Twice Two

Mirage spun happily around the mirror, pleased that all the upcoming performances were finally over and now she could relax. But she didn’t want to just sit still — she longed for something active and exciting, something that could leave her with bright memories. It took her a few minutes of thinking to recall the promise she and Plane had made to each other. She needed to call her and remind her about their trip to Taiwan. Nymphia hadn’t been too eager to spend the vacation together that day. She’d acted strangely overall — it seemed like she wasn’t happy about her arrival, though before she’d always been glad to see her. Mirage decided not to tell her for now. She dialed Plane’s number and waited for an answer, but no one was in a hurry to pick up. Mirage was about to hang up and go back to her thoughts when suddenly Plane’s sleepy face appeared on the screen. She squinted at the screen with one eye — the other one was apparently still asleep. ‘Hi, Plane,’ Mirage said cheerfully. ‘I thought you were ignoring me.’ The second eye finally opened, and Plane rubbed her face with her hand. ‘Even if someone starts ignoring you, you still won’t let go,’ she muttered, smiling at the same time. ‘Didn’t let me sleep.’ ‘Oh,’ Mirage tried to look regretful. ‘But why are you sleeping though?’ ‘Had three shows in a row yesterday,’ Plane replied with a pitiful groan. ‘Finished at three in the morning. Thought I’d kick the bucket.’ ‘And why did you decide to work yourself to death?’ Mirage asked slyly. ‘Nymphia’s rich now, isn’t she? And besides, she’s friends with the president of Taiwan.’ ‘Nymphia never offered me her share,’ Plane said gloomily. ‘And what’s she got to do with it anyway?’ ‘Because,’ Mirage began enthusiastically, ‘it’s time to finally start carrying out our plan!’ Mirage’s smile faded when she saw Plane’s puzzled face. She’d forgotten everything! No wonder Nymphia used to say she had to remind her of many things. Now Mirage saw it with her own eyes. ‘We were going to see Nymphia,’ she reminded gently, afraid Plane would start yelling that she’d never planned to go anywhere, that it was all drunken talk, and why was she calling at such a bad moment. But instead Plane just scratched the back of her head. ‘Yeah, right,’ she said. ‘Kinda forgot. But now’s really the wrong time — yesterday’s shows weren’t the last ones, and I don’t even know when I’ll be done.’ Mirage decided to play a trick. ‘Don’t tell me money’s more important to you than Nymphia?’ she asked cunningly. The trick worked. ‘What kind of stupid conclusion is that?’ Plane snapped. ‘I can see Nymphia after I finish working. We’ve got some event planned in two months. We’ll all meet there.’ ‘So you only see each other when you’re forced to — the premiere, the finale…?’ ‘Wait, did she complain to you?’ Plane shouted. ‘That’s not true! It’s just that right now we don’t have the chance to meet — we’re busy people, you know.’ Mirage was glad about such a reaction. She didn’t want to interrupt her flow of ranting with comments, so she swallowed her words about being busy. ‘When the amount of work goes down, that’s when we’ll see each other! In June I’ve got shows in Britain, in July the whole month is booked, then something else in August…’ Plane broke off in confusion. She realized her relationship with Nymphia wasn’t perfect at all, and that they really only met when contracts forced them to. Except for their flight to Taiwan, though even then Plane had been made to perform. ‘Alright then,’ Plane grumbled. ‘I get it. I’ll have to check which shows I can cancel, I’m sick of working nonstop. Sometimes, Mirage, you need to rest too, in case you didn’t know.’ Holding back laughter, Mirage agreed, and after deciding not to notify Nymphia yet about their future visit, they said goodbye.  

