#beaver book of horror

[bruceshideout]

I’ve seen this cover art so many times but never with the back included. I love it.

[brokehorrorfan]

Crimson Peak will be released on 4K Ultra HD on May 21 via Arrow Video. Guy Davis, the film’s concept artist, designed the packaging for the 2015 Gothic horror/romance.

Master of horror Guillermo del Toro directs from a script he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Matthew Robbins (Mimic, Pinocchio). Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver star.

The limited edition set comes with a double-sided fold-out poster, four double-sided postcards, and an 80-page book featuring writings by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an interview with Guillermo del Toro, and conceptual illustrations by Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni, all housed in a slipcase.

Crimson Peak is presented in 4K with Dolby Vision, approved by del Toro, and original DTS:X Master Audio sound. Special features are listed below, where you can also see the full packaging.

Special features:

Audio commentary by director/co-writer Guillermo Del Toro

The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak - Feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage

Spanish-language interview with Guillermo Del Toro

The Gothic Corridor; The Scullery; The Red Clay Mines; The Limbo Fog Set - Four featurettes on Allerdale Hall

A Primer on Gothic Romance featurette

The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak featurette

Hand Tailored Gothic featurette

A Living Thing featurette

Crimson Phantoms featurette

Beware of Crimson Peak - Walking tour of Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston

Interview with film historian Kim Newman

Violence and Beauty in Guillermo Del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films - Video essay by the film historian Kat Ellinger

Deleted scenes

Original trailers and TV spots

Also included:

Double-sided foldout poster

Four double-sided postcards

80-page, hard-bound book with writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an interview with Guillermo del Toro, and conceptual illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni

Beginning in Buffalo, New York, during the 1880s, Crimson Peak follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer who is haunted by the death of her mother. Edith’s falls in love with seductive stranger Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who whisks her off to Allerdale Hall, his baronial, yet dilapidated English mansion built upon a mountain of blood-red clay. Here Edith meets Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Thomas’s sister who at times seems hostile and jealous. As Edith struggles to feel at home in the imposing residence, she gradually uncovers a horrendous family secret and encounters supernatural forces that will help her discover the terrible truth behind Crimson Peak.

Pre-order Crimson Peak.

[marine-indie-gal]

Is anyone truly deeply aware of The Obscure Adaptation of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" but as a Kids Cartoon? I know that defiantly sounds a hell of a Crazy idea of wanting to Adapt an Sci-Fi Horror Adult Book into a Goofy Cartoon, but believe it or not, this One is not just your ordinary version.

So I've recently been watching a New Obscure Show from Canadian called "Spliced", which is a Semi-Adaptation of One of H.G. Wells' Novels that I've mentioned before, only instead of focusing on Vivisection, it focuses on the Society of Mutant Animal Mashup Hybrid Beasts. But in a Slice-of-Life way, not in a Dramatic tone like how the Book putted in.

Granted, I never really have read the Book before but the Cursed 90s Adaptation is the Only Version that I have seen (have not ever dared to wanting to look into the 30s or 70s one).

So far, the only buildup of trying another Foreign Show but this time from Canada (Which I have seen Many Canadian Shows in My Childhood like with "Ruby Gloom" or the more famous, EEnE or G4's MLP), & despite Me having a more deep touch on Japan, Russia, French, or Ireland (cough, cough, which I am attached to my Most Favorite Foreign Film studios from each of there's, cough), I'm always more open-minded to Other Foreign Animated Media from a Different Country. Which inspired Me to take my own Redesign Trip on the Spliced cast, if they looked more Different or at least Realistically Accurate to their Animal Mashup species while also mixing both the Show and My Own Artstyle.

I was originally going to neglect Compuhorse since I couldn't afford on what to do with Him to Re-design him since I had no idea on how to do a Personal Interpretation Mashup between an Animal with Electronic (let alone have a Horse be implanted with Technology since the Animal Mashups between Two or More Beasts were way easier) but then I instantly did figure out something on how to do by just turning the tables around and have Him in a Wheel Chair with No Legs (as a callback to his own Inspiration since he's a Stephen Hawking based-parody). I dunno, chances are, I just didn't want to leave him out since he's one of the Show's Main Characters.

Princess Pony Apehands was honestly my Most Favorite out of the Redesigns, while her looks may have been based off of the Stereotypical Girly-Girl Pony type, I wanted to redesign her by adding some adjustments to make it more "Modern-like" (inspired by Horseland).

Two-Legs Joe was obviously a twist (I know as to why he is called by that) but since I've "swapped" Compuhorse and Joe in this, I'd figure why not five Joe some Feathers (more as Wings than just Arms) so I guess you could at least say that he's now "Armed-Winged Two-Legs Joe"?, "Winged-Two-Legs Joe"? I just thought maybe a Flying Rhinoceros with Wings would be pretty funny if you're back or your tail is attached to a Bird (though he would pretty much still use his own Legs for Hands).

The Rest of Them were easier since you could obviously tell for Which Character they had More than just One Species being a Mashup of (minus Patricia since she's already an Animal Mashup Born, a Platypus (Duck-Beaver)), but Peri and Fuzzy were very hard, I know Peri is supposed to be Half Octo Half Cat or Fox but to Me, he looked more like a Squirrel so I made him into a Flying Squirrel/Cuttlefish mashup but for Fuzzy, considering that his Mashup Species is nowhere confirmed, I had to do my best coming up with the best instinct of Two Rodent Species of Animal as I theorized Fuzzy to be an Mashup of Two Rodents combined (A Bunny and An Albino Possum or a Rat).

Spliced (c) Nelvana

Redesigns of the Spliced Characters (c) Me

[skaruresonic]

Hey, long time no see. How are you, how have you been, and what have you been up to?

Hewwo :3c

Things have been going well, though I've also been super busy lately. No rest for the wicked. 😵‍💫

The language program is putting me to work drawing things because they need resources.

Lately, it's been children's stories. Two of the stories I've done will be lumped together with a third by another artist in a single published book that the program will then sell. Just today the director asked me to write a personal bio to include in the book.

So yeah, it's not like, super duper official or anything, but I guess I am technically gonna be a Published Arteest(tm) soon. And once I complete those projects, they'll want me to work on designing logos and posters for merchandise.

