#should we start a 1984 book club??

[whoopsie-daisie]

wtf are we all reading 1984 rn???

[donnerpartyofone]

Even though it pains me that my expensive new phone's camera refuses to focus on an entire close-up image, even a flat one, and I am assured by many forums and reddits and the like that I'm doing it right and this camera just sucks, I will still share one of the great, sadly uncredited illos from my little old copy of Ray Bradbury's The Golden Apples of the Sun (great title stolen from a Yeats poem).

I've never read any Bradbury before, except for Fahrenheit 451 in high school which I compared so unfavorably with 1984 that I maybe didn't give it a fair try. Anyway, some of these short stories are good--or parts of them are, individually. I find him overly flowery at times, like he'll start out with a really strong description that catches my interest, but then he ruins it by continuing to add adjectives and similes just to be novel, and it's like buddy you nailed it a minute ago, what are you doing to yourself? And a lot of it is excessively sentimental in this kind of condescending way. For me the perfect example of his affect (so far) is a story where about 90% of it is just this beautiful description of a guy walking around in the suburbs on a November night, it's just captivating and the pleasure the character takes in this activity is so vividly conveyed--but then at the last minute it turns into this thing about how he's being thrown in a mental institution because he likes to go outside and read books instead of watching TV all the time, and it's just so smug and obnoxious.

There's a certain trend in science fiction, maybe it's partially his fault but it seems like a natural temptation, to congratulate the present, or even the recent past, for being so wholesome and righteous. Which is like, dystopia is a trope that I enjoy for sure, but there's a difference between saying "Humanity could be headed in a bad direction due to certain vices and imbalances," and saying "Humanity should leave everything exactly the way it is right now (or the way it was in my romanticized memories of my own childhood) because it's already perfect." It's very easy to become hyper-conservative and self-satisfied about your personal good old days. I wish I had a bunch of examples at the ready, I'm sure you can think of some or you'll notice it next time you see one, but very often the hinge issue is books. Like even as a reader and also a writer, I feel a little insulted by stories where ultimate virtue is exemplified by a character's love of reading, or villains are clearly identified because they hate books for whatever reason. OK, we get it, you're better than everybody else because you write! Good thing we're in the club too, how else could we be reading a book right now if we weren't inherently superior to the rest of the universe?

Anyway, the story this illo is from got me thinking about the notion of prescience in fiction. Like once in a while you get truly weird visions of the future (I just wrote this thing about futuristic frissons in each of the Cronenberg kids' first films), but I suspect that sometimes what seems to be a prophecy of the future is really just an acknowledgment of something inevitable. "The Murderer" takes place in a future where there is absolutely constant stimulation being broadcast from every quarter; all of life is one big billboard, there's no relief from being in constant electronic contact with everyone you know, and there's entertainment blasting out of everywhere in a continuous onslaught of overstimulation. The title character starts "murdering" all the devices, and all the stuff in his smart home, until he gets institutionalized. And on the most obvious level it's just Bradbury congratulating himself for being such a balanced and thoughtful person, again, but it's also like well, all that stuff was really coming. And did Bradbury really need to be (as they called him) the Greatest Living Science Fiction Writer in order to see it coming? Or was it just obvious, from ordinary trends in human behavior, that life would inevitably tend toward this state of constant connectivity and constant stimulation, with an eventual eradication of peace and privacy?

I used to like to listen to Damien Echols talk about all his occult learnings from his monastic existence in prison, and something he would say (he probably got this from somewhere else and I missed it) is that a prophet is not someone who predicts the future; a prophet is a person who understands the past. This made a lot of sense to me, that if you're sharp enough to see what generally happens, it's easy enough to see where things are headed. I think this is probably true of a lot of fiction we'd call prescient-- that if you look closely, it becomes clear that what it describes is sadly obvious.

[jo-harrington]

Blurb request: The immortal snail ☠️

…anon what?

But I have an idea.

Find other Hymns of Heaven here.

And find the Master List for As Above, So Below here.

April 1984

Eddie’s first DND character with Hellfire Club had been a Tabaxi Rogue named Perceval Stayne—after Sir Perceval of Arthurian legend…and of course who could pass up playing a cat burglar. He’d been a freshman, eager to play with real players and not just his friends. Mickey had said Perceval was cool.

Harvey Simpson, the founder of the Hellfire Club and the DM at the time, told him that Perceval would have been great…if only his best stat wasn’t charisma, of all things.

“Dexterity,” Harvey tapped at the character sheet. “Or intelligence should be your highest.”

“My uncle says my mouth is my best feature,” Eddie explained. He wanted a cool character..but he also wanted one that felt true to him to begin with. Make a good impression and not fumble endlessly. He’d get better. “I could sell ice during a blizzard.”

Harvey had huffed and puffed but ultimately let him do what he wanted. And Perceval’s big mouth is what got the party out of a few pinches several times.

Eddie’s big mouth got them out of several pinches.

It also got him a second date with you at, coincidentally, the library so he could do some prep for the next few sessions.

“It’s a really cool game, I swear,” Eddie explained. “I’m DM this year and we’ve got this freshman Gareth who is like…he’s been trying so hard. But seeing his eyes light up…that’s just why we play, you know?”

You whispered questions and answers to each other as the two of you perused the shelves—what kind of books you liked to read, favorite book as a child, that kind of thing—and then Eddie surprised you with a study room in the depths of the library reserved just for the two of you.

“So we can have snacks without getting yelled at,” he explained.

“Just snacks?” You teased.

“And maybe kiss a little without getting caught,” he grinned mischievously and you shut the door before planting one on him with a giggle.

The date was spent mostly in silence, the study room filled only with the sounds pages turning, a pencil scribbling, snack wrappers crunching, and the occasional laughter as one of you—usually Eddie—started playing footsie.

You grabbed a few books for yourself, easy reads, simple chapter books with mystery and fantasy and intrigue to keep with Eddie’s theme.

Currently you were lost in the pages of Tuck Everlasting, you even ignored Eddie’s last attempt to get your attention. He watched you for a moment, memorized the way your eyes darted across the pages and your expression changed.

He wanted to live here forever, in this moment. And something at the very depth of his being thought that he would feel this way about every moment, every second, that he was gifted with you.

“Obviously your favorite is Jesse,” he broke the silence and your eyes darted up to meet his. You fidgeted in your seat as you watched him watch you. “Handsome, adventurous—”

“Cocky,” you smirked.

“I would say ‘confident.’” Eddie shrugged. “Tell me I’m wrong though.”

“You are wrong, actually,” you set the book down and folded your hands over it. “Miles is my favorite.”

Eddie frowned.

All of the girls in his 6th grade English class had a silly crush on Jesse. He never understood until he reread the book last summer when he was preparing for his first campaign as DM, hoping to include some secret stranger like the man in the yellow suit. Then he likened himself to Jesse. Enjoying life where he could, despite the hand he’d been dealt…or in spite of it. He was romantic…wanted Winnie to marry him one day…drink from the spring so they could be together forever.

“Jesse…he was impulsive,” you began, as if you could read his mind. “What more did he love about Winnie than the fact that he could be himself around her. Because the family’s secret was finally free. She was just a child who saw this…fantastical thing, this family and this fun older boy, and she thinks she’ll be free of this stuffy life in Tree Gap…and when trouble arose, she wanted to protect her friends.

“Jesse just wanted to repay her…there was no…real love there outside of maybe friendship. But he’s lonely too…wanted to reward himself. Maybe he could actually love Winnie one day…maybe…but he’d always have another person to be free with. Offering her immortality is for him more than it was for her. Or for love.

“Miles though…Miles was bitter, sure. Because he loved with everything he had in him. Love his wife, loved his family so deeply that he never wanted to be without them. He wanted a normal life together with them. No matter the circumstances.

“He would give anything—would rather die—than see his his wife and children hurt or unhappy,” you concluded, breathing heavily.

Eddie watched you for a second and contemplated your words. He’d never really thought of it that way before. Yes Miles was a character you could empathize with, his loss of the ones he loved…but…

“But he couldn’t die,” Eddie muttered.

“No he couldn’t.”

“So what would you pick then?” Eddie challenged. “A normal life with someone you loved, grow old, and die together…or an eternal carefree life?”

“Eddie, eternity isn’t carefree,” you deadpanned as you picked up the book and shook it at him. “Case in point.”

“Ok fine…you can live forever and do whatever you want,” he started and looked around the study room for a second to come up with some idea. “But…your eternal nemesis is a snail that will kill you if it finds you and touches you.”

“What the fuck?”

“Answer the question ma’am, the audience is waiting,” Eddie spoke into an imaginary microphone and then held it to you across the table.

“I would take the normal life, Monty,” you answered.

“Interesting,” Eddie leant back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

“Really heavy second date questions here.”

“Thank you. Gotta know if I’m gonna keep you.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” you replied and shook your head. “I already kissed you after you said you’d drink trash juice.”

“Ha fucking ha.”

“Alright, spotlight’s on you now,” you held the imaginary microphone to your lips now. “Edward Munson. Normal life with someone you loved, or a carefree eternity?” You held it out to him.

“You forgot about the snail Alex,” Eddie spoke into the microphone.

“Clock’s ticking,” you urged and hummed the Jeopardy theme song.

“If I really had to choose, sure a normal life with you would be my choice sweetheart.” He winked and watched you fidget again.

“But I think we’re missing one key factor here. Miles didn’t know he was immortal until his kids were grown, until his wife was old. Otherwise, I would bet he would have definitely had them drink from the spring too. Both of the brothers had the same idea.

“So if, if we’re playing by Tuck Everlasting rules here,” Eddie leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, eyes never leaving yours, never blinking. “I think I would say ‘why couldn’t we have both?’”

[shivering-isles-cryptid]

Get read for more Wonder Woman DCEU headcannons/theories and me slowly adding them to the fanfic I’m beginning to write based off the first.

The Dreamstone is still active and intact, and unless Diana went back to Maxwell Lords office and took it, it’s still out and about in the world, granting wishes and threatening to destroy civilization as we know it.

Cheetah still has her powers/Diana’s powers. She never renounced her wish, and her wish was made before Maxwell became the Dreamstone, so she is still a Demigoddess.

This is more of a headcannon than a theory, but here it goes. Cheetah and Max seemed very infatuated with each other, and they definitely banged in Barbra’s office. So, since Max wasn’t, ya know, dying from the inside out yet, and Barbara was already a Demigoddess, maybe there’s a little half-Demigoddess/half-human running around. And if Barbara becoming the Cheetah altered all of her, maybe the baby was permanently altered as well.

And they might have gone for a Round 2 and joined the Mile High Club, then there’s be a half-dreamstone/half-demigoddess running around.

Diana and Asteria are 100% not the only Amazons in Man’s World. There was a book about Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman: Warbringer, it’s amazing and you should all read it) where banishment was the punishment for capital offenses. So, maybe an Amazon or two were banished, or left willingly.

There are thousands of Old Gods in the DC universe, and that’s the Greeks alone, so there is literally no way Ares killed every single one. So there had to be at least a few Old Gods strolling around, even if they were killed on a later date.

Wonder Woman gets invited to the Olympics, which are being held in Greece as a homage to both her and the original Olympics. She’s not allowed to participate because she’s a Meta, but she is the one who passes out the medals.

Diana is close friends with a family that makes fake ids. They are the only people who know her secret and aren’t heroes, and are the only criminals she won’t turn in since they’re the reason she can get a job.

1984 was roughly 40 years ago, so bother Maxwell and Alistair are alive, and possibly close friends with Diana.

Diana will always have a soft spot for children. When she meets Shazam and sees him turn into Billy, it’s basically an adoption. She coddles him, even when he’s transformed.

Even though she is more than willing to save the world now, she is still camera shy, staying away from surveillance as much as she can, and rarely doing interviews.

Clark Kent seems to be the only reporter who can get her to give a statement. Him, and any children who start asking her questions.

The little girl in WW: 1984, is Diana’s new Etta Candy, who in the current comics is a black woman and a soldier.

When it was revealed that Wonder Woman is a goddess, an actual cult showed up and started worshipping her. Diana is uncomfortable with it, but she understands it, and doesn’t do anything about them because they do nothing but preach truth and love.

The cult is actually the reason Diana met not only one of the few Amazons in Man’s World, but also one of the few remaining Old Gods.

The Daughter of Ares, who is a personal theory/headcannon I will die with, starts her own “pantheon” made up of the child of Cheetah and Maxwell Lord, a few remaining minor gods, and 2 amazons as a way to protect the world from the New Gods. Diana isn’t an official member, but she sees the necessity in a safety measure against the New Gods. Shazam isn’t an unofficial member who just kinda shows up.

[fez-lex]

After weeks of texting, Lexi finally works up the nerve to invite him over to her house. Cassie’s got plans with Maddy and her mom has her boozy book club that night, so she should be in the clear. We could watch a movie or something, she types, and then, feeling uncharacteristically bold, adds, If you want, we could try out the hot tub. Did I tell you we have a hot tub? Three blinking dots appear immediately and a billion thoughts race through her head, most of them involving unparalleled levels of regret. sounds cool, appears on her screen. u pick the movie, ill bring my trunks in case. By the time Fez arrives that night, she’s a walking ball of anxiety, wanting everything to be perfect, but right away he asks nicely for a tour and after a quick pit stop to make popcorn they find themselves on the couch, waiting for the movie to start. She ended up going with Wonder Woman 1984—she figured he would probably like the action scenes—although she’s not paying all that much attention to it. It’s hard not to be completely aware of him, how many inches separate her leg from his on the couch, how every so often he reaches down for a handful of popcorn and tosses it in his mouth. It’s even worse when the movie ends and he leans back into the couch cushions and looks at her, like he’s waiting for her to do something. She wants to be casual, like Cassie always is, but she’s burning up, her face no doubt turning bright red. It takes every last ounce of courage to ask about the hot tub, if he still wants to try it, and she’s rewarded with a broad grin. Hell yeah, he says, Ima go get changed. While he’s gone, she runs upstairs and throws on her suit, a dark paisley one-piece she got at J Crew last summer. It’s fairly modest as these things go, but that doesn’t stop his blue eyes from widening slightly as she steps onto the patio with him and unties her robe. She knows she’s not being half as subtle when Fez reaches back to pull off his white t-shirt—she can’t stop staring, not just at his bare chest, but at his arms and shoulders, the gold chains around his neck, the expanse of freckles that cover his skin like a blanket of stars. I see you lookin’, Lexi Howard, he says quietly, his mouth curling into a half-smirk. You ain’t foolin’ no one. He steps into the water, the rippling light reflecting on his skin, and then reaches out a hand to her, helping her find a seat beside him. For a minute they sit, still and quiet except for the pulse of the jets, the chilled night air on their shoulders contrasting with the churning warmth below. It’s perfect—even she can recognize this moment for what it is—but still, she wants so much more. So Lexi takes a breath and turns toward him, her heart in her throat as she throws a leg over his lap, and suddenly his hands are on her waist, heavy and gentle all at once like he’s been waiting all night to touch her like this. The water slows their motions, liquid and languorous as it slips between their bodies. She leans closer and presses her lips to his, marveling at their unexpected softness. Damn, girl, he murmurs, just before he wraps his arms around her and pulls her back in. Fuckin’ fearless.

