"Strangelove" By Depeche Mode https://youtu.be/JIrm0dHbCDU

There'll be days When I stray I may appear to be Constantly out of reach I give in to sin Because I like to practice what I preach I'm not trying to say I'll have it all my way I'm always willing to learn When you've got something to teach And I'll make it all worthwhile I'll make your heart smile

Strangelove Strange highs and strange lows Strangelove That's how my love goes Strangelove Will you give it to me

I recall the first time I ever saw a demon. I hadn't been drinking and I didn't do drugs, but I was leaning against the wall in "The Crystal", waiting to take my turn at the pool table when I saw him. He was standing over at the end of the bar, drinking and smoking. Now, the smoking part is where it first caught my attention. I think it is the artist's eye I have. You see there was a halo of smoke about his head and there wasn't anyone else near him. He also didn't have a cigarette so he wasn't actually puffing on anything.

It wasn't an instant shift either. He looked normal at first aside from the weird smoke veiling him. Then he slowly took on a totally different aspect; Red skin, black horns, which seemed so very odd to me, because he was dressed nicely. You know, three-piece suit with elegant tie. Now, don't get me wrong, "The Crystal" attracted all sorts. Most of the Goths that hung out there were generally well appointed. They were some in the more "Romantic" styles of the subculture. Others, could be any business type, but would smile and display their fangs prominently. Some of those were the real deal, while others were just pretenders. That's how it was in this city if the truth be told.

While my button boot tapped to "Strangelove" by Depeche Mode, I watched that ever so slow transformation, wondering to myself "How is he doing that?" A few moments later a friend handed me the pool stick and I had to ask him. "See that guy at the end of the bar" The suit?"

Nate answered with a look at the guy, eyes rolling just a touch. "Yeah. What about him?" He squinted a bit while dragging a shaggy mop of dark hair out of his face.

"What do you see?" I asked. Curious really because I was already thinking that what I saw couldn't be what he was. I'm intuitive that way.

"A suit smoking and drinking and looking out of place." He took a swig of his beer after that and nudged me to go and take my shot.

After a few balls were sent into various pockets, I glanced Mr. Demon's way again only to find him staring at me with creepy gold eyes. Well, my stomach sort of dropped somewhere around my knees. I blinked, trying to still the sudden rush of nerves that hit. He saluted me with his glass. It was then I realized he was very aware that I could see just who and what he was. I suspected he knew what I was in return, even with my abilities for looking reasonably normal.

I caught sight of my sister very briefly with a group of her own friends across the bar. She looked to be a bit fixated upon the same guy as me. I sent another glance his way and decided that while I wasn't scared of many things, tonight may be a good time to develop that sense of self-preservation that so many of my family claimed I lacked. I didn't know much about Demons and decided right there on the spot, I didn't really want to attract their attention. I was already busy enough with the various vampire friends I have started to collect. That was about as much danger as I wanted to have. I couldn't leave my sister or Celeste on their own. I was the driver for the night, which was normal enough actually but I couldn't stay inside the bar. It was starting to fill up, which meant I couldn't keep that guy in my sights and that made me tense. I don't like that sensation, obviously.

Anyway, I handed Nate a twenty, telling him I forfeited that game even though I was winning. I snatched up my plastic cup with cherry coke within. (That's coke with real maraschino cherries. The Bar tender liked me so I always got extra cherry.) Hustled my black lace covered ass out of there.

I moved past the crowded dance floor and the wall caves. Those are what drew the Gothic crowd. They were small culverts that resembled caves with tables and curved booth seating. Over the past year or so I had seen my share of disturbing behaviors done within, which is why I generally avoided sitting in there. I stuck to the open area of the main bar and pool tables.

I lost sight of my sister and her friends, only one remained at the table which was one of my sister's oldest friends, Chantay. "Where did Liss go?" I asked, with another nervous glance back behind me. I could feel the demon's eyes boring into the back of my head. Well, that is how it felt anyway.

I got a shrug for my question, which made me mutter darkly to myself. I couldn't see Cele either and that wasn't improving my tension or the headache that was building in my brain. Making another swift decision I leaned down to Chantay, yelling a bit over the music. "Need to get some air, when you see Lissette, let her know I am outside waiting for Marc to show up. I can't stay in here. Getting overloaded."