The first story I did was a race between Turtle and Beaver.

The second story they have me working on is called Tawę́·te Uríhwawęh Uhčíhręʔ Ruʔθwę́·θawęh Tiwe·θʔáh, or "Why Bear's Tail is Short." This is a story common across different Native tribes; other versions explain why Rabbit's tail is short.

The gist is that Bear once had a long tail; upon Fox's suggestion to use it to catch fish in a frozen river, he accidentally breaks it off lol.

---

In my spare time, I've been developing a second VN that's based on Welsh Arthuriana, specifically the more obscure tales that often go ignored in Arthurian fiction. It's a darker take with some psychological horror elements.

...It's also a demo which will be pay-what-you-want once it gets released, but at this rate it feels like a full-fledged game tbh.

Progress is about... maybe... 40% done? Random is playtesting it for bugs lol. Thanks, friendo <3

Most of the art isn't finished yet because A.) no time and B.) I wanted to hammer out the code first, but I can share a few things that I have finished so far:

---

What else? ...Just the usual, I guess. Begging people to play the games lmao. I think I need a vidya game break soon myself because I've been hankering to play some xP

[enbysiriusblack]

about me

20, nonbinary lesbian, autistic, uni student, entp-t, 7w6, pisces sun, libra moon, gemini rising

get ready for the coming scarpocalypse !

my titles: professional dorlene shipper, peter pettigrew & emmeline vance inclusioner, your local sirius black kinnie, your second favourite loser lesbian, satan's favourite child, romanticiser of horror

my pronouns page

very chatty but rarely start convos first, i tend to be quite egotistical, can be a cunt so call me out on that pls

fandoms

marauders, dc, iwtv/tvc, atla, hannibal, yellowjackets, shakespeare, bbc merlin, doctor who, star wars

my fav music artists

queen, joan jett, raleigh ritchie, t.rex, hole, david bowie, chappell roan, metallica, led zeppelin, otoboke beaver, suzi quatro, green day, blondie, the pretty reckless, noahfinnce, iron maiden, fleetwood mac, the rolling stones, the who, big joanie, cheap trick, buzzcocks

my fav tv shows

interview with the vampire, community, hannibal, ducktales, yellowjackets, we are ladyparts, orange is the new black, avatar: the last airbender, one piece, doctor who, she-ra and princesses of power, bbc merlin, heartbreak high

my fav books

interview with the vampire, hamlet, charlotte's web, harleen, carmilla, the illiad, the age of innocence, the princess bride, the epic of gilgamesh

likes

films/tv shows, writing, going out, reading, jigsaw puzzles, clubbing, sudoku, coffee, history, leather jackets, dragons, chatting to ppl, vinyl records, art

dislikes

stem (yet i'm good at it. which is annoying), birds, my government, reality tv, people (goes against the chatting to ppl ik), google (firefox <3)

[pielove123clan]

assuming you are reblogging the f/o ask memes because you would like to talk about your f/os :3c very sorry if u r not :c

🦷💌🖇️ -the horror one

🎒🍒 -the misc one

Yeah your right. I do want to. I don't know who this is but my f/o is Ryoshu. Answers are under the cut, nothing nsfw, I just felt like it. Thank you for reading!

🦷 does your f/o bite?

Absolutly. Yeah she does. I bite too. I bite more.

💌 would your f/o stalk you? what would be the gut dropping signs that you're being stalked? how would your special freak let you know? OR, would you stalk your f/o and how would they find out?

No, Id try to stalk her but she'd notice immeditely because she's really perceptive when it comes to that sort of thing. When I get very excited, I stomp and make loud foot steps. She'd give me the stink eye and if she was in a particularly bad mood, I bet Ryoshu would directly walk up to me and either take the odachi to my neck or slap me. Or threaten violence. Or maybe just grab me and then expose that I am there, in the area and then I would get very embarrassed for making a scene.

🖇️ how did you and your f/o meet if you've thought about it?

I've thought about this and I've told some of my friends but I've been thinking of doing a project moon au of my general self insert oc Lily. It's not the best explanation but yeah. The au version is an abnormality based off the Aztec god Huēhuecoyōtl. The explanations are either:

Found in the Mirror Dungeon and the abnormality somehow follows the Limbus crew out of the Mirror Dungeon and she simply (im thinking of playing around with the gender of the abnormality but im just using she for now because that's my gender) won't go back so it's agreed to store the abnormality in some other room within the corridor and for some reason, it has a particular liking to Ryoshu?

The abnormality was found outside an old Lobotomy facility wandering around and the bus crew has to deal with it.

In the Mirror Dungeon, specifically Ryoshu gets an EGO gift and it doesn't go away outside the Mirror Dungeon but the abnormality is within the EGO gift

Any interaction with the two exist inside a void and seperate reality with no context.

🎒- What is your f/o’s ideal pet? Would you want to take care of that type of animal together?

I have no idea. Cats or raccoons maybe? Actually, it can depend on the ID. Me, I don't want animals (birds are tempting but message me directly, any of you, if you want a bird rant. TLDR: Their an exotic animal that shouldn't be pets. Any bird ownner worth their salt would tell you DO NOT GET A BIRD.) I mean, Ryoshu cannonically tried to get a bird both in the book and in Limbus. I can at least confidently say I am the best bet with taking care of a bird but at the same time, If she doesn't want to put any work on the birds, I will do my best to re-home them. Birds are a lot of work. I'm already kind of stressed of inhereting my parrots when my mom dies. They hate my guts.

🍒- What is your f/o’s music taste like? How does it differ from your own?

Hmm. Her music taste feels rough, metalic. Its easy to say she'd be into metal music but I think she'd also be to some slower songs. I'm bad at describing music. Experimental music might be something she'd look into. What Ryoshu wouldn't be into would be things country music, not much into rap, or songs with non-sense lyrics like that Yummy song by Justin Beaver?

I have some random person on tumblr's Ryoshu playlist and they put Ghost Busters and, yeah. Yeah, I can see Ryoshu listening to Ghost Busters. It's got that flavor, that funk, that style. Time For Love is also in the same playlist and I've imagined Ryoshu listening to that, not for the message but the timbre of the vocalist. For a fact, her standards for music are high.

