LEGACY
Legacy Magazine By
Amaris Mercado
I'd like to thank everyone that helped me get to where I am this year, and helped me make this book possible. I thank my wonderful roommates, Caitlyn and Toni, for always being such a joy, I thank my fantastic thesis teacher, Mr.Gordley, for helping me so much and wanting to see me succeed, and I especially want to thank my wonderful friend Amelia for writing and editing all of the text in this magazine with me over the last few months, and thank you to so many others. It's been a wild ride.
Legacy Magazine is a fun short story put together by my friend Amelia and I about an alien universe in a story of ours called, Harlie's Legacy. The purpose of this magazine is to put the viewer in the perspective of your average every day alien, picking up a subscription of a popular drama magazine on your home planet. This magazine is filled with celebrities and gossip and current events, made to mimic and parody that of our own world. All of the characters in this short story, are interviewed by a small bug-like alien woman named Ladyluck, who is the narrator. Don't worry if you don't understand, that's the point! I had a lot of fun working on this, and I hope you enjoy the weird and alien experience that is Legacy Magazine
The subject of this magazine, Sadmind, knows me, and I
know her, as we’ve run in similar circles for many, many years. We first met during an award show she had graciously hosted, one of, if not my actual, earliest breaks into reporting and interviewing. My team and I had the chance to interview more than several influential figures who had been brought there by Sadmind but I had my sights set on interviewing the hostess herself. Unfortunately the opportunity never came and I was left disappointed. Upon hearing that the Frolic businesswoman was announcing a 50th year celebration of her primary place of business, Amusment Land, I contacted the famous Frolic business owner for an interview. My team and I jumped at how quickly she responded yes to our inquiry, as, several weeks before the announcement, my team and I received several packages filled with documents about Sadmind, documents not available to the public. Amazingly, or perhaps it was intended, certain individuals who had close, explicit connections to the Amusement Land celebrations were mentioned in the documents as well. First of these was Sadmind Query Lady, stylized as SQL in literally every instance of her name being mentioned except the documentation that had been sent to us. Second was the band Busted Circuits, namely the singer Lehigh and her twin sister and the musician in the band Vienna. On a whim, we requested if we could interview SQL and the members of Busted Circuits. Remarkably, especially for a recluse of social interaction that was Sadmind, she approved both interviews. In this issue we will be discussing the busy lives of Sadmind, SQL, and their relationship, along with a VERY special interview with the talented musical guests “Busted Circuits.�
SYNESTHESIA and
Sadmind
It can be said, with no exaggeration that Sadmind
Query Lady, from this point to be known as SQL, is one of the most unique looking programs I’ve ever met. Synchronized Programs are a rare bunch regardless but SQL had a nearly perfect divide down the middle of her face, the right half a beautiful light blue that also had dark blue Frolic marks that showed her Nanse heritage and the left half looking incredibly similar to, if not identically to, her namesake, Sadmind, the subject of this magazine. Despite this coincidence, it should be noted that neither Sadminds ever referred to each other in familial terms nor did they ever seem to meet face to face. The interview that I was to be performing with SQL was the first time the duo, on record, offered some degree of admittance for being connected in any way. “Did you know my buttcheeks are the opposite color?” was the first thing that SQL said to me when we arrived to her studio and were introduced. The incredibly colorful studio, where pieces of fabric dotted the walls, some encircled with red, some marked out with a black “x”, was attached to the factory where SQL’s clothing line, Synesthesia, was produced and shipped from. First bought by SQL fifty years ago. SQL sat in a purple bean bag while I sat in the lime green. It was possibly the most comfortable I’ve ever been during an interview. Surrounding us were dozens of mannequins, some of which practically nude save for random pieces of cloth, some having entire outfits that seemed ready for production. Ladyluck: Thank you so much for meeting us today Ms SQL! It means a lot for myself and my readers. SQL: Please, the pleasures entirely mine Miss Luck. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since you first contacted me! LL: I’m very glad to hear that! Now, first things first, I’ve heard that the work you’ll be doing for Amusement Land’s celebration is a little different than your normal selection. Could you elaborate on that for me please? SQL: Absolutely! The Synesthesia brand has always been about capturing the many, many colors that surround us, utilizing them in beautiful, inventive ways to create altruistic projects that you can wear. That being said, for the 50th Year
Celebration at Amusement Land, something very special had to be produced for the occasion. Sadmind’s Amusement Land’s Celebration is not just an anniversary for the Jewel of the Southlands but is an observance and honoring of Frolicdom as a whole. LL: That’s incredible! So, did you find your creative process changed when you when you were commissioned for the Celebration? SQL: Well, you have to! For the most part, the Synesthesia team is very much encouraged to take inspiration from, well, pretty much anything or everything. We really do try to reflect the city, the world, that surrounds us as a whole. With this new project, however, we honed in directly on Frolic culture, modern and ancient. Believe it or not, but we’ve gone back even as far as the Zetabyte Tome for reference! LL: I didn’t know that! SQL: You weren’t meant to! LL: Now, I am a 8ug, so my knowledge on Frolics, especially historical attire that was worn by your differing tribes might be a tiny bit off, but I think, when we were coming in and setting up the equipment, I saw some of your assistants moving a mannequin to the back room that had an outfit on it that screamed NANSE to me. Am I somewhere in the ballpark there? SQL: Uh, yes, the very first piece Synesthesia and I put together was a sort of updated take on a military outfit that Frolics wore many, many years ago. LL: And am I to take it that that will be the piece you’re wearing during the celebration? Not to be too casual, but the Frolic Marks you have, on the right side of your face, those are NANSE, correct? SQL: They very much are. I’ve always been proud of my Nanse heritage and I’ll be showing that during the Celebration. LL: I respect that so much. Honoring one’s past is such an important part of being a program in today’s society. SQL: I 100% agree. LL: I’m glad to hear that! If that’s the case, what about the other marks on your face? The left hand side, that is. In a single second, a thousand things occur. SQL’s eyes narrow, her hands become fists, her mouth tightens. In a moment, she looks a program trapped, trying, withing the time of a clock’s tick, to determine what to do, where to run, what to say in response to my ostensibly simple question.
When the second ends, SQL has relaxed, returning to the gentle, even smile she had been wearing before. When she opened her mouth to speak, it was with the same lively energy she had been using with us before. SQL: What is it about the Frolic marks on the left side of my face are you interested in? LL: Well, I can’t be the first that’s noticed the remarkable resemblance between you and the owner of Amusement Land, Sadmind herself. She pauses for a moment and looks behind me, though I didn’t have an opportunity to see what it was at the time of the interview. When I asked my crew later what it was, they said it was a poster with Sadmind, dressed in an outfit designed by a much younger SQL. SQL: I’ve have heard, on occasion, that Ms Sadmind and I bare something of a resemblance. LL: It’s more than a passing one though! Personally, and this might just be me, but if I were to see you from the left side, I almost might think you were Sadmind, if I didn’t notice your height, of course. We both laugh. SQL’s laugh is more genuine than I might have expected. SQL: Like I said, I have heard it before. LL: Is there any particular reason that this might be the case? Have you ever looked into it at all. SQL: I can confirm that Sadmind and I come from similar parts of the world, though, to be fair, Frolics can have only so many kinds of marks before there’s some cross-over between individuals. LL: That is very true. That does remind me however, in regards to your origin. Does the name Harlie