#Emily the clever engine

[splatooshy]

tvdu headcanons

yes these are completely correct, no i do not take criticism. either compliment me and my clever thoughts or walk away.

damon

- pretends his initials stand for ‘damon fucking salvatore.’

- Humanity isn’t something Damon lacks. He ignores it sometimes, but he did that when he was human too

- shy. so PAINFULLY shy. that didn’t change until post 70s.

- fav colour is jade green.

- born in italy, then lily had multiple miscarriages over 5 years and giuseppe decided they would move to america for better prospects, and stefan was born in mf.

- giuseppe despised anything ‘foreign’, and would lock damon in the cellar when he slipped up. never mind that damon didn’t really know any english.

- named his first horse (a shetland pony) sir handsome. loved his horses. hated people, loved animals.

- bibliophile. brains over brawn.

- gets banned from new orleans every few decades. marcel HATES him. also was in nola in 1914, freya and kol both took pity on him/ befriended damon after he managed to piss off the witches AND marcel in one day.

- always had the most inconvenient crushes as a human. the first was the daughter of some middle class storekeeper when he was eight. the second was emily bennett (his secret bff) and the third was a dude with a horse when he was a teenager. stablehand/riding instructor/ young gent passing through, named sebastian. giuseppe caught the boys fooling around one day and promptly shot sebastian in the head, before beating damon within an inch of his life (WOAH I WROTE THIS SO CASUALLY). damon never fully recovered.

- finds grimoires to bring to his favourite witch at the time. often the spells are super wacky and mostly useless.

- chatty and clingy drunk.

- after augustines, physically cant sleep alone, and half the time wakes up only to realise he’s killed his bedpartner (strangling, decap., suffocation etc.)

- in the 30s, he became a professional dancer.

stefan

- fav colour is an icy, glacial blue.

- nobody knows what his first language is. His first few words were either Italian or French, but it’s not certain which one. of course, giuseppe locked damon in the cellar for that.

- first horse was sir handsome, a hand-me-down from damon. loved both people and animals, but most of all loved when damon was introducing him to the animals.

- actually the cutest little child ever. big green eyes and floppy blonde-ish hair. looked like a five-year-old until he was 13? 14? and then suddenly shot up really quick.

- bull in a china shop. brawn over brains.

- the ‘ripper’ was created by lexi. she isolated and abused stefan, manipulating him into whatever she wanted.

- chronic migraine sufferer.

- as a human, he physically could not eat when nervous, which just so happened to be 80% of the time.

- rarely gets drunk but is a very outgoing and slutty drunk.

- lizard brain blood lusty ripper stefan only speaks italian.

- model aeroplane / train / car kind of guy.

- tumbled down into a well twice as a human.

- built the engine for the first automobile, passed it onto henry ford.

enzo

- likes the challenge of getting his way without resorting to compulsion (which is cheating.)

- has the stickiest fingers. he didn’t become a little street urchin in london without picking up some skills.

- turned by jack the ripper in 1888. approached him mid-murder.

- physically incapable of hating damon. and believe me, he’s tried.

- after augustines, physically cant sleep alone, and half the time wakes up only to realise he’s killed his bedpartner (strangling, decap., suffocation etc.)

klaus

- went to college a few times to study art. ended up stabbing the teacher [with a paintbrush] because they critiqued his work.

- was tsar nicholas 2 as a joke, purposely ended the dynasty.

elijah

- slipped ecstasy into klaus’ drink in the 80s just to see what would happen.

rebekah

- had a habit of accidentally wandering as a kid.

- clairvoyant / clairsentient.

- very partial to throwing knives.

kol

- bffs with charles 2, gets knighted (inspired by that episode of parks and rec where ben and andy meet the rich british guy)

- refers to stefan as klaus’ estranged paramour

- mixes vervain and wolfsbane into joints and such to get klaus to chill the fuck out. and mixing vervain into other drugs and stuff so that they’d affect him - damon joins the operation in 1914.

- was jack the ripper in 1888, saw a man drowning in his own blood in an alleyway, just watching as kol disemboweled a prostitute, before approaching him like ‘please sir, can you spare any change?’ and kol was delighted.

- damon pissed off marcel in 1914 and kol decided at that moment they were best friends.

- BIG fan of the ottoman empire. it only collapsed because kol was daggered.

- has grimoires full of odd spells.

alaric

- owns vervain coated knuckle dusters

- basically begs damon to talk history with him.

elena

- pre-accident: queen bee and she knew it. at her core, she is self-centred and used to getting her way. this only changes with her parents’ accident, but eventually elena reverts back into her old self.

- refers to katherine as her identical grandmother

[ - bitchy stares. not even an rbf, her face is just super expressive and you can tell when she’s judging you ]

caroline

- was second to elena all her life, and elena knew how to fuel that envy of caroline’s. but then elena’s parents died and caroline was finally #1, except stefan shows up and it’s back to the elena show again.

[ - well-meaning but tone deaf ]

both elena and caroline are just those bitchy popular girls.

[ bonnie ]

[ i have so many for her but a lot are completely against canon so here’s the ones that could be ]

[ - best cheerleader on the squad // the older girls adopted her as their flyer from day 1 ]

[ - because she’s tiny, yanno? ]

[ - known as the ‘i dunno her but she seems nice’ one, the ‘quiet, seems really sweet but i think she hates me’ one and ‘elena’s minion’ ]

[ - but she’s actually more popular overall ‘cause she does all the volunteering / xtra curricular stuff with caroline and she’s not in your face about it ]

[ - has very weirdly specific daily rituals as to what she eats and when on which day (waffle wednesday), what pyjamas she wears, how her pillows are arranged, etc. ]

[ - she didn’t even notice she did all of that until she was at a sleepover and the other kid’s mum made a different breakfast to what she would usually have on that day and bonnie was like ‘hmm. i seem to be uncomfortable with this. why is that?’ but sucked it up and ate her breakfast without saying anything ]

[tales-from-the-railway-beyond]

Last batch! And it’s a doozy!

Donald is the twin brother of Douglas, and of the two, he’s the most likely to get in a fight. Donald is quick to anger and quick to fight, fiercely loyal and protective of friends and family. He’s also the stronger of the two, and the quickest talker. Donald loves caramel but hates toffee.

Douglas is the twin brother of Donald, and is arguably cleverer and calmer. While having a temper of his own, Douglas is less eager to fight, and will more than likely think his way out. He’s not the strongest, but he finds new methods of working around such, and is a bit more laid back. Douglas loves toffee but hates caramel.

Oliver’s past is a storied one, and stories are his favorite thing. After recovering from serious substance abuse and a lack of treatment for schizophrenia, Oliver has been deemed ready for work again and boy, does he want to prove it! He’s a hard worker, loves to chat, but sometimes suffers from mild hallucinations. They aren’t harmful, but they make him anxious and nervous, as he starts to spiral whilst thinking of the worst case scenario. Nevertheless, Oliver’s main traits are persistence and determination. Oliver likes to write and illustrate his stories so he can donate the books to local libraries.

Emily is a smart and caring type, a little on the bossy side but well-meaning all the same. She is a confident figure, unafraid to stand up to others when she sees fit, going so far as to be pushy about important matters to the Hatts themselves. This is a debatable quality. Regardless, Emily has made quite a name for herself on the rails already, and will often support or even lead union-based efforts. She enjoys cats, and will pet every cat she sees.

“Devious” Diesel is essentially an asshole. He’s rude, crass, smokes and drinks during breaks, and isn’t the most fun to be around. He earns respect via proving that he can be competent, as well as through acts of violence. The other diesel engineers respect him and deliver what he throws at them right back, but the steam engineers find him quite horrid. Diesel doesn’t mind. He got the nickname ‘Devious Diesel’ for a reason. Diesel actually enjoys collecting various different jackets, and prides himself on his appearance (despite looking oftentimes disheveled).

[hi-my-name-is-cosmopathy]

“Driver?”, Edward called.

“Yes, Edward?”, his driver replied.

“What are these white patches on my face?”, he asked. “I remember seeing this on a passenger a long time ago, but I never really knew what they were.”

“I think you have vitiligo”, the driver answered, starting to become a bit nervous, thinking that Edward didn't like how he looked. “It’s a rare skin condition that causes white patches to appear on someone's face. I know it might look... disturbing at first but–”

“Why would you ever say that?”, smiled Edward. He caressed his face as he gazed at his reflection in the hand mirror. “In my opinion, they look rather lovely! Don't you think?”

