#and Mr Sheffield is wild

[dangerclaw]

I’d recognize Mr. Sheffield anywhere

eXCUSE ME???????????????????????

[clarajohnson]

the magicians s1e9

not enough said about quentin addressing his reply to "j," not julia, not jules. did they call each other q and j. did they really decide to hurt me like that.

i find richard and his world so interesting and i wish he stuck around longer

"they get mean and take everything away"

again i just think alice is the most wonderful character, interjecting q's rambling to push toward a solution (so you lost something, what do you do when you lose something?), almost instantly as familiar with q's fillory as he is himself. i really struggle, at this point, to buy into their relationship but i totally think they're on the same wavelength.

"i'm literally becoming less cool with every word you speak" penny is very funny actually

i like that julia fucking up quentin's brain turns into "experienced in mental projection" like yeah this guy stabbed me two weeks ago he's got experience in surgery

"no, not a question, more of a correction"

eliot's little "shall we proceed, criminal element?" whew!

it's so wild how q sits down at plover's desk and he immediately starts opening up, like we literally get his first "my brain breaks sometimes" because he's just suddenly so emotional he has to contextualize himself

christopher plover is a very interesting character. i like when they deal with him, i'm not sure they even grapple with him enough.

do we know what julia went to school for? like regular school i mean. was it business?

love the fillory map i love it i love it i love it so much

martin is also a very interesting character! shit's fucked.

me every time plover is on screen: haha it's the guy from the nanny! oh mr. sheffield!

the way alice cares for/about beatrix kind of fucks me up

the world never did help a smart girl why would it!

cripes i forgot about the assisted suicide stuff with richard. i say it again! really interesting character!

guys was there a third chatwin kid or did i fully invent that. no i will not google.

this is such a good eliot episode

julia has chemistry with fuckin everybody. good for her. good for her!

never let it be said that the magicians won't fuck around with a gross dead body

yeah yes alice and children is an intriguing thread. girl hates arbitrary suffering! she loves to believe in a solution!

also alice's way of processing strong emotions being sitting ramrod straight with her arms crossed and refusing comfort... character of ALL TIME.

[ao3feed-kathony]

Hiding with Mr. Bridgerton

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/55256281 by Hiphop427 Dearest Gentle Reader, If you are simply bored of elegant women who throw themselves at other men, desperate for marriage or become this year's Diamond of the season, then perhaps you may be wondering about our new leading lady. Miranda Jones isn't your typical duchess or damsel in distress, in fact she is more of a wild and how most suitors call her "The Ineligible Bride-to-be." She is the type to fight for herself and be her own man, until she met the second son of Bridgerton that is. Gossip and rumors spread through high society on the Jones family that Miranda must go into hiding. But what happens when our leading lady becomes our leading gentleman? Scandals, passion, and secrets make a rather interesting story, is it not? I do not own the Bridgerton series or the books! These belong to Netflix and Julia Quinn Words: 2363, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Bridgerton (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Benedict Bridgerton, Miranda Jones (OC), Daphne Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Eloise Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, Colin Bridgerton, Harold Jones (OC), Jack Jones (OC), Georgette Jones (OC), Charlotte zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Charlotte Queen of the United Kingdom, Brimsley (Bridgerton), George III of the United Kingdom Relationships: Benedict Bridgerton/Original Female Character(s), Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington Additional Tags: Netflix and Chill read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/55256281

[ofwrxth]

BASICS

Name: Cala "Callie" Cortez 

Age & Birthday: 30 & November 5, 1992

Gender/Pronouns: cis woman / she & her 

Birthplace: Atlanta, GA

Time in Atlanta: 27 years

Neighborhood: Center Hill 

Association: Reapers

Occupation: All Star Diner 

Positive traits: Brave, Emotional, Passionate, Persuasive

Negative traits: Entitled, Single-Minded, Jealous, Manipulative, Mercurial

Faceclaim: Shay Mitchell 

ABOUT

Callie didn’t have a lot of time with her parents. All she was told was they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and, just like that, she was three years old and an orphan. Her uncle took her half brother in, claiming her as his own and Cala was never told more than that until she got older. She learned that even outside of Atlanta and Center Hill, people knew of The Reapers. Her parents, who had left Atlanta, were dead as a result of a long-held grudge against her father. Because of this, her uncle was convinced that if they’d move back to Atlanta, with the gang around them, it never would’ve happened. And just like that, Cala’s life in Atlanta Georgia began.

Growing up, she was a precocious child, fearless and single-minded in everything she did. Life was too short and she was determined to live it all. Of course, this caused a headache for her uncle-turned-father (it took about a year before they called him dad) but he never tried to squash that wild side. She was half-feral but it didn’t matter. If she was prepared to scratch a boy’s eyes out for pulling her hair at school, he wasn’t going to stop her. 

For Cala, motivation only kicked into gear when she saw something she wanted and thought should be hers. She’s not one to share and is easily jealous when she thinks someone has something she wants. Maybe Suzie Abrams should’ve gotten a better bike lock before taking it to school (her dad made her return it but only when it started to snow). And sure, she got onto the cheer team, but she wanted to be captain so what if Amy Sheffield got locked in the janitor’s closet and missed captain tryouts? Watch your surroundings, bitch. And so what if she made fresh-out-of-college-Mr. Greenberg cry in Spanish class by talking too fast when he asked her a question the first day of school? He didn’t give her a homework assignment the entire semester. Worth it.

Callie is used to getting what she wants, not because anyone hands it to her (though, sometimes they do) but because she takes life by the horns. It doesn’t matter to her if she gets bruised or bloody in the process as long as she achieved her goals in the end. However, if life happens to give her a boon, she’s not going to turn it away. Like how a lottery ticket purchased on a whim two years ago led to her living a life of luxury for the first time ever. She gave some money to her duncle (dad + uncle) and to her brother but kept the majority share (because…she bought the ticket, right!) and went on to leave Center Hill in the dust. However, karma works fast and she lived a life that was too big even for her wallet. Numerous bad investments, poor spending habits and scam gone wrong left Callie returning to Center Hill with her tail between her legs. 

Evicted from her luxury condo downtown, her bright pink Porsche repossessed by the bank and all but booted from her downtown life, Callie struggled with her readjustment to Center Hill. She’s gotten herself a job as a new recruit for the Reapers, dealing, and a job at the grody All Star Diner but still holds onto what could’ve been. She’ll be spotted wearing designer clothes from her two-year stint living it up (which she refuses to sell despite the money they’d bring) and has reclaimed her room in the trailer she and her brother shared once they were old enough to move out of their funcles (father + uncle)’s house. 