[melisa-may-taylor72]

Record Mirror- 08-25-1984

Ministry Of Works

Did you know that Freddie Mercury wants to make a reggae record? And that Roger Taylor would be selling flowers if he wasn't in Queen? Read on for more fascinating facts

MAYHEM IN Munich! Freddie Mercury is cavorting with a scantily dressed transvestite and it's only three in the afternoon. Are you man or woman enough to read on? Then swallow your vitamin pills and follow me.

Queen are limbering up for their forthcoming tour in Germany and to celebrate another single rising majestically up the charts, they're holding a little press bash in Munich's P1 club. A place even more decadent than the South Finchley Whiskey A Go Go.

The ghost of Adolf Hitler probably wanders around here on dark nights, as The Fuhrer used to store his paintings and other plunder in the club and the building next door. Unfortunately there's nothing left around today.

Instead, the club has gems of another kind. A selection of Queen's videos including the notorious 'Body Language' — and champagne and wine flowing like Niagara Falls.

The cabaret is Freddie's own idea: a group of well passed it drag artists, so outrageous in G strings and lingerie that they make Divine seem as tame as Marjorie Proops. Freddie's more than willing to join in when one of the girls does a rendition of 'I Want To Break Free', but the rest of the members of Queen look on shyly from the comforts of the bar. Everybody, but everybody is here to witness the event, including a film crew from the US air force, tramping around in full combat gear making a nuisance of themselves.

Freddie's doing well considering he's in quite a lot of pain. He remains tight lipped about the full details but he injured his leg after an incident in a club. A physiotherapist has been pummelling at it nearly every day.

"This c+ + + kicked me," says Fred. "I'm hoping my knee will be ready in time for the tour, but it's still giving me a lot of trouble. It might mean I will have to cut down on some of my more elaborate gorgeous stage moves."

FRED'S ALSO been hobbling around a Munich recording studio putting the finishing touches to his first ever solo album which should be out in January. Gadzooks, could this be the start of a split with Queen? Is it true Limahl's going to take over?

"Not at all. I've wanted to do a solo album for a long time and the rest of the band have encouraged me to do it. Some of them are even featured doing a few bits and pieces to help me out.

"There are a lot of musical territories I wanted to explore, which I couldn't really do with Queen. I wanted to cover such things as reggae rhythms and I've done a couple of tracks with a symphony orchestra. It will have a very rich sound."

Fred's also done some work with Michael Jackson, but he still doesn't know when this is going to see the light of day. They've done a selection of tracks together in Michael's home studio. For a while, Fred was even in the running to do 'State Of Shock'.

"I was out of town at the time so Mick did it instead," he says. "I don't mind at all. I'd like to release something with Michael because he is a really marvellous person to work with. It's all a question of time because we never seem to be together at the right time. Just think, I could have been on 'Thriller'. Think of the royalties I've missed out on.

"Michael has been a friend of ours for a long time. He's been to our shows and enjoyed them. We make a great team."

One of Fred's songs 'Love Kills', is being used on the soundtrack of the reactivated 'Metropolis' film and he hopes to make a 20 minute video using four or five of his own songs.Freddie and all the members of Queen have a long standing appreciation of 'Metropolis', which originally came out in 1927. Their stage set, in the shape of a futuristic city, has been inspired by it.The lighting rig measures 74ft by 50ft and the original design was so heavy they had to change it because it was in danger of bringing theatre roofs down. What a way to go, crushed by your own equipment.

AFTER THE European tour. Queen will be taking the whole shebang down to South America, headlining a 10 day festival in Rio. The place they will be playing is an amphitheatre down by the sea that can seat 300,000 people a night. It all makes Castle Donington seem like just another night at the Marquee. A local radio station in Rio held a survey to see who the most popular bands were and then some local promoters went out and booked them for the extravaganza. Naturally, Queen came out top.

Queen will also be doing some shows in South Africa. This is more than just a little bit controversial. Especially with the memory of Nelson Mandela still very warm.

"We've thought about the morals of it a lot and it's something we've decided to do," says Brian May. "This band is not political, we are not out to make statements, we play to entertain anybody who comes to listen. The show will be in Botswana in front of a mixed audience."

The band wanted to play Russia but the authorities objected. This situation might change now though, considering that Iron Maiden have been let into Poland to wreak havoc. *

"The Russians still think we're very decadent," confides Roger Taylor. "We want to play China as well, and Korea. John and I spent a holiday in Korea and it's a fascinating place. They're finishing work on the Olympic stadium for the next games!

Perhaps the Ruskies heard about Roger's high living on Ibiza. He's bought a house there and enjoys powerboat racing. Play time is over for the time being, though. After their two year break. Queen have been working more than 12 hours a day rehearsing.

"It's strange how rusty we are, and so we're trying to blow the cobwebs away," continues Roger. "It's taking a lot of work. Usually we rehearse until about nine and then we eat together and decide what we're going to do in the evenings. The clubs here are really fun. Something to cater for every taste or perversion.

"On the tour we'll be playing a lot of the old material and we'll be giving the audience what they want. A lot of the music I hear in the charts today doesn't interest me. I just can't see how anybody can get excited over Spandau Ballet. It doesn't send shivers up my spine. I like listening to Bruce Springsteen."

They might be old stagers, but Roger claims that tickets for Queen's British shows sold oul in three hours flat and they could have easily played another 12 nights here.

"We still have the rock and roil gypsy mentality," he says. "Even after 12 years without a line-up change we still really enjoy the buzz from playing live and the fact that we have hit singles. Some bands in our position might take it all in their stride, but we're still like kids, we get very excited.

"You've got to have a laugh haven't you? If Queen wasn't any fun, then I'd jack it all in and go and sell flowers."

Robin Smith

@natromanxoff, @mephisto92, @moviestorian, @x5vale, @39-brian, @onegoldenglance, @crosmopolitan, @an-abyss-called-life, @his-majesty-king-mercury, @i-live-for-queen, @brian-39-may, @toomuchlove-willkillyou, @brimaymay, @sail-away-sweet-sister, @drummerqueenrmt, @old-fashioned-roger-boy, @briianmaay, @inui-mycroft, @deacytits, @iminlovewithrogscar, @drowseoftaylor, @brianmayislongaway, @balticlover, @astrophysicist-guitar-god, @miez-lakatz, @brianmayoucease, @jesus-in-a-life-boat, @aslongasthereismusic, @silapril, @sherrifanciesfriskyfreddie, @tenderbri, @brianmydear, @thosequeenboys, @millionairewaltz-carpediem, @painandpleasure86, @bribrifrenchfry, @xlucylennonx, @a-night-at-the-abbey-road, @inthedayswhenlandswerefew, @madformeddowstaylor, @queenrogertaylorfan, @let-roger-get-a-lunch, @queen-for-life, @rethought, @drivenbybrianmay @mymakeupmaybeflaking, @old-but-still-a-child, @let-roger-get-a-lunch, @warriorteam1924, @funnydressesweirdhairanddance,  @thefanhuman13, @yourtieddownmother, @hgmercury39, @brimi-stardust, @thefairyfellermercury,  @sailawaysweetbrimi, @sophiaintheskywithdiamonds, @holybrianmaywritingbear, @lydiannode, @39-yellow-daffodils , @ure-gonna-loveme-when-u-seeme, @kaykaybeachgirl, @foxmonkey, @deakysgurl, @redspecialandclogsandcurls, @briansrainbowsocks-deactivated2, @delilahmay39, @ohmybribri, @bless-the-queen, @everythingaboutfreddie, @doitforthevine67, @recordsoftheseventies, @rhysjoejoshtomfarisblog, @tenementfunsterwithpurpleshoes, @drummah-in-a-rocknroll-band, @beatlegirl1968, @maylorsqueen, @autumnscenemcyt, @gralto, @alittlepeoplemagic, @rainbowsockbrian, @frejudy, @drivenbybrimay, @yourlocalmusicalprostitute, @saik-ava, @omb-xx, @sassymaylor, @somekindofroger, @starlightmay, @freddiemercuryismylife, @sunshine112, @chrysochromulina, @glitteryloveravenue, @deakyislife51, @0-primejive-0, @just-a-skinny-lad, @bluewillowmom, @sassiesillie, @stesichoreanpalinode, @mrfahrenheitmercury @tayloredofqueen, @0-my-fairy-queen-0, @scandalacious @izzy-is-slightly-mad @39-volunteers-to-space  @zodiacaldust, @deakytaylor, @queenband70s, @deakyeveryday, @drivenbybrimay, @70smay, @brianharoldmay39, @everybandsnotqueen, @johns-diqi  @oneandthreeseventh

[aliwritesfic]

Our Black Hearts (F!Reader x Jack 'Whiskey' Daniels)

Summary: Jack Daniels had long given up on avenging his murdered wife, instead choosing to travel west through the ruins of the United States to a small town called Deepwell. It's a fresh start, where nobody knows him. The thought of vengeance was almost out of mind until he found out about the towns book club and the gossip trade that happened there. So he joins, and figures it can't hurt to keep an ear out for news of the man who killed his wife.

Overall warnings: Death, violence, a lot of swearing, drinking, trauma, PTSD, angst

Warnings for this part: Drinking, mention of dead loved ones, smut, P in V sex, oral (F & M receiving), somewhat rough sex

Wordcount: 2.4k

Tags: Post-apocalypse AU, casual lovers, revenge

Part 2 (coming soonish)

The book club was a group of the only twelve people in the town who could read more than the few basic words that were usually taught. It wasn’t like an old-world book club, were people would gather to discuss the books they read – it was more of a book exchange, but the members preferred the word club. Of course, there were discussions, but they were seldom about books. They met once a week, usually on a Wednesday but sometimes on Fridays, and mostly talked about news they had heard from passing traders, letters given by couriers from family. This was how Jack got most of his information.

Jack Daniels was the newest member of this club. He was the newest resident of the Deepwell township, having come through one scorching hot Tuesday afternoon on the back of a trader’s caravan. He had taken one look at the dingy little town with its long-abandoned homes and decided that this was as far as he was willing to travel. Of course, he had to speak with the self-appointed Mayor, Lucy Jonas-Green, so she could assess his “suitability”. The interview had been a short one, consisting of only four questions, the grizzled old woman glaring at him through narrowed grey eyes.

“You good at shootin’?” Question one.

“Best I know.” It wasn’t a brag if it was true, Jack reasoned.

“Got any skills?” Question two.

“I’m good at buildin’ shit, I can stay awake for two days if I need to, I can read and write some stuff . . . I’m pretty good with a whip.”

“Why here?” Question three.

“Got sick of travelling.”

“What’s your name?” Question four.

“Jack.”

Lucy Jonas-Green had deliberated for exactly one minute, during which time Jack grew increasingly uncomfortable under her gaze. He felt like she could see directly into his soul, like she was deciding exactly how shit-stained it was. The only indication of her approval was a slight nod of the head. At that, a young boy, probably no older than thirteen, rushed over to greet him. The kid was chatty, but harmless.

It was through this kid that Jack first found out about the book club. He hadn’t been interested at first – just because he could read didn’t mean he liked to read. But at the mention of it being the towns main source of news from across the Fallen States, the chance of hearing something about the group that attacked Black Ridge was too good to pass up.

So now, he sat with the book club, a yellowed, mouldy copy of 1984 in his hands, ears pricked for any mention of a merc group led by a man with one eye and eleven fingers. A few months before he had finally settled in Deepwell, he had given up on his search and his quest for revenge. There had been no mention of him anywhere along the eastern townships, so Jack had headed west, deciding to leave the cruel memories of his wife behind. Now, he figured it couldn’t hurt to just listen.

But for weeks now, nothing. Whatever hope had rekindled itself in his chest was dying away, making room for cruel acceptance. Another meeting concluded, and Jack tucked the book carefully in his jacket. As much as he didn’t enjoy reading, he had a healthy respect for the leader of the book club and the threat of slitting his throat should something happen to the books she shared with the group.

The sun was low in the sky as he stepped outside, casting long shadows on the cracked pavement. People were beginning to move as the sunset, the harshest of its rays now dulled by the horizon. Electric streetlights slowly flickered on; the entire town was powered by recommissioned solar panels that someone much smarter than Jack had rigged up a decade ago. Jack considered his options for the night: either he could go back to the house he shared with a small family and scrounge up a meal of whatever was left in his room before a trader came through town tomorrow night, or he could go to the only bar in town, order several of whatever alcohol was in stock and a bowl of the ‘stew of the day’ which was usually just a root vegetable and some unidentified meat. Jack chose the bar.

The bar was the largest building in Deepwell, three stories tall and enough beds to sleep the entire population of the town twice over. The place smelt of stale booze and dust, a smell that seemed to be common over the entirety of the Fallen States. A jukebox in the corner played old world tunes on a loop.

“Evenin’, Jack.” The owner of the bar, Marcus, nodded his head in Jack’s direction. Jack nodded back and took off his hat – an old-world style that someone had once called ‘cowboy’. “Just the usual?”

“Yep, and keep the drinks coming,” Jack sat down at a small table close to the exit, his body always slightly angled to run at a moment’s notice, an old habit that he couldn’t seem to shake. A bowl of steaming stew was set down in front of him, along with a glass of murky amber liquid.

That’s when he noticed he was being watched. A woman sat in the corner, staring at him over a half empty glass of whiskey. Jack raised a brow and realised his recognised her. She was in the book club, too, but he didn’t remember her name. Everyone seemed to call her Chase. Jack was surprised she didn’t break her gaze when his eyes met hers, and against his better judgement, he put his hat back on, picked up his bowl and glass and walked over to her.

“This seat taken?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he set his food down on the table and sat.

~

Something about Jack Daniels intrigued you. Maybe it was the hat, or the facial hair he somehow managed to keep contained to a thick, neat moustache. Or maybe it was just the most annoyingly handsome person to ever come through Deepwell. Now he sat across from you, sipping on bathtub whiskey.

“Chase isn’t it?” he said after downing his glass.

“That’s what they call me,” you said. “What do they call you?”

Jack smirked. “Depends who you ask. Some like Dirty Bastard, others Motherfucker. For a while I was known as Whiskey. But you can call me whatever you like.” He finished with a wink.

“Jack it is,” you said with a roll of your eyes, but you would be lying to yourself if you weren’t a little charmed. “So, what brings you to book club, Jack?”

“Why, my love of old-world literature, of course.”

You leant back in your seat and tilted your head. He was lying, that much was obvious. But why? What was the point of lying? You looked into his eyes, a deep brown, and wondered if he was worth the trouble. He might be worth it for the night, you thought.

“Let’s pretend for a moment that I believe that,” you said, and Jack looked mildly surprised. “What’s taken you so long to come up and introduce yourself? You’ve been in town what now? Three months?”

“Two and a half,” Jack corrected, “and what gives you the impression I don’t care for literature?”

