Tenderness on the Block Ch. 04

--------Chapter Eight--------

The Mob Museum was interesting, especially the section of the 'Valentines Day Massacre' wall* but they were anxious to get back to the house to prep for the A.M.A. tomorrow and wondering how graphic to get and what language to use due to it being a 13 y.o. and up event -- they decided to stick to 'scientific' terminology and use P.G. -- 13 descriptors..

Aroused by their recollection of their first times, they 69'd and Lola fucked Chris that night....she would get it tomorrow night.

Arriving at nine-thirty at The Center, they got some coffee and donuts and fifteen minutes later they went into the main auditorium and got ready for the talk and the first major question to Lola was "how did you tell Chris" and Chris started that he was looking for her in their yearbook but only found her 'dead name' and then Lola told how she related her transformation to her true self to Chris but added that you should inform your potential future partner sooner rather than later - gauging it by their reactions to subtle hints about Trans issues.

Chris got an awkward question regarding a previously 'hetero' male fellating their lover and eventual intercourse and if he was a 'top' or 'bottom' "You will do what you can to make the one you love happy...we are switches and alternate, but not all relationships are the same -- yours may differ."

After a polite round of applause and some hand shaking and hugs and kisses they sat down for the next presentation about LGBTQ+ adoption and fostering. They heard about the dismal state of the system in Las Vegas and the inordinate amount of 'forgotten' kids in it and what The Center was trying to do to promote placement either way -- this touched them both especially Lola being a POC and Trans and they left that day wondering what they could do to help out..

They decided on lunch at The Plaza Hotel and Casino* and afterwards feeling residual luck from their winnings the other day and decided to play Mega Bucks* and he hit the top prize -- they looked at each other and both agreed to adopt a LGBTQ+ child of colour in L.A. County.

They told Dawn and Denys of their fortune and plan, causing Denys to plant the seed for them to become entrepreneurs on 'The Block', "you know there are still open spaces on the corners for a good business..."

The rest of the week went well and the Halloween show was a hit, Chris was missing performing with them more often and along with Denys' suggestion his mind started churning and turning.

---------Chapter Nine---------

Chris and Lola contacted the LGBT Adoption Center* in SoCal and went in to look over a portfolio of waiting kids and saw a fourteen year old Asian-Pacific Trans girl whose parents were killed in a car crash named Hazel-Marie and decided to adopt her.

They met with her and told them about themselves and Hazel-Marie said she wants to fully transition and they were good with that (seeing that they had money and good insurance, meaning that they could expedite her journey) and a few days later they started the adoption process. At Christmas they all went to Vegas to visit their friends from 'The Block' for a few days and stayed at the Ryans' home. Dawn noticed how much more mature and happy Chris seemed and commented as such.

"Yeah totally Dawn, now I either need to buy that Pioneer Take-Out or..."

"You could just relocate to Vegas after the adoption goes through and open up something on 'The Block'" suggested Martin.

"Yes dear, I think 'The Block' could use an inclusive Goth clothing shop and I can finally apply what I learned in cosmetology school." Hazel-Marie nodded in agreement and so Chris' fate was sealed.

Six months later the adoption was compleat and the Summers were now a trio, two months after that they headed to their new home in Vegas and work began on To the Nines their Goth clothing boutique and Unisex salon for the Gothtober 1st grand opening.

[1st October, Eleven A.M. 'The Block']

The crowd gathered in the closed off street in front of To The Nines with Bobby Ruof's 1969 Lincoln on one side and Denys' 1957 Cadillac Miller Meteor Hearse on the other with only the 'Darquest' Tunes provided by DJ Hayzie Shayde of Wyntre (Hazel-Marie) on the ones and twos just inside the store being sent through the tannoy system installed in the buildings fronts.

At Eleven-thirty Denys & Dawn, Angela & Marty Taylore, Bobby & Colleen Ruof, and Chris & Lola came out of Death by Dawn (after eating some Death by Dawns) and lined up behind Denys relative to their businesses in all of their Goth finery, first the Summers in Front of To the Nines, then Marty in front of Death by Dawn with Angela between him and Dawn who stood in front of Misery, and finally the Ruofs in front of 'Toons und Tunes -- Denys signaled to Hazel-Marie to cut the music.

"Hello everybody and welcome to the beginning of Gothtober and the grand opening of our latest 'The Block' family-owned establishment To the Nines...with this opening my dream of an inclusive Goth cultural corridor is almost compleat, but that'll be next year -- coffee anyone?"

"Now before Chris and his lovely wife Lola take the mic, I just want to announce that today twenty-five percent of each establishment's profits will go to The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada in honour of the Summers family as Lola and their adopted daughter Hazel-Marie are both POC MtF Transwomen, to support increasing awareness and education about adoption and the fostering of LGBTQ+ kids...but particularly kids who are POCs or people of colour as Hazel-Marie is Asian-Pacific from Hawai'i and because POC kids have a harder time being adopted or fostered" a loud round of applause breaks out "and now Chris and Lola Summers" handing the mic to Chris.

"Howdy everyone, you may recognize me from the last three years of Gothtober as one half of Magenta Dawn with the lovely Dawn Ryan and one-third of Magenta Death Decay with the addition of Dawn's hubby Denys, and the back-up band for Marc Massive*. I'm Chris and this is my lovely wife Lola" as she stepped up and stood on his right side.

"Here at To the Nines we offer a full range of Goth clothing and accoutrements for all people -- plus a unisex hair salon staffed by Lola and her talented crew, also we offer a frequent customer card and gift certificates for both the clothing side and the hair side, now my lovely wife will tell you a bit more" as he handed her the mic, more applause.

"Hi folks, I am indeed Lola 'Candy' Summers, head stylist in our unisex hair salon, it may be small with only four stations but we offer all styles for everybody from vintage Siouxsie Sioux* and Peter Murphy* to today's cutting edge looks and everything in between."

"You can call of course to make an appointment or just randomly drop in or you can go to www.theblock.DTLV to our 'The Block' portal and find us there to make an appointment online. For our grand opening we are offering a twenty-five percent coupon valid from November third to December twenty-fourth for every purchase of fifty dollars or more, before taxes" as the various owners went into their respective businesses with Denys and Bobby getting ready to move their cars to the front of their businesses "and now welcome to To the Nines" another round of applause as Hazel-Marie opened the door.

--------Chapter Ten----------

Valentine's Day was a few weeks away and the Summers were sitting in the breakfast nook before getting their daughter off to school, Chris asked Lola what she wanted to do for Valentine's Day... "adopt a boy" she said and Hazel-Marie nodded in agreement -- and once again his fate was sealed.

They adopted a two-spirit (gay) Southern Paiute* teen named Samson Duke and their familial unit was finally compleat.

--------Epilogue--------

Two years later Hazel-Marie's transition was compleat and they had a Blaque ('Sweet Sixteen') Celebration at Misery, with DJ Death Jam (Chris) and DJ Goth Kween (Lola) spinning only the 'Darquest Tunes' both classic and contemporary (respectively) and DJ Duke the Mighty mixing traditional Paiute mythologies with Darkwave and Synthwave undercurrents.

Food was provided by Death by Dawn with coffee and pan dulce (Pan de Muerto & Rosca de Muerto) provided by A & A Death by Kafe.

Candy came from out on the island,

In the backroom she was everybody's darling,

But she never lost her head

Even when she was giving head

She says, hey baby, take a walk on the wild side

Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side

['Walk on the Wild Side' -- Lou Reed, Transformer (RCA Records -1972)]