A Bunnerfly in the Desert (Chapter 2)

by

Shadow Bunny Dragon

"--the fact that they have been allowed to operate with impunity is nothing short of a disgrace," the speaker at the podium said. He was a Caucasian male, built like a linebacker, with blinking eyes looking out from every bit of exposed flesh, including on his completely bald head. Each eye was a different color, and all seemed to be constantly looking off in different directions, each blinking individually. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit with a green tie.

"That is in no way to say that there is anything wrong with anyone, Emerged or otherwise, who wishes to help others. However, as we have seen time and time again, many of these so-called superheroes tend to cause damage to both property and others with reckless abandon, civilians and so-called 'villains' alike! And they have, so far, faced little to no consequences for their actions. What's more, the recent scandal brought about by the lawsuit has shown how far the people of the Las Vegas Police Department have failed us. Well, I am here to tell you that that is about to change--"

"Hey, Earl!" a man at the bar said after setting his mug down, dressed in jean shorts and a white button up shirt. The bartender turned, casting his eyes which were black and showed a pinwheel galaxy, to regard the patron. "Mind turning the channel? I wanna catch the fight!" Earl nodded and smiled and picked up a remote, switching to another channel. The man at the bar, along with several other people nearby, Emerged and non-Emerged, grew excited as they watched the MMA match. It was between an Emerged fighter who was a seven-foot wall of muscle with four arms, the top two conjuring fire while the bottom two crackled with electricity; and another fighter that appeared to be a writhing mass of bright blue tentacles and eyes.

Brittney sat in her usual booth, nursing a Roy Rogers, since she didn't drink, waiting on her food. After working a long shift of walking around shelving books, organizing books incorrectly shelved, collecting the dropped-off books, and assisting library patrons, she enjoyed coming to Big Cat's Bar & Grill to unwind. She enjoyed the relaxed and clean atmosphere, in addition to the cooking. As she sipped her drink, she started to become aware of a presence standing next to where she was sitting. The bunny girl with the butterfly wings looked up, expecting to see Rochelle with her order, only to see a woman standing there. The woman, whom Brittney guessed to be in her forties, with a haircut that screamed Homeowner's Association Representative, was looking down at her, frowning. She was wearing a teal pantsuit and clutching a matching purse close to her person.

"Excuse me, miss?" the woman asked.

"Uh, yeah?" Brittney responded, feeling her social anxiety begin flare up a little.

"Are you here with anyone?"

"Huh?" Brittney asked slightly confused, but part of her thinking she had an idea of where this was going.

"It's just that, you seem to be a little young to be in a place like this all by yourself," the lady said. Brittney internally sighed, having been right.

Ever since the damned Emergence... her inner monologue trailed off as she looked back up at the lady to explain.

"Look, ma'am, I know that my features make me look young, but I'm actually twenty-three," Brittney said, hoping that the lady would accept this piece of information.

"I'm sorry, but there is just no way you could be any older than fifteen at the most."

Brittney groaned internally but kept her bunny face neutral, already wishing that this lady would go somewhere else. Brittney sighed as she pulled out her wallet and pulled out her license, showing it. At this point, she was used to getting carded.

"See? Twenty-three." Brittney said, matter-of-factly as the woman bent down to look at the license. Just as she was about to put it away was when the woman snatched it from her hand-paw, to give it a closer look.

"This must be a fake," she said, holding it out of the bunny-butterfly girl's reach when Brittney yelled "HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!" and reached for it.

"Sweetie," the woman said in a calming voice, "someone your age really shouldn't be drinking. I know that it can be hard to be Emerged but--"

"Lady, that is a REAL Driver's License, it's mine, I'm twenty-three damn years old, and I want you to give it back right now!" Brittney said, standing up and putting on her best serious face, which Ben once broke to her looked like more of a pout. Coupled now with her involuntary fluttering reflex, which lifted her a foot off the ground, this most certainly did not have the desired effect. Just as the woman opened her mouth to respond, a green-scaled hand darted out and grabbed the piece of plastic from her, handing it back to Brittney, who wasted no time putting it back into her wallet. She smiled in relief at the sight of Larri, one of the bouncers and an all around great gal. She had on her usual jeans and the restaurant's uniform of a black t-shirt with the logo over the left breast pocket.