My music taste is all over the place. Some songs she'd like, some she wouldn't. Whenever I listen to folk music, she'd think it to be boring. I think we can both enjoy PinocchioP and Pinkshift together. IDKHTFM and Bear Ghost might be too prep-y for her. Touhou Arrangements are natually a mixed bag and so are Mili songs.

The moment Ghost Busters plays and her ears hear Vinesauce Joel go, "I AM THE RAT MAN" any device being used to play music will get cut in two. She doesn't appreciate Vinesauce Joel's magnum opus of the same shitty midi of the Ghostbuster's theme uttilized over and over. It's ruined the song for her.

[itisiives]

Is it just me, or is Stephen King not a great writer?

I admit that I have not read his entire collection, but I feel like I have read enough to see that he has gotten worse over the years.

For starters: the books feel very much like an old man had written them. I'm not talking about how every five pages of a book with a female character (even a teenage girl) had to have mentions of breasts, or King joking that burly, fat, or ugly women can't get raped (although those are reasons enough on their own), but I can really feel Stephen King's presence in the book. Usually, a book's characters can stand on their own and have their own lives, and the theme speaks for itself in plot, but for King's books, it feels like he's standing behind you and breathing down your neck while you're reading, and I don't know if that's attributed to his prose style, because not enough King's books, as far as I'm aware, has him soapboxing his beliefs.

Another thing is how he portrays children. On the least severe end of the spectrum, his child characters feel like Leave it to Beaver; I don't know if it's a New England thing for children to use 60s phrases even in 2010 and beyond or go bike riding to the pond to skip rocks, but I highly doubt it. On the other end is how he handles children and sexuality. Now, I am not a conservative Puritan, and I won't burn books and chase an author out of town with a pitchfork just because they write the realities of children exploring their bodies or teenagers having sex. But there is also a time and place for something like that, which is usually when kids are coming of age, not when they survive almost getting eaten by a sewer clown.

There are the piss scenes that he writes, which, after a while, feels like King was either indulging in a piss fetish or is trying to use page filler to reach the word count.

Finally, King's stories have gotten quite predictable. Severely black and white view of good and evil with no nuance for the characters, with many of his horror stories ending with the monster's head smashed in.

Although I can see why King had become a cult classic among horror fans and inspiring many to be Constant Readers, especially with his older work, I feel like he's lost the appeal over the years. And even for larger works with more expansive themes and worldbuilding like The Dark Tower, they still read like pulp fiction to pick up at the airport. (Even King, himself, purported that he was the Big Mac and fries of writers, which is at least honest).

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

u should read "the pump"... fucked up & unpleasant mundane horror book. lots of lesbians turning into beavers etc

Ooh!! I haven’t heard of that before! I’ll have to look into it and add it to my TBR 👀👀 thank you for the recommendation!!

I haven’t read this one myself yet but I’ve recently discovered Waif by Samantha Kolesink that also seems to be a bit of a dark lesbian novel !

Thank you for popping in!! I hope you have a great day! ♥️

[brightbeautifulthings]

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

"SSDD: Sometimes it's just what you say. And sometimes you believe in nothing but the darkness. And then how do you go along?"

Year Read: 2005, 2023

Rating: 4/5

Thoughts: Against all logic, I still love this book. I read it for the first time in high school after instantly falling in love with the movie, and it was one of those books I practically memorized and internalized so hard that I don't even realize some of my thinking comes from here (until I'm rereading and going omg that's where that idea came from). It isn't just nostalgia that makes me love it though. As you probably know from my reviews, I went through a breakup, a summer depression, and a hideous book slump (the latter two from which I'm still clawing my way free). I was a little afraid to reread this, fearing it wouldn't hold up and that would only make the slump worse, but I flew through this like I was still a teenager, devouring books at a time when all of them are still new and wonderful. It might be the easiest reading I've done all year, and I was happy to sink back into King's world with my old Derry friends.

Objectively, I know this is not King's best. It's brutally gory, scatological, and full of some downright repulsive body horror. Had I not already internalized King's aliens at a young age and accepted them as perfectly fine, I might have been way more put off by his unnecessarily gross biology. (Although one need only look at the chest-bursting Xenomorphs to know this is practically standard for the genre. I don't think there's anything in here worse than that, and they're about on par for truly awful ways to die.) I'm not even typically a fan of alien novels, so this already beats the odds.

Assuming you can get past the gore, or that you're as desensitized to it as I am, it's also extremely ableist in its characterization of Douglas Cavell ("Duddits", affectionately), a character with Down's Syndrome who is also the magical key to defeating a race of aliens. King frequently falls into this unfortunate trope of giving his minority characters super special (and often stereotypical) magical powers, and Duddits has the added advantage of Incorruptible Pureness even in the face of bullying, cancer, and gut-eating aliens. There are also frequent slurs, "retard" being the most frequent, and it's used even by the main characters. It forces readers into the awkward position of being grateful to even see a disabled character portrayed positively, while recognizing that the characterization comes with its own issues.

Yet, I find myself returning to my original thesis: Despite its very real and present problems, I adore this book, and it's really the characters that make or break it. I fell in love with Duddits, Jonesy, Henry, Beaver, and Pete at first sight, and their friendship is at the heart of the novel. King does characters and childhood friendships so well, and Dreamcatcher's live and breathe off the page every bit as much as the Loser's Club from IT. I love them in the flashbacks and the present timeline, and their love and loyalty to each other effortlessly carry the story.

Despite its hefty page-count (nearly 700), the pace never lagged for me either, and I never found myself getting bogged down in the minutiae of the history or world-building the way I sometimes do with King. It's fairly well-focused on character development and moving the plot forward, and the only times my interest waned were in Kurtz's chapters. He's a fairly banal villain alongside Mr. Gray, and I would always rather spend my time with the boys and their odd, Shining-like power. I'd forgotten a lot of the differences between the book and movie lore, aside from the very obvious differences in the endings, so that was a fun comparison as well. I think it works without getting too in-depth about why the aliens work the way they do (but I've also been hugely spoiled by Mira Grant's deep dives into supernatural biology). All in all, this is still one of my favorite King novels, and I won't be hesitant to read it again when I want to visit my friends.