sound familiar to you? Again, there’s a visible reaction to my question, though this one come across less as panic and more as confusion and intrigue. SQL moves, uncrossing her legs and leans forward a bit, not at all alarmed. SQL: Harlie? That’s a name I haven’t heard in quite some time. LL: You must not spend a lot of time around 8ugs then! SQL: Not as much as I probably should, to be quite honest. Harlie is a name with a lot of history and respect upon it, even outside of the 8ug community. LL: It is. Which is why I find it strange that there is a family made up of, from what I can tell, entirely Frolics, with the family name of Harlie. That seems rather odd, don’t you think, considering Frolics
and 8ugs were something of enemies in times past. SQL: Are you asking my opinion on a Frolic family with the name Harlie? LL: Yes, I’m fascinated to know what you think! SQL doesn’t react at all, at this point. She leans back and smiles, again very gently and very calmly, before responding. SQL: I would hope, as a Frolic myself, that the person who choose that name would do so out of respect, not out of some childish need to flaunt our perceived status over theirs. Before the beginning of the war of the Source, there was legitimate talks of peace between the 8ugs and the Frolics. I believe the program that named their family Harlie did so with that in mind. LL: Wonderful. That was a great statement, Ms SQL. Oh! And speaking of names, I may have snuck around and heard that you used to have a nickname in your younger days. SQL: Oh? LL: Does Slammer ring any bells to you? SQL groans and laughs as she puts her hands in her face, shaking her head all the while. SQL: Before I got into fashion, before Synesthesia, I used to fight in hand to hand tournaments! LL: Oh my goodness! SQL: and I used to be a very, very practiced user of wrestling. My strength and my enjoyment of grappling earned me the nickname “Slammer” LL: That’s incredible! Will we be seeing any of that “Slammer” spirit during the celebration? SQL: God, I hope not, barring any unforeseeable “bare knuckle” throwdowns. We share a nice, genuine laugh. LL: Well, what can we expect from you during the anniversary? SQL: My team and my outfits will be on full display and worn by the participants of the Amusement Land 50th Year Celebration. Along with our new line, we’ll be bringing back a lot of older collections that have been out of commerce for many many years! LL: Oh, I really hope you bring back the Digital Love catalogue. It used to be my favorite! SQL: You’ll just have to wait and see! LL: My patience will be tested for sure. Thank you so much for speaking with me today, Ms SQL. SQL: Thank you so much for coming in. We stand and shake hands. For the reputation SQL has for her formidable strength, her handshake, while firm, is as gentle as the smile on her face. The moment our hands seperate, however, my team and I are
rushed from the studio and the building, pushed out by programs twice our size. Before we were corralled, I saw SQL pull out her phone and call a number that came up as “Blocked�. It was impossible to say who she was contacting, but there was one name, plastered all over the documents that were still in my bag, that came to mind and did not leave.
BUSTED CIRCUITS x
SADMIND
A SURPRISING COLLABORATION WITH THE HOTTEST BAND OF THE YEAR
Dark, lightened only by neon and the crowd’s
energy, the Myth and Legend is a bar known for two things; the extremely cheap drinks and the owners, the near legendary musical duo, Lehigh “Vapes” and her twin sister Vienna “That B*tch V”, collectively known as Busted Circuits. As a skeleton version of my normal group and I entered the club, Busted Circuits was on their stage, performing with an intense energy one could imagine they would be bringing to Amusement Land’s 50th Year Celebration. The crowd that faced the stage were experiencing the music of the twin sisters with nearly the same energy that Lehigh’s vocals and Vienna’s instrumentals provided them, creating an ourobous of vivacity that threatened to burn the venue down if it wasn’t stopped soon. Fortunately for us and the surrounding structures, but not so much for their fans, Busted Circuits performed a handful more songs before retiring to the back and reappearing in a VIP area in the upper section of the Myth and Legend. It was there, behind 4 burly bodyguards and velvet ropes, that the stars of the night sat. While they had, on stage, drunk every potentially alcoholic beverage that had been handed to them and smoked every foul smelling bit or byte that was flammable, the twins were sitting at their seats, waiting with beers in hand. A beer was offered to each of my staff and everyone, excluding Mobius, politely declined. There was one bouncer in particular, a wildly red haired program with blue skin and Frolic marks on their cheek in the shape of circles, that spent more time watching the interview than the crowd. Not much thought was put into their presence until some time later. Taking my seat on the other side of the semi circle seat, a small table covered with liquor and