“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours,” you countered. Was this flirting? You hadn’t done it in so long, and the most practice you had was when you were working in the town garden, daydreaming about the heroes of the romance novels you kept in a safe in the corner of your room.

“Well, well, well,” Jack leant forward on his elbows, his gaze unreadable underneath his ridiculous hat. “I don’t have a reason for you, doll, but if it makes you feel better, I haven’t introduced myself to most people here.”

You settled for this explanation, knowing that Jack had been somewhat of a recluse around town since he had arrived. You decide to answer his question. “I know you don’t give a shit about books. It’s obvious you care more about the goss. Your ears practically twitch. What are you listening for?”

Jack deliberated for a moment; you could see on his face that he really was conflicted about telling you. He finished his mystery stew and finally speaks. “I’m looking for a man, have been for a few years now. He killed my wife, and I wanna kill him.”

“A simple revenge,” you said. “What makes you think you think news will turn up in Deepwell?”

“I didn’t,” Jack said, “I’d given up when I first came here. Figured it was best for my soul to do so – but then I heard about this club, and I guess it can’t hurt to keep an ear out for rumblin’s of a man with eleven fingers and one eye.”

“Eleven fingers?” Your stomach dropped, but you kept your face neutral.

“And one eye,” Jack nodded.

“Did you find out his name?” You asked. Maker don’t let it be Elijah. Don’t let him be alive. Jack shook his head.

“Naw, but eleven fingers and one eye, how many people could be runnin’ ‘round the Fallen States like that?” Jack shrugged, something akin to grief flittered briefly across his face, and you realised he was right. Having only one eye wasn’t unusual, a lot of people were missing some body part or another, but eleven fingers . . . you couldn’t deny the coincidence.

“Anyway,” Jack smirked at you, “you haven’t asked the most important question of all.”

You raised a brow. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“Are we takin’ this back to yours or mine, doll?”

~ Jack’s body is hard against yours, a sharp contrast to the softness of his lips. His shirt is off, discarded on the floor of your small bedroom. He kisses hungrily down your neck, his tongue darting along your collarbone. A moan escapes your lips as he slides his calloused hands along the bare skin of your stomach, roughly tugging at the frayed waistband of your jeans. His fingers find your wetness, easily finding your sensitive clit with his thumb. You groaned, head lolling forward into his sweaty neck.

“You like that?” he whispered into your ear; goosebumps raced along your body. His thumb made careful, slow circles along your clit. “Tell me you like it.”

“I like it,” you whined, bucking your hips in pleasure. A low groan escaped Jack’s throat at your words, spurring him on. He forces your pants off completely and discards them in the growing pile of clothes on the floor. He drops to his knees and pulls you closer, lips trailing delicately along your inner thighs. Then without warning, his tongue is lapping up the wetness of your clit, two fingers pumping your tight hole.

“Jack,” you whimper, the need for more sending you crazy. His dark eyes met yours over the top of your stomach, his tongue still working your clit. You’re hungry for him, the look of pure lust in his eyes spurring you to places you had never thought about. You sit up and place a hand on his shoulder, shuddering as another wave of pleasure rippled through your body. The look in your eyes must’ve told him what you want to do, because he stood and stepped back, allowing you room to get on your knees in front of him.

He undid his belt buckle with fingers still slick from your pussy and pulled his pants down. His cock sprang forward, making your mouth water with how fucking big it was. The head glistened with a bead of pre-cum. You leant forward and licked it off, before taking as much of his length in your mouth as you could. He groaned, his fingers tangling through your hair.

“Fuck, deeper,” his voice was husky with desire, and you happily obliged, taking him so you could feel him almost at the back of your throat. His fingers in your hair tightened, a pleasant pain on your skull. He groaned and pulled your head back, staring into your eyes. “I need you.”

You tugged him towards the mattress, pushing him on his back. You climb atop, feeling strangely dominant. His cock slid against the wetness of your hole, head entering before you pulled your hips away, a teasing smile on your lips. You go on like this, letting him enter a little further in you each time, enjoying the tortured look on his face, enjoying it even more when his eyes snapped open as you let him in completely. He moaned loudly, holding onto your hips tightly.

“Doll,” his word was muffled by his mouth on your tit, teeth latching onto your nipple. You rocked back and forth, clenching around his cock as an orgasm threatened to rip you from your body. Jack seemed to realise this, and flipped you both so you were on your back and he was standing, still inside you. He pulled you so your ass was off the mattress, your legs wrapped around his waist.

“Maker, you’re so fucking sexy,” he fucked you hard and rough, his dark gaze never leaving yours. His thumb was on your clit again, teasing you as an orgasm ripped through you. You moaned his name, your pussy clenching tightly around him. He grinned devilishly down at you, leaning forward to kiss you as he continued to thrust. He tasted of you, driving his tongue into your mouth. You met this eagerly, whimpering against his lips as yet another orgasm moved you.

“I can’t hold on,” Jack groaned, and before you could say a thing, he pulled out of you, hot cum spurting onto your stomach. He slumped next to you, obviously spent.

“Holy shit,” you muttered, scanning the room for something to wipe the cum up with.

“Holy shit is right, doll,” Jack said. Sweat beaded along his brow and he cracked open an eye to watch you wipe up with a shirt that was so full of holes it was unwearable. Silver moonlight filtered through the dirty window, casting shadows across his beautiful face. You laid down next to him, feeling a small shiver run through you as he curved his warm naked body against yours.

You would tell him, you decided. You would tell him you knew who he was looking for, and that you might know where to find him. But in the morning, so as not to mar the beautiful just fucked haze that enveloped your mind.

Tagging @sharkbait77 because she's lovely and I'm nervous about this one.

[natromanxoff]

I am sure many of you have already read this one but here are some parts from Ash Alexander’s Queen journey for those who haven’t!

“...At some point in early At some point in early 1983 on a visit to Jacky at the QFC, John Deacon wondered into the office. He came into the basement office and said hello as Jacky introduced me, sat down and spent a little time reading through press clippings. He could easily have slipped away back upstairs, but the fact that he stayed was a nice touch.

Another fan club letter arrived with good news. In Another fan club letter arrived with good news. In November 1983, fan club members were invited to help in a video for the new single 'Radio Ga Ga' at Shepperton Studios. Again, my Mum stepped up and drove me down for the day. I took the day off school and had just turned 14. We arrived at the studio and were ushered into a huge hanger where we were kitted out with white body suits and then sprayed with a light grey stripe on each arm - even now I’m not sure what the spray paint was for as you can’t see it in the video. When we had all been prepared, we were taken into an adjoining hanger and were greeted by the band and an initial play through of the song. The rest of the day was spent clapping as you’ll see in the video. I wound up in the front row, opposite Brian. If you look closely and you know what you’re looking for, you can see me!

In between takes, I approached John Deacon who was surprisingly on his own. I remember trying to remain calm as I approached him. I didn’t mention our brief meeting, I asked him how to get a job in recording studios and that I was interested in pursuing a career as a sound engineer. He was really helpful and took time to explain the usual route.

On 22, March 1984 at Limehouse Studios in London’s docklands, the video for ‘I Want To Break Free’ was filmed, again with the help of fan club members. I went along with my brother Andrew. The set was a big dark staircase that we all stood on. We were given black bodysuits this time that were sprouted with hello paint on the arms. We also wore a hard hat with a head lamp attached to it. The band were set in the middle of us all. After all the filming, we returned to the main building where we said hello to Roger. He’d come out to say thanks. Later, waiting for a cab down in reception, Freddie glided down the staircase and past us with his entourage. I remember wanting to get up and say thanks, but the opportunity was missed.

...20th April 1992. My friend Chesney Hawkes was managed by Trinifold. They also managed The Who. He invited me along to the Freddie Mercury Tribute gig at Wembley. Roger Daltry was appearing and Ches had a spare ticket. He only had one backstage pass though. This was overcome by him befriending the chap on the security door. Ches came out to meet me with his pass. He returned on his own and got in. I confidently flashed my pass and entered the Hard Rock tented area. Ches beckoned me over from the other side of the room. He was signing autographs for a lady, her two children and an older lady was with them. He introduce me to them saying I was a huge Queen fan. ‘This is Freddie’s mother' he whispered to me. I remember saying to her that I wish we’d met under different circumstances and how deeply sorry I was about her loss and how incredibly proud she should be. I often wonder about her.

...In Spring 1993, I was in front office. It was well after midnight and I’d left a s session for a little break. As usual, I took a look in the studio diary to see what was coming up. I flicked through the weeks and came upon an booking entry “Studio 3 - QUEEN” for 2 weeks that was pencilled in. There was no further info than that. I put my initials next to the booking thinking there would be a rational explanation as to what the booking really was. I soon found myself on a 2 week session with Queen.My diary from 1993 is lost, so I have only a mental note as to when & what songs were touched upon at this initial stage of 'Made In Heaven'. We started taking delivery of various multitrack tapes on varied formats. These were then transferred to digital 48 track tapes for future work. Roger & John were alone on these sessions as Brian was touring in Japan. I remember Roger being rather dismissive of Brian being unavailable, much like a brother sledging his sibling would do, with a slightly jealous edge but genuine at the same time.

...Over the 2 week session, Roger would suggest we went out for dinner. We had 3 or 4 meals out at a local Italian restaurant. Even now I laugh at jumping into the back of Roger’s Merc and the four of us driving down Abbey Road to the restaurant. It was owned by an Italian lady that would force you to smell her ‘wonderful mushrooms’ from a jar, which she made Roger do. On our initial meal she told Roger he looked familiar. ‘I know you’, she said. ‘Where have I seen you before?’ ‘Well, I’m in a band and we’ve been on TV before.’ Roger replied. John seemed calm with his lack of recognition. ‘What group do you play for?’ she asked. ‘I’m the drummer in a rock n roll band called Queen’ he replied. ‘No - I don’t hear of this band’ …We finished our food and the bill was called for. It showed up. John took it and asked Roger if he should use the Queen card to pay for it or his own card.

Roger’s drum kit arriving half way through the first week of sessions was a surprise for Noel Harris (the engineer) & me. We expected the sessions to be playing back tapes and working through the various formats to find possible material to be worked on at a later date. Noel was unfamiliar with the room in studio 3 and asked my opinion where to set the kit up and what microphones I would use. Eventually he left me to it. The kit was positioned and I mic’d it up that evening. John had his red Fender bass DI’d (no amp was used) and sat with us in the control room. I doubt these recordings made it through to the final mixes, it’s nice to think that they did.

...Tuesday 5th September

During the afternoon Brian’s guitar and a Vox AC30 appeared in the studio, brought in by Pete Malandrone. We were to do guitar overdubs on ‘You Don't Fool Me’. David asked me to put two Shure 421 microphones pointing into the back of the speaker cabinet. We did have two SM57’s on the front but these weren’t used in the recording.

I had to do a recall of the mix, which meant noting all of the studio outboard settings so we could get back to the mix and finish it off.

We had a technical problem with the Sony 3348 tape machine and eventually had it swapped for a new one. Brian clearly wasn’t aware we weren’t ready for him. I was half way through telling him and Jim Beach jumped in and finished off my explanation. Brian got really cross with him and slammed an empty coffee mug down on the studio table. Later Brian was so apologetic for his outburst. He must have told Jim he was sorry 4 times. As I type this I note it was Freddie’s birthday.

Brian slipped on his guitar that was linked to his amp with one lead. No pedals. His sound was instant and we were soon ready to record. He stood in front of the console in the control facing David & me.

Brian had an idea of what he wanted to play. The guitar riff had already been recorded. The solo guitar is what was added. Brian used a scrap of paper that he drew a map of dots on. Not like musical notation but his own short hand. It reminded me of being at the 'Radio Ga Ga' video shoot 13 years earlier. I was the same distance from Brian as I was then, but the scenario was beyond my imagination.

...Friday 8th September

Day Off - I may have met Pete Malandron at the Sun Inn in Barnes this afternoon. The QIFC was based round the corner at the time & Brian had a house there too, although I'm not sure he lived there at the time. I was with a friend and Pete joined us in the pub. He sat near the window and kept looking out of it. I asked what he was looking at and he replied "I always get worried when I'm out with Brian's guitar. It's in the boot of the car you see." He stayed for one drink and decided it was time to leave.

...One of the evenings of this second week, George Michael came to visit. There was a strong possibility that he would sing on one of the songs. Roger, John, Brian, David, George & I sat chatting in the control room. One of the conversations moved onto the Beatles and their current 'best of' release. I think Brian suggested that it was a bad idea releasing all their old material and I piped up that the fans would buy it regardless, much like the scenario Queen were about to face with the imminent release of the album. There was a deathly hush as I realised what I was saying. I wasn’t being at all derogatory. I was helped out of the hole I was digging by George who agreed with me and we moved on. No one actually spoke about doing a vocal. After George left the studio that evening, Roger was clear that he wasn’t keen on the idea.After looking through the Vintage Car garage across the road from the studio one afternoon, Roger saw a black Cadillack convertible that he quite liked. The following morning he came into the studio and said ‘Don’t tell Jim, but I bought the car.’ It was £80, 000.

Brian asked me if had been involved in the Abbey Road Sessions. Perhaps he’d seen my name on the tape boxes. I said that I was. Immediately he made a phone call. I didn’t hear all that he said, but I knew it was about a special thanks on the album credits. The following morning, after the artwork had been finalised, Roger came in and said ‘morning Aardvark’. Because the special thanks were alphabetic, I was on top of the list. It wasn’t until I bought a copy of the album and saw my name on it that I finally took on board that I had actually achieved one of my dreams.”

[shhhlikeme]

can I get hcs of kenma and tendou with a quiet and reserved S/O but she’s secretly really pervy? Nsfw maybe 👉👈 I love your writing!! (*^▽^*)

Thank youuu😘

You may! I‘m writing Kenma’s separately because my posts are too long so look out for pt. 2 later! Ps. Idk if it’s spelled ‘tendo’ or ‘Tendou’ so I might swap from time to time lol.

I literally love this one shot!

———————————

Tendou Satori x “Timid Girl by Day: Naughty Girl by Night” S/O

(Slight NSFW)

————————————————-

“I was in the chess club, too Y/N. State champ, 1984!” Exclaimed Tendou’s father loudly. His mother, who was sitting across from him at the restaurant dinner table beamed at him.

“She’s a keeper, Tendou. You better not do anything to lose her!” Satori’s mom reached over to hold onto your hand and you gave her a sweet smile, happy that you had won your boyfriends family over.

“I was state champ last year,” you mumbled to his family quietly and they practically gushed to death.

“How did our strange Tendou get you?” Questioned his mother rather rudely.

she shoulda kept that in the drafts

You shrugged, feeling the need to defend your love. “Tendou is the kindest, most gentle, honest boy I’ve ever met. I’m lucky to have him. Right, Ten?”