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After listening to a fiery curse-filled tirade from Big Atlas, Plane sighed in annoyance and reminded her that this month, for some reason, she’d performed more often than her friend, even when Atlas’s name was on the poster. Atlas had nothing to say to that and just waved her hand in surrender. Plane smirked smugly and went to pack her suitcase — Mirage had suggested combining vacation with a couple of shows. Maybe she was broke and needed a way to pay for her drinks there. Plane didn’t mind — the Taiwanese audience had loved her when she performed there before. She couldn’t wait to make Nymphia happy with the news of her visit, but Mirage insisted it had to be a surprise, meaning they had to stay quiet until the last moment. Plane agreed reluctantly only because she’d promised herself never to stop giving Nymphia her favorite surprises. Keeping silent turned out to be pretty tough — Plane was overflowing with enthusiasm, which was hard to hide during their phone calls. After her win, Nymphia had been performing actively in Taiwan, glorifying national drag. But every time, Plane had the feeling she’d suddenly decide to leave without warning right when they and Mirage, like fools, would fly in. ‘How much longer are we gonna stall?’ she grumbled to Mirage, making the last call before departure. ‘Tomorrow we’ll meet at the airport and send her a picture. She’ll have fifteen hours to get ready for us — find a place to stay, bars, plan the program. I want to party all day long there!’ Plane once again felt glad she’d agreed to Mirage’s plan. Unlike their previous trip, where Nymphia had taken her around different places but she hadn’t remembered any of it — because she’d only looked at Nymphia and thought only about her — this time they’d have the chance to enjoy themselves and discover lots of new things. But where would they stay? Plane didn’t want to spend the night at Nymphia’s with Mirage — they weren’t all going to sleep in one bed together, were they? Sure, it wouldn’t be the first time — she’d had to share a bed with Mirage herself, and once with a conveniently available instructor — on that very same bed, but that option was, to put it mildly, not great. Nymphia would really have to make an effort to solve that issue. ‘Anyway,’ Mirage summed up, ‘don’t be late tomorrow. I’ve already heard about your punctuality.’ ‘Look who’s talking,’ Plane muttered gloomily, remembering how Nymphia had almost missed her flight while searching for her little bag.’  

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Nymphia’s reaction was predictable — first she froze in shock, and Plane, by habit, started grumbling about bad airport internet, but then she began to squeal joyfully and spin around the room. Mirage gave her some final instructions and orders, and she and Plane set off on a promising journey. The last flight to Taiwan had been remembered for a quickie in the bathroom and long hours watching their season. This time, Plane wasn’t planning to sneak off with Mirage, so the plan was either to watch something long or endure Mirage’s endless chatter and then fall asleep. The chatter turned out to be not so endless, and Mirage suggested watching some heart-wrenching series, which ended up being Russian. She explained her choice by saying she respected Plane’s Russian roots and believed in the local film industry. Plane agreed since there wasn’t much of a choice. But Mirage hadn’t considered that not many people bothered to translate Russian series into English, though that wasn’t much of a problem — everything was clear without words. The series turned out to be complete junk. Plane didn’t wait for her brain to rot entirely from this ‘masterpiece’ of Russian cinema and chose sleep instead.  

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Nymphia was just about to step on stage when her phone rang. She intended to ignore it — it was already time to leave the dressing room — but intuition told her to check the number. It was Plane. A very strange time for her to call — it was ten in the morning, and she never called that early, usually devoting those hours to blissful sleep. Normally her calls came late at night, when Nymphia was waking up in the middle of the day after exhausting shows. Without hesitation, Nymphia picked up and lovingly looked at the familiar face… and Mirage’s cheerful grin. After her win, Nymphia had immediately returned to her homeland, so her frequent meetups with her friend had stopped completely. But Mirage seemed to have become close with Plane, and now they were up to something. The news of their upcoming arrival shocked Nymphia. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her — she had so many plans, so much work, and now this… But on the other hand, it wasn’t just anyone flying in — it was her Plane, who had come up with a surprise. Nymphia squealed with joy and, promising to prepare everything for their arrival, rushed to the stage with excitement. Thanks to the good news, her performance went even better. And even the exhaustion afterward didn’t stop Nymphia from diving into her car and starting to plan out the details of the meeting. It was already three in the morning, and she should’ve gone to bed to think about it all in the morning, but she didn’t want to waste time, so once home, after a quick shower, she collapsed on her bed and started bombarding her phone with searches. The most important thing was deciding where to house them. She didn’t want to bother Mimi with such active guests, especially the too-rowdy Mirage. She needed to find a place where the three of them could be alone, but also one where, if desired, they could invite others — Nymphia was sure Mirage would appreciate that, unlike Plane. She settled on a guesthouse surrounded by one of the city’s national parks. It was in that very park that young Leo had planted a tree seventeen years ago. Nymphia had long wanted to see what had become of it, and now she had the chance to visit. The stay wasn’t cheap, but since Nymphia had recently received two hundred thousand dollars and hadn’t spent it yet, she decided not to spare the money.  