beer between us, our interview was held over throbbing bass and the occasional Busted Circuits fan scream when they noticed how close they are to their idols. Ladyluck: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today! I know you both maintain a busy schedule! Lehigh Vapes: Hey it wasn’t a big deal, like, at all! What’d you think of the show? LL: It’s hard to put into words! Your music, the venue, the reaction from the crowd. It all blended together in a way I’d describe as “raw and honest.” LV: ****, that’s really good! I need to call my publicist and get permission to, like, use that for out next poster, ****. Oh, ****, uh, Big V here, she’s not much for talking a bunch-a-bunch, so I’ll be handling the questions. LL: That’s perfectly fine, I promise. Now, we weren’t able to get to the bar until your set had already started, parking around here is horrendous, but when we came in, I swear you were in the middle of a song I haven’t actually heard before. Is this a new song for the Anniversary and do you have other songs planned for it as well? LH: Yeah, we’ve been, like, testing out some new ****, some stuff that’s gotten some cheers, some that doesn’t. Most of it does, I mean, duh, we’re awesome, but we’re bringing some new **** that’s about, like, Frolics and our place in society and ****. Actually, *******, uh, Sadmind herself helped us co-write a song for the big closer, the finale! LL: Oh really? That’s fascinating! What was it like, working hand and hand with Ms. Sadmind? Lehigh takes a brief moment to take a very long drink out of her bottle, exhaling satisfied as she places the empty container onto the table. She takes a cigarette from a pack that’s nearly empty and
lights it with a fancy, electrical lighter. The cigarettes burning smell mixes with the other odors in the bar until it’s indistinguishable from anything else. LH: *******, Sadmind. She’s, like, the absolute best business woman in the ******* world but, uh, she’s not a great lyricist, if I’m gonna be a hundred percent honest. Vienna: She’s gonna be the last name in the writing credits is all I’ll say. For being twins, Lehigh and Vienna have extraordinarily different energies, voices, and body types. That being said, they both share an air of tranquility that immediately reveals their familial connection. Without being told, Lehigh holds the box of cigarettes to Vienna, who takes it and lights, though, while Lehigh lit hers with a lighter, Vienna uses a paper match. LL: When it comes to writing both your lyrics and your music, do you find yourself often returning to the influences that inspired your previous music or would you say you try to find new inspiration every new song? LH: I think it’s something like both? Like, you always pick up something new, right? We both listen to tons of ****, I read a ton of poetry books...Uh, actually, can you cut that last thing I said out? I don’t need ************* knowing I read ******* poetry. LL: Oh, if you’d like, we can definitely- LH: Eh, you know what? **** if, anyone who knows and doesn’t wanna listen to our **** can eat it. **** it, print it. LL: Will do! LH: Can’t ******* go too long without talking about my family. Anytime I’m stuck on a line or whatever, I can call ‘em up and they’ll help us figure it out. They’re cool like that. LL: Are their other members of your family who are musically inclined? Lehigh and Vienna laugh. Despite the differences between their voices, they have nearly identical laughs, which makes the dual sounds of joy and warmth seem unusually loud for the noisy bar. LH: Yeah, we got, like, a ******* bunch, believe or not. You know, thinking about it, pretty much all of our siblings are pretty ******* talented. Everyone except Mylife. That poor ******* not good at anything. LL: Is Ms. Vienna here the only family member that you’ve made music with?
