Green Tea Memories

by Ms. Kinnikufan

Disclaimer: Everything is owned by Pixar

Some people drink whiskey or Jack Daniels when depressed. Edna Mode has drunk those alcohol, but never when she's depressed or lonely. Alcohol is suppose to be an enhancer of one's mood, so it should be drunk when one's in a positive mood. She almost always has some scotch on hand when she designing a new costume. Or did. Stupid super ban.

Anyway, she doesn't understand why people drank alcohol when they're depressed. Alcohol only makes it worse, not better.

When she's depressed or lonely, she drinks green tea. Not your off the grocery store shelf green tea or the kind that comes in box with the lovely illustrations but is ultimately mediocre at best. No, its the finest green tea, imported right from the Shizuoka region of Japan.

Nowadays the tea has the taste of memories as well as subtle flavors of something floral-like.

She always served tea to the supers that were visiting. She remembers that Everseer (who was originally from England and could always tell good tea from bad tea) loved extra bitter Earl Gray. Downburst liked Rooibos with ginger. Frionic always stirred his tea twice before taking a sip, even when he hadn't put anything in it. Thunderhead like tea with very strong flavoring, so much flavoring that it was like liquid candy instead of tea. Mr. Incredible's tea always ended up on his lap, causing serious embarrassment. Stratogale like the puckery hibcus tea and gave Edna's tea set many compliments. Elasti-girl always liked cream and sugar in her tea, even if it was green tea. Edna knew cream and sugar in green tea was a blasphemy, but never commented on it because Elasti-Girl was otherwise brilliant company.

She never serves tea to the supermodels she designs clothes for. Not that the models don't drink tea. They drink a lot of it, especially if they what to appear spiritual.

She never has the models stop over if she can help it. If by some chance they do come over , she makes them as uncomfortable as possible so that they'll leave and leave quickly.

She can't recall a thing about any of the models who wear the clothing she designs. They are a blur of perfectly done faces, drug problems, prissy high-pitched voices and stick figures. She can't even recall any of their names or anything they said or did. She thinks the latest flavor of the month might have been named Mary Sue (a bad effort to appeared "down to Earth").

In contrast, Gazerbeam's awkward smile, Stratogale's favorite peachy-pink lip gloss, Phylange's mild, on and off Italian accent, Macroburst constantly combing his/her hair and Mr. Incredible perfectly white grin still burn in her mind.

She knows she shouldn't lay the complete blame on them, the fashion world did have a ways of sucking out one's soul.

The work of fashion designing brought Edna no joy. There were no "durability" test in the fashion industry, which had been one Edna's favorite aspects of designing. No need to to invent new fibers or new chemicals. No explosions. No challenge at all.

The formula for fashion design was simple: put down something that looks completely uncomfortable and completely impractical with expensive fabrics and the color-of-the-month, and boom! the latest craze in Milan.

Most of all, she feels sort of useless. One of the most satisfying thing about designing for super was a well made costume served the greater good, albeit in a sort of abstract manner.

Edna felt no small amount of pride in knowing that her designs were being worn by people who put their hearts and souls in saving the world. Supers deserved durable, stylish costumes. Now? Her designs were being worn by useless models and spoiled anorexic socialites.

It almost made her feel ashamed.

Maybe it was time to retire. Maybe she could write that book that publisher was practically begging her to write: one about her experiences as a super hero costume designer.

She could picture the title in her mind: "Designing for the Super Gods".

The phone ringing interrupted her revelry.

"Hello, is this Edna Mode?"

"This is she speaking."

"This Bob Parr."

"Bob Parr who?"

"You know, Mr. Incredible?"

"DAHLING!"