::Sneaker's SnacShak – Cheerful Nihilism::

"We won! We won, we won, we won, WE WON!"

To say Karen was charged up after watching the drawing would have been an understatement. The girl was so amped up she was literally doing cartwheels in the street as Kenny walked with her to carry out a few Saturday errands; not least of which was going to Sneaker's and picking up the voucher that confirmed that Karen was, indeed, the lucky winner of the drawing. Before that, however, he had a certain mechanical horror to get rid of as fast as possible, which meant they were traveling the sidewalks to get to his lab partner's house and dump the simulated child on his simulated mother for the weekend.

He might have joined his sister in her excited bouncing, but the doll currently cradled in his arms had woken him upwards of seven times the night before, ensuring that sleep was minimal and of poor quality. His contribution to the celebration was a warm smile and a ruffling of her hair with his free hand as she returned to walking at his side. Giggling, she took his gloved hand off of her head and held it in hers, containing her bounces for the moment. Then, all at once, she seemed to realize something and yanked her hand away to pull out the cellphone he'd given her to help her stay in contact.

Glancing down, he saw her opening a group chat with her friends. Seeing as no one else had made a post since yesterday afternoon, he had to guess none of her buddies actually watched the drawing this morning. Karen was excitedly typing in all caps, and he decided to give her a little privacy by not peeping any further.

A few more steps down the sidewalk, and Karen let out a sharp laugh.

"What's up?" Kenny quested through his scarf, checking house numbers. He knew he was on the right street, but he'd never been to Sammy's before- but it seemed they were only a few houses down. Now I just gotta hope Chuck doesn't decide to need a change between here and there. If he's crying when I get there, she might refuse to take him, or accuse me of doing a bad job.

"Ike and Tricia." Karen responded, lagging behind a little as she tapped out a response, glancing up, and trotting to keep up with her brother's longer strides. "Ike's all like miracles do happen and Tricia's like shuttup and be happy and-" She shook her head, the twin braids she'd done her hair in today flopping back and forth over her shoulders. She'd fully embraced her black and pink theme this weekend, with a heavy black sweater and lace choker, but with pink gloves, a pink buckle on the choker, and pink bands tying off her hair. If the sweater got shrugged down on her shoulders, one could spy a pink undershirt. She had a long black skirt that the wind batted at, with somewhat uneven little skulls and crossbones that alternated pink and white that she'd personally embroidered into the hem, finished up with pink leggings and black boots.

Kenny had found a lot of that stuff at second-hand stores for her. Some of it, like the big heavy sweater and the boots, had actually been gifts from Henrietta- the two girls still talked, even after Karen stopped wearing eyeliner and decided coffee was a little too bitter for her. It was also Henrietta that taught Karen how to embroider, letting her take 'old poser clothes' and turn them into something of her own style. Apparently Henrietta still filed Karen as 'just goth enough' to be nice to, and tended to hand off anything she'd grown out of to Kenny so he could pass it on to Karen.

I feel like we should tell her about the drawing- she'd probably turn down an invitation, but it would let her know we thought about her.

"All the usual noises, sounds like." Kenny smirked. "Think we should grab 'em before we go collect your golden ticket?"

"Ike just asked if we're gonna meet up." Karen confirmed with a nod. "Where should I tell 'em?"

"Bus-stop should be good." Kenny noted, thinking about it. "Tell Ike to bring Kyle? I got some crap to do with my friends today, too."

He'd text Kyle and the others as soon as he had both hands free for it. He was certain the doll reacted to cellphone use; every time he had his in his hand, it seemed that's when Chuck would start crying for no goddamn reason besides 'pay attention to me!'. Stan was already part of his plan for the day, along with Alyssa, Butters, and Wendy. If Kyle was tacked into the group, it at least made them all part of the conspiracy that had screwed Cartman out of a pizza party... and would probably make Stan's cooperation a lot more likely and a little less bitchy.

Thankfully, they'd arrived at Sammy's house, and Chuck was still quiet.

Ike was right, miracles did happen.