LH: Oh, **** no. *******, uh, SnS and CK sing like badasses, even if they’re old as ****. They both show up on our second album. At the time, I had an inkling with who SnS and CK could be referencing to, and it took a very brief look into the documents to find Lehigh was referring to the opera singer SorryNotSorry and the stage and film actor CuriosityKills, both of whom were much older than the two members of Busted Circuits and both of whom had the surname “Harlie”. V: Them Doom varmints can sing a mean tune too, ayup! It should be noted that Vienna took on a thick, drawling accent to make her statement, sounding somewhat like a Westerner. The bouncer with wild red hair suddenly stepped closer to the seats, a look of composure on their face, though their eyes moved wildly between the two musicians. I am, unfortunately, unversed in the Language of Hands, but they said something furiously quickly at the musicians, pointed to them, pointed to me, and turned to look at me. Their eyes were completely black aside from a red iris that searched me up and down and their face, still completely still, had familiar looking red circles on their cheeks next to their lips, Frolic marks that strongly resembled those of the primary subject of this magazine. With no words, Lehigh and Vienna huffed and followed the bouncer out the door, the blue skinned program giving me an inscrutable look before exiting. I spent a moment wondering if I should call out and ask the bouncer why they intervened in my interview, but I decided more time could be spent determining the identity of both the “Doom Varmints” and the bouncer themselves. Again, a look into my documents made the discovery for me. The Doom varmints were two more Harlie’s, Doomjuice and Mydoom, both restaurateurs and professional chefs. The bouncer’s name was Happy Harlie, an alliterative puzzle piece that both enlightened and confused me. That being said, no matter what came from this particular situation, I was very much looking forward to my next and final subject, the owner of Amusement Land herself, Sadmind.
SADMIND
BILLIONAIRE ARCHITECT AND FROLIC LEGEND
Amusement Land. The shining jewel of the
Southlands and a beacon of entertainment for programs around the world, it had begun with a farris wheel, a merry-go-round and a single tent where the owner and star of the show, Sadmind, would perform with her troop of artistes, of whom were a never ending cycle of journeymen who came and went throughout the years. Fifty years later, Amusement Land had fun and fancy to any programs delight, with rides, games, and other frivolities, all of which surrounded the ringmaster herself. When my group and I arrived at Amusement Land, the final performance in the big, central tent was coming to a close, though we were able to catch the very final “goodbye speech,” as done by Sadmind herself. Sadmind was a born performer, well rehearsed in her speech but at times seeming to casually improvise, her every stumble and stutter chosen with care, though her audience would never be the wiser. After the show had ended and the guests exited the tent and the park, we were allowed into the back, where Sadmind sat on the back of a hay cart, her eyes focused to the right and the ground. She hadn’t had the time to change from her ringmaster getup, an ensemble that was adorned with black sequins. The Frolic seems quite unlike herself in this moment, a painting, a scene so divorced from the performance she had just participated in, a program could be forgiven for thinking this woman was not the same as the one just in the spotlight. One of my group takes a quick picture of Sadmind, she notices and her countenance changes, the crowd pleaser, the stage handler from before returning in a bolt of lightning. She stands, smiles, places the hat back on her head, and approaches us genially. After a few affable words, we begin the interview there, behind the scenes of Amusement Land. Ladyluck: I have to say it again, thank you so much for taking the time to speaking with us Ms. Sadmind. Sadmind: Think nothing of it Ms. LadyLuck. We both benefit from this interaction! LL: I agree. Now, to start, I’ve noticed you very rarely do interviews despite being possibly the most important person in the entirety of the Southlands. Is there a particular reason for this? SM: You flatter me, truly, but I’m actually not that interesting outside of my businesses. A laugh comes from myself and my group.