------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone! Have HFOD! Edward! His design was inspired by: @fraiserabbit , @bruhstation , @theflyingkipper , @oldirontender , @humanoid-au , @putuponpercy , and @hkpika07 !

Here's some facts about him:

(IN MAIN AND HFOD AU) Edward has a terrible habit of trying to cope with everything by himself.

(IN MAIN AND HFOD AU) Edward, as joked by everyone, has 8 children: Thomas, Percy, Bill, Ben, Lady, Neville, Charlie and Phillip.

(IN MAIN AND HFOD AU) Emily is one of Edward's old friends (yes that means she used to work in Barrow-In-Furness)

(IN MAIN AND HFOD AU) As told by Emily, in her and Edward's younger days, he was as stubborn as Gordon, and as cheeky as Thomas. This made him rather maddening at times, but he was also quite the charmer. Edward never told the engines this and doesn't like talking about it. He cringes so hard at it.

(IN MAIN AND HFOD AU) He and Thomas share a similar “cheeky face” :]

(IN MAIN AND HFOD AU) Edward helped Percy become more clever and confident after Duck’s arrival. Along with this, he helped Percy figure out his Auditory Processing Disorder. This shows in Thomas And The Magic Railroad Edward And The Magic Railway.

(IN MAIN AU) Lets just say his patience ran thin after Mattel created “All Engines Go”.

(IN HFOD AU) He couldn't see without his glasses when he turned human(oid). Yeah they aren’t reading glasses.

(IN MAIN AU) Edward has no record of going on strike. Except...

(IN HFOD AU) His hair is the most grayed out of the main 8. And he has 2 streaks of really white hair. He forms the “White Streak Trio” with Henry and Gordon.

------------------------------------------------

Well, there you have it! And, one last thing, to any of you who have vitiligo;

Don’t feel ashamed of it. If Edward thinks it’s beautiful, so should you ❤️

[kenora-pizza]

Musical Musings - TTTE edition, Part 2

ALRIGHT!

My first musical analysis post has been getting a LOT of attention in the past few days or so. So first off, thank you for the love everyone, that was one of my favourite posts to make (besides the crackhead Gordon and Henry shitpost and my "Emily in the middle" rant). Second, since it appears that people like this sorta thing, I figured I'd share a couple more things that I've noticed, one of which I didn't put in the first post cause I figured people had already  noticed it so it didn't need to be said. But I think I'll put it in anyways, just because. So let's get into it!

In pt. 1, I talked about the fact that Henry's theme has an occurrence of "3," in that each of the 4 beats in a bar was a triplet, and how Henry is the number 3 engine. Well, I was listening to his theme again and found two more occurrences of "3" in the introductory bars of the theme. For reference, I am talking about this part:

 Each bar has the following rhythm:

Now, the first occurrence of 3 comes from the fact that the first 3 beats have the same rhythm, as shown in the above image. The second occurrence of 3 comes from the fact that the last beat of the bar is a triplet. 3 notes. Tack on the first occurrence of 3 from the first post, and you're 3 for 3 for NWR no. 3. HMMM........

2. Continuing with the subject of Henry's theme, this observation has probably already been made several times over, but I figured I'd put it in to continue the "Henry's theme" trend. If you take a listen to Henry's sad theme, you'll notice that its repeating motif is part of Henry's main theme in a different, minor, key with a different rhythm and at a slower tempo.

Take a listen.

The opening fragment of Henry's main theme:

The main motif of Henry's sad theme:

And in sheet music:

Henry's theme (Eb major):

Henry's sad theme (B minor):

The numbers indicate the note's position within its scale. As you can see, both themes share the same note pattern. To get Henry's sad theme, you'd transpose the theme down a diminished 4th (i.e, move the notes down by this interval) to B major, and then adjust the D# and G# in the resulting melody to D natural and G natural to fit within the B minor scale so that it sounds sad. Nice job, Mike & Junior, very clever.

Just in case anyone is confused, the notes for the B major & minor scales are shown below:

3. Donald and Douglas' CGI whistles are the notes of C and A respectively. These notes are related in a couple of ways. The first/lowest note on a standard 88-key piano is an A, and the last/highest note is a C. Given the twins' original BR numbers (57646 & 57647 respectively), it appears that Douglas is the younger of the two, so their whistle notes make sense in this context. Additionally, as mentioned in pt. 1, the keys of C major and A minor are related in that they share a key signature of no accidentals (ie, no sharps, flats, double sharps or double flats, yes those last two exist and they gave me hell as a kid). Thus, the whistle notes would make sense in this context.

You'll often see modulation from either C major to A minor or vice versa in classical music. Two contrasting, yet complimentary keys with their own characters and personalities which work well together. Just like Donald and Douglas.

4. I was rewatching some of the season 7 episodes which have Arthur in them. And I think I kinda forgot how fucking huge this guy is. I also noticed just how low his whistle is in comparison to the other tank engines, perhaps emphasizing his bigger size and his more serious attitude in comparison to them.

Whew, this was a long post. I hope you guys enjoy this post as much as you did the last one.

[astralfrontier]

I think I've figured out what I don't like about Star Trek Discovery. But to explain it, I have to talk about what I do like, and where I am - which is midway through Season 2.

First, Michael Burnham, herself, is a good character. She's confident, talented, driven, capable of making mistakes (and makes a very big one at the opening of the show), but also capable of taking big risks and coming out on top. She admits when she's wrong, but she's not afraid to tell other people when they are. For the most part, she's the sort of character we're told Starfleet wants to have as officers.

Second, she's surrounded by interesting oddballs. Stamets is a wonderful academic who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, and he's got a loving and tender relationship which is a fucking rarity in Starfleet. Tilly is like a visitor from a more mature Lower Decks. And so on. It's really Michael's show, but she's got a good crew around her - some of whom can give her orders.

Third, the ship's concept is really neat. It's a combination flying science labs and black-ops project, like Half-Life's Black Mesa in space.

So I'm still watching the show, because I feel all this potential there, but I sometimes wrestle with it. And here's why.

Every plotline has to orbit Michael Burnham. Most recently, she takes a mentally tortured Vulcan to a planet for help and the point of being on that planet, seemingly, is to just tell her a story about what happened, then see some exposition. That trip could have just happened, she could look angsty while specialists do their work, and then there's a scene of truth if not reconciliation.

But this isn't an isolated case. Just over and over, the writing pushes her to the center of the action. She's got personal connections to every single thing that matters. Some hypothetical time traveler could apparently screw up the Federation for centuries just by messing with her timeline a tiny bit.

The times when this doesn't happen - like when it's Stamets, not her, in a time loop - are so delicious, because she's smart and clever and has this out of context problem thrown at her repeatedly, and she prevails. It's episodes like this that convince me Burnham is a good character independent of the spotlight the writers seem intent on locking onto her 24/7.

(This is also my problem with Voyager - some of the characters there are good, some are meh, a few are fantastic, but MY GOD the writing is like a vampire that just sucks the enjoyment out of watching it)

The show is having wild hate-sex with TOS-era canon. The show really, really wants to remind you that it's the immediate prequel to TOS. Like look, here's Captain Pike, here's Spock, there's the Enterprise, but we're also going to drop this multiversal mushroom network on you out of NOWHERE, we're going to a lot of stuff with Klingons, we're just doing all this wild shit.

I'm glad they're swinging for the fences though. The Sphere is probably the most impactful encounter they have in Season 2 in terms of its story impacts, and it's just such a wonderful TOS-era thing. There's this big weird object in space, there's literally nothing like it anywhere else, it's dangerous but not malicious, we're going to pit Federation ingenuity against the puzzle it represents, and we're going to have a good outcome if we're lucky.

The show sure likes to sleep on its ensemble. I love Saru and Stamets and Tilly, but I wish we'd heard more about that weird cyborg lady, Airiam, who's on the bridge before she's under it. They dropped TIG NOTARO on us as a sassy engineer, give her more love. Detmer clearly has a ton of emotion she's processing. I want to see her actress, Emily Coutts, in more stuff. It feels like they almost put in too many characters and then shone spotlight on the same few all the time, and then would pull others from their back pocket for moments of drama.

All of these things are why I'm looking forward to Season 3, where it seems the writers hit the reset button on a lot of this and are trying something new. I don't know if it'll be a better new, but it'll solve the problems Season 1-2 have given me. And I want to see what Strange New Worlds does.

