text:
|April 3rd, 2019, 06:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
I wound up "borrowing" the only decent thing from Mystery of the Batwoman for this one)"Chief, where are my socks?" Penfold asked as he littered his bedroom with laundry
If They Only Knew
"Cabinet Ten Penfold" Danger Mouse yelled to him as he relaxed on the couch in the main living room, watching a Mouseflix documentary.
"I do wish you wouldn't label them with numbers chief, try something alphabetical next time" Penfold suggested as he succeeded in finding a suitable pair.
"Some day I'm going to have to teach you the value of numbers, they keep score on how much time you spend at work and indeed how much money you spend courtesy of the big cheques you get after a hard day saving the world. They also remind you what days to remember"
"Oh you mean the days you keep forgetting about? Like my birthday?"
"Well, we can't all be too precise; sometimes there are just too many dates to remember"
"Sounds to me like you'd rather forget about some numbers because they bring about uncomfortable emotions"
"I don't know what you mean Penfold"
Penfold emerged from the bedroom and walked over to the coffee machine to select a latte.
"Well, think about it, you told me you worry about saving your best friend virtually every week, imagine what would happen if you had to think about losing me on my birthday? That would have killed you if the worst had occurred on that day"
"Good point friend, so that makes it perfectly OK to put that out of my mind"
"I wouldn't go that far chief" Penfold said, frowning slightly.
"So any other numbers you think I wilfully neglect because they give me emotional roadblocks?".
"Just one other thing, and I think the pair of you are wilfully neglecting it because you don't want to go further...I think you know what I mean"
"The pair of us?"
"You and that prickly princess" said Penfold.
"Dawn? Dawn Crumhorn?" DM replied, aghast.
"Wow, you were quick to catch on there" said Penfold.
"Bu-but what do we have in common regarding numbers?" DM said
"Age is but a number" Penfold said cryptically.
Suddenly, it hit him.
He smacked his forehead; he couldn't believe he hadn't considered it sooner.
His absent-mindedness was indeed deliberate; he had let that incident with a rebellious Mr. Snuggles and an older, moodier teenage Dawn slip completely from his mind. That day provided all the clarity he needed, and he chose to block it.
And Penfold was right, Dawn had too.
"Right, I'm going to sort this out" he said, making a beeline for the hanger where the Mark IV was stored and dashing off in it towards Dawn's abode, crashing into the right wall and startling her and Mr. Snuggles just as he pressing an iron down on some of her dresses.
"Mouse? What are you doing here; can't you see we're in the middle of our laundry?"
"Is it laundry day everywhere or something?"
"As a matter of fact, it is" Mr. Snuggles said, pointing at the calendar, with a big red patch of red ink encircling the words "LAUNDRY DAY"
"How could I have put this date out of my mind too? I haven't washed this suit in a fortnight" DM said, sniffing his armpits for sign of any linger bodily odours, which grossed Dawn out further.
"You're probably too busy being a goodie-goodie to notice the things that are best for you" said Dawn, blowing a raspberry at him.
"State your business Mouse" Mr. Snuggles said, cracking his knuckles ready for a fight.
"If I could request a little privacy between me and Dawn if that's OK" DM said, giving Dawn a glance that conveyed to her this was a serious subject
"He did give us space that day you and I made up Dawn, we owe this one to him" Snuggles said
Dawn nodded, giving Snuggles permission to leave.
As he did so, Pink got off her throne and approached DM, who didn't even hesitate in asking the question that'd been on his mind since he decided to no longer keep it out.
"Just precisely how old are you? For real?" he said.
"You're only as old as you feel" said Dawn.
"That tiara of yours, it's some kind of age regressor isn't it? That or a debooter"
"I'll give you the boot if you don't cut to the chase Mouse" Dawn replied.
"Sorry, what I'm going to say next is going to come across as a little bit awkward; I'd rather not discuss this with your younger self. I know, I know, it didn't seem to matter when we shared that moment under the northern lights, but for the sake of my conscience and reputation as a wholesome children's icon and merchandise machine, I need you to act a little more like your actual age"
Dawn removed her tiara and her body underwent a startling transformation, her hair grew longer, becoming looser and less poodle-like, it began resembling the coat of a raven, her skin grew greyer, her eloquent princess dress morphed into a strikingly velvet black and purple dress
"Much better" said Danger Mouse.
""M.I.Q Danger Shut-Your-Mousetrap; as in 'make it quick', this is like, so not where I want to be""
"When did it start for you? I know when it started for me, at the North Pole, but when did it start for you?"
"Ugh, do we have to talk about feelings? You're so not my psychiatrist. Did I ever tell you about what happened to my psychiatrist? All twelve of them? I really only had the one, but when he made me talk about my, (shudder), feelings, I split him into twelve tiny versions of himself and stomped on all of them"
"Dawn, you're still not quite acting your age"
"No teenager knows what age they're supposed to be Mouse, you're a grown up so you won't understand"
"Dawn, teenagers don't necessarily stop being teenagers when they turn nineteen, some stay this way well into their mid twenties. Some people choose to repress their maturity forever"
"So? Maybe they think maturing is a crock, it forces you to set aside childish things and makes you face a harsher world with little to no safety net. It's especially true for me in my case because you sent my dad into outer space"
Dawn's words rattled Danger Mouse, but that wasn't the only thing to do so, as she whipped her hair at him, unleashing a blast of dark energy that pinned him against the walls of the house.
As Dawn poured the energy on, DM struggled to put his point across without succumbing to the devastating pain coursing through his body.
"Dawn, I know losing your father still hurts, I know the world won't always be fair to you, you can't replace who you love, but you can add to what you felt, by accepting more people into your heart. Give yourself that chance"
Dawn considered this for a moment, but only just a moment. She shut off her energy spike and left Danger Mouse reduced to a roasted heap on the floor.
She didn't give Danger Mouse a straight answer to his last request, she didn't know yet if she was willing to take that next step. The pair of them may go to their graves never knowing.
She did, however, chose to finally answer his second question.
"You want to know where it started for me? Look at me as I am now Mouse, this was the very form, the only form, where it could have started. When you gave that speech to me and Snuggles proclaiming that if you loved something so much, that you should set it free. It moved me, but only just a little..then I saw your silly sidekick and his own bear make peace with each other, effectively putting your words into practice, I realised I didn't need to let my past go in order for it to shape its own future. As long as I was young inside and out, I didn't need to abandon it, I could merge past and present together. You replenished my youthful spirit, you restored my innocence. I could never forget tha"
"So, what you're saying is its Penfold's fault you feel this way about me?" DM joked as he rose to his feet, looking significantly singed.
"We always blame other people for the scars we carry" said Dawn.
"I'm a scar to you?" said DM.
"You certainly look like it right now, poor thing" she said with a smirk, noting DM's singed appearance.
"All scars heal" remarked DM.
Dawn clicked her fingers and a rocking pop soundtrack began playing over her abode's loud speakers. "Betcha Never" by Cherie.
"Ask" she said.
DM knew instinctively what to say next.
"May I have this dance Dawn?"
Dawn smiled; she scooped up her tiara, placed it gently on the throne and took DM's hand.
As the two engaged in a passionate and electrifying salsa, their thoughts turned to the past once more, back to what both would have perceived at the time as a moment of crisis, but in the context of the present, they could not help but think of the moment differently.
Teetering beside the very edge of Big Ben, DM's feet the loosening grip of Mr. Snuggles, Dawn clutching to his arms in a state of emotional duress. It had all the makings of a storybook cliff-hanger.
And it's on such a cliff-hanger that we leave them be.
For perhaps it was truly then that both realised that's when it started.
If only they knew for sure.
If they only knew
Last edited by Cameron Samurai; April 20th, 2019 at 01:09 AM.
|Reply With Quote
|April 6th, 2019, 11:09 AM
Fan Fiction Author
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 621
I'm enjoying this this far. Again I don't know the world, but you seem to have a good grasp of each character. They each sound distinct from one another and I can visualize it pretty well. As always. Great work!
|Reply With Quote
|April 6th, 2019, 02:20 PM
Power Ranger
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 74
As a fan of the original DM, I find this to be very interesting. I may take a look at the new series.
|Reply With Quote
|April 8th, 2019, 12:50 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
I've also been working on a wiki archiving not just my Danger Mouse fanfics, but ones written by others, fics that are based off both versions of the show. It's still a bit of a work in progress so I'll probably link to it when I feel it's roughly 90% done
|Reply With Quote
|April 26th, 2019, 06:38 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
(Don't worry, I'm not spoiling Avengers: Endgame, this is based off of what was in the very first trailer for it)
(Based off Avengers: Endgame)
He glared into the eye patch as it stood upright on the edge of a wall in the darkened, derelict room and triggered a switch on the right side of it.
"Is this thing on?" DM asked.
A small blue beam emitted from the patch and basked Danger Mouse in its translucent light.
"Hey Little Ms. Crumhorn, if you've found this recording, don't feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end. Just for the record being locked in a cold, barren basement with no promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out four days ago, oxygen will run out tomorrow morning, and that'll be it. And I want you to know that when I drift off, I will dream about you.
So take that little bear you play with all of the time, the one that won't judge you no matter what fowl or sweet mood you're in, and you hold on to him tight, because no matter what age you are today or tomorrow, there always needs to be somebody there for part of the same journey.
The end is just a stop along the way for most people who know us, those who live in our circle, that's the way it should be. Sometimes a lot of us aren't lucky, some days we all go together, before our time. I'd rather that not happen to you. Live Dawn, live through your second, third, fourth, how many childhoods you want, and try to find someone that can take care of you the right way, and tell me all about how lucky you were when we finally do see each other again in the greater journey to come. 'Till then, I'll miss you kid"
DM leaned over and flipped the switch on the eye patch and it shut down, he delicately placed it back around his eye and leaned back, reflecting on his choice in the stillness of the pitch black room
A hissing noise sprang out of nowhere and a bright bursting light lit up where DM was sitting as the doors finally opened. Crisp, cool air blew through the door, resuscitating the Mouse as a familiar Hamster stepped through, examining the state of the room's contents.
"Chief, did you lock yourself in the supply room again?" Penfold replied.