"On it." Karen stated, hanging back as Kenny mounted the doorstep and knocked, eagerly awaiting release from his responsibility so he could focus on helping his little sister have a happy birthday.

"I get the feeling your brother and his friends are up to something."

Karen had noticed that whenever a group of five or more people were going anywhere, they inevitably broke up into groups. Whether it was a car getting split into two conversations that occasionally crossed over when someone laughed or shouted, or walking down the street and splitting into clumps according to walking speed, a separation always occurred. This rule held true when she and her brother arrived at the bus stop; Tricia, Dougie, and Ike had been waiting for them, with the addition of Kyle and Dee. As they moved out, heading north into downtown before they hung a left towards restaurant row and the edge of town, the split occurred between age groupings. Dee, always with his head down over his phone and his curly red hair tucked beneath his black knit hat, took the lead while tapping away at something on his screen. Kyle and Kenny stuck close to him, opening up a muted conversation that probably started with Kenny expressing his sympathies about Kyle's possession of his own robotic baby... which Karen could only assume was coded male by all the blue clothing.

It was Tricia who had aired suspicion, peering up at the trio of boys who led the way, Kyle currently 'feeding' his doll after it had started crying during the walk.

"Oh, they are." Ike agreed. "Kyle got all weird when I told him to come with, asking if Kenny said why he wanted to meet up and packing his pockets with random shit when I said I didn't know. Guy should just get a fucking purse like mom so he can carry all his stupid contingency plans everywhere he goes. Fucker's neurotic."

"Interesting." Dougie observed. "Butters has been excitable since Thanksgiving, as well as secretive. Tricia, has your brother been weird lately?"

"Do I look like I spy on my brother?" Tricia responded flatly, shaking her head. "Craig's the same as always; not giving a fuck; same old, same old. I'm just saying, those guys look like they're up to something. Enough of something that the boyfriends aren't walking next to each other."

"No, they're just like that." Karen chimed in. "When other people are around, Dee tends to take point."

"Wait, those two are actually dating?" Dougie blinked. "But the rumor is that Dee's going out with Butters."

"Red herring." Ike debunked without room for debate. "Stan told Kyle after a girl in their class figured it out the day after Halloween- the hot one, Bebe."

"They're not exactly doing great keeping the secret themselves- Craig caught them hugging in the boy's bathroom last week." Tricia smirked. "It's only a matter of time before the yaoi girls catch wind of it, and then the whole town is gonna know."

"But that means Mysterion and Buttlord..." Dougie murmured in shock. "A real superhero couple. We have an actual super-ship in South Park."

"A gay super-ship." Tricia actually smirked. "I guess the artists were right about the dynamic then- Buttlord is a total dom if Dee is always the one hopping in front... not sure about the whole Mysterion wears a collar under the cape thing, though."

"Guys-" Karen cringed, feeling like she could gag. "That's my brother you're talking about, can we... not?"

It wasn't like Karen was unaware of the yaoi community, or the attention it paid to Mysterion once the town noticed he was regularly partnering with the mysterious farting vigilante. She'd even been rather interested in the art, before she figured out that Mysterion was her brother. Then... well, it felt weird looking at the stuff that curved to the sexual side of the spectrum. She liked the cute stuff though- the idea that her guardian angel had someone to look after him and love him was something even she'd done a little sketching of in her amateur hand.

Oh god, I think that's still hidden under my bed. I should find a better stash for it before Kenny finds it- so embarrassing.

"Seconded- I don't need to remember the Human Kite/Buttlord camp and the weird shit they extrapolated from those guys gliding between buildings together on fart power." Ike agreed. "For some fuckin' reason every artist thinks my brother is in love with getting farted on like he's the biggest puss in town."

"Well, there was that one time he kinda told everyone he was into eating the fat fucker's farts..." Tricia reminded.

"You guys!" Karen demanded, intent on yanking the conversation back on track. Today wasn't about intrigue or the weird things some artists got up to- today was about them. "We should be thinking about who else we're gonna invite to the party! I mean, I've got you guys, but the pizza party is for like... twenty kids, not four."

"And your brother and his boyfriend- that makes six." Dougie assessed with a lack of enthusiasm.