It’s been several months and while she feels like everyone should be happy she’s back in town, she senses that some people took offense to her leaving them in the dust. Callie thinks everyone should just get over it because it's not her fault she got lucky, just like it’s certainly not her fault she lost everything either. 

EXTRA

She speaks English, Spanish and Hindi 

She has a TikTok account where she posts rants about her day and also fit checks

She has a black cat named Cindy who she takes on walks around Center Hill with a leash, even though she lets her roam around freely sometimes too. Don’t ask about the logic in that – there is none.

She’s a bit of a klepto but likes to think she’s a philanthropist, taking random shit when she can, keeping what she wants and giving the leftovers away to friends.

She’s an excellent cook (surprisingly) in that everything she makes always tastes amazing but she’s been known to set the kitchen on fire every now and then (small fires!)

[calaxcortez]

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐙

full name: Cala “Callie” Cortez gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her age & date of birth: 30, November 5, 1992 where do they live: Southside time living in lockwood springs: 27 years occupation: Little Goat Diner Hostess affiliation: Keepers rank: Dealer positive traits: Brave, Emotional, Passionate, Persuasive, negative traits: Single-Minded, Jealous, Manipulative, Mercurial

OVERVIEW

Callie didn’t have a lot of time with her parents. All she was told was they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and, just like that, she was three years old and an orphan. Her uncle took her in, claiming her as his own and Cala was never told more than that until she got older. She learned that even outside of Lockwood Springs, people knew of The Keepers. Her parents, who had left Lockwood Springs, were dead as a result of a long-held grudge against her father. Because of this, her uncle was convinced that if they’d been back in Lockwood, with the club around them, it never would’ve happened. And just like that, Cala’s life in Lockwood Springs began.

Growing up, she was a precocious child, fearless and single-minded in everything she did. Life was too short and she was determined to live it all. Of course, this caused a headache for her uncle-turned-father (it took about a year before she called him dad) but he never tried to squash that wild side. She was half-feral but it didn’t matter. If she was prepared to scratch a boy's eyes out for pulling her hair at school, he wasn’t going to stop her. 

For Cala, motivation only kicked into gear when she saw something she wanted and thought should be hers. She’s not one to share and is easily jealous when she thinks someone has something she wants. Maybe Suzie Abrams should’ve gotten a better bike lock before taking it to school (her dad made her return it but only when it started to snow). And sure, she got onto the cheer team, but she wanted to be captain so what if Amy Sheffield got locked in the janitor's closet and missed captain tryouts? Watch your surroundings, bitch. And so what if she made fresh-out-of-college-Mr. Greenberg cry in Spanish class by talking too fast when he asked her a question the first day of school? He didn’t give her a homework assignment the entire semester. Worth it.

Callie is used to getting what she wants, not because anyone hands it to her (though, sometimes they do) but because she takes life by the horns. It doesn’t matter to her if she gets bruised or bloody in the process as long as she achieved her goals in the end.

When she became a dealer for the Keepers, she fell into the role with ease, knowing the best times and places to make a buck. She finds it fun to compete with the other dealers (even if they don’t know they’re competing with her) and sees challenging customers as opportunities to conquer. Life is simple and straightforward right now and Cala isn’t complaining about it anytime soon. 

EXTRA

She speaks English, Spanish and Hindi 

She has a TikTok account where she posts rants about her day and also fit checks

She has a black cat named Cindy who she takes on walks around Southside with a leash, even though she lets her roam around freely sometimes too. Don’t ask about the logic in that – there is none.

She’s a bit of a klepto but likes to think she’s a philanthropist, taking random shit when she can, keeping what she wants and giving the leftovers away to friends.

She’s an excellent cook (surprisingly) in that everything she makes always tastes amazing but she’s been known to set the kitchen on fire every now and then (small fires!)

[get-back-homeward]

I've gone through several stages of processing this Double Fantasy as a flower story and trying to verify it has turned into its own rabbit hole with no easy answer. So sharing some links from my journey.

Someone named Rob (Sheffield is that you??) asked about this on the UBS Botantical Forum in 2007 and got this answer:

RHS Plant Finder does list Freesia 'Fantasy' and mentioned the flower in their publication The Garden; page 333, May, 2002. It appears to be in the News section, so I don't know how much info it gives about the plant. Many of their articles are available online, but that article is not, so you would have to find a print copy. (We don't have it. I don't know what the article says.

So a double freesia named Fantasy is known. In a 2005 Royal Gazette article, Bermuda Botanical Gardens seems to support this:

We have not been able to get the exact Double Fantasy freesia since the 1980s. It used to come from a Dutch bulb seller and then the Department of Agriculture stopped the importation of bulbs from Amsterdam, she said. We now get Dutch bulbs via the US and were trying to get the original freesia, which was a double cream colour. The Double Fantasy freesia is the number one question that is asked by people coming to the gardens on bus tours.

The difference between single and double freesias:

Freesias come in both single and double flowered forms. The single flowered freesias have a more simple and elegant look, with one set of petals surrounding the center of the flower. The petals can come in a variety of colors, including red, pink, yellow, blue, and white. On the other hand, double flowered freesias have an extra set of petals, which gives them a more full and fancy appearance. This makes the double freesias look more abundant and showy compared to the single freesias.

Closest match I can find for a double cream freesia is something between these two (left being a double white, right being a single cream):

Which is surprising as it's not all that showy for a flower. I'm not familiar with it myself but gardening blogs tell me the novelty of growing freesias is their fragrance, a striking citrus-y scent.

Fred Seaman's account does not mention a color for the freesia, although colorful irises surrounding it are named. Instead, it focuses on the sign that grabbed John's attention:

However, some people in Bermuda have called into question whether the flower John saw could have been a freesia given the time of year he visited and when freesias normally bloom. Here's an updated article in Royal Gazette from 2011:

Masterworks plans to erect a statue designed by local artist Graham Foster next June to commemorate Mr Lennon’s visit complete with a picture of the flower on it. But Mary Lodge, principal of St George’s Preparatory School in St George’s, has her doubts that Mr Lennon ever saw a freesia at the Botanical Gardens. She lives near the Botanical Gardens and walks there frequently. “I have several points that make me think it wasn’t a freesia,” Ms Lodge said. “In the early mid 1980s there was one of the little black signs in the park that clearly labelled a hibiscus bush as ‘Double Fantasy’. “Lennon was here in June and July and freesias don’t flower at that time.” This variety of freesia, would have been cultivated, rather than wild. “The only way it would be there is if they planted it,” said Ms Lodge.