Your boyfriend Tendou had been staying out of yours and his parents conversation for the majority of the night, a little because his parents didn’t need any help in counting his faults but moreso because his girlfriend......had her foot pleasurably kneeding his crotch under the table. Very pleasurably, considering the man had a mild foot fetish. You were softly running the underside of your foot along his length that has hardened fully due to your ministrations. You used your foot to nudge his thighs apart and fondled his balls.

“Right, Ten?” You repeated.

Tendou looked at you across the table when you evilly invited him into the conversation, knowing that he wasn’t listening a damn.

“S-sorry w-what?” He pretended to cough quickly in order to cover his moan when you fondled his balls. You were literally going to make him cum and you haven’t even stuttered once when talking with his parents.

“Aren’t you listening?” His mother snapped.

“He never listens.” His dad muttered.

“Your parents were just saying how lucky you are to have me because of how quiet and reserved I am.” You gave him a sexy smirk and slowly grazed the length of his his member from top to bottom. Tendou had to increase the force of his coughing and look away because his eyes wanted to roll to the back of his head.

“Sweetheart, drink some water will you?” His mother waves the server over and points to the water pitcher.

“And Ten, I was telling your parents how you are the best boyfriend in the world because you......”

Tendou couldn’t listen to you when his thoughts were so consumed by lust. It wasn’t his fault that he hadn’t any more blood in his brain because it had all migrated south. He was so turned on by not only your movements, but the fact that everyone who knew you, including him, thought you’d be the last girl to be doing what you’re doing right now.

He fell in love with the shy girl in school—because you were so pretty and quiet and you spent all your lunches in the library like he used to do before Ushijima invited him to start joining him for lunch. You were very reserved, never choosing to roll your school skirt to make it shorter like all the other girls in school and Tendou saw that as endearing.

And you were nice to him. When he built up the courage to sit next to you and start a conversation, you were quiet but the nicest person he’s ever met..... Even though his personality should have scared you like it did everybody else.

you two started dating and you never changed from being mousy and reserved

That is.....until it came to anything sexual

Something intimate had only happened between you two once before and you had been interrupted by Tendou’s parents, but he caught a glimpse of your very strong naughty side

But even that brief moment was nothing compared to this

Touching him under the table while his parents were right there....this was one for the books

But what can you say? Your perversion came out like a bat of a hell when you saw Tendou so nervous introducing you to his family, looking so cute in his green tux. You’d never seen him so reserved but you knew it was because his parents weren’t his favourite people in the world. You don’t know why but seeing him like this made you want to make him orgasm, and he was rendered powerless to stop you

“Ten, are you not feeling okay honey? You haven’t been answering us.” You asked your redhead sweetly as you agonizingly-slowly removed your foot off of him and slipped it back in your flats. You gave him an innocent bat of your eyelashes.

Tendou held back his whine from your removal.

His parents asked Tendou if he needed to go see a doctor again due to his strange behaviour that he used to exhibit when he was young.

Satori only needed to see the doctor if they could give his gf a prescription of what to do with a bf’s serious case of blue balls.

Nevertheless, Ten tried to explain himself to his parents because the threat of seeing his childhood doctors was an absolute no.

“N-no I mean s-sorry! Y/N, parents, I-I’m fine, trust me—“

You interrupted him. “No, I don’t think you’re fine, Ten.”

“Yes I am—“

Irritated with him, you turned to grin at the older couple. “Mr. & Mrs. Tendō, your doctors are very unnecessary. I know just how to help your son,”

Tendou watched how you brought a glass to your lips after you spoke. You had asked the server for a straw earlier, which was pretty odd in a five star restaurant, but now Tendo knew why. With your eyes innocent and with his parents eyes on their son in worry, you took a sip of the water. Then, you slipped the straw further into your mouth suggestively. You circled your tongue around it for your boyfriend’s hungry eyes only. Tendou’s dick twitched under the table.

You rendered the sexy clown speechless momentarily. lets all applaud

“Son, I thought you got over that awful odd phase you’d been in because you got to Shiratorizawa....”

Your bf rushed to defend himself even though he barely heard his father. “Dad! I promise I have and that I’m fine! I don’t need any more help—“

“It’s nothing like that, Mr Tendo. But you do look like you’re a little under the weather, Ten. Maybe you need to leave early?” When your boyfriend’s eyes flicked back to you, you flicked the tip of your straw with your tongue— the same way you wanted to do to certain other tip.

How can your eyes remain so innocent as you do this?! Satori thought. Horny, annoyed with his parents, and confused, Tendou shook his head at his dad. “No! I’m okay, reall—“

You kicked him under the table. The idiot was not getting it! “No YOU’RE not, Ten. I think you’re feeling sick. With JUST a cold. And I think you need me to take you back to my house so I can nurse you back to health, correct?” You spoke slowly hoping your boy would finally get the gist.

Finally, that lightbulb turned on. 💡

Our cherryhead baby was like:

Bruh.

His eyes lighting up because the sexy redhead FINALLY understood your sexual innuendo, he nodded. His mind ran with thoughts of you and him in your bed: hopefully naked. Keeping up your impeccable sweeter than though charade that his parents ate right up, you turned to his parents. “I recently got my acceptance letter into the nursing program at Kyoto University.”

“What?!” Mrs. Tendō’s jaw dropped. She grabbed her husbands hand and squeezed it excitedly. “But that’s one of the top 2 Universities in Japan!”

You smiled, blushing shyly. Your boyfriend was shocked at how you are truthfully so insanely bashful and that it wasn’t an act with his parents. He couldn’t think about that for long though, because in that moment your foot unexpectedly grazed his erection again and it felt sooooooooooo good that he had to let out a strangled cough to cover his moan again.

You were happy with his reaction. “See, the poor thing is still coughing. Would you two mind if I took him home to help him? I promise he’ll be back to normal after.”

“Go ahead, chess champion, Kyoto U student!!!! Please keep our son and be a good influence on him!”

Satori couldn’t help but think, ‘Good influence?!’ As he bit back a moan of sexual frustration when you removed your foot again. He was embarrassed by how close he was.

“Great!” You smiled. “Let’s go, Ten sweetheart. The sooner we get home the sooner I can make you feel better.” You got up, straightening your humble dress and rounded the table so you were standing behind your sitting boyfriend. His parents began busying themselves with collecting their things.

From behind, you leaned over and whispered in your man’s ear,

“When we get to my house, I’m going to make you cum so hard that you’ll make a riddle about me, too.”

Your boyfriends eyes rolled back and his leg started tapping on its own like a dog wagging its tail.

Tendou’s parents were busy with the cheque.

“Our valet just pulled up so we are going to go now, but Thank you so much for joining us for dinner, Y/N.” finished his parents approvingly. “You are without a doubt the kindest, sweetest, most modest scholar we’ve ever met. And by some miracle you are dating our son! I hope you get out of that timid shell one day, Y/N, because you deserve all the praise.”

You blushed, giggling like a school girl as you hugged your boyfriend, just enough so that he could feel your boobs pressed to his back. He wagged his tail more.

“Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Tendou. I promise that I shall work on my timidity and modesty.” On your son’s dick, that is, You thought to yourself, smirking because you were only a 10-minute drive to your house.

—————————-

Baby Kenma in part 2 later lol

[aliypop]

To The One Before

word count:  1,697

Warning: Mentions of panic attack

A/N : Heres a bit of backstory to my character I hope you guys Enjoy it!

"Family isn't who you're born with: it's who you'd die for."   Alexandra Morgan was 13 when she first heard that phrase from her best friend, Ray Stantz, "My family is like a tornado, Ray..." she sighed, taking a bite of Ray's Hershey bar. Ray knew what it was like to have parents who were perfectionists, after all: he was the product of a housewife and a doctor. "One day, I'm going to leave that house, and I'll never come back!" she laughed standing, on top of the hood. 

 "You don't mean that do you?"

"With my whole heart..." she smiled, sitting back down with him. Ray smiled back, saddened by the fact that she would say such a thing. "But what about me.. And.. and our ghost club!" he asked as Alexandra kept ranting on about her plan to leave home. 

"I couldn't forget my best friend." she took him by the hand and squeezed it,

 "Beside's, who's gonna protect you from Carl.." her thick glasses-covered eyes looked at him, 

"Well, promise me this, Alexandra..." he handed her a stay puft marshmallow. "That we'll always be friends even in college." 

"Why college?" she examined the marshmallow poking at the sugary treat. "Because... why not!"

"No talking to boys or looking at them, and if you do- " Dennis, Alexandra's, father was as nervous as most dads were when dropping their daughters off to college, but he wasn't as nervous as her mother, 

" If you get homesick, you can always call, and you know we're only 45 minutes away, and I got you one of those calculator things and!" 

"JEAN, you're scaring the girl! Dennis sighed, "What we're trying to say is strive for perfection ... anything less and.." 

"You'll pull me right out of this science jazz..." she sighed: ever since Alexandra had been little, her father never understood her passion for physics and doing experiments. He always knew that women got their brains from the pantry, not books, but Alexandra was different. When most girls played with easy bake ovens, she made nuclear reactors using antennas from their old tv set and jumper cables. Her inspiration came from some kid in Ohio who made one using chicken dung. "That's my girl... and remember.." 

"No boys," she sighed pushing, her glasses up, "As if any will ever like me.." she sassed. 

"That's not true, sweetheart," Jean said, lifting her daughter's chin. 

"Mother, must I remind you I went to prom with Ray!"

"And you two were a lovely pair." 

 Alexandra sat in her dorm, isolated from the rest of the world, which was how she liked it. A book in her hand and a pencil in another, she was ready to finish the first semester of work. As she listened to the radio, she began singing along with the Jackson 5. Ray, however, was wandering around with his new best friend, Peter Venkman, a Missouri native with the charm of a con man. Both Ray and Peter had been walking by the dorms in which the two had been talking about Atlantis. 

"It was just my imagination, running away with me. " a voice sang as the two were slowly approaching the women's dormitory.

  "Alexandra..." Ray gasped, running towards the sound of her voice. 

"Ray?!" she poked her head out from the door: as she saw the two men standing there, she couldn't take her eyes off of "This is Peter Venkman he's my.." 

"Friend replacing me already, aren't cha." she joked as she invited the two inside. There had already been notes on her wall as well as books on her floor. "I see you got busy..." Peter remarked, looking at the way her eyes sparkled through her glasses and how her lips curled. "Didn't class just start.." he thought to himself as Ray read behind her theories of time travel. 

" Because I know you didn't mean that in an innocuous way, I'll respond with Yes," she turned to look at him as her heart nearly skipped a beat, 

"Nerd much?" Peter whispered as Ray turned around in shock, he knew that that was a phrase that Alex never enjoyed hearing.

"I prefer to say an intellectual, but perhaps you wouldn't understand." she scoffed. "I beg to differ."Peter walked towards Alexandra, as he got closer towards her,

 "You're just a know it all.." he smirked, "Or a narcissist .." he said in a whisper, looking down at her lips. Alexandra laughed, noticing how close they were. She had never in her life been this close to anyone, especially a man such as Venkman. 

 "My father warned me to stay away from boys, you know.." 

" Well, I don't see your old man around..." he pulled her close to him as the heat from her face radiated fog from her glasses.

 " I'll pick you up, say 8 pm." 

"Should I bring my books?" 

"Sure, but I doubt you'll need them." he winked. 

As years passed and Ray and Peter grew closer as friends, so did Alexandra and Peter. It was a cold New York December morning, and sitting by the window wearing one of Peters shirts was Alexandra. Hot tears streamed down her face as she held her term papers in hand. In all her academic life, she had never gotten a D: her world was crumbling, "Hey, it's three in the morning.." Peter then looked at the half-empty bottle of brandy that he and Ray usually would split. 

"Do I need to wake Ray..."  

Alexandra shook her head, unresponsive to his question. "Wanna tell me about it.." he then asked, sitting in front of her. "I'm going to fail.." she repeated in heavy breaths, her hands nearly pulling at her thick curls. Peter had semi-studied this behavior before but to see it happen in person terrified him. "Breathe." he held her hand, Alexandra nodded, as she only breathed faster, nearly hyperventilating. "That's not what I meant, but breathing is breathing..." he mumbled. As the sun began to shine, the two were eating pizza and talking about their families. 

 "Try having a father who is not even proud about his son going to college. 

"Try being a music prodigy by age six and science prodigy at 9." she laughed, "I have so many expectations set on me and..." she looked at Peter, who gave her a look she knew too well. Peter, although now a part of the parapsychology world he still was great in psychology. "You did it again.." 

"I don't know what you mean.." he smirked. 

"Oh, I could just!" she stood up, falling into his arms. "Kiss me.." he suggested, kissing her lips ever so sweetly. There were days when Peter was a gentleman, sweet and caring, but there were days when Alexandra would throw curses his way and wish she'd never see him again, days where she'd cry in Ray's arms, and all he could say was " Peter didn't mean it this time did he..." he asked watching her stuff her face with pizza and ice cream. "We broke up again.." she cried, "Because I got offered to teach at the university.."  

"That's good!" Ray smiled, "I mean, it's what you've always wanted, right?" he then stopped talking. It was true that Alexandra wanted to teach quantum physics and engineering, but to see Peter move on so fast when she told him the news only made it worse. 

 As time went on and Alexandra had gotten adjusted to her new life as a professor, her date life only sunk worse. 

"Alright, class, I'm Dr. Morgan today we'll be talking about the theory of Relativity.." Alexandra turned towards her class in which she heard the protest of groans. The year was 1984, Alexandra: was 31 years old and living in Manhattan. " I assume you took Dr. Spengler's theory class, or else you wouldn't be in mine." she glared at a few students over her glasses. To say that Alexandra's quantum physics and engineering classes were easy was an understatement.

 From her labs to her assignments, there was nothing easy about her not since, "Can I help you, Dr. Venkman.." she glared at him, nearly wanting to set him on fire. "Just looking for a few students who'd want to do a few paid experiments," he smirked. When paid was involved, it meant Venkman rather than the students. "Make it quick, Venkman.. " she rolled her eyes. As her lecture progressed, she noticed a pair of eyes staring at her, they were stern, a bit cynical, and they were listening to her rant about the theory of being in a paradox. 

"So if you were to see yourself uh.. " she kept looking at him as her mind went blank, and her heart nearly pounding. "You could ruin the structure of the world." the voice in the back responded.

Sitting at her desk as her students left, Alexandra took it upon herself to stay behind and work on her UPC or more so known as an ecto camera. As she heard heavy footsteps run past her classroom, she knew that it was

 " Ray?" 

"We got one!" he shouted, ushering her to follow him.

"Is it a 1 or 5?" she asked him, following him around to their lab. 

"She wasn't very friendly..." 

"So a five it i-" she stood in front of their door, watching as the dean removed their gear from their lab space. "Well, that's unfortunate ..." she whispered under her breath, looking up at the man who was in her class earlier. 

"What am I supposed to tell my mother.." he mumbled. 

"What are we going to do now!" 

" I say drill a hole through Peter's head.." Alexandra said under her breath as Egon smiled, "So you're a fan of trepanation too." he asked as both Peter and Ray tried to get her to switch the subject. "I always say that if done right, could cure a disease if done wrong, a lobotomy or death. " she shrugged her shoulders, "Although I wouldn't advise it on a hamster," she added. 

