#revery atlanta

[bleach-your-panties]

ᰔℊℯ𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓃' 𝒾𝓉 𝓅ℴ𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃' with ONYANKOPON on a balcony.

for my 1500+ 𝒻ℴ𝓁𝓁ℴ𝓌ℯ𝓇 ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓃𝓉. requested by @prettybraat.

ᰔhere you go baby, happy black history month!❤️💚💛

ᰔcw: modern au! fem, black reader. balcony sex, exhibitionism, panty-ripping, backshots, hair-pulling, scratching.

ᰔdividers by @/benkeibear.

ᰔwc: 2.2k

💗💗🍡°taglist: @enchantedforest-network @bakugosbratx @chifuyuskoneko @honeybleed @hoesluvshanti @chrollohearttags @darkstarlight82 @blkkizzat @bey0nseh @kokonoiscoconut (if anyone wants to be added to taglist, please fill out linked google form, thx!)

When your boyfriend, Onyankopon, or ‘Ony’ for short, texted you with a simple ‘get ready’ you immediately hopped up to pack an overnight bag.

Ony works as a financial consultant for one of the biggest banks in Atlanta, as well as a personal finance advisor, so he’s never short on dough and absolutely does not mind spending his hard-earned money on his baby girl.

You haven’t seen him in a while due to it being tax season and him working overtime at the bank, so you knew that when you saw him, you were definitely getting your back blown out.

As you were deciding which pairs of sexy panties you wanted to bring, your phone began to ring. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby.” Your man’s smooth, baritone voice filtered its way from the phone speaker and into your ear making you clench your thighs together.

“Hey, pooh. Are you off of work already? I’m still getting my stuff together.”

Onyankopon laughed once he heard you rummaging around in your room; who knows what all you were throwing in that gold and black sequin Victoria’s Secret duffle bag you loved so much.

“I’m about to FaceTime you, baby. I want to show you something.”

When he said that, you stopped packing and focused all of your attention on the phone - Ony chuckled because he knew how nosy you were.

The request to FaceTime immediately came through and you accepted it.

“ONYANKOPON!!”

He just chuckled deeply, “Not the government.” 

On your screen currently sat the finest version of your man that you had ever seen.

Now, Ony had always been fine; let's make that abundantly clear…

Smooth, flawless dark-brown skin, toned muscular body, tattoos up and down his arms and back (that were usually hidden by his business suits), straight white teeth, and don’t forget the inches that he was packing - eight and a half, to be exact.

Long, thick, and hard.

…but Ony with a fade and dreads pulled back in a half-up half-down ponytail? 

Oh, he must've been trying to call in for the next week or so.

“You went quiet on me, bae. Do you like it?’’ You were snapped out of your nasty little reverie.

“Do I like it? Babe, you look so fucking mouthwatering right now. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make the drive all the way to yours.”

Flirting sensually, you leaned your upper body into the camera and let your breasts spill out of your tank top for your man’s viewing pleasure.

You didn’t miss how Ony raised an eyebrow and bit down on his lower lip, pausing before he continued,

“To mine? Oh, we’re not going to mine, baby girl. I made a reservation for us at the Waldorf Astoria in Buckhead.” 

Leaning back out of the camera frame, you made your perfectly arched eyebrows jump while bringing a hand to your mouth to chew on the tip of one of your baby blue stiletto nails.

“You did, babe? That’s so sweet of you, I can’t-”

Before you could finish your sentence, you heard a loud car horn honk from outside.

“Ony!! I didn’t know you were damn near almost here; why didn’t you say something, boy?!”

Tossing the phone onto the bed, you hurriedly gathered the rest of your things and shoved them into the bag before zipping it up. Your slides were on the side of your bed, so you slipped your matching pedicured toes into them and grabbed your keys off your nightstand.

“Hey, who you think you raising yo voice at, huh? Be good for me and come on outside, baby.”

—-

After climbing into the passenger seat of Ony’s navy blue BMW X5, he shut the door behind you and returned to the driver’s side.

You watched him carefully with slightly lidded eyes as he put his hand on the back of your headrest and backed out of the driveway.

Ony could feel you burning a hole in the side of his head, which made him bite his bottom lip again and send you a furtive glance while he drove through Atlanta traffic.

“What’s up, mama? Why you keep on staring at me?”

He knew good and damn well why you were staring at him.

You knew that he knew, because of the little smirk that formed at the corner of his plump lips as he held onto your thigh with his right hand and drove with his left hand holding the middle of the steering wheel.

The ride was leisurely, as all you had to do was sit there and look pretty, one leg propped up over the other as you scrolled through your TikTok feed. 

Ony moved his hand from your thigh to your foot, slipping your slide off and rubbing the sole of your foot.

“Oh! Babe…”

He just let out a soft hum of acknowledgment before turning into the parking lot of Seasons 52. 

Since Ony had made a reservation, you didn't have to wait long before a waitress came out to direct you both to your table.

This isn’t your first time coming here, but you still marvel at how everything on the menu constantly shifts and changes, yet always manages to always taste so delicious.

The salmon that you ordered was roasted to perfection; the potatoes just melted in your mouth and the green beans had just the right amount of crunch. 

Dinner conversation was fruitful, full of talks about your plans for university and Ony of the new investments that he was planning to make.

He held your free hand in his and rubbed his thumb over your knuckles while he sipped his wine and listened to you talk. 

His cocoa-brown eyes shined with love and admiration for you as you excitedly spilled about all of the classes that you’d be taking during the upcoming semester.

After you finished your dinner, Ony called for the waitress so he could pay then the two of you left with him guiding you by the small of your back to his car.

—-

Once you checked into your suite, Ony was on you like white on rice.

His large hands gripped you up, fondling your voluptuous ass cheeks while he repeatedly slotted his lips over yours in hot kisses filled with longing and need.

The cold links of his watch against your exposed lower back made a shiver race down your spine as you slowly lowered yourself to your knees in front of him. 

Ony looked down at you, meeting your big, brown doe eyes; immediately his dick began to harden in his slacks.

“Nuh uh, we don’t have time for that right now, baby. I have another plan for yo sexy ass.” 

He swatted away the hand that reached for his belt buckle and pulled you up by your bicep.

The suite Ony booked was almost as big as your entire damn apartment: two bedrooms, a spacious living area, a kitchenette (that was too big to be considered a kitchenette), and two bathrooms, both fitted with walk-in showers and whirlpool tubs.

Your nails clawed at the pressed cotton of his white dress shirt as he backed both of you up into the nearest bedroom. The motion-sensor lamps clicked on as soon as you stepped over the threshold, bathing both of you in a sensual, amber glow.

The curtain to the in-suite balcony was pulled back revealing the beautiful Buckhead cityscape below you, along with a navy sky full of bright, twinkling stars.

Ony began unbuttoning his shirt, tugging it free from where it was tucked into his pants as he finally allowed you to grab his belt and begin unbuckling it.

“Somebody’s impatient..” He chuckled as you yanked it from the loops and threw it across the room.

Once he was shirtless and you were down to your panties, he scooped you up and carried you over to the window.

“Wait, Onyankopon, what do you think you’re doing??”

He didn’t answer, but instead unlocked the glass door leading out to the balcony and stepped outside with you clinging to him.

The slightly cool breeze from the evening air whipped against your naked skin and made you press yourself further into Ony, who cradled your chin and brought your mouth back to his to give you another breathtaking kiss.

“I remember you saying that you wanted to try some different things, so here’s your opportunity, baby. Now turn around and grab that rail for me.”

His big hand went to the fly of his pants for him to unzip them and tug them down. He pulled a condom out of his pocket and began sliding it over his hard dick.

Just as you were about to do as you were told, you could hear faint chatter from below: a couple of floors below, there was a group of men and women seated at a round table out on their balcony, having drinks.

“Ony, there’s people out here - what if they see me?” Bashfully, your hands flew to cover your naked breasts. 

As you were leaning down to look at the other guests, Ony rubbed his dick between your ass cheeks, bumping it against your clit. A soft moan left your lips and your eyes almost closed before you remembered what you were supposed to be doing.

“They won’t see you, baby. They might hear you, though.” 

You heard that damn smirk in his voice, but soon you forgot all about anyone hearing once Ony grabbed your panties with one finger and ripped the flimsy material off of you, flinging it aside.

“Oh, babe!”

A loud moan was pulled from you as your boyfriend pushed the head of his dick into your opening. Your hands flew forward and you took a tight hold of the balcony’s railing as Ony started pounding you swiftly from the back.

The sounds of your ass colliding with his hips were loud throughout the silent night, so if those people were just really listening they’d easily be able to tell what the two of you were doing.

One tiny hand with those baby blue nails fell free from the rail and grabbed at Ony’s veiny forearm for leverage; his thrusts had your entire body quivering already. 

Soon enough, long scratches began to cover his arm as you tried your best to hold onto him.

You looked up at him and could feel him grow harder inside of you from the visual: fat ass bouncing back on him, braids shaking free from your bun, and your mascara beginning to run.

“Hm, what?” He licked his lips again but didn’t slow his pace as he just looked back into your misty eyes. “What is it, baby? Too much for ya?”

“Ony, I’m…” You trailed off as he suddenly picked you up underneath your thighs, his forearms resting in the creases of your knees.

“I didn’t tell you to let go of that damn rail.”

“ONYANKOPON!”

“And you were worried about somebody hearing you.” He laughed and bent you in half, still jackhammering away as you bumped and jostled against his body, 

Your upper half is now bent over the railing as the wind picks up and whips your hair across your face.

“Onyankopon, I’m going to fall!” 

“I won’t let you fucking fall, girl. Got too many muscles to let you fall.”

He grunted and locked his arms around your thighs, heavy balls slapping against your ass with loud, wet smacks.

“Hold the fucking rail, and hold that nut, too. I’m almost there. Gunna cum for you, baby; just hold still for me.”

Ony grabbed your hair up into a ponytail to pull it out of your face and also to yank your head back so he could whisper in your ear.

“You see that shit, baby? See those city lights beaming so fucking bright for you as I fuck your tight little pussy open?”

“Ohh, oh God! Yes, baby, I see them! Fuck, I see them!”

“You cumming?”

“YES! Yes, I’m cumming, oh my God! I’m cumming, baby!”

“Let it go then, baby. Go ahead and cum for ‘The Great One’*”

After that, you were done.

Your release washed over you like a wave; luckily Onyankopon was holding onto you or you might’ve actually flipped head-first over that balcony.

You both moaned each others’ names as your orgasm triggered his, bodies bathed in the pale moonlight of the night, surrounded by nothing but the stars and your love for one another.

—-

After that first round on the balcony, Onyankopon took you back into the room and the two of you went at it in nearly every area of the large presidential suite.

He even took you again in the shower before he washed you both off, wrapped you in a towel, and brought you over to the bed, wrapping you up in the covers.

“I love you, Y/N…my shining star..” Was the last thing you heard before you drifted off into dreamland, nothing but sweet thoughts of your handsome man on your mind.

—--

a/n: *Onyankopon means ’God’ in the Ghanian language and ‘The Great One’ in Ashanti mythology, referring to the Sky God.

get it poppin! 💄event ©bleach-your-panties 2024. do NOT steal, copy, repost, alter, or upload my works onto other sites. comments appreciated. reblogs always welcome.