"I wasn't gonna- I mean-" Karen tripped up on her words, tugging on one of her braids as a nervous action. She had been a little nervous that her friends would think it was lame of her to invite her brother, but it sounded even lamer to ask if they were okay with her inviting him.

Better lame than impolite.

"I wanted to check with you guys first- in case you didn't want him there."

"Do you think he'd actually stay away?" Tricia quested. "Big brothers are idiots. It's their default setting."

"I... yeah, actually. We had this talk, and... yeah." Karen was uncertain of what kind of detail to go into on that note. The talk she'd had with her brother felt like the beginning of a conversation that would keep going for a while, the opener of which was she is capable of messing up. She felt like the next part of that conversation was and he can't always be there for her, but those words hadn't been said. A lot of words, actually- but a new vector on their relationship has siblings had been opened up. One that understood that she wasn't always going to be perfect and do what was expected, and maybe he could be okay with that.

She didn't know what all that meant, but she felt freer after that talk. Like he understood something about her that he hadn't before.

"Give 'em a curfew." Ike suggested. "Kyle gets weird if I uninvite him from something, but if I tell him to buzz off after a certain time he gets it- that I wanna spend time with my friends without him fussing like mom number two- let the big kids show up and eat cheap pizza, and then send 'em all home at six so we get the arcade to ourselves- it's your party."

"But that feels mean." Karen argued.

"Meaner than telling him he can't come?" Tricia tested. She actually pulled out in front of their group, grasping Karen by the shoulders and causing them to fall behind as the trio of elders kept walking. "Karen, it's your party. If you want your brother to be there, we'll deal with it. Heck, I'll probably invite my stupid brother, too, just so there's more people to sing the stupid song before you blow out your candles. What is gonna make this your best birthday party?"

Karen felt herself color, glancing over Tricia's head at the trademark orange shape of her brother, who hadn't yet noticed that his sister had been delayed. Tricia moved to block her view, getting even more in her face and forcing eye-contact.

"Hey, no! You! What's going to make this the best for you?"

She swallowed, feeling her cheeks warm as Tricia refused to give her an inch. "I mean- uh-" She stammered, shoulders drawing in and up beneath her over-sized sweater; the one that had the smell of stale cigarette smoke permanently soaked into it from its previous home with Henrietta. It was a smell that was comforting for Karen; Henrietta was the first person she'd felt comfortable going to for advice outside of Kenny, and the first person to tell her that she got to make choices. Nothing matters, so do what you want- that was the nihilism that had her lighting her first cigarette and drinking her first cup of black coffee.

It was also that credo that made her switch to a bubblegum flavored vape, and put sugar and cream into that coffee. The rest of the goth clique gave her crap for it, but she'd told them; 'If nothing matters, I can do what I want- and I want to enjoy things'

She was lucky Henrietta defended her; she might have crumpled under the pressure of the group if she hadn't, coming up with the term cheerful nihilism to placate the others. Vapes got banned not long after that, but Karen kept putting cream and sugar in her coffee whenever she got invited to hang out with them... or, more accurately, with Henrietta. The others just happened to be there.

I should invite her. Even if she doesn't come, just to show I thought of her.

"I wanna invite the big kids, too." Karen decided. Her voice was not small. Her shoulders relaxed back down. "I want a full party, with lots of people."

"Then that's what your gonna get." Tricia nodded. "And I will beat the living piss out of anyone who tries to ruin it for you. Deal?"

"Dear fucking Jehovah would you two rug munchers just get a room already?" Ike cracked in the background.

"Shove it up your ass, Ike!" Tricia snapped, "I swear I will beat your Canadian face with your own hockey stick!"

"Hey! Guys, you're falling behind!"

Heads snapped around; the trio of older kids had finally noticed that they'd been losing the other half of their group. Kyle had put one hand up to his mouth, the other still carrying his simulated child, to shout back at them and get their attention. Kenny was half-turned, waving for them to hurry up. Dee was still walking, the embodiment of zero fucks to give about the rest of the group slowing down.

