Drag Superstar Episode 5: The Finale

Diamond: Hello and welcome to the finale of Drag Superstar! Tonight we will be catching up with all of the contestants and finding out who will be crowned this season's Ultimate Drag Superstar!

As always, I'm joined by my fantastic panel of judges. Please welcome Diego Lobo, Penny Pizzazz, and Izzy Fabulous! Judges, who do you think will be taking home the crown tonight?

Diego: For me, it has to be Lady Astrid! The artistry she's brought is unmatched!

Penny: I love Lady Astrid, but I haven't been able to get Vapore LaWave out of mind mind since the acting challenge!

Izzy: I'm rooting for Velvet Envy. She's serving up glamour on a silver platter, and I'm eating it up!

Diamond: Thank you, judges! Before we crown our winner, let's see what life has been like for our queens since the season started. First up, it's Kylee Kouture. Kylee, your time on the show was short, but you've had social media buzzing.

Kylee: Yes, the internet can't get enough of my looks--and okay, maybe I've been running my mouth a bit, too!

Diamond: I heard that you and Jacqueline had some beef on Social Bunny. Can you tell me about that?

Kylee: Well, apparently some old, bitter queens can't handle us younger girls getting attention.

Jacqueline: I'll tell you exactly what happened, Diamond. All I've heard from the clubs I've been performing in is how Kylee is always late, she's being a diva, she's cancelling gigs...so yes, I had some words with her on SB about how you have to earn your dues in this business.

Kylee: Yeah, whatever. Jealousy is an ugly trait. Anyway, my follower count shows who the public really loves.

Jacqueline: The followers you bought?

[The other queens laugh]

Diamond: Ok, let's move on. Darla, how has life been for you after the show?

Darla: It's been great, Diamond! Despite our conflicts in the girl group challenge, I've gotten close to Vixen and Vapore. And I'm releasing a single!

Diamond: A single???

Darla: Yes, I took some voice lessons and I've really improved!

Jacqueline: I've heard they're doing amazing things with autotune these days!

Darla: [laughing] Okay, I'll admit there was a lot of autotuning, but it's a fun track!

Diamond: I can't wait to hear it! Vixen, how is your ankle?

Vixen: It's doing fine! I had some physical therapy and it's healed well. I'm happy that it hasn't impacted my burlesque act!

Diamond: I'm so happy to hear that! And I want to let you know that you're welcome to rejoin us next season to have another shot at competing!

[The queens applaud]

Vixen: Thank you so much! No more injuries, I promise!

Diamond: I'm going to hold you to that! Valerie, when you left the show, you were dealing with some difficulties at home. How are things going now?

Valerie/David: Well, Diamond, everything has been wonderful! My son was going through a rough time, but he really turned it around. I'm really proud of him! I'm proud of all of my children. My oldest daughter is getting married and touring with her band, and my younger daughter is starting a business.

Diamond: That's fantastic! It seems like you didn't have anything to worry about after all.

Valerie/David: That's right. It's a relief knowing that I've set my kids up with a good foundation. Even when times get tough, they know how to pull through. I've learned I can't control everything, but I also don't need to.

*I forgot to take a solo pic of Jacqueline, oops

Diamond: What a wonderful lesson to learn! Thank you Valerie. Now it's time to catch up with our finalists, starting with Jacqueline Galloway. Has your life changed since the show?

Jacqueline: Well, you've already heard about my conflicts, but there have been a lot of positives as well. I've been booked and busy. It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Diamond: Tell me about it! Any more social media fights in your future?

Jacqueline: I'm going to try to let my career do the talking from now on.

Diamond: Wise decision. Lady Astrid, how has the show impacted your life?

Lady Astrid: In the best ways, Diamond! I have more time and money to work on new looks and it's really pushed me as an artist. Plus, I've had a lot of trans youth tell me I've inspired them to express themselves freely.

Diamond: That must make you feel good!

Lady Astrid: It really does. It shows how important visibility is to our community.

Diamond: Absolutely! Thank you, Lady Astrid. Next up, Vapore LaWave. How has life after the show surprised you?

Vapore: Well, going into this competition, I never thought of myself as being a funny person. But everyone really loved my campy performance in the acting challenge!

Diamond: You were hysterical!

Vapore: Thank you! Since the show, I've been taking acting lessons. I'm always up for expanding my skill set!

Diamond: That's great! Best of luck to you! And last but not least, it's Velvet Envy! Velvet, how do you feel about your performance on the show?

Velvet: I'm feeling very proud! I didn't know what to expect going in, but I'm happy that I not only won a challenge, but I've made it all the way to the finale.

Diamond: It's well deserved!

Velvet: Thank you! I never thought I would come this far when I started doing drag on a whim years ago!

Diamond: And look at you now! Thank you to all of my queens for making this a season to remember.