We have been investigating Sadmind for what had been weeks now, and while there have been be many, many ways to describe the secretive Frolic before us, “not interesting” was not one of them. LL: To think Ms. Amusement Land, what with the fireworks, the extravagant showmanship and the stage presence of a goddess calls herself “not interesting,” SM: When you live as Sadmind, Sadmind doesn’t seem very interesting, I promise you. LL: That’s understandable, but I’m genuinely curious why you chose not to? Programs are dying to know more about you! I swear, I get dozens, if not hundreds, of requests for you to come onto my show daily! SM: Well, I’m genuinely appreciative to hear that so many Programs wish to know more about me. Actually, to prepare myself for our interview, I watched a handful of your shows. LL: Oh did you? Did any stand out to you in particular? SM: I liked the episode with ShadowThief. He was an associate of mine for some time and I had wondered what he’d been up to since we spoke last. LL: That’s wonderful! I’m so glad to hear it. So, aside from the 50th Year Celebration of Amusement Land and the Frolicdom Observance, what was it that had you agreeing to do an interview with us? SM: As you said, it seems as though people want to hear from me and, though there wasn’t much more in mind than the celebrations, interaction with you and, by extension, your audience, may shed some light on myself. LL: Fantastic! I have so many questions, you wouldn’t believe. The very first, one that comes to mind, is are you truly a Frolic? Rumors abound that you’re actually an Antic who’s been fooling, if you’ll pardon the phrase, much of the population for many, many years. SM: I beg your pardon? This line of questioning clearly confused Sadmind, as she takes a moment to think her answer over. After a few seconds, she takes her gloved hand and drags it across a vaguely irritated face. Nothing on her face smudges or drags, revealing herself to either be a Frolic or to have very high value makeup. SM: There! Rumors put to rest, I should hope. LL: I’m certainly convinced! That was more of a joke question, it’s just a silly conspiracy theory that sometimes makes the rounds because you’re so secretive. Why is that though, Ms Sadmind? SM: I’ve found that being too open with my
personal life distracts from my more professional endeavors, such as running Amusement Land or even the upcoming Frolic Celebration. LL: Putting as much time into your business has clearly born fruit! I find it fascinating, even as technology has grown and changed, you’ve never really seemed to change with the times, in terms of marketing, I’ve noticed. Have you ever put any thought into utilizing those other methods for marketing, maybe a marketing team or something similar? Basically, when are we going to see you on social media, Sadmind? Sadmind laughs in a way some might consider motherly, low and calm without an air of irony or mocking. She shakes her head and places a hand on her chin. SM: Perhaps if I understood such technology I would use it, but that sort of thing has passed me by many years ago. Word-of-mouth and our grassroots method still manages to bring the crowd or two to Amusement Land. LL: Indeed it does! It was quite the crowd out there, I noticed, I was impressed. SM: Thank you kindly. LL: Another question about your image is your gloves, actually. SM: Oh? LL: I noticed that you, more often than not, are wearing a white pair, but you’re in gold tonight. Any particular reason? SM: I had to look my best for our interview. Sadmind flashes a smile and, for a moment, the world fades away and it’s just me and Sadmind. Tales of Sadmind’s electric charisma are not overstating how quickly she can throw you off your game. Her eyes, which had been looking around where we were standing, were focused directly into a mine. After the moment is over, I steel myself and I’m able to ask my next question. LL: My team and myself thank you. Why the gloves at all times though? In researching for this, we could not find one picture of you without your trademark gloves, in any single one. No matter the color or design, you’re always wearing your gloves. Is there a particular reason for that or is it just your style? SM: It’s my style. Something of my signature, you could say. LL: I can’t imagine it’s very convenient. SM: It’s never bothered me. LL: Good! Actually, speaking of pictures. I take a moment to reach into the satchel that has many of the documents that were sent to us