The Royal Gazette contacted former director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Edward Manuel, who worked with the department for more than 40 years before retiring two decades ago. He said he had no recollection of seeing a Double Fantasy freesia at the Botanical Gardens. But he couldn’t remember seeing a Double Fantasy hibiscus there either. “June and July would have been too late for freesias to bloom,” said Mr Manuel. Ms Lodge said if the flower Mr Lennon saw was in fact, a hibiscus, it would only be to Masterworks’ benefit. “The Double Fantasy hibiscus is gorgeous,” she said. “It is as big as a dinner plate.”

If there ever were Double Fantasy freesias at the Botanical Gardens, chances are, they weren’t there for very long. Double Fantasy freesias were first grown in Holland. Unfortunately, double freesias, in general, are notorious for having fertility problems, and it is probably for this reason that the Double Fantasy freesia is extremely rare today. In 1971, two scientists, J Baer and O Kho, wrote a paper about freesias called ‘An Investigation into the Cause of Sterility in Double-Flowering Freesia Varieties and the Possibility of Restoring Fertility’. They found that this flower tended to produce single flowers rather than doubles when grown in conditions exceeding 20C (68F). The average temperature in Bermuda in June is 27.2C (81F). Even in the winter, the temperature in Bermuda is at the limit for the flower with average temperatures being between 15.5C (60F) and 20.5C (69F) in January, February and April. However, if a mistake was made, it was made by John Lennon himself. Perhaps, to speculate, he saw the label left over from when the flowers bloomed there in the spring, and imagined the flower that went with the label.

This theory is based on average temperature. But was June 1980 an average June for Bermuda?

It looks like 1980 did have a cooler June than normal, but it still was not cool enough to be in that optimal 60-69 degrees for freesias. Could there have been a hardy plant that lasted into early June? Perhaps, if that was when they visited the garden, but according to Seaman's timeline, it was later in the month.

If the flower John saw was a hibiscus, it's not clear what color it would have been. But here's a white-based double hibiscus to compare:

Which flower is more likely to inspire an album title?

In the end, the sign designating the name was probably more important than the flower itself. For the sake of details, it's too bad there's little agreement about the type of flower that had the sign Double Fantasy in the garden. As it is, the most we can say is that the album title is inspired by a flower and that's probably all that mattered to John.

"One day, John took Sean to the Bermuda Botanical Gardens where, under a cedar tree, he came across some delicate white-and-yellow flowers called a Double Fantasy. "It's a type of freesia," John explained, "but what it means to us is that if two people picture the same image at the same time, that is the secret." And then one night he wandered into Hamilton and, curious to find out what kind of music people were listening to, he went club-hopping — something he hadn't done since the mid-1970s in Los Angeles — and ended up at a spot called Disco 40. "Upstairs, they were playing disco," John would later tell me, "but downstairs I suddenly heard 'Rock Lobster' by the B-52s for the first time. Do you know it? It sounds just like Yoko's music, so I said to meself, 'It's time to get out the old ax and wake the wife up!'"

ㅡ From Jonathan Cott's book "Days That I Will Remember: Spending Time With John Lennon And Yoko Ono", 2013.

[monstress]

industry s2 finale thoughts under the cut

eric how could you!! after everything harper has done for you this season when you've been dead weight and on the last leg of your career??? the disrespect!!

(and i know he probably did it to protect the new team from being mired with any insider's trading rumors if harper stayed on and he probably has a roundabout reason how it helps harper and not just bc he's covering his own ass - which, for this show, both are very plausible - but what a snake move!)

gus starting this season unemployed, in pajamas, and "writing a book" to jetsetting to nyc in a crisp white shirt and suit as a billionaire's assistant AND he's fucking his son. amazing showstopping etc

when DVD started crying in the bathroom stall...not the intentional season 1 parallel....

yasmin being disowned kinda a serve. now she can build real character!

on a more sincere note, i was surprised by how central she was this season and how her journey is abt navigating a system where she was privileged in every which way but her gender. the shiv roy turmoil

the scene of her confronting her father was genuinely so upsetting im so sorry for her

also im so so glad she made up with harper during the wedding their convo in the church is everythinggg. while im sad when female friendships turn bad, it’s always makes me happy that what they’re doing with their relationship is layered and makes them individually more complex

when harper and rishi were doing coke in the stall, i was like '.....wait why is this kinda hot'

but then when they actually started fucking!!! after harper got the call that rishi and dvd were out of the company because of her doing???? and on his wedding day????? girl.........

also when harper arrives at their work desk the next morning and rishi is still there and has this knowing look with ALLLLL that encompasses. fuck. insanely hot scene imo

sorta related and i'm v sorry to be that girl but i find the billionaire a little hot 😔 i blame the gorgeous streak of white at the temples it drove me slightly wild like we love a mr sheffield moment

im so worried for DVD by the finale like what is he going to do now?? i mean i dislike him the entire season (personal bias - know way too many guys like him) but i was genuinely surprised at his naivety and sincerity in taking the harassment case so seriously and im like ok dang :/ maybe he’s alright :/

also everything going on with robbie...yikes.

so in conclusion i cannot WAIT to see how harper will bounce back from this and kills her mentor because one thing abt her is that she's a relentless sociopath yes sirree ☝️😌

[newtonsheffield]

Loved your Lucy thirsting over Gregory and Anthony being Horny for Kate... do you have any of the reverse so Gregory for Lucy and Kate for Anthony....? 😈

Oh These four must run through so much water in a day. Hooooooo Boi. (This got so long my lord. I’m so sorry)

Kate Sheffield would never say it out loud but she’d found Anthony Bridgerton attractive from the very first second she walked into his office. He’d been standing there in a perfectly tailored suit, his dark hair falling softly over his forehead in a perfectly tousled way and when he spoke his voice was like rich, deep velvet. But then he’s opened his mouth and ruined it. Even being an insufferable arsehole though, Kate could admit objectively that Anthony Bridgerton was an attractive man, but she wasn’t necessarily attracted to him. Until she was. Which was about 24 hours after they’d met. It was the end of the day, well, night really. Kate was standing in the foyer waiting for the elevator when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Anthony walking towards her, his tie loose, she waistcoat unbuttoned, and his sleeves rolled up revealing his strong forearms his hair was a little dishevelled and suddenly, inexplicably she felt her cheeks grow warm. Over a set of forearms. Like the heroine in a regency novel. The elevator opened and Kate got inside quickly pressing the door shut button calling out Get the next one! At Anthony Bridgerton’s startled expression. She wondered all the way home why she couldn’t stop thinking about running her hands through his hair. Insufferable.

Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheffield argued. It was what they did. But a few months into their working relationship it got a little out of control. They’d been in the conference room, discussing something neither of them could even remember and suddenly they were screaming at one another, practically nose to nose, she could feel the heat of his body close to hers and his eyes were wild. Both of them fell silent, breathing heavily, and he was just staring at her in that horribly intense way that made heat stab through her chest and want to push him back onto the table and show him just how impossible she could be. She stepped back from him with a huff, sweeping out of the room and slamming her office door as her cheeks burned and her heart thundered. She was not attracted to Anthony Bridgerton. She was NOT. The look in his eyes had her waking up with her fists clenched in the sheets for months.

There should not, Kate reasoned with herself, be anything in anyway erotic about her husband caring for their baby. Except for the fact that watching Anthony be so soft and gentle, and caring with their child made her want to push him up against the wall right there in the nursery which was a completely ridiculous, slightly perverted thought. She was standing on the staircase, watching her husband fuss over their tiny son, currently strapped to his front, as he loaded Edwina with far too many supplies for an afternoon at the park. His soft sweater had the sleeves rolled up, and he was softly talking to Edmund You are going to have such a good time with Auntie Eddie today! There might even be some squirrels out wouldn’t that be exciting?! And Kate’s heart was ready to explode through her chest, God he even had a tiny plastic dinosaur stuck in his hair. As soon as Edwina was out the door with Edmund Kate throwing out an uncharacteristically short Bye as the door shut. Kate was on Anthony, her hands roaming everywhere, her lips nipping at the spot just beneath his ear. Take off your clothes She hissed urgently. Anthony laughed a little breathlessly Really Mrs. Bridgerton? The caring Dad schtick is a turn on hey? For shame. Kate was practically dragging him up the stairs by the collar of his sweater as she huffed out God, yes.

Gregory Bridgerton absolutely could not believe he’d ever thought he was in love with Hermione Watson. When he’d looked at her his heart had leapt, and yes he thought she was beautiful, but Lucy Abernathy was a different matter altogether. Every time he was around her he felt himself getting hot under the collar. The way her eyes flicked over him and her lips turned upwards in a little smirk and she bit her lip made him blush furiously. 

He’d woken up in her bed the night they got together, his stomach rumbling lightly, rolling over in search of her only to find the other side of the bed empty. He’d frowned and light panic had flickered in his chest, surely Lucy hadn’t thought better of this and run out of her house in the middle of the night. He’d pulled his boxers back on a little embarrassed at the storm troopers on them, especially when she’d stood above him and unbuttoned her blouse earlier and revealed a very tight black lace bustier that had left him unable to keep his hands off her. He padded down the stairs following the soft light from the kitchen and seen Lucy there, bathed in soft light, his button up shirt landing mid thigh and he’d never seen anything so ridiculously attractive in his entire life.  

Gregory was an unapologetic nerd, and he wasn’t necessarily ashamed of it, but Lucy was so put together, all the time. that it made him a little nervous, for god’s sake her underwear sometimes intentionally matched her shoes, the very thought of which had heat rising to his cheeks when he spotted her across the office, so Gregory had been trying to tone down his popculture proclivity. That was until Lucy had been looking through his drawers for a shirt to put on after her shower and found his collection of Popculture tees. She’d tutted when he;d admitted that maybe he had been hiding them from her and emerged the very next day wearing a shirt taken straight from his drawer bearing the words looking for love in Alderaan places. His reaction had been immediate, his chest felt tight, and heat pooled in his stomach, his voice was a low rasp when he spoke Lucy, take that off right now Lucy’s eyes had shot up in alarm at his commanding voice, usually so gentle. Her own voice small Sorry, Is this not- Gregory cut her off by stepping forward and pushing her lightly until she fell against his bed. God, You’re too Perfect, Lucy. 

[burlveneer-music]

VA - Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura - a decades-spanning compilation of soul, jazz, & disco (Mr Bongo)

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. Featuring tracks from Yusef Lateef, Airto Moreira, Crooked Man, Henri Texier and many more, it is a collection of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world, all united by Luke under the banner of “E-Soul Cultura”. It’s best described by Luke himself, who writes: “As the 5AM city sleeps and the strobe lights are slowly turned off, we gather on the wrong side of town in a transcendental journey alone together. We are the late night disenfranchised holding on in various after parties, flats, lofts, random kitchens and basements into the outer cosmos with É Soul Cultura. Music from exotic tear jerkers, Afro-spiritual jazz, cosmic Brazilian celestial grooves, machine street soul, dark horses, lost B-sides, £1 bargain-bin bombs, hidden gems, late night Italo dubbing, deep velvet N.Y.C garage, bass buggin sonic futurism, wrong speed 33BPM pitched up +8 new beat, majestic sunset strings, sweet vocals from heaven, no half steppin jazz dancing in outer-space and odd numbers. Yes… magical moments, together, holding on in witness protection suburban cul-de-sacs and Castle Court flats. Cosmic É high, 3000ft above the city getting evangelical to murky, wonky timeless beautiful music. This thing of ours dreaming of better days. Fail we may, sail we must, the sun will come up again.” Beginning his career as an original Sheffield house young blood in the mid 1980s, Luke’s move to Manchester and partnership with Justin Crawford saw the birth of Electric Chair, a cornerstone cult night in the UK underground club scene, and later Electric Elephant, a Croatian festival paying homage to their wild eclecticism from Balearic to Brazilian to E soul, house, disco and techno. Luke’s much loved, long running Homoelectric night and more recently Homobloc sell out festival for 10,000 souls has been at the forefront of Manchester’s LGBTQ cultural landscape. Luke’s Friday evening show on Worldwide FM has captured imaginations and has already become a cult four hour must-listen monthly journey with fans all over the world. Today Luke remains, as ever, at the forefront of a changing scene, pairing the momentous legacy of Manchester’s 80s and 90s scene with the delivery of what today’s club communities need to get down.

