mariko in venice beach,shortly before arriving.
mariko didnt get accosted by the hordes of photographers hoping for someone famous to snap pictures of. dressed normally,she could slip in without much fuss. not that she was a low key person,she just had no interest in dressing up for this thing. besides,if she caused trouble,her worn chuck taylors would be better for running than high heels. so it wasa flowing shirt and comfortably short jean shorts. she milled around in the lobby before climbing on a potted plant to see if she saw her sister. her sister who probably said she was going to be here. honestly,mariko wasnt paying attention when they spoke. someone was walking an adorable dog with a shirt. so that took precedence over whatever her sister was saying. mariko put her hands to her eyes like she was using a telescope to find erica,but to no avail. "fuck." she whispered and picked up her phone and dialed.
erica: yello. you're on the mic with mike.
mariko: where the fuck are you?!
erica:i'm the fuck at the hotel playing cards with cassie.
mariko: you're supposed to be here at the culture uncut thing!!
Erica: no..im supposed to be here kicking cassie's ass in uno. but THIS bitch keeps skipping me!!!
Cassies's faint voice in the background: uno!!!
Erica:fuck you fuck you fuck you!!!
mariko:hitomi! focus. get your butt here.
Erica: why? i told you i wasnt coming.
mariko:you did not!
erica:yes i did. why would i go to something like that?
Mariko: to keep me company. and when have you ever missed an event?! there is free liquor,all the music press is here. you're in the magazine for fuck's sake!!!
Erica:yeah. i totally want to come to that. im pregnant,mariko. i dont want to sit around drinking milk like a god damned square.
mariko: so...im all alone here? i hate you. i hope your baby is born ugly!
erica: whatever. its not my baby,i dont care if its ugly.
Cassie's faint voice: i do! its half me. the summerses do NOT make ugly kids.
Erica: free booze and an industry event? dude,you know erich is there. hang out with him.
mariko: i guess. ..im sorry,hitomi. i dont hate you. but i do still want your baby to be born with a hare lip or something. this sucks.
Erica:oh you'll be fine. i am sure there will be some hangers on some where around there that are just itching to fuck a star of your caliber.
mariko sighs and hangs up. she heads to the bar. that is where erich would be.
erich was indeed at the bar. he was holding court with several people. they all looked like the sort that hung out in art galleries and attempted to vampire absorb talent from actual artists. these poor fuckers were trying to suck a dry husk if they were hoping to get anything from erich.
"so you see," erich says,raising a pointed hand like a greek philospher's statue. "that and ONLY that is the reason why the human bra is the key to time travel. you simply loop on arm around your wrist,pack one cup with 10 pounds of orgonite and the other cup with 12 d cell batteries. " he says to his adoring (?) tribe. he found people found him for more interesting after being squirted with the water gun he was carrying that was filled with lsd.