SHINY AND NEW
Hello 
Welcome to the new section of this blog called CRIMSON EXTRAS. Here will be short stories, character interviews an other additional things from the Crimson Series. To kick off this new section is a short story called SHINY AND NEW. We hope you enjoy the story. Keep your eyes peeled for future posts in CRIMSON EXTRAS.
Thanks,
Amos and Cassidy xxx
SHINY AND NEW
Before the events of Crimson Midnight, the following took place. It is a year before Rose’s arrival in London, before all the events that transpired. It’s a balmy summer night at The Whisper. Its Pop Stars Night; a karaoke competition open for everyone. Come and take a look into a glimpse from the past…
Harold and his latest piece of crumpet, Sarah, were just finishing up the most disturbingly erotic version of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’s ‘Islands in the Stream.’
“I used to like that song,” Kris said. “Never want to hear it again.”
“They should be disqualified for obscene behaviour,” Damon said. “Yuck!”
“Very disturbing,” Roman said. “All right, Maxwell?”
Maxwell (warlock, hunky barman) joined them at their table, pint of beer in hand.
“All right, geezers?” Maxwell said. “I’m loving being off work tonight. Where’s Raven?”
“He’ll be here soon,” Roman said. “He’s been with Mark all afternoon.”
“Ah, and how is that going?”
“You know Raven, he’s not really the ‘let’s talk’ kind of bloke. Anyway, what I did get out of him was that Mark is going back to Australia next week, so they’re spending as much time as they can together.” Roman shrugged.
“Shame. Mark’s a cool dude.”
“Yeah, and shit hot at pool! Actual competition.” Roman nudged Maxwell playfully.
“Oh, really. Remind me, when’s the last time you beat me?” Maxwell quirked an enquiring brow and Roman chuckled holding up his hands in surrender.
Harold returned with Sarah draped over him. “Beat that, ya bastards!”
“How could we possibly beat a performance like that? Dolly and Kenny would be so proud.” Roman drawled sarcastically.
“You’re just jealous,” Sarah pouted.
“’Course I am, darling.” Roman winked.
“Don’t be mad at Roman, babe,” Harold said. “Not his fault he makes an acorn proud of its size”
“Funny,” Roman said. “Shall we ask Thistle…where the hell is Thistle?”
“Last time I saw her,” Maxwell said, “was over…”
“And our next contender!” The DJ announced.
“Answered my question,” Roman said. He was grinning widely.
“Give it up for Thistle!”
Thistle appeared on the stage in sexy red dress showing deadly amounts of cleavage and leg. Her purple and black hair was speckled with glitter, her make-up smoky and seductive. She raised the microphone to her lips in such a sensual manner, that Maxwell actually groaned.
“You lucky git,” Maxwell said to Roman.
Roman nodded proudly.
Thistle’s performance of Donna Summer’s ‘Love to Love You, Baby’ went down a storm. Sarah was scowling and had stormed off. Harold sat down.
“You not going after her?” Roman asked.
“No. Why the fuck should I? I ain’t whipped.”
“She looked upset,” Damon said.
“Why don’t you go after her, then?”
Damon simply took a sip of his champagne.
Thistle rushed to the table and placed herself in Roman’s lap.
“Babe, you were brilliant.”
“Was I?”
He caressed her arms. “Yeah, real good.”
Thistle giggled. She ground into him a little. “Oh, hello there…
“Mr-”
“If you bloody name it I’m off!” Maxwell cut Roman off.
“His name is…”
“SHUT UP!” Maxwell roared.
Harold was snorting with laughter, as were Kris and Damon.
“Okay, Max. Calm down.”
Maxwell, flustered, and took a huge gulp of his pint. “You’re all way too horny for your own good.”
“Ark at you,” Roman said.
“Yeah, that threesome you had the other night.” Kris said. “Sure you’re not a werewolf?”
Maxwell sighed but smiled nostalgically. “That was a fun night.”
“Louise and Tanya are smoking hot. Especially Tanya.”
“Yeah, she is.” Maxwell agreed.
“She still do that thing with her nails?” Roman asked.
“What?”
“You know, that thing?”
“Oh,” Thistle glanced at Roman. “That thing you told me about?”
“OHMYGOD! Please don’t tell me you’ve slept with Tanya too!”
Roman shrugged. “Sorry, man. Did her in her kitchen. Broke two eggcups.”