[heroinmere]

002. EVERY VOTE COUNTS.

⸻ September 1st, 2023.

The low hum of jazz music filled the opulent interior of Club Alchemy, its dim lighting casting an air of mystique over the patrons lounging in plush velvet seats. Mariah surveyed the scene from her private balcony, her sharp eyes scanning for any sign of trouble. The club had become a resounding success, attracting Atlanta’s elite with its promise of luxury and discretion. Yet beneath its glitzy facade, the club remained a front for a much darker enterprise.

Two years earlier, Mariah and her loyal confidante, Taina, had narrowly evaded a federal raid that threatened to dismantle their weapons trading ring. The close call had been a stark reminder of the fragility of their empire. Determined to secure a more legitimate veneer, Mariah had transformed a derelict mansion in Buckhead into Club Alchemy, a sanctuary where deals were brokered and alliances forged under the cover of night.

Despite the club’s success, Mariah was always looking for new avenues to expand their operations. She found one in the form of exclusive casino nights, an enticing addition that promised high stakes and higher profits. However, running a casino in Georgia was illegal, and whispers of their activities had reached the ears of the state legislature.

“Mariah,” Taina’s voice cut through her reverie. She turned to see her right-hand woman approaching, her expression a blend of determination and caution. Taina was the strategist, the one who handled the delicate intricacies of their business. “We have a problem,” she continued, her voice low. “The state representatives are deadlocked on the casino bill. We need one more vote, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene holds the deciding one.”

Mariah arched an eyebrow, her mind already whirring with possibilities. “And she’s not inclined to support us, I presume?”

Taina nodded. “Not without some persuasion. But I have a plan.”

Two days later, Taina found herself standing outside a nondescript townhouse in a quiet Atlanta neighborhood. She adjusted her coat, the weight of the small, concealed recorder in her pocket a comforting reminder of her mission. She rang the doorbell, her mind replaying the research she had painstakingly compiled on Rep. Greene’s hidden indiscretions.

“Taina Simmons,” Rep. Greene greeted her with a wary smile. “What brings you here?”

“Business,” Taina replied smoothly, stepping inside. The cozy interior belied the tension between them. “I believe we have a mutual interest in the casino bill.”

Rep. Greene’s eyes narrowed. “And why would I support something so blatantly illegal?”

Taina smiled, the predatory glint in her eyes matching that of a tiger closing in on its prey. “Because, Marjorie, I know about your offshore accounts and your ties to several less-than-reputable figures. Imagine if that information were to become public.”

Rep. Greene paled, the bravado slipping from her features. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me,” Taina whispered, leaning in closer. “Or you could vote in favor of the bill and save us both the trouble.”

The silence that followed was thick with tension, broken only by the ticking of a nearby clock. Finally, Rep. Greene sighed, the fight draining from her eyes. “Fine. You have your vote.”

As Taina left the townhouse, she felt a rush of triumph. The casino nights would continue, and Club Alchemy would thrive. Yet she knew this victory was merely a temporary reprieve. In their world, threats loomed large and trust was a rare commodity.

Back at the club, Mariah awaited Taina’s return, her sharp mind already planning their next move. The game was dangerous, the stakes higher than ever, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. In the shadows of Atlanta, power was a delicate dance, and she and Taina were determined to lead the waltz.

As the night wore on, the sounds of revelry from Club Alchemy mingled with the quiet hum of the city outside. Inside the opulent walls, deals were made, secrets were traded, and the dance of power continued, ever shifting, ever precarious, in the heart of Buckhead.

[cdyssey]

Three Women and a Glass of Wine

Summary: Barbara and Ava go over to Melissa's house to come up with a plan of action against Legendary Charters. (Regrettably, there is wine involved.) [Post-2.17]

A/N: It's been a weird day, and I wanted to write something fun and slightly cracky to cheer me up. :') So how about some Ava/Mel/Barb?Kinda. Sorta. You'll see. 😈

CW: Innuendo, Alcohol, Porn Mention

AO3 Link

—

Perhaps Barbara Howard, devout woman of God, shouldn’t have had that final half-glass of Merlot, because inexplicably—and for no good reason at all—she finds herself staring at Ava Coleman across Melissa’s kitchen table like she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.

Of course, Abbott’s principal is assuredly that.

Beautiful.

Utterly gorgeous even.

What, with her dazzling curls and long, dark lashes, with her cherry-red smile and the little oomph in her hips when she walks—she’s got all the makings of a goddess and none of the austere formalism of a religion: Aphrodite in the flesh if Aphrodite was also obsessed with the entire cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. But her less than holy reveries about the form-fitting contours of the principal’s teal dress are soon interrupted by the sturdy presence slightly shifting by her side—Melissa, sitting next to her, as always, as is their tradition, their habit, their decades long norm.

She, too, looks remarkably striking tonight, with her fiery hair cascading over her shoulders in waves, the buttons on her black shirt unclasped to be just shy of indecent. She smells of both chocolate and vanilla, a pleasant side-effect from the cookies she just made. And if Ava is Aphrodite, both protector and patron divinity of love, then surely her dearest friend in the entire world is Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, blazing so brightly in the dim lighting of the golden overheads. 

Simply radiant.

Otherworldly.

Each of her companions.

At the exact same time.

Barbara’s knees tremble where she sits as she peers between them both, heat scaling the trellis of her throat like a spray of ivy—wild, free, and perfectly uncontrolled.

They’re supposed to be working on a budgetary request that Ava’s going to send to the school board on Monday. If they can get a new financial assistance package—especially for some much needed infrastructure and tech upgrades—they can stave off a little bit of the external pressure they’ve received from parent petitions to become a charter school, buying them time to come up with a more permanent solution against the looming threat which is Legendary Charters.

At least, they had started with this noble intention in mind when they had decided to work at Melissa’s house on a Friday evening, but now, four glasses of wine in a piece, all three of them are more likely to key Draemond’s shiny BMW than they are to write a very professional letter using all of their respective talents: Barbara’s elegant way with words and Ava’s charming entrepreneurship, Melissa’s uncanny knack for always knowing when a little arm twisting is needed… these traits would all coalesce together splendidly...

...if they could get around to the actual writing part, of course. 

They've spent most of their time imbibing wine and complaining about various people in their shared world.

Frankly, Barbara has never had so much fun playing in the mud, laughing and cutting up at all the outrageous things that neither of her fellow educators have the discipline to restrain. At their cores, Ava and Melissa alike are similarly uninhibited spirits, almost wholly unconcerned with what people make of them and their liberal tongues, and she admires that fact about them so deeply—usually in the same breath that she scolds them for it.

But her scandalized disapproval only seems to rile them up all the more.

(Melissa even once joked that it turns her on.)

“Barb, why you sittin’ over there lookin’ tenser than Janine during car line duty?” Ava suddenly asks, swirling the dregs of her wine around her glass. Her nails are nearly the same shade as the rich vintage. “Let loose a little. We ain’t finishing this thing tonight.”

“But—“ She tries to protest, clumsily spinning her laptop around to show the fifteen words that they’ve collectively typed between them in five hours.

Cough up some money, you greedy pigs.

We’re broke as hell.

Please and thank you.

“Hate t’say it, but Ava’s right,” Melissa chuckles heartily, lightly elbowing Barbara on the arm.

“—I want that on a t-shirt,” Ava interrupts, to which the second-grade teacher only rolls her eyes before continuing.

“That’s all crap, and we’re too effed up to fix it.” 

And with that characteristically vulgar pronouncement, she reaches over and firmly closes the laptop lid with a delicious snap. However, in her haste to withdraw her arm, she accidentally knocks over her own glass of unfinished wine. There wasn’t a lot in it—thank goodness—but the remaining droplets splash over both of them anyway, splattering Melissa’s rosy face and speckling Barbara’s silky blue shirt.

“Shit!” Melissa swears, flushing even pinker still, as Ava laughs raucously across from them, banging her fist on the table. “Sorry, Barb.”

“Klutz,” the principal sticks her tongue out as she hops off her barstool and heels over to the sink, where a dish towel is draped over the stainless steel basin. Barbara watches the undulations of her spiraling hair as she sashays from side-to-side, entirely and irreligiously distracted until she realizes that Melissa is trying to attack the stain on her shirt with a nearby paper towel… dabbing rhythmically above her breast.

“Hey, now,” she swallows thickly, her stomach coiling tightly at the persistent campaign, “it’s perfectly fine, sweetheart. It was just an accident…”

“Yeah, well, I ruined your pretty shirt,” comes a rather husky reply, and Barbara can’t help but notice that her friend’s verdant eyes have fallen to the v-shaped divot in her collared blouse, her pupils visibly blown… but this moment of intimacy is immediately interrupted by Ava re-joining them, the dish towel clenched tightly in her slender fingers as she begins to minister to Melissa’s wine-freckled cheek, cupping her jaw tenderly as she wipes the red away.

“Nothin’ Shout and a good wash can’t fix,” the principal purrs as Melissa’s attention is captured elsewhere, even though her fingers are now twisted tightly in the fabric of Barbara’s shirt. Ava slowly drags the cloth beneath Melissa’s lips, eliciting a strange, almost animalistic sound from her. It sounds less like a thank you and more like a moan. “Take it off, Barb.”

“What?” Barbara rasps, unable to peel her eyes away from the sight in front of her, every nerve in her body kinetic with intoxicating tension. She isn’t sure which woman she is more envious of at the present moment—Ava or Melissa.

“Your shirt.” Ava now tilts her head at her expectantly, a mischievous grin spreading across her lips, something indecent twinkling in the darks of her eyes. “You heard me. Take it off.”

“Yeah, uh, take it off,” Melissa agrees, vigorously nodding her head, her fingers now slowly migrating towards Barbara’s topmost button…

“I-I don’t understand!” She barely manages to choke out, hysteria making a mockery out of her usually composed voice. She shivers with violent delight as Melissa’s knuckles skim her slightly exposed collarbone, as Ava continues to gingerly stroke Melissa’s face, her own hands yearning to touch both of them with all the tenderness of a pastor anointing someone's head with oil. "This is absolutely absurd, ludicrous even! What if we’re caught?!”

“Fine by me,” Ava smirks, waving her free hand with invitational flourish.

“Hell if I care,” Melissa huffs in laughing agreement, leaning into the principal’s touch, briefly closing her eyes in sensuous, rapturous delicacy, but then, before Barbara can fully understand how this makes her feel and what ungodly chemical reactions are rapidly denaturing her insides—

“Take it off, take it off,” both of her friends begin to chant, and it’s terrifying and simultaneously thrilling, and why is Ava’s dress red now instead of teal, and where is Melissa’s perpetual necklace of saints, and is that Dionne Warwick singing in the background? Melissa's brightly lit kitchen becomes Barbara's darkened bedroom becomes the teacher's lounge at their school. What in God’s almighty—?!

“Oh, damn,” Ava laughs, her clearly amused voice floating from somewhere above her. “She’s wakin’ up.”

“I flippin’ said you were bein’ too loud,” Melissa’s disapproving voice shortly follows and much more sonorously, hurting Barbara’s eardrums. 