"Why's that?" 

"Makes them go crazy..." she laughed, looking at him, "I'm Dr. Alexandra Morgan." 

"Dr. Egon Spengler."

[konpithepuppy]

[TRANSLATION: DUeT 05.2021]

7 MEN SAMURAI SOLO INTERVIEW

Scans not mine

Neither an English nor a Japanese native speaker

Feel free to correct me, thanks

6 People 6 Circumstances, What Kind Of School Life Do They Long For!?

SPRING SCENERY School Life

Performance at Theatre Creation in May

Performance in 「Johnny's Ginza 2021 Tokyo Experience 」is decided.

From the 6 people who have a lot of determinations aiming for stage, school life memories and the school life that they aspire are shared this month.

Please enjoy it together with their appearances in school uniform!

Nakamura Reia

《SCHOOL》

If I could go back to being a high school student, I would try having a date riding a bicycle together! It is dangerous and I will not do it in reality but when I was a kid, I saw it in movies and dramas so I yearned for it (LOL). Actually, I only did skateboarding when I was an elementary student and I didn't ride bike that much. That's why, I am quite bad at riding the bicycle. Since my student days, I can sense the feelings of people around me, I'm not sure if I am good with timings or I am quick-witted (LOL). With that, being sharp is my strong point! It's just that, I think a clumsy guy is perhaps more popular than a guy like me (LOL).

《RECENT HAPPENING》

The latest version of a game that I love will be released soon! Now too, I am having fun playing it online but I made a lot of friends from the game. Even though I don't know their faces and personalities, it's interesting that we've become friends through a game. If among the juniors, I play it together with Yokohara (Yuki). Time passes by quikly when we are thinking about what kind equipment will come out next!

Motodaka Katsuki

《SCHOOL》

My most enjoyable memory is when 14 of us boys went to Guam for our high school graduation trip! We all played water polo, we divided into 3 groups and went shopping, and had fun in the pool...In that group, there are those who are noisy and there are those who are quiet, it had a good balance. I was so happy that they never gave me a "celebrity treatment". I went to the same university with a lot of them, so now, and from now on too, we will be good friends. But, now that I have graduate from the university, I regret not being able to participate in a school club...The campus life I am longing for lies on the after-school club I think (LOL). If I could go back in time, I want to be in a club!

《RECENT HAPPENING》

In 「Quiz Presen Variety: Q sama!!」, Johnny's Quiz made an appearance, but I used the hint so much that I caused a trouble to (Kawashima) Noeru-kun who was going to answer next. Noeru-kun is kind so he told me, "Don't mind about it," but I will prepare for next time and I want to definitely get it right without using hints!!

Yabana Rei

《SCHOOL》

Before joining 7 MEN 侍, I made a band for a school festival in high school. I made a song, sent the demo tape to everyone, and told them, "Let's have a blast on this stage," and I felt pumped up. I performed intensely like it was a real live, and Rinne-kun who came to the festival saw that side of me. Honestly, we didn't talk that much until then, but when he watched my stage performace, he thought like, "It looks interesting if someone who can do a live like this joins 7 MEN 侍." I was surprised that it became like an improbable audition (LOL). I am happy that Sakuma (Ryuto) too who came with him said, "I really had a lot of fun!"

《RECENT HAPPENING》

I started reading a book for the first time in several years when I learned that Hirasawa Susumu-san used George Orwells novel 「1984」as the motif for his music that I am listening to lately. Also, I was surprised when I was told about the stage reading 「20 Faces ~Who is Endou Heikichi~?」! I felt like there is a reason for everything.

Sasaki Taiko

《SCHOOL》

I wanted to try going on a group date with my friends and with my girlfriend. It will surely be a lifelong memory and it looks super fun! My real high school life is I am with (Iwasaki) Taisho all the time. Even though Taisho is so cheerful when he is with the juniors, he is very quiet and shy of strangers when at school! Since he said,"I want to have friends," so I cooperated with him, but since he didn't talk to anyone, so we spent a lot of time just the 2 of us together in the end. Thinking about that, I only spent my time in work and in private with Taisho (LOL). I am glad I graduated safely from high school in March~!

《RECENT HAPPENING》

Jesse-kun gave me and Kageyama (Takuya)-kun a same yellow parka. Because it is Jesse-kun's birthday soon (June 6), I am thinking of what I should give him as a token of appreciation. Before, when I gave (Sato) Shori-kun a luxurious set of curry in a pouch for his birthday (October 30), he was really happy. I wonder what would also make Jesse-kun happy.

Konno Taiki

《SCHOOL》

I changed school in the middle of high school but my friends at that time were all funny. When we bought a lot of snacks from the convenience store and ate them together during the sports day is a good memory. I am busy right now that I can't see them but I am sure that they're definitely enjoying themselves (LOL). I wore gakuran in middle school and blazer in high school. I wore a parka inside the gakuran and I enjoyed arranging [my uniform]. If I had to choose one, I like the gakuran better.

《RECENT HAPPENING》

At present, I want to increase weight. I am lighter than the average weight, and since it looks poor if the body line is too thin, so I don't want to be that thin. Having an average weight is really important and I think it is just about right for both males and females to be in the range of average weight. Since I also know that, I now properly eat 3 meals sa day without skipping any of it for the sake of getting closer to my ideal body figure. Moreover, my physical condition has improved a lot since I started focusing on taking proteins. When my body weight increased to a certain extent, I am thinking of starting to do muscle training too.

Sugeta Rinne

《SCHOOL》

I started doing Jr. activities around middle school and high school, and I thought it was cool to miss the events (LOL). But, now that I have become an adult, memories from events are wonderful, my feelings changed to "I will be happier if I was able to participate in any of the events." It is already past my student days and I cannot go back, so I suggest you to definitely do the things you think you want to do!

《RECENT HAPPENING 》

The Tokyo Shows for the stage play 「Hidamari no Ki」had finished. I, as the lead, did my best as I was given the opportunity to stand at the center during interviews and curtain calls. But, I got bored fast and I wanted to look for a "shinme" (LOL). And now, I realized how amazing Reia-san is, as he always stands at the center of the group. This time, I'm glad to have an experience working with the staff and cast that are outside of the company I am at. And then, I am glad I can talk about totally different subjects every time with my "oshi" Nasu Yuto-kun, who is also doing his best in the stage play 「Majyou no Takkyuubin」~! (LOL)

[trevorbarre]

So, Do You Remember the 80s ‘Jazz Revival’?

Prodded by my memories of Rip, Rig & Panic, (the group, not the Roland Kirk number), I’m taken back to the UK ‘Jazz Revival’ of (roughly) the 1985-1990 vintage. For a brief period, in London at least, jazz music experienced its very own Retromania, and seemed to as cool/hot and hip/hep as it imagined itself to have been back in the ur-bebop and hard bop days. Much has been written about the ultimately conservative nature of this revival, with its memorialising of ‘sharp men in even smarter Italian suits’ (anyone remember The Tommy Chase Quartet?) and the Blue Note, ‘instant classic’ photo artistry of Francis Wolff, but which ultimately served to the disadvantage of the more experimental and ‘risky’. (It’s easy to lay the blame at the feet of Wynton Marsalis, but the seeds were always there for absolutism, from the very start, with influential USA critics like Albert Murray and Stanley Crouch, early neo-cons who increasingly decried the avant garde and post-Free Jazz experimentalism.) For me, this era coincided with my own reintroduction to jazz music, a process which began around 1981, and represented a return, this time permanent, to a music that I had first explored in the early/mid-70s, but which had been sidelined by punk and post-punk from 1976-1981. Bands like Rip, Rig & Panic served as a gateway back to jazz (and beyond), and the New Musical Express (NME) helped me in this, through such writers as Richard Cook, Andy Gill and Graham Lock. So this ‘revival’ was at once both personally-experienced and externally-informed.

There are a few literary signifiers that help to sum up these times, times which, in retrospect, seem to have been somewhat of a triumph of style over substance? (The 80s also arguably marked a significant lessening in quality in rock and reggae music, and we still await a definitive account of this entire troubled decade.) Have a look at the development of The Wire typography, once it became a monthly rather than a quarterly publication (i.e.from 1984 onward): The Face pointed the way forward, an alternative to the ‘inkies’ of the NME, Melody Maker and Sounds, and The Wire in turn fully bought into the aim of  more stylish presentational values, with the increased involvement of designers and ‘creatives’, as what clothes the musicians wore seemed to become as important as what they played. The Wire remained both a pleasure to read (featuring, despite everything, mostly more ‘left field’ jazz players, with even free improvisers also in evidence), and also to look at (the front covers were events in themselves, as they still remain). The bubble, however, had burst by 1990, and the covers began to feature the likes of Michael Jackson, Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, a reflection of the decreasing influence of ‘pure’ jazz, and an inexorable move towards what ‘hip’ young people were actually listening to, once they found out that Art Blakey and Max Roach were not, in actual fact, “great to dance to”. Electronic dance music soon became the default option of the tragically hip, an option which The Wire was soon to take up, especially after Drum and Bass / ’Jungle’ upped the avant stakes. (Main’s Hydra-Calm, from what I remember, won its 1992 ‘Album of the Year’, for an example of the magazine’s ‘new direction’).

In 1986, three of the older older NME writer ‘purists’, Roy Carr, Brian Case and Fred Dellar, put out ‘The Hip: Hipsters, Jazz and The Beat Generation’, which was a self-explanatory coffee table book, and exactly suited the whole ‘jazz revival’ shtick, “Hip has shifted more shades than any other philosophy throughout history”, proclaimed the back cover, rather vaguely, but which at least demonstrated that the authors didn’t take it all entirely seriously, unlike Robin Tomens. The latter published (only one printing, I must assume, in 2000?) his ‘Points of Departure: Essays on Modern Jazz’, a rather ambitious title for what was essentially a collection of what would now be called blogs, trying to demonstrate how hip and jazz-anointed he was (he doesn’t cover free improv, however). Although the book is often cringeworthy, in its attempts to glorify its author’s second-hand insights into various examples of the post-WW2 jazz modernists (mostly American), I have always had a sneaking fondness for it, as it in many ways mirrors my own tentative paths of discovery in the same time-period (1982-1988), alluding to a shared gaucheness, as we both tried to negotiate the various entries into the music, at points at which it all seemed insurmountable. His accounts of shopping in Ray’s Jazz Shop and Mole Jazz are priceless, and his reflections are basically those of a fan first, writer second, a position to which I can completely relate.

I’m no-one to talk: I sent in my own list to The Wire of ‘10 albums that I am currently listening to’, a regular spot in the magazine at the time (to show off my listening tastes, basically and embarrassingly, in retrospect), and which appeared in a 1986 edition of the magazine, from what I can recall (it soon, very correctly, ditched the whole daft concept). It seems that I wanted my own ‘brilliant corner’, however tiny and naff (to use a very 80s word), in the ‘revival’! What put me off, eventually, was the almost inevitably cosy, ‘closed shop’ mentality that most cliques and ‘scenes’ tend to engender (and which Tomens, for one, appeared to love), but which quickly prove to be so transient and gone-so-soon. 

We can now, thankfully, postulate another ‘revival’, one centered on Cafe Oto since its opening in 2008/9, one that appears not to seek validation in places like The Wag Club. (Oto’s various presentations usually transcend ‘jazz’, or, at the very least, transmutes it, and transmutation should be something that jazz has always welcomed?) With more musicians of colour and more female improvisers, this updated ‘scene with no name’ seemed built to last, at least until Covid-19 put it all on hold (at least in the area of live, in-person performance). One of the positives of the 80s scene was the clearly increased involvement of women and black musicians: this was undoubtedly an incremental and undoubted fact by 2020, exemplified, for me at least, in the line-up, at Oto in 2018, of a group led by Louis Moholo, and featuring Jason Yarde, Shabaka Hutchings, Alexander Hawkins and John Edwards. No women in this band though...Doh!! ( If I remember correctly,I think they called themselves ‘Five Blokes’!)

[gothpanda]

A Little Bit of Attitude Ch. 18: Purple Moon

WORD COUNT: 5.1K

A/N: I’m unintentionally making this a PLL/Motley/The Dirt fanfic and I ain’t sorry Enjoy and thank you!

WARNINGS: Drugs, Language

TAGS: @madamsixx​

READ ON AO3 

PREVIOUS/NEXT

July 1984

 "Number 325" someone announces from the inside of the advising office. Sammi rested her head against a bulletin board with inspiring quotes for students and reminders of the new semester. She looked down at her ticket, seeing 334 in bold black letters that made her groan in her seat. "Number 326 for Mrs. Stogger," the speaker said in the lobby of the academic building. Sammi looked around at the people waiting to speak to someone just like her, a mix of ages in the hall. People brought books to read or sketchbooks to draw, or had their friends pass the time. Sammi only carried her notebook that was filled with tasks to do at Elektra. In terms of school, she was officially alone. She read over what she needed to get done by the end of the week. She also flipped through to see what she needed to finally have a degree in her hands. She interrupted her train of thought when Sammi heard someone elegantly sit on the wooden chair next to her. Sammi glanced up from her notebook for a moment to find a familiar face. A tall slim girl with long brunette hair read through her journal, writing down at a fast pace. Sammi looked over at her scholarly sense of style, appreciating it from afar like always. Sammi went back to keeping her eyes to the front of her, trying to keep her mind occupied. 

 "Oh hey, you're Samantha. The new secretary, right?" the girl said, making Sammi's eyes grow to her. She had a friendly smile to her, with soft dark eyes. Sammi smiled shyly at the girl, picking at her nails, and nodded. 

 "Yeah, it's Sammi outside in normal life. And You're one of the interns at work?" said Sammi politely. 

 "Of course, and yes, I'm Sabrina," said Sabrina, extending out a hand to Sammi, which she gladly accepted. "I didn't know you studied here. I thought you would've already graduated by now," 

 "I almost was but decided to be adventurous and travel earlier in the year. I'm kinda surprised also to see you here. I've never seen you around on campus before," said Sammi. 

 "Well that's because I just transferred from Sacramento, I really needed a change of scenery. I'm happy I have another familiar face to talk to while on campus," Sabrina said, putting her notebook in her messenger bag. 

 "Honestly, me too. I would see you around the office but never got a chance to talk" said Sammi, soon seeing a long dark haired tan girl who looked as tall as Sabrina walk towards them. She threw her bag to the floor and dropped herself onto the chair next to Sabrina, gaining her attention. The girl looked like a full athlete, with toned arms and legs from whatever they did. She tossed her hair over to one side, fixing her grey tank top. 

 "Hey S. Do you gotta wait long?" the tan girl said, peeking over Sabrina to see the small Samantha, knees tucked under her. "Oh sorry, I didn't see you there! I'm Emma," the girl extended her hand to Sammi, gaining a smile. She tilted her head for a moment, trying to remember the small girl.

 "Sammi. Um, have I seen you before?" Sammi asked, raising an eyebrow to Emma. 