"What seems to be the problem here?" the reptilian lady with the very large bust and the long glittery red feathers that was her hair asked in a casual voice. Brittney had wondered how she talked normally with a muzzle, but had learned to shrug it off.

"You've been serving a minor alcohol!" the woman said, starting to get huffy. Brittney suspected that she was used to people just going along with whatever she said. She took a moment to compose herself and flutter back down to her booth.

"Ma'am," Larri said, calmly, her yellow reptilian eyes focused on the woman while her long scaly tail lazily swished back and forth, "I card everyone who comes in, no exceptions. Also, I know this young lady personally, and she is over the legal drinking age. Not that it really matters, since she doesn't drink." Larri gave Brittney a wink.

"Well, of course it matters, because she is clearly fifteen at the most, but maybe twelve! I mean, just look at her!" The woman gesticulated with her hands in Brittney's direction. Brittney felt the insides of her ears blushing as eyes started to turn in their direction, her social anxiety starting to get worse.

"Ma'am," Larri said, with a slightly sharper tone to her voice, "once again, I know her personally. She and I went to the same high school. She's older than she looks." There was a tone of finality. The woman looked the bouncer up and down and then let out a huff.

"Fine, but I'll have you know I'm calling to report you for serving alcohol to a minor," the woman said as she turned on her heel and left the building. Larri rolled her eyes before looking back at the still-blushing Brittney and gave her a smile.

"I don't think that they're accepting calls about us for that anymore, considering..." She didn't have to finish the sentence. This wasn't the first time people had called just for that very reason, all of them because of Brittney's apparently terminal case of babyface. She gave Brittney one more smile, before heading back to her post by the door, and Brittney took a seat. Soon after, Rochelle appeared, literally out of thin air, holding up the bunny-butterfly girl's steaming order. The gorgeous black woman, also wearing the uniform shirt, set the plate of chicken enchiladas on the table, giving a silent smile before teleporting away.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

She enjoys doing that way too much, Brittney thought before looking down hungrily at her meal. She was thankful that, whatever had made her a bunny, had not also made her digestive system herbivore-only. Brittney started in on her meal, savoring each bite, since this was now technically breakfast. Her ears twitched and followed a pair of footsteps that walked right up to her table, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey, Ben, didja get off work ear--" The words died in her throat as she looked up to see someone other than Ben sitting at her table. The person was wearing an orange pin-striped suit. They had on a pair of basic black leather gloves, a light green undershirt, with a fire brick red tie and, most notably of all, a helmet that encompassed their entire head. The helmet was pitch black with two bright white ovals and a single curved white line, indicating eyes and a smiling mouth.

"Hello there," a chipper electronic, and decidedly male, voice said, the pixelated mouth moving in perfect sync with the words. The eyes blinked and looked at Brittney innocently.

"Oh crap," she said aloud, having instantly recognized who it was sitting across from her, "you're Starsinger."

The smile grew wider and became a capital D on its side. "So you've heard of me? Yay!" he said, his eyes becoming cliche anime eyes, sparkling with happiness.

Like anyone wouldn't recognize one of the biggest Emerged performers in the world... in addition to being one of the most powerful Emerged around... as well as their style, Brittney thought but didn't vocalize. Instead, she swallowed her current bite of enchilada before asking, "Why are you here?"

The eyes became their regular oval shape, and the mouth became a simple line. "I'm going to be performing a concert here in the next few days, as part of my round the world tour!" He excitedly held his hands in the air at that last part, his eyes becoming sparkly anime once again.

"I meant, why did you take a seat across from me?" Brittney asked, not trying to be rude, but her social anxiety cranking right back up.

"OOoooh," Starsinger's mouth became an o, "well, I decided to stop in for some local cuisine when I noticed a cute little bunnerfly girl sitting all by her lonesome."

Brittney paused and then furrowed her brow in irritation, ignoring his coined term bunnerfly. "Please, don't call me cute," she said, wishing that he would go away, especially before any fans of his found out where he was and flocked there in droves, as they had been known to do.

