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rhapsodynew · 5 months ago

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#history of rock music

On November 13, 1970, Syd Barrett's second studio album "Barrett" was released.

Note that the work was generally in a hurry: the Floyd team continued to work on Atom Heart Mother, touring interfered with the studio schedule every now and then — there was simply no time to hone the songs, and Barrett himself, as we remember, was against long rehearsals. Sometimes haste led to serious mistakes — for example, one day Dave took home master tapes with two songs to listen and decide whether these options would be included in the album; the next day the band went to a concert, and Gilmore simply forgot to return the tape to the studio. As for Sid, sometimes they played absolutely magical things, and sometimes they were unable to give out anything meaningful at all (for example, the song Gigolo Auntie Gigolo was recorded only from the 15th time). He phrased his comments as if he were describing paintings rather than music: "Maybe we could make the middle darker and the end a little noonday. It's too windy and frosty right now."

I must say, the record begins intriguingly — with a long solo by Sid before the song Baby Lemonade ("A little bottle of lemonade" is an outdated expression). Subsequently, it turned out that Sid was just warming up — the solo had nothing to do with the song, David had already added it there, considering it quite suitable. The lyrics are full of extravagant phrases like "I sent you an iron cage by mail" or about "A watch washed in a washing machine" — but overall the song sounds pretty strong. The solo is simply brilliant — what kind of shape Sid could be in and how at ease he could play!

It is followed by a downright beautiful and almost Beatle Love Song, decorated with stylish Rick Wright keys - a love song in which there are no fabulous, witty or scabrous lines (except that "I'll lower my head and see what I see"). The musicians also succeeded in Dominoes, a meditative story about how Sid spends time with a certain girl, to whom the song is dedicated, playing dominoes. The song has a distinctly bluesy undertone — there is something of Doors in it - and besides, it is decorated with a reverse solo by Sid. However, everything is not so simple: it turned out that at some point Gilmore was so exhausted that he naturally felt like his roof was going away, and automatically started recording an almost finished song backwards. The next thing he remembered of that evening was Sid playing a delightful solo and never getting it right, and pressing the record button. That's how it was included on the album — because Barrett didn't squeeze out another note about it. Against this background, the fragment forgotten in the finished mix, where Sid clears his throat, is already taken for granted.

Alas, the feeling does not last long on the album, as if this time Sid's associates had found an approach to him and solid ground under their feet. It Is Obvious ("It's obvious") is an extremely loose song in which Sid plays exactly two chords and recites lines in an incredibly low voice, which still have a hint of something magical, but in general the text is saturated with longing and despair. Rats ("Rats") It grew out of jam, to which Sid came up with a somewhat manic text on the go. To be honest, maybe it would have been better if she had remained a jam. As well as the closing side of Maisie, there is another, now blues jam, over which Sid speaks, sniffles, giggles and makes other inarticulate sounds. All that can be said about this track is look at Sid playing the blues (which is not surprising, knowing the origin of the band's name), while Pink Floyd quite rarely turned to this genre.

Suddenly, on the second side (how many people got there), a quite tolerable Gigolo Aunt is discovered. The lyrics here, of course, are nothing more than sweet carefree nonsense, but at least it feels like a song. I would like to comb my hair a little and... but at least stop. Unless it's unknown why it's been going on for so long — is it really just to preserve the priceless fragments of Sid's game on film as much as possible?

Waving my arms in the air — well, while Sid is waving his arms in the air in another song, mine are sinking, because it's impossible to describe. This is a good preparation for a cute song about this and that, in which there is a minimum of certainty ("no one will strain too much, there will be many things that we can do") and the obligatory naive question at the end ("Why am I here? What is destined to happen?"), but no more.

I don't know if it's worth saying anything about the remaining recordings. I Never Lied to You ("I Never Lied to you") is another song about longing and separation, in which the musicians frantically try to play along with the author of the album, as if on the move. Wined and Dined ("Dined with Wine") is based on a cute riff that Sid handles quite confidently throughout the recording. Gilmore is known to play solo here. In general, we must admit that it is quite neatly recorded — the instruments complement each other well, and the omissions in their parts form a complete sound picture. The song Wolfpack ("Wolf Pack") Sid named among his favorites — perhaps the lyrics are really good, but the sound ... hug and cry. He is perfectly described by a comment from a certain fan of the song:

— Sid: Trying to sing normally — The pack in formation

— Little gremlin in a side head: thE PACK IN FORMATIIIOOOON!

Oh, Sid, which one of them is the real you?

And this piece ends with a song called Effervescing elephant ("Effervescent Elephant"). Here we must honestly admit that we have a brilliant text in front of us. This is an absolutely delightful fairy tale, quite in the spirit of Sid's enthusiastic English absurdity — but it also sounds like a demo at best; and it's great that Vic Savell played the tuba here. It was very convenient.

It's a painful feeling, isn't it?

Maybe it was worth choosing more or less finished things and putting together one of the two albums. Who knows? What is destined to happen?

So that's what happened when the talented English kid Syd Barrett returned to the studio to record some songs a few trips later. This time, Sid's own drawing is used on the cover — he painted these charming creatures a few years earlier during his studies. If you look closely, it turns out that all these winged creatures are beetles. On the reverse side, a picture of Mick Rock with the same Pontiac Parisienne is used. Interestingly, Mick Rock is not listed in the credits of the album, and in general Hipgnosis's involvement in this art is not noted anywhere, but pay attention to the inscription of the author's name and the album title on the backdrop! Practically Bond)

The album was released on November 14 and was met with restraint, if not coldly. He did not manage to become a little more afternoon, as poor Sid wanted. The album did not hit any charts and achieved nothing — the more surprising that even after such a result, Sid had to comment on rumors about the third album and new singles for some time (however, oddly enough, Barrett became more successful from a commercial point of view than Madcap). Answering reporters' questions, Barrett reasoned unexpectedly sensibly: he dismissed all rumors about the third album, saying that the songs for recording must meet a certain standard — and if there are a couple of decent ones on "Madman", then on the second album there are only echoes. Perhaps there is nothing more to add — after 1970, Syd Barrett did not record anything.

As for the rest of the Floyd's, Roger Waters, for example, continued his collaboration with Ron Gisin and recorded the soundtrack to the film "The Body" with him. In particular, there is a composition called… Breathe!

Let's just note that all four Floyd members took part in the recording of the final song — Give Birth To A Smile ("Give Life To a Smile"); this is the rarest case when one of the other band members went to participate in Roger's activities unrelated to the band (not to mention the whole band — by the way, the participation of David, Nick and Rick is not noted in any way in the design of the album). In general, we mention this work because we need to fix it: in 1970, the Floyd's, despite the release of the first album in the band's discography, which took first place in the charts, were engaged in very different things. Nick Mason, thanks to Ron Gisin, immersed himself in producing, Wright and Gilmore, too, but thanks to Sid. Gilmore, Wright and Waters wrote one track per year for their own band — the title suite does not contain many personal contributions from Floyd's band. So, while the others were producing, Waters wrote songs: there are four of them on Music from The Body — Sea Shell and Stone, Chain of Life, Breathe and Give Birth to a Smile. He also released a concept album in which the tracks merge into each other — and this album was even released on vinyl with a transparent anatomical mannequin on the cover.

Pink Floyd spent the rest of the year on endless, exhausting tours. Therefore, when they returned to the studio in January 1971 — it was time to make a new album — the four guys found that they had absolutely nothing to record.

#history of rock music #Syd Barrett #psychedelic pop #acid rock #experimental rock #Pink Floyd #progressive rock #art rock #space rock #music #my music #music love #musica #history music #spotify #rock music #rock #rock photography #my spotify

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dustedmagazine · 3 months ago

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Tim’s 2024: A Question of Focus

DIIV

The more time I spend listening to new music, the more I realize the extent to which my year-end list is largely dependent on the records I’ve chosen to focus on reviewing for Dusted. It takes time to listen to and digest music to the point where I find myself with something approaching insightful to say, which means I’m pretty discerning when it comes to choosing albums to review. There’s only so much time available to listen to new music, so it pays to focus the firehose of continuous new releases into a manageable stream. All of the following have necessitated repeat listens, not only in order to get my head around them, but also to get my head into them, to lose myself in their world. There’s been a hell of a lot of great music released this year; these are the records I kept returning to.

1. DIIV — Frog In Boiling Water (Fantasy)

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DIIV’s third album, Deceiver, felt like a step up for the band, and Frog In Boiling Water is the band really hitting their stride, melding shoegaze, dream-pop and grunge into a heady, addictive brew that scratches the same itch that Loveless and Siamese Dream did when I was a teenager. Thick, complex guitarscapes such as “In Amber” and “Somber The Drums” characterize much of the album’s appeal, but it was the scouring, dread-soaked “Soul-net” that I replayed more than any song this year.

2. The Smile — Cutouts (XL)

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It’s been a good year to be a Radiohead fan, with two albums from The Smile, a solo tour from Thom Yorke, and a book of photography from bassist Colin Greenwood. The Smile’s Cutouts, the second of the year’s two albums, balances head-nodding guitar intricacy with zone-out synth jams. Compared to January’s Wall Of Eyes, it feels like an embarrassment of riches on the songwriting side.