I got a quick nod from a head covered in many hues of the rainbow and off I went. Pushing through the incoming flow of bodies I sent a quick wave to Danny, the bouncer before I slipped outside. Finally, I was able to take a very deep calming breath. It was mildly chilly out but felt good after the heavy crush growing inside. Neon flickered behind me in a glowing shadow of bluish-purple where I settled, leaning against the aged brick that housed the club. Here I felt calmer, watching the people passing along Decatur. Some I knew, others were strangers but I didn't spy another demon, thankfully.

"Oh my goodness, there you are." It was my sister, pushing her way out the blue door and soon she joined me in my lean. "You won't believe what I just saw! And no, I am not on anything right now, so it's not a trip or anything weird like that Simi."

"Did you see a smoking hot. . . Demon then?" I quizzed, with a slanting of eyes in her direction and quickly noticed the surprised look she wore upon my uttering such words.

"Yes! Yes I did, and that is why I am out here now. You saw him too' Oh thank goodness! I'm not crazy! He saw me. He noticed me, so I fled. When are we leaving?" Snatching my cup she took a sip before handing it back and promptly tucked her hands back into the oversized black sweater she was wearing to keep them warm.

"I told Marc I would meet him here. Besides, I couldn't find Celeste." I was peering down the street, hoping my current beau would show up already. I planned to send him inside to collect my bestie and then we could all beat feet. I really wanted to be gone. I can't even find the words to express just how much I wanted to be home, safe and warm and demon free.

"Send him into find her. I ain't going back in there! No way, no how! Lina saw him too. I don't know what she was seeing but she turned and said "Oh! He's hot." Can you believe that"!" A little shudder rippled through her just as I glanced over and low and behold, there he was, Mr. Demon in all his smoking hot glory.

Great. Just dandy.

I had no idea what all he had heard but I forced myself to glance away all nonchalant. Not an easy thing when your neck hair is standing on end and your feet are itching to make a mad dash for safety.

That neon glow from the sign made his eyes seem to shift to a red tint which wasn't helping much either. It also made his skin look more blue then red. Maybe that should have improved the overall image, but all it did was creep me out even more.

"Evening Ladies."

Oh hell, he's talking to us! I managed to nod while thinking his voice should be raspier somehow"

"You can see me." It was flat statement, but it made my heart race. I really didn't need this kind of trouble. I had my hands full with our sperm donor father, his relatives, the vampires and more invading our world. Beside me, my sister just stared at the guy. She was normally the chatty one but it seemed as if her tongue had just stopped working.

Maybe he didn't even need us to answer. It's believed some demons can read minds. Not that I like that thought much, I don't. Just at the moment I had no idea what I should say. I thought about lying, but realized that may be the trap right' Get you to sin and all" So, in that moment, I did the only thing that I could think of, I shrugged. Yes, folks, standing before me was a demon. Red skin, Yellow eyes that shifted crimson depending on the light, jet black horns, smoke wafting from him with the scent of Hell and in his fancy three-piece suit with tiny little red pocket hanky and I SHRUGGED. Not my finest moment at all. Realizing that I wasn't going to say a word, because I didn't really think I could, my sister squeaked at him. "See you? Why yes, I can. You are standing right there." She followed that with a rather weak smile.

It was his turn to smile. I really wished he hadn't. That smile would haunt my nightmares for years following that moment. Sharp jagged yellow teeth like a freaking shark. I swear he even knew the effect of that expression because he laughed somewhat evilly after and gave us a two finger salute off his brow. He then bowed his head and started off. "I'll be seeing you."

I kid you not those final words filled me with dread. I could tell that my sis felt the same way because she muttered "Not if I see you first.? We both watched as he vanished into darkness and mist started to form and rise up from the concrete.

I sing under street lights. I used to do that a lot, when I was younger. I didn't need to be drunk to do it, just happy. There is something very liberating about standing under a street spotlight and letting a song fall from your heart. It started when I was a teenager and wandering about near dusk with my sister and our friends.

It was nothing for us to break into song in the car. Our lively sing along with tunes played on the radio. We had wandered out of the Saenger Theater after a concert. The band that evening had been REM with 10, 0000 Maniacs opening for them. As always after such events, we couldn't really hear much. Still, buzzing with energy, being young and energetic. It would be hours until we would be able to find rest so we wandered down into the Vieux Carre.

