Music- Massages Kate with its heavy bass.
Kate- Flinches and tenses up, plunging into the velvet dimness of the venue. Then, relaxes as she eases in the cold climate control wall of air followed by the wet hotness of the crowd's microclimate.
Cere- Local wifi... connected.
Kate- The room explodes in a rainbow Big Bang, her occipital lobe hallucinating hot neon evanescences, shining like a light parade on Old Vegas strips during a stormy night.
Crowd- *Loud roar muttered only by the drum set's feverish hammering.*
Kate- Who's on the card?
Cere- Cyberanthraxxx, a Neon-Punk Restoration band.
Cyberanthraxxx- *Orgy of crashing noises, broken glass, aluminum foil creasing, metal twisting and groaning.*
Cere- They mix electro and... well, as you can hear, literal trash to make noises...
Kate- Never heard of 'em. Any cred worth talking 'bout?
Cere- On the music side? Meh, more of a lyric-oriented band. They are wanted for anticapitalist propaganda. They have a bounty and can't leave the Asstro without getting shot.
Kate- Real deal? Artists unbowed and unbound and all that shit? Sad, could use a bounty like that, but I'd get the Gwen treatment if I pulled that shit.
Scans the darkness
Cere- Displays people's ID in floating AR windows under Kate's neurological impetus.
Kate- Hey! That's Robert Anderson, the Black Industry board we met... remember the 9 mm copyright claim on the printer two months back? Kinda looks like the lead signer no?
Looks up the name of the lead: Jordan Anderson.
Cere- Good catch! One and the same, he's the one who initiated the complaint against the band. Officially he disinherited his son.
Kate- No such thing as a bad Pub hun? Bet they have a few ghosts writing the lyrics too. Not so legit punk after all... or the old man might be hate-watching his rebellious son pissing away the path he planed for him to make musak.
Cere- Or he might be trying to unring a bell now and we are about to see a beautiful moment of father and son bonding.
Kate- Scoffs.
Cere- Is anything public truly legit these days? Gotta play all the cards you have if you want a space in this economy.
Kate- Guess not... No skin off my teeth, am not exactly in a spot to point a finger me-self. Glass domes and throwing stones... Wonder why Cherry endures them though, the sound is shit. Maybe I could arrange an extradition if I lean on the fakeness argument a bit.
Cere- The crowd seems to eat it up though.
Kate- Can't argue with taste. Most people couldn't tell a string is off-key if they were garotted with it.
Cere- You know, sometimes you start with the right attitude only to murder it like Genghis Khan after being denied entrance to a city.
Kate- That's my charm, don't hate on charm!
Looks around, the familiar black walls and floor, the spots held by the rafters, the tables covered in beer glasses and pitchers, the red velvet curtains framing the stage. Discomfort growing in her core.
Y'know, not much changed, same look, same air, same noise, same smells. Queen victoria is still sligning at the b...
Sees Peele, one of her scrawny adoptive brothers serving at the bar instead of the expected ice box of a drag queen.
Well... I guess nearly everything's the same. Why the strangeness though?
A distant longing, a pinch of nostalgia, a hot tear sliding down the cheek. Touches then hides the soul scar with a swift gesture.
T's like I'm looking from outside, behind a thick window. Like a fucking Dicken's orphan spying on a happy family feast from the cold. Shit...
Cere- You've been gone for a while. You changed a lot since. It's like going back to your hometown where you lived as a kid, everything will look smaller because you grew away, and your mental map didn't adjust to your new size.
Kate- Vision blurs.
"Stupid tears..."
Right, fuck, make sense... 'll never feel like before again. I changed.
Dread devours her heart.
Cere- It's alright to feel pain and grieve the innocence lost. It's your childhood's grave you are contemplating now. Crying will do you good. If you just put the lid back, the well will sour. Feel the loss now and tomorrow you'll have turned the page and a weight will be gone. You'll be able to see this place under your adult gaze for the first time, more critically and real, not from the comfort of the dreams of a child. Let the emotional puss drain.