Karen laughed, and trotted out ahead of her friends to catch up, Tricia and Ike lagging behind to argue over whether or not Ike got immunity of birthday beat-downs due to being part of the 'core' group. Just up the way was South Park's little restaurant row, with a new dark brick building that bore a brand-new and brightly colored sign.

Sneaker's SnacShak; the site of what would be her best birthday party- her happiest day- no matter what anyone did to try and mess with it.

She'd decided.

Dougie lingered at the back of the pack, silent and slow.

Dee felt like she couldn't frigging escape these little mechanical monsters- Kenny was finally rid of his for the weekend, but Kyle's deal with his partner had been the exact opposite; agreeing to weekend childcare in return for help with schoolwork. She supposed even the smarty pants in the grade could apply for a break every now and then- at least Kyle wasn't treating it like it was some kind of performance art to attract attention from possible dating opportunities. Half-listening to him and Kenny talking, they had started with a situation report on the search for weird shit at local machine shops and transitioned into bitching about how fuckin' needy and annoying the little dolls were.

She'd been preoccupied during the walk, shooting texts between herself, Wendy, Stan, and Butters. They had already picked up the legwork where Kenny and Butters had left off yesterday, with Wendy promising to report in if they found anything of interest. It made her anxious that nothing had been found yet- were they off on a wild goose chase? Paranoid tension was something that settled into her shoulders so naturally it felt normal- the only reason she noticed it was because of the brief handful of days she'd spent thinking she could fucking relax after the incident with the Bitch of the Union.

Thinking it was over, letting it go, trying to be normal for a while- calling it a vacation in her head... it was almost a relief when she was proven wrong. It meant she didn't have to expend effort on trying to relax; tension was the correct state. The one she needed to be in if she was going to be ready for whatever new shit came down the pipe.

I feel like I should get a gun. For emergencies.

There had been a brief pause in the walk; Karen and her friends lagged behind just as they were almost to their destination. Dee didn't look back as Kyle shouted for them; Kenny would signal her if she needed to pay attention. She trusted those two dorks to walk behind her- they were both the sort that would speak up if something was wrong, and let her focus on getting shit sorted for the rest of their day.

"Whoa, slow your roll short stuff-"

Kenny, laughing as Karen suddenly blasted between the three of them and took the lead, turning around and bouncing backwards like an animated pogo stick. She had a grin on her face that spread from ear-to-ear, her skirt swirling out as she spun and flowing after her little hops in a manner that mimicked a jellyfish propelling itself through water.

"Slow is for last place!"

It was Ike who made that declaration, the next to blast through the line of elders and past Dee's elbow, causing her to skip to one side in tracking with the incoming footfalls. All at once, it appeared a race had been engaged, and Karen had a head start. Tricia was next, and Kenny joined in after that with a whooping laugh.

Dee glanced to Kyle, who laughed faintly and shook his head. No way he was breaking out into a sudden run; it might shake his baby and make him fail the project.

In her backward glance, she noted another... lingering redhead. Dougie. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets, not even jogging to catch up. He was still way behind. Kyle noticed her backwards gaze, and looked himself, pulling a face and a shrug as he looked at her again.

She waved a little at Kyle, falling back herself. Her signal was a pretty simple one; Don't worry, I got it.

Kyle confirmed with a nod, and started speed walking to catch up with the others.

::The Author's Corner::

HOLY BALLZ WE BE ALIVE.

Discussions of the yaoi community were fueled by asks from the Tumblr. I felt it would be funny to reference some of the extra curricular information that turns up over there.

So a little outside-the-fic info; a friend of mine is going through a shitty time and I am doing my best to support them during said shitty time. Obviously this is gonna pull some energy from the other things I do, thus the recent slow-down in updates after that week of knocking 'em out like it wasn't no thang. I know you all understand, I just wanted to keep the regular readers informed on what the heckie is going on.

Also hey, FNAF VR got announced. I have a PSVR, sooo... hey, I might actually play this one myself instead of watching Markiplier murder himself to maintain his King of FNAF crown.

Hubby may or may not video me smacking myself in the face while freaking out- Buttlord is extremely susceptible to jump-scares.

ONWARDS!

-Buttlord