"I had a hankering for some cream strawberry ripple pie, what of it?"
Penfold stood on some of the empty pie plates, shaking his head in dismay
"Looks to me like you've eaten the whole stock; you should be as big as a house"
"Well, that's where the Professor's thinning liquids come in"
"Chief, those are for medical purposes, those aren't meant to be treated as refreshments to hide your greedy gut, look at how thin you are; you're like a pencil neck"
"Well I'll have you know I'm not a geek, so you can channel Freddie Blassie elsewhere" said DM.
"The Colonel had specifically told us the supply room was going to be down for maintenance, is that why you were trying to sneak in a couple of quick bites thinking nobody would notice?"
DM felt slightly embarrassed at how far he'd taken things.
"I admit I may have been a bit too eager to please my stomach" said DM.
"You seem to want to please someone else from all the chatter I heard coming from in here, were you talking to someone?"
DM shook his head.
Penfold raised an eyebrow
"You'd best not be lying to me"
"Scout's honour" said DM.
Penfold gave him a damning look, not believing him but too frustrated to carry on the interrogation; he turned and led Danger Mouse out of the supply room.
DM fidgeted with his eye patch, bringing up the recorded holographic message he'd left for Dawn in the eventuality of his demise, one that would now never happen. He considered deleting it, but opted not to.
What he said there could still matter all the same, he would have to upgrade it whenever he did face bleaker odds, and no chance of escape or survival, but he decided that a lot of what he said in this recording would be repeated in each of those instances, even if the battle scars were inflicted by Dawn herself.
No matter what road he travelled, she was part of his journey now.
And he hoped these words would light her path.
|Reply With Quote
|May 11th, 2019, 11:32 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
(Contains spoilers for "Dark Dawn")
Author's Note: Special thanks to Irhaboggle fo her tireless work on fics based off of this particular episode and for our conversations which have all helped contribute to this story
Bernard's first real sensation as he was brought to life by Mr. Snuggles was that of rage.
He let out a primal howl as soon as he freed himself from his owner's grip. He made it clear to him that the days of latching on to him were over.
Mr. Snuggles offered Bernard his paw as he mounted a stuffed unicorn, he took the paw, clung to his side, and the unicorn dashed off with both in tow, leaving a distraught and emotional Penfold behind.
The journey took them to London Bridge, and in the midst of the dank and murky fog, Bernard joined other toys that Snuggles had pumped fresh breath into. This was a kingdom he was set on establishing, a concrete jungle for which his animal army could flourish.
Still, Bernard could tell Snuggles was conflicted, he and the others could sense it, as if it were just as much a part of their own souls. The feeling they had once belonged somewhere, the feeling of resentment and rejection, they were strange things to feel, as their memories of life before life was given remained strongly imprinted on their developing minds. Minds which had known nothing but kindness, and closeness, with their human partners.
Bernard observed Snuggles behaviour further when he was confronted at the bridge by the woman who's bleak and moody view of her own advancing years had put this whole affair into motion, Snuggle's creator and former best friend Dawn Crumhorn, now slightly older and in no mood to play pretend with her once precious plaything.
She was trying to do Danger Mouse a favour; she was trying to persuade Snuggles to give him back to Penfold and to call off his senseless attempts at a takeover of the city, turning it into a gloomier and emotionally clouded place.
Snuggles was reluctant, and teased Dawn, which only served to enrage her, and in trying to get back at Snuggles with an unparalleld temper tantrum which left a smouldering hole in the bridg, she exposed Danger Mouse and Penfold to the bears, showing this had all been a set up.
Bernard felt like he couldn't trust Penfold to respect his wishes for independence, he was trying to maintain some hold over him, some form of control, driven by his own selfish needs for comfort, that he was willing to deprive Bernard of the taste of freedom he craved.
Bernard again scared off Penfold with a howl of irritable aggression, but still chose not to inflict damage on his person.
Perhaps rage was all Mr. Snuggles would permit the toys to feel, it was he who possessed the power to give life to all stuffed toys, to help them grow beyond what they were designed to do, but he himself could not grow beyond the redundancy of his own purpose. He was trying to redefine himself, yet could not see any other means of creating a fair and just society, a society not built on the basis of equality, this was a society driven to conquer, a society sustained by division.
As Bernard embarked on his conquest, turning as many teddies as he could, until he finally sat atop Big Ben like a King upon his throne, ultimately clashing again with Dawn. Danger Mouse and Penfold had accompanied her again, this time in the Danger Car.
They clashed wildly, their negative energies colliding, their hurt and anger on full display. Despite Danger Mouse attempting to convince both parties to stop fighting, telling them they had to set the other free to show how much they love them, but the words did not seem to impact neither of them, and their battle grew so fierce it finally rocked Big Ben so hard it caused Bernard to lose his balance and plummet from the structure.
Bernard had only been alive for what had been a couple of hours, and now he was facing his final few seconds. Everything he had been defined by flashed forward in his mind, all he could think of was regret, regret that he could not feel anything but the unfairness of it all, the fighting, the bickering.
If this was what life was like, why bother living?
And then he heard his name being uttered by someone who was steadily getting closer and closer to him, it was Penfold, who finally grabbed him, before pulling on a rip cord to release a parachute, which graciously allowed them to touch down safely.
Penfold, having risked his life to preserve the splendour of Bernard's existence, then told him he would let him go, putting Danger Mouse's words into practice, determined to prove his point to the clashing Dawn and Snuggles.
Bernard had heard all he needed, this may have been Snuggle's kingdom, but it was not his home. Home is family, and so long as the family is a loving one, one can never turn a blind eye to it.
Bernard felt the pain go away, he felt the rage dispel, he looked up to find this was what Snuggles was feeling too as he reunited with Dawn, both had been moved by the heroism, and by Bernard's choice.
As the two made peace and flew away, Bernard could also feel life slip away from him, he was morphing back to his original state. He could not have been happier for this state of existence to end.
Life in the kingdom of the blind was no way to live at all.
|Reply With Quote
|May 11th, 2019, 11:34 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
(Contains spoilers for "Dark Dawn")
The choice for them all was simple. Be Snuggles' friend.
They dismissed the invitation, mostly out of fear, some out of disinterest.
That was fine, thought Mr. Snuggles.
He didn't need the regular people and their regular problems. He could make his own friends. He wielded the power to make that happen.
The tiara on his head emitted bright crimson energy at anyone clutching a soft felt animal in their arms or at any toy store that kept them stacked upon their shelves.
Each blast breathed fresh breath into them; the same lifeblood that pumped through his cotton veins now moved them.
The energy channelled the resentment and hurt he was feeling at this precise moment, the urge to detach oneself from the tender connectivity between bear and being, shattering their bonds, and relying only on the strength and support of their own kind.
His friends, his new family, they shall not betray him; they shall be his rock, just as he had been the rock for the one imperfect soul whom he had tried to give a perfect life to. Unlike her though, he would not have such imperfections, he would not take them for granted.
These friends were like clay he had moulded, scooped up from the bed of a river, kneeling down into the dust and toiling over them, filling them with not just his great promises, but his concerns.
He wondered if he could ever give them a notion of care, of love, and of fulfilment. Would the temptation of his promise prove strong enough to sustain them all their days until they were well worn out ? Or would they grow tired of never having the sun or the moon in their grasp?
The promises of a mere poem, that was the legacy Dawn had left him with, and an obligation he had now to his army, only he had to make sure it wasn't just rhyme. It had to be reason.
The doubt in his mind would form part of their own cerebral profile, it would inform their behaviour, and they would know no other way of thinking unless he himself started seeing things in a more positive light.
It was at this moment he realized the truth.
He was still alone.
|Reply With Quote
|May 11th, 2019, 11:39 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
(Contains Spoilers For "Dark Dawn")
Her request had been simple.
Stop making her look silly.
As Snuggles aired footage of him and her together in more jubilant times, venting over how she took him for granted, Dawn had risen to the heavens with thunder in her voice and blackened fire emitting from her hair. She was in a combative mood.
The clash between bear and beauty was not a spectacle that struck awe and fascination with people, it was a dangerous game of wits and head highlights, turning buildings black and red until most of the city resembled a checkers board.
The skies were a mix of pitch black and scarlet; the mood of the city had become so dour even the narrator could barely get through the recording session without coming across as a thoroughly broken man.
Dawn found Snuggles perched atop Big Ben, inflicting his bitterness on most of the city, his faithful family of furried friends, toys he had brought to life, rallying behind him. Each as angry as he was with how they had been treated by their possessive and selfish owners.
Dawn let out a tantrum, Snuggles did likewise, they were so angry with the other they were even competing to see who could scream the loudest.
And then the Mark IV Danger Car came between them.
Oh. Joy. She thought.
The grown up was attempting to take charge.
He stood there in front of them, his arms outstretched, a stern expression on his face, a look that could easily captivate the pair of them as an authority's presence, and then usually he would start speaking and erode all trace of said presence, and with that, their respect.
"I know you're both upset, but things change, people change, teddies change" he began, being briefly interrupted by his sidekick Penfold who rallied against the shock of the new, wanting things to go back to the way they were supposed to be. Something nobody else agreed with him on.
"What I'm saying is, if you love something, you have to set it free" he concluded.
The words stirred something in Dawn, and she looked back towards Snuggles, who looked back at her.
The grown up was making sense.
Tears formed in her eyes, the Mouse had eloquently put his case forward with conviction and strength, appealing to her fairer sense of judgement, trusting her to come to the right decision.
He trusted her.
A pity she wasn't quite ready to act like an adult herself and listen to him, neither was Snuggles.
"Nah" they both said, shrugging off the words and exchanging further flames between them, until one blast caught one of Snuggle's friends off guard and sent him flying off the tower and hurtling to the ground below.
"Bernard" Penfold screamed as he recognised the stuffed animal in distress, and descended from the Danger Car to catch him. Danger Mouse, concerned for his friend, also dove off of the car to intercept both of them, only to crash into Dawn.
Snuggles caught Danger Mouse by the legs, Dawn clutched on to the mouse's arms tightly.