before the magazine had begun. From it, I take a picture that stood out, even among the rest. It’s a grainy picture, but the resolution is high enough that Sadmind is clearly recognizable. She’s hand in hand with a mysterious green program who’s hard to see, but her ears are recognizably Automaton in nature. I hand this picture to Sadmind, who takes it lackadaisically and looks it over for a moment. Nothing on or about her face moves. LL: You’ve been seen with this program every so often, though I don’t think that any of these pictures have been seen online. Would you like to comment? I know your fans would love to know. Sadmind, at this point, requests that we stop the interview temporarily. Its assumed by myself and my team that Sadmind is going to shut down the interview and walk away, but what she states next is surprising. The Frolic asks if we could continue the interview at another location. While we had been planning a follow up interview closer to the actual celebration, it seemed as good as any opportunity to continue this line of questioning. However, in order to be transported to this new location, the entirety of my team and myself were required to ride with Sadmind in her personal vehicle with blindfolds on. Of course, we jumped at the chance. I was unable to write any notes, what with the blindfold, but I can recall multiple things about the trip. The first thing to be remembered, by both myself and my crew, is the legitimate fear there was on the journey. We had been driving for what had felt like hours, in complete silence, turning what felt like every street. Even someone as versed with this city as myself was unable to accurately place where we were at a certain point. Finally, after a bewilderingly long drive, we come to a stop and are roughly led from the vehicle, which had been large enough for all of us, and were led to elevators. In the darkness behind the blindfold, even a familiar sound like the soft hum of an elevator could come across as menacing. Brought from the elevators to the next room, there’s a sway to the building we’re in, meaning we must be in a high rise apartment or condo of some sort. Our blindfolds are removed and we get our first look at Sadmind’s home, a place I can’t imagine any reporter has seen. The interior is fairly drab, lots of black, white and grays, however, there are splashes of green everywhere, in the plants, pillows on the couch, accents of green everywhere. It’s remarkable that the only color to be seen is green. An interesting note that one of my
producers points out to me with a whisper in my ear is that there are framed pictures next to Sadmind’s television that are face down. What they show we were unable to determine. Sadmind is sitting on her couch, a glass of red wine in her hand. Behind her is an intimidating Frolic in a black cowboy hat and steely black eyes. She never leaves from that spot nor does she ever stop looking at me. I take a spot in a chair directly facing Sadmind and the next stage of our interview begins. LL: So, we are here in, well, the new location, again with Sadmind. So, before we left Amusement Land, we spoke briefly about a picture of a mysterious program you’ve been seen with on multiple occasions. Would you like to expound on that, a little? Sadmind takes a sip of her wine and glances at the Frolic behind her before answering. SM: The program that was photographed with me is named Blaster. She is very dear to me. LL: Ooh! So, the eternal bachelorette Sadmind herself has found herself a paramour? SM: That could be said. LL: Are we ever going to meet her? SM: No. LL: Understandable! So, when it comes to your family as a whole, are there any other members you’d like to speak about? SM: How do you mean? LL: Well, for one thing, it was noted in very, very old documents that you registered your family name as Harlie when you came to the City. Around 20 years afterwards, a child was registered with the name Voyager Harlie, then a Sadmind Query Lady Harlie, etcetera, etcetera. There have been multiple, multiple people born locally that all have the name Harlie, starting with you. Do you have any sort of comments on any of these programs? Sadmind is quiet for quite some time. She doesn’t look away from me while she sips from the wine glass, it becoming less and less filled as time passes. When it’s close to finished, Sadmind responds, though not with an answer. SM: What do you know of Harlie, Ms. Luck? LL: I know that it is a name very much outside of a Frolic’s purview, for the most part. You’d be far more likely to see the name Harlie as connected to a 8ug than any family of Frolics. SM: Never? LL: Even for what strides Marcellus managed to
make to unite 8ugs and Frolics, it would take an incredibly progressive mind to think to use the name Harlie for her family, assuming she has a family. Do you agree? SM: I would suppose. LL: So, considering the existence of the name Harlie being in a family of Frolics and each of these Frolics named Harlie, to some extent or another, seem to have started with you, Ms Sadmind, which leads us to two theories, both of whom twist into each other, you could say. SM: What might those be? LL: One, and this one seems obvious, is that everyone with the Harlie family is related, directly or indirectly, to you. SM: Hmm. And the second? LL: The second is that you, Ms. Sadmind are a weavling, possibly one of the first. A weavling mixture of Frolic and 8ug who was registered here nearly one hundred years ago and, for one reason or another, you decided to only display yourself as a Frolic. Those are my theories, at