Diamond: And now it's the moment you've all been waiting for. I've taking the opinions of the judges and the viewers into consideration, but ultimately this was my decision to make. The winner of this season of Drag Superstar, our Ultimate Drag Superstar, is...

[dramatic pause]

Diamond: Lady Astrid!!!

[confetti falls from the ceiling as everyone applauds]

Condragulations, Lady Astrid! Do you have any words to share?

Lady Astrid: This is for anyone who's ever been told that they can't be who they are. Let our voices of love drown out the hate!

Thank you to @sirianasims for sharing Lady Astrid and Velvet Envy with me, and @invisiblequeen for Vapore LaWave! I enjoyed having them in this project!

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Jen, though different in her appearance, is the same as I remember. Our last meeting, at Christmastime, we took a walk in the dark misery of St. Stephen’s day. Lights twinkled in the eaves of the seafront houses, reflecting on the slick tarmac after days of rain, and as usual, with Jen I felt normal, like nothing had really changed all that much since I moved away.

“There you are,” she says, like she saw me yesterday. 

“You hair’s pink.” I say.

“It is, yeah.”

Now she is burying her face in the front of my coat, and her arms are stiff from the layers of clothing she’s wrapped around herself. From my chest, her voice is muffled. “Have you gotten taller?”

“I think you’ve shrunk, Jenny.”

“Probably my horrible diet. Can you imagine, I’ve not eaten a vegetable since Christmas?”

“I actually can imagine that.”

“Why? Do I look deathly?”

The Don Diaries

It's early morning in Henford, and almost everyone is still asleep.

Almost everyone? Yes, because it seems like the animals on Don's farm are conspiring.

Or rather, Horsie and Woofer are conspiring, Billy is just happy to be there.

Inside, Don wakes up with Dani on his mind. He's been alone for long enough, and he's not fucking this up if he can help it.

He calls for Matteo to wake up and starts cooking.

Over breakfast, Don mentions that he's seeing Dani tonight. Matteo is excited - does this mean that she will be visiting them soon? Don shrugs. He hopes so.

Matteo isn't satisfied. Will Dani be his dad's girlfriend? Are they going to have babies? There's only one thing Matteo wants more than petting animals, and it's a sibling. He's vaguely aware that he has a half-sister named Michael who lives with his birth mother, that blonde woman who sends him a birthday card each year, but he's never met her.

Don tries his best to manage expectations. He has no idea how this date will go, they'll just have to wait and see if Dani becomes a part of their lives again.

Thankfully, Matteo is distracted from this particular line of questioning by Woofer who demands some pets, and Matteo is happy to oblige.

Then it's time for school. Woofer tries to follow Matteo, but Don calls him back and tells him to stay.

Woofer is a good dog, so he obeys. He knows Matteo will be back soon, even if it always feels like a lifetime.

3.39 Decent Proposal(s)

The Spring semester was drawing to a close and while Chantal aced her exams as usual, she wasn't feeling any more motivated to continue her schooling than she had in the fall. When Kayla suggested they meet up to chat, Chantal hoped for an opportunity to discuss her friend's business plans in greater depth.

Chantal's wish came true: Kayla told her that the ideas Chantal had shared with her a few months ago had been a big inspiration to her. She now had more clarity about what direction she wanted to take her company in and she was almost ready to file the paperwork to get things started.

Chantal's heart sank a bit until Kayla explained there was one thing she was waiting on.

"I don't want to use your ideas unless you can profit from them, too," she said. She made Chantal an offer--either she could pay Chantal for the rights to her designs, or Chantal could become a partner in her business.

"Of course, if you don't want me to use your ideas at all, I'll go back to the drawing board," Kayla assured her.

Chantal thought about it. She knew she didn't want to sell the rights, but starting a business was a big risk. She would likely have to put her schooling on hold for something that might not ever get off the ground. Still, she couldn't turn down an opportunity to do something she'd been dreaming of her whole life. She gleefully accepted Kayla's offer to become her business partner.

Chantal wasn't the only one with something to celebrate. Cece finally graduated from university. She was ecstatic to finally be able to join Ben on tour and become an official member of his band.

After the ceremony, Ben and Cece shared a meal with Cece's family. She couldn't help but notice that her usually easy-going boyfriend seemed a bit more nervous than usual.

After dinner, he suggested he and Cece take a walk. He lead her down to the water's edge and just as the sun began to set, Ben got down on one knee.

Ben looked into her eyes. "Cecelia, being away from you has made me realize how much better life is with you by my side. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she squealed. Cece wasn't usually one for big displays of emotion, but tears of happiness were forming in her eyes.

"I love you, Benjamin Coleman."

"And I love you, Cecelia Fields-Haim."