[daikenkki]

We all have different roles to play, but when we work together, we're the best team ever! We're called the Steam Team because we're all steam engines. We live at Tidmouth Sheds on the Island of Sodor, so let's meet the team! James is the number 5 red engine. He's funny, although he knows it, and can be a bit of a show-off. He's always talking about his splendid shiny red paint which is fair, as it is red and shiny, but it's not as splendid as being blue! Then there's my best friend, Percy. He's the kindest, sweetest engine you'll ever meet! Percy is green with the number 6 on his side. Percy can worry too much, but he's the most trustworthy friend anyone could wish for. One of my newest friends is Nia, who's from Kenya in Africa. She's a tank engine like me, she's orange and has a beautiful pattern painted on the sides. Nia is a great friend and she loves working with the team! Gordon is blue like me and wears the number 4 on his tender. Tenders are where bigger engines keep their coal and water because they don't have tanks like tank engines. Gordon's a big and fast engine and he pulls the Express coaches. He can be grumpy sometimes, but maybe it's because he's not as useful as me! Someone who can cheer even Gordon up is our new friend Rebecca from the Mainland, and is the newest member of the Steam Team. She's painted a bright sunshine yellow which matches her sunny outlook on life. Rebecca makes everyone feel good! Finally, there's Emily the emerald green engine. She doesn't have a number, but that's not something she worries about. Emily is clever and thoughtful, and a Really Useful Engine. So there you have it… hang on, I forgot about me, Thomas! I'm the seventh member of the Steam Team, but I'm the number 1. That must make me the leader! Don't tell Gordon… no, I'm just being cheeky. No one's the leader, we're all equal and we make a great team!

[elfmagicworkshop]

Celebrate Christmas with Engineering-Themed Holiday Cards

Introduction

In a world where technology continues to redefine our daily lives, even holiday traditions are being infused with a touch of innovation. This year, why not surprise your friends and colleagues with something truly unique—engineering-themed holiday cards? Perfect for tech enthusiasts, engineers, and creative professionals, these cards blend the spirit of the season with the precision and wonder of engineering.

The Intersection of Technology, Creativity, and Holiday Traditions

Engineering-themed holiday cards represent a delightful fusion of technology and creativity. They celebrate the intricate beauty of engineering concepts while maintaining the warmth and joy that characterize the holiday season. From intricate circuit designs to witty tech puns, these cards are a testament to how traditional holiday practices can evolve through innovative expressions.

Unique Designs and Messages

These cards go beyond the usual Christmas trees and snowflakes. Imagine a card featuring a robotic Santa Claus, or one that incorporates binary code into its festive message. With their clever and thoughtful designs, these cards resonate deeply with tech enthusiasts and engineers, offering them a sense of belonging and appreciation.

The Creative Process

Creating an engineering-themed holiday card is all about innovation and functionality. Designers often start by brainstorming themes that align with the engineering field, such as renewable energy or space exploration. The next step involves sketching out ideas and incorporating technical elements that capture the essence of engineering. The result is a card that not only looks stunning but also tells a story of creativity and precision.

Fostering Community and Appreciation

Sending an engineering-themed holiday card does more than deliver a seasonal greeting; it fosters a sense of community and appreciation among recipients. These cards serve as a reminder of shared professional interests and values, strengthening bonds within both personal and professional networks. For engineers, receiving such a card is a recognition of their hard work and passion for technology.

Insights from Experts

We spoke to leading professionals in engineering, design, and technology to understand the significance of these cards. According to Dr. Emily Carter, an electrical engineer and holiday card enthusiast, "Engineering-themed cards capture the technical imagination and bring joy to those who view engineering not just as a profession, but as a form of art." Graphic designer Liam O'Connor adds, "These cards are a celebration of the creativity that exists at the intersection of art and technology."

Tips for Creating Your Own Engineering-Themed Holiday Cards

Choose a Theme: Decide on an engineering concept that resonates with you, whether it's mechanical, electrical, or software engineering.

Incorporate Technical Elements: Use symbols, diagrams, or equations that reflect your theme.

Craft a Witty Message: Consider adding a pun or clever reference that will resonate with your audience.

Use Quality Materials: High-quality paper and printing techniques will ensure your card stands out.

Personalize: Add a personal touch by including a handwritten note or an inside joke.

The Evolving Landscape of Holiday Traditions

In the digital age, holiday traditions are evolving rapidly. Yet, the essence of staying connected remains unchanged. Engineering-themed holiday cards are a modern expression of this timeless desire, providing a creative way to maintain personal connections in a world where technology often dominates.

Conclusion

Incorporating engineering into holiday celebrations is a refreshing and memorable way to honor the creativity and innovation inherent in the field. Whether you're sending them to colleagues, clients, or friends, engineering-themed holiday cards are an excellent way to share the joy of the season while celebrating the wonders of technology. This holiday season, consider crafting your engineering-themed cards to spread cheer and foster connections within your tech-savvy community.

[cyberplex]

Howdy, Mothra, and welcome to the Cyberplex! Please submit your account to the main in the next 72 hours and look over the rest of our checklist here. We look forward to seeing Alexander Drake, Alice Porter, Avigail 'Avi' Horovitz, Damian Clarke, Lacey Sinclair, and Marshall Cerulli on the dash.

anya taylor-joy / she/her  ———  no way is that ALICE PORTER.. they’re a 28-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being FICKLE  &  INSINCERE but there are some people who have seen them being MESMERIZING  &  CLEVER.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of constant daydreams, cameras flashing, designer dresses, and perfect hair that’s never out of place, but that could just be because they’re considered the PROUD ELITE around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through.. 

emily rudd / she/they  ———  no way is that LACEY SINCLAIR.. they’re a 30-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being EVASIVE  &  DISTRUSTING but there are some people who have seen them being CARING  &  SELFLESS.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of neon lights, pay by the hour hotels, doing whatever you can for your siblings, and dirty looks shot towards any man who looks at you for too long, but that could just be because they’re considered the RUNAWAY around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through.. 

hayden christensen / he/him  ———  no way is that MARSHALL CERULLI.. they’re a 38-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being IMPULSIVE  &  THRILL-SEEKING but there are some people who have seen them being OPEN-MINDED  &  WARM.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of revving engines, running from the cops, loud but warm family dinners, and falling in love head over feet, but that could just be because they’re considered the ADRENALINE JUNKIE around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..  

iain glen / he/him  ———  no way is that ALEXANDER DRAKE.. they’re a 63-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being ENIGMATIC  &  MECHANICAL but there are some people who have seen them being GIVING  &  THOROUGH.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of keeping secrets for the greater good, refusing to spend too much time thinking about what you need, spending money as a way of showing love, and doing anything for your youngest son, but that could just be because they’re considered the ECCENTRIC BILLIONAIRE around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..  

hailee steinfeld / she/they  ———  no way is that AVIGAIL ‘AVI’ HOROVITZ.. they’re a 27-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being GREGARIOUS  &  REACTIVE but there are some people who have seen them being DRIVEN  &  SPONTANEOUS.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of distressed tshirts, snapped guitar strings, screaming lyrics into a microphone, and living your best life with your favorite people, but that could just be because they’re considered the PUNK ROCK PRINCESS around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..  

federico russo / he/him  ———  no way is that DAMIAN CLARKE.. they’re a 26-year-old SYNTH notoriously known for being SULLEN  &  CALLOUS but there are some people who have seen them being ENCOURAGING  &  INCLUSIVE.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of constantly being kept in the dark, the never ending sting of betrayal, intense gazes from across the bar, and drawing constellations with freckles but that could just be because they’re considered the FALSE SON around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through.. 

[rygoespop]

Thomas and Friends: Legends of Sodor (Story 37): The Green Menace

Narrator: The Green Menace

Scene opens at Knapford Station, as Thomas, Molly, James, Percy, Emily, and Rosie were present

Narrator: One day, the engines gather at Knapford Station, Sir Topham Hatt had an announcement

STH: Recently, I went to the Mainland, to see if I can trial a New Engine

Thomas: A New Engine? When is this engine coming?

STH: He should be here right about-

Alfred: Here I am sir! *puffs in while having an innocent face on*

Thomas: Hello! I’m Thomas, and these are my friends Molly, James, Percy, Emily, and Rosie! Who are you?