 "Yeah we went to the same high school. You were on the volleyball team, right?" Emma asked, tying her shoelaces together. 

Sammi nodded, "Yeah I was, were you a grade below me?" 

 "Correct on that, I was also on the swim team. You're one of Tommy Lee's sisters, right?" asked Emma

 "Yep I am, now I'm getting that question asked a lot," Sammi chuckled along with the girls. 

 "I'm sure you do. Since it looks like you know Sabrina, do you wanna go get a bite to eat after this? Unless you have other plans to do," Emma asked, Sabrina, smiling at Sammi to try and get her to say yes. 

 "Totally!" Sammi said, in perfect timing for her number to be announced. 

October 26, 1984

 Sammi and Sabrina walked down the halls of Elektra records, passing the records and plaques hung up on the walls. Sabrina held eight hot coffees while Sammi scanned at the multiple folders that were in her hands. Both of the young women entered an empty conference room, a long, mahogany table in the middle of the room. They placed each coffee with a folder on the office chairs, even matching the assigned names. 

 "You don't have to stay for this meeting, do you?" Sabrina asked, throwing out the cardboard coffee trays into the trash.

 "No, Mr. Harrison had let me go early. Em's heading to your place at 7, right?" Sammi asked, fixing her blouse a bit from any wrinkles and pushing up her glass from slipping off.

 Sabrina nodded, adjusting her ponytail. "I don't know why she wants to go to this club so bad. She would not stop blabbing about it in class," 

 "Because you've never had a night on the strip yet even though you've lived here long enough," Sammi muttered, peeking down the hallway. Soon a team of suited men appeared marched in unison towards the young women. Mr. Harrison, a man who was taller than everybody with every inch of hair white as snow stepped in first, seeing Sammi and Sabrina. He scanned the office, nodding in approval and patting them on the shoulders. 

 "Thank you, girls, for the setup," Mr. Harrison said, rubbing his hands together. 

 "You're welcome, Mr. Harrison," Both girls said in unison. 

 "I would say you're free from being my shadow, Samantha. Have a good weekend for both of you," said Mr. Harrison, walking away to sit at the table's head. All eyes immediately went straight to him. Sabrina and Sammi smiled professionally at everyone, closing the door behind them on their way out. 

 "Okay well, maybe I'm busy with stuff of my own? You haven't thought about that?" Sabrina asked Sammi, throwing her hands in the hair as the two walked to the rest of the office. They walked past all the cubicles of co-workers, some they've never even talked to since working at Elektra. Sammi passed Sabrina's desk, grabbing the water bottle she left there by accident.

 "Studying doesn't really count if you're a walking encyclopedia, S," Sammi said, walking into the empty breakroom. She sat down by a big circular table, taking a sip of her water. Sabrina sat right next to her, grabbing an apple in the middle fruit basket.

"And what's wrong with wanting to study more?" Sabrina asked, sticking her nose in the air with pursed lips making Sammi give a tight-lipped smile to hold a giggle.

 "Nothing, but it's healthy to breathe fresh air. Even if that fresh air just has a bit of tobacco smoke in the mix," said Sammi, checking her freshly done red manicure. "Plus, we deserve a little fun. Midterms ended, and I already know I did great so I'll just reward myself," 

Sabrina shrugged with a growing smirk on her face taking a bite of her apple. "Are we gonna meet up with your people?" 

Sammi looked up to think for a moment, "Athena said yes. Tommy is in love with Emma, so yes. Vince will go anywhere I'm at. If Nikki isn't in a mood, he'll come. And Mick isn't feeling so good. I dropped off some food at his place before work," said Sammi, holding five fingers to Sabrina. 

"Awe Tommy is so dumb to think Emma would love him back like that," said Sabrina, pouting out her lip like a sad child. 

"You don't mind that we're gonna be with them, right?" implored Sammi. 

Sabrina raised an eyebrow, "No? They're all pretty cool, crazy beyond belief, but I still like them. Nikki seems like a tough nut to crack, though. And Emma seems to love everyone," 

"Awesome. I'm glad you and Em like everyone. For once I don't have to worry," 

"And you shouldn't. If I didn't like them, I probably would have only hung out with you at school or here. Plus, I like to see people go batshit crazy sometimes. It's like free front entertainment," Sabrina said with a smile. Sammi felt at ease with Sabrina's words, not worrying about the happiness and comfort of others on the Crue. "Oh, by the way, you're doing Em's hair," 

Sammi rolled her eyes, "At this point, she's gonna need to pay me to be her hairstylist," said Sammi, making Sabrina laugh.

* 

 In the cozy warm apartment that was reasonably close to their college, the three girls looked in their bathroom mirror to get ready for their night. Sammi sprayed the last bit of hairspray into Emma's loose curled hair, running her fingers through it to make it perfect. Sabrina wiped any extra nude lipstick from the corner of her mouth, feeling happy with her look. Emma leaned closer to the mirror, smudging a bit of black eyeshadow on her waterline to make her bronze eyes pop. Sammi pulled down a bit of her low cut blue velvet dress, checking her rear in the mirror. Emma tied a thin white scarf around her flare blue jeans that matched her pink top perfectly. "Where'd you get the bell bottoms, Em?" asked Sabrina, adding a necklace that matched her white dress. 

 "Found them at a garage sale! Pretty groovy even a decade later, right?" said Emma, walking out to put on her silver chunky heels in Sabrina's bedroom. Sammi smiled at Emma, spritzing some of Sabrina's perfume on her that smelled of crisp lilies from her nightstand.

 "Okay, you ladies ready for the night?" asked Sabrina, clapping her hands together as she walked into her bedroom. 

 "Someone seems finally happy to be going out," said Emma, bumping her hip against Sabrina with a smile. 

 "I don't want to be a Debbie Downer for most of everything. Besides Sam was right, we should have fun," said Sabrina, grabbing her perfume from Sammi's hands to spray some for herself. "Do you when Athena was gonna start heading over to Purple Moon?" asked Emma. 

 "No idea, but let's just wait and see when we get there!" said Sammi, swinging her black purse over her shoulder. 

* 

For being open for only two months, Purple Moon was the craziest club in all of West Hollywood. Let's Go Crazy blared throughout the two-story club with laser color lights jumping off the walls in the darkness. The three brunettes danced in the sea of people, bodies of strangers pressed up against each other. Sammi swayed to the beat of the music, feeling happiness around her already feeling the buzz of her drinks. As Emma looked out from the sea of people, her eyes grew with excitement when seeing three cool people. Athena, Nikki, and Tommy pushed their way to meet the girls. Nikki had a growing discomfort with this crowd, unlike Tommy loving the music. Athena turned Sammi around, engulfing her in a big hug with a smile on both faces. 

"This place is so cool!" shouted Athena, giving hugs to Emma & Sabrina as she danced around the sea. Tommy hanged his arm around Emma's neck, kissing her on the cheek while Emma shifted her gaze to the girls. Sammi couldn't help but look past Nikki in hopes of finding a shaggy-haired blonde with them. She hugged Nikki, tip-toeing to his ear. "Where's Vince?" Sammi shouted, scrunching her eyebrows together. 

"Your boyfriend didn't like the idea. Wanted to hang out with our friend Razzle," Nikki shouted, shrugging his shoulders. He eyed Sammi up and down, wrapping his hands around her waist. "You look beautiful. Didn't think a girl your size could feel up a dress like that," Nikki smirked, pulling Sammi into him. Sammi dropped her shoulders, slightly pushing away from Nikki. Athena grabbed Sammi's hand, twirling her around as the music changed to another upbeat song. Sammi glanced over to Nikki's discomfort, seeing him find his way to the crowded bar with Tommy behind him. Sammi tried her best to dance with the girls around her, but she couldn't remove the disappointed look on her face. 

"You okay?" Sabrina asked, leaning down to Sammi. 

Sammi shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah… Just wish Vince would've come," 

"Ignore it. Go get a drink and relax," Sabrina said, turning Sammi on her heels to the direction of the bar. Sammi smiled as she walked away from the dancing girls and passed the sweaty bodies. She squeezed between Nikki and Tommy on the bar, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. 

"Here Sam, have my drink and smile!" Tommy shouted, hanging his arm around Sammi's shoulders and slid her a random cocktail. Sammi smiled, taking a sip of the drink and wrenched at the taste of the alcohol. It was more potent and something that could get anyone drunk fast. It was precisely what Sammi needed for this night. As Tommy disappeared into the sea to find his new favorite girls, Nikki sipped his drink, eyeing Sammi with the color lights bouncing off her. 

"Really didn't think you'd let a guy ruin your night," Nikki whispered loudly into Sammi's ear, making her turn to his direction. Sammi sipped the random drink, thinking about Vince. "Wanna head upstairs? Fewer people to be annoyed by," Sammi looked over her shoulder, seeing all their friends enjoy their time together. Sammi thought they wouldn't miss her if she went away with Nikki. She nodded to the bassist getting a smirk and a hand to hold as he led them through the crowd. The second floor was designed mostly to be a balcony with some space to dance for overpacked nights. Even with a 'do not cross' sign up, Nikki and Sammi sneaked up the dark brick stairway. Dropping herself onto a small leather loveseat, Sammi laid her legs in Nikki's lap as she downed the rest of the strong drink. From the second floor, the music wasn't loud in comparison, seeing no speakers around them. Nikki rested one arm on the loveseat's head and the other playing with Sammi's heel strap. The two stared silently at each other for a moment until Sammi felt Nikki's hand rise up her leg. She tossed her legs off him, sitting up straight while lowering her dress a bit. 

"You're good, Nikki?" Sammi asked, feeling the buzz of alcohol go to her head and batting her eyes. 

"I am now that I'm with my best friend," Nikki slurred, draping an arm around Sammi and pulling her to his side. Sammi chuckled and rolled her eyes, dropping her head back. "What? You don't believe me?" Nikki asked. 

"Do you make out with all your best friends?" Sammi smirked at Nikki. Nikki scuffed at Sammi, taking the rest of his drink. "If I am then thanks," 

"My ass wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, unlike some people," Nikki said, raising his eyebrows for a moment. Sammi's smile went away from her face, looking out at the balcony in front of them. 

"Fucker should've told me he didn't want to come," Sammi mumbled under her breath, picking out her cigarettes from her purse. "He really just said he didn't like coming to a fucking club?" Sammi asked, lighting the tobacco stick. Nikki nodded, making Sammi roll her eyes and checking around to see no one catch them up there. 

"Yeah I think he was gonna show Razzle the Tropicana on Hollywood Boulevard. Apparently, that ain't got that in England," 

"So he wanted to go see half-naked girls basically 10 minutes away from me? That's fucking nice," Sammi spit out with annoyance, blowing smoke into the atmosphere

"But hey you like that so you gotta deal with the rockstars. A nice boyfriend," said Nikki, pulling out his stash from his back pocket. He poured a short chunky line in the back of his hand, snorting it like a healthy routine. Sammi looked over to Nikki, biting her lip for a moment as her eyes shifted to the drugs. Nikki could see the curious little face Sammi had one, making him smile mischievously. Nikki poured a bit more on his hand, not even needing to say a word for Sammi to understand. She closed one nostril and snorted the chunky line, feeling the string hit her. She hadn't done drugs since the beginning of the year, and her body was already feeling it. Her eyes began to water, making Sammi pinch the bridge of her nose to stop any tears. Nikki snorted some more before finally moving back into the loveseat. 

"And then he fucking asks why I still keep a distance!" Sammi shouted, flicking her bud into the dark corner. "Next time you all are on tour, you better keep an eye out for me on him!" Nikki chuckled at Sammi, slowly getting closer to her.  All of a sudden, Sammi jumped up onto her feet, almost losing balance as she pulled Nikki up from the sofa. Nikki felt immediate dizziness from the sudden movement, ultimately colliding against Sammi. He hung onto her waist, seeing her face so close yet so far away. Sammi slightly moved away from Nikki, trying her best to maintain distance. 

"Come on, let's go back dancing!" Sammi shouted, pulling Nikki by the hand as they stumbled down the stairs. Nikki tried his best to feel comfortable, happy the coke was making a bit of an effort in doing so. The crowd felt bigger to Nikki now, unsure if it was always like this while pushing past everyone. Sammi was oblivious to her surroundings, just trying her best to find their friends. Nikki let go of Sammi's hand for a moment, holding a tight grip onto her waist, trying his best to not lose her. Sammi didn't react, she felt great and happy, and being with people she loved made her more comfortable. Sabrina could finally see Sammi and Nikki again, making their group yell with excitement. Alcohol filled in their systems with possibly a mix of drugs could help any situation for this night.

* 

 "Why is food so much better when you're buzzed?" asked Emma, tossing a tater tot into the air and catching perfectly into her mouth. Athena, Sammi, and Tommy clapped alongside Emma as the six of them all sat together in a dark red restaurant. The Rainbow Bar and Grill, where girls offered blow jobs right as they saw Nikki and Tommy. Of course, they wanted to be one ounce respectful and turned the offer down just to have a bit to eat.  Sabrina rolled her eyes with amusement, sipping on her orange soda while Nikki chugged a small whiskey bottle. 

 "Because carbs love alcohol. It's a science I can't explain," said Athena, chewing on a chicken tender. 

 "We probably burned all the food we ate today from dancing, so eat up," said Sammi, glancing at Nikki right beside her. "You're not hungry?" 

 Nikki draped his arm around the young girl's shoulders, stealing a french fry from her plate. "I might be hungry for something else," Nikki winked, making Sammi only chuckle and stuff another french fry into his mouth. Sammi squinted her eyes to Nikki's other arm, trying to see the red mark in the dark. 

 "Hey did you go to the doctor or something? What's with the marks?" asked Sammi, almost grazing her finger before Nikki winced away from her.

  "Don't worry about it, Princess," said Nikki. 

 "Be careful, Sixx. Remember Sammi has a boyfriend now," said Tommy, flicking Nikki's ear with a dumb giggle. 

 "Yeah, who would rather see a mud wrestler with his other friends than me," said Sammi, feeding another fry to Nikki. 

 The girls around them all raised their eyebrows to Sammi, confused, and surprised by the thought of Vince's decision. Tommy shot a dagger look at Nikki, hitting his leg under the table as a form of communication. Nikki only shrugged his shoulders and took a bit of what was left on Sammi's plate. 

 "You mean that mud strip club up on boulevard?" asked Sabrina, pointing out towards the window in the direction of it. Sammi nodded as she took a sip of her cocktail. "Okay now, your sour face makes sense," 

 "Damn didn't think Vince would piss you off that fast," said Athena, turning her head as she felt a hand on her shoulder. As if by magic, Vince and a long-haired British man wearing a top hat stand right in front of the group's booth, holding drunken smiles. They both had drinks in their hands, almost already finished. Sammi pursed her lips at Vince, looking away to see Tommy quiet and glancing at everyone. 

 "Oh Vince! Razzle! How were the mud wrestlers?" shouted Nikki with a smile on his face, not bothering to move away from Sammi. Vince's smile soon disappeared as he looked at Sammi's scowling at him with a glare. 