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The Don Diaries

Dani waits anxiously for a reply, all alone in her apartment watching hospital romances in her underwear. She hopes that Don isn't too busy celebrating Winterfest to respond.

She doesn't have to wait long. He texts back immediately, suggesting a very fancy restaurant tomorrow night. Dani hopes there's no fountain there, although seeing Don in swimwear wouldn't be too terrible...

She confirms the date just as there's a rather aggressive knock on the door. It's her new neighbour, Lyla, incensed that Dani would have the audacity to watch TV after 9 PM.

Dani is not in the mood to be diplomatic. These apartment walls are famously paper-thin, maybe Lyla should have thought about that before moving in.

Lyla is not impressed with her tone. Fuck you Lyla, at least face Dani when you insult her!

Lyla then stalks off, leaving Dani's left tit with a festering grudge.

Still annoyed, Dani brushes her teeth. Maybe she should invite Don back here after their date, give Lyla some real noise to complain about.

Hopefully, she's not making a mistake. But Don almost seemed like a new man at Matteo's birthday, more grounded, less restless.

Dani goes to bed, nervous but excited for tomorrow, and dreams about Don.

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I think the only really solid piece of writing advice I can offer is that the thing that matters most in your writing is your characters' emotional reality. Every descriptive detail you include should serve that end. I have read so many lavish, beautiful descriptions that ultimately convey nothing -- readers can pull up google images if they want to see a sunset, a delicious meal, or a beautiful dress. What's actually relevant is the loneliness the protagonist feels remembering how much her father loved watching sunsets, the comforting warmth of their favorite meal after a trying day, or the fact that the dress makes her feel so beautiful she finally sees herself the way her love interest does.

The U-Bahn rumbles along as Jonas and I sit, our back to the window as tile wall rushes by, station to station. The light flickers. His arms are crossed, and he’s bundled in his big, winter coat, ears poking out under his short fisherman hat, laced up boots crossed at the ankles. 

“It’s funny to me how you keep bothering Leon so much whenever we see him.” He says. He always sounds so conversational, so curious when he’s saying things that call me out on my behaviour.

“Funny funny or annoying funny?”

“I can’t decide. I just think he would have liked to pay for all our meals tonight. To me, it seemed nice.”

I scoff. “It was a power move, Jonas. I don’t know why you can’t see that.”

Dazed in Paradise Pt. 22 6/? (Cont.)

TW/CW: Violence, physical altercation, blood, death by gun violence/gunshot, images of firearms

3.38 Common Goals

Things have been busy over the past couple of weeks. The channel is planning some special videos and the cast has been filming at different locations. That means I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to Lacey yet, which I’ll admit is a bit of a relief. 

I’ve been pretty distracted anyway. My dads already have a buyer interested in the house so that doesn’t give me much time to find a new place. Lucy suggested I get in contact with Paul since he’ll need a roommate when he moves to San Sequoia, so I’m meeting with him to look at a townhouse he’s had his eye on. 

When I arrive at the address Paul gave me, it’s not quite what I was expecting. It doesn’t look like any rental property that I’ve ever seen. There’s a little market area on the other side of the parking lot where booths of fresh flowers and produce are set up. Before I have a chance to check it out more, Paul's Jeep pulls into the parking lot and he hops out.

"You ready?" he asks. I tell him I am and we walk to a gate with an intercom. ”I just have to let the property manager know we’re here.” After a couple of minutes a woman who looks to be in her 50s arrives to greet us. She looks like she’s been working outside; her jeans dusted with dirt and her cheeks are pink from the sun. 

 "Hello Paul, it's nice to speak to you in person," she says. She looks at me. "This must be the roommate."

"Hi, I'm Johnny," I say, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Johnny," she repeats. "Johnny and Paul. I'm Gail. My wife and I own the townhouse you’ll be viewing. Let’s go take a look."

We walk down the path. There are two buildings on either side and Gail takes us to the one on the right. “My son just moved about a week ago. He’s going to do some conservation work in Sulani,” she explains as she unlocks the door to the unit.

When we step inside, I'm surprised by the size of the place. Going by the rent price, I was expecting something much smaller. "Are you sure you got the price right?" I ask Paul. Maybe he transposed some numbers somewhere. It seems unlikely, but even future doctors make mistakes.

"I thought I did when I first saw it, but it really is that cheap," he insists. I raise an eyebrow, sensing that there's more to the story. "There is just one little catch," he admits.

Gail catches wind of our conversation and smiles. "It really does sound too good to be true, doesn't it? The community here is a little...atypical, but I promise it's worth it."

"What do you mean?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, Ellie and I started this community once our children got older. Initially we just wanted a way to keep us all together, but we saw an opportunity to create affordable housing here in San Sequoia and foster our community at the same time. At Hopewell Commons, helping out your neighbors isn't simply a courtesy. Everyone contributes, whether it's through tending the garden, making repairs, providing childcare, offering goods and services...everyone finds their place."