From this point, she felt something odd course through her, a sense of tenderness, of warmth, it wasn't just a matter of holding on to him because she had to, and she could levitate any time she wanted. She was holding on because she wanted to, she needed to.
It was almost as if she wanted an excuse to observe something from this angle, a part of her was saying it was OK now. It was time to stop being so silly. She had a feeling something special was happening that would stay with her forever.
Penfold grabbed Bernard and triggered a parachute, as they landed, Penfold told Bernard he was willing to let him go, that he could live without him. Bernard responded with a gentle embrace, forgiving Penfold for being so selfish and possessive, and letting his rage subside.
Dawn watched this, her nimble fingers still latched on to the Mouse's warm and assuring grip, tears were swelling up in her eyes.
The Mouse had been right to say what he had, this had gone beyond words, and now she was having another epiphany.
She was going to earn his trust; she was going to prove his faith in her was well founded.
She was going to forgive Snuggles, and let her back into her life.
She would cast aside her angst, turn her back from maturity, and once more embrace her childhood habits and soft comforts.
She marvelled at the ongoing freedom she had to initiate such a moment.
More to the point, she was starting to think about why she was still a free woman at all; after all she had committed a slew of nefarious offences and inflicted harm on Danger Agents and citizens alike. She should have been in numerous detention complexes.
Somehow she doubted it was all due to the high priced lawyers of her father, sometimes he would not concern himself with her affairs at all, and he almost never made house calls after she got out.
But Danger Mouse did.
She thought back to her first encounter with the Mouse that day in her home, when his sidekick crashed the Mark IV into her house suspecting her to have been behind Snuggles and his toyetic takeover.
He had kicked the door to her room in, only for the Mouse to have opened it with care and grace.
The door hadn't been locked.
The house was keyed in to her biological rhythms, it reacted to her every telekinetic whim.
There were only two people in the world that the house would open for.
Her father, Augustus, and one other, which was now obvious to her
Her response to this was to ignore the realisation, to bury it deep down and speak of it another day, it couldn't be possible with where she was going, knowing what side of the fence she was on.
"I'm sorry I was so angry" cried out Mr. Snuggles.
"Me too" Dawn replied.
Before she began climbing up the mouse's body and towards Snuggles to embrace him, she clutched tighter to the Mouse, cradling them like she were locked in an embrace of a different kind, burying her head in his arms, bathing him in her tears.
This moment was all she could spare, and it went beyond the door.
Last edited by Cameron Samurai; May 11th, 2019 at 01:12 PM.
|Reply With Quote
|May 18th, 2019, 09:26 PM
Fan Fiction Author
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 621
A very nice, short but powerful segment. I can really feel the anguish in the conflict. Nicely done.
|Reply With Quote
|May 20th, 2019, 10:06 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
Thanks a lot. I've been told the Dawn/DM 'ship is quite popular with fans
The author I'm a friend with also told me I was the best at actually justifying the 'ship to her.
|Reply With Quote
|May 30th, 2019, 01:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
Squawk usually had all the time in the world for compliments, but today not so much.
She had to disregard Danger Mouse's complimentary comments regarding her newly developed jet boots to remind him not to cause too much of a mess in her lab this afternoon. They had company.
Almost as soon as she made her intentions to keep the lab in pristine shape clear to him, the lab doors opened and in came their guest.
It was a young girl, with star struck eyes and a spark of feverish enthusiasm about her. She held her teddy bear up and instructed it to look upon the contents of the room too. The way she went about this indicated she was almost daring herself to do something naughty right off the cuff.
"Look, Mr. Snuggles, sweets" she said, and jumped at the chance to take some orange droplets from a container orb, which sent Squawk spiralling into a panic, and after permitting herself an anguished howl, she dashed over to prevent the girl from swallowing them.
"They're not sweets, they're miniature partial fusion bombs" she said.
The girl, eventually identified by the Professor as Dawn, looked at Squawk with a saddened expression, keen on learning something new, but a little disappointed in her eagerness to indulge her taste buds at the expense of her personal health.
Why was I always like that? She wondered
Why is it the first thing I do is get everyone off on the wrong foot?
And it did not improve from there.
Upon deciding to make up for her first mistake with a show of social etiquette, Dawn approached Danger Mouse with a hearty handshake.
As she gripped his hand, her eyes glanced upwards at his warm and welcoming facial expression; it seemed he was at ease, prepared, not hesitant or hysterical despite the trouble she had just caused. He seemed all too eager to give her a second chance.
It's unfortunate for her that he failed to make a decent first impression.
"Hello Mr. Big Mouse" she said, complimenting his tall stature...it wouldn't be much else.
She pulled her beloved plush bear up to his face and paraded it in front of him.
"You have to shake Mr. Snuggles hand too" she instructed.
Danger Mouse's reaction was to do so, to humour her, to make things that belonged to her feel just as necessary a component of the function as she was.
If only he were good at remembering names.
"Ah, hello Mr. Snuggly" he said.
Dawn snapped and corrected him with an incensed and sharp fury in her voice.
"Snuggles!" she said.
Squawk brought up the fact that she had won a competition to spend the day at the lab with them; Dawn seized the opportunity to brag of her father's considerate efforts to ensure she did win by buying up as many raffle tickets as possible. Opening up about her family could lead to a deeper bond between her and her new playmates.
Make no mistake, she was here to play. The lab was a doll house to her; she was of the age to see the lab's utilities as her amusement.
She suggested a tea party, but almost drank sulphuric acid, again causing a panic from Squawkencluck.
Failing to learn anything from this, almost out of a self destructive whim to cause social embarrassment to herself, she danced too-and-fro across a table, lost her balance and tripped onto a lever which opened a rift in the fabric of time and space.
After all of that was resolved, she stumbled on a lavish pool of pink and purple liquid, the colour, the scent intoxicated her, urging her to dive in.
Squawk found herself once again panicking, Danger Mouse stepped in using the Professor's rocket boots to charge towards Dawn at ludicrous speed just as she was about to dive head first into it, but in doing so, her tiara and Mr. Snuggles fell into the tub.
Danger Mouse hovered over the tub cradling Dawn in his arms, Dawn's common sense kicked in as she came to grips with just why she had been wrenched away from the pool as Snuggles began to sink into the liquid.
Once again, she had gambled with her life, and now her life may change forever.
Should anything happen to Snuggles, she would never forgive herself.
She wasn't so much concerned about her tiara, after all, it was her father's ideal vision for her to remain an infant diamond in his eyes that he could marvel at every day of his life, and making sure she was never old enough to walk directly out of his life. The micro technology stored within the tiara inhibited her aging process, but it also caused her more childish and self-centred behavioural patterns to exceed the realms of normalcy.
The tiara didn't need recovering, she felt in that moment clutched in the big mouse's grip, that perhaps it was time to face adult consequences.
As soon as Snuggles was back in her possession, recovered from the liquid by Danger Mouse, that feeling dissipated.
Noone seemed angry with her, they were putting on a front almost to spite themselves, and it caused Dawn to act even worse towards them.
She would start to now physically assault them, kicking Penfold and Squawk in the shins, though she chose not to attack Danger Mouse as he had earned his fur in her eyes for salvaging Snuggles and her tiara.
Finally, the Professor modestly told her their time together was over.
This set Dawn off, she had been promised a whole day of play, she was keen to learn of the ins and out of a world famous spy organisation, to see science at work, it was being denied not just entertainment, but education, for hers was a vastly growing and advancing mind. That didn't change just because a tiara kept her from ageing.
She took Snuggles and the tiara in her hands and wandered towards the door, she glanced back at Squawk with a repellent and condemning gaze.
She had spent many years on this earth, up until today she had made a pledge to playtime, to surrender to her father's whims.
Now, the tiara was off, she was thinking clearly, she was making adult decisions.
Perhaps the day could have been better if she weren't so impulsive and self seeking, or more to the point, self destructive, but that required tolerance, understanding, and almost none of them had shown they were capable of grasping that.
The Professor was far too concerned with preserving the state of her lab.
The hamster didn't do much of note.
Outside of one little slip-up, the mouse had been the best of all three she had met. He had potentially saved her life, and had gone to bat for Mr. Snuggles, an inanimate object, just to keep her happy.
She would keep note of that.
She had made a pledge to her father, but never in her life had she made a vow.
The Professor's coldly logical behaviour towards her, reacting to her as if she were a problem and not an overly curious innocent, and solving the problem by placing her beyond sight and mind, was all she needed to inform what kind of vow it would be.
One free of logic.
One of revenge.
|Reply With Quote
|June 9th, 2019, 11:30 AM
Fan Fiction Author
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 621
At the risk of sounding unmanly, Dawn sounds very cute in the depiction you've done. Well done as always.
|Reply With Quote
|June 10th, 2019, 01:09 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
Dawn's easily becoming my favourite character to write for, and someone on FF.Net and Archive of Our Own thought I was so good at writing fics with her that they wrote me a story as a gift, it's called "This Daydream Is Dangerous" and they sort of based it on a Taylor Swift song that I had to look up (not familiar with Swift music...mercifully), anyway, I was touched by what they did so I wound up writing a story for them based on a Swift track which they appreciated.
I'll be uploading new stories shortly.
|Reply With Quote
|June 17th, 2019, 09:43 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
He Turned, She Turned
From high above the city of London, Danger Mouse marvelled at the sheer velocity of his footwear.
These shoes. They fit perfectly. And he proudly expressed his fondness for this pair he was wearing as it elevated him above the clouds. His trusty assistant and best mate Penfold wasn't too far behind him, as he shot out from the open manhole that led directly to the Danger Agency's top secret testing facility.
This particular means of exiting the Danger Agency to try out these new jet boots didn't half irritate the narrator.
Danger Mouse breathed in the crisp cool London air, taking in the scent of the city before gradually touching down back in the lab, several tourists taking photographs as he did so.
"And a perfect landing" he said as he settled down on the floor. He spoke out to Penfold asking if he agreed,
"If you say so Chief" Penfold replied as he fell on top of Danger Mouse, with his own rocket boots kicking back shortly after, sending him crashing into Professor Squawkenclukck's desk.
A back door in the lab opened and out came that very scientist, gasping at the reckless behaviour going on in the lab.