[uovoc]

2022 media consumption year in review

God tier

Matthew Swift series and Magicals Anonymous duology by Kate Griffin (reread). London sorcerer is raised from the dead and accidentally gets fused to the blue electric angels of the telephone lines along the way. Luscious prose, best urban magic I've ever read, and wickedly funny sense of humor.

Kane and Feels - podcast. Paranormal investigators go around London poking the mystic forces with a sharp stick. Surreal. Funny. Moderately comprehensible. There's nothing else quite like it. Someone described it as "the anti-TMA: you cannot form any theories about it no matter how hard you try."

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North (reread) - two time travelers, defined as people stuck in time loops of their own lives, attempt to unravel the mystery of their existence. Suspenseful and beautifully constructed piece of nonlinear storytelling.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (reread) - Rose tastes people's emotions in food. Her brother disappears into thin air. Their parents are fine. Surreal and haunting pearl of a story.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - after a family tragedy, the surviving Blackwoods live in isolation from the village. A little Piranesi-ish subverted horror: the sense there's a secret at the heart of the world, and the secret is both joyful and terrible.

Our Flag Means Death - the crangst-filled pirate show that it seemed like the internet lost its mind over, for good reason.

Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space - Bee travels between the island and fishbowl space working temp jobs with Puppycat, until their pasts catch up with them. Dreamy, bittersweet, and gorgeous. Season finale was a banger.

Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonald (reread). Nature essays on humans and birds. Quiet, luminous, and filled with love of place. Faves were "The Human Flock", "High Rise", "Eulogy", and "What Animals Taught Me"

Natsume's Book of Friends (anime) - Technically about boy who can see youkai, learning how to navigate the world of human relationships. But really about masking, healing from trauma, and learning to trust.

Decent entertainment

The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes

Encanto (2021) - movie

The Witcher, season 2 - show

What We Do in the Shadows - seasons 1-3, got bored afterwards

The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (reread)

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

Touch by Claire North (reread)

Sing - movie

Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (reread)

The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren

Moon Knight - show, season 1

Moon Knight comics - 2011, 2014, 2016, 2021

The Batman (2022)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts (reread)

The Bad Guys (2022)

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (reread)

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker

The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North

Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan L. Howard (reread): Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, Johannes Cabal the Detective, Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute, The Brothers Cabal, and The Fall of the House of Cabal

The Owl House season 2

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (reread)

Strider by Beverly Cleary (reread)

Loki - show, season 1

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Paprika (2006) dir. Satoshi Kon (rewatch)

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (reread)

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

Supernatural - seasons 1 – 6, selected episodes

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman - comics (reread)

The Sandman - show, season 1

Microcosmic God: The complete short stories of Theodore Sturgeon, volume II by Theodore Sturgeon

Various Dick King-Smith books (reread): The Merman, Harry's Mad, and Harriet's Hare

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Girl From the Other Side - anime

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

The Farewell (2019) dir. Lulu Wang

Horatio Lyle series by Catherine Webb: The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle, The Obsidian Dagger, The Doomsday Machine, and The Dream Thief

Mononoke (2007) dir. Kenji Nakamura - anime

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson. Fave: "The Beautiful Stranger"

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson. Faves: "Like Mother Used to Make" and "Flower Garden"

Legend of Nezha (哪吒传奇) - the 2003 cartoon

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Lucie Babbidge's House by Sylvia Cassedy

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Pinocchio (2022) - dir. Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore

You Suck by Christopher Moore

Bite Me by Christopher Moore

Disliked and usually DNF

Guardian (cdrama)

The Gameshouse by Claire North

Kim's Convenience - show

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

Victoriocity - podcast

Sporadic Phantoms - podcast

Guardians of Childhood series by William Joyce - okay I finished it out of loyalty but it was no rotg that's for sure

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Keep Your Hands off Eizouken - anime

Arcane - show

The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender

Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender

The Color Master by Aimee Bender

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

Megan's Island by Willo Davis Roberts (reread)

First Light by Rebecca Stead

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

To Your Eternity - anime

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Malevolent - podcast

Midnight Burger - podcast

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

Carter & Lovecraft by Jonathan L. Howard

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

M.E. and Morton by Sylvia Cassedy

Forty Stories by Donald Barthelme

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson

The Bird's Nest by Shirley Jackson

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

The Stench of Adventure (podcast)

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

Assorted nonfiction

Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes

The Organized Mind by Daniel J Levitin - nothing new except for the part about using your spatial memory to hack organization.

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker - how to organize social gatherings for meaningful and memorable experiences

Rust: the Longest War by Jonathan Waldman - investigative journalism book about corrosion, the hazard it presents to physical infrastructure, and how we mitigate it

Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 by Naoki Higashida

Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life by Yiyun Li - DNF

The One-Minute Manager: The World's Most Popular Management Method by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson - techniques for one-minute goal setting, one-minute praisings, and one-minute reprimands

The Chinese Language: Its History and Current Usage by Daniel Kane. Good concise history of the development of written Mandarin Chinese and the underlying structure of the characters.

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold - essays on the American landscape and conservation ethics ca. 1950. Neat from a historical standpoint, but nothing to write home about these days. Which kinda is the point I guess.

Oregon Salmon: Essays on the State of the Fish At the Turn of the Millennium, ed. Oregon Trout

Caring for your Parents by Hugh Delehanty and Eleanor Ginzler

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks - DNF

The Grid by Gretchen Bakke - history of how the physical and regulatory infrastructure of the American power grid was developed, and how it needs to be reimagined for the future.

Wildlife Wars : The life and times of a fish and game warden by Terry Grosz. Tales from his career as a California game warden catching poachers.

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. DNF. author's writing voice was supremely annoying

Wilderness and the American Mind by Roderick Nash, 3rd ed (1982) (reread) - history of Americans' changing attitudes towards nature and definitions of wilderness. A classic banger.

Black, Brown, Bruised: How racialized STEM education stifles innovation by Ebony Omotola McGee - good summary of what the successful programs for STEM students of color are doing right, everything else is the same old same old

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb. Account of the experience of going through therapy while working as a therapist. Excellent look at how we construct our personal narratives, and how to change them.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Gremmy, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. Strategies for having effective high-stakes conversations and managing your emotions. Good stuff.