"So we have to earn our keep?"

Gail laughs. "I wouldn't put it quite like that. As renters, you’re not required to put in the hours that our homeowners do, but we encourage you to get involved. You'll not only be helping out others but you'll have a built-in support system when you're the one in need."

I’m feeling pretty skeptical, but I want to see if this place is worth the effort. Gail shows us one of the bedrooms upstairs. 

“That’s a nice view of the garden,” Paul comments. I peek out the window. The garden is pretty quaint with a small greenhouse and a few rows of plants. There’s an older woman and a young girl talking near the chicken pen. 

“That’s Ellie and our granddaughter, Ramona,” Gail tells us.

“How many people live in the community?” I ask her.

“Well, there’s my daughter Cleo and her family, and we’ve got about 10 other residents at the moment. But we’re growing! We’re building more houses on some land we just acquired.”

Once she's out of earshot, I turn to Paul. "This isn’t a cult, isn't it?"

"It's not a cult. It's more like a…family."

"That's what someone who's in a cult would say," I point out.

“It’s NOT a cult!”

Next, Gail leads us out into the community garden. "This is a group effort," she explains. "We have several residents who rotate duties in the garden, and once the crops are ready everyone helps themselves to their share."

I can't say that I've ever been into gardening, but Paul seems excited by the idea. I guess I should get used to it, too. While he and Gail share gardening tips in the greenhouse, I wander around the garden. It does seem like a nice idea, everyone chipping in so that their neighbors can enjoy the bounty. Plus, free food.

Gail’s granddaughter is playing nearby and when she sees me, she skips over. 

"Hi, I'm Ramona! What's your name?" "I'm Johnny." "Oh, okay. Do you have any pets?" "Yeah, I have a cat named Taco."

"Taco??? That's a funny name!” She giggles. “Can I see it?" "Well, she's not here right now." "Why?" "Because I don't live here." "Why?" I'm not completely sure how to answer that one. "Because I just don't." "Oh. Are you going to live here soon?" "Maybe." "Can I see Taco when you do?" "Well, you should probably ask your parents about that." "Why?"

Gail comes around the corner.  "Because it's not a good idea to go to someone's house alone if you don't know them." Ramona seems satisfied by her answer.

Gail turns to me. "You'll have to excuse Ramona. She thinks everyone is her friend. You’re a nice young man, but it's important that she learns the difference between a friend and a stranger."

"No problem," I tell her. Ramona runs off to examine a tomato plant. It seems like she has the type of childhood that I wish I had. I learned way too young that not everyone can be trusted.

Paul walks over to me. "So, what do you think?" he asks. "I understand if you're not feeling it. I know it's a little strange."

So far everyone looks happy, like, genuinely happy and not like people in a cult who are being brainwashed. I sigh. "Okay, as long as the rental agreement doesn't make us promise our souls to The Great Leader I guess I'm open to it."

"Are you sure? Because we can keep looking if you're not."

"I'm sure. I trust your judgment."

We tell Gail what we've decided and she takes us to fill out our applications. She says we should hear something in a couple of days.

When we head back to our cars I spot Ramona again.

"Bye Johnny!" she tells me cheerfully. "Tell Taco I said 'hi!'"

"Sure thing, Ramona. See you later!"

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The Don Diaries

Even though I've been dreading it, it's Matteo's birthday.

We'll miss the toddler, but we have to move on!

... OK, I've moved on, child Matteo is great! 🥹

Woofer also seems slightly bigger, but is still equally adorable.

Matteo's first order of business is fulfilling his quest to pet all the animals by finally petting Horsie.

And then it's time to head out, because we're celebrating this boy in style! Don is taking Matteo to a fancy restaurant with his grandparents - and his favourite babysitter.

And yes, this is the same restaurant where Kyle once jumped into a fountain. Thankfully, Dani wasn't too traumatised to join Matteo's party.

Dude, don't you have a job to do?

Also, just to make this party slightly awkward, their server is that blonde neighbour Don used to fuck. Awesome.

Thankfully, the woman is a professional. Or maybe she's just intimidated by Adriana's finger guns.

She better stay out of this, I swear!

Don is oblivious, though - he just seems happy to see Dani again.

I think your family is on to you, Donny.

Now, Dani is here for Matteo's sake, remember?

This has nothing to do with Don, so he better eat his deconstructed Rubik's Cube and keep a low profile.

Still, Dani keeps shooting him meaningful glances during the meal.

After dinner, they somewhat awkwardly agree to stay in touch, maybe even see each other again soon...

For Matteo, of course. Dani means a lot to him.

And now we better leave this restaurant quickly before anyone can ruin anything by doing something awkward.