“Girl, you’re one to talk!”

“Hey!”

Barbara abruptly opens her eyes and sits up a little too quickly for her dully aching body to catch up with her; she groans lightly, clutching the side of her now mussed head, and tries to reorient herself in her entirely-too-bright surroundings. She’s on Melissa’s plastic covered couch, which makes sense enough. The three of them had easily shuffled into the living room after finishing their proposal to drink more wine, eat Melissa's cookies, and watch a college basketball game that promised to be good.

But sports were more Ava and Melissa’s thing, and the four rounds of Merlot had made the kindergarten teacher’s head buzz pleasantly, so she’d felt herself dozing off around halftime when the other two women had started talking about movies that they wanted to check out...

“Hey there, Sleepin’ Beauty,” Melissa smiles at her fondly, casually brushing off her lap, and Barbara blushes profusely, understanding by this gesture alone that her head had just been pillowed there. “Sorry that someone over there woke ya.”

She glares pointedly at Ava, who is curled up in Melissa’s armchair—(which is also plastic covered)—like a cat, idly filing her nails.

“Don’t act like you weren’t gettin’ into it!”

Barbara blearily scrubs at her eyes with her knuckles as the two of them promptly go back-and-forth like a married couple, as they're sometimes wont to do. According to the TV, there’s only a few minutes left in the game. She must have been out for at least half-an-hour…

“What were you two talking about?” She yawns, unapologetically interrupting Melissa from making some sort of smartass retort as she leans back against the couch, crinkling the wrapper, settling in... and trying very hard not to think about the awful dream that she just had, apropos of nothing.

She can’t quite manage to look either of her friends in the face just yet, but she supposes that the embarrassment will eventually pass.

Maybe.

(Definitely not.)

“Porn,” Ava snickers immediately.

“Movies,” Melissa says at the exact same time, shaking her head at the principal, though a crooked smile has risen to her mouth nonetheless.

“Specifically, the porno your email sent out last year,” Ava carries on, undeterred. “Three sexy ass women and a spilt wine glass. That shit was wild. No plot, just ladies fuc—”

“Nuh-uh!” Barbara Howard immediately plugs her fingers into her ears, feeling rather like a child accidentally hearing something naughty on the TV. Heat clambers to her cheeks as she realizes exactly who and what just invaded her subconscious.“No, ma’am! We aren’t talking about that! That absolutely and fundamentally did not happen!”

It did—it so totally did—and Barbara could not face her colleagues at school for an entire week after the incident without wanting to positively die of humiliation. She had even sent out a mass email—(with her newly re-acquired Hotmail, of course)—explaining the intimate details of the crime in eight well-written and thoroughly comprehensive paragraphs. She had been hacked—nay! victimized!—and whatever heathenish video that they had been exposed to was of the devil and should immediately be destroyed!

“If ya say so, Barb,” Melissa, still next to her, bites her lower lip, clearly and unsuccessfully trying to stifle a smile, her shoulders hitching with the effort of not laughing.

“Speak for yourselves.” Ava brandishes her hot pink nail filer at both of them like a baton. “I got that nastiness still saved on my hard drive.”

"Shut up—I want it."

"You got a Google Drive?"

"Hell yeah."

Barbara can only groan at this exchange clearly intended to poke fun at her, burying her flushed face in her hands as the bright and affectionate mirth of the other women enlivens the open air.

[mybeingthere]

Shara Hughes, born 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. Lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Shara Hughes earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and later attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She describes her lush, vibrantly chromatic images of hills, rivers, trees and shorelines, often framed by abstract patterning, as "invented landscapes." 

Full of gestural effect, surface tactility and possessing a fairytale mood of reverie, these paintings, as the New Yorker described them, "use every trick in the book to seduce, but still manage to come off as guileless visions of not-so-far-away worlds." 

Bold, clashing colours and shifting perspectives manifest into dream-like landscapes that push and pull the eye across the canvas, challenging conventions of space. Rather than depicting true to life landscapes, Hughes invites us into a fantastical world offered as a portal for psychological discovery and reflection.

https://www.pilarcorrias.com/artists/42-shara-hughes/

[letmewanderinyourgarden2022]

Jimmy carefully sorted the purchases from his trip to the Reading Record Fair that morning.  Ross had collected him at the crack of dawn to ensure they arrived prior to the official opening.  The main objective was to avoid the crowds but also to get the first choice of any rarities that were in the stacks.  He had been visiting the fairs for so many years that the proprietor, George, had become a fast friend, granting him and Ross some “special” access. Periodically, George kept something aside for his mate.  It was generally one or two vinyls that he knew Jimmy couldn’t refuse and almost always an obscure Zep bootleg. 

George never fails to come through with some gem. And Ross!! Absolutely gutted that it was put aside for me. Ha!  Maybe I’ll lend it out to him once he’s recovered. . .Seeing George always costs me a pretty fucking penny!

His hand skimmed the prize purchase of the day.  He had been searching for the bootleg for at least 30 years and was now the proud owner of the Vietnamese 1970 pressing of the band’s first album.  Delight overcame him as he held it. 

So few of these - may be the only one. . .

He recalled the album was pressed for the troops fighting in the South Asia war raging at that time.  He didn’t regret his sizable expenditure in the least.

The power of music. . . in this case, our music. . .will get you through just about anything. . .Well, let’s see what shape it’s in.

He placed the needle on the spinning record.  Good Times Bad Times sounded just fine.  As he lounged in his favorite chair, memories of the first momentous day – the beginning – darted through his mind, inseparable from the music.  He resisted the urge to find flaws and just listened, carried off into reveries of the past. Interrupted by a vibration in his pocket, he wrangled the mobile from his jean's pocket.  It was Perry.

“Hey, Jim.  I’m on my way to Tower if it’s a good time.  I’ve finally finished looking into Lady Jane.”

“Really!  It’s taken a bit longer than a fortnight, Perry,” he chided.

“You know, Jim, it was much harder than I expected – US holidays and all.”

“Yeah, it is that time of year.  Please, come on over.  I’m very interested in what you’ve found.”

Jimmy sighed, returning the vinyl to its sleeve and placing it in the stack with his other purchases - to be enjoyed later.    Climbing the stairs, he found what he was seeking on the library desk.  He pushed the intercom for Gwyn.

“Gwynie, Perry is on his way.  I’m in the library, okay. . . Great.  Thanks.”

Letter in hand, he settled in the soft leather chair by the blazing hearth.  His fingertips stroked the paper as they had done often over the months.  The same faint. . .he didn’t know what to call it. . .connection reached out to him. 

Well, well, Lady Jane, some mysteries are about to be revealed.

Footsteps sounded in the hall.  “Hey, Jim.  You ready?” Perry said as he entered. 

Still entranced, Jimmy was slow to register another presence in the room.  He finally looked up, giving his full attention to his assistant.  “That was quick. Thanks for coming over.  Please, sit,” nodding to the seat across from him.  “So, what's her story?”

“I was able to find out quite a bit, eventually. She’s definitely unique,” Perry said as he spread the contents of his messenger bag on the table between them.

Jimmy scoffed, “Well, that could mean any number of things!  Please, go on.”

He rattled off his discoveries from memory.  “She’s originally from Baltimore in Maryland and is about 10 years younger than you.”  He hesitated a second, glancing up to see if there would be a reaction.  There was none.  “She’s a solicitor who worked for Atlantic in the '70s – briefly it seems – and is now a partner in a law firm in Atlanta that represents artists – musicians mainly.”

“Hmmm.  In the business?” he said eyebrows raised.  He slid the letter onto the table and eased back, crossing his legs, “Doesn’t sound unstable to me.  What about to you?”

“Well, no, not really, but there’s more.” He chirped as he selected a yellow folder from the others splayed on the table.

“More?” Jimmy chuckled, shifting in the chair.

“Yes, like I said, she’s a bit unusual.” He scanned his notes. “She was accelerated in her studies as a child, and graduated from her law courses at a little shy of 19 – one of the youngest to do so and one of the few women at that age, so. . .”

“That’s rather impressive,” he said, rising to tend the fire.   

“Yeah, I think so, too. She passed her bar exams soon after and was a staff attorney for ATCO in New York, but only for a few months.  Then. . .nothing! Poof! She vanished for an extended time. . .well, almost. . . It appears she abandoned the law thing and traveled around for over 10 years.  She reappeared at Atlantic in an Atlanta satellite office in a similar capacity in the '80s.  She’s been a partner in a private law firm for about 20 years.  And. . .uh. . .It seems her parents were friends with Ahmet. Her father was a school-chum of his in Washington, DC, which may explain the Atlantic jobs.”

“Ahmet? No!”  Jimmy turned from the hearth in disbelief.  “Well, that’s certainly a bit close to home. . .  So, any clue about where she was during those missing years?” He slid back into the chair, elbows planted on the armrests, fingertips tented together at his chin, listening to the new details.

“I did find a bit of a trail,” he said, pulling another paper from the folder. “It seemed she left me a few breadcrumbs," he chuckled. "She traveled the across US, staying only, at most, for a couple of years in any one spot. It appears she settled in Costa Rica longer than any other place, though.”

“Hmmm. . .a nomadic spirit.  So, do you know her name – her real name, I mean? Married? Kids, that sort of thing?”

“Jane Elsinore Mott, two daughters, several grands, no marriage I could find.”

“And a free spirit to boot.”  He uttered, fingertips grazing his slightly pursed lips.

“Apparently. She’s a definite fan, too.  I found her on a few places online.  Same screen name.”

“So, any ideas about what she’s like from her online comments?”

“Doesn’t post very often, but always thoughtful.  Occasionally over the top, but rare – so far as I could find.”

“So, an intelligent, free-spirited woman - stable by all accounts- wants to meet me.” He sat up and edged forward. “Uhm. . .I know I’m going to sound like a git, Perry, but do you have a photo of her?”

“I did try, Jim, unfortunately, nothing recent. But. . .” Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he removed a glossy square from the folder. “I did find one photo that appears to be her as a teenager. Here.”

Jimmy leaned forward and took the photo, studying it, expressionless. The hand dropped to his lap as he slumped against the chair back.  The pang in his chest from the studio suddenly returned.

What the fuck is that? Again! Bloody hell!

He sat up abruptly.

“You OK, Jim?” Perry rose in concern at the unexpected response from his friend.

“Yeah, yeah, fine.” Jimmy moved to the edge of the seat.  “Sit. . .please. . .Uh. . .Perry, is there any way I could have met this woman back then?  I mean - was she ever where the band was?”

“I really wouldn’t know if you met her somewhere on tour, Jim,” he said with a trace of friendly sarcasm. “But nothing seemed to match up with your or the band’s travels.”

“And not at Atlantic?”

“No, I checked.”

“Right, well.  I need to think a bit, Perry.  I’ll call you this evening.”

“Sure, Jim.” He rose and started to gather the items on the table.  “Just let me know what you want to do.”

“Uh, leave all that with me, yeah?”

“Of course, talk to you later.”

“Thanks again, mate.”

Jimmy studied the papers, reading all about her for himself – from the earliest bits to the most recent. He was coming to the realization there were just too many signs to ignore.  He spent most of the evening weighing what he wanted to do – if anything.  He tried to busy himself with other tasks, but his thoughts returned to her.