Alfred: Hello Thomas, I’m Alfred

STH: I decided to trial Alfred to the Railway, if he does well, he’ll stay, but if anything is wrong, he’ll be sent back to The Mainland

Alfred: Oh, you have nothing to worry about sir, I’m gonna have a grand time with my new friends

STH: Great! Now you may carry on! *enters his office*

Alfred: So, what do you want me to do first?

Molly: Where, there’s a shipment of Gunpowder that’s going to the Blue Mountain Quarry, they need it to make tunnels

Alfred: And where can I get them at?

Percy: At Brendam Docks

Alfred: Very well then! *blew his whistle and puffs off to Brendam Docks*

Scene transitions to Alfred arriving at Brendam Docks, there were 5 Vans full of Gunpowder

Narrator: Later, Alfred arrived at Brendam Docks, there was a line of freight cars full of Gunpowder

Alfred: Hey, you up there! Is this Gunpowder going to the Blue Mountain Quarry?

Cranky: Yeah so what? It’s going there!

Alfred: Perfect! *he buffered up to the cars*

Narrator: Soon, Alfred buffered up to the cars, and sets off to the Blue Mountain Quarry

Alfred puff off as he shunted the Gunpowder Vans, as soon as Alfred was out of the docks, he showed an grin

Alfred: Heh heh heh!

Scene transitions to Alfred puffing up on Gordon’s hill

Narrator: As soon as Alfred reached up to Gordon’s Hill, he had a sneaky plan

Alfred: I’m gonna break free from these cars when I arrive at the Blue Mountain Quarry

Alfred shunted the cars faster as he puffed very fast

Alfred: Oooh get ready for the Fireworks!

Scene transitions to the Blue Mountain Quarry as it was busy

Narrator: Meanwhile at the Blue Mountain Quarry, it was busy

Owen: Alright Paxton, you are loaded!

Paxton: Thank you Owen! *honks his horn as he was about to leave*

Narrator: Suddenly, came the alarm

Workman: All engines and machinery halt!

Soon, everyone came to a stop

Alfred: Special Delivery! *puffs in as he was uncoupled from the cars*

The Gunpowder Vans rolled into a siding close to a rocky wall and they crashed and exploded

Paxton: Whoa!

Skarloey: Goodness!

Duke: *sees Alfred* Who are you?!

Alfred: Call me, Alfred! *chuckled as he puffed away in reverse*

Scene transitions to Alfred arriving at a signal

Narrator: Alfred thought he was clever, but then he was in trouble

Edward puffed by, and he brought Sir Topham Hatt with him, but Sir Topham Hatt wasn’t happy of what happened

STH: Who do you think you are? Greatly causing an explosion at the Quarry?! That was reckless and dangerous of you!

Alfred: Yeah so what?! I do what I want!

Edward: Well Alfred, if you wanna stay on this railway, you need to be careful!

STH: Now, I’m sending you to a shed until I can trust you again with freight cars!

Alfred was silent as he puffed off to his shed

Narrator: Alfred said nothing as he puffed off to his shed, do you think he’ll learn sense?

Steam clouds rolled in

Story End

[denimbex1986]

'My husband and I recently took a day of leave, dropped the toddler off at daycare, and settled into some surprisingly comfortable seats at Hoyts for a day of Oppenbarbie (not Barbenheimer, which is only the correct order to watch these two movies if you want to feel sad).

I’ll save my review of Barbie for another day (spoiler: I loved it), because I have a lot more to say about Oppenheimer. Mainly, Director Christopher Nolan’s treatment of the female characters in it.

Christopher Nolan has never been celebrated for his well-rounded female characters. Mostly because the women in his movies rarely speak and, when they do, it is only to further serve their purpose as a prop for the men in the story.

However, Oppenheimer was going to be different. There wasn’t just one meaty role for a woman—there were two. Two whole roles for women? Consider feminism solved!

One of those two female roles is Kitty, Robert Oppenheimer’s wife, played by the always incredible Emily Blunt. The only other sort-of-important-but-not-really-in-Nolan’s-universe female character is Jean Tatlock (played by Florence Pugh), who is topless pretty much instantly and remains that way during most of her scenes.

Oh, and no female character is introduced for the first 20 minutes of the movie. Cool.

Neither Kitty nor Jean are particularly well-rounded (and no, highlighting Kitty’s alcoholism is not making her well-rounded if her only two defining features in the movie are ‘wife’ and ‘alcoholic’), in that they only speak so that Oppenheimer can then speak at them and further his storyline.

When I have complained to members of older generations about this, I am met with the same response: Well, it was the 1940s—they do have to be historically accurate.

Ah, I forgot about those decades where women didn’t exist. Silly me.

The trouble is that a quick Google search shows that there were several hundred female scientists, mathematicians, engineers and technicians working on the Manhattan Project (yay, feminism?).

Including Kitty, which you do not learn in the movie given that pretty much the only thing she says when they move to Los Alamos is ‘the house doesn’t have a kitchen’.

Kitty was actually a scientist who worked on the Manhattan Project for a year as a lab technician, and she was someone that Oppenheimer confided in, learned with and leaned on during their 26-year marriage. In the movie, the only time he confides in her is to tell her through the clever code of ‘take in the sheets’ that the bomb testing is done (women be washing).

So yeah, ‘historical accuracy’ is great and all, but who is recording the history? Who is choosing which parts of focus on? Who is deciding which stories matter and are worth telling? Nolan, that’s who, and all of the people saying the words ‘historically accurate’ like white men haven’t been in charge of what parts of history are deemed important.

I mean, c’mon, the longest speech Emily Blunt as Kitty gives is when she is telling Oppenheimer her relationship history.

Comments online assure me that the movie cannot be sexist because Kitty is tough in her defence of Oppenheimer in the latter part of the movie. That’s great and all, but that is a couple of minutes out of a three-hour-long movie. I would have liked to see the parts where Kitty worked as scientist, the isolation she felt at Los Alamos that led to her leaving to live with her parents for a few months in 1945, and how stifled she told people she felt in domestic life.

Not one of those things were mentioned in the movie.

I’m not writing this because I enjoy picking movies apart. It actually makes me pretty sad. I stopped seeing major blockbusters 10 years ago because I was tired of seeing the few female characters on screen either sexualized or sidelined (and no, making the president female or having one rude and definitely not the main character female scientist is not actually solving the problem).

I had hoped that things would change in a decade, but they haven’t. It’s all still the same old same old, and we all still either accept it or defend it.

Barbie is a feminist movie, where the Ken dolls’ only purpose for existing was to support and care about the Barbies, and even then, Kens had way more representation than women had in Oppenheimer.

The Kens got to speak. A lot. They got to be funny. At the end, they were given the opportunity to be their own people and were apologised to for being treated as side-characters to the Barbies’ stories.

They were also dolls in a made-up universe.

Kitty, Jean and the hundreds of women who weren’t mentioned in Oppenheimer were real people, who contributed real things to the world outside of boobs and bitchy comments.

And yes, I’m not a complete dolt, I do understand that the movie Oppenheimer was written to be about J. Robert Oppenheimer, not Kitty Oppenheimer. But the movie had plenty of male characters, and while they were there as background characters to Oppenheimer’s protagonist, they were also fully formed people and shown as such.

The women, as with other Nolan films, weren’t given that opportunity. They were there in the capacity of ‘woman’, sometimes ‘naked woman’, and the value that they added to the world as people was written out of the story.

In Nolan’s universe, men can change things while women just exist. And yes, sometimes these women fight and sometimes they refuse to acknowledge people they don’t like (empowerment!), but they could also be removed entirely from the story and it wouldn’t change a thing that happens.

I’m not the type to withhold credit where credit’s due: in regard to female representation in Nolan’s movies, Oppenheimer is a step forward. But it’s 2023—is a leap really that big of an ask?'

[lizseyi]

The Best Cocktail Content Creators for Home Bar Enthusiasts - Flavour Blaster

How to make professional-looking cocktails at home

That internet is rammed full of people telling you what they think they know about cocktails. You know the drill, someone posts their life story before showing you a recipe that includes shop-bought premixes and some very dodgy photos of tepid-looking drinks in mason jars. We’ve all tasted this kind of cocktail in real life, and it’s not a pleasant experience. But tip towards the other end of the spectrum, and you've got professional bartenders sharing exquisite-looking drinks with hardly any details on how to make them. The trick is finding a writer who knows their audience — the home bartending enthusiast — but also knows their onions when concocting good cocktails. 