"Oops, sorry," he said, his electronic voice sounding sincere as he sat there, smiling again. "Admittedly, I was a little curious."

"About what?" Brittney asked, looking confused.

"Would you perhaps happen to be a superhero?"

Brittney sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, I'm just a college student with a day job."

"Really? Neat!" he said, sounding chipper still. Brittney got the feeling that the person sitting across from her was the type of individual who was up for just about anything, and always genuinely excited and enthusiastic. She started to feel even more tired just thinking about it.

"So many people find themselves with powers these days and just kinda jump right on into the whole 'superhero thing' without really thinking about it."

Brittney's ears perked up at that a little. "Yeah, that's true. I've got powers, sorta, but that's just not something I really want to do."

"Then, do you mind my asking what it is that you do want to do?" he asked, tilting his helmeted head to the side. just as Rochelle appeared with a menu for him, before disappearing once more. "Teleportation... neat!" he said again, confirming Brittney's earlier assessment.

"Well, to get my bachelor's degree in computer science. I kinda hope to get a job as a game developer," Brittney said, starting to feel uncomfortable again. She didn't like answering personal questions with total strangers. She looked up to see his mouth turn into a surprised o.

"Oh, cool!" he said before looking around. Brittney sighed and continued to finish her meal and drink, while also answering Starsinger's questions. She paid and left a decent tip, and quickly left, but not before Starsinger had been served his own order, a steak, and she had seen how he ate. He undid a clasp at the back of his helmet and pulled it up just a little. From inside shone a bright pink light. He quickly stuck the forkful into the light and lowered the helmet, removing the fork. The pixelated mouth made a closed-mouth chewing motion. And when he spoke while "chewing", it even sounded like he was talking with food in his mouth.

She met Ben outside, who seemed just as pumped as he had been that morning. He was a little confused as to why she was leading him away from their usual hangout, but no less excited to follow along. Knowing how hurt Ben would be at not being told, Brittney reluctantly let him in about her impromptu meal with a certain celebrity. He was a little surprised.

"You... met... STARSINGER?!" Ben practically screamed, making Brittney wince and tuck her ears down. "Why didn't you call me? Did you at least get an autograph? OH! Tell me you got a picture! We could use that for the advertising!"

"No, I didn't get an autograph, and no I didn't get any pictures. He just sat down at my table and ate some steak, and asked me questions."

"What kind of questions?" Ben asked.

Brittney opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a familiar electronic voice.

"Well, I was curious as to whether or not she was a superhero. And then I was curious about what she wanted to do," Starsinger said as he fell into step beside them... or attempted to, but Brittney and Ben had both halted in their tracks. Starsinger didn't notice at first, and stopped short when he did, flailing his arms a bit as the sudden cessation of motion almost caused him to lose his balance.

"Why are you following me?" Brittney asked, the words shooting out of her mouth, while Ben's face brightened considerably.

"C-can I have an autograph?!" he asked, already frantically searching himself for a writing utensil and some paper.

Starsinger pointed to Brittney and said "Because you're interesting," before turning his finger to Ben and saying with a wider smile on his helmet, "You got it, pal!"

"Well, it's weird!" Brittney said, still feeling freaked out. Starsinger's mouth became a frown.

"Oh... yeah, I guess that might make someone uncomfortable. I'm sorry," he said, sounding genuine. Ben looked to her like she had just kicked a puppy and, in a weird way, she felt a little bad. One thing about Starsinger that was well known was his tendency to be a little... enthusiastic... and downright cartoonish. The awkward moment quickly passed, and Starsinger, back to his chipper self, happily signed a napkin Ben found in his pocket, and took some selfies with him.

"I just realized," Starsinger said, turning to regard Brittney, who was waiting for them to finish up so that she and Ben could head back to her place, "I never asked you your name."

"I'm Brittney," she said, looking at her watch.

"And I'm Starsinger!" he said, holding out his gloved hand.

"You ask me for my name but don't give your real one in return?" Brittney asked, the words leaving her mouth before she could truly weigh them.