Engineering and Social Justice by Donna Riley. Pretty entry-level, but it's a good bibliography for further reading.

Send in the Idiots by Kamran Nazeer

Why Are We Yelling? The art of productive disagreement by Buster Benson - DNF. disliked his writing style.

[autumnslance]

School's In Session; Prep for Cold Weather

I've been doing a lot of PvP on Dark and Aeryn this week. Anyroad.

Scholarch Montichaigne's lecture on aether is impressive (and rewatchable in the Unending Journey). Some of it is information we knew before, thanks to the Shadowbringers story through its patches, but it's good to get the refresher on the different kinds of aether that make a person. Also his explanation of memory and magical effects not only explains the Forum's self-administered spell restriction, but also later the pivotal events in Elpis.

Not to mention the honestly impressive conjuration of the paper, pen, paintbrush, and inkwell, and their manipulation. He's showing off for his impromptu class, made of his friends' grandchildren and this weird Eorzean adventurer. It's all in fun...but also a not-so-subtle reminder of just how adept the Scholarch is, and he's but one member of the Forum.

Our understanding of the Lifestream and souls and memory modification refreshed and better explained, we're off to Limsa to meet the trio of badass ladies who run the Alliance.

Seriously one of the things that struck me on first playing this game back in ARR was during the patches and seeing them in a room together, and realizing Eorzea is entirely run by 3 very different women. The men came later. After years in other MMOs with even shoddier track records when it comes to women characters, it was a Thing. While FFXIV isn't always great, the treatments of their leaders has been far more consistent than some.

*stares into the middle distance in Azerothian for awhile*

Before heading to Limsa, I did some of the sidequests that pop up around the Studium. Alisaie's admirer with the mammet, the Forum robes quest (C'oretta in Forum robes is someone's nightmare I'm sure; hers is the bland color scheme), some pretentious tutors, a few wayward books, and of course the beavers. Which gets an accompany quest.

Now that that horror is out of the way...for now....

The WoL declaring their reason for the Scions joining the Ilsabard Contingent gets us another rousing "Heroes Forge Ahead." This scene is also not voiced despite its importance, nor the next one with meeting Raubahn, Aymeric, Gaius, and Maxima in Ala Mhigo. This quest, "A Capital Idea," isn't replayable in the Unending Journey at all; it skips from "Sound the Bell, School's In" to "Best of the Best."

And the men waiting in Ala Mhigo reiterate their dedication to keeping Eorzea safe in the Scions' absence, though also caution the Contingent and its humanitarian goals were not entirely popular in the realm. Still, we're a long way from the city-states' reliance on the Scions for...everything.

Gaius having to stay behind is an obviously painful choice for him and it irks me they brought him back just to stick him in mediocre optional content while sidelining him (so far) despite Garlemald. Though there's strong points about why it's a bad idea for him to go, and gives Maxima time to shine as Lucia's second.

The Ilsabard Contingent Intro is a great scene, one of the rewards for a player who's completed optional content. Emmanellain's fully cringey and cringing here; honestly, this is not his forte and trying to constantly force him into a warrior's role is the worst idea. Also, he doesn't have Honoroit to balance him out.

I do enjoy the moment of Scion levity, as Alisaie nearly gets to watch Y'shtola murder Thancred and Urianger. You know she'd take notes.

Y'shtola: In the meantime, I have a bone to pick with Thancred and Urianger regarding their wagging tongues…

Run, boys! (It won't help)

We also get another of Temulun Mol's prophecies, delivered by Cirina:

Cirina: Two suns─one burning red, the other frozen black. Closer they circled, closer and closer, and as they danced the world fell to ruin. In blinding chaos she spied blackened silhouettes, and knew at once that one was yours. Cirina: Yet we knew not how to interpret this dream, save as a sign that great danger awaits. But whatever lies ahead, I will walk with you, traveler.

ThisIsFine.jpeg.

Handing out the Warding Scales and wow, A-Rhun's dialogue is radically different for a White Mage vs a Non-WHM. Everyone else is mostly the same, though you have far more people to speak to depending on how many job quests are completed, and if Bozja is also unlocked/completed.

A few more reminders of the cold, and just as the fashion-conscious Scions debate what to do to avoid wearing the fugly GC overcoats, Tataru arrives with her new Look and their cold weather gear. Also word that the long-forgotten Scion Roegadyns have returned to handle the Rising Stones, so she will go to Sharlayan to help Krile.

Seriously, as a Roe player, I thought the devs had forgotten Aergmhus and Bluomwyda, last seen after the Crystal Braves fiasco in Heavensward. Then they got a brief mention in 5.55, and now mentioned here. Returning to the Rising Stones from Ala Mhigo, the duo is indeed present, and the only ones in the Scion HQ as everyone else is dealing with the Towers and helping the realm. They've apparently been answering to Riol the whole time:

Bluomwyda: It's been quite some time, hasn't it? As I recall, Ishgard was still at war with Nidhogg's brood when last we spoke. I hear the dragoon from those days is a Scion now. Bluomwyda: As for Aergmhus and I, we recently returned from a mission in the provinces, where we built up an information network at Riol's behest. The man's a tyrant─had us working every waking moment. Bluomwyda: Anyroad, the two of us have been tasked with keeping watch over the Rising Stones, but I'm keeping a closer watch on Aergmhus and his alcohol intake. Last thing I need is for the man to be in a drunken stupor when trouble comes our way.

Aergmhus: Well, if it isn't Mistress [Surname]! Long has it been since we last met, but surely you haven't forgotten, have you? 'Tis I, Aergmhus─formerly of the Maelstrom and the Crystal Braves! Aergmhus: Upon returning from my mission abroad, Tataru called me to the Rising Stones and asked me to “prepare for the worst.” And though the worst has yet to come, I must abstain from indulging in a glass of wine until after it's passed.

Next up: Garlemald!

[chronicparagon]

Did they believe in Santa?: There was a time when Harmony believed in Santa. It brought magic and wonder during the holiday season. Though her family was poor, they did what they could to make Christmas a wonderful holiday with what they had. Harmony had some toys, but they were simple and often handmade which she loved dearly. Sadly, she couldn't keep them for long because of the wildfire that took her childhood home.