[carewyncromwell]

Where has that old friend gone, lost in a February song? Tell him it won't be long 'til he opens his eyes... Opens his eyes... Where is that simple day before colors broke into shades, And how did I ever fade into this life... Into this life...?

~“𝔉𝔢𝔟𝔯𝔲𝔞𝔯𝔶 𝔖𝔬𝔫𝔤,” 𝔟𝔶 𝔍𝔬𝔰𝔥 𝔊𝔯𝔬𝔟𝔞𝔫

x~x~x

“Mr. Varney, this form you take…it’s not truly your body, is it?”

“...No. It’s not.”

~Adelia Selwyn and Bartholomew “Bat” Varney

~~~

In the 18th century, there once was a young wizard named Robert Harker. Although he was born to a poor Muggle family in Sheffield, he thrived at the infamous school for magic called Hogwarts, earning a lot of esteem from his wizard-born classmates and leading Ravenclaw to many Quidditch victories as their team’s captain and star Chaser. He also was blessed enough to make the two best friends a man could have -- the Hufflepuff Prefect and soft-hearted class beauty, Cecelia Crouch, and the awkward, but heroic young Gryffindor who would eventually become Head Boy, Bartholomew Varney.

Upon graduation, Robert set about making a life for his new Muggle wife Loretta and himself. Because he could not tell his wife about his magic under the Statute of Secrecy, he didn’t dare take a job in the Wizarding World until after any children they had came of age and were accepted to Hogwarts -- and so, both out of a desire to support his family and to serve his country like his father once had, Robert enlisted in the British army heading for the American colonies to deal with the uprising there. What Robert had not expected was his best friend “Barty” nobly and selflessly deciding to enlist himself -- for they and Cecelia had made a promise long ago to fight for both the World they lived in and the World Robert had come from together. And because Cecelia, as a woman, would not be allowed to join the Muggle British army, Bartholomew felt all the more confident that he wanted to be there for Robert, for himself as well as for his new wife. The two men went off to war as if they were Muggles themselves, much to the horror and bewilderment of the Wizarding World and much to the anxiety of Cecelia. Before they left, Cecelia insisted on preparing Robert a Pepper-up Potion to help with a cold he’d been suffering from. It was only much later that Robert suspected that there was anything “off” about the potion his old friend had given him.

As the months wore on, the two men’s patriotism and idealism wore thin and they grew more and more jaded with the path they had taken -- and yet Robert and Bartholomew endured, for they still had each other to lean on. They had been like brothers before the War of American Independence, but despite all of the pain they suffered and the longing they had to return to their wives and young children, their friendship was reforged in fire, stronger than ever before.

Then came the Battle of Yorktown, and the horrible siege that came with it. The two wizards had managed to survive battle after battle, but at the very, very end of the War, both of them ended up on the front lines -- and although both men were initially about to ward off some cannonballs with Shield Charms, they were soon overwhelmed by the assault. Robert lost his wand arm to a cannon ball, and when Bartholomew tried desperately to save his friend’s life, they were both overwhelmed by a flurry of gunfire.

It was that night, as the bodies of about a hundred soldiers lay on the battlefield, that the ritual was completed far across the Atlantic. The soul of the man called Robert Harker, which had left his body and was set to pass on, was suddenly chained back down to Earth by force. Tragically, that soul -- as what often happens in such a corrupt, Dark ritual that subverts Death itself -- could not be returned to its original body, which was too mangled beyond repair...and so, instead, it took the next closest body, which was in much better shape. That body was instantly drained of all blood, spasming horribly as it was possessed by this soul that no longer belonged to this world...and for an entire night, all this new, demented creature could do was feed on every drop of blood it could drain from the corpses scattered around it with its sharp, deadly white fangs. It was only when morning came and the creature escaped into the woods, attacking and draining several more wild animals of their blood while hidden in the shadow of the trees, that the new vampire finally got his head back enough to remember where he was and what had happened. And yet...when he looked over his own hands...when he stumbled over his longer legs and felt his face and hair...he could tell something was wrong. And when he stumbled back into camp the following night, he realized why. All of the people there -- the walking bags of flesh and blood that he felt the terrible urge to eat alive -- called him “Varney.”

Robert Harker’s soul was now trapped in the reanimated corpse of his best friend.

Somehow, amazingly, he managed to get back to England, after draining the blood of an entire ship’s worth of Muggles. His very first stop was to his old friend and Bartholomew’s wife, Cecelia -- the only person with magic who he thought he could trust. At the sight of what looked like her husband with pale skin, fangs, and scarlet eyes, Cecelia immediately recoiled in terror -- but when it came out that it was truly Robert, that terror turned to horror. For it turned out that she had predicted that Robert wouldn’t return alive, and had taken drastic measures to ensure that he would return to life, were he ever to die, so that he could come home.

Robert was furious and grief-stricken. He demanded to know why Cecelia didn’t do the same for Bartholomew -- why she didn’t try to protect him too -- and although Cecelia insisted that she’d only predicted Robert’s death, not Bartholomew’s, it soon became very clear that she truly had only been focused on Robert, at her husband’s expense. Cecelia broke down, admitting that she’d always loved Robert, even despite her and Barty’s arranged marriage by their parents, and that she wouldn’t have been able to bear losing him. Robert was beside himself, torn apart by the betrayal, and unable to suffocate the throbbing pain of his organs in response to how his heart raced without any blood to sustain it. Cecelia desperately offered her own blood to Robert to help him with the pain, and Robert very reluctantly and resentfully agreed purely out of desperation, only to lose control and nearly suck her dry of blood from her arm, shoulder, and neck. He smacked Cecelia across the room, half because of his revulsion at how much Cecelia seemed to enjoy their contact and his horror at himself for going too far, and disappeared into the night.