"What's the meaning of this?" she said as Danger Mouse briefly took off yet again, only to land beside her in mere moments.
"This. Pronoun, used to describe a specific thing or person close at hand, for example, THIS is a fantastic pair of jet boots" he said.
The way he said it caught the Professor by surprise. It was sensual and seductive, almost as if he were getting a thrill out of it.
Danger Mouse caught himself thinking precisely the same thing, he didn't feel at all embarrassed or out of line for suggesting that in his tone of voice. The jet boots had left such a sound impression on him that he was eager to demonstrate his supreme pleasure to its creator.
Who knows? Perhaps she would feel supremely encouraged to perhaps accept an invitation to dinner. His treat, and hopefully it led to her satisfaction.
Squawkencluck chose to react to this with a swift snap of her fingers, summoning detacher claws to pry the boots off of Danger Mouse's feet, sending him into a heap on the floor, before then spraying the boots with a can of deodorant to relieve the footwear of any lingering odours.
"I'm trying to keep the lab tidy, we have a special guest" Squawk explained, giving DM an affectionate gaze while he was looking at the shoes being placed neatly back on the shelves.
Just as the hatch opened, and Dawn Crumhorn, future enemy of the Danger Agency, stepped out to begin a new life-changing adventure for everyone involved, DM turned around to look up at Squawk, only for her to turn her own head around just before he could see the satisfactory smile on her face.
She always did enjoy turning the tables on him.
|Reply With Quote
|June 17th, 2019, 09:45 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
(See if you can spot the Taylor Swift song)
Danger Mouse took a look up to try to catch a glimpse of the sky, but it was difficult to make out any clouds.
A shame, he could do with a little imagination kicking in as he formed shapes out of them, it was a child-like pleasure, but one that would grant him great comfort.
The sky was clustered with airplanes taking off and touching down, their great height and sizes dwarfing the stretch of land he nimbly stood on.
He helped his companion with her bags as passengers headed over to board the plane.
"We could have used the Danger Car" he said
His companion, the chirpy chicken Professor Squawkencluck,
"It's a retreat, not official government business. The Mark IV is government property, so it stays behind"
"Quite right Professor, though it wouldn't hurt to at least let me chaperone you"
"Fortunately for me, you also happen to be government property"
"Nobody owns me Professor"
"Your costume is, and you never take it off"
"These are the only outfits I own"
"Not my fault you spend all of your pay on high octane sugar content and food that goes down so fast it's barely in your hands before it's in your mouth"
Danger Mouse took a deep breath, the Professor was trying his last bit of patience and he didn't want their parting to be one brimming with argumentative tension.
"Do you have something against New York Danger Mouse?" Squawk asked
"We were over there for thanksgiving once, Penfold and I, Jeopardy invited us"
"Oh I see, you two haven't settled down yet? She was quite sour after you hoarded all the awards at the Soupies"
"I think back to what I said to her, all she wanted was friends at her table and I thought she meant she had other friends than just Penfold and I and she was trying to make them feel more important than the pair of us. I wasn't considerate of her at all, and I fear it may have informed her later opinions of me, motivating her to want to arrest me at every convenient opportunity"
"You do tend to get frame a lot" said Squawk.
DM watched on as the passengers climbed on board the plane, he took a firm grasp of Squawk's luggage and dragged it over to the staircase, where a bunch of cheerful giraffes representing the flight attendants welcomed him and took the burden off of him.
"Thanks so much for this Danger Mouse, I have to admit it's a wee bit out of step for you to do so much for me on my way out for a couple of days, especially after that whole fiasco with the futuroid camera"
"Yes, well, if I had known what I'd known now, I never would have played so nonchalant" he said, indicating that if he knew that the future would have ended in them exchanging lip service to carry a key that could unshackle the pair of them in a perilous situation, he would have purposely had rubbed it in more.
Squawk blushed slightly.
"Oh my Danger Mouse, you're such a kidder...you were hitting the panic button almost every time the thought of us kissing was brought up"
Danger Mouse couldn't help but chuckle.
"I suppose I did, all the better you do take this vacation Squawk, I think the thought that you still cannot control the future even if you can see it can tax the mind greatly. You always need to feel like you're in control"
"We're almost ready to roll" said one of the attendants.
"Well, I'd best jet off"
Danger Mouse stared intently at her, words formed in his head that he dare not speak out.
This was falling in love in the cruellest way
This was falling for her and she'd be worlds away.
Squawk also stared back at him with gratitude, yet she also hid sentiments from him
She'd be in New York...if only he could be there
But he was to remain in London, the very thought was causing her to break down.
It wasn't fair to know he wouldn't be around.
And this was where the feeling sunk in, neither wanted to miss the other like this.
They had to give each other a reminder of home, of each other.
"One for the road?" one of them asked.
Caught in the heat of the moment, neither knew which one had said it.
Their lips touched a small tender exchange of sensual pleasure that caused Squawk to lift up one leg as the bliss overtook them.
"Last call for all passengers" yelled the attendant.
Neither Danger Mouse nor Squawk had any time left, Squawk relinquished her hold and headed up the staircase and clambered into the plane.
As the hatch closed and the plane sped up the runway and eventually headed off into the sky above, DM could finally take a good view of the sky above him, but the need to imagine still hadn't come to him.
As he walked back through the terminal, he noticed an animated stuffed teddy bear standing in a corner.
"Mr. Snuggles?" said DM, heading over to the corner
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting" he said.
DM knelt down next to him
"Dawn didn't take you with her?" he asked.
"On her dad's orders" he said
"Whatever for?"
"Causing that stir back when she first rejected me, said I was a rough influence, we needed space between us...I don't know what kind of person she'll be when she gets back, it's not fair, I don't want to need her this way, but I do. I'd hate for her t change. Don't you hate that feeling when somebody goes away? Do you fear that they'll become someone altogether different, or they'll forget what made your connection so special?"
"Without question Snuggles, in my profession you often can't afford to maintain a connection for fear they may be hurt, either by your enemies or trying to fend off your enemies for you, you can only think of the moment you share, and hope that moment is enough"
"There you are" cried out an elated, squeaky clean child-like voice,
DM and Snuggles turned around to see Princess Dawn Crumhorn walking through the teeming crowds of people with a chaperone aardvark at hand.
Danger Mouse offered to stand up and greet Dawn, but she pushed him out of the way and hoisted Snuggles up in her arms.
"Did that miserable mouse hurt you?" said Dawn.
"No, no Big Mouse actually used his big gob to help me" said Snuggles.
"You're very welcome" said DM as he picked himself up and began to walk away.
Snuggles whispered something in Dawn's ear, she urged DM to stop in his tracks,
"Mouse, wait...Mr. Snuggles says you sounded different while you were talking to him...like you were spinning faster than all the planes out there"
DM looked back at Dawn; he took another glance at Snuggles, who gave him an assuring thumbs up. A smile began to linger once again on his face. The smile seemed to also prove infectious for Dawn, whose eyes were star struck at the warmth of DM's expression.
"Do you want to stare at the clouds for a pointless couple of hours?" he asked, holding out his hand.
Dawn, with Snuggles nodding approvingly, smiled and clutched his hand tight
Together, all three exited the terminal and headed to the car park, where they had all the freedom they craved to use their imaginations.
To be in that moment was enough to satisfy them.
|Reply With Quote
|June 17th, 2019, 09:45 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
At first, the sight of London coated in sparkling and bedazzling pink mesmerised Danger Mouse as never before.
Big Ben, the Chrysler, the London Eye, their makeover each brought wonderment to his one functioning eye. He had never seen the city look so exotic before.
He'd been told by the Colonel this was a crisis, yet at the time he could see nothing to be frightful of. There was something so tranquil regarding the state of the city, he felt he could have flew over it for hours to take in the sights.
This was, of course, just prior to Dawn Crumhorn using her new powers to turn the citizens into inanimate plastic playthings.
Why was there always such a hefty price for price?
Can any city truly be safe while a single person breathed in it?
Perhaps Dawn understood that, she had been denied her day of play only a few hours beforehand, the same hours that had bestowed her with dangerous DNA and a tiara that could unleash the cruellest kindness.
Dawn's intentions were far from pure, DM understood that, but he also knew they were the cries of what was obviously an unwanted child.
Not once had her father been seen on the news appealing for her to come forward and give herself up.
Perhaps he was encouraging her from afar? If only he could be traced.
DM hated not knowing answers to questions, but he always knew he could rely on to supply him with the exact information he needed.
Even if all of what was occurring had been in part due to her dismissive attitude, Professor Squawkencluck was still willing and able to atone by working in tandem with him and Penfold to
"The longer the Princess wears the tiara, the more powerful she gets" Squawk revealed as she examined one of the London citizens turned into an figure by Dawn's wicked blend of magic and weird science.
Danger Mouse knew they had to get close to Dawn, and his thoughts immediately turned to espionage tactics, and the kind of devices Squawk could supply him with.
Invisibility cloaks, teleportation capsules, something that would not draw too much attention from Dawn. Danger Mouse didn't wish to frighten her with any form of hardware to get the job done.
What Squawk suggested was a little more radical, as she pressed a button on her lab desk to send up a beauty salon.
"We could turn you into princesses" she suggested.
Danger Mouse's jaw dropped.
This woman was unbelievable. She certainly had a nerve asking this of him.
He knew what it was for of course, all the times he had totalled her inventions weighed more on her head than any other time she had been complimented by him. Only just this morning he had tried out her jet boots and found them more than sufficient, and he let her know it. Apparently that didn't matter.
"It's the only way to get you close to her" she said.
Lies thought Danger Mouse.
Almost as if she could read his thoughts on the manner just by staring at him with an amused smirk on her own face, she finished off by saying "dressing you two up like idiots is just a bonus"
After a stern telling off from Colonel K, DM took a few seconds to mull over this, and he steadily tried to piece together the exact meaning of Squawk's intentions, and came to some interesting conclusions. He knew her too well by this point to dismiss his conclusions as mere theory.
She wasn't admitting to anything, but she didn't need to, she was very much making it clear that this of all days, would be one where she would play with him.