3. Loma — How Will I Live Without A Body? (Sub Pop)

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Emily Cross, Jonathan Meiburg and Dan Duszynski took a bit of a left turn on their second album, Don’t Shy Away, veering into more synth-focused art-pop territories. It didn’t always cohere, so it’s a relief that Loma have returned to what they do best on album three: stark, haunted indie-rock with plenty of atmosphere and gorgeous songs.

4. Luke Temple and The Cascading Moms — Certain Limitations (Western Vinyl)

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Following his diversion into Arthur Russell-esque beat-drift under the pseudonym Art Feynman, Luke Temple returns to releasing music under his given name and recruits new band The Cascading Moms. Their chops are razor-sharp and the songwriting swings between languid and impressively funky.

5. Jessica Pratt — Here In The Pitch (Mexican Summer)

I’d not paid much attention to Jessica Pratt before this year, but Here In The Pitch’s combination of classic 1960s wall-of-sound production and simple but affecting songwriting really won me over. In some ways it feels like a more digestible cousin of Cindy Lee’s colossal Diamond Jubilee. “World On A String” and “Empires Never Know” are especially stunning.

6. Jon Mckiel — Hex (You’ve Changed)

2020’s Bobby Joe Hope was Jon Mckiel’s low-key breakout with its combination of found-sound tape loops and affecting songwriting. Hex digs deeper into more abstract territories that feel dark and dejected yet sweetly hopeful.

7. Winged Wheel — Big Hotel (12XU)

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To my mind, shoegaze is at its best when the whole surge of sound feels like it could collapse at any moment. What keeps Big Hotel on the rails and piledriving forward is the twin-drum attack of Fred Thomas and Steve Shelley. The swirl and burn of the music’s relentless momentum feels like trying to take refuge in a wildfire, cooled by the balm of Whitney Johnson’s airy vocals.

8. Rosali — Bite Down (Merge)

This one was a common pick on our mid-year lists, and for good reason. Bite Down strikes a sweet balance between the melodic songwriting of my personal Rosali favorite Trouble Anyway, and the shaggy jams of her backing band Mowed Sound.

9. Nilufer Yanya — My Method Actor (Ninja Tune)

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Single “Mutations” pulled me in with its intricate guitar and bass work, the tumble of toms, and Yanya’s disaffected purr. My Method Actor mines this seam thoroughly, approaching mid-tempo indie-rock with an artisan’s attention to detail and some achingly beautiful arrangements.

10. Body Meπa — Prayer In Dub (Hausu Mountain)

Much like Winged Wheel’s Big Hotel, Prayer In Dub throws the listener into a dense, swirling guitar-bass-drums soundscape of intricately shifting layers. The playing is absolutely stellar, especially from drummer Greg Fox, and sounds amazing when loud.

10 more in alphabetical order:

Cindy Lee — Diamond Jubilee (self released)

Ned Collette — Our Other History (Sophomore Lounge)

Corridor — Mimi (Sub Pop)

English Teacher — This Could Be Texas (Island)

Horse Jumper Of Love — Disaster Trick (Run For Cover)

Itasca — Imitation of War (Paradise of Bachelors)

The Smile — Wall of Eyes

Svaneborg Kardyb — Superkilen (Gondwana)

Wand — Vertigo (Drag City)

Xiu Xiu — 13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips (Polyvinyl)

#yearend 2024 #dusted magazine #tim clarke #diiv #the smile #loma #luke temple #jessica pratt #jon mckiel #winged wheel #rosali #nilufer yanya #Body Meπa

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fishnoodles · 3 months ago

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Nikolai Fraiture: Different Strokes

Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture returns with a new band, Summer Moon. Julian Marszalek gets his skinny tie on

Mirror of an interview from Bass Guitar Magazine, by Kate Puttick (?), published August 23, 2017.

Nikolai Fraiture, bassist with New York rock’n’roll aristocrats the Strokes, is explaining his relationship with his instrument. For him, bass is a never-ending journey where points of interest and spots of scenic beauty determine where hegoes to next – and though he’s uncertain of the final destination, the experience is about constant learning, experimentation and application.

“I’m definitely becoming a more adventurous musician,” he says from a cold and snowy New York City. “In the beginning I knew that it was going to take time to get there; you don’t get there overnight. I knew that you’d have to lay down the foundation and know what you’re doing. You have to walk before you run, and right now I feel like a long-distance marathon runner. You might want to sprint in the early days but you find out that there’s so much to learn that you have to keep going.”

With the Strokes on an extended hiatus, Fraiture’s ongoing musical journey – along with a desire to keep busy – has led to the formation of indie supergroup Summer Moon. Initially featuring members of Au Revoir Simone and the Like, the new band has settled on a line-up that includes Uh Huh Her’s Camila Grey on keys and vocals, guitar by Noah Harmon from Airborne Toxic Event, and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, with Fraiture holding down the low end and providing the vocals.

Crucially, the bassist views this as a band rather than a solo project and, as evidenced by debut album With You Tonight – which encompasses indiepop, electronica and heads-down rockers – that’s a difference that yields results.

“I got back from LA last night where I was playing with the band. We’re now writing and jamming and working out our parts together, as opposed to me coming in with the album which was mostly done,” he explains. “Now it’s a lot more collaborative, with more of a band feel.”

It’s a situation that’s left a deep impression on how Fraiture applies his skills. With the album demoed at home using a drum machine, locking in with Perkins has not only changed his playing but also how the new songs, with their variety of styles, are approached.

“Playing live with a drummer beats any other process. You can hear that in the music and the feeling and the tone,” he enthuses. “Having other people in the room is essential to creating something that is living and breathing. The pinnacle of drum and bass parts, for me, is getting a groove from unconventional beats. I’ve played in a pretty straightforward rock band, but over the years it’s developed into something that rhythmically isn’t just kick-snare. Working with Stephen Perkins, experimenting with drum beats is very much his thing. We’ve just spent the whole of the last weekend working out how to develop a groove – but not in a typical rock way.”

Not that it’s been plain sailing. Singing and playing bass at the same time has presented Fraiture with a number of challenges, but that’s just the way he likes it. “I don’t want to make things simpler for myself when I’m writing for Summer Moon – and that’s part of the fun,” he states. “There were a number of rhythmic things that I had to focus on when I was putting the bass and the vocals together. I don’t like to feel too comfortable, as I need the challenge. I want to push my limits to see where I go overboard, and then bring it back to where it feels good for everybody.”

It’s a refreshing take from someone who’s been playing bass for over 20 years. He was given his first bass, a Mexican Fender Jazz bought from a pawnshop in Connecticut, by his grandfather when he graduated. He started playing with future Strokes Julian Casablancas, Nick Valenti and Fabrizio Moretti several years later, and while that experience helped him get to grips with his instrument, Fraiture also credits his bass tutor for widening his musical horizons.

“My teacher in New York was called Buddy Booker: he was like a life guru to bass players. He was essential to my development and I owe a lot to him. I was into bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam when I started playing, but he really opened up my eyes to a lot of other styles of playing.”

It was these other styles that introduced Fraiture to bassists as disparate as Weather Report’s Jaco Pastorius, the flamboyant Bootsy Collins, and the hard drive of the Funk Brothers’ James Jamerson, all of whom left an indelible mark on the young bassist.

“Obviously, that stuff isn’t all over our albums, but elements of those artists seep through,” explains Fraiture. “The most challenging part is deciding when it works and when it doesn’t. Once I started experimenting, then bass playing became really fun. When I first started playing it was much more straightforward rock and easy to pick up. It was bands like Nirvana who first made me want to pick up the instrument, but then you dive deeper into the history of the bass.”

He continues: “I love that film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown. The Funk Brothers played relentlessly, night after night, in bars in Detroit and then the following morning they’d be in the studio. There was that constant exposure, playing together and experimentation. That was the great thing with the Strokes; we all learned our instruments together. I think that’s the best way to learn, as well as keeping it going.”

Moreover, Booker infused Fraiture with a deeper appreciation of his chosen instrument. “What I really love about playing the bass is the marriage between rhythm and melody,” he elaborates. “You build that bridge for the music and that’s something that I really enjoy. With a guitar, I just don’t get that power that you get when you lock in with the drums and the melodies are floating over the top of that. That’s what I enjoy the most.”

As Fraiture’s experience has grown steadily over the years, so has his rig: “I now play a ’58 reissue Fender Precision: live I play that through an SVT-810. Over the years I’ve added the REDDI, which I use for live and recording because it’s got a really smooth tone to it. A few years ago I added the MU50 pedal, which I mainly use for compression. It’s a great balance of tone and not being too in-your-face, but you can still hear everything. I’ve also been using an EHX Microsynth on the later Strokes releases.”