Jane Mott, I think I must meet you. . .but definitely not within my comfort zone at all - a fan one-on-one. . .privately. . .well, maybe just a brief chat if she's here in London. . .Is it risky to willingly open myself up this way. . .to a stranger?. . .do I want to. . .you already know the answer, Jim!  If for no other reason than to find out who she is and what she is.

He phoned Perry.

“Hi, sorry, it’s a bit late.  I want you to get in touch with her and find out if she’s going to be in England in the near future. . .Yeah, I’m sure. . .See what the possibilities are. You have her contact information, right. . .Good. . .But, wait until after the holidays, okay?  Maybe around Twelfth Night – US celebrations are over by then.  She’s probably going to tell you to fuck off, but be persistent. Yeah?  Thanks, Perry.”

Although it was late, Jimmy found his way to the studio.  He picked up the Harmony and rewound the tape.  After a bit, he strummed along adding color to his previous efforts.  He pushed “record” and let the tales of Lady Jane flow into the dynamics of the song.  

If we meet, I may have to play this for her.  But only after I apologize for mucking about so much in her private life.  Che Sera, Sera, Jane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter list

https://www.tumblr.com/letmewanderinyourgarden2022/701210499738714112/chapter-list-let-me-wander-in-your-garden?source=share

The Astrology (dining) room:  https://youtu.be/w6hEwcTXtaE                                                     

1970 Vietnamese pressing LZI - sleeve and vinyl

@firethatgrewsolow @foreverandadaydarling @laluxea @lzep @sassybouquetrunaway-universe @jimmysdragonsuit13 @jenyj89

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

what a groovy night in Midtown Atlanta! (Parliament of Owls Lantern Parade!)— with Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons and Chantelle Rytter.

[Steve Eberhardt]

* * * *

"Beyond the wall of the unreal city, beyond the security fences topped with barbed wire and razor wire, beyond the asphalt belting of the superhighways, beyond the cemented banksides of temporarily stopped and mutilated rivers, beyond the rage of lies that poisons the air, there is another world waiting for you. It is the old true world of the deserts, the mountains, the forests, the islands, the shores, the open plains. Go there. Be there. Walk gently and quietly deep within it. And then -

May your trails be dim, lonesome, stony, narrow, winding and only slightly uphill. May the wind bring rain for the slickrock potholes fourteen miles on the other side of yonder blue ridge. May God's dog serenade your campfire, may the rattlesnake and the screech owl amuse your reverie, may the Great Sun dazzle your eyes by day and the Great Bear watch over you by night."

 - Edward Abbey Beyond the Wall: Essays from the Outside entheognosis

[thanks whiskey river]

[concerthopperblog]

North American Tour 2024: Opeth w/ Tribulation Live at Tabernacle (Atlanta)

Swedish metal titans Opeth hinted to their fans about a North American Tour 2024 via their social media channels on April 23rd, then on June 7th the anticipation was over when the dates were finally announced to the eager fans in North America. In addition, fellow Swedish metal gods Tribulation was added as a special guest on Opeth’s North American Tour 2024 on August 28th. Opeth last toured the United States and Canada in May 2022, so they were long overdue for a tour stateside, and their fans were hungry for more. I saw a date for October 22nd at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA. so I knew I had to save that date. Truthfully, this would be my first time seeing Opeth perform live, and I was ready to get my first show under my belt. I have also never seen Tribulation live before, so this was a pleasant surprise to get two legendary bands off my bucket list in one eventful night.

Opeth is a progressive rock/progressive metal/death metal band from Stockholm, Sweden that has been together since 1990. Opeth consists of Mikael Akerfeldt (guitars/lead vocals), Martin Mendez (bass), Fredrik Akesson (guitars/backing vocals), Joakim Svalberg (keyboards/backing vocals), and Waltteri Vayrynen (drums). Opeth has released thirteen (13) LPs, four (4) live albums, thirty (30) singles and EPs, six (6) music videos, and six (6) compilations. It is worth noting that Opeth’s latest release, The Last Will and Testament (November 22nd,2024) is available for pre-order through the band’s website. Plus, you can pre-order a special reissue of their fourth album, Still Life, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its release.

Although Opeth has been active for 34 years, I first heard their music after the release of their third album My Arms, Your Hearse (1998). Frankly, I was speechless upon first listening to that album with its rich layers and complex riffs which added to their already very distinctive sound. Opeth would go on to release many incredible albums which are perfect from start to finish. I recommend diving into Orchid, Still Life, Blackwater Park, Ghost Reveries, Pale Communion, and Sorceress. I would be remiss if I did not tell you to check one of my favorite live records of all time, Gardens of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater released on Nuclear Blast Records (November 2, 2018). Since purchasing this record off their web store, it is in my constant rotation of records to spin.

Tribulation is a death/gothic metal band from Stockholm, Sweden that has been active since 2004. During 2001-2004 they were previously known as Hazard. Tribulation is Joseph Tholl (guitars), Johannes Andersson (bass/vocals), Oscar Leander (drums), and Adam Zaars (guitars). Tribulation has released six (6) LPs, six (6) EPs, two (2) splits, eight (8) singles, and one (1) live album, their latest release entitled Sub Rosa In Aeternum (2024). I was also late to the party listening to Tribulation, it was not until the release of their third album The Children of the Night (April 20, 2015) off Century Media Records before I heard this band. I remember the cover of the CD catching my eye in a friend’s collection and my curiosity was quickly satisfied after listening to just a few songs.

Something to note about this performance, besides being a sold-out show, the floor for the Tabernacle was seated for this event. I have seen this happen once before for the Jim James (lead singer of My Morning Jacket) solo tour in 2018. But never for a metal tour, so I knew that tonight would be an enchanting and very memorable evening with these two metal legends. Tribulation kicked off the evening with a crushing introduction to their set with their song “Tainted Skies” followed by one of my favorite tracks “Nightbound” from their fourth album Down Below (2018). Halfway through the set, Andersson announced the premiere of a new song, “Hungry Waters”, to the delight of the fans in attendance. This set was everything I hoped for my first time seeing Tribulation perform live. I hear the influence of their music in so many bands, such as Unto Others and the Atlanta-based Cloak.

Check out Tribulation’s setlist from their opening support at the Tabernacle:

·         “Tainted Skies”

·         “Nightbound”

·         “Suspiria de profundis”

·         “Hungry Waters”

·         “Saturn Coming Down”

·         “Strange Gateways Beckon”

·         “Melancholia”

 You can head over to Tribulation’s website and watch some videos that they have available for viewing.

Opeth took the stage at the historic Tabernacle to the excitement of a sold-out crowd gathered on a Tuesday evening in downtown Atlanta. Starting the set, Opeth debuted the new single, “§1”, from their upcoming release The Last Will and Testament. It was epic to see Opeth perform this song live for the first time in Atlanta. One of the many highlights of the evening was when Akerfeldt requested the audience to sing the refrain for “In My Time of Need” and let me tell you everyone in attendance was ready for the assignment. Later in the set, Opeth debuted another single from their new album, “§3”, and we all knew how lucky we were to watch history in the making. Akerfeldt was adamant that Atlanta was the most enthusiastic and excited crowd so far on the tour. This endearing sentiment by Akerfeldt was happily backed up by Vayrynen sitting behind the drum kit.

While walking around the venue, I noticed Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher (from the band Mastodon) enjoying some free time watching their buds perform in their hometown. I love seeing homies support the homies! During one of my favorite tracks, “Ghost of Perdition”, I had goosebumps when the audience joined in and sang along with Akerfeldt with the refrain and beautiful harmonies throughout the song. After “Ghost of Perdition”, Opeth waved goodbye and left the stage, but the crowd made sure they came back onstage for an encore. And oh my what an encore did they have in store for us this evening. Opeth came out to perform two more songs, “Sorceress” and “Deliverance”, which Akerfeldt admitted that the band considers “Deliverance” to be the band’s quintessential song, and during their performance, you could tell the band enjoyed jamming out to this song.

You can check out Opeth’s setlist from their 10/22/2024 show at the Tabernacle:

·         “§1”

·         “The Leper Affinity”

·         “The Grand Conjuration”

·         “Demon of the Fall”

·         “Eternal Rains Will Come”

·         “In My Time of Need”

·         “Face of Melinda”

·         “Heir Apparent”

·         “§3”

·         “Ghost of Perdition”

Encore:

·         “Sorceress”

·         “Deliverance”

 Subscribe to Opeth’s YouTube Channel and stay current on all things related to Opeth. You still have a chance to check out Opeth on their North American Tour 2024 with Tribulation on the following dates:

October 27 Denver, Mission Ballroom

October 29 Phoenix, The Van Buren

October 30 Los Angeles, YouTube Theater LOW TICKETS

October 31 San Francisco, The Warfield LOW TICKETS

Get your tickets here: https://www.opeth.com/tour-dates

 Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music-related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2023, on all music-related events/festivals such as Underoath “They’re Only Chasing Safety” 20th Anniversary Tour: Live at Buffalo Riverworks, The Deathless Tour Part 2: Set It Off Live at Sharkey’s Event Center (Liverpool), The Popular MonsTour II: World Domination – Falling In Reverse Live at Darien Lake Amphitheater (Darien Center), The Plot in You: Live at Buffalo Riverworks, Pierce The Veil Live at The Oncenter, North American Tour 2024: Opeth Live at Tabernacle (Atlanta), Klash of the Titans Tour: Testament and Kreator Live at Tabernacle (Atlanta), The Jesus Lizard Live at Variety Playhouse (Atlanta), and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Live at The Fox Theatre (Atlanta) by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  You can also follow my concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram.

[bambchi1]

Today I orgasmed in my diaper thinking about this story. I have loved this story for years, and if such a place really existed, I'd purposely commit crimes just to be a prisoner there.

DIAPER REFORMATORY Beth Taylor felt exhilarated as she sped down the Georgia back road in her new convertible. She was a pretty, vivacious 17 year old who had just graduated from high school. The convertible was her graduation present, and she was spending the last week of her summer driving from her home in New York to her Atlanta, where she would begin attending Georgia Tech.

Her parents were not thrilled with the idea of Beth's driving alone all the way to Atlanta, but Beth had to get the car to school, and didn't have any friends who were headed anywhere near. Beth convinced her parents that being a college girl meant that she should be trusted to take care of herself. They reluctantly accepted the idea, but made Beth promise that she would stick to major highways, drive safely and within the speed limits, and that she would keep her doors locked, her top up and her windows closed. But Beth had gotten bored with the unchanging monotony of the Interstate system. She wanted to see some more of the countryside she was travelling through. She was also tired of driving sealed up in her car, breathing sterilized air-conditioner air. She wanted to smell the greenery and feel the warmth of the beautiful late-August Georgia sunshine. And so here she was, driving along with the top down along the country roads of northern Georgia.

Beth wasn't paying much attention to how fast she was going, just enjoying the feeling of of the wind blowing through her hair as she zipped through the countryside. Suddenly, her reverie was interrupted by the sound of a police siren approaching. "Oh, damn!", she thought. "I'm going to get a speeding ticket, and Mom and Dad will be furious." She pulled over to the shoulder and waited for the police car to join her.