"But that is my real name," Starsinger said with his default smile, which to some looked like a blissfully unaware expression. "Starsinger Waterfall," he said with a bow.

"Your actual name is Starsinger Waterfall?" Ben asked what Brittney was thinking, apparently being a fan yet somehow not knowing this particular piece of trivia.

"Yup! My parents are both hippies, if that helps explain it," he said, giving a pixelated wink.

"Huh," Brittney said.

"I know," Starsinger said with a shrug, "it's weird, but I love my name. Also, I like being weird!"

"You don't say," Brittney said with a deadpan expression.

"Mmhmm!" Starsinger smiled.

"Uhm," Brittney started, unsure of how exactly to proceed, "we were... uh... gunna be heading back to my place..." Her voice trailed off as she hoped he would get the meaning.

"Oh, can I come too?" Starsinger excitedly asked, the meaning clearly having gone over his helmeted head.

"Ohmygod!" Ben squeaked, turning to Brittney. "The Starsinger wants to hang out with us!"

"I don't know you!" Brittney said, ignoring Ben, who now looked speechless. "And... I'm sorry, but I'm just not comfortable with inviting someone I just met into my home."

"Oh... m'kay!" Starsinger said, smiling once more. "Would you like to hang out at my place sometime then?"

"Your place?" Brittney asked, confused.

"Yup! I have a penthouse suite for my stay here for my concert, over at the Red Lotus!" Starsinger sounded excited by the idea alone.

"Uh,... that sounds... nice..." Brittney said right before a practically frantic Ben jumped in.

"We'd love to!"

"Yay!" Starsinger said, not noticing the glare Brittney was giving Ben. Ben kept his eyes on Starsinger, actively avoiding her gaze. "Just head on over there whenever you feel like it and tell the people at the front desk your names. I'll tell them beforehand!"

"Wait," Brittney said, trying to get her bearings in the conversation that seemed to have spiraled wildly out of control.

"I want to, but from the looks of my phone, my manager, who also happens to be my cousin, has been trying to get in touch with me," Starsinger said, looking down at his phone. "It looks like I gotta go! Bye!" And with that, he darted off, becoming a pumpkin-colored blur in the fading light.

"That was so COOL!" Ben said, turning to Brittney. "We're now friends of Starsinger, STARSINGER!!!"

Brittney's response was to punch Ben in the arm and stomp off.

"OW!" Ben said, rubbing his arm and looking after the stomping bunnerfly girl, her wings flapping slightly in irritation.

"What was that for?" he asked, jogging to catch up.

"Ben, does it ever occur to you that stuff like that makes me nervous?" she asked, irritably.

"Why would you be nervous? Starsinger's, like, a total teddy bear?"

Brittney let out a sigh. "Ben, you know I'm not good in situations where I have to deal with people I'm not comfortable with. And now you just went and unilaterally agreed for me to go to a major celebrity's penthouse!"

"Oh... sorry, Brittney..." Ben said, looking down.

"Just... you gotta stop doing stuff like that, okay?" Brittney said, calming down, and already feeling bad about punching Ben.

"... Okay... as your manager, I need to better understand what does and does not make you uncomfortable," Ben said, matter of factly. Brittney rolled her eyes.

"Ben, you are not my manager, and I'm not a superhero."

"Not yet!"

As the two continued to walk on, neither one noticed the man known only as Cheshire, sitting on a nearby rooftop, watching them. He had his usual smirk. He pulled out his phone and started to text on it.

A certain little bunnerfly just met herself a certain Singing Star, LOL, he typed in, his red eyes flaring brightly.

He only had to wait a few heartbeats for a response.

Interesting... observe and report, as usual, his employer sent back.

Cheshire nodded to himself. "My pleasure," his voice practically oozed as he stepped into a shadow and disappeared. It was only when he was gone that a slurping sound broke the silence. Just behind the large industrial air-conditioning unit sat Gatekeeper, sitting on a lawn chair, drinking a soda in plastic cup through a straw. He poked his head around the AC.

"Call me crazy," he said to no one, "but that guy seems like he's up to no good."