 "Oh it was great! I never knew America could be like this!" said Razzle, his thick accent, making it hard for some to understand in their intoxicated states. He hung onto Vince, happy as a child in a candy shop. "Hey youse are some gorgeous women. What are you all's names? Especially this dark-haired beauty," said Razzle, kissing Emma's hand only to make her cringe. Sabrina and Sammi covered their mouths to hold in their laughs to Emma's discomfort. 

 "I'm Emma. This is Sabrina and the girlies over there are Athena and Sammi, Tommy's sisters," said Emma, yanking back her hand from Razzle's grip. Razzle raised an eyebrow to Emma, smirking down at her. 

 "How do you do, I'm Razzle. A nice gentleman from England who would adore any woman like yourself," said Razzle. 

 "Yeah well… no thanks. So Vince, how was your night?" asked Emma, tilting her head. 

 "Um it was good. Listen, Babe, can we go for a smoke outside?" asked Vince, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jean jacket. Sammi shared knowing glances between Emma and Sabrina, motioning them to let her out of the booth. Sammi gave an icy look to Vince, heading straight for the door. Nikki kept a smirk as his eyes followed Sammi, shrugging to Vince. As the two walked out, Razzle sat next to Emma as he tried to put on the charm. Athena and Tommy eyed the couple walk away, slowly growing with worry. 

"You know if you didn't want to hang out with me, you should've said something when I called you," said Sammi, crossing her arms as she faced Vince outside the busy sunset strip. 

"It's not that I didn't wanna hang out, Razzle came by my place all of a sudden, and I couldn't say no. Come on, Sammi, don't be mad at me," said Vince, wrapping his arms around Sammi's waist and leaving soft pecks on her cheek and neck. Sammi only pushed him away from her, clenching her jaw at Vince. "I didn't fucking do anything! You're really gonna be pissed I saw chicks?" 

"Yeah because your dumbass didn't fucking tell me! Nikki said you didn't want to come! Besides, I never liked seeing other girls before I got with your ass!" shouted Sammi, about to walk away from Vince until he got a hold on her arm. 

"Oh really, Nikki told you that? And you also don't think I could be mad at you for having Nikki's arm around you? You really think I like seeing that? You're gonna believe him?" shouted Vince, looking right into Sammi's eyes. 

"Tommy fucking hit Nik when he ratted you out, just fucking admit it," slurred Sammi, looking past Vince instead of giving eye contact. Right away, Vince was able to see Sammi's pupils bigger than usual, making her eyes almost black. "Are you high?" asked Vince. Sammi yanked her arm out of Vince's grip, almost stumbling onto the concrete. 

"So what if I am? Are you going to be more 'pissed' at me now," said Sammi, scowling at Vince. Vince scuffed at Sammi, shaking his head as he looked away from her. 

"Why do you keep doing coke?! Why do you keep listening to Nikki?!" hissed Vince, stepping right into Sammi's face. 

"Oh shut the fuck up about Nikki giving me some coke, it's getting old. You can't say shit if I want to get high. Because I'm pretty sure if we went a fucking drug clinic, you'd be way worse than me," slurred Sammi, trying once again to move away from Vince. 

"Oh don't give them that, Sammi. We're both two completely different people when it comes to that shit," said Vince, wrinkling his eyebrows together in a frown.  

"Oh really? Because last time I checked, I'm a rockstar's girlfriend who works at a record company," said Sammi, returning to her icy stare. "Just admit you're wrong for leaving me hanging for some big tit bimbos, and we can go back inside," 

"No, I'm not gonna fucking apologize. From the looks for it, you and Nikki seem to have gotten close like always tonight. Pretty sure if I asked A, she'd tell me," said Vince, matching Sammi's face. 

"You've got to shut up about Nikki and me every single time I'm around him. If you didn't want us without you, you would've fucking come!" said Sammi. 

"Fuck this, I'm out of here. Tell Nik and Tom they can take care of Raz, and call me when you're done being fucking stubborn," said Vince, shaking his head and beginning to head down the strip. 

"In that case might as well find a new girlfriend!" yelled Sammi at Vince, glancing around at some of the people staring right at her. She combed her fingers through her hair, marching back inside as the heels of her shoes clunked on the wooden floor. Walking closer to her table, she could see Emma had already moved away from Razzle and closer to Athena. Everyone reacted like foxes, turning their heads as soon as they saw Sammi come over. 

"Where's Vince?" asked Athena, scrunching her eyebrows together. 

"Gone. Stubborn ass didn't wanna say sorry," said Sammi, holding out her hand to Nikki to retrieve her purse. "I'm sorry guys, but I'm gonna head home, it's getting late anyway," 

"Wait, do you want us to come with you? We could crash at my place if you want, Sam," said Sabrina, looking up at her as she glanced over to Emma. 

"Only if you two want to, I don't want to ruin your guys' fun," said Sammi. 

"Trust us, Sam, you aren't. Do you wanna head with us, Athi?" asked Emma, smiling playfully to the other girl beside her. 

"Athi?" asked Tommy, frowning at the two girls. 

"Totally if Sammi's in a mood. Later boys. It was nice to meet you, Razzle," said Athena, sliding out of the rounded booth and waving toward the English man. 

"You boys have fun tonight, don't get too crazy without us," said Sammi, passing air kisses to all the men. 

"Goodbye loves, hope to all your pretty faces very soon," said Razzle, smiling happily at everyone. Sabrina chuckled along with Razzle, hooking her arm around Sammi's.

"Get home safe, ladies. Take some Advil, Princess," said Nikki, finishing his drink and motioning for another to the waitress. 

"We will," announced Sammi as all the girls headed to the strip, feeling the California breeze hit them right away. The four girls trailed down the street, Athena trying her best to haul a cab for them. Sammi suddenly felt the lows of her high go away, developing a headache with all the noise around her. She leaned on Sabrina for support, trying her best not to look suspicious to Athena. 

"What's it gonna be, my place or yours?" asked Sabrina, glancing at Sammi. 

"Mine. I have PJs to spare for you all," said Sammi, crawling into the small backseat of the cab.

"What did you tell Vince while you were arguing?" asked Athena to Sammi, looking over the two girls. 

"To find a new girlfriend because I'm not gonna say sorry for being around Nikki," mumbled Sammi, leaning her head on the window and shutting her eyes. Athena, Emma, and Sabrina all exchanged looks almost trying to read each other's minds. 

"Well, in that case, tomorrow morning should be fun,' said Emma. 

"Yeah, I doubt I'll see his ass tomorrow," mumbled Sammi.

One week later 

A knock on the door surprises Sammi, looking up from her pile of books on the small dining table. She checks the watch on her wrist, wondering if it could be Athena fresh out of work. The knocks got a bit stronger, finally made Sammi walk over and look through the peephole. She immediately rolled her eyes, swinging the door open with a hand on her hip. In the hallway stood a sheepish Vince, holding a dozen red roses. He didn't look right into Sammi's eyes, only extending his arm to pass on the flowers. 

"That's it? You're not gonna say anything?" asked Sammi, crossing her arms and scowling at her boyfriend. 

Vince scuffed, scratching his head before straightening up. "I'm sorry for going out and not telling you. And I'm also sorry for being a jealous little bitch," 

Sammi unexpectedly chuckled at Vince, calling himself a bitch, taking the roses out of his hand. "I'm sorry for being stubborn and telling you to find a new girlfriend. I hope this isn't your way of telling me you did." said Sammi, smiling carefully at Vince. He walked into the apartment, engulfing Sammi in a tight hug, happy to feel her accept it. 

"I don't think I'd call anyone my girlfriend if I fucked this up," said Vince, kissing Sammi with such love. "I know I can't get mad at you wanting to have a little fun like me or be around my friends. I just like to see you still be the same Sammi as I met," 

"Vince, I'm gonna be okay, but I do love that you care. It really does mean a lot. Besides, that was my first high since the beginning of the year, I'm not gonna go crazy," 

"And you're right, you're a grown adult who is way more responsible than most of the people my age I know combined. Also, my house is getting a little lonely without you," said Vince with an adoring smile. 

"Well that's what happens when you buy a mansion for one person that's also drastically far away from me," 

"So we're good? We can go out tonight and head over to mine?" asked Vince, wrinkling his eyebrows together in worry. Instead of a verbal answer, Sammi kissed Vince deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

"Yeah we're good, dumbass…" muttered Sammi. 

[randomvarious]

Freddie Fresh feat. Fatboy Slim - “Badder Badder Schwing” Big Beat Song released in 1998. Compilation released in 1999. Big Beat / Breaks

Let's start this post off with a graf from the preamble of a 2018 Freddy Fresh interview, conducted by Matt Lush in Decoded Magazine:

Freddy Fresh is a name that shouldn't require an introduction. From the vast output of his multiple genre-spanning labels; Analog USA, Electric Music Foundation and Howlin' Records, to winning the ARSC Journalism Award for cataloguing every hip-hop release ever made in a single book, crafting timeless acid and electro under over 15 aliases with the likes of Thomas Heckmann, Woody McBride, Tim Taylor and Paul Birkin, and the rest, big beat with Fat Boy Slim, his soundtrack work...it goes on... yet ironically, in my experience anyway, Freddy Fresh seems to be so often underrated, unconsciously ignored, or even completely unknown in the modern electronic world.

Over the course of his career, Freddy Fresh has had his fingers lodged in many different pies. In fact, those pies are sometimes stacked on top of each other so a single finger can penetrate multiple pies at once. Fresh is a DJ's DJ who can patch together eclectic mixes of house, techno, funk, disco, breaks, hip hop, electro, and more; he's produced music across a panoply of dance genres; he's founded a bunch of different record labels; he's opened for blink-182 on tour; his music has appeared in multiple films, TV shows, and commercials; he's authored indispensable books that document hip hop's early history; he's taught DJing at a local college; and he also sells rare records. Put simply, if you're not familiar with Freddy Fresh, you should be.

Freddy Fresh first found his initial passion for music in hip hop culture, entirely thanks to a 1984 trip from his hometown of St. Paul to the Bronx. From then, he would try to ingratiate himself into the Big Apple's hip hop scene, returning once every year with hopes of impressing the right people. He wasn't all that successful, but he did land a track on a 1988 Boogie Down Productions remix album, which honored the memory of BDP's recently slain co-founder, DJ Scott La Rock. Another fun fact that links Freddy to BDP is that if you look at the cover of BDP's landmark debut album, 1987's Criminal Minded, you'll see a plaque towards the bottom lefthand corner. Know who furnished that plaque for them? Freddy Fresh. His dad owned a trophy shop and Freddy gave them the plaque during one of his yearly New York pilgrimages.

But Freddy would soon find himself gravitating towards other genres, too, like house and techno. From that Decoded interview:

I sent demos to Strictly Rhythm [top tier New York-based house label] and various labels and was always rejected. It was years later that labels like Adrenalin and Experimental stood up and took me under their wings. My first techno 12 inch was on Experimental, under my Modulator name. Maximum Pulse / Timmy's Trance in 1992, that got me into the techno scene and also got me my first international DJ gig in Paris 1993 where I played with Jeff Mills, Joey Beltram and Damon Wild... Damon Wild was the man mainly responsible for my early techno career, God Bless Him.

Freddy Fresh then became a big German techno guy. He played sets at Tresor in Berlin (the techno club of techno clubs) and released records on the legendary Frankfurt-based label, Harthouse.

However, a new current started to emerge in the UK in the mid-90s called big beat, which appeared to match with Freddy Fresh's own hip hop sensibilities. It was a strain of dance music that fused together sampled soul, funk, jazz, and rock breaks, which, along with disco, is what hip hop producers largely used to make their own beats. And when those breaks were properly combined with contemporary electronic sounds, like, for example, Roland TB-303 acid squelches, it yielded a newfangled and fun brand of BIG and brash dance tunes. Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, would emerge as the genre's rightful king, with his uniquely liberal use of bouncy and surf-twangy 50s and 60s guitar samples. And although Freddy Fresh was still an absurdly prolific techno producer in 1996, his Harthouse album, Accidentally Classic, along with a couple Harthouse 12-inches that were licensed from his own Butterbeat label, saw him trying his hand at the big beat sound, which would eventually lead to him teaming up with Norman Cook in 1998.

A March 2020 profile in Mixmag has more:

While he may have been known in France for techno releases on his Analog label, it was Freddy Fresh's releases on Butterbeat that caught the ears of Norman Cook in Brighton. He was an avid supporter of Fresh's perky updates on the hip hop sound, and that's what brought him over to the British seaside. "I got invited to play the Big Beat Boutique. That's when I first met [Cook] and then he ends up sampling my voice [for 'Fucking in Heaven'], then we worked on 'Badder Badder Schwing' together. I loved Norman because he was authentic. He did everything himself. I was like, 'this fucking guy's just like me!'. He collects breakbeats, he's an amazing DJ, he knows how to put shit together and he knows how to run 303s - and Roland 303s are really hard to program.

That co-production with Cook, "Badder Badder Schwing," would originally appear on Freddy Fresh's album, The Last True Family Man, before being released as a single the following year. The single would then turn into an unexpected British hit, earning the mostly techno producer some well-deserved commercial appeal by reaching #34 in the UK charts. "Badder Badder Schwing" can also be heard in 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember, although it didn't end up being included on the commercially released official soundtrack.

Dipping into that Decoded interview once again for a tad more backstory to "Badder Badder Schwing":

I did have 90% of that track finished when Norman joined in and took it from a 7 to a 10 with his sheer genius.

By sampling a bunch of 60s songs, including horns and drums from Helen Reddy's "One Way Ticket," vocals and hand claps from The Routers' "Let's Go (Pony)," and more drums from Tommy Roe's "Sweet Pea," Freddy Fresh and Norman Cook were able to cobble together a fantastic piece of late 90s, dancefloor-igniting big beat. However, it would be interesting to know which 90% of the track Freddy Fresh had finished before passing it off to Cook, because the whole thing really sounds like a Fatboy Slim track from start to finish. And that's not to discredit Freddy in any way, because despite what dance music's detractors might think, it's not an easy task to make a good dance tune. But the entirety of "Badder Badder Schwing" appears to have Cook's fingerprints all over it, from his glitching, jammed-up, calling card stutters, to the way the combined horn and drum sampling sounds, to the brief, guitar-sampled detour, to the eerie and overdriven background yowling. The song's main riff is when those Helen Reddy horns play, and you'd have to assume that was part of Freddy's contribution, since according to him, the song was virtually done before he let Cook put on the finishing touches. But still, that part sounds like something Fatboy Slim would make, doesn't it? 🤷‍♂️ 🧐🤔

Then again, Freddy Fresh did say about Cook in that recent Mixmag profile, "the fucking guy's just like me!" so maybe they were on the same exact letter within the same exact word on the same exact page in 1998. In the end, it doesn't really matter all that much. Big beat's passed us by, but throw this on at a party (when we're allowed to party again, of course) and it's guaranteed to still go.