The officer sauntered over to Beth's car, looked in, leered and drawled, "Well, well! What have we here? Such a purty chicken breakin' the law. You know you were doin' 65 in a 35 mile an hour zone?"

"Yes, sir", stammered Beth.

"Well, git out of the car and give me your license and registration", said the officer. Beth did as she was asked.

"A New Yorker, I see. Where y'all headed?"

"I'm on my way to Georgia Tech in Atlanta".

"A College girl, huh?"

"Well, an entering freshman".

"Now, what're we gonna do about this speedin' violation here. The law in this here county is twenty-five bucks for each five miles over the limit, so thats a hundred and fifty bucks, and since you're an out-of-stater, it's gotta be paid now, and in cash."

"Officer, I don't have nearly that much cash with me. Will you take travellers checks?"

"Nope, I can't, I'll have to take you in to see the judge. Most likely he'll hold you in jail until we're sure the check will clear."

Beth began to look very frightened, and almost started to cry. The officer put his arm around her, and with a leer in his voice said, "Well, maybe, if you're cooperative, I can bend the rules a little. Do you dig, honey?" He began to paw at her.

Beth understood exactly what the officer had in mind, and she immediately reacted as she was trained to in her female self-defense class, surprising the officer with a swift knee to his groin. The officer, however, was well trained in his craft. Before Beth knew what was happening, she found her hands cuffed behind her. The officer's mood changed from amorous to angry.

"Well, now, babe, that little move's going to cost you plenty. I'm booking you on a charge of assaulting an officer. That's a lot more serious than a little speeding ticket." He bundled her into the squad car, and took off for the county jail.

The desk officer at the county jail saw Officer Denny enter with his handcuffed captive. "What you got there, Bo?"

"Oh, just a sassy chicken who attacked me when I was givin' her a speeding ticket. Lock her up, and send a tow-truck down about 8 miles on route 243 for her car, a red Toyota. I'll go talk to Uncle Teddy. I want to get her good!"

Beth had her handcuffs removed, and soon found herself in a small cell. "Hey," she yelled to the jailer. "Don't I get to see a lawyer or make a phone call?"

"Well, now, you should have thought of that before you attacked Bo Denny. With his Uncle Teddy bein' the judge, he can get away with an awful lot of rules-bending. As far as I'm concerned, he read you your rights, and you waived 'em."

Beth was now terrified. She had no idea what was going to happen to her now. She had read stories about what went on in these small-town southern jails, but she thought that things like this couldn't happen any more. She slumped down on the cot in the cell and began to sob uncontrollably. The jailer must have been used to this sort of behavior, and just ignored her.

Meanwhile, in Judge Ted Denny's chambers in the county court house, the judge was laughing as Bo told him the whole story. "Hey, Bo, I thought that no chick could resist your charms. I bet your pride was heard at least as much as your balls!. What do you want me to do?"

"Well, Uncle, I reckon I'll try once more to make her. Maybe a night in the jail will soften her up. If she still won't give in, you can send her to that bad-kids home that that crazy minister runs up in the hills. The assault charge should be enough to put her in there. That'll fix her!"

"Boy, she must have really got your dander up for you to want to put her in there. If she goes in there, she doesn't come out till she's 21. Still, the state pays us an allowance for every kid we put in there, and our deal with the minister is for a lot less than the state pays us, so we make money on the deal. So, why not. Go try your luck again, and let me know tommorrow what you want. We can railroad through a hearing, and add her to the bunch of juvenile delinquents being sent up there day after tommorrow."

That night, Bo Denny approached the still crying girl in the jail cell, and tried to comfort her in his smoothest seduction manner. Beth knew that if she gave in to the officer she might improve her plight, but on the other hand, the idea was so repellent to her that it outweighed any of the fears she had for her future. She told him off. "You think that wearing a policeman's badge gives you the right to seduce any girl who's unlucky enough to fall into your clutches? Well, you should be locked up yourself, you sex pervert!!"

"That does it, kiddo. You've just sealed your fate. We're going to have a little hearing tommorrow morning, and then you'll find how we treat sassy girls in this county!" Bo left the jail, an evil grin on his face.

Next morning, Beth was brought to the courthouse for a hearing. Naturally, Bo's uncle, Judge Denny presided. First, Bo told his story. He stated that he caught her speeding, and when he attempted to question her, she kicked him in the groin. Beth jumped up and started to yell, "He's lying", but the baliff quickly sat her down, and the judge said, "Young lady, you will stay in your seat and only speak when spoken to in this courtroom. Otherwise, we'll have to tie you down and gag you. Now continue with your testimony, Officer Denny."

Following the officer's testimony, Beth was brought to the stand. She was instructed to only answer the questions that were being asked.

"Were you driving at 65 miles an hour on route 243 yesterday?"

"Yes, your honor"

"Did you kick Officer Denny in the groin as he was questioning you?"

"Yes, but..."

"No buts, just answer the question, yes or no"

"Yes, your honor"

"That is all. You may step down."

"But, your honor, Officer Denny tried....."

"I said that was all. Baliff, remove her from the stand."

Beth was led back to her seat, and told to stand as the Judge addressed her.

"Young lady, speeding is serious enough around here, but assaulting a police officer is a felony. If you were an adult, you could be sentenced to prison term. But since you're only 17, you're still considered a juvenile. You obviously haven't been brought up well enough to have respect for the law. Therefore, I'm remanding you to a home established for teen-agers who need extra supervision and training. It is not a county-run facility, but rather a home operated by a minister who feels he can best serve his God by setting wayward children back on the right path. You will live there until you reach 21 years of age, after which you will be released and all record of this proceeding will be destroyed."

Beth was speechless. Whatever the judge called it, it was clear to her that she was being sentenced to four years in a reform school. She tried to protest that her parents had no idea where she was, that she was entitled to a lawyer, that Officer Denny tried to seduce her, but her pleas were drowned out by the judges gavel ending the hearing. As Officer Denny passed her on the way out of the courtroom, he crowed "Well, I hope this'll teach you, you brat!" Beth was escorted back to her cell in the jail in tears.

Early next morning, Beth found herself chained with handcuffs and leg irons and herded, along with six other similarly restrained teenage boys and girls, into a prison van, and driven out into the country. After about an hour's drive, they approached a large stone Victorian-style mansion, which had a dark forbidding look. A very discreet sign identified the building as "Reverend Jeremiah Brown's Home for Wayward Children". The group was led through a heavy massive steel door into an imposing enterance hall, where they were met by a pretty 20 year-old girl, dressed in a very juvenile-looking outfit, and very obviously well diapered under her shorts. "You can remove their restraints and leave them with us now," the girl said to the officers accompanying the group. The handcuffs and leg-irons were removed, and the officers departed, the door closing and locking behind them with a resounding clang.

"Hi! I'm Susie! Welcome to the home," said the girl. I will summon Reverend Brown, who will introduce you to our routine here. I hope you all enjoy your stay." Susie smiled sweetly and, picking up a phone, informed the Reverend that the new group was here. Shortly, a tall man in his 50's dressed in clerical garb entered the room and addressed the group in a thick Georgia drawl.

"Good Morning. I am Reverend Jeremiah Brown, the founder and director of this home. I know that the county has sent you here because you were all bad boys and girls. As I'm sure the judge told you, you're all to live here until your 21st birthday. During that period, you will be subjected to a novel treatment that has worked marvelous results. Your past misbehavior indicates that your parents didn't bring you up well enough. So, we're going to try it again. You're going to be returned to your babyhood, and slowly allowed to grow up again. And this time we're going to make sure that you grow up into sweet, docile boys and girls who'll never cause any trouble again."

"First, you will be returned to infancy. You'll be made as helpless as a newborn and we will undo your toilet-training. By the end of this period, which usually lasts about a month, you will all be wetting and messing your diapers uncontrollably. I should tell you that we've found that almost all of our children never regain control again, and, like Susie here, you'll probably spend the rest of your life in diapers. Consider it a memento of your stay in our home."

"After your infancy period, you will be given a little more freedom and turned into toddlers, and with good behavior, you will slowly advance in age and priveliges. The best of our residents, like Susie here, are allowed to become aids who take care of the "younger" children. But if you break the rules at any stage you can be returned to an earlier group, and for serious infractions, all the way back to infancy. We find that even our most rebellious "problem children" can be turned into sweet angels after several trips back to infancy."

"Well, children, that's about all I have to say to you. Enjoy your second childhood. Susie, call for some attendents, and have the group brought to the nursery for the beginning of their treatment."

Beth had no idea what to expect from a reform school, but it was certainly not this. She was led into a large room filled with about 20 adult-size steel cribs with locking tops. As she walked past the occupied ones she gasped as she saw what here fate was going to be for the next month. The attendents quickly removed all her clothing, and led her to an empty crib. She was lifted onto the mattress and her hands and legs were fastned spread-eagle style into restraits built into the crib. Her body was rubbed all over with a white cream which she quickly learned was a depillatory. Shortly, all her body hair was removed. No sooner did she begin complaining than a large pacifier gag was strapped into her mouth. All she could now do was suck on the large nipple and sob softly to herself.

They rubbed baby oil into her skin, and then unfolded three thick adult sized diapers which they expertly fitted around her and pinned up. They explained that diapers were only changed twice a day at the home, before bedtime, and after breakfast, and therefore had to be extra thick at all times. Her legs were unfastened one at a time and a large pair of plastic waterproof panties were pulled on over the diapers. Then she was released from the crib and dressed in a thick flannel baby-style sleeper. As she inserted her arms and legs, she found that not only were there built-in feet, but the sleeves ended in thickly padded mittens which rendered her hands helpless to do anything. There were snaps down the legs which enabled her diapers to be changed without removing the sleeper.

Then, her gag was removed, and a canvas hood was placed over her head, and attached to the collar of the sleeper. The hood was designed to block off all light and most sound. There were breathing holes for her nose, and a large hole for the mouth, into which the nipple-gag was once again inserted and strapped back in place. Her hands were placed in leather restraints and attached to a belt around her waist with six inch chains. Her ankles were also restrained and attached to each other with another six inch chain. Once again she was placed into the crib, the side pulled up and the top locked. She was deaf, blind, restrained and thickly diapered, and so she would remain for the next month.

An hour or so later, Beth felt someone attaching something to the outside of her gag, and shortly thereafter liquid began streaming through it. She had no choice but to swallow the liquid as it came in. To Beth, it seemed that there must have been a gallon or so fed to her, although in truth it was only a quart. The liquid was a mixture of Pedialite (an electrolyte designed to add fluid to a dehydrated child), a stong diuretic, a muscle relaxant and a tranquilizer. It was designed to insure that she would wet her diapers frequently. Within half an hour, her bladder was aching for relief. She knew she had no choice in the matter, and struggled to let loose and wet her diapers. It was hard at first, as she had not wet herself since she was about 3 years old, but before long a warm stream of liquid was soaking into her diapers. She would be fed a quart of this mixture every few hours, and it was hoped that after awhile, her wetting would become automatic and uncontrollable.