Kate- Nostalgia right? M getting old.
Cere- Shit woman, soon you'll need an exoskeleton to carry you around and you'll start gibbering about the good ol' days and the nasty attitude of the young generation. You'll yell to everyone who doesn't want to listen how much better everything was in your time.
Kate- Full body shivers.
If I ever reach that point you are hereby tasked to drag my sorry ass to a rejuv center for treatment even if I have to take a line of credit. Old age... horrible disease.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Cere- Seriously though, don't fear your emotions, they are the senses humans have to learn what's going on inside their minds. Blocking them is like closing your eyes during a shootout. Keep them open, learn what's going on, maximize the outcome. You don't close your eyes when bullets start flying do you?
Kate- Guess not?
Jordan Anderson- "Alright disgusting magotts, you fuckers were an ICE crowd! Get it? nice...
Crowd- *Booooh!*
"Shameless!"
Kate- Laugh to herself hearing that.
Leave it to the nepo to have 0 in charisma and a stage to perform on despite it. No way he's the author with that wit.
Jordan- "This is our last one for the night! A ONE A TWO, A ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!"
Firefighter- Splits the crowd with shots in hand looking for someone. His eyes lit up meeting Kate's.
Cere- You have a call from your contact Charlie.
Kate- Accept.
Charles? Lill Charles? Got big!
Firefighter- I go by Firefighter now...
Kate- Bit on the nose.
Firefighter- Goes with the job... and the size of my firehose, or pole, whatever position it's in when the ladies come for an inspection.
Wave with his eyebrows.
Kate- "EWWW, TMI!"
Firefighter- Gives her one of the shots.
Kate- Drinks its slightly dense content, a maple whiskey imitation, coating her mouth in a sugary comforting embrace like drinking the syrup impregnated by the taste of pancakes and butter.
"Good stuff!"
Firefighter- "Hope so, that shit ain't cheap!
Kate- "I bet!"
Firefighter- "See you later?"
Kate- "In a hurry?"
Firefighter- A lady needs some fire extinguished, can't stay sorry.
Kate- Cringe!
Firefighter- Hey you play the persona or you don't, I'm not a middle-of-the-road kind of guy, I go all in! You should go that way later. Pretty sure the drinks are already piling up for you.
Kate- Spins around and sees a few familiar faces in a private section. Then nods to Firefighter who leaves after.
Cyberanthraxxx- Leaves the stage.
Crowd- Gets a bit restless and pushes closer to the stage and febrile anticipation sprouts like mould in a shower.
Kate- Gets mobbed by the tide of bodies and nearly falls off her feet.
Young woman- "Sorry!"
Kate- Fuck, just... don't touch me...
Ass grab.
Guy's voice- "Whops"
Kate- Tries to find who to punch but is unsure.
Whoops my ass... fuck!
Throat seized, can't breathe! Scans for an exit, or a clearer spot to move toward. Starts to push, and tries to get out, but the mob resist and pushes back like a liquid rushing in a vase. Moves her hand toward her absent gun.
Cere- Kate? Kate! Calm down, you are safe here, no danger. Take your time and move slowly, you'll get through.
Kate- Too many, too dense, can't see the threat vectors.
Cere- They scan for that at the entrance silly.
Kate- At least contact security for the hands, they'll find the asshole.
Cere- Already done for you.
Kate- Right...
Panic grows a bit more as the crowd density hits saturation. Her breath tumbles out of control.
Cere- Listen to me Kate; we'll do an exercise together.
Kate- Focuses on Cere's voice in her skull.
OK, OK, got this, I hear you...
Cere- Look around you, focus on one sense, one thing at a time, whatever grabs your attention and describe it to me.
Kate- Looks at the stage where the musicians are entering the stage.