As Fraiture reveals, the seeking of new directions has led him to some unexpected equipment destinations and results. “For some of the Summer Moon album, I’ve been using the Tony Franklin fretless Precision bass. I love it!” he says. “I’ve been playing it for quite a while – I used it when the Strokes covered ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and we played it live with Lou Reed. Obviously, it’s a different beast and a little bit more challenging. It forces you to play in the feel. I like the fact you’re never quite 100 per cent on pitch. That gives a little bit of a human touch to the music, which is always nice. It was an honour for me to play with Lou and replicate the tone of that bass-line, because the original was a mix of stand-up bass and electric. With the fretless I did my best to bridge the two into one instrument. It impressed Lou and he gave me an approving look!”

Above all, Fraiture stresses the importance of having fun with different musicians: “It helps with the creative process. It’s cool to play in a different way and in a different setting.”

He’s right: every journey should be fun. Which way are you headed?

Summer Moon’s album With You Tonight is out now.

Info: www.summermoonband.com

#nikolai fraiture #nikolai #we stay strokin #the strokes #summer moon #kish soup #mirror dimension #the strokey archives

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thebowerypresents · 6 months ago

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Phosphorescent Say(s) Goodbye to Summer

Phosphorescent – Webster Hall – September 20, 2024

Numerous cities have great live-music scenes, some of which, with self-branded monikers like “Music City,” “Live Music Capital of the World” or “Chicago,” claim to be No. 1. But nowhere in this country — and I’d wager the world — is a better place for live music than New York City. There’s always something terrific going on that you can’t get to because of something else terrific that you can. So, it’s understandable if you weren’t in the East Village on the last Friday of summer, but on that night, the very best live music in the very best city for it was Phosphorescent at Webster Hall.

Touring behind the eighth Phosphorescent studio offering, this year’s Revelator — the first in six years and just the second since 2013’s universally acclaimed Muchacho, one of that decade’s defining albums — former Brooklynite Matthew Houck opened the show with a solo acoustic Phosphorescent set, beneath 12 muted blue lights and with smoke billowing behind him, like a campfire conjuring paying tribute to the last vestiges of summer.

With a guitar and a simple “Let’s just get into it,” he played nine songs from across his catalog, beginning with C’est La Vie’s “C’est La Vie No. 2” and closing with Aw Come Aw Wry’s rarely played “Endless, Pt. 1” and “Endless, Pt. 2” — happily chatting along the way. After mentioning that the upcoming Paul Schrader movie he’d scored comes out next year, the acclaimed screenwriter and director, a noted fan of the band, shouted down from the balcony that it arrives “on December 6th.” And before playing Pride’s “My Dove, My Lamb,” Houck offered, “Just a few more and then Phosphorescent are coming out, and they’re really good.”

The full-band set launched with the new LP’s title track, its opening lines — “I got tired of sadness / I got tired of all the madness / I got tired of being a badass all the time” — earning an enthusiastic crowd response. It was Phosphorescent backed by Phosphorescent: Dominic Billett (drums), Jack Lawrence (bass), Jo Schornikow (keys), Ricky Ray Jackson (guitar/pedal steel) and Scott Stapleton (keys), with a fiddler and saxophonist liberally subbing in and out. (“We got some extra folks tonight because it’s New York City.”)

C’est La Vie earworm “New Birth in New England” was a highlight, the band several times feverishly working the song toward a crescendo just to back off and return to the chorus, taking a turn toward what seemed like would be a metal finish only to — again — retreat to the chorus and then fully jamming away the tune’s conclusion. Stapleton, who’d unleashed his headbanging-worthy mane from beneath a white cowboy hat, let his hair fly in tandem with the music's increasing intensity, like some sort of a follicular metronome (#fakejambands).

They closed the set with a cover of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” made famous by Willie Nelson, and a pair of Muchacho standouts, the driving “The Quotidian Beasts” and the ethereal “Song for Zula,” Houck, his voice a raw nerve, stalking the stage and pointing out enthusiastic concertgoers.

The increasingly boisterous audience cheered for more and Phosphorescent returned for the cosmic-country “Ride On/Right On” (Muchacho), “Los Angeles” (Here’s to Taking It Easy) — shouted out from the crowd and emphatically punctuated with “I came to Los Angeles to goddamn die” — and then finishing with “Down to Go” (Muchacho), the line “The kids of summer, don’t we glow” particularly resonating with autumn swiftly approaching. —R. Zizmor | @hand_dog

Photos courtesy of Toby Tenenbaum | @tobytenenbaum

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ashleyfableblack · 2 years ago

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Dressed For Success- A Eternal Courtship PRIDE Month Jam

"Mom, what're you doing?"

"Be still." Thorax' shawl floated about his head, wreathed in the green flames of his Queen-mother's magic. Her sabre-like fangs scraped against her chitinous lips in irritation. "You never have been able to get this right."

His violet eyes watched in stupified awe as she levitated a broach to clasp the rainbow material to his cavara as she tugged the fabric about. Back and forth she adjusted, snug here, loose there. "You DO want to look like you know how to dress yourself for your royal consort tonight, don't you?"

Thorax blinked twice. Yes. This was still happening. He knew Twilight had talked with her wife about respecting his new relationship with Spike but had NOT expected this outcome. "He's my boyfriend, Mom. And yes, I do." He shrank slightly as she paused to regard his tone. Even now, in his thirties, one look from her serpentine eyes and the Lovebug prince was a grub again. He gave a sheepish grin of his comparatively tiny fangs. "Sorry." Chrysalis returned to her ministrations with a huff, grumbling to herself in silence. Sometimes Thorax was glad he was never able to hear the hive mind. "But I thought you hated Spike?"

"When did I ever say that?" Her lips curled slightly with the utterance as she wove a band of blossoms between the beads around Thorax neck. He had to consider the question. She was right, technically she never had said anything of the sort. Though she had been very quick to interpose herself between them at nearly every opportunity. She placed a crown of flowers between his antlers and began adjusting it for a properly regal touch. "You're a twit. He's an insolent twit. You're perfect for each other."

Both eyebrows rose until they were almost encircling his horn.

"P-perfect…?"

The Queen lowered her gaze from the wreath of flowers. Her forked tongue flickered as she finished dabbing a final bit of her silken webbing to keep it in place to her exacting specifications. Her emerald snake eyes regarded him with an almost eerie quality he was not accustomed to seeing from her- not for anyone but Twilight. He could see something approaching a smile crossing her fangs, annoyed, but still, a smile. "Yes. I said it. Don't let it get to your foolish head."

He chuckled. It wasn't quite the more traditional pony-style family he had wanted but it wasn't only about what he wanted. She was trying. He was trying. Twilight was trying and wasn't that was family was all about? Through all the hardships, they found a way to keep trying. It was a family. His family. He lurched forward to clasp his lime-berry hoofs around his mother's shoulders, grinning ear to ear. To his surprise she barely recoiled. "Thank you, Mom. Happy Pride Month."

The queen rolled her eyes. She draped a forelimb around her wayward offspring with a flicker of her tongue. Tasting the air around him she sighed. Most creatures wore their emotions on their sleeve but Thorax sprayed his about like a garden hose. He really did love her. Shielded behind her nitwit offspring's field of vision, she let her smile grow just a bit brighter. "Yes. Yes. I'm wonderful." She broke the embrace, straightening herself and re-adjusting his crown once more with yet another dab of sticky spittle. "Now, go talk about friendship and make macaroni pictures or whatever it is you do."

The Lovebug prince beamed. His smile was bright enough to guide ships at sea as he practically pranced his way to the reading-room door. He paused in his bouncy gait for the grim visage of the twin guards framing the door. The spiky, elite soldier-caste changeling guards on either side regarded him in silence as Chrysalis voice crisply cut the air.

"My son…"

The tone was one he had not heard in years but was still all too familiar with. Not the marshmallow-soaked-in-honey doting wife of his good friend, Twilight Sparkle, nor the shrewd yet amiable tone of the regal Queen Chrysalis Sparkle of New Canterlot. This was the Hive-voice of THE Queen of The Swarm, the irresistible, unrelenting force which consumed all. The young prince nervously turned to face her. Her crown of antennae had extended, the outward expression of her wordless connection to and indomitable control of the Hive Mind. The blue tips shimmered with the same gnawing cold as the unnatural darkness within the slits of her snake eyes.

"Anything beyond second base and he gets fed to your cousins." She grinned a cold, hungry smile. From behind him he heard the two guards hiss. Suddenly he became very aware of the unsettling feeling that half the objects in the reading room had been watching his every motion and were simply awaiting the command of their Queen-mother to pounce and devour him.

He smirked. "Yes, Mother."

In her own way maybe, she was trying. Just like a real family.

#my art #my story #mlpg4 #mlpfim #queen chrysalis #prince thorax #changelings #love #lgbtq #lgbt #gay #family #interracial family #pride month #queer pride #mlp au #eternal courtship #ashleyfableblack

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horseshoehate · 2 years ago

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Gandalf Follows Evil Trey on Phish Tour

a/n: This is part 2 of my Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter/Phish fanfiction series. I hope you all enjoy very much.

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In the days that passed after the epic Phish concert and battle with Voldemort, and Gandalf continued to follow the band on their tour, hoping to keep an eye on Evil Trey. He saw that Evil Trey was struggling with the darkness that had possessed him during the concert, and he felt responsible for what had happened. He swore right there that he would do whatever it took to help his friend return from this darkness that had taken his heart.