Not long after her liquid feeding, her nipple gag was removed and a different sort of device inserted into her mouth. She felt a pasty cereal-like mixture being squeezed into her mouth. This was a specially made mixture which would provide Beth with the necessary nutrients to sustain her, as well as add a large amount of bulk to her system. She would be force-fed this mixture three times a day. As soon as the feeding was done, her nipple gag was returned to her mouth.

By evening, Beth had wet her diapers half a dozen times, and each time the wetting got easier. Her diapers had become quite wet, but nothing leaked out through the plastic pants. Her diapers were changed, and she received her final liquid feeding, which contained, in addition to everything else, a strong sleeping medication, so that she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Her high liquid intake and her drugged state caused her to wet several time during her sleep, and when she awoke the next morning and felt wet diapers, she realized that she was quickly turning into a helpless bedwetter, just as planned.

Beth's second day as an infant proceeded much the same as the first. Once again there was the endless cycle of liquid feedings, solid feedings and wettings. Her diapers were changed twice a day, in the morning, after her feedings, and in the evening, before her final feeding. The combination of the sensory deprivation and the medication caused her to become very disoriented. She found her mind floating, and it was hard to focus her thoughts on anything. She had no idea of how much time was passing, how many times she was fed, or how many times she had wet her diapers. By now, the wetting was becoming close to a reflex. Whenever she felt the slightest pressure in her bladder, she would just relax and let it flow out. After only two days, she was beginning to lose her control.

On the third day, something new was added. Shortly after her morning change, she felt a familiar feeling in her abdomen, and realized that she hadn't had a bowel movement since she came to the home. She hadn't even thought about it, but now it was clear that she was going to have to soil herself, and stay in the messy diaper until nighttime. She resisted doing this much more than she resisted wetting, because the thought of messing her diaper and laying there in the mess really disgusted her, and so she tried to hold back. She was successful for several hours, but eventually, nature will have its way, especially when helped along by the bulk laxative that was a part of her every solid feeding. The pain got stronger than she could take, but she found that she couldn't release her bowels while lying down. She eventually assumed a position on hands and knees where she could finally push the bowel movement out.

Unknown to her, most of the nursery staff was standing around her crib watching Beth take this final step into infancy. They saw her rear end puff up as the results of two days of bulk feedings filled her diapers. Beth felt very relieved after she finished, and she relaxed and layed down on her stomach, so as to avoid having to spread the mess around any further. Seeing this, one of the aids unlocked her crib, turned her over on her back, and strapped her down, so she would be forced to feel the slippery mess spread across her whole backside. By the time they unstrapped her before her noon feeding, it didn't matter which way Beth lay, for several more wettings had spread the mess all over the diaper.

Once Beth experienced her first soiling, they added some stool softener to her diet so that further soilings would come easier. Just as with the wetting, within several days, she was soiling several times a day without thinking much about it. It wasn't quite involuntary just yet, but both Beth and the staff knew that it would only take another week or so for that to happen as well.

By the end of three weeks, Beth was completely incontinent of both bowel and bladder. She would wet while awake without even knowing she was doing it until she felt the wetness fill her diaper, and she was wetting heavily, and even sometimes soiling, during her sleep. It was decided that she was ready to be advanced to the pre-Toddler stage. She was removed from her crib, and brought to a dark room where her hood was removed. She was told to keep her eyes closed as the light was increased, and gradually open them. It took about 15 minutes for her eyes, which had not seen light for 3 weeks, to accustom themselves to the dim light. The process was repeated several times at increasing levels of light, and it was over an hour before Beth could experience normal levels of light without problems. She was still kept gagged, and her sleeper, with its mittens, remained on. Her hands were still chained to her side, and her feet attached by a small chain, so she found that she could barely walk, especially as she hadn't stood up for three weeks. She was instructed not to try to walk but rather to crawl like a baby, on her hands and knees, and she found that she could move around much better that way. Then, the rules of the pre-toddler stage were explained to her by one of the aids.

"You will spend most of the day in the playroom. Sometimes we will let you crawl around and play with the other babies, other times we will put you in your playpen and let you play with your toys. You will now be fed liquids from a bottle, and solid baby-food in a highchair. If you give any resistance to the feeding , you will be returned to the infant treatment. You will still be kept gagged so you can't talk. You will continue to wear your footed and mittened sleeper and your hands and ankles will still be restrained. Your diapers will still only be changed twice a day, as this is the rule for all inmates of the home. Remeber that any sign of misbehavior will result in a return to infancy, and I should warn you that there are some extras added to the infant treatment if it is because of misbehavior. In a month or so, if you are a good girl, you will be allowed to walk and talk, and become a full-fledged toddler. Come on now, let's go to the playroom, and meet some of the other babies."

The aid led the way, and Beth crawled behind, as they proceeded down the corridor to a large room filled with large playpens, and oversized children's toys. About ten other teenagers were in the room. Some were gagged and restrained just like Beth, others had various additional degrees of freedom. Some were sitting in playpens, and others sat on the floor. Most of them were playing with children's toys or dolls. The aid said, "Good morning, children. This is Beth, a new pre-toddler. She can't walk or talk yet, but you can play with her and show her how to use the toys." She then led Beth over to a group of the children and handed her a doll. "Be a good girl, now", said the aid, as she left.

Beth sat down on the floor and absent-mindedly began to play with some blocks as she considered her situation. She was determined to escape or at least to get word of her whereabouts to her parents. But she was smart enough to realize that gagged and restrained as she was there was no chance to do anything immediately. She had to get "promoted" to a higher degree of freedom before she made her move, and the best way to insure that was to play along and be a docile and cooperative baby. Therefore she resolved to behave herself, while still keeping her eyes open for anything that might present an opportunity later.

So, as the days went by, Beth quietly endured the feedings and diaperings, and crawled around the playroom seemingly content to play with her dolls and other toys. As to her wetting and soiling, that was completely beyond her control. But one day, as she was being led down the corridor from her crib to the playroom, she noticed that a door that was usually closed was slightly ajar, and just inside was a telephone on the wall. She was determined that someday she would reach that phone and call her parents.

Her resolve to do this was strengthened even more by a visitor she had one night. She was lying in her crib, gagged and restrained as usual, with her thick diapers already wet and messy, when Officer Bo Denny walked over to her crib. "Well, little girl, I hope you are enjoying this wonderful place I got you sent to. Maybe next time an officer offers to be nice, you'll be a little more cooperative. Then again, I doubt any man would want you once he found out you were in diapers and plastic pants permanently. Well, wet and pleasant dreams, Beth". He gave her an evil smirk, and sauntered out of the room. Beth wanted to scream, but all she could do with the pacifier-gag strapped in her mouth was quietly whimper. She had to get out of this place. She just had to.

Her good behavior was rewarded when four weeks after she had been made a pre-toddler, she awoke one morning, and after her breakfast and morning diaper change, found herself being dressed not in her confining sleeper, but rather in a cute romper suit. Her ankles were still restrained, but with a longer link between them, allowing her to walk comfortably, as long as she took short, baby-like steps. Her hands were no longer restrained at all, but a large leather harness was placed around her, and reins attached. Finally, the pacifier-gag was unstrapped from her mouth. As she was led by the reins into the playroom, the attendent who was leading her said, "Congratulations, Beth. You've been advanced to the stage of Toddler. You can now walk and talk, although your walking will still be limited by your ankle restraints, and we will often want to control you by means of this harness. There will be some other changes as well, as you will soon find out. But remember, this added freedom gives you much more of a chance to get into trouble, and any misbehavior will lead to you being returned to pre-toddlerhood or even infancy. Come and introduce yourself to the other babies." Beth sat down in a group of other teenagers dressed very much like herself and introduced herself. Before long, the group had all exchanged stories of how they found themselves in Reverend Brown's home. Their ages ranged from 14 through 19. Some of them had been real juvenile delinquents, involved in shoplifting or car-thefts. Others had just been problem children, whose parents had given up on being able to control them and asked the county to send them here. Still others were orphans or products of broken homes and were here because the county had no other place to put them.

One other boy, Billy, had a similar story to Beth's. He was driving home one night with his girlfriend when Officer Denny stopped him for speeding. When the officer started making a pass at his girlfriend, Bill socked him in the jaw. The officer answered with a haymaker of his own, and when Billy revived he found himself in a cell at the county jail. Once again, Officer Denny's uncle the judge obligingly sentenced Billy to the home. Billy's parents had recently died, and therefore there was no one even to care what happened to him. Beth wondered how many other innocent teenagers were trapped in babyhood due to Officer Denny and his corrupt uncle.

Billy and Beth, because of their mutual fate, became fast friends. Billy had already been here for two years, but was still a toddler because he was slow in curbing his rebelliousness. He had been punished by being reduced to infancy three times already, and all told, had spend almost six months of his time at the home as a helpless infant. Billy warned Beth that each time an inmate was reduced in status, it got harder to work back up the ladder, and in fact he had little hope of ever advancing beyond the toddler stage at this point.

Beth found that besides the ability to walk and talk, full toddlerhood brought more priveleges at meal-time as well. Although she was still placed in a highchair for meals, she was allowed to feed herself certain things with a spoon. She was now fed less babyfood, and more grown-up food cut into little pieces. During meals, she was allowed to drink from a child's cup with a spout-lid, although the rest of the time, she was still given bottles to drink. At bedtime, she was still placed in a locked crib, and wore her confining sleepers, but she was no longer restrained in other ways, nor did she have a pacifier gag strapped in her mouth. However, somewhat to her surprise, she found that she enjoyed sucking on a pacifier before going to sleep. Her diapers, of course, remained. She knew that she was stuck in diapers for life. One morning, as Beth was being led by her harness into the playroom, she noticed that the door to the room with the phone was once again ajar. She was sure that sometime during the morning, when none of the aids or attendents were watching, she could sneak out of the playroom and make her phone call. When Billy came into the playroom, Beth told him of her plan. He warned her that should she be caught she could expect a very severe punishment, but she replied that she was willing to take the risk for a chance at getting out. He agreed to help by watching out for anyone in the corridor, and he told her he would signal her by pretending to hurt himself and crying loudly. Beth thanked him for his help, and began to watch for a good opportunity to sneak out. When she saw that she was unobserved, she began to quietly slip toward the door. "Good luck, Beth," whispered Billy. Beth made it safely into the room and picked up the phone, got the operator, and asked for a long-distance call to her parents. Her parents' phone began to ring, but before anyone answered, she heard Billy howling loudly. She dropped the phone and began to look for a place to hide just as she heard her mother answer. But it was too late. Strong arms grabbed Beth, and a hand was placed over her mouth before she had a chance to yell into the phone.

As soon as she was hustled out of the room, and the phone hung up, the attendent scolded Beth. "Naughty, naughty girl," she said, as she swatted Beth hard on her rear end. "I'm sure you know that the telephones are off limits to all children here. This little prank will earn you a large punishment. Reverend Brown will have to betold, and he will decide what to do about you. Meanwhile, you are confined to your crib." Beth was placed back into her crib, and the pacifier gag was strapped back into her mouth. Not long after, she saw Billy being dragged in and locked in a crib alongside hers. The attendents had figured out that his scream was a signal to Beth, and decided that he should share her punishement. They were left locked in their cribs for several hours, unable to talk because of the gags, but the look of fear in both their eyes communicated all that was necessary.