I can see Phil, the sax guy in Cherry's band. He's stylin' his prohibition-era suit 'n fedora combo. He's older now, grey spots in the beard and hair, corners of his eyes are creasing, he's due for a rejuv soon. The others are also setting up for the show all in their own costumes, Felix has a creamy white one.
Cere- Instruments?
Kate- Drum, cello, trumpet, guitar.
Cere- What else? How do those looks to you?
Kate- Old, Earth-era stuff, not AR props for digital reconstruction, real deal, real Jazz. Patina of use, bet someone died of old age on all o' those.
Felix (the trumpetist)- Begins a plaintive, muffled, nasal solo in the dark. A light spot catches the instrument making it shine like a golden star in the night sky.
The band- Follows suit in a velvetty, ambient, instrumental tune to heat up the crowd.
Kate- Silk 'n Smoke Jazz, even has the smell of cigars in AR. Feels like I'm in a Noir, Casablanca or some gangster movie. Peeps are switching from their neons to period-appropriate overlays. Crowds splitting...
Alana- Parts the sea of bodies, and spots a man hiding in a corner. She rushes toward him like a heat-guided missile and punches him in the face. Blood spills from his broken nose.
Kate- I guess that's Mr. Grabby...
Crowd- Gets anxious for a second.
Stunning Auburn in a real emerald dress- Walks confidently in the opened space, faces a man at the rim of the crowd and they both start dancing like professionals on the uninterrupted music.
Crowd- Calms down, many activate dancing softs and join the dance ring, competing for attention.
Kate- They planned that to show the crowd it wasn't anything important...
Cere- Better?
Kate- Yeah.
Cere- See, you have control, you just need to know how to apply it. This is like a muscle, you train it and it gets stronger. Stop doing it and it will loosen but the memory of it will remain so getting back in control is easier the next time, muscle memory if you will.
Kate- Sure... let's go get those drinks or whatever...
***************************************************************************
Moon- Tilts slightly on its axis.
Kate- Bumps into a small patron-shaped speedbump.
"Whoops, sorry! Sorry! My bad... M'a bit drunk see, family reunion and all, no harm meant!"
Girl- "NO BIG! LET'S PARTY! WOOOOHHOOOOO!"
Kate- *Laughs sloppily and loudly*
"WOOOHOOO!"
This shit hit like a train!
Sits on a bench in a corner, caressing her prosthetic hand's fake skin, focusing on the artificial sense of touch feedback. In a haze of sensory thoughtfulness.
Less edge, more velvet... love my booze... missed the feeling.
Phil the sax guy- "Tonight is a special throwback! I know this is why you all came. We'll play all the big classics for you guys, the one you've been craving for. The ones we got tired of."
Take a pause to let the crowd laugh and cheer.
Phil- "I won't waste your time with the presentations. Ask your Cere if you're just that clueless."
Mechanical curtain- *Groans and squeeek.*
Cherry- Revealed center stage, wearing a roaring 20's satin dress with her perfect bob cut framed with a pearl tiara. Her satinated porcelain skin spices her appearance with zest from the Uncanny Valley.
Crowd- Loses it in cheers, some start doing wolf whistles and calls to the Moon.
Kate- What's with them? Classless.
Cere- Like you're one to talk about class.
Kate- Touché! Still, that's a bit much.
Cere- She's the one who started it, it's a running gag from two years back. She had those old cartoons play in the backdrop of her show, one with a wolf going nuts over a showgirl.
Kate- Right, missed a lot.
Cherry- (song) A dime and a Cigar $hort
"(Intro)
1
2
3
Hit it!
I need a man...
(Verse 1)
Oh darling not really, no!
She could be a robot,
I just wanna be bought,
To be your pampered mascot!
(Chorus)
I don't care for babies,
All I want are rubies!
Silver, gold, something old,
Darlin’, make me sight to behold.
(Verse 2)
I'm a plastic girl,
But only wear real pearls.
I won’t ever care for you,
It'll leave your balls blues.