One night, after a concert, Gandalf found Evil Trey sitting alone outside his tour bus, writing the lyrics to his newest song, "Evil Farmhouse." Gandalf approached him cautiously, unsure of how he would react.

"Hello, Evil Trey," Gandalf said, sitting down next to him. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay," Evil Trey replied, taking a beat. "It's been a weird few days, you know?"

"It does not surprise me to hear that," Gandalf said sternly. "I have growing concern for your wellbeing. I fear that Voldemort's spell may have done more damage than you are letting on to your friends."

Evil Trey shrugged. "I don't know about that. I feel like I've been playing better than I have in ages."

"And you feel that this is worth doing at the cost of your mind?" Gandalf asked pressingly. "You were possessed by a dark magic beyond your control and it has poisoned your mind far worse than I had feared. Not to mention the fact that last night's Reba was a flub fest with a mid-tier jam ta boot!"

Evil Trey looked at Gandalf skeptically. "How can you you say that to me? You're just a jaded 1.0er who's mad that its not the 90s anymore!"

"Friend, I've seen this happen before," Gandalf said. "Time and time again, I've seen people delve into the darkest of powers and reach their lowest points. But I want to offer you support, Evil Trey."

For the first time since the concert, Evil Trey smiled. "You know what Gandalf? You're wrong!"

Evil Trey pulled out his new Languedoc, still hot off the line. It hummed with energy and was inlayed with the Black Speech of Mordor.

"I've turned a new leaf and I'm not ready to go back. I call this Evil Mar Mar, and I'm gonna do some fuckin wicked shit with it!" Trey explained, cackling in evil laughter.

"You know not of what you speak, Evil Trey! Dark magic resides in this instrument. Dark, ancient magic, the likes of which no mere luthier of man possesses the ability to place into a guitar!" Gandalf said, studying the axe.

"Oh Gandalf, you didn't think I was the only one turned evil by Lord Voldemort, did you? He got to Paul Languedoc soon after you cast him from the concert, and Paul set to work right away crafting me the most vile and elegant weapon ever to be possessed by a mortal! But he knew that he could not do it himself and so he searched for the only one powerful enough to help." Trey said, holding the guitar under the light so he could admire the details of it. "It was forged in the fires of Mt. Doom under the watchful eye of Sauron himself! I'm going to bust this bad boy out tonight, we'll see how evil 'Evil Phish' can get when I play my new evil songs on this thing!"

Gandalf knew that there was no way this would end well and he began backing away from Evil Trey. Though he knew it not, Evil Trey possessed a magical artifact most powerful. Gandalf knew that Evil Trey at least did not know its true potential, though to use a guitar made partially by the hands of Sauron showed the depths of his foolhardy naivety.

"Evil Trey, surely you must know that none but the hands of Sauron will this instrument answer to. There is not a being alive that can wield this." Gandalf warned, still backing away.

Evil Trey simply slung the guitar onto his shoulder and shrugged before playing a few licks. Though the guitar was not plugged in, it was as though he had cranked a stack of Marshalls to 10. The sound blew Gandalf's hat off of his head. The sounds of uncompressed rage eminated from the instrument. Evil Trey simply cackled as he saw the old man fall backwards in fright as he scrambled away.

================================================

After that day, Gandalf stopped attending Phish shows. He knew it was a fool's errand to listen to the evil, twisted Phish songs that Evil Trey spewed from his guitar night after night, turning the crowd slowly into more evil and twisted versions of themselves.

The lot scenes became outright dangerous as the last of the fans' humanity drained. The rest of the band seemed not to care that their bandmate had turned evil. Gandalf theorized that they had perhaps recieved a lower dose of the evil-turning spells. Or that they lived in fear of what would happen if they got in Evil Trey's way. Gandalf shuddered to think it. Regardless, the band played on.

By now Gandalf knew that his bag of wizarding weed would be the least of his troubles. Things were now in motion that could not be undone. Sauron had launched a successful attack on the mind of the most influential musician in Middle Earth, and this was surely only the beginning.

Gandalf knew he had but one thing left to do. He must seek out the only man he knew to have more knowledge of the subject than himself. Someone who knew how to drive out this madness from his friend Trey.

Gandalf sought the council of Elrond in the east.

================================================

pt 3: https://www.tumblr.com/horseshoehate/713646407445282816/in-the-house-of-elrond-gandalf-goes?source=share

#phish #fanfiction #fan fiction #lord of the rings #gandalf #trey #trey anastasio #evil phish #lotr

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dancing-to-architecture · 2 years ago

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11 of 1001 - (officially 1.09% of the way through!)

Today's album: Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)

I love me some Talking Heads, but i don't know this album too well (that i know of).

My mom was pretty big into new wave, but this was not one she had.

Thank You For Sending Me An Angel -

Okay i know I've heard this somewhere, likely in the intro to an indie movie or something, but i know this one. Weird lyrics, but i dig it.

With Our Love-

Fun fact: the rising guitar riff is the exact sound of anxiety. Then again, the whole song is (probably?) about the horrorshow that is navigating teenage relationships, so that's... likely why.

The Good Thing-

I want the amount of confidence he had in The Good Thing. Also, i really like how playful the guitar work is here.

Warning Sign-

Underwater synth drumming. Kinda funky. Sounds like he's singing through a toy microphone.

...oh shit. it's an overdose song. It's a really good overdose song, but damn when i got what was going on, the realization of it hit me like a truck.

Very disorienting at the end.. makes sense, though.

The Girl Wants to Be With The Girls-

I mean, that's a lesbian anthem, right there.

Found a Job-

This is a weird one, but, you know what? if it works for Bob and Judy, good for them. Seems a bit manipulative, but if everybody's on board, then go for it.

Also, the "minute and a half long funky as fuck outro" is something more bands should try.

Artists Only-

Oh hey, "how i approach art", didn't see you there.

Kinda dreamy in a strange way, i really dig it. This song begs for a way too artsy video.

I'm Not in Love-

Feels kinda like post-extremely bad breakup depression moping more than anything, tbh.

Return of the minute and a half long funky as fuck outro, though.

Stay Hungry-

Okay, a song this aggressively horny should NOT come right after I'm Not In Love. Bad album layout, imo.

At this point my wife said she'd "never thought of Talking Heads as a jam band before", and yeah they did some meandering on this album.

Take Me To The River-

Well, i know THIS ONE. my dad had one of those goddamn singing fish. He (and he alone) thought it was the very peak of comedy.

oh Jesus, this song is 5 MINUTES LONG?

And dude, I'm sorry you didn't get laid at 16, but damn, neither did i. Sorry, this song (fittingly) just makes me want to drown myself. Never been a fan, and i still kinda want to smash that fish with a sledgehammer.

The Big Country-

Kinda feels like it's about the town i grew up in. Quaint and simple small-town...

...and I wouldn't live there if you paid me. (and not just because it's still full of radium. Like, superfund site level contamination.)

Twangier guitars than i would have expected, but not out of place, considering the topic.

Overall, not bad, but definitely not my favorite Talking Heads album. Had a few songs i really enjoyed, a few that just felt like panic, a bunch i don't care much about one way or the other and will likely not revisit, and one that might be a bit more of a sore spot than i had previously thought.

Favorite Track: either Artists Only or Warning Sign. Both are really good in very different ways and i can't decide.

Least Favorite Track: Take Me to the River.

#1001 albums #dancing to architecture #Talking Heads #More Songs About Buildings and Food

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musicarenagh · 11 months ago