Maxwell placed his head in his hands. “I need to move to a different city.”
“Louise was a good lay,” Harold added.
“Please stop talking!”
“I’m just messing with you, Max. Got higher standards.”
“Er, okay. I’m not going down that road.”
“Good,” Damon said. “Let’s move on. So, who is next out of all of us?”
“Me,” Maxwell said. He stood, downed the rest of his beer and headed off for the stage.
“Here he is,” the DJ said. “The Whisper’s very own barman! Give it up for Maxwell!”
There was a huge round of applause. Maxwell sung a rousing version of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ which resulted in a few bras thrown at him, plus some thongs.
“Max is such a stud,” Roman said.
After Maxwell, Kris took to the stage, singing ‘Billie Jean’ by Michael Jackson, followed by Damon. Damon’s off-key version of Bon Jovi’s ‘Bed of Roses’ was met with polite applause.
“You tried,” Harold said laughing at Damon’s mortified expression.
Damon’s face suddenly broke into a vicious grin. “Sarah just left with Bruce, dick head.”
“What?” Harold bolted out of his seat, craning his neck toward the exit.
“You heard.”
Harold was off like a shot. He paused by the door as Raven walked in with Mark, nodded at them, and was gone.
Roman signalled to Raven, before turning to Damon. “Has she really gone off with Bruce?”
“Yes, she has. And good for her, I say.” Damon calmly sipped his champagne.
“Dickie won’t like that.”
“He really needs to get over his Bruce Envy,” Kris said. “No end of times he’s woke me up in the middle of the night, shouting in his sleep about how he’ll kick the shit out of him, blah, blah, blah. I just don’t get it.”
“Maybe because Bruce knows how to apply fake tan better than him,” Roman said.
“Seriously,” Kris said. “He’s never said why he hates him so much.”
“Who knows why Dickie thinks the way he does.”
Mark sat down. “Hey,” he said. Mark was tall, brown-haired and sun-kissed. He was a graffiti artist, and warlock, from Australia. He was also their latest pool buddy, X-Box buddy and beer buddy. Raven had even played some X-Box – something that never happened! Mark was just one of those guys who everyone got along with. Even Harold liked him. They were all gutted he was leaving London for good.
“Hey,” Kris said, shaking his hand.
“Hello, Mark,” Damon said.
“Hi,” Thistle said. She blew him a kiss from Roman’s lap.
“All right, Marcus?” Roman said. He shook his hand.
“Yeah, I’m good thanks, mate,” Mark said. “Where was Harold charging off to?”
“Oh, he’s having Bruce issues.”
“Ah, I see. Saw Bruce, he was with some blonde chick.”
“That is the issue.”
Mark laughed.
“Where’s Raven?” Damon asked.
“Oh, he’s getting ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To sing.”
“WHAT?” The werewolves and Maxwell all said in sync. Thistle was clapping excitedly.
Mark was nodding. “I shit you not.”
“How…how is that possible…” Kris said. “He…he…”
Roman continued where Kris couldn’t. “He doesn’t sing. Raven doesn’t do this sort of thing! What have you done to our Beta? What potion did you slip him?”
Mark raised his arms defensively. “Hey, nothing to do with me. Well, not in that sense. He said he wanted to do this as a parting gift.
“My head hurts,” Damon said. “This is too much to process.”
Harold returned to the table just as the DJ spoke. “For our final performance, please welcome Raven to the stage!”
Harold choked on his beer. “What the fuck?”
“You got it in one.”
The crowd clapped and cheered and a few people wolf whistled. The music started and Raven belted out the first line of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’, his voice like a hybrid of David Bowie and Frank Sinatra.
Raven was working the crowd and giving it his all as if he were channeling a fierce pop star energy. Any inhibitions Raven had were blown away. Something had been unleashed from deep within him in all its explosive glory, whipping the crowd into frenzy.
Raven walked through the crowd, still singing, approached Mark. He ripped open his black shirt, revealing his muscular chest. Mark was wide-eyed in awe. Raven pulled him up off his seat just as he finished singing.
Then he kissed him.
The applause was thunderous.
“I think we have a winner,” Mark said after the kiss. Raven kissed him again.
“I think you might be right,” Roman said.
“At least we now know how Raven really feels,” Maxwell said. “Shiny and new.”
© Amos Cassidy and crimsonseries.wordpress.com, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Amos Cassidy and crimsonseries.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