least. You’re the only one who can tell me if those theories are in anyway are correct. Sadmind takes a moment to look into her glass, swirling the wine within before finishing the rest before gently placing the glass on the desk next to her and leaning forward, her elbows on her knees and her hands linked together and her chin resting on her fingers. SM: You are correct on both accounts, Ms. Luck. Tales of your journalistic abilities were not unfounded. I have to laugh a little at how calm Sadmind is, admitting to these two long guarded secrets in an almost halfhearted manner. Still, I puff up a little at her compliment. LL: So, all these years of living in the city and you’ve been part 8ug this whole. I have to admit, this might be the biggest story that I’ve broken! SM: I’m proud to hear that I’m the subject of your big story! LL: As a 8ug myself, I have to wonder why you spent so many years portraying yourself as only a Frolic when there’s an entire other half of you that we’ve never met before. SM: Well, when I first moved to the city, maybe, oh, 70 years ago, it was a very different place. Exhibiting yourself as a 8ug openly was, frankly, dangerous. Corruption was still seen as an exclusively 8ug affliction back then and I had the opportunity to come across as only Frolic, which
would have saved me a lot of trouble and I believe it did so. LL: Now that the truth is out, so to speak, what are you planning to do now? SM: I will continue forward as I did before, but now it can be said I am going to live my life and show myself as a both Frolic and a 8ug. LL: And what about the other Harlie’s? How do they factor into this lifestyle change? SM: All of the Harlies that I’m sure you know of are my children, aside from Sasser Harlie. She is my sister and she is a 8ug as well. LL: That’s incredible. Do your children know they’re 8ugs? SM: They do indeed! LL: I’m very happy to hear it! What about the 50 th Year Celebration of Amusement Land? With your background as a 8ug now soon to be public knowledge, will you integrate some of that aspect of your code into the Celebration? SM: Unfortunately, with how far out plans have come and for how close we are to the actual date of the anniversary, I do not believe that there is time to integrate 8ug culture with Frolic. That being said, I believe, moving forward, we will do more to honor 8ugdom as a whole. LL: That’s definitely understandable. SM: I’d certainly hope I could rely on you, Ms Luck, with some direction for how to properly commemorate our shared heritage. LL: I’m already thinking of ideas! Sadmind and I and my crew laugh together, though I notice the Frolic behind Sadmind only just barely smiles. Regardless, we share in a brief moment of mirth before returning to the interview. LL: Well, I have to say Ms. Sadmind, your amiability towards us and the questions asked, not to mention actually answering my questions, has been incredibly refreshing. Most celebrities would circumvent pretty much any personal question with some sort of nonsense, but you were pleasantly open. SM: Secrecy is one thing, but honesty truly is the best policy. LL: Again, I’m glad to hear that and I thank you very much! I do have one final question, one connected to a question I asked earlier. SM: What’s that? LL: Is that really your natural hair color? SM: Oh lord. Again, the Frolic and my team and I laugh together in a final moment of affability. We’re
made to put on the blindfolds once again and are led back to the limousine, though Sadmind-less, and are brought back to just outside of Amusement Land, where our vehicles have been waiting for our return. A group of what we assume are hooligans are standing by our cars, but it turns out they were instructed by Sadmind to keep watch for potential carjackers or others with a less that reputable reputation, something of a reminder that the Southlands still has is fair share of criminals, for how much cleaner that portion of the city has become in recent years. At the end of this magazine, at the end of these interviews, what can be said about Sadmind and the entirety of the Harlie Family? Sadmind was, and continues to be, an enigma among many of the elite in our fair city. Very old, nearly 90 from what reports can show, but still incredibly youthful, seeming even younger than her own daughter SQL, and incredibly wealthy, Sadmind can still be found at Amusement Land, giving away candy, balloons and her performance to her adoring crowd. Coming from the secrecy that Sadmind displayed, it can assumed the Harlie's have their own secrets as well, though what is clearly their largest has been exposed to the light, and they are not seen as lesser for its disclosure. They are Frolic and they are 8ug and that is something to be celebrated. Speaking of celebration, it is to be remembered that the 50th Year Celebration of Amusement Land is coming up very, very soon. Please set the date and be sure to pre-order your tickets, because once this magazine is in your hands, it might be too late! - LadyLuck
~FIN~
Thank you for reading!