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Unveiling the Artist Behind ‘Show Me The Gold’ Holly Roseanna The music of Holly Roseanna literally shakes you up with an explosion of power and soul that just cannot be ignored. Her latest jam "Show Me The Gold" mixes appeal with an infusion of Scottish hip hop that will make you love the flavour of Holly's witty, tongue-in-cheek approach. With every piece of the music you experience, you discover a person whose heart and mind are in everything she does, putting lyrics that linger even long after the last song ends. Holly's "Prima Donna" EP was directly form a time that she spent looking inwards and figuring herself out. Through her songs she touches on all the ways relationships, ups and downs, break ups and resilience can get to her. 'Holly's music is driven by bold female fervor and teeming with splashes of fury and silliness, to which she adds an electrifying flair. Within this exclusive interview, Holly lets us look at the creative process by which she operates, the music influences that shape her sound, and the directions in which she intends to move. She returns to her earliest memories of using music as a family tradition and leads us through the way leading to her personality development over all the years through multiple collaborations. And now fasten your seat belts as we remove the covers of what makes Holly Roseanna a real live tick - the songs of her stories and the passion that drives her every step. It's time to be touched by Holly's bright spirit as she not only will sing through her songs, but also reveal her life story. Listen to Show Me The Gold (ft. Empress) below https://open.spotify.com/track/2sl9AZqZ0bjelqiXqk4IUm?si=91e88ff5c18b4abe Follow Holly Roseanna on Facebook Spotify Youtube Instagram Tiktok What is your stage name Holly Roseanna Is there a story behind your stage name? Roseanna is my middle name! My mum and dad were massive fans of the band Toto, hence the name Roseanna. Where do you find inspiration? From other artists! I usually feel inspired to write something after hearing something I love by another musician. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? My first introduction to music was singing to The Sound of Music when I was little. Then I started to ply the Cello when I was in Primary School. Once I learned to play guitar at 14, the rest was history and songwriting came fairly naturally to me. Are you from a musical or artistic family? The musicial genes are strong in my family. My dad is a fantastic guitarist, my uncle is a bassist and my auntie plays the violin. My grandad was a fantastic singer and so was my great-granny - she even sang for the Queen! Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? My family have always been very supportive and have always encouraged me to get out there and share my music with the world. [caption id="attachment_55242" align="alignnone" width="2000"] My family have always been very supportive[/caption] How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I taught myself guitar and went to piano lessons for a few years to try and learn some music theory – which I wasn’t very good at! I prefer to play by ear. What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? My first gig was Jack White and the Raconteurs at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange when I was 16. I was in love with him at the time! How could you describe your music? This EP is angry and sassy with a touch of silliness! Describe your creative process. I normally start off my songs as an instrumental piece before the lyrics come. I normally write a bassline, then drums then add in chords and then any other embellishments until I have a groove. Occasionally I will start off an idea for lyrics – I decide what the mood for the song will be (i.e energetic, sad, a ballad) then I’ll take it from there and try to create a soundscape which suits the theme. What is your main inspiration? Writers who write about unusual and interesting topics, rather than just stereotypical songs about love and heartbreak.

What musician do you admire most and why? Kate Bush and Andre 3000 – some of their lyrics are real poetry and very interesting – they both know how to think outside of the box and are hugely musically talented too. Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? Yes, definitely, when I first started off, I wrote girly love songs on the acoustic guitar. I find that style a bit cringey and embarrassing now! Who do you see as your main competitor? I try not to compare myself to other artists as we all have a totally different set of circumstances. I compete with myself all the time though! What are your interests outside of music? I love pole dancing and making stained glass art. If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? Music is only a hobby for me and I have a full time job in events management! What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? Not having enough time – if I had more time to excel in my skills I’d be a better artist for it. https://open.spotify.com/artist/498kl8ymY7RsvM3RHCjTvA If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? It doesn’t pay particularly well, that’s for sure! Why did you choose this as the title of this project? I chose the title ‘Prima Donna’ to reflect the heavy and sassy nature of the tunes. I feel like a Prima Donna when I sing them. What are your plans for the coming months? I have a few gigs coming up with my cover band, Siren, and I’ll preparing for my next release! Do you have any artistic collaboration plans Not on the horizon, but for this release I really enjoyed collaborating with Empress who’s an amazing Scottish hip-hop artist and rapper. What message would you like to give to your fans? I hope you all love the EP and stay tuned for some more music which will be released very soon!

#Interviews #HollyRoseanna #HollyRoseannadropsShowMeTheGold #HollyRoseannaoutwithShowMeTheGold #HollyRoseannareleasesShowMeTheGold #HollyRoseannaShowMeTheGold #HollyRoseannawithShowMeTheGold #ShowMeTheGold #ShowMeTheGoldbyHollyRoseanna #ShowMeTheGoldfromHollyRoseanna #ShowMeTheGoldHollyRoseanna

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jupiterscythe · 1 year ago

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LONG POST AHEAD

My drummer will always be one of my best friends, and the privilege of creative collaboration for over 10 years now remains one of my favorite feelings. Honored to have stood in his wedding, and I'll be damn sure he stands in mine.

It's been heartbreaking to retire our original band that we've worked at for just over a decade, and I've been taking it pretty hard. I truly wanted to pursue a career as a live musician, and that's not to say I hadn't! Damn proud of the countless shows and festivals we played in the states.

Our vocalist previously left to pursue a career in the military, and we respected his choice, so we all agreed to divide vocal duties, as we can all sing well, and both I and the lead guitarist could do harsh vocals. But then our 2nd guitarist (one of my friends for over 20 years) decided to ghost us and fuck off with nary a reason or excuse when we had a 2nd wind with shows upcoming, and finishing recording our first full length, and it stalled our progress.

By the time we found a great replacement and started practicing again, covid happened and that led to more stretches between writing and practice. On and off the last couple years, we've tried, but it was a couple days ago, our lead guitarist confided in us that he couldn't enjoy it because of what our friend did to us, and especially him in terms of money and gear. He lost a friend, and a creative partner. They both had the same understanding and approach to theory and composition, and they wrote lots of great material together. It's because of that hurt that our lead gets a bitter taste in his mouth when we play the old songs, and without that same mind to bounce ideas off of, it was just making him sad. It was sad to hear, but I'm glad he trusted us enough to confide and respected us enough to tell us personally. It was all mutual. The drummer and I both agreed that it wouldn't be the band without him, so we all agreed to officially retire the project. We're all still close friends and still talk regularly. I'm still very close to our old vocalist as well since he's returned from the military. But our drummer is still one of my best and closest friends. First guy I ever jammed with, and I want no other drummer behind me, because we have such a natural chemistry together.

We jammed a couple times last month, and now that the main project is over, we're starting up a new project and incorporating multiple genres. I've had a handful of riffs I wrote the last few years, and after demoing them, he loved em and sees potential. We're gonna go look at some new gear Sunday, and for the 1st time in awhile, I feel like I can turn this negative energy into positive and focus on creative expression as an outlet. You gotta take a few bumps before you get to swing back, and I have a fire in me again. I've gained lots of confidence as a musician, and I'm optimistic about the next chapter of my music career

#sequoia soliloquy #got a sexy 3 tone sunburst jag #and some rad pedals #long post

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wyrmwoodstar · 1 year ago

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now i rarely reply to posts, especially because ls dunes are the last people i need to stand up for lol but i felt kind of weird, because this has a lot of really good points i agree with and just a couple i don't. first and maybe main one is:

i doubt that ls dunes was created as catering to a fanbase, as many people tend to insist i do think tucker was genuinely going to jam with friends, and subsequently the members were worried about the future of their own, so to say, sphere of work. which can be deduced from early interviews not because i'm such a big fan of good faith readings, but because they're not so slick to create appearances, sorry. but it didn't and COULDN'T go the same way as their early projects started. they have vastly different social resources, vastly different networks and marketing methods. you can't recreate the experience of your youth if you're going at it as if nothing has changed (could it be actually better with different approach? maybe possibly)

second thing, follows out of first:

sure they could switch to midsized venues instead of small ones to combat the fact that the fanbase is overgrowing their initial plan very fast, especially with the way they approach mm advertising. they could've played bigger shows in europe and avoid chaos at some venues. but i will present a hypothetical. what if. and only what if. shit costs money. these are successful musicians but it's NOT like their accounts tell us they can easily throw shit into this band without expecting returns, and not keep a day job. tucker for himself seems to have a sweet and cushy middle class thing going on… where he seems to be aware this is made possible by big successes, partner support and having a good industry name to pick up jobs after quarantine. not saying poor frank iero needs my lunch money, i just imagine this might be problematic despite having connections.

so it feels like their desire to combine informal approach with using their actual weight backfired. dunes to me is a middle aged guy band equivalent of a huge dog that still wants uppy, only less endearing.

while i am probably reading too much into a more personal post and you might've not meant it literally there's third thing which is also important to me, and that is.

no amount of fatigue or annoyance in separate parts of this fanbase can predict how well this band does in foreseeable future? i'm sure some are pissed at dunes rn, but surely in no universe "i dislike band's current activity" means "this band will keel over soon". maybe that ties to the first point i've made. i AM kind of tired of bits and pieces and don't follow updates closely because of that. yet these 30 micro batches of t-shirts or vinyl, or 10th teaser a month seem to be aimed at a local audience. which is rich for me to say on a predominately american website, i live on another end of the world, but if a local band i liked started playing around with limited edition bullshit i'd probably feel warmer about them than dunes. and i'm judging by response other fans have to this.

damn this is not a very well structured post.

TLDR: yeah to most of that essay, but a) i doubt it's such a complicated scheme b) none of that means they will pull a plug on it or get worse

the phenomenon of ls dunes should be studied and i mean this

#this post would be greatly improved by tumblr letting me to put a read more break in here #believe me i've tried now this is plain embarrassing

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practicalsolarpunk · 3 years ago

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Preserving the Harvest: Apples

It wouldn’t be fall in my part of the world without apples everywhere. My two favorite ways to preserve them are apple butter and applesauce, both with lots of cinnamon! If you’ve only ever had store bought applesauce, please, do yourself a favor and make a small batch yourself, it is so much better!

First things first: what kind of apples?

We want baking apples, ones that don’t have a lot of juice. Jonagold, honeycrisp, and winesap are my preferred varieties. I’ll sometimes mix varieties, if I don’t have enough of one for a whole batch.

If you live within a reasonable distance from an orchard, go there and ask about seconds. These are the ones that have some damage and aren’t going to store for very long. They’re usually a bit cheaper!