As Harmony got older, she realizes that there isn't really a figure called Santa, but in a way, he is real. He lives through the spirit of kindness and generosity. It's the spirit of giving and love that keeps the magic alive. Harmony kept that alive by making crafts to give as gifts like blankets, scarves, and hats to charities, and would work more hours for toys for toy drives and buy gifts for her loved ones.

When the time comes, Harmony isn't sure about lying to her own children about Santa. That is a choice she will come to when it's necessary, but one thing is for sure, she will do everything to make their Christmas dreams come true.

Were they a dinosaur or rock kid?: Though she likes rocks and like to have crystals and gems around, Harmony was more into nature and stars. Her early childhood was full of nights when her grandfather told her stories about the Star Nation and the tales of heroes and spirits that reside in the heavens. She also lived on a reservation near a national park, which gave her the chance to see the wildlife. She loved to learn about nature when she could. Reading books about animals, flowers, stars and constellations she got from the library, and decorating her room with stars she drew and cut out, often drew animals, and had a collection of pressed flowers she collected and plushies. Her love for nature followed her into adulthood.

Bugs or slimy critters?: Harmony loves butterflies, moths, honeybees, and bumblebees but is not a fan of bunch of insects. She isn't into slimy critters either but will treat them kindly.

Do they fidget? How?: Harmony fidgets every once in a while when she's restless or nervous. She taps her foot or plays with her hair.

What were they frequently in trouble for as a child?: Harmony was normally a well-behaved child. There were a few moments when she got into trouble but it was nothing severe.

What underwear do they like?: Most of them are hipster and bikini style bottoms in different colors, but some have straps or cute designs like stars or cherries. She has a few boyshorts too and if her lover wants it, she would wear something with lace or thongs for them. As for bras, most of them are T-shirt bras, but she also has sports bras and a few push-up bras. The push-ups are fancier with lacy patterns and a small charm sewn between the cups.

In verses where she's shipped, Harmony would own some lingerie that is to her lover's liking.

Designs on clothing or no?: Some of her clothes have designs. She likes celestial designs on clothes, flowers on dresses, or cute designs on jeans or shorts. Some of her clothing also have representations of Indigenous designs made by Indigenous makers and artists.

Birthmarks?: No birthmarks, but she has scars like the burns on the right part of her back and down her arm. Harmony also has some stretch marks on her hips, inner thighs, and a few on the sides of her breasts.

Do they have good self control?: Usually, but sometimes she struggles with it. Examples are how many sprinkles she pours onto her ice cream, and the urge to pet animals or hug her loved ones. When others are in danger, Harmony would be reckless enough to throw herself into the fray to save them.

Favorite franchise?: Harmony loves the horror movie icons with Jason and Michael Myers being the top picks. She also loves, loves, LOVES Buc-ee's, which is a franchise of convenience stores in southern US states with most of the locations in Texas. Harmony thinks they are the greatest shops in the world and she adores the beaver mascot. Though this is not a specific franchise, Harmony likes to collect plushies and stuffed animals. She's a fan of things with ghosts on them, too.

Do they re-enact scenarios in the shower?: Harmony reflects a lot in the shower. Sometimes, she practices how she may ask a love interest or lover out, how things were through the day, and occasionally her worries about the future.

Do they tell the waiter that their order is wrong?: No, she doesn't. While Harmony knows well that she needs to speak up, she fears she will be an inconvenience. This girl is a little too polite.

Stairs or elevator?: Harmony prefers the stairs. She likes to have as much physical activity as possible. However, if the floor she needs to be on is over five floors, she may opt for the elevator.

Are they an exaggerator when telling stories?: It depends. Harmony tries to be honest, but when she is telling stories as entertainment like the lore from her culture, she will add details to make the stories more immersive. She wouldn't lie unless she thinks she needs to and the guilt wouldn't leave her.

Tagged by: @s-talking and @spectralhunter [Thank you very much, friends! Lots of love and hugs to both of you! 💕  ]

Tagging: @whispers-in-daydreams @beloved-death @gearlessjunkdogjoe @rubbarband @pocket-sized-lawyer @pinklocksoflove @finncomet @hriobzagelthewanderer @skullboysfinale @animaexitosus @the-expatriate@pluviacuratio @tximidity @txctical-pursuit @thehouseofivo @strawberrycolaaa @fieryxumu @poeticphoenix @keithhoward @redeyesblackjou @arkyn-iceborn-vindication @diotheworldus @midorigxrxge @burdened-boy @burdened-android @miraruinada @misfitxofxfriends @rikelusshinra @mallowofmuses @electricea @scarlxtleaves and everyone else who wants to do this!

[reindash--yuri]

SLW Literacy Headcanons (The Helpers)

William Beaver – Reads and listens to audiobooks pretty evenly, most of the time he does at the same time. Though, he listens to just audiobooks when he's digging or doing something that doesn't involve his hands/require him to be aware of his surroundings. Sucker for romance and contemporary novels, he also follows a few book subscription boxes, typically leans towards YA. Though, he will read what the other recommends. Prefers hardback over paperback.

Polly Reindeer – Reads way more than listens to audiobooks. Will typically listen to an audiobook if she has already read the book. She will typically read non-fiction (science and memoirs) and realistic fiction, though will occasionally dive into historical romance, heavily leans towards Adult. She will actively avoid horror/thriller novels and novels that involve kidnapping. Prefers digital copies over physically copies, but will order paperback of novels she considers 5 stars to put in her library.

Fizzy Elephant – Has not touched a book since high school, only listens to audiobooks. Has no preference for genre or demographic (Adult, YA, Middle Grade, ect), he'll listen to about anything. However, he'll only listen to short stories and poetry, he will not touch a novel, might touch a novella if the prose is flowy enough or if the author has released a couple of poetry collections in the past. He can not finish a novel and only has 75% chance rate of finishing novellas.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Absurd comedies that aren’t just a bunch of bad referential skits mashed together or involve SNL people.

If you have a strong stomach, I definitely recommended Freddy Got Fingered. I genuinely don’t know if there’s a single film more utterly demented.

If you don’t mind musicals, there’s Little Shop of Horrors, RHPS, Shock Treatment, and Moulin Rouge. The latter especially is deliciously over the top and bonkers.