We didn't spend much time on Bourbon Street, as that was often a crush and full of tourists. In truth, my experiences on that particular street were not good. So, avoiding it was generally big on my agenda. No, we as locals did what most locals do, if you don't work on Bourbon, you avoid the main drag and spend your time on side streets such as Dauphine, St. Anne, Toulouse and especially Decatur to name a few. This night we were making our way slowly along towards Checkpoint Charlie's.

Checkpoint Charlie's, is an eclectic local place that offered food, drink, pool, live music and a place to do your laundry all at the same time. It was located just outside the Quarter, on Esplanade Avenue and Decatur. I don't remember who it was that stopped under a streetlight, right beside Jackson Square, but one of our group did. There they broke into song. It was an old tune but one we have sang many times in the car. "Burning Flame" by a rather unknown group called "Vitamin Z". We all just fell into it and sang along and before it was over, we had an audience. Not many but maybe fifteen to twenty people standing around clapping along and some singing with us. "And all along on my trip to nowhere, You annoyed me with your foolish games, And how you teased when I first made love, And I'm left so naked like a burning flame, Burning flame, burning flame. I felt the earth fall apart and crumble, All my dreams down they fell, And would an angel show mercy to the devil, But you're under my skin and you know darn well." https://youtu.be/7kaGqiYqvMM Songwriters: Geoff Barradale, Nick Lockwood, Philip Jesson. There we were, all looking like morose goth chicks, singing a song that was anything but gothy. What was even funnier, we got paid for our impromptu performance. Money was literally dropped at our feet. You might think we took that money and paid for our drinks, but the fact was, we passed out the small amount to a few homeless folks we knew. They needed it more than we did. My sister was big on such things. We often helped out at the location Mission downtown with serving food. When we met someone who needed a meal, it wasn't anything for us to buy them one. We had been very lucky kids, but the fact was not everyone had homes to go back to at the end of the night.

I don't remember who it was that coined the phrase ?Commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty' But it was one of my sister, Lissette's mantras. For a Dark Fae, she wasn't very dark. She was what one friend called a bleeding heart. Yet, if one believes in Karma, then she was acquiring herself quite the tally, and dragging me along behind her, but I didn't mind. Kindness is always free to give.

Anyway, back to the singing.

Over the years, we did this at random points in the city. Didn't matter, if the mood struck, our group was known to break in song. Walking along the dark streets and singing. We didn't do it late in the night, when residents might be sleeping. We were always respectful about such things. No one likes to be rudely woken up with loud serenading or music outside their windows.

Even today, if the mood strikes, we still stop and sing. The music may be different now, but the joy of just basking in the glow of a simple streetlight and breaking loose with a song from the heart still fills me with such delight, because in that moment, I am transported back to a time when I was young, and full of hope. When even the simplest of activity, brought smiles to my face and to others along the way.

I had a dream last night. In it, I was a tiny little girl again, plagued by night terrors. It would be many years later that I would discover the causes of those nocturnal demons, but that is a story for another time. Anyway, this night I woke with a start. Sitting upright, clutching my blanket with my heart racing, my pulse thundering in my ears. Every shadow looming over me with evil, cruel eyes, ready to snatch me from my big girl bed.

When such things occurred, I had a habit of snatching up my fleecy blue blanket, a rather ragged Snoopy dog (Both of which I still own) and scamper across the hall into my sister's room. I can recall the hissing sound of dainty slippered feet sliding upon the wooden flood. Liz's room was close, but in my child perspective, she was a great distance away and many dangers blocked my passage. This night it was sharp bursts of light from a storm that had rolled in from the gulf. Those flashes lit up the hall and in my panicked state, I saw all sorts of monsters chasing me towards safety.

I would try to be quiet, but when your 6, quiet isn't always something understood. I would creep into Lizette's bed ever so carefully, clinging to my special blanket and my stuffed dog. She always woke up. No matter how hard I tried to avoid disturbing her. She would tuck me in, gently stroking my hair and sing softly to me.