Apple Butter

(Makes 5 pints)

14 apples

3 3/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup of cider vinegar

1 tbsp. + 2 cinnamon sticks

Sprinkling of ground cloves

There’s a few ways you can approach this: on the stove, in the oven, or in an electric roaster. I’ve done all three, and I think my preferred way is the roaster, mostly because it can hold the most at once*!

Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Put them in whatever you’re using and cook until soft. Press through a sieve or food mill. Add in remaining ingredients and cook on medium (350°f) for three or so hours, until it’s thick enough to mound up on a spoon. Remember to fish out the cinnamon sticks, if they end up in a jar, they could make it too cinnamon-y, supposedly. (I don’t think there’s any such thing, but others apparently do.)

Now can it! Jars, lids, and bands should be washed and checked for chips and flaws beforehand. Jars should be heated to near boiling or boiling, lids should be warmed slightly.

Ladle the butter into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put the lids and bands on and return to the water bath. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.

[photo id: a line of wide mouth pint mason jars, filled with dark brown apple butter.]

Applesauce

Apples

Water

Cinnamon

Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Place in a pot with just enough water to keep from burning or sticking. Cook over medium heat, lowering it if necessary to keep from boiling over.

When the apples are soft, add some cinnamon, less than you think you’re going to want. Mash the apples, or run them through a sieve or food mill. I prefer to leave some chunks, but others prefer a smoother sauce.

[photo id: a silver stock pot on a black cooktop. The pot is nearly full of pale, mashed apple.]

Taste it. Add more cinnamon if you want. Yay, it’s done!

Now, this can be canned or frozen, it works well either way. For freezing, just allow it to cool, then put it in containers suitable for freezing, mark it with the date**, and freeze!

For canning:

You’ll need jars, lids, and rings, washed and checked for chips or flaws.

Heat the jars in a pot of water. When you’re about 5 minutes out from canning, heat the lids slightly in a small pot on the stove. The goal is to warm them - the water should not even simmer.

Once everything is good and hot, it’s time to can! Ladle the sauce into the jars - a wide funnel specifically for canning is super helpful! - leaving about an inch of headspace. Put on the lids and rings and back in the pot of boiling (or close) water we go! Process in boiling water for 20 minutes. Don’t start timing it until it’s boiling.

Now, you can leave your jars in the pot to cool after they’ve processed, or you can take them out. This is one of those things that people seem to have very strong opinions about, but I’ve done it both ways without issue. The important thing is to leave them alone as much as possible for 24 hours, to make sure they seal.

[photo id: a line of mason jars filled with brown applesauce.]

*I use the recipe as guidelines and double or triple it. This works with butters because they are just cooked down, we’re not trying to get a jelly-like texture. I don’t recommend doubling with jams and jellies.

**it’s so important with preserving to label everything! This makes it easier to rotate through foods, using the oldest first!

Canning resources:

https://www.healthycanning.com/wp-content/uploads/USDA-Complete-Guide-to-Home-Canning-2015-revision.pdf

https://www.freshpreserving.com/canning-101.html

#preserving #canning #boiling water bath #apples #how to #diy #cooking #food #applesauce #apple butter

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queenshelby · 4 years ago

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MY BROTHERS FRIEND (PART THREE)

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warning: Smut, Angst, Mention of Attempted Rape, Blood, Violence

Words: 5230

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Pantry Time

It has been two weeks since you agreed to marry Joseph Kruger, just as Tommy had requested, and today was the day of your engagement party.

You had only met Joseph once and you were fairly certain that he was not interested in marrying you just as you weren’t interested in marrying him. In fact, you didn’t believe that he was interested in women at all. He was attractive and had good manners. There was no reason for him not to be married already at his age.

His four brothers on the other hand were savages. You had encounters with them before and you could understand why Tommy wouldn’t trust them.

You still were unsure what Tommy’s plan was but, for some reason, you trusted him and played a long.

As such, you attended the engagement party willingly and with a smile across your face. The smile wasn’t because of the marriage proposal, but because you knew that you would see Tommy again. It has been a week since you last seen him and had a chance to be intimate with him.

There was no denying it, you were falling for him and it was painfully sweet. There was no future for you and him, but yet you tried to deny this fact and dreamed about being with him, one day.

Your father didn’t know about your involvement with Tommy. He certainly wouldn’t approve.

Arthur walked in on you once, but kept the secret. Lizzie and Polly had their suspicions, but no more than that.

‘You look beautiful Y/N’ Tommy said quietly as he approached you from behind with a smile across his face.

‘Good Evening Tommy’ you said, equally happy to see him.

Tommy was joined by his sister Ada and took the time to engage into some conversation with you as you were getting to know Joseph Kruger.

You played the game well, getting to know all of Joseph’s family and pretending to show a genuine interest in him.

Even Tommy was impressed by your skills of deception.

After your initial encounter with Tommy that evening, you didn’t see much of him and were rather disappointed until, finally, he asked you to dance after the jazz band began to play.

‘I missed you’ he whispered as he was leading you to the dancefloor.

‘I missed you too Tommy’ you whispered in return, following his lead.

You were terrible at dancing and Tommy was well aware of that. You tried hard to maintain a conversation with Tommy without falling over your own two feet.

‘Come with me’ Tommy said with a chuckle about your efforts to not injure yourself.

‘Tommy, we cannot be seen together. You know that’ you said with a slight worry.

‘They are all drunk and dancing, no one will notice us gone’ Tommy smirked as he took your hand and you followed him through the crowd.

He walked with you up the corridor towards a room at the end of the hallway.

Tommy opened the door of the mysterious room and swiftly pushed you inside before closing the door behind him.

Within seconds, Tommy’s hand reaches behind your head and he pulled you to him for a passionate kiss.

‘Tommy, this is the pantry’ you said as you took a quick breath.

‘And? Food has been served. No one will come looking in here’ Tommy smirked before leaning in for another desperate kiss.

‘Did I already tell you that I missed you’ he whispered as his hands made their way over your breasts.

‘You did’ you said, biting your lip and running your hand in between his leg over his already hard cock, poking beneath his pants.

‘Good’ he said just before you exchanged one more passionate and urgent kiss before you turned around and Tommy bent you over the small table inside the pantry.

You both wished that you had more time but you were certain that people would be looking for the bride to be any time soon.

Tommy stood behind you, lifted up your dress and pulled down your panties. He undid his belt, button and fly and pushed his pants and underwear down halfway to his knees, freeing his engorged arousal.

Crouching a little, he placed the head of his cock against the hottest spot underneath your naked bum. He lifted upwards and he could feel your treasure open up and slowly absorb the top two inches of his hard cock.

‘Hmm Tommy’ you moaned quietly as he grabbed your soft hips.

Tommy pushed himself up inside you. Inch after inch invaded your intense heat and with one final and hard push he was inside of you all the way. An inferno engulfed him, squeezing around his entire length.

‘Oh god Tommy’ you moaned, closing your eyes and arching your head back.

‘You feel so fucking good’ Tommy groaned as he kissed the back of your neck.

Holding your hips, he began sliding in and out of you from behind, his groin gently slapping against your ass.

His thrusts soon became harder and faster and you loved the feeling of his hard member poking against the depths of your core again and again.

As he was increasing his speed, Tommy ran his hands over your soft belly, holding the flesh for a moment as he slid into her heat over and over.

He then slid his hands further up your body and cupped your breasts over your dress while kissing the skin on the back of your neck. He wanted to kiss your mouth -- badly.

He pulled his cock out of you and you quickly spun around before stepping out of your panties.

Tommy lifted up your dress before lifting up one of your legs and leaning your back against the table.

Tommy kissed you passionately as you ran your hand over his cheek. Then he entered you again and you both watched intently as he placed the head of his cock against your entrance.

‘Fuck’ Tommy moaned as he watched you open up for him and allow his hard cock to squeeze inside of you, inch by inch.

Your heat slowly embraced him, welcoming him. He thrust forward, jamming his entire manhood inside of you.

Holding himself against you, Tommy looked down at your beautiful face as he began thrusting in and out of you.

Tommy slipped his arms around your back and you stopped leaning back on your elbows and put your arms around his neck. Breathing heavily, your eyes mere slits as you were in ecstasy, your lips found his and you kissed him deeply.

Your tongue shot into his mouth hungrily as he continued to thrust into you deeply.

Tommy then sent his own tongue deep into your mouth, thrusting in and out of you even faster. Your tightness pulled at him, coaxing him.

Tommy continued to thrust up into you as hard as he could a few more times, kissing you equally as hard.

‘Tommy, don’t stop’ you moaned loudly, feeling your orgasm approaching.

Your walls clenched around him and Tommy could feel his engorged shaft pulsing.

Just as you let out another loud moan as your orgasm washed over you and your body began to shake, Tommy released. His sticky rope of hot cum shot out the end of his manhood and into your hungry treasure.

You could feel the warmth inside of you as you exchanged a passionate kiss while you both were coming down from your high.

‘I fucking missed this’ Tommy said as he pulled out of you carefully.

‘As did I’ you smiled as you pulled your panties up beneath your dress.

‘But we better get back to the party’ you said as you fixed up your hair.