Perhaps this was her way of relieving herself of the very real consequences of dismissing Dawn earlier in the day, all because she had wanted a playmate for herself, that she wanted company on what would normally have been for her a pedestrian day
What he had suggested earlier had been entirely within her power to provide him, but she wanted to approach this mission with an even more graceful touch, an attempt at appealing to Dawn's greatest need, a need for companionship.
Squawk wanted to atone, Squawk wanted to play, why should he deny her both when not just the fate of the world was at stake, but the Professor's conscience was as well?
While hearts could still be broken, the intention was pure. DM was quite touched that he would have the opportunity to give a lonely child a chance at company and happiness, and just as impressed Squawk was giving him that opportunity and a chance to show him what she could accomplish as a stylist.
"Professor...make us beautiful" he instructed.
It was a mere formality
For he knew she already had.
|Reply With Quote
|June 17th, 2019, 09:46 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
Author's Note: An alternative take on the infamous wedding photo glimpsed at the end of "The World Is Full Of Stuff" I guess lrhaboggle's realism in regards to how the Futuroid camera works finally sunk in and I decided there ought to be a "twist" on how the big day eventually played out
The remnants of the wedding cake lay untouched on the table; some of the pieces had made their way on to the soft grass as the winds steadily picked up on this blustery autumn day.
As soon as the pieces touched the soil, a paw was quick to snatch them up and take them underneath the table.
"One for you Princess" said Mr. Snuggles as he passed a slice over to his partner in crime, Dawn.
"Oh good, this one has oodles and oodles of chocolate buttons on it" said Dawn with glee, picking the buttons off and quickly shoving a handful into her mouth.
"Look, I got the groom" Snuggles said, holding up one of the model figures used for decoration of the cake.
"What does it taste like?" Dawn asked as Snuggles took a bite.
"Like it isn't made of an edible substance" said Snuggles, spitting out what had proven to be a waxwork figure and pouting.
Dawn urged him to keep quiet as she noticed a pair of white legs stroll past the table and head over to the stairwell in the middle of the park where the wedding had taken place. The individual the legs belonged knelt down and activated a small tablet held in his hands
"It's the Mouse" said Snuggles.
"Quiet, I'm listening in" insisted Dawn.
"Ah Penfold, they've let you keep your com link open"
"Yes Chief, these modern hostage taking techniques really are more accommodating these days, I think it's because they always choose a destination with diplomatic immunity, so no one can come and touch them"
"That Baron always has connections regardless of whether or not he has the Wi-Fi" said Danger Mouse.
"Mind you, the prison cells still have the usual cockroach infestation, but the beetles are awfully friendly down here Chief"
"Is the Baron making you say that sort of thing again?" said DM.
"No, no, I'm good with it this time. I think some of them have a little too much to drink, I call them hung beetles"
"Very funny Penfold, I'm sure that will go over nice and well with the 5-12 demographic" said DM.
"Anyway, let me know when you get 'round to clearing the paperwork necessary to come fetch me will you?" said Penfold.
DM gave him a thumbs up, though deep down he knew he had a larger hill to climb.
He switched the tablet off, looked up at the sky and hummed a quaint little diddy to himself.
Another person walked over to him, a bedazzling chicken in a white wedding dress, she perched herself down beside him and put one arm over his shoulder.
"I am so sorry" said Squawkencluck, "This wedding idea was a bad one right from the get, look at how much damage it's caused...to the Park, to the Danger Agency, to Penfold, to you"
"Professor, the notion of a 'trigger warning wedding', dangling the priceless carrot that was the agency's top agent and scientist in one convenient place and inviting all of our known enemies to attend, was entirely the brain child of Colonel K, if anyone should be apologising for it, it's him"
"Does he even remember what put him up to it?"
"I think he just wanted to justify the expense of that cake, seeing as it was going to waste at his cousin's ceremony that never took place because the bride got caught in a revolving door. He's probably still there trying to get her out. His mind's elsewhere I'm afraid"
"Then what's stopping you from just taking advantage of that and going after Penfold?"
"We can't go into a country where immunity is sacrosanct, they have laws there. We may live dangerously, but we sure don't act that recklessly"
"You could resign, go in as a rogue agent"
"We're not a country club Squawk, you can't just come and go, there are consequences to that, there's no guarantee they'll let us back in"
It was at this point that Dawn and Snuggles emerged from beneath the table and began chasing one another around the park in a playful mood, all while Squawk and DM continued to talk.
"If I go rogue and try to retrieve Penfold, the other Danger Agents will be assigned to apprehend me"
"Like they do every five weeks?" said Squawk.
"Having them fail to arrest me, even if some of them like Penfold and are willing to look the other way, will result in the Agency being disgraced and likely disavowed"
"Penfold's your friend, he's my friend, he's everyone's friend as you said, and you owe him a world to walk through. Forget Queen and country, your duty is to that hallowed hamster of yours"
DM gave her a pat on the back; he looked over at Dawn as Snuggles grabbed her ankles and tackled her to the ground before giving her a little tickle on the tummy.
"Look at that, we deal in grown up talk while they have the time of their lives"
"At least someone's having fun today" said Squawk.
She picked herself up and kissed Danger Mouse on the cheek.
"I know you'll do the right thing, because if you don't, the next time this beak touches your face it's going to leave it with your only remaining eye"
She headed off; DM presumed it was to help the Colonel get his cousin out of the door.
Dawn howled with laughter as Snuggles continued to tickle her, finally, her tiara glowed bright pink and forced him off of her with a dangerous blast that sent him careering into a tree, which also split open as soon as he impacted with it.
"How many times have I told you not to go for my belly button? I'm super sensitive there" she teased.
She noticed DM was still where he was, pondering what to do.
"I saw what happened to your little pen pal; today's just not your day is it? Even your bride walked off in a tiff"
"She was never my bride Dawn, the whole thing was an act to try and incarcerate every one of you"
"Really? Even me and Snuggles?"
"Oh not you, never you, you're too good at hide and seek"
"Or maybe you're not so good at finding us when we need to be"
"You know I could technically arrest you right now, you did destroy a piece of parkland property just now"
Dawn looked at him with a smug expression, as she possessed vital knowledge.
"Do that and you won't have my permission to crash the island Baron Greenback is keeping Penfold on"
"How?" DM asked.
"My dad owns beachfront property on Hackman's Island; it's a swell vacation spot for anyone fresh out of serving time for trying to bring you to heel. Only two people can grant or withdraw permission to stay there. You're looking at one"
"Yes, but...you wouldn't do that for me, would you?"
"Should I not do something for you? Very well, I'll retract my offer then"
"No, no, please, if you can help me I promise I won't try to arrest you for a whole week. I can't promise that for every agent, but I'll do my best to slip up from time to time"
"Not what I want"
"What do you want then?"
"I want you to join me for a few Princess Parties 'Cindy'"
"Oh no, you're holding that against me again?"
"I expect you to drop in on weekends, as soon as I wake up, 7 AM sharp, and I want you to bring more of that kind of cake with you"
"That cake ate into a lot of the agency's budget; we'd all have to give up our bonuses for seven months just to justify the cost of another"
"Fine, I'll lend you the money" Dawn said.
"I-I don't know what to say...why go to the trouble?"
Dawn shied away from him, twitching and twiddling her fingers.
"I had a good day OK? You had music, and cake, and Bollywood dancing, it was the total lack of strictness that made me and Snuggles stay while everyone else had gone. Even when everyone started acting all annoyed and sad"
"Did you come out of your hiding place because you saw how upset Squawk and I were?"
"Nobody should be sad at a wedding, staged or otherwise. I wanted to recreate how I felt at my parent's wedding...back when everyone was all too rarely happy. Maybe you're right though, just like my parents were, you can't decide who's happy or who's not, who's in or who's out, life's not a country club"
DM knelt down and gripped Dawn's hand.
"Well, Princesses like to live life like a fairy tale don't they? So why don't we try for that? Who needs those kind of clubs when we have one all our own eh? Our own little Princesses club, where happily ever after is the motif for a whole day of play" he said as Dawn gave him a loving smile and giggled.
Mr. Snuggles steadily rose to his feet and walked over to the pair of them.
"How come whenever he's around you, you're even more sensitive and he gets nothing?"
"OK Snuggles, if you feel so strongly about that, you deal with him as appropriately as you'd like" she said
"Erm, Dawn, can we discuss this?" DM said, panicking as Snuggles grinned wickedly, cracking his knuckles and giving DM an uppercut that sent him rocketing though the air.
"Remember, 7 AM sharp" yelled Dawn, blowing a kiss to him
DM landed directly into the front door of the Neverendering Story hotel, where the Colonel, Squawk and others were still trying to pry the bride of the Colonel's cousin out of her predicament.
As the door spun 'round and round, everyone was swiftly caught up in it.
"Danger Mouse!" screamed Squawk.
"What does this mean DM?" asked Colonel K
"It means you better get used to the revolving door sir" said DM.
|Reply With Quote
|June 17th, 2019, 09:47 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
He tucked her into bed, read her a favourite bedtime story, sang her a soulful lullaby, and watched her eyelids shut and sleep overtake her.
Once she was at peace, Snuggles would climb up the windowsill, and stare warmly at the bright sparkling lights in the sky.
He never turned to the right side of him whenever he was up there.
He wouldn't grace what awaited him with anything resembling a caring glance.
Seated to the right of him was an animated object, someone Dawn had only brought to life once, in the very beginning.
The day she murdered him.
Their home had been infiltrated by the Danger Agency, three meddlers attempting to seize his Princesses' tiara in an attempt to cut her off from her power source and save the world from a most bedazzling fate, a planet crafted magnificently in pink. Beauty to be betrayed, splendour to be spoiled.
How he hated them for it.
Once their cover was blown, a struggle ensued, and others came to life that day.
Including that which would not be glanced at.
A pretty pony.
As Snuggles grabbed the agent called Danger Mouse and gripped him in his paws .He held him in front of Dawn, his friend, his Princess, so she could finish him off with a surging blast from her eyelids.
The mouse, however, managed to use his jet boots to successfully loosen himself from Snuggles grip, and he evaded the blast.
Snuggles didn't.
The blast reduced him to a helpless, inanimate state. He couldn't walk or talk on his own.