In the meantime, however, Robert -- now being called “Bartholomew Varney” by everyone, since he wore his friend’s face -- was unable to return to his family. His wife Loretta, being a Muggle, was still not allowed to know about the Wizarding World and, by extension, his magic or about vampires...and even if he waited until their daughter Irene was accepted to Hogwarts and Loretta was given that knowledge, his blood lust was still too strong for him to live alongside people. Even being in Cecelia’s company alone had proved too difficult when they were in close proximity: being in such a crowded town as London was out of the question. And so -- broken-hearted -- the vampire called Bartholomew Varney had to let “Robert Harker,” and all hope for a future with his wife and daughter, die forever.

Within ten years, Varney finally felt strong enough to pay Cecelia another short visit. The poor witch was now a shadow of her former self -- destroyed by the guilt and shame she felt for what she’d done to her husband and the man she’d loved. Varney regarded her with a lot of resentment, but nonetheless wanted the full story of what she’d done to him, in case there was any way it could be reversed and he could be allowed to rest in peace. Unfortunately there was no way Cecelia knew of to let Varney rest except for him either staking himself through the heart and beheading himself or by someone else doing it for him...and as much as Varney wasn’t keen on the half-life he had, the thought of killing his best friend’s body was too much for him to bear, and so too it was for Cecelia. At one point in the conversation, the older woman tentatively tried to persuade Varney to stay -- to let her help him with his condition, to let her take care of him and provide for him as best she could. After all...to the Wizarding World, Bartholomew and Cecelia Varney were still seen as husband and wife...even if “Bartholomew” was actually Robert. Thoroughly revolted by the suggestion, Varney left the estate. He never saw Cecelia again.

Over the next hundred years, the vampire who would come to be known as “Bat Varney” by the residents of Hogsmeade and the students of Hogwarts came to grips with his tragic existence. He found ways around his blood lust, hypersensitivity to light, strong smells, and loud noises, and intimidating appearance, and he detached himself from the world enough to sample in its pleasures of learning, traveling, and socializing without investing himself in anyone that was bound to outlive him. He found a niche for himself where he could answer people’s questions and solve their problems -- something that could give some focus to the prolonged ���half-life” he’d been resigned to. And so he’s able to enjoy the shadow of other people’s happiness, even if he’s unable to experience true joy for himself.

But must Bat Varney truly be consigned to mere shadows of happiness for the remainder of his time on Earth?

[introducingmiggymackerel]

Finished my first KFAM relisten last night and I’m still reeling from the heartbreak of ep 100 so here’s a short list of some of my favorite things:

The Pomchi Palace jingle

Just the whole first Mission: Apparition episode. “Four score and a cap in your ass” is iconic. Also very good Bemily content

Also re: Bemily when she visits them at the first Best Small Town in America celebration and Ben just gets so cute and flustered and Emily almost says she loves him and aaahhhhhh

The little post-credits bit at the end of ep 61 where Herschel and Cecil sing Shake It Off

Any time Sammy laughs post-ep 75 (but esp in 79, it just hits particularly hard the first time)

Just Herschel and Cecil in general. This show endeared me to two very old men and I would die for both of them FUCK

MARY JENSEN. She’s incredible and I love her and she’s amazing

The Tim 1 vs. Tim 2 fight happening in the background of J Fink reading from the fucky list during the telethon at channel 3

Troy roasting the FUCK out of Gundersen at the debate

The whole bit Emily and Sammy have when they tease Ben for his “Ben-isms”

“Snap, crackle, pop, diabetes!”

Honestly? Calvin. What a wild concept. Chaotic evil at its peak

Also Gwendolyn. She sucks but she’s so funny and I get so excited every time she shows up.

The fact that they actually adopt “Jack-in-the-Box Jesus” as an expletive for the rest of the show

When Ben hears the recording of Can You Hear Me for the first time and hypes up his own vocal performance

“Let’s make this fuckin’ mean somethin’” is such an excellent line and moment

“It’s been locked up for far too long” also makes me cry every time without fail

Ben not knowing what nonbinary means when Sammy brings it up but immediately becoming a very excited ally

The first time Mr. X calls and Ben puts him on hold and they both say at the same time “I don’t like this”. It was early on in the show and they were so in sync it makes me so happy

Whenever Herschel says “my/our boys” 🥺 it has big Grunkle Stan and Mabel energy

(Or “my Cecil”)

Also whenever Sammy says “my Jack”

Agent Reagan Spears. I know I already made a little separate post about her but I just wanted to reiterate that I adore Reagan, she is the light of my life and she is so weird

Every time Ben and Dan get into a 90s boyband fight. It’s so dumb and so fun to listen to

Fuckign,, I know it’s incredibly awkward and strange but when Jacob and Pearl sing Satisfied in Troy’s car I just laugh until I cry they’re so WEIRD

The whole back half of ep 44. The music. The sound design. The acting. I just,,

Ben losing his shit at Gundersen in ep 73. That moment is painful and it sucks but I love me some quality acting and patented Ben Arnold rage

Every time they date themselves with cultural references that were topical at the time but are kinda outdated (ex. various Trump jokes, baby shark, Hotline Bling)

Sammy “Sassy Dad Friend” Stevens. Just whenever he does the dad voice and especially when he gets called out for it

Every Sammy “mmhmm!”

The Beauregard announcement at the Best Small Town in America celebration in ep 78!!!! The suspense and the shock are just very good

Ron just,,,, loves Kingsie so much

“What the f*** are you saying that for, Sammy?!” “I’m sorry, did you just say fuck?!”

Chet clearly caring a lot about the boys. He’s a shithead but everyone has just kind of adopted each other into their weird family over time and I live for it

The first time Ben says “bad times are tough, but not tougher than you” and Sammy is like “wtf did you listen to the tape??”

When #OperationKingFallsKringle showed up and Sammy got all excited like a little kid like “wait he’s here?? Oh my god he’s here!!! Look at what I’m wearing!”

Darlin I’m Gone is such an earworm I get it stuck in my head every time I hear it

Any episode where we get content that’s not from the show. Town hall debate? Channel 13 news report? Wright On? Gimme it all

Sammy being all big-brother protective of Lily when she and Katie start… hanging out and denying it when Ben gets on him about it

Sofa King Beer. Such a stupid pun

CECIL motherfucking SHEFFIELD!!!!!!! AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that’s just off the top of my head! I know there’s not a lot of Emily or Lily content here but I just wanna make sure I don’t spoil too much

[ao3feed-kathony]

something wild calls you home

