Once upon a time, nestled high inside the glowing East Van Cross, lived a happy little elf named Tinkletop. Tinkletop wasn’t just any elf—she was a herb specialist at the Eastside Evergreen Dispensary by day and an open mic performer by night. With her trusty ukulele and a pair of glittery clogs, she sang songs about love, community, and the occasional PSA about the dangers of eating too many edibles. Life wasn’t perfect, but Tinkletop made the best of it.
From her perch in the cross, she had a perfect view of East Vancouver’s bustling streets and a front-row seat to the rise of two legendary queens: Banana Delvey and Miss October. Back then, the two weren’t icons—they were just two drag sisters performing at small venues, often ignored or mocked by the gatekeepers of the drag scene. Tinkletop heard every whisper of jealousy, every lie spread by haters, and every dismissive scoff as the queens hauled their dreams from stage to stage.
Then, one magical day, Banana Delvey and Miss October dropped their first hit single: “We're So Eastside”—a hyperpop anthem about sticking together even when the world tries to tear you apart. Tinkletop listened to it on repeat until the East Van Cross practically pulsed in time with the beat. Their next track, “Call Me Clout Chaser”, became Tinkletop’s personal theme song. It was as if these queens were writing the soundtrack to her life, inspiring her to dream bigger and never let the doubters win.
But as Tinkletop’s love for the queens grew, so did the challenges in her own life. The dispensary became stricter about “sampling the product,” and the open mic crowds were dwindling. And then there was the Sewer Queen.
The Sewer Queen, a bitter old monarch who lurked beneath the streets, had declared herself the arbiter of all things drag. “Anyone throwing a show at the Legion,” she hissed, “is booger.” It was clear to Tinkletop: Banana Delvey and Miss October had rattled the gatekeepers. Their rise was shaking the foundations of the old guard, and it was only a matter of time before a new kingdom was born.
When Tinkletop heard about the Eastside Sisters hosting the first-ever Y2K Drag Show at the Legion Lounge, she knew she had to be there. The night was electric. Glitter rained from the ceiling, and Banana and Miss October performed a high-energy mashup of Britney Spears, Aqua, and their own bops. Tinkletop was awestruck—this wasn’t just a drag show; it was a revolution.
Soon, the Legion became a haven for all the magical creatures who’d been cast aside. Trolls with glitter beards, woodland nymphs who loved lip-syncing to hyperpop, and even a few reformed sewer rats gathered to cheer for the Eastside Sisters. Each show topped the last: the Minions Drag Musical had everyone laughing until they cried, the My Little Pony Drag Musical brought joy to the entire kingdom, and the Ryan Reynolds Lookalike Contest made headlines across the land.
For Tinkletop and her fellow fairy tale misfits, the Legion Lounge was more than a venue—it was a home. As they raised their glasses of sparkling mead and sang along to “We're So Eastside,” they knew this was the start of something magical.
And so, under the glow of the East Van Cross, the little elf and her newfound family celebrated the dawn of a new era—one where everyone, no matter how quirky or misunderstood, had a place to shine.
