AFF Halloween 2022

[InvidiaRed]

Reviews will be responded to here

[Desiderius Price]

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From InvidiaRed on February 11, 2023

Demon

A cute little Halloween Miracle

Lana got a sibling. No more entitled single child syndrome. Hahaha!

Oh, the research I had to do into pregnancy tests and why they may fail!  1) Age of the test itself, being old stock from before Lana was born, 2) Too late in the pregnancy, 3) Rose having irregular periods and a tendency to miss periods due to her nature of work (framing carpentry, for houses, buildings, etc).  And I needed the reasons into why Rose would dismiss the symptoms; A) belief that she was infertile due to her pastor’s prior assertions, B) the negative test, and C) locking onto the conclusion that she’s “possessed” by a demon to explain away the inevitable kicking that she’d feel.  This, of course, leads to the development I needed for Lana… no warning, “poof” there’s a little intruder in her world, the shift in attention – I’m saving her FULL reaction for another story, to setup her influence on Toby’s character.

[InvidiaRed]

From BronxWench on February 15, 2023

Now this was glorious! Nothing like a battle raging across the universe, and yet...

"If Aegis had but one regret in all his life... It was that the cats were making him look bad. "

Leave it to the savage little felines to rock it at the end! 

 

Indeed! Even this small snippet and briefest view of just one front of just one single battlefield  I tried to capture how cosmic it truly was.

Felines have always been the first ally of the Gardeners. Even if this is from whence the angels came of the other holiday canon.

[InvidiaRed]

From BronxWench on February 15, 2023

I am never, ever going anywhere near a pink bunny again. Ever.

I may avoid all people named Rudy just to be safe.

(You have a marvelously twisted mind, by the way. I like that!)

He just loves his mother in a way only a child can

[InvidiaRed]

From BronxWench on February 15, 2023

Yes, scariest thing ever! I am officially creeped out, especially because it occurred to me that some well-meaning volunteer might stick a pink bunny rabbit into the hospital bassinet, just to be friendly... 😱

put the rest into my personal review thread.

[BronxWench]

On 2/11/2023 at 2:37 AM, Desiderius Price said:

Oh, the research I had to do into pregnancy tests and why they may fail!  1) Age of the test itself, being old stock from before Lana was born, 2) Too late in the pregnancy, 3) Rose having irregular periods and a tendency to miss periods due to her nature of work (framing carpentry, for houses, buildings, etc).  And I needed the reasons into why Rose would dismiss the symptoms; A) belief that she was infertile due to her pastor’s prior assertions, B) the negative test, and C) locking onto the conclusion that she’s “possessed” by a demon to explain away the inevitable kicking that she’d feel.  This, of course, leads to the development I needed for Lana… no warning, “poof” there’s a little intruder in her world, the shift in attention – I’m saving her FULL reaction for another story, to setup her influence on Toby’s character.

I had a friend who tested negative for pregnancy into her 9^th month. She was, fortunately, quite aware she was pregnant, and didn’t suspect demonic interference.  

[Desiderius Price]

8 hours ago, BronxWench said:

I had a friend who tested negative for pregnancy into her 9^th month. She was, fortunately, quite aware she was pregnant, and didn’t suspect demonic interference.  

Unlike Nick & Rose, I took precautions before doing THIS research with my browser    It was interesting knocking out all the pegs to keep Rose on the wrong idea until the unavoidable conclusion, thus the need for the alibis to explain away the inevitable kicking she’d feel, and the over-reliance on her pastor for medical advice (common in the era I’m writing).  Nick and Rose are otherwise sufficiently responsible that they would’ve coached Lana if they realized the test was a false negative.

Now, Toby was slated to be the MC for the Halloween story I had original had in mind, however, that was proving to be more complicated than a oneshot could allow for, hence this story about his birth seemed more interesting.  And, I think it’s a nice twist to have a Halloween story come out +1

 

[BronxWench]

For Transgression from InvidiaRed:

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Ah.

You defintely turned the honor a thousand fold.

 

I do feel like there might have been a wee bit of overreaction here. To give a fragile thing something you denied your other creations is a recipe for tragedy. When they are sapient things full of curiousity but not malice.  This is exactly how a Fall starts.

 

For said punishment is a little too excessive mean spirited even.

 

And who’s to say this isn’t how a Fall does start? (Which is what I get for arguing theology with Jesuits in my youth  )

Gods are rarely benevolent. We just want them to be that way, to like us and tell us we’re their favorite creation. We forget that we probably aren’t the first, and most likely won’t be the last, and perhaps one day, it will be us fragile mortals looking askance at Creation 3.02 or some such thing. And when we fall, our gods will treat us just as harshly. We’ll get our noses smacked with a newspaper, or rubbed in our own mess, even if that’s never the way to teach a lesson.

Now me? I know my gods don’t give a damn what I do or think. I’m the one who needs them. It makes it much simpler all around.  

[InvidiaRed]

31 minutes ago, BronxWench said:

For Transgression from InvidiaRed:

And who’s to say this isn’t how a Fall does start? (Which is what I get for arguing theology with Jesuits in my youth  ) I argued with Jehovah Witnesses lol

Gods are rarely benevolent. We just want them to be that way, to like us and tell us we’re their favorite creation. We forget that we probably aren’t the first, and most likely won’t be the last, and perhaps one day, it will be us fragile mortals looking askance at Creation 3.02 or some such thing. And when we fall, our gods will treat us just as harshly. We’ll get our noses smacked with a newspaper, or rubbed in our own mess, even if that’s never the way to teach a lesson. Thats a certainly fascinating take on divinity.