She heard scream, she heard him call his name, and he heard her defy the cruel gods that had played this hand on her.
And then, rather than just bring him to life again with the tiara, she chose to flee by mounting the pony, a new toy, a new friend, and dashed off on its back with the Mouse in pursuit.
Snuggles just lay there, wondering if Dawn would even come back for him.
He felt terrified. He'd seen people with conditions similar to this on documentaries lately, he'd seen a music video by a band called Metallica entitled "One" all about a war veteran who had been deprived of arms and legs, and who could not speak.
This was the utter state of him now. Inactive, inanimate, immobile, trapped in the playhouse surrounded by beauty, but could not sense anything nor feel anything.
And all the while his mind kept racing back to Dawn...was she safe? Would her new friend look after her?
And that was an even more terrifying thought at the time...should the pony succeed in carrying her far along the current, would she be swept up in the tides of change? Would she focus more on the favour the pony had done for her and proclaim her new champion and protector?
History as we know it soon put paid to all o that. Snuggles would see life and movement restored to him in time, Dawn would continue to wear and use her tiara despite losing it at the end of the episode, because writers prefer negative continuity with zero consequences over diligent supervision of it, and the pony resumed its original function as nothing more than a plaything.
Snuggles knew what it represented though, and he would never look upon it, he would not be reminded of a cruel mistake, and the fear he felt while inanimate, instead he would turn to the sleeping beauty in the bed, and beam with pride that she stood against the current.
Last edited by Cameron Samurai; August 15th, 2019 at 05:09 AM.
|Reply With Quote
|August 14th, 2019, 12:20 PM
Fan Fiction Author
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 621
|Reply With Quote
|August 15th, 2019, 05:10 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 34,769
Thanks again mate, though just for future reference, Snuggles is a teddy bear.
Thanks for highlighting that bit, I've gone in and tweeked it a bit, I was missing a word.
I've written loads more since then, just been too lazy to upload them.
|Reply With Quote
|Post Reply
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
New Year Menu Twist at Woky Ko
Woky Ko launch new menu
Nestled in Wapping Wharf on Bristol's buzzing harbourside, Woky Ko: CARGO swung open its doors in late-October, 2016 – capturing attention with a bold menu of delicate flavours. Talented chef-owner Larkin Cen has recently added to the family with Park St's Woky Ko: Kauto, and the two combined offer some of the finest Asian cuisine you'll find anywhere in the South West.
Woky Ko: Kauto
Woky Ko: Kauto has perhaps become the flagship venue, offering a little more space and a stronger restaurant feel than its waterside cousin. Sleek lines, muted tones and a contemporary feel combine to create a warm and welcoming space, with a row of high stools offering hungry diners that intimate 'kitchen table' experience.
There's a strong crossover of influence and flavour between the Cargo and Kauto menus – with dishes like noodles, sharing sides and baos featuring in both. But with a larger kitchen, Kauto offers a fuller range.
Ramen recommendations (Ramenations? No…)
On my most recent visit I broke with previous form and tried the Woky Ko ramen; a large bowl of steaming noodles swimming in an umami (look it up) broth based on the saltier shio recipe. Larkin has spent hours perfecting the balances of salt, soy and spices across his dishes, and, with delicate jamon bone and rich roasted garlic, Woky Ko ramen is simply stunning.
But yes, I do have form here. On my first Kauto visit I fell a bit in love with the KFC ramen. This show-stopping blend of Korean spices leaves you slurping from the bottom of the bowl – perhaps not very fitting for a stylish restaurant setting, but it's all too easy to get carried away…
Sichuan ox cheek and hot and sour aged tofu complete Kauto's ramen offerings, complemented by a mouth-watering selection of sides like onglet steak, tiger prawn toast, crispy duck pancakes and tenderstem broccoli that will change the way you look at greens forever.
New Year deals from Monday to Friday
Woky Ko's new weekday deals started up recently, offering diners a little added value for money from 4.30pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.
Down on the harbourside, Woky Ko Cargo is offering either chicken vermicelli noodles or edamame bean and sunflower seed yakisoba noodles plus a Tsingtao beer for £10.
And on Park St, just opposite the Wills Memorial Building, Woky Ko Kauto's early-evening deal brings you a free beer, glass of wine or soft drink with any of the four ramen dishes.
For an idea of the dishes available, check out Woky Ko's sample menu. And to read more of @cjcallaghan's write-ups and reviews, nabber over to his Best of Bristol page and fill your boots.
Behind the Scenes at Thatchers Cider
I have a confession to make… I'm a cider snob. I like it dry or medium-dry, and cloudy – with the heady scent of fermented apples still brimming in the glass. The kind of cider that's been greasing the wheels of agriculture and industry in Somerset for centuries. Not for me, the sugary, sweet, supermarket stuff… I'll have a pint of real zider, and you can leave the twigs and leaves in, too.
Spanning four generations in the same family, Thatchers is our region's most famous cider-maker – and their range of produce is broad. Although most of their ciders are slightly over-processed for my liking, they do still make cider the traditional way. I'd say a visit to their orchards at Myrtle Farm in the heart of Somerset's cider country is a must-do for any cider-lover in Bristol.
Exploring the orchards
My recent visit began in the Thatchers Exhibition Orchard, where manager Chris oversees over 450 different apple varieties. The weather conditions in Somerset offer the perfect conditions for growing apples – with cold winters allowing the trees to lie dormant, and temperate springs promoting bee pollination and blossom-growth. True to form for this time of year, it was pissing with rain as we strolled among the lines of fruit-laden trees – but the apples like a little of that, too.
Hearing how Chris and his team fuse new apple buds to young root stocks to produce varieties like Dabinett and Jonagold was insightful, and his ability to harness the power of nature to produce the finest harvests made for fascinating listening. Our tour continued past the huge apple vats and ancient fermentation tanks to the state-of-the-art canning plant, and it was a joy to hear the various Thatchers team members share their passion for the product.
To the tasting…
Thatchers brought a selection of their lovely cider to Bristol a few months ago, so this was a fortunate second tasting for me. We sampled diverse brews including Redstreak, Old Rascal, Vintage, Haze, Katy, and more – each offering a different balance of scent and flavour to the last. It turns out Old Rascal is the team's overall favourite Thatchers' cider – a very fine drop indeed.
Lunch at The Railway Inn
The Railway Inn is Thatchers' local pub, with a broad selection of beers and ciders alongside a full menu of delicious dishes sourced, of course, from in and around Somerset. The pub has been lovingly converted from its original stone structure to a warm and welcoming space – with traditional snug, open bar area and stylish oak-beamed dining room. There's garden seating for summer visitors, and a seasonal menu that makes the very most of the region's natural produce.
Take a tour
If all this talk of apples and cider has got your taste buds tingling, you can find details on Thatchers' guided tours and tastings on their website here. October is Cider and Perry Month, so now's the ideal time to celebrate and support our local orchards and cider-makers. Harvest season is upon us too, so if you visit Thatchers there's a good chance you'll get to see the trucks arriving from across Somerset – their fruity haul ready for pressing.
If you head over, do book a table at The Railway Inn – it makes a good visit great. I can recommend the Thatchers Gold-battered fish and chips, and the sticky toffee pud hits the spot. Cider's not bad 'n' all. Cheers!
For more of @cjcallaghan's reviews and write-ups, check out his Best of Bristol author page.
Pata Negra Revamp Kitchen And Menu
Pata Negra Steps It Up for the Autumn Season
Bristol's proud independent streak is well-documented, and we're lucky to have so many vibrant and exciting bars, restaurants and cafes to choose from in this city.
If you enjoy visiting and supporting Bristol's varied independent venues, it's likely you'll have a list of places old and new that you're just waiting for the right time to tick off.
The Ox on Corn Street had been sitting on my must-visit list for months when I went last month, and I was very, very impressed.
But from the style-savvy team behind The Milk Thistle and Hyde & Co, what else could I have expected?
Also on Corn Street, and also run by the same talented team, Pata Negra is another venue I'd been curious about for a while — but on those occasions when I'd peered in past the door, I'd never felt encouraged in. Despite the great location and classical décor, it somehow just didn't feel tempting.
Fresh changes at Pata Negra
That's all changed now. In the latest round of developments at Pata Negra, the kitchen has been brought up from the basement to take pride of place at the forefront of the room — and the difference is striking.
You step through the doorway to skilled chefs preparing delicious dishes in their new open-plan setting, with a fine haunch of cured Ibérico ham hanging from the wall.
Further towards the back of the room, welcoming window seats and banks of plush red-leather benches offer the perfect settings for intimate gatherings of friends.
A menu re-vamp for the autumn season
The engine-room of the restaurant is now fully on show, and a menu re-vamp has changed things up for autumn. Diners can expect seasonal twists on authentic Spanish classics alongside new dishes created to bring the best out of the kitchen's open grills.
Meanwhile, the wine and sherry list showcases the best of the Iberian Peninsula — the perfect accompaniment to the delicious tapas dishes, fresh seafood and decadent desserts on offer.
For full details on Pata Negra's refreshed autumn menu, head over to the website here.
For more of @cjcallaghan's reviews and write-ups, check out his Best of Bristol author page.
The Time I Beat Bristol's Scariest Escape Room
I'm put in many a tricky situation exploring the very 'Best of Bristol'.
Usually up high, scaling buildings and cranes (#antimitchclimbs), but I didn't think it would result in being locked in a prison cell with a psycho killer called Pig Face (pictured above). Welcome to Hell in a Cell, ay?
Now for some of you reading, Hell in the Cell will make you think of wrestling but I can promise you this is scarier than when Shane McMahon jumps off the top of that cell.
Hidden beneath the old Crown Courts on Bridewell Street, within the cells, this has been dubbed "Bristol's scariest attraction". And so in the interest of research I took on Pig Face, and lived to tell the tale!
I can't actually give away too much of the game, because this is an escape room and that just wouldn't be cricket, would it?
What I can reveal though, should give you a taste of what to expect.
Like any escape room, Hell in a Cell Bristol sets players challenges that they have to complete. Perhaps the first challenge is not backing out after you're handcuffed with a sack placed over your head.