Finally, Reverend Brown entered the room. "Beth, I'm dissappointed in you. It seemed like you were growing up to be such a nice little girl, and now you have to go and pull a stunt like this. Well, you'll be happy to know that it will cost you two months in the infant punishment ward." "You, Billy, I'm not too surprised at. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you got Beth into all of this. Well, this is the fourth time you'll be back as an infant, and I don't think its worth the trouble to try to have you grow up anymore. You'll be an infant for the next three months, and will be kept as a pre-toddler for the rest of your two years here." The Reverend then left both babies to the care of the attendents.

Once again, Beth was dressed in the confining sleeper, hands encased in mittens, and her wrists and ankles restrained. The mask was placed over her head. For the next two months, she would see nothing, and hear very little. Before she was masked, she saw that Billy, in the next crib, was receiving exactly the same treatment. Beth discovered that although the routine in the infant punishment ward was similar to that in the regular infants ward, there were some differences. For one, there weren't any tranquilizers or sleeping medication placed in her liquid feedings, but rather stimulants were used. She wouldn't be allowed to spend much of her day napping, but would be wide awake to endure the forced feedings and severe confinement. Moreover, twice a day, at diaper change time, she was spanked heavily. Several times a week, just after her diapers were changed, she was subjected to a two-quart enema, which she was forced to retain for half an hour by means of an inflated balloon in her anus. When the balloon was finally deflated, she erupted into her diapers, which she then had to lay in for the next 12 hours.

After just a week of this treatment, Beth was sure that she would never survive the full two months. She also resolved that she would never try anything bad again. She decided that she would rather serve the rest of her four years in relative peace than ever be subjected to this punishment again. But, unknown to Beth, her phone call actually accomplished its purpose. Beth's parents had been frantically searching for her for the past three months, their only clue being the place at which Beth last phoned home from. But Officer Denny and friends had done a good job of covering their tracks. Her car had long since been turned over to a car-theft ring that operated out of California. Her trial transcript had conveniently been misfiled, so that her parents' inquires at the county clerk's of every county in South Carolina and Georgia had been for naught. But the mysterious long-distance phone call led her mother to investigate. When nobody was at the other end of the line, she tried to find out where the call originated. It took the phone company a while, but they eventually tracked down the operator who placed the long distance call, and they got her to write a sworn statement to the effect that a call was placed from Reverend Brown's Home for Wayward Children to Beth's parents phone. The next day, Beth's parents, accompanied by their lawyer, presented themselves at the county seat and demanded to see Beth. Judge Denny tried to deny that he had ever heard of the girl, but the operator's statement was presented, the lawyer threatened to bring in the state investigators, and he finally produced the "mislaid" records of the trial. Knowing the sort of girl Beth was, her parents suspected that there was somehting phony about the whole thing. Finally, after more threats from the lawyer, the judge agreed to have Beth released into the custody of her parents, provided they left the county immediately and did not cause anymore trouble. The lawyer did not want to make any such agreement, but Beth's parents were insistent that the most important thing was to rescue Beth, so they agreed.

Beth was quite surprised when after only a week and a half in the punishment nursery, she was released from her crib, readjusted to the light, and given back her regular clothing. For the first time in more than three months, she was not wearing diapers. She was cleaned up, and then escorted to the entrance hall that she last saw when she was admitted to the home. There she saw her parents, and immediately rushed into their arms. She also proceeded to flood her panties, and formed a large puddle on the floor. The attendant explained, "Beth has been ill, and somewhat incontinent. Maybe we'd better put her back in diapers." Her parents, seeing the evidence of Beth's incontinence, agreed, and so Beth was once again pinned into her familiar diapers and plastic pants. As soon as they were out of the door of the home, Beth began to tell her parents the entire story. Her parents were furious, and demanded that their lawyer do something. The lawyer promised to try, but warned them that it was very difficult to close down these homes, because the county residents for the most part wanted them there. The lawyer did promise to try to get Billy released, if Beth's parents agreed to take custody of him, and with Beth's prodding they did agree.

Beth tried to return to a normal college-girl's life, attending a local college so that she could live at home. She was in diapers and plastic pants twenty-four hours a day, and her doctor gave her little hope that she would ever be out of them. She also found that she kept having nightmares about her ordeal, and would often fall out of bed, so her parents reluctantly obtained an adult sized hospital crib for her to sleep in. Every night, her mother pinned on her diapers, and tucked her to sleep in her rubber-sheeted crib, just as she did when Beth was a real baby.

The lawyer did succeed in getting Billy released in Beth's parents' custody, and he was in much the same state. So Beth's parents obtained another crib, and were resigned to taking care of two college-age babies. Before long, Beth and Billy decided to become engaged, and after another year they were married. When they set up houskeeping, they furnished their bedroom with a large double-bed size crib, and found that they also enjoyed using other baby equipment such as footed sleepers, bottles and pacifiers. And so they lived happily ever after, wet and happy in their diapers.

DDR Psychiatrie,GDR Psychiatric Straitjacket

[demmyfuji]

[stfuidontwanturconversation]

[scelestic-reveries]

"I wrote this album for those with difficulty expressing themselves or their love. Communication is key and over time it’s proven to be my biggest obstacle. I want you to know that just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Never give up on love because it’s the most powerful feeling you can share with someone, and if you’re feeling doubtful, know that I wrote this especially for you to listen to during those times. I hope it helps."

6lack

- Written on the East Atlanta Love Letter booklet

[roguedynamo]

Indeed it was. #ItWasAllADream #TBT • • #Revery #vr #Atlanta #throwbackthursday #music #hiphop #rap #pop #AppleMusic #itunes #spotify #tidal #Spiderman #neon (at Revery VR Bar, Atlanta) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv1rh6LALHu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1cbhdaftfugqv

[littlegodzilla]

Hi I have a reqeust

Set in: early Alexandria Or the Prison (you choose)

Pronounce:She/Her

Where Daryl and y/n are dating and there on a run and Y/n spots a bike and stares at it and Daryl catches her looking so he tells her to get on but she comes up with a bunch of excuses why not to and he figures out she can’t ride the bike and he makes fun of her in a cute way for a little before she gets mad and storms off, fast forward a few days Daryl comes back from a run with the bike, and try’s to get her to learn but she keeps denying it, until one day he physically forces her, and it’s rly cute and fluff. And y/Ns kinda embarrassed that’s why she never told Daryl and blah blah blah, u can come up with the rest I just think this would be rly cute.

Hi anon!!

Thank for your request!! It was cute and funny writing about it!

I hope you'll like it!

Enjoy!

Yes, two stories in one day, sorry.

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Ride with me.

Daryl Dixon x Reader.

Anon request. One shot.

Warnings: fluff.

Words: 1360

Taglist: @phoenixblack89 @browneyes528 @lilythemadqueen @darylsgarden @thefemininemystiquee @green-eyedladywrites @hail-yourselves @ruinedbythehobbit @xxtinasxxblog @ravenwings73 @spenciepoo338 @b-tchymoon @minervadashwood @darylssluttt @let-love-bleeds-red

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You've known Daryl since you met at the Atlanta camp, but you made your relationship official when things seemed to be settling down at the Prison. You never denied that you found Daryl attractive, nor was it a feeling that appeared overnight, but with everything you were going through and everything you were going through, having a boyfriend was the last thing on your list of needs.

Now you have arrived in Alexandria, after having to leave prison and be separated again, you find a community. A big shelter, where you can start from scratch, with new people, everyone started to adapt, but it took Daryl a few days more, with your help it was easier for him, that and Aaron offered him to repair a motorcycle that was still in pieces, and if he managed to fix it, it would be his.

That motivated Daryl a lot, that and being able to leave whenever he wanted.

The first ride was with you. Excitedly he went to look for you on his new bike offering you to get out of there. Of course you didn't hesitate, Alexandria was fine, but escaping from within its walls from time to time was also a relief.

It has become a routine. When Daryl doesn't have to go out with Aaron to explore, looking for people, you wake up early and head out on the bike, either for a quick ride or to hunt something. You always leave the bike some distance away so that the Walkers don't follow you and you go into the woods or get lost in the streets of an abandoned town. Daryl always takes care of the larger prey while you place small traps for rabbits or birds, even if a Walker falls, better, less problems for the community.

That morning you find a new town. Daryl parks his bike and the two of you split up in search of supplies, the houses are stripped, but sometimes the garbage of some is a treasure for others. You find several clothing stores, you collect in your backpack several clothes that are not torn and some clothes for Judith, you continue walking down the same street and you stop at the entrance of one of the houses, the garage door is closed and that makes you nervous, what would happen if there was a pack of dead people in there and they cornered you? You don't hear anything, but you still approach to investigate.

When you lift the shutter trying to make as much noise as possible to make sure everything is clear, there is nothing there, at least not dead. A workbench, with a bunch of tools, car and motorcycle parts, body paint guns, it's obvious that it was someone's work shop. You bite your lip and your eyes roam all over the place.

"Hey, did you find anything?" You hear Daryl call out behind you and you snap out of your reverie. "Wow, she's beautiful." He says as he sees the bike you kept looking at.

It's beautiful, a deep black color, it's not finished assembling, the parts aren't finished painting, but for the apocalypse there's plenty of material to spare. Daryl looks sideways at you and taps you gently on the shoulder.

"Ya wanna try it out? We could take it to Alexandria." He prompts you, but you feel yourself gasping for breath and shake your head.

"N-no, besides we don't know if it works..."

"We just need to get it running, plus the rest of the parts are here, I could put it back together in a moment." He offers you and walks over to the bike to get it out of where it is.

"No, Daryl, no need, besides we're going with your bike, we don't need another one. The rest could attract Walkers." You insist and he frowns.

"Don't y'know how to ride?" he jokes and you stammer, "Don't worry, we can put some small wheels on it and I'll teach ya how to use it." He laughs at your joke, but you're not amused.

"Screw you, Dixon." You growl "If you like it so much, keep the stupid bike."

You push it with all your might causing it to fall against the racks it was attached to and walk away. Daryl is in shock, but reacts by coming after you, shouting your name for you to wait for him. The problem with riding there together on his bike is that you can't run away from him, but that doesn't mean you're going to talk to him either.

The trip is tense and uncomfortable, Daryl wants to apologize to you, in fact he has done it several times, but you still don't open your mouth. When you reach Alexandria you get off the bike and leave without even looking at him.

"What did I do wrong?" He asks Carol and she sighs.

"Nothing, Daryl, but remember we all have a past, maybe a painful memory...give her time."

Daryl nods, but remains uneasy, nevertheless at night you go back to your bed and hug Daryl, he hugs you back stroking your hair, rocking you in his arms asking for forgiveness again.

You thought everything had been resolved. Several days pass after your dispute and things are fine, you are now nervous about other things, you need to talk to him. You smile when you hear the sound of Daryl's motorcycle engine, you go out to meet him and your smile falters when you see the bike he is on. He smiles at the sight of you and walks towards you.

"G'morning." He greets you.

"What are you doing, Daryl?" You ask feeling the anger come back to you. "Why did you bring...?"

"Because I want us to be able to ride together, each with a bike, it might be fun."