Now me? I know my gods don’t give a damn what I do or think. I’m the one who needs them. It makes it much simpler all around. All things matters in the grandest picture of creation. Isn’t it wondrous?

 

[GeorgeGlass]

From BronxWench on February 15, 2023

Re: “Horseman”

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::looks at bowl of butternut squash soup and gently pushes it away:: I've never joined a sorority, or secret society, and I do think that might have been one of my wiser choices. Far better to spend my time stealing probability dice and playing D&D in the Student Union, fortified with cheap wine and Gitanes. 

I don’t know terribly much about sororities or secret societies myself, but my wife went to an all-women’s college that was a lot like a giant sorority. Her school was used in my mental model of Mount Pleasant College.

FYI, the town of Mount Pleasant, NY is the home of the village of Sleepy Hollow.

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To quote Marvell: "My vegetable love should grow/Vaster than empires and more slow..." *

*chuckle* I went with the vegetable motif in part because I figured no one would see it coming.

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Well done, sir!

Thank you!

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* "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell

You’re a class act, BW.

[GeorgeGlass]

From InvidiaRed on February 15, 2023

Re: “Horseman”

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Horsemen indeed!

You certainlty painted a vivid picture and she gets a once in a lifetime memory to treasure.

 

Thank you! The spinner landed on Happy Ending this year.

[InvidiaRed]

From Smile318 on February 21, 2023

Wow, exciting start to this story. Can't wait to see what happens next. 

 

Thank you for such kindness. I deleted the unwitting duplicate.

[BronxWench]

On 2/15/2023 at 10:42 PM, GeorgeGlass said:

From BronxWench on February 15, 2023

Re: “Horseman”

I don’t know terribly much about sororities or secret societies myself, but my wife went to an all-women’s college that was a lot like a giant sorority. Her school was used in my mental model of Mount Pleasant College.

FYI, the town of Mount Pleasant, NY is the home of the village of Sleepy Hollow.

*chuckle* I went with the vegetable motif in part because I figured no one would see it coming.

Thank you!

You’re a class act, BW.

I actually live fairly near to Sleepy Hollow and Mount Pleasant, so I do know the area.  

[WillowDarkling]

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10 minutes ago, BronxWench said:

I actually live fairly near to Sleepy Hollow and Mount Pleasant, so I do know the area.  

 

 

Then I must ask, is there really a headless horseman in Sleepy Hollow, and can we go visit him next time I come to visit you? Pretty Please? *bats Neko eyes of doom*

[BronxWench]

I have never personally encountered any headless people at all in Sleepy Hollow, but yes, when you come and visit again, we’ll go there. It’s a lovely little town, actually!  

[Desiderius Price]

8 hours ago, BronxWench said:

...headless people...

Also known as republicans?

[BronxWench]

16 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

Also known as republicans?

Well, now, I’ve found most of the local republicans are lovely people when you have them for tea, with a little watercress, on very thinly sliced sourdough bread delicately smeared with hand-churned sweet butter from local cows.

(Democrats are best on artisan bagels, with a smear of cream cheese and some very thinly sliced red onion. I can’t say I recommend libertarians at all—they’re always that little bit sour no matter what you do, although independents appeal to the white bread set since they tend to be rather bland.)

[Desiderius Price]

48 minutes ago, BronxWench said:

Well, now, I’ve found most of the local republicans are lovely people when you have them for tea, with a little watercress, on very thinly sliced sourdough bread delicately smeared with hand-churned sweet butter from local cows.

(Democrats are best on artisan bagels, with a smear of cream cheese and some very thinly sliced red onion. I can’t say I recommend libertarians at all—they’re always that little bit sour no matter what you do, although independents appeal to the white bread set since they tend to be rather bland.)

What can I say?  You clearly have good taste in friends

[InvidiaRed]

Re: "Paradise" by InvidiaRed

As creative and surreal as always, IR. Although I for one wouldn't discount those rumors about rogue sex bots.

 

I mean you’re not wrong but not in the way you think.

 

[Desiderius Price]

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From @GeorgeGlass on February 22, 2023

Re: "Demon" by Desiderius Price

Well, I certainly didn't see that ending coming. Sorry, Lana, they can't put it back.

Thanks.  It was certainly nice making the “body count” go the OTHER way for once, too.

[InvidiaRed]

On 2/22/2023 at 12:41 AM, InvidiaRed said:

Re: "Paradise" by InvidiaRed

As creative and surreal as always, IR. Although I for one wouldn't discount those rumors about rogue sex bots.

 

I mean you’re not wrong but not in the way you think.

 

@GeorgeGlass I put the full answer on my individual review thread.

[BronxWench]

 

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From GeorgeGlass on February 24, 2023

"Transgression," by BronxWench

What a wonderful piece. The sensory detail is exquisite. The plot is absorbing and has a great twist. The amount of world-building you accomplish in so few words is impressive. Five stars, BW.

 

Thank you so much! 

I visited the Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs in early October, and we did the Lantern Tour. At one point during the tour, we all extinguished our lanterns and spent a few minutes in absolute cave dark. I have to admit, it was both eerie and wonderful, but really, the mind does play some fascinating tricks when you can’t see anything at all.

Then I bought a novella, entitled “Pulling the Wings Off Angels” by K.J. Parker. I refused to read it until after I wrote my story, but the title alone was enough to send my thoughts back to the days when I argued theology with Jesuits for shiggles, including some heated (and boozy) discussions about the nature of angels.

And there we are. My mind is a terrible place sometimes.  

Oh, and I highly recommend the novella, which I finally read.