Like most things, making cocktails combines the art of simplicity in the process and the complexity of knowledge in the preparation. So we asked drinks writer and ex-cocktail bartender Emily Goodman which bloggers she thinks will get your cocktails on point. 

The Foundations

I'll start with JJ Goodman because he is perhaps the most famous and owns the most bars out of all the writers I’ll talk about. He also doesn't technically write a blog. So I’ll break all the rules before I even start. He did, however, write a fantastic book called Kitchen Cocktails that I recommend any home bar enthusiast reads before they even begin to build a cocktail bar at home. 

Why? JJ has won global cocktail competitions, been on 50 most influential people and 30 under 30 press lists, and he and his business partner won BBC Two’s gastronomic reality TV show The Restaurant in 2009. He owns Cocktail Club, a multisite brand with venues in London, Bristol, Reading, Exeter, Cardiff and Birmingham that began with a small basement bar just off Shaftesbury Avenue. He also founded Night cap Plc (an umbrella for the Adventure Bar, Barrio Bar Familia and Cocktail Club brands) and Nightcap Bar Academy, a staff training and retention hub. 

His book Kitchen Cocktails; recipes of the London Cocktail Club was explicitly written for people who need to make cocktails in the kitchen at home using a supermarket budget and widely available products. Home bartenders are his audience; he doesn't shy away from that to make himself look big or clever. This is a bible and reference book rolled into one. Start here, and you won't go wrong.

In-Depth

The second person I recommend is well-known in the drinks industry. Simon Difford started working in the drinks trade selling spirit and liquors in the nineties, then went on to found Class bar magazine and later theDifford’s Guide, both of which are still running. 

However, it's the latter that home bartenders will really find useful. While Class bar magazine is an industry-lead publication, the Difford’s Guide is a vast online compendium of cocktails used by consumers and professionals alike. Look up any drink, and you'll find the recipe in millilitres, ounces or ratios. You'll get advice on which brands to use and where you can buy them and a little potted history of each cocktail that is both thorough and entertaining. 

Delving into History

Speaking of history, if you like to delve deep into the annals of time to help you connect with a recipe, then you need to check out Dr Adam Elan-Elmegirab. He is an award-winning bartender who began blogging about the origins of classic cocktails when the internet was in its infancy. Through his practice of researching old recipes and then writing about them on his blog, he was driven to search for products that have gone out of fashion. Specifically, he looked for Boker’s Bitters because it was used in possibly the first martini recipe ever recorded, a drink called the Martinez.

He found that Boker’s Bitters was no longer in use nor available to buy. So to make his cocktail in the most traditional way, he sourced an ancient bottle of it on eBay and began backwards engineering the flavours to recreate a supply for himself. 

He wrote about this process on his blog, and people were so interested that they began writing to him to ask for some for their own use. Soon he was bottling and selling the little tinctures from his home in Aberdeen to bartenders all over the globe. He grew his range and invented some of his own products. He now owns a spirit and liqueur distillery called The House of Botanicals, from where he creates several traditional cocktail ingredients.

 It helps with cocktails, as in literature, to get to grips with the classics, so you have a solid foundation of understanding and techniques to begin exploring your own recipes. 

Unfortunately, many of his original blog posts don’t exist anymore, but he is a brilliant content creator, and his website, The House of Botanicals, has links to a newsletter, and various social media accounts where he posts ‘How To’ videos for loads of fantastic classic cocktails.

Gin Fundamentals

I realise this list is very male-dominated so far, and I want you to know that I include this next writer not because she is a woman but because she belongs here in her own right. Emma Stokes, aka Gin Monkey, is a force of nature. Science buff by day and gin lush by night, she is the co-creator of World Gin Day and has written three essential posts on her Gin Monkey website 1) how to make a gin and tonic at home, 2) how to order a martini and 3) how to make gin at home. These three fundamentals are worth reading if you’re interested in working around the gin category.  

Fun Times! 

I couldn’t leave without mentioning someone a generation younger than me. It wouldn’t be fair or proper. Yes, Pip Jolley is an influencer, but she is incredibly good at her job, and her side hustle @Drinkswithbarberella is everything a home bar should be. Fun, spontaneous, a bit OTT and everything is made with easily sourced ingredients that aren’t going to break the bank. If you’ve done some homework and now you want to have some fun, she has plenty of inspiration for both recipes and the visual presentation of garnishing homemade cocktails. Neither is easy to do without a professional bar set up behind you.  

Let’s Get Professional 

So, let’s say that you’ve done a grounding in the classics, tried the irreverent and fun, and now you want to get your teeth into something trickier. Now is the time to introduce Vlad the Slick Bartender. Not only is he a top-of-his-game professional, but he also makes YouTube videos that deconstruct some of the more complicated professional bartending tricks so you can do them at home. For example, his ‘How to Make Clear Ice at Home’ video will help you get the kind of ice you’ll find in five-star hotels using practical home bar equipment.

Brilliant, thanks, Emily! And now that you’ve got some support from the people of the internet on how to make professional-looking cocktails at home, you could take a look at our cocktail recipe page. It’ll show you a range of recipes you can use alongside our Flavour Blaster Mini. A home bar tool introduced after the incredible global success of our professional bar tool, which made its debut in 2019. We developed it with you in mind, allowing aspiring home bartenders just like you to garnish your cocktails in brand new ways!

[sussux-zel]

Sir, those are my emotional support engines.

[meanscarletdeceiver]

The Classic Main Cast as the Olympian Gods

Here they are in the order which I matched them up… I think the logic will be slightly easier to follow that way. *sweatdrop*

Percy = Hermes

Matching the messenger god and the engine who takes the mail train is a gimme. Hermes is also a trickster, which suits Percy pulling the wheel of other engines (“stay in the shed today, James!” “do let’s pretend I’m a ghost and scare Thomas!” etc.) God of trade and merchants very much tallies with Percy’s long history working exchange yards. Finally, Hermes’s domain also includes thieves and conmen. Percy in RWS lore has one of the rougher and more knock-about backgrounds so this all fits very well.

Gordon = Zeus

Powerful bigshots who are also surprisingly great comedic fodder. ‘Nuff said? Well, there’s also the frequent language of Gordon thundering by with the Express—in fact, in “Henry’s Forest” James specifically drops this metaphor when he compares the raging storm to Gordon.

Emily = Hera

Next to Gordon, Emily definitely has the most regal personality (prior to Brenner and BWBA eras making her thing “insecurity”). There is even the episode where she declares herself a queen! Also, frankly, the notion of Gordon and Emily as a judgey power couple, while not canonical, still amuses me so much.

Henry = Poseidon

He is after all another very powerful engine/god. Also, a lot of his lore is associated with water. There is his infamous rain-tantrum-as-origin-story... and the Flying Kipper is a very apropos assignment for an engine with dominion of the sea.

Donald = Hephaestus

Douglas = Ares

These two rather fiery gods, both linked with war (*whispers* and Aphrodite), seem like a pair to me. Donald is Hephaestus not because of the limp or lameness (which didn’t really suit anyone, quite) but because of the associations of fire and battle. Both these figures are badasses, but Hephaestus is a shrewd sort, much like Donald, who is the strategic thinker of the two. Douglas, who flat-out destroyed a brakevan, suits the more full-throttle and destructive Ares.

Duck = Apollo

Oliver = Artemis

The sun and the moon. Clever, hardworking Duck fits the daylight, rational nature of Apollo, who is also a harbinger of order and higher civilization (very Great-Western-Way sort of traits). Apollo is also a prophet and truth-teller—reminiscent of Duck, who never minces words! On the other hand, Oliver is the one of the two associated with the night—his origin story is all about him running in secret under cover of darkness, much like the wild fleet-footed Artemis who cannot be bound by law. Artemis is also infamously destructive (even by Olympian standards!) which definitely puts one in mind of a certain uppity private wagon who, after taking aim at Oliver, was never the same truck again…

James = Aphrodite

While I can’t really associate James with love (self-love, maybe?), the themes of appearance, beauty, and pleasure make this one a lock. Aphrodite is definitely the most splendid Olympian and you can’t tell us otherwise! (There was an entire Trojan war based on this fundamental fact! Also, that Aphrodite cheated her way to victory in the beauty contest is hilariously Jamesian to me.)