by Moomin_94

“No, truly, I want you to tell me what your plan was, Darling.” Anthony rolled his eyes, “I’m not sure I truly had a plan, truth be told.” “You were going to sleep chastely on our bedroom floor forever?” “I was…” Anthony sighed, ruffling his hair, his abdominal muscles clenching deliciously making her stomach drop. “I was considering it. It was very gallant, I think. Gentlemanly and gallant, some might say.” “I’m not sure how galant giving yourself a back injury is.” “It was one tiny little twinge. And If you’ll remember correctly; The pain in question occurred following a harvest.”

He moved closer and Kate could feel the heat from his body as he leaned towards her. His hands landed on either side of her and his lips were inches from hers as she spoke, “I don’t remember there being any harvesting.. involved. Not unless you were… harvesting… affection or…” She trailed off as Anthony’s eyes fell to her lips and his tongue darted out over his own. “What did you want me to do instead, Mrs Bridgerton?”

OR

Farmer Anthony is back ladies

OR

Happy Anniversary to you might have some bruises (and a few scars)

Words: 4635, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of You might have some bruises (and a few scars)

Fandoms: Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn, Bridgerton (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma

Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma

Additional Tags: Canon Era, Farmer Anthony: the return, marriage of no longer convenience, these two being stupid and horny, what’s new?

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/47754937

[vgprintads]

‘Kong Strikes Back!’

[C64 / SPEC] [UK] [MAGAZINE] [1984]

Kong Strikes Back isn’t technically a Donkey Kong clone, because it’s actually a rip-off of Mr. Do’s Wild Ride. Still, it’s got platforms, ladder-climbing and a giant ape, so I think it warrants inclusion here. As you can see, it takes place in a theme park full of roller coasters, because even colossal gorillas can’t resist the lure of the Nemesis Inferno. This Kong has a more friendly look about him; something about the cast of his face suggests a more playful nature, although because he’s forty feet tall and weighs about as much as the Sheffield-to-Cleethorpes passenger train “playful” still equates to “terrifying.” Surprisingly small hands (not paws) for a giant ape, mind you. ~@vgjunk (”Donkey Kong Clone Covers”)

Source: Personal Computer Games, November 1984 (#12) || Internet Archive; Sketch the Cow

[robinallender]

The Clown of Unknowing

Unsurprisingly 2020 was a good year for reading (not much else to do). I ended the year reading The Cloud of Unknowing, a work of fourteenth century Christian mysticism, which was great. It’s a sort of medieval Headspace. 

2020 was also the year that I got into audiobooks. I listened to Danny, the Champion of the World (cosy), Limmy’s That’s Your Lot (genius), From the Oasthouse (obviously) and Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled, which I remain convinced is the most profound comedy that humankind has ever produced.

My reading resolutions for next year are to read one book at a time (currently in the middle of eight) and to tackle some biggies; I’m thinking Karamazov, The Man Without Qualities and Ducks, Newburyport. And I’ve never read Jane Eyre. I’m also looking forward to the new Gwendoline Riley and Patricia Lockwood novels. And, yes, I’m still reading Finnegans Wake.

Happy new year!

Here are the books I read in 2020:

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction – J. D. Salinger Charlotte Sometimes – Penelope Farmer A Tiler’s Afternoon  – Lars Gustafsson Three Women – Lisa Taddeo The Lion and the Unicorn – George Orwell The Talented Mr Ripley – Patricia Highsmith Before I Was a Bear – Eleanor Tindall Winter – Ali Smith (need to read Spring and Summer!) The Voice in My Ear – Frances Leviston Pond – Claire-Louise Bennett (loved this) Kudos – Rachel Cusk Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge Franny and Zooey – J. D. Salinger (and look at this wonderful first UK edition I got for my birthday) Titus Groan and Gormenghast – Mervyn Peake

I fell a bit behind with my book blog so I did one post to catch up on having read Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, The Vanishing Hours by Barney Norris, The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again by M. John Harrison (get it for the psychogeographer in your life), Intimations by Zadie Smith, The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride (brilliant, I want to read everything she’s written) and Killing for Company by Brian Masters (grizzly but gripping).

I read lots of poetry: Joe Dunthorne’s O Positive, Jay Bernard’s Surge, some Thom Gunn (Thom Gunn is wicked), some Keats (ditto) and Sam Riviere’s After Fame.

I also read Clive James’s brilliant book about Philip Larkin, Somewhere Becoming Rain, which made me go back to Larkin’s poetry, about which I wrote this longish piece.

I took up online tutoring this year and so I read a lot of children’s books and some long-neglected classics:

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë Frankenstein – Mary Shelley The Wild Hunt of Hagworthy – Penelope Lively Tom’s Midnight Garden – A. Philippa Pearce Matilda – Roald Dahl

(There’s a post about them all here.)

And finally here’s a post about Beatles books I read (or dipped back into) this year because of the podcast. They include:

Revolution in the Head – Ian MacDonald Dreaming The Beatles – Rob Sheffield One Two Three Four – Craig Brown Fab Fools – Jem Roberts

And of course my trusty Beatles for Acoustic Guitar book.

[ch-dld-bft-brit-omm]

Bob Dylan - The Ginsberg Tapes (Live Recordings From 1965 - San Francisco / San Jose)

CHAPTER SELECTION & INFO BELOW: Here are the complete recordings that Allen Ginsberg took of Dylan's concerts in the Bay Area in December of 1965. Everything, including the interviews, is in chronological order. I highly recommend allocating some time to listen to the entire video, maybe splitting into four parts. It’s certainly a worthy listen; the conversations with Dylan are very insightful, and so are the fan interviews. When I listen to this, I feel like a fly on the wall (or in this case, Ginsberg’s shoulder).

CHAPTER SELECTION: 

  0:00 - INTRODUCTION - Includes 35mm film footage of Dylan's infamous San Francisco KQED press conference. 

 DAY I: SAN FRANCISCO (Masonic Memorial Auditorium, Dec. 11) [could be one of the best shows of his career] 

  1:14 - BACKSTAGE CONVERSATION - Ginsberg sits with Dylan backstage before the concert. The Band can be heard rehearsing in the distance. Dylan's first words on this tape are, "Your eggs are boiling to crisps," which I thought was funny. Highlights of the conversation: The $500 tape recorder Ginsberg is using (2:05); a fan comes to give Dylan some sort of gift (4:05); Dylan's visit to Hollywood and meeting Marlon Brando and Phil Spector (4:55); Bonnie Beacher, an old friend of Dylan's, shows up and Dylan tells his manager, Albert Grossman, to tell her that he can't find Dylan. Grossman clearly does not want to deal with this. At 10:30, Ginsberg plays for Dylan a recording of Jefferson Airplane performing "Go To Her" from one day prior at the Fillmore Auditorium. 