It's then trying not to cack yourself as you're led into the pitch black cells, where you know you're not alone, but you can't quite tell what's there.
It's that lovely fucker by the name of Pig Face.
Pig Face is reasonably fair at this point and allows you an hour to make your escape. It's go time!
Oh, and all your belongings have been taken off you, so you can't use your phone torch or ask Siri for help.
What I will say is that you bond pretty bastard quickly when you're scrambling to find light and remove your handcuffs. I was with my good friend Colin Moody, but with three other people I did not know, and we came out of it with an unwavering sense of camaraderie.
That probably explains why this Bristol escape room has proven so popular with corporate clients in the city. Hell, it's proven pretty popular with all but one reviewer on a popular site that rhymes with whip chastiser. That person claimed it wasn't very scary. Ooooooo sorry 'ard.
The game itself was challenging, terrifying and fun (if you like being scared). It will most certainly fill you with adrenaline and leave you in need of a celebratory drink if you do make it out.
This is NOT for the faint hearted. I don't scare easy, and if you're like me you won't feel a sense of fear, but you'll definitely be made to jump. Nobody is immune to that.
If you do scare easily, go to the bathroom beforehand. Or don't, these are real holding cells so you could always have a pee in there..
Fancy it? Then click here to book.
Tag us in your psycho selfies on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook if you take on Pig Face
Most Popular
New Year Menu Twist at Woky Ko
Woky Ko launch new menu Nestled in Wapping Wharf on Bristol's buzzing harbourside, Woky Ko: CARGO swung open its doors in late-October, 2016...
Behind the Scenes at Thatchers Cider
I have a confession to make… I'm a cider snob. I like it dry or medium-dry, and cloudy – with...
Pata Negra Revamp Kitchen And Menu
Pata Negra Steps It Up for the Autumn Season Bristol's proud independent streak is well-documented, and we're lucky to have...
7 Awesome Festivals Coming Up In And Around Bristol
Our favourite festivals coming up in and around Bristol This has been one of the best Summers ever. Football almost...
The Time I Beat Bristol's Scariest Escape Room
I'm put in many a tricky situation exploring the very 'Best of Bristol'. Usually up high, scaling buildings and cranes...
Sampling The Lesser Known Ciders From Thatchers
Despite the recent rain, bbq season is upon us, and no camping trip or garden gathering is complete without a...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Elderly Man First to Die of West Nile Virus in Long Beach This Year
An elderly man has become first confirmed person to die from the West Nile Virus in Long Beach this year, city health officials announced Wednesday.
The man died of his illness after a long hospitalization, according to City Health Officer Dr. Mitchell Kushner.
"This is a sad reminder of how severe West Nile Virus can be," Dr. Kushner said. "We strongly encourage residents to protect themselves and family members from mosquitoes."
According to Kushner, the number of cases this year so far are dramatically lower compared to September 2014, which saw 28 confirmed cases of the West Nile Virus and two deaths.
Four cases have been reported in Long Beach to date in 2015, health officials said.
As of Friday, October 2, there have been four additional WNV-related deaths this year, countywide.
Statewide, 245 cases have been reported, including 12 deaths, officials stated.
Health officials encourage residents to protect themselves by taking the following precautions:
- Avoid mosquito-infested areas, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Mosquitoes can breed in standing water. Eliminate standing water on your property by draining water in neglected ponds, birdbaths, fountains, buckets, old tires or anything that can hold water.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if you plan to be outdoors at dawn or dusk.
- Use mosquito repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Residents should follow instructions on the label. Consult with your child's pediatrician for appropriate concentrations of DEET to be used on children under the age of two years.
- Keep tight-fitting screens on doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes and check to make sure your window screens are in good condition.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and drain water from pool covers.
- Limit the watering of lawns and outdoor plants to Tuesdays and Saturdays, and avoid run off to gutters and around sprinklers.
- Report dead birds and dead tree squirrels to the California Department of Health Services by calling 1-877-WNV-BIRD or online at www.westnile.ca.gov.
Support our journalism.
Hyperlocal news is an essential force in our democracy, but it costs money to keep an organization like this one alive, and we can't rely on advertiser support alone. That's why we're asking readers like you to support our independent, fact-based journalism. We know you like it—that's why you're here. Help us keep hyperlocal news alive in Long Beach.


text:
The British Poultry Council (BPC) has highlighted reductions in antibiotics use in the poultry sector. On Tuesday, the Council published its 2017 Antibiotic Stewardship Report.
The report covers 2016, which BPC said was a year of enormous progress for the British poultry meat industry, marking as it did the end of prophylactic antibiotic use, the end of Colistin use (a 'last resort' antibiotic in human medicine), and the establishment of new antibiotic standards for Red Tractor Poultry Assurance (these will come into force in October 2017).
Over the period of 2012 to 2016 the UK poultry meat sector reduced its use of antibiotics by weight by 71% (23.72 tonnes in 2016), despite an 11% increase in production over the same period.
Commenting on Tuesday, BPC Chairman John Reed said, "We are delighted with the progress we've made, but there is more work to be done. Our Antibiotic Stewardship continuously reviews on-farm management practices to ensure sustainable use of antibiotics throughout our supply chain."
BPC said antibiotic use, and antimicrobial resistance, in humans and animals are amongst the biggest health challenges faced on a global scale. The UK's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies has said the issue poses a threat on par with climate change.
The industry group said it is taking the issue seriously, and highlighted that the poultry industry is the only livestock sector currently collating and publishing data in the UK. BPC said, "Data alone is not enough. We are committed to Clinical Governance and knowing how and why we use antibiotics. Livestock, like people, get ill, and will need antibiotics to preserve their health."
Mr Reed added, "Our farmers and veterinarians need antibiotics in their toolbox to treat sick birds – zero use is not an option – and we will protect the health and welfare of our birds. We will safeguard the efficacy of antibiotics as part of sustainable food production, and we will continue to feed the nation."
The Council said it will examine the link between antibiotics use on farms and the development of drug-resistant bacteria, and will continue to report on antibiotics use and research findings annually.
Responding to the report, Cóilín Nunan, scientific advisor to the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, said, "We welcome the large cuts to antibiotic use which have been made by the poultry industry since 2012, and are particularly pleased that in the past year the British Poultry Council has finally ended all routine preventative use of antibiotics and use of the human antibiotic of last-resort, colistin. The government should insist that the pig industry implements similar restrictions on its antibiotic use.
"Consumers, however, should also be aware that while the poultry industry has been reducing its use of medically important antibiotics, its use of non-medically important antimicrobials is at an all-time high of well over 300 tonnes and increased by nearly 100 tonnes in 2015. Some of these non-medically important antimicrobials may leave harmful residues in food, and there is also some evidence that the most widely used of them can increase resistance to medically important antibiotics. Non-medically important antimicrobials are used in poultry industry to control the disease coccidiosis which frequently affects intensively reared birds. They are also believed to help control necrotic enteritis, another disease associated with intensive conditions."
Farming Online - Poultry industry celebrates fall in on-farm antibiotic use
The British Poultry Council (BPC) has highlighted reductions in antibiotics use in the poultry sector. On Tuesday, the Council published its 2017 Antibiotic Stewardship Report.


text:
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Kitsap County, Washington, is apparently the redneckiest place in God's whole U. S. of A., and the local rag, the Kitsap Sun, gleefully chronicles the doings of the county's sobriety-challenged lumpenproletariat. Check out 1) this story involving a lug nut and a shotgun 2) this one concerning Christmas decorations 3) this one about a love triangle and a closet 4) this one, which includes pierced nipples. And they have even more. And more.
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
This is chapter 6, part 3 of the Pleasing María novel. If you are under 18 years of age, or are offended by explicit descriptions of sexual activity or violence, or by strong language, please exit this site immediately. To view the Table of Contents of the novel click here. To go directly to the first chapter, click here. To read the latest novel post, click here. This is a rough second draft.
Chapter 6 – Part 3, Expensive Prostitute
Everyone at the events knew María was a high-class whore except María. The women that treated her so graciously when she walked next to the Pol snubbed or insulted her in the powder room. A few women tried to seduce her among the toilets. She was tempted – they kissed her so sweetly, and she imagined their mouths in her vulva. She began to detect the difference between wives, aides, and escorts, and realized even the other escorts often snubbed her.
There was definitely a racial pecking order of the escorts at the events, and the Hispanics were next to the bottom, just above the American Indians. The statuesque blue-eyed blonds occupied the top followed by Blacks and Asians. The protocol on the reception floor was generously equitable for all races, but the snootery appeared back in the powder room. I doubted it was purely a racial ordering – individual characteristics of the women surely played their part. An exceptionally attractive woman like María might be snubbed just from envy. Among all the women I saw in the news videos and photos, María was the most exotic and erotic. And she also looked like the easiest fuck of the group.
The men were as bad as the women, in their actions if not by their words. By escorting the Pol, María became a hot property. A fierce competition developed among the men to see who could get their hands on her. They pumped-up her vanity expertly while backing her into empty conference rooms and alcoves for gropes and kisses. Her dress was sometimes pulled up as high as her breasts while they groped her bottom and pinched her nipples. María said only the skin-tight panties kept their hands out of her vulva. The Pol's rule against other men touching her panties only applied to husbands and boyfriends – politicians were permitted full contact. This brotherhood of politicians was deeply incestuous – she received a handful of cards with private phone numbers and pleas to contact them at each event.
María learned her panties held another secret, a secret apparently known to few men at these events, and unknown to the Pol. A design feature of the panties created a valley between the labia of her vulva, and continued on behind deep into the valley between the buttocks. These men, after trapping her against the wall, spread her legs, and ran their fingertips through the valley from the top of her vulva, underneath, between her butt cheeks. Then back to her front, repeated 3-4 times. She said it felt like the panty itself moved against her, with the result she became wet, hot, and craving to fuck. She told the Pol, who immediately verified the feature. These same men who rubbed her panty and their wives sat with María and the Pol at the dinners afterward, faces innocent. The Pol rubbed her panty under the table, her wetness released her pheromones, excited the men, and excited María. By the time they headed for the hotel, she climbed all over him.
