glycerin would watch her at gymnastics at boarding school. Glycerin actually giggled. Tsika was doing exactly the same warm-up routine from when she was a teenager. It sent her twin tailed hair flying like enormous rabbit ears. Bouncing, kicking in the air with her small legs. Lovely to watch. Tsika spotted her looking and waved. The Russian bass player clicked her mike for group chat to the rest.

“Mouse! Everyone! To play a god damned wrong note is insignificant! Is mosquito shit! To play without passion is fucking inexcusable!”

Glycerin heard Kpau’s voice over the line. “Ooh, ooh! I got that one! Beethoven! Who is Beethoven for five hundred?! Though I’m purty darn sure there’s a few extra words courtesy of a Tsika transmogrification.”

Glycerin keyed her mike. “Here’s some bloody p-passion for you, love.”

The first note off of her fingertips ripped a hole in the soundscape of the gathering crowd. It was followed by several hundred more notes delivered at near-lightning speed racing up and down multiple octaves. The crowd took up a cheer as Blar and Tsika added power chords to supply foundation to the metallic screams. Glycerin shifted from free form chaos and jazz to the opening refrain of their original piece as Kpau and Sashiko joined in with their counter-melodies. The silver-white light spot on Glycerin helped to conceal the audience. She could handle their sounds, just not the eyes.

Not quite yet. We play to our friends, the people we love.

Author's note: this is a really short chapter that just barely addresses my outline for this part of the story. Getting back into gear after the holidays and frankly - a lot of time devoted to marketing volume one and editing volume two as well as getting the photo shoot for volume two complete.
Muddle on ...

edit: I have yet to figure out why once in a while the tldr tag barfs and I have to use a spoiler. I'm pretty sure it's any use at all of any diacritical.