Also…!

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and UHF, but when Weird Al’s involved absurdity and quality are a given.

EEAAO. One of the most awarded films in history and it has a kung fu butt plug battle.

Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, basically the greatest gag dub ever made

A lot of mockumentaries like Borat and its sequel, Popstar, and This is Spinal Tap are great, especially because a lot of their absurdity comes from the realistic elements in them being cranked up for comedy

The VelociPastor, a film that just needs to be experienced honestly

A lot of Peter Jackson’s early movies are insane black comedies. Bad Taste (alien invasion movie), Dead Alive (zombie movie), and Meet the Feebles (Muppets on crack) are all fantastic

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which is a given with Paul Reubens

The Captain Underpants movie, which perfectly captures the spirit of the books

Zombeavers, a zombie beaver movie

I could go on for hours here, honestly

[where-fading-princesses-live]

tag game

tag game: get to know my interests! 

MUSIC

fav genre?:  lana del rey, broadway musicals, and oldies

fav band?:  i really like the pop/ motown girl groups from the 1950s and 1960s, so like the ronettes, the chantels, the supremes, etc. but i also like ABBA and the beatles

fav solo artist?:  frances langford was pretty good and also paul anka

last song you listened to?: ''Please Mr. Postman'' by The Marvelettes (1961)

fav decade for music?:  1920s-1960s

top 3 most listened songs recently?: ‘’free man in the morning’’ by andy griffith, ‘’could i leave you?’’ from stephen sondheim's follies  (can’t go wrong with lee remick), and ‘’ya got trouble’’ from the music man (the music man slays change my mind)

LITERATURE

fav genre?:  maybe horror and classic lit but i also like good ol' pulp fiction

fav book?: joyce carol oates’ blonde and also the hour of the star by clarice lispector

fav writer?:  stephen king probably just because i've read the most books from him but also clarice lispector

comfort book?:  the christmas pig by j.k. rowling (yes i liked it)

fav biography?:  lizzie siddal: the tragedy of a pre-raphaelite supermodel by lucinda hawksley. as far as autobiography/ memoir goes, i'm glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

TV AND MOVIES

fav tv show/movie genre?: older tv shows, mainly comedies and for movies, musicals and comedies

fav movie?:  the godfather trilogy

comfort movie?:  my friend irma (1949)... film debut of dean martin an jerry lewis and tho i don't care for jerry lewis, it's always good to see dean martin being dean martin but also marie wilson is a national treasure, also singin' in the rain is a forever favorite of mine

favorite decade for movies?:  1920s-1960s

fav tv show?:  i love lucy  (andy griffith is a close second tho), oh also columbo

comfort tv show?:  leave it to beaver and the andy griffith show... so wholesome, but also three's company and the facts of life are guilty pleasures

5 favorite characters?: for movies: fredo corleone from the godfather (i'm a sucker for underdogs) and angela from sleepaway camp /  for tv shows: columbo (duh), barney fife from andy griffith (he won 5 emmys), ethel mertz from i love lucy

[teabooksandsweets]

A City of Bells

Chapter VII — Part IV

At ten minutes to three Grandmother was sitting in her pew in the choir with the children one on each side of her. She wore her Sunday clothes and carried her best umbrella, that she never used unless it was sure not to rain. She had three umbrellas; one for rain, one for uncertain weather and one for fine weather. Henrietta wore her new red winter coat trimmed with beaver, with a round beaver cap on her head and a little muff hung round her neck on a chain. She was much too hot, but she did not mind because she knew she looked very sweet. Hugh Anthony, in his new nautical overcoat with brass buttons, neither knew nor cared what he looked like, but was comforted in his heated state by a whistle on a white cord. For years he had been telling his grandparents that a whistle should always accompany marine attire and now at last, just in time for the festival, this remark had sunk in. With his lovely eyes fixed on the altar and an expression of great spiritual beauty on his face he was wondering just when to blow the whistle. Should he accompany the last hymn on it or should be blow one shrill blast in the middle of the Dean’s sermon? It was difficult to decide. He must, as Grandfather said one should, wait and be guided.

The ladies of the Close had their pews near the altar and these were always reserved for them. Lady Lavinia had the front pew on the right with the Palace pew opposite her across the aisle. Behind these were ranged the pews of the Canons’ ladies in order of seniority. Barleycorn, the second verger, attired in his black gown and carrying his wand of office, was in charge of these pews, and it was his business to see that no presuming stranger dared to sit itself down in the seats of the mighty. It sometimes seemed to Henrietta that Barleycorn thoroughly enjoyed the ejection of a stranger. He would wait until the poor wretch had lowered itself, very tentatively, on to the square of wood sacred to Lady Lavinia and then he would glide swiftly forward with an expression of horror on his face, his gown floating behind him and his wand outstretched like the neck of a hissing swan. There would be a whispered colloquy, and the poor stranger would get up and creep away as though detected in the act of shoplifting, leaving its umbrella behind … On these occasions Henrietta detested Barleycorn, for she hated to see people made to feel ashamed.

But to-day no one sat down where they should not and very soon Barleycorn hurried away, a bell tinkled, they all rose to their feet and far away the choir were heard singing a hymn, “Ye holy angels bright,” as they came in procession from the vestry.

And now they had reached the entrance to the choir and were passing under the carved angels of the screen, the sound of their singing swelling gloriously.

Henrietta, her muff swinging and her hands holding her prayer-book upside down, forgot all distractions in her excitement as the procession came up the choir. First came one of the masters of the choir-school holding the great golden cross and after him came the choirboys singing fit to burst themselves, and then the choirmen singing more moderately but yet with extreme heartiness:

“Ye blessed souls at rest,          Who ran this earthly race, And now, from sin released,          Behold the Saviour’s face, His praises sound, As in His light With sweet delight Ye do abound.”

After them came another choir-school master carrying the patron saint’s banner, a needlework picture embroidered in blues and greens and pinks and purples. It showed the saint, attired in his swineherd’s get-up, sitting beside the holy well and brooding sadly over the sins of the Torminster valley. At his feet flowers grew—pansies and violets and cowslips—and behind him were the blue hills, and up in the sky the Angel Gabriel was sitting comfortably on a cloud and holding an architect’s model of the Cathedral on his left palm. It was a beautiful picture, but by some extraordinary oversight the pigs had been omitted.

