L A L I A

Not everyone can say they’ve been to the Big Apple, but  [ LALIA KHAN ], a [ 29 ] year-old [ CIS FEMALE ] has lived in [ ASTORIA, QUEENS ] for [ 10 YEARS ]. This is the city of dreams and [ SHE ] knows it, because they came to NYC to be a [ POP STAR ]. Living in the city means they meet all kinds of people, but everyone always seems to think they look like [ JADE THIRLWALL ]. They even got away with free cab fare once because of it!

He was a little nervous about the whole thing. It was his first official pride. Normally he was busy working, but he managed to get time this week to attend the weekend festivities. “Of course, Lal.” He’d always be supportive of his friends, even if he couldn’t be of himself. Hadi would have loved to branch out, to explore everything as much as Lalia had. Something told him his traditional parents weren’t exactly the kind to take well to that. Afterall, he already turned down his uncle’s job offer to play with crime scenes.

.

She wanted to ask about his parents, but she didn’t always want to talk about hers. Lalia’s father had been raised Muslim, but had converted to Christianity for Lalia’s mom before they were married. Everything about religion in general was so complicated in Lalia’s mind, and everything about it seemed so huge and important, it was daunting. That was what she’d been running from when she left Texas, more than anything. So the topics of religion and parents mostly hung in the air between her and Hadi now, even if (at least on the surface) they had very little else in common.

“What do you want to do after this?” she asked, stealing a fry from his plate, even though she had a plate of her own. “I think we should wait a while before we go on any rides; I don’t want you puking fries on my incredible dress.”

Closed: @xlalia​ Location: Yoga Studio 

“Bring your hand to your heart center, carry all that energy with you moving forward for the rest of your day, week, month, and year. Thank you everyone!” Yoga wasn’t something that she had picked up until she graduated from college. It was recommended to her by her boss and since then she’d been hook. It helped relieve stress and allow her to keep all the loud noise and busyness of the world out. Getting to lead people in that was an awesome opportunity. Rolling up her mat, she waved over at Lalia. “Hey, good job today. How are you? You hungry?” 

.

Lalia was not innately skilled at centering her energy, or being what anyone would describe as ‘calm’. She loved yoga because it made her body feel good, and she did do her best to chill her mind out, but her thoughts were always racing. The more complicated poses required more concentration, which quieted the constant jabbering in her mind a little, but mostly were just opportunities for her to fall on her ass in front of her hot instructor.

Today, though, she had managed to keep from embarrassing herself, which was all she could ask for these days. She sipped her water, feeling proud of herself, and the already-awesome day was brightened further by the hot instructor waving her over. “Thank you!” she beamed, “You were incredible, as always. You make everything look so easy. I am actually starving. I heard there’s a new little smoothie shop down the road, have you been there?”

While it was completely impossible to sneak anywhere dressed the way she currently was, Lalia was trying her best. Over-the-knee holographic glitter boots were not the best for climbing, but she was determined to see what was on the other side of this fence. If she ripped her little tutu skirt train, so be it. She’d risk a cool breeze on her ass for a bit of fun with Aequorea.

“There’s got to be something good over here,” she said, pulling her skirt over with her as she landed, and holding out her hand in case her friend needed it. “The ghosts of drag queens past, or something, right?”

🌙

Thalia felt like a bottle of champagne: considerable alcoholic content but could stand to do with some more, bubbling right over her brim with laughter and excitement. She’d been waiting for this moment for quite some time, Pride being perhaps the most fitting place of all to make their debut. “If you pick anything other than a Cheetah Girls song, I’m leaving you,” she replied in earnest, hands resting on Lalia’s shoulders and squeezing them. “Listen, I hope you like sharing the stage, Bubbles, because once we do this, I’m gonna insist that every performance I do from now ‘til the end of time be with you.” 

✨

“Nooo, don’t leave me,” she said, turning her head toward her shoulder to kiss Thalia’s fingers. She squealed a bit when she found the Cheetah Girls on the list, and immediately put Strut in with their names. She turned around, her smile as bright as her ridiculous outfit. “You know, I have been in a girl group before. It was only slightly disastrous, but I blame that on the closet stifling my creativity. And I blame the early 2000s for the wardrobe choices,” she smirked. “My point is, I think I could share the spotlight again... but only with you.”

“I’m so glad you came,” Lalia beamed. She knew things like this weren’t exactly Hadi’s vibe (although fries and drinks were his thing, fries and drinks with a woman dressed hair to heels as a drag queen, maybe not so much). He was a quiet, sciencey person, at least in comparison to her, but he’d never asked her to tone anything down, and she tried her best not to drag him too far from his comfort zone. “Thanks for hanging out with me.”

Already quite tipsy, and laughing at everything and nothing, Lalia scanned the available songs for karaoke, almost bouncing with excitement at getting to sing with Thalia. “I hope you know I’m going straight to the Cheetah Girls section and if they don’t have any of their songs, I’m walking right out,” she joked.

pride drag karaoke 2022