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Weary after the long flight, Plane and Mirage stepped off the plane and grabbed their suitcases. They couldn’t wait to see Nymphia, whom they both missed dearly, though they suspected she might be late. ‘What a sight — and without bodyguards!’ Plane heard behind her and turned around. Nymphia was smiling broadly at her friends. Plane rushed to her and squeezed her tight in her arms. Mirage joined the hug, and the three of them stood there blocking the way of hurrying passengers. At last, Nymphia broke free and chirped, ‘Girls, you’re unbelievable! I thought you’d never come visit me!’ ‘And yet here we are!’ Mirage exclaimed happily. ‘And very tired, by the way.’ ‘Yeah, baby,’ Plane agreed. ‘So where did you put us?’ ‘You’ll see when we get there,’ Nymphia answered mysteriously and led them toward the exit.  

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The house turned out to be small but very cozy. To Plane’s delight, Mirage had her own bedroom, so she and Nymphia didn’t have to share their soft bed with anyone else. After looking around the rooms with an important air, the trio returned to the suitcases they had left in the bright living room. While Nymphia and Plane whispered sweetly about something, Mirage opened her suitcase and began pulling out bottles of various interesting contents and placing them on the table. Plane suddenly stopped her stream of indecencies and stared at the scene unfolding before her eyes. Nymphia started counting, whispering numbers under her breath. When the ninth bottle landed on the table, Mirage dusted off her hands and wiped her forehead with her palm, showing great fatigue. Plane and Nymphia stood there, mouths open. ‘So, ready?’ Mirage asked enthusiastically, ignoring their bewilderment. ‘Ready for what exactly?’ Plane came to her senses. ‘Poisoning?’ ‘Oh, come on,’ Mirage waved them off and, grabbing the suitcase handle, rolled it into her room. ‘And what are we supposed to do with all this?’ Nymphia asked, pointing at the bottles in confusion. ‘Well, we can sell it to someone here,’ Plane shrugged. ‘There’s a park around — probably lots of tourists. We could offer it to them.’ Nymphia was even more shocked, not knowing if Plane was joking or seriously planning to speculate. Plane glanced at her confused face and burst out laughing. ‘I’m kidding, for God’s sake,’ she said, poking her elbow at her side. ‘But if any of your friends need it, we can share. Not for free, of course…’ While Nymphia was laying out plans to conquer the city, Mirage and Plane began nodding off. Nymphia herself was sleepy too — she’d spent half the night planning the program and the other half unable to fall asleep, imagining how she’d finally see Plane and hug her. In the end, she decided not to torture the girls or herself and ordered everyone to bed. She lay down next to Plane, admiring how she softly breathed in her sleep, and didn’t notice when she drifted off herself.  

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‘And why are we sleeping all the time?’ came a loud voice. Nymphia jerked awake, while Plane groaned and rolled onto her back. Mirage was standing in the doorway, glaring indignantly at the pair. ‘I thought you had a city tour prepared for us,’ she grumbled, ‘but you’re just lying around like you’re at home.’ ‘Hey,’ Plane muttered sleepily. ‘Who put you in charge here? You’re the one who sleeps like a bear, and Nymphia, by the way, got tired because of all that preparation.’ ‘Fine,’ Mirage softened. ‘I’m just hungry, and for some disrespectful reason the fridge is empty.’ ‘And who was supposed to fill it for you?’ ran through Plane’s mind. She looked at the sleepy Nymphia and started getting out of bed. ‘Come on, baby,’ Plane said, pulling Nymphia up by her shoulders to help her stand. Nymphia reluctantly got up, trying to remember where the nearest store was and where she wanted to take her guests. The cultural program of the day began with a quiet, cozy restaurant and ended with a loud drinking party at a bar, where Mirage picked up two tipsy guys and started downing shots with them one after another. Plane rolled her eyes again, watching her friend press her butt against one of the drunk guys. Nymphia stifled a laugh, sharing Plane’s feelings. It was time to stop the torture. She pulled Mirage away from the guy, reminded her of the address, and even texted it to her just in case, then told her she and Plane were calling it a night. Mirage nodded eagerly, clearly not understanding a word, and happily returned to her companions. ‘Planey, it’s time for beddy-bye,’ Nymphia whispered into Plane’s ear and pulled her off to enjoy the peace and privacy of their house.  