Behind the banner came Peppercue and Barleycorn, the vergers, followed by the Dean and Canons and the Archdeacon.

The combined ages of the Dean, the four Canons and the Archdeacon at this time came to four hundred and eighty-four, but it was marvellous how they got about. First came the two juniors, Grandfather and the Archdeacon, aged seventy-eight and eighty, who walked quite easily without sticks, then came Canon Allenby aged eighty-two, who used one stick, and Canon Roderick aged eighty-six, who used two sticks, and behind them came Canon Elphinstone aged eighty-eight in his bathchair, pushed by his gardener.

The Dean, who was only seventy, came behind the bathchair and was apt to complain to his wife that shepherding his Chapter in a procession made him feel exactly like a—er—nursemaid … The Dean never used strong language, but in conversation he quite unconsciously left expressive pauses where he would have used it had he not been a clergyman.

Behind the Dean came the Bishop’s chaplain carrying the Bishop’s pastoral staff and behind him came the Bishop’s cope with the Bishop just visible inside it, limping a little because his sciatica was bad that day. Spiritually the Bishop was a very great man, but physically he was not, being small and thin and lacking that autocratic bearing that made the Dean such a fine figure of a man at dinner-parties. The Dean and Lady Lavinia always patronized the Bishop a little. The man lacked private means and as a result the soles at his dinner parties were lemon, not Dover … But it was noticeable that people in difficulties always went to the Bishop for help rather than to the Dean.

“My soul, bear thou thy part,          Triumph in God Above, And with a well-tuned heart          Sing thou the songs of love: Let all thy days Till life shall end, Whate’er He send, Be filled with praise.”

They all filed singing into their seats and knelt down to pray and Henrietta found to her delight that she was feeling good, a feeling she adored. Tears of happy emotion pricked behind her eyelids, her throat swelled and she was certain that she was never going to be naughty any more. God and His angels were near and one only had to be absolutely good and everything would be perfect … It was all quite easy.

“Shall I blow it now?” whispered Hugh Anthony, nudging her behind Grandmother’s back.

“Blow what now?” demanded Henrietta, opening her eyes.

“My whistle.”

“You dare blow your beastly whistle! You dare!” she whispered savagely. She was in an ugly rage that tore at her. She stretched across Grandmother, dragged the lanyard roughly over his head and buried it and the whistle in the depths of her muff. “You beast! You beast!” she panted.

“Here, give me that back,” said Hugh Anthony loudly. “It’s my whistle.”

Lady Lavinia, Mrs. Elphinstone, Miss Roderick, Mrs. Allenby and all the ladies of the Close raised their bowed heads and gazed at the couple more in sorrow than in anger … Really, if Mrs. Fordyce must adopt children at her age she could at least make some attempt to keep them in order during divine service.

Grandmother made it, for she was very angry. Her eyes were shining quite dangerously and her mouth, until she opened it, was a thin line. “Be quiet, children! Henrietta, give me that whistle. One more word from either of you and you go straight home. I never saw such an exhibition in all my life!”

The whistle was placed in Grandmother’s bag, which was snapped to with a resounding click, and everybody’s heads were lowered again. But Henrietta no longer felt good and the tears that trickled down behind her fingers were those of rage instead of sweet piety … How dared Hugh Anthony! … Little beast! … Just let him wait till they got outside and she would show him!

Hugh Anthony was not at all angry, for he was a firm believer in destiny. Things happened because they were ordained to happen. It was interesting to find out by what sequence of cause and effect they did happen, but useless to try to avert them. His whistle was gone and he was unlikely to see it again, but never mind; he would now be able to use on Henrietta, in punishment for her theft, a new booby-trap that he had recently invented but lacked opportunity to put into action. During the prayers and psalms he employed himself in working out a few minor touches that would perfect perfect its mechanism … By the time they got to the first lesson he had decided that when he grew up he was going to be an inventor.

The Dean’s high, nasal voice piped out from the lectern. “Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us … Such as found out musical tunes and recited verses in writing … All these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times … And some there be, that have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been born … But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten … Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.”

That penetrated Henrietta’s rage and she began to feel less wicked. She whispered the words to herself and they were so calming that by the time the final hymn was reached she had quite forgotten what it was she was going to do to Hugh Anthony when she got him outside.

This hymn was the climax of the service and lifted her up into the seventh heaven. The choir, followed by the whole congregation, sang it in procession, going all round the Cathedral and passing by all the decorated graves, leaving none of them out, so that everyone who had loved Torminster, alive or dead, was gathered together in one company.

“For all the saints who from their labours rest, Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesu, be for ever blessed.        Alleluia!”

They were singing that verse as they passed Sir Despard Murgatroyd’s chantry, though he hardly deserved it, and Henrietta stood on tiptoe trying to see the dog with his wreath round his neck, but she could not.

“The golden evening brightens in the west: Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest; Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.         Alleluia!”

She did so hope her little dog was in Paradise, lying curled round in a ball in a bed of lilies, sleeping off the fatigue of following Sir Despard through purgatory.

They sang the end of the hymn standing in a group by the west door.

“From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, Singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost.          Alleluia!”

Then they bowed their heads and the Bishop blessed them. “The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God.” Then for a few moments there was silence, a deep, cool silence like the inside of a well … Peace … Henrietta was not quite sure what it was, but she knew it was very important. If one wanted it, Grandfather had told her once, one must not hit back when fate hit hard but must allow the hammer-strokes to batter out a hollow place inside one into which peace, like cool water, could flow.

The festival was over for another year and they drifted out through the west door on to the Green. It was dusk now, a smoky orange dusk that made the universe look like a lighted Chinese lantern swinging in space.

“I think I should like to go and help Uncle Jocelyn sell in the shop,” whispered Henrietta to Grandmother.

“Aren’t you coming to the Deanery tea-party?” whispered Hugh Anthony in astonishment. “There’ll be iced cakes, and cream in the tea.”

“I want to show Uncle Jocelyn my muff,” said Henrietta.

“Very well, dear,” said Grandmother, slightly relieved … One child alone at the Deanery party would probably behave itself, but with two together you never knew.