Thereafter, the Pol rubbed her panty under tables whenever they sat together. He kept her in constant arousal, tried to bring her to orgasm even in public places, and when she couldn't stand it anymore, she opened his pants and pumped his penis, or penis-sucked him if privacy permitted. Now she knew the reason the Hooker Shop supplied her with multiple panties.
While María was out of the house, I examined the contaminated panty, the one I touched. I could see no reason or mechanism for this, and I decided it must be psychosomatic. I looked closer and thought the embroidered loops might create a vibration when rubbed. And a ridged bulge in the fabric was positioned immediately over the clitoris button. On a whim, I stretched the panty seam over my leg and jiggled it. A small vibration. Psychosomatic or not, the panties were a weapon designed to drive men and women into extreme desire. And they were a fantastic tool to excite María, as if she needed extra stimulation.
María said only one woman at the events treated her decently, curiously, the second most powerful woman in California politics, the wife of the senate president. The 2nd-Lady swatted away the vultures and escorted María through the cat house of the powder room.
The 2nd-Lady asked María about her relationship to the Pol, and warned her about marrying him. María would drop from high-class call-girl to cheap whore as the Pol pimped her out for political favors. She paused when she said that, laughed cynically, and said that'd be great – María might replace her as the cheapest slut on Capitol Hill. The 2nd-Lady said she fucked every important politician in California, many lesser officials, and even a few federals. It was all part of the political horse trading – her mouth and vagina for a vote here and there. She wasn't bitter, it was her price for sitting atop the political social heap.
Her husband, the senate president, knew she fucked for favors and votes but said nothing. He never asked this favor of her, but made the private relaxation room adjoining his office exclusive to her. He didn't care about the sex – he was 25 years older than she and had been impotent for several years. He understood his wife needed sex, and he was grateful she understood his political needs.
The 2nd-Lady said the sex was good, not great, and was always one-off. The men made up in excitement what they lack in technique. She especially enjoyed the junior senators from the opposition party. They were totally steamed to fuck her a few feet away from where this icon of power sat – they thought it was easily worth a few million of the taxpayers' money to cuckold the top liberal in congress through the vagina of his wife. She played them for fools, a label that was a compliment for many of them.
María was uncertain about what 'high-class call-girl' meant. The 2nd-Lady, astonished by María's naivety, blurted-out,
"Expensive prostitute".
María was offended, and protested she was not a prostitute. The 2nd-Lady replied,
"Of course you are. I am too. All the beautiful women you see here are prostitutes for something. I trade sex for votes and favors, you trade for money, others trade for lifestyle, we're all hookers."
"I'm not paid anything to be here, I'm his escort."
"He gives you no money? I know you have sex with him afterward."
"Yes, I fuck him, he's a great lover. He gives me gifts but never any money."
"What are the gifts?"
"Everything I'm wearing. I get new outfits for each outing with him."
The 2nd-Lady appraised María's outfit for a few seconds, and told her,
"You're the most expensive prostitute I've ever met."
"I'm not a prostitute, he doesn't pay me for sex. You're not either, you're just helping your husband's job. I usually fuck my bosses, it's not a big deal, part of the job. Do all politician's wives do this?"
"Most politicians don't pimp their wives – the wives are too old and unattractive. They hire young girls to fuck for votes. The girls are called escorts, or hostesses, or whatever. They make a lot of money, they lubricate the political gears. Hell, even the women politicians get male escorts for votes. Even the gays!"
The 2nd-Lady continued, "So what about [the Pol]? If you like this life, you're a perfect wife for him, besides being beautiful, you hit all the right minority buttons. He needs a spectacular wife to move him up the ladder – does he want to marry you?"
"I don't know. He mentioned it once several months ago. But I'm already married."
"I thought you might be, you're too precious to be single. Does your husband know what you're doing?"
"Yes, we don't keep secrets. He says I'm free, I can do what I want. I know it hurts him, but he likes the hurt. He's a good man, I don't want to leave him."
"You can dump him – good men are cheap as dirt. [The Pol] may offer you an incredible, rich life. You'd be a good public wife for him and would help our party. Any children?"
"None, but I want some one day. I'm not sure I'd like the life I see here. What is a public wife?"
"The wife displayed at all the media events. You'll need to divorce your husband as soon as possible, there has to be some time between the old and new husband. You're probably wondering if there's a private wife – that's you, the mistress."
"And if I'd rather stay as the mistress?"
"That's more fun, but temporary. Younger, prettier girls always show up, but it's fun while it lasts."
"I'll have to think about it. I need a drink."
María wasn't sure she wanted that lifestyle, but just to hedge her bets, she decided she would be the best lover the Pol could ever have. She would start tonight. She could decide about marrying him later.
The attention of these powerful, rich, men and women flattered María. Once she got over the initial pawing and groping, she enjoyed it and relentlessly teased the politicians, dangling before them the promise of her body. The Pol used her as bait, requiring results, usually votes or money, before he delivered María to their groping hands – of course they wanted more of her, much more. The Pol was soft, subtle and manipulative with her – she knew she was used but she didn't feel pimped.
The Pol taught her how to inflame men. She didn't think a man could teach her anything, but the Pol understood the lust for power, and how sex and money intertwined with power. He bent María to his ends – she was unique among his stable, he molded her into a weapon. From that, she became cynical about men's weaknesses, including mine. From the men's propositions, she learned many men with power like kinky stuff, even pain and humiliation. A few like to get pain, most like to give it, give it hard, especially to women.
She marveled how a poor girl from a third-world country had come within a few inches (the Pol measured 7.5 inches) of amazing power. She realized the Pol wasn't necessarily her only ticket – if he didn't score big, that many of the men there and some of the women could equally fill the Pol's shoes, if not her vagina.
María's event schedule went from 2-3 times per month to 5-6, the maximum she could manage with her job by cutting her work hours. Her menstrual period got in the way occasionally, and some of the politician's events were rescheduled around her period! She sent her menstrual schedule to his secretary every month to make the scheduling easier.
End of book content.
I welcome all constructive criticism and commentary of any aspect of the story, from grammar and spelling errors to coherency problems within the narrative. If you'd like to comment on the story, use the (moderated) comments form. For all other communication with the author, send a message via the contact link at the top of the page. Please don't spam or troll, your comments will never become visible.
If you'd like an email notice of the posting of each section of the book, please sign-up on the upper right side of this page. I promise you will never be spammed nor will I ever pass your contact information to anyone else.
If you enjoyed reading this piece of the Pleasing María novel, please share it with your friends.
All the contents of this web site are Copyright © 2015 by Guy Ordinary, all rights reserved. The contents have been registered as a published work with the U.S. Copyright Office.


text:
By BRIAN JENNINGS
The Lady Knights' (134.45) three year state title streak came to an end when they finished as runner-ups to Greenwich (140.425) at the Class L state meet at Pomperaug High School on Saturday, Feb. 27.
The Knights, ranked fourth in the state with a 135.85 scoring average, came into the state meet with the second highest average score in the division, while the No. 2 Cardinals came in with the highest average score of 142.35.
Only Woodstock Academy (Class M) was ranked higher (145.47).
"We came in knowing that we were the underdogs," said Southington coach Kaitlyn O'Donnell. "So I think really for us, it was just trying to do the best that we could. We didn't really have the intention of beating them [Greenwich] because they were ranked so high ahead of us. We came in trying to get as close as possible to them, and I think we did a good job of trying to do that."
Glastonbury (132.95) finished behind Southington in third place, followed by Trumbull (131.8) and East Lyme-Waterford-Montville at 130.975.
As a team, Southington finished second on vault (34.8), third on floor (34.25) and beam (33.6), and fourth on bars (31.8).
Taryn Meenan anchored the Knights with an all-around score of 34.55, leading the team on vault (8.875), floor (8.825), and bars (8.4). Meenan also tied teammate Kat Rothstein for the team's best score on beam (8.45). Meenan, a junior, was the only Knight competing in the all-around for the third consecutive year.
"Taryn really stepped it up today," said O'Donnell. "She hit all four events. She did great. It took us three years to get there, but she came out very confident today. So it was nice to see her get to do that."
Rachel Williams trailed right behind Meenan with an all-around score of 33.6, finishing with the team's second-best scores on beam and bars. Vicky Castillo placed second for the team on vault, and Kayla Birmingham finished second on floor.
Third-place contributions came from Birmingham on vault and beam, Williams on floor, and Hannah Weir on bars.
"I thought we had a really great beam day with one fall," O'Donnell said. "We've been working so hard on beam the last two weeks that I was happy we stayed on for the most part. Although it was reflected in our scores, I thought we had a great vault day too."
Adnerys De Jesus led the Cardinals in all four events with an all-around score of 38.575, performing the best overall scores in the meet on floor (9.725), vault (9.7), bars (9.6), and beam (9.55). De Jesus had the second highest all-around score at a division meet, second only to Class M champion Paige Stuynisky (38.925) of Woodstock Academy.
"She's [De Jesus] great. She's really good," said O'Donnell.
Stunisky scored a 10.0 on beam, 9.8 on floor, 9.65 on bars, and 9.475 on vault.
Woodstock Academy (147.05), Greenwich, Daniel Hand (135.875), and Haddam Killingworth-Hale Ray-Coginchaug (134.575) will be moving on to the state open team competition, which will be held at New Milford High School on Saturday, March 5.
The Knights just missed the open by 0.125 points. However, Meenan, Williams, Birmingham, and Castillo will represent Southington in the individual competition with a chance to advance to the New England competition in Dracut, Mass. on Saturday, March 12.
"Anytime that you can have individuals qualify into the state open is a really great experience for them," said O'Donnell. "I can't wait to see what they do. Not making the open as a team by that much will just motivate the girls to work even harder."
Although the Knights will not be making the trip to the open as a team for the state open, the Knights still put a successful season together, winning their conference championship and producing their fourth straight, undefeated regular season.
"That really speaks for our team and how hard we work," the coach said. "Anytime you lose three all-arounders it's a lot to rebuild, but I think we did a great job of doing that."
To comment on this story or to contact sports writer Brian Jennings, email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Photos by BRIAN JENNINGS
[portfolio_slideshow id=19172]
Click to enlarge