"Daryl, I told you I didn't want to..."

"If y'ain't know how to drive, it doesn't matter, I can teach you."

"Daryl, stop it!" You yell at him and he looks at you with wide eyes. "No, I don't know how to drive, b-but that's not the point, I..."

"What's the matter? You've been strange for days, n... you've never yelled at me like that before..." He mumbles lowering his head. "If it's about the bike, okay, I'll leave it in the garage, sorry if I've been too..."

"The bike isn't the problem, it's just... I'm just scared..." You sigh running life through your hair nervously.

"Afraid why? You've always come with me..."

"I know, but it's different, I... I don't want to hurt it..." You say at last and rest your hands on your belly.

"I wasn't sure..." You explain. "Me period has never been very regular, so I wasn't worried, but..." You stammer.

"Wanna no...?" his question dies as he follows the movement of your hands. "Y... You're..."

"Pregnant." He gasps and pulls your hair back and then rub your chin. "Fuck..." He snaps and you feel your eyes fill with tears, your fear becoming real.

"Daryl, listen to me..."

It was what you feared the most, his reaction, you know Daryl is skeptical on the whole parenting thing, even though he likes taking care of Judith, he's always seemed to be afraid in being a father, in reliving his own childhood and you've always been careful, but as they always say; it always sprinkles before it starts to rain.

"Why didn't tell me?" He ask you.

"I'm gonna be a father." He gasps and walks over to you, holds your face and kisses you intensely.

You gasp against his mouth and your tears roll down your cheeks as you hug him tightly, your heart pounding.

"How did I not notice?" He says caressing your bulging belly.

"We've all put on weight in this time we've been in Alexandria." You joke and he laughs. "I talked to Denise and she gave me a test, but I don't know anything else yet... Jesus says that at Hilltop they have an obstetrician, I'd like him to give me more information..."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, we'll go to Hilltop, but... y'ain't gotta be afraid of it." He says pointing to the bike. "I can teach ya, I won't let anythin' happen to ya."

"I know that..."

"Wouldn't ya like the three of us to go together with the bikes? With our baby..." You can see his eyes sparkle and your heart melts.

"Sounds great, Daryl..." You admit nodding your head in agreement.

"I'll teach ya, it'll be fun, let's give it a try." He says taking you by the hand and you can't help but laugh at his excitement. "Wait, does anyone else know?"

"Only Denise, because of the test she gave me, no one else..."

Daryl nods and rushes into the house, tugging on your hand, you follow him confused, walking hurriedly. In the living room is your group, talking amongst each other, calm and relaxed. Daryl enters the room raising his arms, pulling your arm up out of inertia.

"I'm gonna be a father!" he howls and everyone turns to look at you.

Your cheeks redden violently as everyone turns to you with applause and words of congratulations hugging you. Daryl is overjoyed and proud, you really never expected his response to be so intense. You are thrilled.

A few days later, you are back on the bike. Daryl rides behind you, helping you steer, his hands on the handlebars to keep the bike balanced, you ride it and he tells you when to shift gears with your feet. At first you were reluctant to ride, but Daryl doesn't give up, his hand always resting on your belly and mumbling a little 'sorry' when you brake sharply. At first you thought he was saying it to you, but he was definitely talking to your baby. Which managed to make your heart melt.

"Yer doin' good." He says against your ear. "Yer doin' better and better on yer own."

"Thank you." You smile as you stop in front of Hilltop's huge gate.

Daryl smiles kissing your cheek, lets go of the handlebars and when the gate opens, he rests them on your waist leaving you alone to steer the bike into the community. You have a doctor's appointment and you're both nervous.

Although you have to admit that the driving lessons have paid off.

**

The End.

**********

I hope you liked it!!

See you in the next stories!!

[concerthopperblog]

Gearing Up for Goose's Capitol Theatre Run & Summer Tour 2024!

Goose, a jam/psychedelic rock band from Wilton, CT., is getting ready for an eventful year in 2024 that all starts with a highly anticipated four-night run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. A little over a month after this four-night run, Goose’s Summer Tour 2024 kicks off by headlining the inaugural Solshine Music & Arts Revue at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. (May 24-25). FYI – Orebolo (featuring Rick, Pete, and Jeffrey of Goose) is also on this stacked lineup. ICYMI: Orebolo and the legendary Sturgill Simpson made some very happy music fans at this year’s Dead Ahead Music Festival in Rivera Cancun, Mexico when they performed “Breakers Roar”, a song from Sturgill’s Grammy Award-winning 2016 album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Seeing this kind of creative collaboration with some of my favorite artists solidifies the reasons why I love music so much. For those who know me personally, anytime that I get to bring up Sturgill Simpson in any shape or form, I am taking that shot 10 out of 10 times. But I digress.

So far, the Summer Tour 2024 will conclude on June 30th at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. Along the way, Goose will complete some epic multiple-night runs: a two-night run at The Factory in St. Louis, MO., a two-night run at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village, CO., a three-night run at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA., and a two-night run at Thompson’s Point in Portland, ME. Tickets for the Summer Tour 2024 are still on sale with some good seats available at various locations. In addition, one dollar for each ticket sold for the Summer Tour 2024 will be donated to Greenpeace. Sadly, The Capitol Theatre run has long been sold out, but you can still find some tickets for sale through verified resale markets like cashortrade.org.

Goose consists of Rick Mitarotonda (guitar/vocals), Trevor Weeks (bass), Peter Anspach (keyboards/guitar/vocals), Jeff Arevalo (percussion/vocals), and newly added Cotter Ellis (drums). Last year was an extensive year of touring for Goose, although Goose and founding member Ben Atkind (drummer) mutually parted ways after their annual Goosemas celebration in Hampton, VA. After a few months of speculation between the fans as to who would be chosen to sit behind the drum kit, Goose announced the addition of ex-Swimmer drummer Cotter Ellis. And to the fan’s surprise, Goose also released Ted Tapes II on multiple streaming platforms. This jam session would be the first with Cotter on the drums and let me tell you this jam session is something special right here. So, knowing that information, this tour is a DO NOT MISS! Which tour date will you see Goose during the Summer Tour 2024?

So far here are the announced tour dates for Goose in 2024:

APR 7, 2024

The Capitol Theatre

Port Chester, NY

cashortrade

sold out

 APR 8, 2024

The Capitol Theatre

Port Chester, NY

cashortrade

sold out

 APR 9, 2024

The Capitol Theatre

Port Chester, NY

cashortrade

sold out

 APR 10, 2024

The Capitol Theatre

Port Chester, NY

cashortrade

sold out

  MAY 24, 2024 - MAY 26, 2024

Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie

Chillicothe, IL

tickets

 JUN 4, 2024

The Factory

St. Louis, Mo

vip

tickets

 JUN 5, 2024

The Factory

St. Louis, Mo

vip

tickets

 JUN 7, 2024

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre

Greenwood Village, CO

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 8, 2024

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre

Greenwood Village, CO

vip + travel

tickets

JUN 10, 2024

Steelhouse

Omaha, NE

vip

tickets

 JUN 11, 2024

The Midland Theatre

Kansas City, Mo

vip

tickets

 JUN 12, 2024

Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park

Indianapolis, IN

vip

tickets

 JUN 14, 2024

Northlands Music & Arts Festival

Swanszey, NH

tickets

 JUN 15, 2024

CMAC

Canandaigua, NY

vip

tickets

 JUN 16, 2024

Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

Cleveland, OH

vip

tickets

 JUN 18, 2024

Red Hat Amphitheater

Raleigh, NC

vip

tickets

 JUN 20, 2024

Fox Theatre

Atlanta, GA

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 21, 2024

Fox Theatre

Atlanta, GA

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 22, 2024

Fox Theatre

Atlanta, GA

vip + travel

cashortrade

 JUN 23, 2024

Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre

Charlotte, NC

vip

cashortrade

 JUN 25, 2024

Thompson’s Point

Portland, ME

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 26, 2024

Thompson’s Point

Portland, ME

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 28, 2024

Mann Center for the Performing Arts

Philadelphia, PA

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 29, 2024

Forest Hills Stadium

Forest Hills, NY

vip + travel

tickets

 JUN 30, 2024

Westville Music Bowl

New Haven, CT

tickets

vip

If you have followed Concerthopper and my blog in the past, then you may have read some of the previous reviews of the band Goose: Goose: Sold Out at The Eastern (Night 1) (2021), Goose: Two Nights at Pullman Hall! (2022), and Spring Tour 2023: Goose Live @ Georgia Theatre (2023). Get your Goose fix at Concerthopper.com!

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music-related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2023, on all music-related events/festivals such as High on Fire: Live at The Senate (Columbia), Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol w/ NAW & Pretty Please @ The Earl, SESSANTA: Primus, Puscifer, & A Perfect Circle: Live at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (Atlanta),  Earthless w/ Minami Deutsch at The Earl, Shoot For The Moon Tour: Sierra Ferrell Live at The Eastern, Seasons World Tour 2024: Thirty Seconds to Mars & AFI Live at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Mr. Bungle: Live at The Tabernacle, Ashes of Leviathan Tour: Mastodon & Lamb of God @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, An Evening with Goose (Night 3) @ The Fox Theatre (Atlanta), The Deathless Tour: Set It Off w/ Crown the Empire, Caskets, and Death By Choice Live at Water Street Music Hall (Rochester), Least Anticipated Album Tour: A Day To Remember @ Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B, S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival w/ SLASH, Larkin Poe, ZZ Ward, and Robert Randolph – Live @ The Orion Amphitheater (Huntsville), Doyle & Otep Live at The Ranch (Ft. Myers), Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, & The Kitchen Dwellers: Live at The Eastern (Atlanta), Weedeater w/ Telekinetic Yeti & Restless Spirit: Live @ Grantski Records, Blackout Tour Pt. 2: From Ashes to New Live @ Water Street Music Hall (Rochester), RUCKUS! Tour 2024: Movements Live at Water Street Music Hall, We Legalized It 2024: Cypress Hill Live at Tabernacle, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Live at The Fox Theatre (Atlanta), The Godmode Tour: In This Moment Live @ Landmark Theatre (Syracuse), Pallbearer w/ Rwake & The Keening @ The Masquerade (Atlanta), and King Dunn Tour: Live at The Masquerade by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  You can also follow my concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram.

[demmyfuji]

[presentsofmindhypnosis]

Ginkgo biloba coexisted with dinosaurs... an evolutionary anomaly and “oddity in nature because it is a single species with no known living relatives; a living fossil that has been essentially unchanged for more than 200 million years...” i’ve always loved Gingko’s incredibly unique, brilliant green leaves. i found these two blowing in the breeze. i collected them once they came to rest on North Ave. notice what you notice as you’re sauntering through this thing called life. makes the journey a whole lot sweeter 🍃 . #presentsofmind #atlanta #atl #northave #gingko #leavesfalling #evolution #noticewhatyounotice #focus #attention #wakeup #reverie #livingfossil #DNA #unwind #unravel #unbecome #rest #autumn #motherearth #divinefeminine #change #seasons #rhythm #cycles #alchemy #intention #appreciation #beauty (at North Avenue) https://www.instagram.com/p/B48gI4QpW5p/?igshid=1iuzaweckzfbt