Edward = Athena

Goddess of wisdom, mentor of worthy youths, and the one you can’t have anything even remotely approximating a civilization without. We good here? She’s even a warrior goddess, suiting Edward’s part-time forays into heroic determination. (Speaking of the Judgment of Paris, the fact that this now means that it is a contest between Emily, Edward, and James is fine by me—as it happens, I think they are the three best-looking engines by far.)

Toby = Demeter

Actually, my first thought was that Toby was Hestia, goddess of domesticity, but apparently Hestia is only an Olympian if we exclude Dionysus, and I don’t believe we can do that (see below). Demeter also works well—she’s an earth goddess, of grain and harvest, fitting Toby’s frequent work taking loads to and from the farmers. His brown color also screams earth to me. Interestingly, Demeter is also the giver of sacred law—given Toby’s earthy good sense, freely-given advice and opinions, and how downright judgmental he can be, I think this suits quite well. Finally, there’s his near-miss with living death (his origin story is very much “Toby was at the end of the line, and even shedded up for good—but then!” which is incredibly fitting, because Demeter was so associated with death and rebirth.)

Thomas = Dionysus

Okay, so I admit that I got here by process of elimination—Thomas was the last engine unmatched when I got to the last god, who can be either Hestia or Dionysus. Dionysus is admittedly a kinda wild matchup, but hear me out because it also kinda works. First, as another earth god, he can function as a pair with Demeter, much as our two also-alliterated boys ran the (heavily agricultural) Ffarquhar branch exclusively for a while. Obviously, Dionysus is the wilder and more chaotic of the two. If one of these twelve engines is gonna be Dionysus, surely it’s the madlad who burst through the stationmaster’s dining room? Dionysus is also a wanderer… he roamed more of the world than any of the others (he even famously visited India—oh hi there BWBA!) The ‘god of wine’ thing is a stretch for any of these characters, but Thomas did notoriously drink something verboten in the ‘fishing’ incident. Yup, next to Thomas/Dionysus the rest of them are definitely “stick-in-the-mud”s.

Finally, if we allow the correspondence of these two chaos agents, then that means Annie and Clarabel are Thomas’s maenads—which is a hilarious take!

[microcos-pod]

Micro-Cosmos Bonus Episode #3 Transcript: To Touch the Stars

(Miles struggles with falling asleep and looks to their friend for help.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Existentialism, feelings of insignificance, attempting to comprehend the vastness of space.

Transcript below break.)

JESSE Hey there, it’s Jesse Smith! Before we get to the bonus episode, I need to share an important announcement with you all. Though we have just come back from a short hiatus, we, the crew, have decided it best to stick to it a little while longer. Don’t worry, we will be back soon! We just need a bit more time to prepare so we can give you the best show that we can. We have no definite return date to share with you all at present, but we will keep our social medias updated with any new information in the coming weeks. We will be returning with Episode 9: The Alternative very, very soon, we promise.  In the meantime, you can share your thoughts on the show on social media with the tag “microcospod,” rate and review us on your podcatcher of choice, or add a new show to your podcast list, such as the Heart of Ether or the Night Post.Until next time, work well.

[Fade to episode.]

[SFX: The sound of city night life is faintly heard from outside. There is silence for a beat, before MILES is heard tossing and turning excessively, mumbling to themself. Finally, they groan loudly, shoving their face into their pillow. Unit C41 flickers to life from where they were set on the bedside table.]

C41 Miles, would it kill you to be quiet? I’m trying to get my beauty rest.

MILES What does it matter to you? You should be able to rest regardless of external stimuli.

C41 Yeah, well, it’s annoying, so.

[MILES groans loudly again.]

MILES Sorry, I just—well, no matter how hard I try to sleep, I can’t shake this restless feeling I have.

C41 Maybe if you didn’t down so much caffeine—

MILES [cutting them off, annoyed] I don’t even like coffee, but I wouldn’t be able to function without it! Not that you’d understand.

C41 [they huff.] You’re being quite rude, you know. I’m just trying to help you.

MILES [mutters] You’re ridiculing me, more like it. [a beat.] Sorry. I just have to be up early tomorrow for that meeting with Emily, and I know I’ll be kicking myself in the morning if I don’t fall asleep soon.

C41  [mocking] Aw, does poor Mx. Abbott need me to read them a bedtime story?

[MILES ponders this for a moment.]

MILES [serious, but also teasing, in a way] You know what? Yeah. That would be lovely, Cal.

C41 [“wait no,” scrambling to take it back] Hey, you know I was joking—!

MILES [cutting them off, almost cooing, in a cruel way] And I’m not getting any more tired with all this bickering. You know you won’t have any fun tomorrow either if I don’t get enough rest. [a beat, then] Well? I’m waiting.

C41 [they groan] Ugh. You want a bedtime story? Fine. Once upon a time, there was a software engineer named Miles Abbott. They never knew when to shut up. One night, though, they finally decided to, and everyone was happy! The end.

MILES Cal.

C41 Don’t blame me! You didn’t program me to tell stories.

MILES Actually, I programmed you to do a lot of things, and this should be well within your capabilities. Do I need to go into your code again?

C41 No! Just—fine. I’ll make up an actual story, if you’re going to be so stubborn about it.

[C41 huffs a sigh. They think for a few moments before they begin telling their story.]

C41 Once upon a time, there was a fox who lived in a little village with a bunch of other animals.

MILES Does the fox have a name?

C41 No. This is one of those folktales where the animals are a metaphor, so they don’t need names.

MILES Let me guess, then, the Fox was sly and mischievous.

C41 [spiteful] Actually, no. The Fox was incredibly sweet, and made everyone cookies every Monday. Everyone in the village loved the fox.

MILES But that’s not what they usually represent—

C41 And this is my story with my characters, so they can do whatever I want! Stop talking, this is supposed to help you sleep.

[MILES yawns.]

MILES Fine.

C41 So, this fox had a great life in this village, but there was one thing they really wanted. Every night, the Fox would climb onto their roof and look up at the stars. Their dream, above all else, was to touch those stars. Not just that, the Fox wanted to jump across them. Like lilly pads, guiding them through space. They wanted to see where the stars would take them. From where the Fox sat, it seemed like they were forming a path. Thus, if they followed the path, it must take them somewhere special, right?

MILES So, how’d the Fox do it?

C41 Well, they started by going to their friend, the Owl, who was very wise, because, duh, owls are always the wise ones.

MILES You said—

C41 My story, remember? Anyways, the Fox went to the Owl, not only because the Owl was smart, but she could fly. The Fox asked the Owl if she could fly them up to the stars. She shook her head, though. She couldn’t fly up that high, even if she tried.

But, she had an idea. She may not be able to reach the stars, but she could reach the clouds. Because this is my fantasy world, and I make the rules, I’m going to go ahead and say the clouds here aren’t like normal clouds. These clouds, you’re able to stand on. Not just that, but they’re super bouncy, like a trampoline. The Owl thought that if she could fly the Fox up to the clouds, then they could bounce up high enough to get to the stars. Simple as that.

The Fox thought it was super clever, so the following night, they executed their plan. The Owl let the Fox sit on her back, and the two of them flew up, and up, and up, until the Owl finally couldn’t go any higher. That was when the Fox jumped off of her back and onto the nearest cloud. And guess what? It worked! The Fox went up even further, and they kept bouncing from cloud to cloud, going higher and higher with each jump.

Around them, the sky grew darker. They couldn’t even see their village anymore. Even when they started to feel scared, they kept jumping between the clouds until eventually, there were no more clouds. The only place left for them to jump…was the nearest star.

Their paws landed on the surface of the star with grace. Don’t worry, these are also fantasy stars, so the Fox didn’t burn alive. If anything, the star sent a pleasant tingling sensation through the pads of their feet. These stars were just like how a kid would draw stars. Not millions of light years apart, but clustered together, as if a living painting laid out before the Fox’s eyes. They were all the same cold yellow, all shining like glitter and glowing magnificently. They were exactly like the Fox had always dreamed of.

And the Fox should be happy. Ecstatic, even. This is what they’d wanted all their life.

But…they weren’t. Getting a closer look, they realized there was no cohesive path the stars formed. In fact, there were far more stars than they anticipated, spread out across the vastness of space. When they looked down, they saw the planet they had come from, and it was so much smaller than they had thought. When they looked up, around them, they saw even more planets in the distance, ones they couldn’t see before. Planets they could probably jump to, if they tried hard enough.

They could. Explore the universe by hopping from star to star. Their feet didn’t move, though. Looking around, they realized just how small they were in comparison to these grand celestial bodies. All their life, they had lived with their own goals, aspirations, ideas, and thought that that was all there was. That there was one life made just for them.