I woke with that song in my head this morning. My sister loved and still loves anything Dick Van Dyke. "Mary Poppins", "Bye Bye Birdie", & "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" to name but a few. It was one of his songs she always sang to me. "Hushabye Mountain" by Stacey Kent https://youtu.be/Sn6Tol70BjU

A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain Softly blows over Lullaby Bay, It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, Waiting to sail your worries away. It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain, And your boat waits down by the quay. The winds of night sdo softly are sighing, Soon they will fly your troubles to sea. So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain, Wave goodbye to cares of the day, And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain Sail far away from Lullaby Bay. So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain, Wave goodbye to cares of the day, And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain Sail far away from Lullaby Bay. Songwriters: Richard M. Sherman / Robert Sherman / Robert B. Sherman Hushabye Mountain lyrics ? Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

To this day, I find this song soothing. Hearing it always brings a feeling of warmth and safety. She would comfort me and drive away the monsters and terrifying beasties that chased me while thunder crashed and lightning streaked across the clouds. I must say she is a good big sister. She did have to put up with me after all.

In the way that all families have their stories. My Papa recorded her once singing to me when we were both very little. Outside of us, our own little special circle, no one else hard it. He might share the story of her crooning, but he never shared it with strangers. He saw it as something personal, private. A precious memory that was ours alone.

I confess, there are some nights even now when I wake up from a nightmare, seeing the shadows in my room shifting and wish I could still sneak off down the hall and crawl into bed with my big sister. I also know now, that the fear isn't just the imaginings of a child, but the understanding that true danger does loom in the dark places. What we can't see can still bring possible harm.

Mr. Bingle's theme song:

Jingle, jangle, jingle Here comes Mr. Bingle With another message from Kris Kringle Time to launch your Christmas season Maison Blanche makes Christmas pleasin' Gifts galore for you to see Each a gem from MB!

As a small child I was thought of as quirky. I didn't think I was all that odd a kid because my sister was much the same. Where most children would count the days to that annual mall visit to see jolly ole" Saint Nick, I generally dreaded it. That whole idea of he "SEES" everything and just knows if you had been bad or good. To be honest, I was fearful of the all knowing bearded fellow with his judgmental ways who was rumored to leave lumps of coal or sticks in festive stockings. It never actually happened to me but the threat hanging over our heads was stressful to say the least. Which means; throughout the early years my parents had pictures of both my sister and I crying while sitting on the Mall Santa's extra plushy lap.

It was our papa that finally decided it was time for a change. I was maybe six years old when, instead of that dreaded trip to the mall, he took us to "Maison Blanche? department store down on Canal Street, in the heart of New Orleans. It was there, on a blustery Saturday morning, that I was first introduced to Mr. Bingle. It was a puppet show featuring the adorable little southern snowman that enchanted me. My Papa, was quick to get myself and my sister a plushy Mr. Bingle of our very own. This became a new tradition. I still have that toy and every year when the weather cools down and first cold snap hits Louisiana I take him out and sit him on the mantle, his seasonal place of honor. He's looking a bit worn these days, but he is rather old after all. I should also mention I got him pretty young and he has endured many an adventure with me.

A petite snowman with wings of holly and a hat made of a waffle ice cream cone. He has a shiny jingle bell on his front, rather like a belly button that jangled, and candy cane stripped gloves. A large red bow finished it off. He made dealing with Santa a whole lot easier for a child that was prone to making mischief and getting into trouble. He was my middleman for dealing with the big guy. I still love the little creature as he did bring me joy and he featured in our trips to the mall for those holiday pictures for a few more years at least.

I had been drawn to him from the start and considering what I would learn some ten years about my own nature and Fae tendencies, it made sense. And, in a curious way, he became even more enduring. Not many outside of our eclectic state even know who or what Mr. Bingle is, as it's really a Louisiana thing that has stood the test of time.

((OOC: Re: Mr. Bingle who is a Louisiana state Celebrity, his legend started by Maison Blanche and carried on by Dillards.

Yes, the player behind Simone did have one of these sweet plushie critters. Sadly, mine has been lost to time. I dragged it everywhere with me as a child and it just didn't survive the affection I bestowed upon it and the weather. However, I can transfer the memories and the love for my well cuddled Mr. Bingle in stories told by Simone which does make me happy. 😊

For those that want to hear the theme song: https://youtu.be/KevbjKFvsng Warning: According to my sister, this is downright creepy, so listen at your own risk.

https://youtu.be/KevbjKFvsng - History of Mr. Bingle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Bingle - Yes, Mr. Bingle does have his own Wiki page. ))