ACOUSTIC SET: 18:50 - To Ramona 24:17 - Gates of Eden 31:55 - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 37:44 - Desolation Row [one of the best live versions I've ever heard. The audience is on the edge of their seats] 48:23 - Love Minus Zero / No Limit [hilarious audience interaction: Dylan starts strumming, someone claps, and he goes, "How do you know what this is?"] 53:20 - Visions of Johanna [first recorded live performance and in the conversation for the definitive live version, epic, introduced as "Freeze Out" and "Alcatraz to the 9th Power Revisited"] 1:03:15 - Mr. Tambourine Man (rivals Sheffield as the definitive live version. Harp solos are angelic] 

 ELECTRIC SET: 1:11:00 - Tombstone Blues [cuts in at first chorus] 1:15:18 - I Don't Believe You 1:20:28 - Baby, Let me Follow You Down 1:24:19 - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues 1:29:34 - Long Distance Operator [badass performance] 1:33:15 - It Ain't Me, Babe 1:38:45 - Ballad of a Thin Man [swinging tempo and singing] 1:44:35 - Positively 4th Street [best version I've heard, just incredible singing] 1:49:05 - Like a Rolling Stone [epic version, tremendous finish] 

 DAY II: SAN JOSE (San Jos Civic Auditorium, Dec. 12) 

  1:54:49 - FAN INTERVIEWS BEFORE CONCERT - 

 ACOUSTIC SET: 2:43:49 - She Belongs to Me 2:48:01 - To Ramona 2:53:56 - Gates of Eden [incredible phrasing & enunciation] 3:01:51 - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 3:07:26 - Desolation Row 3:18:36 - Love Minus Zero / No Limit [spends two minutes tuning his guitar and then uses that famous line, "This never happens with my electric guitar!"] 3:24:11 - Mr. Tambourine Man 

  3:31:52 - BACKSTAGE CONVERSATION DURING INTERMISSION - This section of the tape is a little hard to understand, but some parts are pretty clear. At 3:33:52, he tells Ginsberg, "What you see now is a typical concert, last night was wild, I sort of felt who they were out there." Bob is referring to the extraordinary San Francisco concert. He then goes on a rant about audience members coming up close to the stage to take pictures. 

 ELECTRIC SET: 3:48:00 - Tombstone Blues 3:53:06 - I Don't Believe You 3:58:26 - Baby, Let me Follow You Down 4:02:33 - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues 4:08:16 - Long Distance Operator 4:12:16 - It Ain't Me Babe 4:17:56 - Ballad of a Thin Man 4:23:56 - Positively 4th Street 4:29:10 - Like a Rolling Stone [fun to hear Ginsberg or his partner yell, "BEAUTIFUL! BRAVO!"] 

  4:35:27 - FAN INTERVIEWS AFTER CONCERT - Ginsberg finds some college students to speak with. The reactions to the show are positive overall, though some kids express that they prefer Dylan's earlier "rambling bum" persona. The sound quality in some sections is sub-par, but it all clears up pretty well at 4:54:56 when they start talking about Dylan press conference, Woodie Guthrie, the meaning of Dylan's work, and his appearance on the Les Crane Show a year prior (the audio of this appearance still exists and I will be uploading it soon). At 4:57:30, Ginsberg seems very impressed with a student's knowledge of poet William Blake, who draws fascinating comparisons between his work and Dylan's "It's Alright Ma." Interesting comparisons between John Lennon's poetry and Dylan's poetry come up at 5:02:20. 

 END

[sokkas-first-fangirl]

All these years, and Jim still couldn’t say he enjoyed these stuffy executive parties. Queen may be managing themselves, but they were still invited to these things. People still hoped to entice them into a contract, or at least some sort of deal, a collaboration. 

He knew full well that some of these parties could turn wild, dangerous- he’d heard about the type of parties that Sheffield and his cronies once held. He’d take this dull evening over that any time.

What he didn’t expect was for an Alpha somewhere in his forties to approach Jim, a glass of red wine in each hand. “Mr Hutton?” he said with a smile. 

“That’s me,” Jim said. He eyed the man with a frown. He didn’t recognise him at all, but he accepted the glass of wine.

“Lovely to meet you, sir,” the Alpha said. “My name’s Abraham Sheffield.”

Jim set the wine down, his blood suddenly cold. “Sheffield,” he repeated blankly.

“That’s right,” Abraham said. His smile widened slightly. “And yes, my father is Norman Sheffield.”

“I know who your father is,” Jim said coldly. He quickly looked around the room, searching for Freddie and Maeve. He found them deep in conversation with Miami and his wife. God, was Norman Sheffield here?

“I understand the alarm,” Abraham continued. “But I assure you, my father’s a changed man. He’s helped me set up my own company-”

“How lovely.” Jim cut across him, and turned away. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”

“I was speaking with your daughter,” the younger Alpha said, and Jim had to bite back a snarl. “She’s a spirited young woman.”

“She is,” Jim agreed, fists clenching. 

“Beautiful too,” Abraham added, looking across the room to Maeve and Freddie. “The image of Freddie, truly. You should be proud, sir.”

“I am.” Jim was quickly losing the fight against snarling, he could feel a growl building in his chest, and every instinct screamed at him to show this fool what he was up against- fight him off, get his family out of here, and make Abraham Sheffield regret ever coming near him.

“We have quite a lot in common, Maeve and I,” Abraham said, which Jim highly doubted. “I’d love to take her out to dinner.”

“She has a girlfriend,” Jim snapped impatiently. He pushed past Abraham, barely sparing the man a second glance.

“Another Omega, I know,” Abraham said with a laugh. “But let’s be truthful, that won’t last. Not two Omegas.”

“It’s lasted five years so far,” Jim said. He turned back around and openly snarled, feeling a surge of triumph when Abraham flinched back. “And she’s twenty-one years younger than you, get a grip.” He got right up close, eye to eye with Abraham, and gave him a sharp shove. “Stay away from my daughter, and tell your despicable father to stay away from my family. If he so much as looks at my husband again, he’ll regret it. And so will you.” He looked him up and down with a sneer. “Simply put: fuck off.”

Abraham had paled drastically, but he pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded. Jim gave one last growl, one last unimpressed glare, and stormed away to Freddie and Maeve.

“Everything alright, Jim?” Miami asked.

“Just peachy,” Jim said icily, wrapping an arm around Freddie’s waist, and pulling Maeve in closer.

“Darling?”

“Dad?”

Two identical pairs of concerned brown eyes were peering up at him, and Jim sighed. He looked around, but he couldn’t see Abraham Sheffield anymore. 

“I’ll tell you later.”