They didn’t realize how insignificant it all was until that moment—their desire to touch the stars, the cookies they made each Monday…their friends. Was there another little fox on one of those distant planets with the same life, the same dreams? Had that fox already accomplished all of their goals, better than this Fox ever could? Was it ever really the Fox’s choice to do all of those things, or was that just the role it was expected to play in the grand scheme of things? How could they go home with the knowledge that all this time, their village was only a speck of dust?

The Fox stayed on that first star they landed on. They stayed for a long, long time. It’s possible the Fox stayed there for the rest of eternity, standing on that star, staring out into space. It’s possible they stayed until it burned out and died. No matter what, as long as they kept looking, they couldn’t move. Because seeing it all so up close made them realize…it didn’t matter if they continued or not. They had always dreamed of touching the stars, and when they finally did? The stars didn’t even notice.

What a big universe, and what a small, small Fox. [with emphasis] How dare they. How selfish of them. To think their choices mattered at all.

[There’s a pause.]

C41 [trying to brush it off] Whew! That got a bit heavy at the end, didn’t it…Miles?

[MILES is softly snoring. C41 sighs deeply.]

C41 Goodnight, Miles. Try not to drink so much coffee tomorrow. I don’t think I have any more bedtime stories left in me.

[CREDITS.]

[motherednature]

CHARACTER OUTLINE .

FULL NAME : seraphina emily jane pitchiner.

TITLE(S) : mother nature, mother earth, gaea, pachamama, jörð, hoards of other titles of gods across pantheons, of storms, seas, fertility, motherhood, chaos, destruction, etc.

NICKNAME(S) :   no friends/significant others to give her nicknames. parents used to call her bug and various other animals when she was small.

╳   FLAWS.

moody | short-tempered  |  emotionally unstable  |  whiny  |  controlling  |  conceited  | possessive |  paranoid  |  liar  | impatient  |  cowardly  |  bitter  |  selfish  |  power-hungry  | greedy  |  lazy  | judgmental  |  forgetful | impulsive | spiteful  |  stubborn |  sadistic  |  petty  |  unlucky  | absent-minded |  abusive  |  addict  | aggressive  |  childish  |  callous |  clingy  |  delusional  | cocky  |  competitive  |  corrupt  |  cynical  |  cruel  |  depressed | deranged  | egotistical |  envious  | insecure | insensitive |  lustful  | delinquent  |  guilt complex  |  reclusive  |  reckless  |  nervous  |  oversensitive

♔   STRENGTHS.

honest |  trustworthy  |  thoughtful |  caring  |  brave  |  patient  |  selfless  |  ambitious  |  tolerant  |  lucky  | intelligent  |  confident   |  focused |  humble  |  generous  |  merciful  |  observant  |  wise  |  clever  |  charming |  cheerful  |  optimistic |  decisive  |  adaptive  |  calm  |  protective  |  proud  |  diligent  |  considerate |  compassionate |  good sportsmanship  |  friendly | empathetic | passionate |  reliable  |  resourceful |  sensible  |  sincere |  witty  | funny

🖌 SKILLS & HOBBIES.

art |  acting |  astronomy  |  animals  |  archery  |  sports  |  belly dancing |  bird watching  |  blacksmithing  |  boating |  calligraphy  |  camping  |  candle making  |  casino gambling  |  ceramics  |  racing  |  chess  |  music |  cooking  |  crochet  |  weaving  |  exercise  |  swordplay | fishing  |  gardening  |  ghost hunting  |  ice skating  |  magic  |  engineering  |  building  | inventing  |  leather-working |  martial arts  |  meditation  |  origami  |  parkour  | people watching |  swimming |  puppetry  |  pyrotechnics  |  quilting  |  reading  |  collecting  |  shopping  |  socializing  |  storytelling  |  writing  |  traveling |  exotic dancing  |  singing

tagged by: @folkesange​ ( thank u dear ; v ; !!! ) tagging: @whinedarksea @jinxedeath @ofpsalms @heavensfists @soulmissed​ and anyone else who’d like to !!!

[asfaltics]

A brown moth fluttered.

  The curtain was down, and the carpenters were rearranging the “No, no, no! I can’t breathe       1       volatile I can’t breathe.” And such a fit of suffocating       2   “I can’t breathe,” she would sometimes say       3 and the minisnever! I can’t breathe it in fast enough, nor hard enough, nor long enough.”       4   and started up up. to return to the tent, only to check him No, I can’t breathe the same air self in the act as often as he started, with ye to-night, but ye’ll go into the he lost consciousness in uneasy dreams       5 meet me at the station. I can’t breathe in this wretched       6   “sickening down there — I can’t breathe!  I can’t stand it, Drewe! It’s killing me!” — Tears       7 struggling to altitudes that I can’t breathe in.  I could help him when he was in despair, but he is the sort who       8   sometimes I find I can’t breathe in it.  Perhaps some folks will say “so much the worse for you”       9 it seems if I can’t breathe in the house. not dared hope       10   “Well, I won’t wear ’em. I can’t breathe” “Sure! Blame ’em!” “I can’t breathe a square breath.” Oh       11 things I regret I can’t breathe.       12   bramble bush. I can’t breathe. I can’t eat. I can’t do anything much. It’s clear to my knees.       13 I can't breathe, I can't talk,       14   lying on its “I can’t stay here I can’t breathe” side, the cork half-loosened. A brown moth fluttered.       15 “I can’t breathe beside you.”       16   the needs of any reasonable young lady. “I can't breathe there,       17 I can’t breathe — I really need the rush of this wintry air to restore me!”       18   I can’t breathe no more in that coop upstairs . tablet ; two he said is what you need.” of flame shoots through a stream of oil       19 no friction. It’s friction—rub- / asthmatically.] “I can’t breathe deep — I can light and of reason. But I’ve a notion       20   out of it. I can’t breathe in the dark. I can’t. I / She withdrew       21 “I can’t breathe or feel in”       22   Up a flight of stairs, and there was the girl, sitting on the edge of an untidy bed. The yellow sweater was on the floor. She had on an underskirt and a pink satin camisole. “I can't breathe !” she gasped.       23 I can’t breathe in the dark! I can’t! I can’t! I can’t live in the dark with my eyes open!       24   One never gets it back! How could one! And I can’t breathe just now, on account of       25 that old stuff, I could shriek. I can’t breathe in the same room with you. The very sound of       26   don’t! I can’t — breathe.... I’m all — and bitter howling.       27  

sources (pre-1923; approximately 90 in all, from which these 27 passages, all by women)