‘I am sure your father is ready and waiting to make a speech’ Tommy said before giving you another kiss, causing you to smile. There was some sudden awkwardness between you.

You both straightened yourself up and you opened the pantry door carefully.

Just as Tommy opened the door, Finn approached.

‘Finn’ Tommy said surprised just as Finn barged inside. He must have stood there for a while and listened to your sweet moans.

‘It’s not what it looks like Finn’ Tommy said just as you were speechless, starring at them both.

‘Oh yeah? Isn’t it?’ Finn said angrily. ‘Out of all women in this town Tommy… you are my fucking brother’ Finn added.

‘Finn, listen to me…’ Tommy said as Finn walked off.

Tommy followed Finn while you had to return to the party so that you wouldn’t raise any suspicions.

After you joined your father and Joseph for a thank you speech, you hadn’t had another chance to speak to Tommy or Finn and were worried about if and how Tommy managed to resolve the issue.

Trouble Ahead

Without the air having been cleared between Tommy and Finn and Tommy largely ignoring Finn’s feelings, Tommy called a meeting between the brothers and Uncle Charlie, without the presence of Polly.

With his plan, he went behind Polly’s back and he needed man power to take over the Kruger’s family business. As one would expect, he trusted his brothers to keep his plan a secret from others.

The meeting took place at Uncle Charlie’s junk yard and went on for about an hour. Arthur was in favour of Tommy’s plan while Finn and Uncle Charlie considered the plan to be too dangerous. Nonetheless, they agreed to follow Tommy’s orders.

After his meeting with Tommy, Arthur and Uncle Charlie, Finn downed his anger with Whiskey and cocaine at the Garrison where, later that evening, he met a young woman named Esmeralda.

With ignorance and naiveness, he confided in Esmeralda. He told her what happened between you and his brother Thomas and how upset he was about it. He considered you to be the love of his life which Tommy has now taken away from him.

Finn also told Esmeralda about Tommy’s plan. Finn was of the view that Tommy was using you for his own advantage, ignoring the fact that Finn had strong feelings for you.

Little did Finn know that Esmeralda knew the Kruger Family and that, soon, word would come to Manual Kruger, Joseph’s father.

And, as it happened, after Esmeralda comforted Finn for the night, she arranged a meeting with Manuel Kruger and his brother.

During this meeting, Esmeralda explained that Tommy was liaising with Joseph in order to take over the Kruger’s Family Business, making Joseph an acquaintance of the Peaky Blinders.

What you and Finn didn’t know was that Joseph Kruger despised his father and uncle and had been gathering men for two years now to work against them. But Esmeralda was very well aware of the situation and so was Tommy.

For many years, Joseph had been discriminated against by his own father and uncle because of his sexual orientation. He was excluded from family dealings and his brothers worked against him. However, neither of them realised that Joseph did, in fact, have strong ties to certain night club owners in London which was perfect for the distribution of narcotics.

Of course, Tommy saw the potential in this. It was a win win situation for him to help Joseph to take out his father, uncle and brothers and work with him to distribute cocaine throughout London’s nightclubs. In addition, the need for marriage between your family and the Kruger family would be diminished.

It was clear to Esmeralda that this information would create a war between the Shelby family and the Kruger family and this was exactly what she wanted to achieve.

She had a vested interest in seeing the Shelbys lose their fortune. After all, it was Arthur Shelby who killed her brother in a boxing match several years ago. What she wanted was revenge. But of course, Finn didn’t know that, nor did he know that he had put your life in danger when he told Esmeralda about your romantic involvement with his brother and his brother’s plan.

Later that evening, unbeknownst to you, you were to realise how dire this situation had become. The Kruger family was determined to send a message to both, your father and Tommy.

That evening, just as you said goodbye to Tommy and walked out of the office building, you noticed both lights on the street were broken.

This was unusual but you didn’t think anything about it until you also noticed a blood-stained hat on the pavement outside.

‘Karl?’ you spoke loudly. Karl was the man who normally drove you home and, usually, he would already been waiting for you at the front door.

You walked around the corner, following the stains on the pavement.

‘Karl?’ you asked again until, all of a sudden, you stumbled over something. As you looked down, you noticed Karl’s dead body, blood running from his head and chest.

‘Oh my god’ you said, shivers running over your back as you stepped backwards until, all of a sudden, you were grabbed by a man from behind.

‘Shh Love’ the man laughed as he covered your mouth while you tried to escape his strong hold on you.

‘Miss Gold, what a lovely surprise’ another man said as, all of a sudden, a total of three more men approached you from each corner of the street.

‘We know about your man’s plan Love’ the attacker then went onto say as he stood right in front of you, running his dirty hands over your blouse.

You tried hard to escape and reach for your gun in your bag, but the men held onto you tightly.

‘I think it’s time for us to send him and your father a little message’ one of the men said just as he ripped open your blouse.

By that time tears were running down your face and you tried to kick your legs up in protest.

‘You know Love, we will all take our turn and it will be over quick if you hold still, yeah?’ he went on to say just as you leaped out and kicked him into his crotch with your heels.

‘You fucking bitch’ he yelled as he reached for your skirt. In this moment you took your chance and bit harshly into the hand of the man who was restraining you while continuing to kick your legs forward.

‘Tommy’ you yelled loudly as your mouth was freed for a brief second, knowing that he was still in the office.

But, the men wouldn’t back off and began to further tare on your clothes while holding you back down, letting you scream for help.

‘No one is coming Love’ one of the men said as he began kissing your neck.

Just as you felt the man’s tongue run over your ear and heard him unbuckling his belt, you heard a shot.

‘Get the fuck off her’ Tommy yelled harshly, firing again.

The next thing you saw was blood streaming down the pavement. One of the men had been shot into his knee. It was dark and difficult for Tommy to aim.

With a limited view, Tommy approached the attackers while they briefly halted their assault on you.

‘Mr Shelby, nice of you to join us. You can watch while we fuck your little girlfriend’ one of the men said as, suddenly, Tommy could feel a knife against his neck from one of the other men.

With one of the men on the ground and the other keeping Tommy at bay, the other two proceeded with their plan as they tore apart your skirt, leaving your underwear exposed to them.

‘Now Love, we will continue where we left of and your boyfriend gets to watch us’ the man said as he pulled down his pants.

You continued to scream in protest as the man was trying to push down your panties.

Just as he grabbed hold of the hem, you heard a loud scream coming from the man standing behind Tommy.

As you looked over, you observed Tommy slamming a large and sharp piece of metal from the floor besides him into the man’s throat.

You took this opportunity to reach for your gun in your purse and, within a split second, you shot the man who, at this point, still had hold of your panties.

This allowed you to free yourself but, as you stepped backwards, you fell down to the floor. You had never shot someone before and were in shock, trembling at the sight of the dead man in front of you.

By the time you collected your thoughts, Tommy had already shot the other man who attacked you. It was almost like an execution, without mercy. Tommy’s face expressionless.

Tommy decided not to kill the fourth man but, instead, shot him into his other knee so that he couldn’t run away. He was to be questioned and then used to send a message to the Kruger Family.

‘Are you alright?’ Tommy asked as he raced over to you and placed his jacket around your half naked body.

You nodded while you were shivering and crying and your heart was pounding.

‘You are safe now’ Tommy said as he took you into his arms.

His white shirt was stained with blood and he had a large cut on his neck that would soon need some attention. But for now, he just wanted to comfort you.

With the man screaming in pain across the pavement, it wasn’t long for police to arrive.

Tommy didn’t leave your side as police assessed the scene.

‘What would you like us to do with this one Mr Shelby?’ the policeman asked after he instructed his other men to clean up the scene.

‘Take him to 5 Birmingham Avenue and chain him up. I will deal with him later’ Tommy said, causing the policeman to nod while Tommy helped you up from the pavement.

‘Common, let’s get you cleaned up ey?’ Tommy said as he walked you to his car, covering as much of your naked flesh as he could with his jacket.

Tommy helped you inside of his Bentley, which is when you noticed his wound. It was draining a lot of blood down his neck.

‘Tommy, you are hurt’ you said, looking at him concerned.

‘It’s just a scratch Y/N’ Tommy smirked as placed some pressure onto his open wound before driving off.

You didn’t know where he was taking you until he pulled up in front of a large house.

Love and Desire

‘Where are we?’ you asked.

‘My house. You will be safe here’ Tommy said as he parked the car.

Two maids were waiting for you as you walked inside the house. They must have seen the car pull up.

‘Mr Shelby, are you alright?’ Francis asked concerned.

‘Yes Francis. Could you please look after Ms Gold for me while I make a phone call?’ Tommy asked while he continued to press onto his wound firmly with his hands.

‘Yes Mr Shelby, of course. Shall I arrange a bath?’ Francis asked as you were clearly covered in mud and dirt.

‘Yes please. And some clean clothes and whatever else she needs’ Tommy said.

‘I do not think that we have clothes other than…’ Francis said and, before she could finish her sentence, Tommy interrupted her.

‘My wife’s clothes should fit her’ Tommy said.