(Chorus)
I don't care for babies,
All I want are rubies!
Silver, gold, something old,
Darlin’, make me sight to behold.
(Verse 3)
Gimme gems, show me silk,
Or I won’t be swallowing milk.
Lend me love if you want,
I take cash 'cause I can't!
(Chorus)
I don't care for babies,
All I want are rubies!
Silver, gold, something old,
Darlin’, make me sight to behold.
(Verse 4)
Send me jewels, offer me cash,
If you’re lucky, a little flash!
A shop, baby, you'll pay,
Come with me! I'll lead the way.
(Bridge)
Don’t need a romantic,
Just a bit sycophantic!
(Verse 5)
You wanted family frames
Baby, it was all a game
Love me, darling, if you must,
But in green’s all I trust.
(Chorus)
I don't care for babies,
All I want are rubies!
Silver, gold, something old,
Darlin’, make me sight to behold.
(Verse 6)
Tired of Queen Bee?
Don't care if you divorce me...
Just want half of your fortune honey
Oh! You know you love me, money!
(Bridge)
Don’t need a romantic,
Just a bit sycophantiiiiic!
(Verse 7)
You wanted family frames
Baby, it was all a game
Love me, darling, if you must,
But in green’s all I trust.
(Chorus)
I don't care for babies,
All I want are rubies!
Silver, gold, something old,
Darlin’, make me sight to behold.
(Verse 8)
Tired of Queen Bee?
Don't care if you divorce me...
Just want half of your fortune honey
Oh! You know you love me, MONEEEEYYYY!
(Bridge)
Don’t need a romantic,
Just a bit sycophantic!
(outro)
Darlin, make me a sight to behold,
Make me a sight to behoooooooooooooooold!"
Crowd- *Cheers*
Kate- Didn't miss a single step...
Cherry Does a quick change in seconds out of view. Then comes back in a suggestive, translucid, vinyl parody of a 1950 astronaut suit with a fishbowl helmet.
Kate- Damn, haven't seen that one in a while.
Backup dancers- A bunch of well-endowed "alien" men with prosthetics invade a retro sci-fi AR planet decor, half hidden behind purple and pink ferns
Cere- She's going full retro classic tonight.
Kate- Yeah, only ever saw that setup online myself, that was way before my time.
Cherry- Straddle a big red rocket shaped like a V2, taking off toward the high roof with the help of a fly-by-wire system.
(song) Asstronaughty
"On my red rocket flyin' high
Lookin' for love across the sky
From Mars to Venus hear me roar
Cravin' thrills just like before
Cosmic vixen on the prowl
Interstellar huntin' how
Rocket cuts through starry night
Yearning for that distant light"
Kate- She's laying it Barbarella thick tonight...
Cere- That's her brand, loud and proud.
Cherry-
"In the arms of my Martian love
Dancin' on the stars above
Legend writes our fiery tale
Leaving marks that never pale
Galaxy's flavours I'll consume
In each world's sweet bloom
Every planet's kiss a rush
Under skies that never hush"
Kate- Looks at the happy crowd for a moment.
They do eat it all up, don't they?
Cere- She's on top of the world.
Cherry-
"In the arms of my Martian love
We'll hit the stars above
Legend writes our fiery tale
Leaving marks that never pale
Traveling through the void so vast
Seeking hearts that beat so fast
Red rocket blazing through the dark
Chasing sparks leaving cosmic marks"
Kate- Deep calm breath in the massage of the crowd adulation noises.
Thanks, Cere for the help...
Cere- No need, I'm always here.
Kate- Basks some more in a shroud of calm belonging and comfort.
Let me take it all a second, might not feel this way anytime soon... if ever again.
Cere- Take your time.
Alana- Pushes in the crowd toward Kate excitedly.
Kate- Yeah maybe not possible... this is going to be a long one!
Alana- "Have you seen me punch that fucker?!!! The gal!"