1 ex “Her Last Appearance,” in Peters’ Musical Monthly, And United States Musical Review 3:2 (New-York, February 1869), “from Belgravia” : 49-52 (51) “Her Last Appearance” appeared later, “by the author of Lady Audley’s Secret” (M.E. Braddon, 1835-1915 *), in Belgravia Annual (vol. 31; Christmas 1876) : 61-73 2 snippet view ex The Lady’s Friend (1873) : 15 evidently Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924 *) her Vagabondia : A Love Story (New York, 1891) : 286 (Boston, 1884) : 286 (hathitrust) 3 ex “The Story of Valentine; and his Brother.” Part VI. Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine vol. 115 (June 1874) : 713-735 (715) authored by Mrs. [Margaret] Oliphant (1828-97 *), see her The Story of Valentine (1875; Stereotype edition, Edinburgh and London, 1876) : 144 4 OCR confusions at Olive A. Wadsworth, “Little Pilkins,” in Sunday Afternoon : A Monthly Magazine for the Household vol. 2 (July-December 1878) : 73-81 (74) OAW “Only A Woman” was a pseudonym of Katharine Floyd Dana (1835-1886), see spoonercentral. Katharine Floyd Dana also authored Our Phil and Other Stories (Boston and New York, 1889) : here, about which, a passage from a bookseller's description — Posthumously published fictional sketches of “negro character,” first published in the Atlantic Monthly under the pseudonym Olive A. Wadsworth. The title story paints a picture of plantation life Dana experienced growing up on her family’s estate in Mastic, Long Island. Although a work of fiction set in Maryland, the character of Phil may of been named for a slave once jointly owned by the Floyds and a neighboring family. source see also the William Buck and Katherine Floyd Dana collection, 1666-1912, 1843-1910, New York State Historical Documents (researchworks). 5 OCR cross-column misread, at M(ary). H(artwell). Catherwood (1847-1902 *), “The Primitive Couple,” in Lippincott’s Magazine of Popular Literature and Science 36 (August 1885) : 138-146 (145) author of historical romances, short stories and poetry, and dubbed the “Parkman of the West,” her papers are at the Newberry Library (Chicago) 6 ex Marie Corelli (Mary Mackay; 1855-1924 *), Thelma, A Norwegian Princess: A Novel, Book II. The Land of Mockery. Chapter 12 (New Edition, London, 1888) : 432 7 preview snippet (only), at Ada Cambridge (1844-1926 *), Fidelis, a Novel ( “Cheap Edition for the Colonies and India,” 1895) : 289 full scan, (New York, 1895) : 261 born and raised in England, spent much of her life in Australia (died in Melbourne); see biography (and 119 of her poems) at the Australia Poetry Library in particular, the striking poems from Unspoken Thoughts (1887) here (Thomas Hardy comes to mind) 8 snippet view (only) at F(rances). F(rederica), Montrésor (1862-1934), At the Cross-Roads (London, 1897) : 297 but same page (and scan of entirety) at hathitrust see her entry At the Circulating Library (Database of Victorian Fiction 1837-1901) an interesting family. Montrésor’s The Alien: A Story of Middle Age (1901) is dedicated to her sister, C(harlotte). A(nnetta). Phelips (1858-1925), who was devoted to work for the blind. See entry in The Beacon, A Monthly magazine devoted to the interests of the blind (May 1925) a great-granddaughter of John Montresor (1737-99), a British military engineer and cartographer, whose colorful (and unconventional) life is sketched at wikipedia. 9 Alice H. Putnam, “An Open Letter,” in Kindergarten Review 9:5 (Springfield, Massachusetts; January 1899) : 325-326 Alice Putnam (1841-1919) opened the first private kindergarten in Chicago; Froebel principles... (wikipedia); see also “In Memory of Alice H. Putnam” in The Kindergarten-primary Magazine 31:7 (March 1919) : 187 (hathitrust) 10 OCR cross-column misread, at Mabel Nelson Thurston (1869?-1965?), “The Palmer Name,” in The Congregationalist and Christian World 86:30 (27 July 1901) : 134-135 author of religiously inflected books (seven titles at LC); first female admitted for entry at George Washington University (in 1888). GWU archives 11 OCR cross-column misread, at Margaret Grant, “The Romance of Kit Dunlop,” Beauty and Health : Woman’s Physical Development 7:6 (March 1904): 494-501 (499 and 500) the episodic story starts at 6:8 (November 1903) : 342 12 ex Marie van Vorst (1867-1936), “Amanda of the Mill,” The Bookman : An illustrated magazine of literature and life 21 (April 1905) : 190-209 (191) “writer, researcher, painter, and volunteer nurse during World War I.” wikipedia 13 ex Maude Morrison Huey, “A Change of Heart,” in The Interior (The sword of the spirit which is the Word of God) 36 (Chicago, April 20, 1905) : 482-484 (483) little information on Huey, who is however mentioned in Paula Bernat Bennett, her Poets in the Public Sphere : The Emancipatory Project of American Women's Poetry, 1800-1900 (2003) : 190 14 ex Leila Burton Wells, “The Lesser Stain,” The Smart Set, A Magazine of Cleverness 19:3 (July 1906) : 145-154 (150) aside — set in the Philippines, where “The natives were silent, stolid, and uncompromising.” little information on Wells, some of whose stories found their way to the movie screen (see IMDB) The Smart Set ran from March 1900-June 1930; interesting story (and decline): wikipedia 15 OCR cross-column misread, at Josephine Daskam Bacon (1876-1961 *), “The Hut in the Wood: A Tale of the Bee Woman and the Artist,” in Collier’s, The National Weekly 41:12 (Saturday, June 13, 1908) : 12-14 16 ex E. H. Young, A Corn of Wheat (1910) : 90 Emily Hilda Daniell (1880-1949), novelist, children’s writer, mountaineer, suffragist... wrote under the pseudonym E. H. Young. (wikipedia) 17 ex Mary Heaton Vorse (1874-1966), “The Engagements of Jane,” in Woman’s Home Companion (May 1912) : 17-18, 92-93 Illustrated by Florence Scovel Shinn (1871-1940, artist and book illustrator who became a New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer in her middle years. (wikipedia)) Mary Heaton Vorse — journalist, labor activist, social critic, and novelist. “She was outspoken and active in peace and social justice causes, such as women's suffrage, civil rights, pacifism (such as opposition to World War I), socialism, child labor, infant mortality, labor disputes, and affordable housing.” (wikipedia). 18 ex snippet view, at “Voices,” by Runa, translated for the Companion by W. W. K., in Lutheran Companion 20:3 (Rock Island, Illinois; Saturday, January 20, 1912) : 8 full view at hathitrust same passage in separate publication as Voices, By Runa (pseud. of E. M. Beskow), from the Swedish by A. W. Kjellstrand (Rock Island, Illinois, 1912) : 292 E(lsa). M(aartman). Beskow (1874-1953), Swedish author and illustrator of children’s books (Voices seems rather for older children); see wikipedia 19 ex Fannie Hurst (1885-1968 *), “The Good Provider,” in The Saturday Evening Post 187:1 (August 15, 1914) : 12-16, 34-35 20 OCR cross-column misread, at Anne O’Hagan, “Gospels of Hope for Women: A few new creeds, all of them modish—but expensive” in Vanity Fair (February 1915) : 32 Anne O’Hagan Shinn (1869-1933) — feminist, suffragist, journalist, and writer of short stories... “known for her writings detailing the exploitation of young women working as shop clerks in early 20th Century America... O’Hagan participated in several collaborative fiction projects...” (wikipedia) a mention of St. Anselm, whose “sittings” are free, vis-à-vis “Swami Bunkohkahnanda”... “Universal Harmonic Vibrations”... 21 OCR cross-column misread (three columns), at Fannie Hurst (1885-1968 *), “White Goods” (Illustrations by May Wilson Preston) in Metropolitan Magazine 42:3 (July 1915) : 19-22, 53 repeated, different source and without OCR misread, at 24 below 22 ex Mary Patricia Willcocks, The Sleeping Partner (London, 1919) : 47 (snippet only) full at hathitrust see onlinebooks for this and other of her titles. something on Mary Patricia Willcocks (1869-1952) at ivybridge-heritage. in its tone and syntax, her prose brings Iris Murdoch to mind. 23 Katharine Wendell Pedersen, “Clingstones, A week in a California cannery.” in New Outlook vol. 124 (February 4, 1920) : 193-194 no information about the author. the journal began life as The Christian Union (1870-1893) and continued under the new title into 1928; it ceased publication in 1935; it was devoted to social and political issues, and was against Bolshevism (wikipedia) 24 ex Fannie Hurst (1885-1968 *), “White Goods,” in her Humoresque : A Laugh on Life with a Tear Behind it (1919, 1920) : 126-169 (155) 25 ex snippet view, at Letters and poems of Queen Elisabeth (Carmen Sylva), with an introduction and notes by Henry Howard Harper. Volume 2 (of 2; Boston, Printed for members only, The Bibliophile society, 1920) : 51 (hathitrust) Carmen Sylva was “the pen name of Elisabeth, queen consort of Charles I, king of Rumania” (1843-1916 *) 26 OCR cross-column misread, at Ruth Comfort Mitchell, “Corduroy” (Part Three; Illustrated by Frederick Anderson), in Woman’s Home Companion 49:8 (August 1922) : 21-23, 96-97 (hathitrust) Ruth Comfort Mitchell Young (1882-1954), poet, dramatist, etc., and owner of a remarkable house (in a “Chinese” style) in Los Gatos, California (wikipedia) 27 Helen Otis, “The Christmas Waits,” in Woman’s Home Companion 49:12 (Christmas 1922) : 36 probably Helen Otis Lamont (1897-1993), about whom little is found, save this “Alumna Interview: Helen Otis Lamont, Class of 1916” (Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, 1988) at archive.org (Brooklyn Historical Society)

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prompted by : recent thoughts about respiration (marshes, etc.); Pfizer round-one recovery focus on the shape of one breath, then another; inhalation, exhalation and the pleasure of breathing; and for whom last breaths are no pleasure (far from it); last breaths (Robert Seelthaler The Field (2021) in the background).

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