Check out the music video, too, which features a kid magician doing a series of tricks:

[oskea93]

Keep it to Yourself (1)

Warning: Use of strong language.

Hey guys! 

So, i’ve had the idea for this story in my head for some time now. I was debating on posting it since I have Think of You but I wanted to see how you guys like this story. It’s going to be different from Think of You, a bit more raw and unhinged. The first chapter is just a little tid-bit of what Bryant and Nikki’s relationship was like. How they met and their relationship before the decline will all be explained in future chapters. For some reason, this story seems easier to write than Think of You, so hopefully that’s a good thing! Please let me know if it’s a keeper and worth continuing. All your input means so much to me and keeps me writing :) Also, i’m sure there’s some mistakes and i’m sorry for those. I will try to go through and fix them at a later time. 

If you would like to be tagged, please let me know. ENJOY!!

“Bryant-“ Pause. “Bryant, this is Doc.” Another pause. “Listen, I really need to speak with you. I know that it’s been a while since we last spoke and all but he really needs you.” Pause again. “I know you said you never wanted to speak or see him again, but he’s out here killing himself and the guys and I can’t stop him anymore. He needs someone out here that he truly cares about, and I know you still care about him as well. Well, at least I would hope you still care. We’re gonna be staying at this hotel for another night, please give me a call back at 555-9123.” Last pause. “I really need your help, Bryant.”

I listened to the message three more times after the first initial listen. Doc’s voice was laced with concern and worry over the bassist. Last I heard from Doc was that Nikki and the guys were doing great and were going to become the next big thing. He was right when he said they would become rich and famous, but he was far gone when he said they were alright. Sure, they started out sniffing the occasional lines of coke, but they each fell deeper into the well, choosing more potent substances. For Nikki, he was the type of person to take things to the extreme. He was passionate about music, he was passionate about his job, and he was passionate about his drugs.

Nikki’s love of drugs and alcohol began way before I ever met him. He would get high here and there but once the band really took off, his drug addiction took off with it. I was okay with it at first, only because I thought he was only sniffing cocaine. Once I found the needles, especially the needle that was still lodged in his arm while he laid passed out in the closet, I knew that his problem had turned dangerous and potentially lethal. I tried to be there for him but the drugs were making it hard. He was withdrawn, mean, and just plan nasty. Once he started using heroin, he was hardly ever home, and out of his mind when he was home. He would sleep from sun up to sun down, waking up when most people would be going to bed for the night. I tried my best to be there for him but he made it so damn difficult. He wanted me to be there at the clubs, the bars, or wherever he was going for the night. I really did try but I just couldn’t deal with the rock star lifestyle.

I guess you could say the last straw was the night I not only found our house full of people I didn’t know, doing God knows what in the living room, but also the night I found Nikki in bed with a random girl. They were in the middle of having sex when I walked in, the girl looking up at me and smiled. I guess she knew who I was because that smile stayed on her face the whole damn time. Nikki was so blitzed out of his mind that he didn’t even realize I was standing at the door. I was so hurt that I just shut the door behind me and walked back down the stairs. Unfortunately for the people in the living room, I took all of my anger out on them. I destroyed everything in my view. I tore pictures off the wall, smashed the TV set that Nikki spent a fortune on, and kicked every single person out of our house. I flipped the wooden coffee table over, sending the contents flying in the air and moved onto the next room. I guess Nikki finally snapped out of his drug haze since he came flying down the stairs, his leather pants hanging low on his naked frame.

I cursed him up and down, telling him of what I had seen earlier. He had tried to deny it at first  but soon accepted that he was in deep shit. He cried and pleaded but that didn’t stop me from barging back into the bedroom and packing up my stuff.

I filed for divorce on March 28th, 1984.

Nikki of course didn’t show up to divorce hearing, deciding to let his lawyers handle everything. I didn’t want anything from him anyway. He earned his money and I wasn’t about to be that type of wife and try to take him to the cleaners. He had offered to give me the house but I refused. I didn’t want anything that belonged to him and I wanted to as far away from him as possible. I moved out of California and back to my home state of South Carolina. I ditched all of my friends, those of my own and those that I shared with Nikki. Every picture of Nikki and I was placed in a storage unit in California, along with my bridal gown and anything else that reminded me of him. At that time, the thought of him angered me and I guess the thought of me angered him. I had received a letter from him a couple months after I had moved. I don’t know how he got my new address but the letter held some of the most hateful words you could write to a person. He called me everything in the book in the letter, ending with the words, “FUCK YOU WHORE” in capital letters.

That was the last I had heard from Nikki. That was the last I had heard from anyone associated with Motley Crue, of course until today. The last time I had spoke with Doc was right before I left California. He tried to persuade me to stay with Nikki and “just work things out.” He took up for his bassist saying that he had a lapse of judgment. The only thing Doc didn’t realize was that Nikki already had several lapses of judgements during our four-year marriage. I had mentioned to Doc several times during my marriage about Nikki’s drug use. He would just blow me off and say that Nikki was living the “rockstar life.” He would tell me that drugs were a part of being a musician and that Nikki could control himself. I really should have recorded him when he said that…

“Doc called and left me a message today.”

My mom looked up from her notes, pulling her glasses down in the process. “And.” I looked at her and shrugged my shoulders. “He said that he needs my help with Nikki.” Her blue eyes drilled into my soul. My mother - Nikki Sixx hater from day one! She hated him and Nikki hated her. My mother was none-to-thrilled to find out that her only daughter was shacking up with a guy who was chasing his dream to become a musician. Nikki was bouncing from one odd job to the other before he formed Motley. A lot of times, I was the one supporting us, which upset my mother greatly. She would often tell Nikki that he needed to get his head out of his ass and get a real job. I guess you could say that’s one of the reasons why Nikki and my mother hated each other.

“You’re not gonna call him back are you?” My mom questioned. I stayed silent, stuffing another spoon full of cereal into my mouth. “Kathrine Bryant!” My mom yelled. “You can’t be serious right now.” I looked up at her and then drifted my eyes back to the food in front of me. “I thought you never wanted to speak to him again? What’s making you change your mind?” I shrugged my shoulder. “He sounded genially concerned.” My mom rolled her eyes. “Mom-“ I began. “It’s not like I’m going out there in person. I’m just gonna call and see what’s going on. It’s harmless, I promise.”

[american-satanxx]

Animal in Me//Chapter 16

Author’s note:  There will be characters in this story that are 100 percent made up and they are characters my friends have submitted to me. Just forwarning you.

Tag list:  @SCARECROWMAX @KINGNIAZX @LEATHERANDHEELS @IJUSTWANTTOKISS70SROGERTAYLOR @TAMRARAE

MASTERPOST

If You Leave Me, You Will Kill Me Now

December 8th, 1984 I pull up to Vince’s place and a valet appears. I smile at the man before killing the engine. He gives me a ticket in exchange for my keys. As he drives off in my corvette, I walk into the party. The music is loud and there are a ton of people in the house as well as the pool area in the back. But despite how big the party is, it didn’t take long to find Nikki. He was in the living room with Mick, Mick’s girlfriend Lena, and Tom Zutaut from Elektra, Mick and Lena are talk amongst themselves. Tom is looking around awkwardly. And Nikki? Nikki is snorting a giant pile of cocaine, licking the surface clean. A sigh escapes my lips and I shake my head. Since meeting him, I’ve seen the drug use go to new levels. At first, he was doing it ever so often. Now we can barely have sex without him snorting a line off my ass or chest. I fear his drug use is going to get worse before it gets better. “Aria!” Lena announces my presence prompting both Mick and Nikki to look up at me. I shoot a smile before making my way towards the group. “It’s about time you got out here.” “How did Mick convince you to come out?” I question her. Since meeting her, I question how someone like her can be the girlfriend of a rockstar. She very rarely comes out, she rather sit at home with a good book. I often envy her. Being with Nikki, I feel like I have to constantly be the life of the party or he’ll get bored of me and find another blonde. Which is stupid. We’re not even together. Lena shoots Mick a glare but when her attention returns to me, she’s wearing a smirk. “I’m starting to ask that very same question myself. But hey, at least I’m not alone now.” I let out a laugh as I sit down to Nikki. He leans over and kisses my cheek before preparing yet another line of cocaine. He offers it to me and I just shake my head. He shoots me a questioning look before snorting up the line and licking the surface clean once again. “You’re really getting your money’s worth, huh Sixx?” I question him. “How about you take a break, yeah? You’ve got all night to be coked up.” He shoots me a glare. “Last time I checked you weren’t my mother.” He sneers. “And since when you care about my drug use? You’re not going prude on me, are you?”

“Let’s not fight, please.” I urge him. “How about you take me to the kitchen so I can get a drink?” I press my body up against his and bat my eyelashes. A smirk grows on his lips as he gets up off the couch and drags me with him. Hand in hand, we head to the kitchen. “What does the fine lady want to drink?” He asks as he pulls out the bottle of Jack Daniels for himself. “Jack and Coke.” I reply. “Heavy on the Jack my love.” “How else would I prepare it?” He smiles. “So what gives? Since when do you refuse drugs?” “I’m trying to be a good girl tonight.” I shrug. “This morning I woke up with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can’t explain it.” “And what does that have to do with not doing lines of cocaine with your favorite rockstar?” “I kinda what to keep myself in my right mind.” I explain further. “I want to be hyper aware in case something actually happens; which I pray doesn’t.” “You’re being paranoid, babe.” He hands me my drink and kisses my cheek. “Come on, let’s head outside. I think I need some fresh air.” With this free hand, he takes mine and guides me through the crowd and towards the back patio. . Just as we pass through the living room, I notice Vince and Beth arguing over something. Razzle is standing off to the side looking around awkwardly. “Should we save your boy?” Nikki whispers in my ear. “I’ll be right back.” I kiss his cheek before breaking away to head over to the Brit. Once over there, he perks up and pulls me into a hug. “It’s so good to see you, love.” He gives me one last squeeze before releasing me. “Please save me from this?” He points to the fighting couple behind us. “I refuse to get in between Beth and Vince.” I inform him. “Beth doesn’t like me much. Apparently she doesn’t believe me when I say nothing has happened between me and her husband.” “But you don’t like Vince.” “She doesn’t believe that.” I shrug. “Whatever they are arguing about, it’s going to stay between them. Wish I can save you, but I can’t.” “If you don’t listen to me, at least listen to Aria!” I hear Beth yell. I silently curse under my breathe before turning towards them. “Aria tell him, he doesn’t need to go out. Tell him that he’s too drunk to get behind the wheel.” “Beth, he’s not listening to you,” I start. “He definitely won’t listen to me. It’ll be stupid to even try to talk Vince out of doing something.” She just glares at me before turning towards her husband. “Do whatever you want!” She yells. “I don’t care anymore.” She storms off in a huff. Vince just looks at me with a sympathetic expression. “Sorry, Summers.” “Don’t worry about it.” I shrug it off. “Your wife hates me, I get it. But if you are going out, please be safe okay? Just because I don’t like you, doesn’t mean I want to see you dead.” He nods at me before turning towards Razzle. “Ready to go?” “Ready as I'll ever be.” Razzle smiles before walking up to me and kisses my cheek. “See you in a bit, love. Save a dance for me, will you?” “Of course Razz.” I smile. “Be safe, both of you.” “Yes mother!” Vince rolls his eyes but there is a playful smirk on his lips. “See you in a bit Summers.” I watch both Vince and Razzle stumble outside. Deep down, the bad feeling I woke up to intensifies. I let out a sigh before going to find Nikki outside. I sit down next to Nikki and another sigh escapes, earning the attention of the bass player. “You okay, babe?” Concern is actually dripping from his words. “What was the fight about?” “Vince wanting to go out with Razzle.” I reply. “Both of them are way too drunk to be behind the wheel. Should I have sided with Beth? Or just allowed Vince to whatever he wants.” “Vince isn’t a child.” Nikki shrugs. “Even if you sided with Beth, he wouldn’t have listened.” “I just have a bad feeling about this.” I mutter. Nikki sighs before taking my hands and pulling me over into his lip. He wraps his arms around me but it does nothing to kill the bad feeling growing in the bit of my stomach. ** “Has anyone seen Razzle and Vince?” Andy McCoy, Hanoi Rocks lead guitarist, asks. “They’ve been gone over an hour.” “They probably made a detour to a strip club.” Tom chuckles. I shoot him a look, knowing that wasn’t the case. “I really haven’t been drinking,” I inform him. “Let’s get in my car and we’ll drive up and down the streets. Vince’s car is very hard to miss.” “You sure?” Andy looks at me then at Nikki, who’s glaring at him. “I would hate to pull you from your boyfriend.” “He’s not my boyfriend.” I say before getting up off of Nikki’s lap. “And I’m worried too. Come on, let’s get out of here.” I lean down and kiss Nikki’s cheek. “I’ll be back, okay?” “Be safe.” He smiles before leaving a chaste kiss on my lips. “I expect you back in one piece.” “Aye, aye captain.” I smile at him before leading Andy outside to my car. ** “How can you be so sure that they aren’t at a strip club instead?” Andy asks, breaking the silence. “Isn’t Vince always at a strip club?” “Vince wouldn’t leave his wife alone with a house full of drunk rockstars.” I reply. “Plus, I’ve had a bad feeling in the pitch of my stomach since the two left.” “So what kind of car am I looking for?” Andy asks as I come to a stop. Up ahead, I see the bright lights of police lights. I get out of my car and notice, I’m not the only person doing so. Very person stuck in this parking lot traffic is doing the same. An officer comes close to us. “Please get back in your cars.” He orders us. “There was an accident and we are currently working on getting the passengers to the hospital.” Fear washes over me. “What kind of car was involved?” I ask, dreading the answer. “An orange Pantera.” He replies. I can feel everything drain from my body. “Now please get back inside of the car. “No.” I simply say before rushing past him and heading straight towards the accident, completely ignoring the yells of the officer and Andy. I get to the accident just in time to see the EMTs put Razzle’s body in the ambulance. I scan the area until my eyes land on Vince. Vince is sitting on the curb with his arms behind his back and are in handcuffs. I rush over to him, sliding on the concrete, until I’m kneeling in front of him. “Vinnie, what happened?” I ask the blond in front of me. He looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. He looks scared; beyond scared. “Vince, what happened?” “H-he f-f-f-fell asleep.” Is the only thing he manages to say before he starts bawling his eyes out. I immediately pulling him into a hug. He just sits there crying into my chest. “Aria, what happened?” Andy’s voice asks behind me. I turn around, tears in my eyes. “Aria, where’s Razzle?” “On his way to the hospital.” I croak out as tears flow freely from my eyes. “The closest hospital is about a couple miles away. Get in my car and go. I’m going to stay here with Vince.” “Are you sure?” He questions me. “What about Razzle?” “I’ll be there shortly.” I assure him. “If he wakes before I get there, assure him I’ll be right there with a pint of beer and a porno.” He shoots me an uneasy smile, knowing the inside joke me and the drummer share, before doing as I say. I just cling onto Vince for dear life; praying to whoever is in charge in the skies above. Please let that excitedly puppy be alright…