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Vacation days flew by quickly. Plane was rediscovering the city, this time actually listening to Nymphia, though Mirage constantly interrupted with comments. She was especially impressed by the national park where their little house was. Nymphia proudly showed them the huge tree she had planted with her own little hands seventeen years ago. But what impressed Plane most of all was the mountain trip Mirage had insisted on after seeing an ad on the street. Nymphia had run out of ideas for excursions, so she quickly gave in. Without reading the reviews carefully, they ignored the advice to bring warm clothes and set off on the hike in their usual outfits — which they later paid for. After less than two hours there, the friends burst back into the house, teeth chattering and rubbing their shoulders. Mirage immediately rushed to her stash, which had already noticeably decreased. Grabbing the first bottle she saw, she gulped greedily and moaned with satisfaction. Plane and Nymphia, not even having taken their shoes off yet, stared at her in amazement until Mirage finally pulled herself away from the bottle and sighed contentedly. ‘Want some?’ Mirage offered the bottle. ‘We’ll warm up another way…’ Nymphia squeaked. ‘Oh, who would’ve doubted it!’ Mirage exclaimed, adding, ‘Perverts!’ Taking another bottle from the shelf and grabbing something from the fridge, Mirage strutted off to her room with a ‘do not disturb’ look. Plane snorted and headed for hers. ‘Should we take something from her stash?’ Nymphia asked after her. ‘Baby, I’ll warm you up without booze so much you won’t be able to get out of bed for a day!’ Plane replied without turning around. ‘I hope just not out of bed into the cold…’ she muttered, glancing at the shelf. ‘Hope so, Nymphia!’ Plane began to close the door, and Nymphia rushed after her. ‘I agree!’  

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‘Nymphia, for fuck’s sake! Can’t you cancel the shows?’ Nymphia glared at Plane and frowned. Plane had already worn her out with constant complaints about her frequent absences. How could she explain she couldn’t change anything? ‘Come on, Plane. I told you I have to work,’ Nymphia sighed wearily. ‘If you can’t cancel them, then reschedule,’ Plane insisted. ‘I don’t have much time left here with you.’ ‘I can’t let the fans down,’ Nymphia looked down guiltily. ‘You two came so suddenly, when a lot of shows were already agreed on. Next time, let’s plan ahead for a vacation when neither of us has to work.’ ‘More arrangements again,’ Plane muttered. Nymphia raised her eyes, trying to play on her pity. ‘Alright, damn it,’ Plane exhaled. ‘But listen — after the shows at night you won’t get any rest.’ And that’s how it turned out — after daytime walks and trips to nearby cities, Nymphia ran to the club and worked until late at night, while Plane and Mirage wandered from bar to bar, where Mirage easily found guys who happily paid for all the drinks she could swallow. Random (or maybe not so random) encounters and collaborations with other drag queens promised even more fame and fan attention, which only reassured Plane she’d made the right choice to come to Taiwan. One important thing was left — to spark the fans’ instant reaction to Plane and Nymphia’s reunion. Even though they hadn’t made any announcements and no compromising materials had surfaced, fans prayed over their photos and videos together and filled Twitter with fantasies and nonsense. Plane was so eager for attention that she cornered Nymphia with pleas for joint content. To Plane’s surprise, she didn’t need to beg long — Nymphia just grabbed her and dragged her into the room. ‘Damn, you’re tireless…’ Plane muttered just before her pants were pulled off and she was thrown onto the bed. ‘Sure, we can film something now if you want, but it’s not going to the fans. Let them jerk off to their fanfics.’ Nymphia looked up with a commanding tone, ‘Shut your mouth!’ ‘Yeah…’ Plane whimpered from Nymphia’s rough touches. ‘All photos and videos will come after you earn them.’  

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The vacation was nearing its end, and Plane’s mood grew heavier and sadder. She would’ve given a lot for this trip not to end. Even her career and popularity didn’t seem as important as the time spent with her love. ‘Hey! Don’t mope!’ Nymphia interrupted her gloomy thoughts. Plane looked around. They were standing in front of the airport building, ready to say goodbye. Nymphia was cheerful as always, Mirage seemed to have already gotten tipsy somewhere, and Plane had no idea what their future would hold. Would they be able to build a normal relationship where they didn’t have to hide from others and only rarely visit each other in different cities and even countries? And if not, could Plane handle it? That would all be revealed soon enough.