‘Of course, Mr Shelby’ Francis responded before she helped you upstairs.

Francis ran a bath for you before she helped you undress and get rid of your dirty clothes.

She was kind and welcoming, almost like a mother.

As you then finally sank into the bath you could feel your bruised skin burn. Your legs hurt terribly and small cuts were covering your arms and knees.

Francis gave you some privacy at this point. But she had also given you three nightgowns to choose from before she left and prepared the guestroom for you.

You soaked in the bath for at least 20 minutes and scrubbed your skin. You felt disgusted and embarrassed.

When you stepped out of the bath, you dried yourself off with the soft white towel that Francis had given you before putting on one of the nightgowns. It was white, made out of soft and shiny satin. It covered some of your bruises but not all.

As you walked outside the bathroom, you could hear grunts coming from the kitchen.

You followed the noises to see Tommy being held down onto the kitchen table by Arthur and Finn while a nurse was using tweezers to remove fragments of gravel from the wound on his neck.

Tommy glanced over to you briefly before indicating to one of the maids that he wanted you to leave.

‘Can’t it just be stitched up?’ you asked, causing the maid to shake her head before asking you to follow her.

‘The wound has to be cleaned out, its quite deep’ the maid said as she showed you to your room.

You sat down on the bed in your room but couldn’t help it but worry about Tommy. All that you could hear from your otherwise quiet room were the occasional grunts. He was clearly in pain.

Then, after about ten minutes, there was dead silence and you became even more concerned and worried.

Finally, after 20 minutes, you heard a knock on the door.

‘Come in’ you said.

You were relieved to see Tommy when he opened the door.

You were quick to get off the bed and walk over to him, pressing your lips onto his in a haste.

He had been stitched up and his wound was covered by a large gauze.

Tommy didn’t say anything after the kiss but simply looked at you wearing Grace’s nightgown.

It was almost like he was assessing you and all of the small bruises and cuts that covered your body.

His hands then caressed your face before he kissed you again.

Silence. There was nothing but silence and kisses.

After about ten minutes of this, Tommy caressed your face again and looked into your eyes.

‘I am sorry this happened to you’ Tommy said.

‘It’s not your fault Tommy’ you responded.

‘You will stay here for a while until I sort this out, alright? You will be safe here and no one will ever hurt you again like this, I promise.’ Tommy said.

‘Alright Tommy’ you said as your hands ran over his bare chest. You wanted to tell him what you were feeling for him in that moment but couldn’t bring it over your lips.

At this point you pulled him onto the bed with you, kissing him gently, before reaching in between his legs.

‘Not tonight Y/N’ Tommy said as he could feel his hand run over his crotch.

‘Tommy, please, I need you’ you said, knowing how good it always makes you feel.

Tommy chuckled at your comment and nodded before leaning over you another kiss.

‘Alright’ he said, before he slowly removed your nightgown. It wasn’t long before his hands were touching you everywhere, lingering on your breasts, tracing the sharp curves of your hips.

Tommy’s lips followed his hands, planting gentle kisses against every inch of your bruised skin. His head moved back up to your chest and his full lips closed over the tips of first one breast and then the other. He began sucking your nipples gently, causing you to moan loudly.

‘Tell me if I'm hurting you’ he murmured as his hand reached down between your legs where most of your bruises had surfaced.

You nodded, breathless. You reached for his belt but your hands were shaking so much that you couldn't even maneuver the clasp. You were still wound up by what had happened that night.

Tommy eased your hands away and took over. In no more than ten seconds, he was as completely naked as were you.

He embraced you, holding you tightly against his chest. You ran your fingers up and down the length of his back, scraping your short nails against his smooth skin.

Tommy shifted his position and began suckling at your breasts once more. A moan of pleasure escaped your lips. You could feel his hard member pressing against your thigh. And you could feel moisture seeping out from between your legs.

Tommy reached between your thighs, parted them gently, and slowly swirled two fingers around your wet vaginal lips.

Tommy removed his fingers. His body slithered down the length of yours. He took hold of your hips, placed his mouth between your legs and nibbled at your sensitive flesh. Then the tip of his tongue began flicking against your clit, tracing circles around the hardened nub.

‘Oh god, Tommy’ you cried as you grabbed hold of his muscular shoulders as the shivers and shudders of an approaching orgasm wracked at your weak body.

The arching of your back was sending bolts of pain shooting down your spine. But you didn't care. Pain and pleasure were colliding and you chose the pleasure.

‘Don’t stop Tommy’ you urged him, tangling your fingers in his hair.

Tommy pressed his mouth to your wet entrance once again and used his tongue to toy with your clit some more.

‘Oh god yes’ you moaned as your orgasm was consuming you, fast and hard.

Tommy crawled up the length of your body and held you tightly as you lost all control. You were shaking and moaning. You grabbed onto him for dear life until the final shudder released you from the joint grasp of ecstasy and agony.

He kissed her hungrily, devouring your lips with his own. You could taste your own juices as you returned his kiss with every ounce of passion you possessed.

Though satiated and struggling with the pain, you parted your legs again and reached down to guide Tommy’s hard cock into your soaking wet pussy. Tommy groaned immediately. He propped himself up on his hands and began pushing into you gently.

‘It's okay’ you whispered as Tommy looked at you as if he was seeking approval.

‘Push harder’ you moaned, giving your body to him.

Tommy accepted your invitation and began thrusting into you more forcefully. He lowered his head to kiss you as he was pumping into you with increased speed and force.

The tip of his cock was grazing against your sweet spot as he thrusted into you and you felt another climax approaching.

At the same time, you also felt Tommy’s body begin to tremble with his own approaching release.

‘Oh god Tommy’ you moaned as your orgasm washed over you.

At the same time, guttural groans escaped his throat and, with one final convulsive thrust, he erupted inside of you, flooding you with a rush of hot cum.

After you both came down from your high, Tommy rolled away from you and collapsed next to you.

He took you into his arms and held you against his body as, all of a sudden, Arthur barged through the door.

‘Fucking hell Arthur’ Tommy said just as you covered your bare breasts with the sheets.

‘Abraham Gold is here’ Arthur said, trying hard to look away from you.

‘I thought Finn was full of shit when he told me that you two were still fucking’ Arthur said as you quickly reached for your nightgown and Tommy put on his pants.

‘This stays between us’ Tommy instructed as he walked out of your room and downstairs.

‘Mr Gold’ Tommy said, greeting your father.

‘Where is my daughter’ Abrahama asked.

‘Upstairs, having a rest’ Tommy responded, causing Finn to sigh and Arthur to laugh.

You made your way downstairs after five minutes to greet your father before Tommy took him into his office to discuss the matter.

All you could hear from outside Tommy’s offices were arguments and yelling.

Your father didn’t know about your involvement with Tommy but soon learned about his plan. In your father’s opinion, Tommy was going behind his back and put your life at risk for financial gain and had now created a war with the Kruger family, especially after killing three of Manuel Kruger’s five sons.

‘These were men you wanted to be in business with, ey? Men who tried to force themselves on your daughter’ Tommy said angrily as your father stormed out of his office.

‘Carful Mr Shelby’ your father yelled before telling Tommy that it would have never come that far if he wouldn’t had interfered with the arrangement.

Your father took a hold of your hand told you to get into the car as he left Tommy’s office, the yelling continuing.

‘Mr Gold, it’s not safe’ Tommy tried to argue while your father forced you to leave with him.

‘My daughter’s safety is not your concern Mr Shelby’ Abrahama said and you had no choice but to follow him back to the commune.

You spent the next few days there, not being allowed to work or go on with your usual activities. You knew that your father regularly talked to Tommy. He had no choice but to work with him now after all this. But, you had no idea where things were heading from here on and you knew that Tommy’s actions made your father despise him.

Finally, five days later, your father arranged another meeting with Tommy and Arthur at the factory to which you were invited. It was Tommy who insisted that you were part of this meeting and gain an understanding of the plan. Tommy argued that this was for your own safety.

You appreciated Tommy’s efforts to have you included but, that particular morning, you could have very well stayed in bed.

You have been unwell for two days now and didn’t want to see Tommy looking the way you did.

You forced yourself to put on a nice dress and some make up before joining your father and brother in the car.

Just as you arrived at the factory building, you barged out of the car and towards the lavatory.

‘Excuse me’ you said as you stormed into the men’s lavatory on the ground floor. There was no female lavatory in close proximity.

‘You realise that this is the fucking men’s lavatory, right?’ Arthur said while taking a leek as, all of a sudden, he heard a loud choking noise.

‘Are you alright, Love?’ he asked as you were in the cubicle, with the door open, your head hanging over the toilet seat.

‘Yes, I am fine, thank you Arthur’ you said as you straightened yourself up and walked to the basin to wash your hands.

There was an awkward silence between you and Arthur.

‘Ate something bad, ey?’ Arthur said as he handed you his handkerchief.

‘Yes, probably. It’s been like this for two days’ you said. ‘I will return it, washed of course’ you added after you wiped your mouth with the handkerchief.

‘Don’t worry Love. Keep it’ Arthur said as you both left the bathroom and headed to the meeting.

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