Intro to Cast and Setting

BASIC GUIDE TO THE HUMBLER’S SETTINGS & CHARACTERS

The following is for reference only. THE HUMBLER features large numbers of characters who live in a politically complex, media-dense world. This guide is provided on the request of another reader / author to help keep track of its characters.

The following may include spoilers

CHARACTER LIST

THE CORKLE FAMILY

YARRA

- Daughter, 17 at the time of The Humbler (book 2), Yarra Corkle 5’1”, blonde, blue eyed, curvy like her mum, independent-minded, not a natural submissive. It has been pointed out to me that this character name originates in Game of Thrones. It was a subconscious choice on my part and my Yarra does not share that one’s looks, personality, family background or history.

TAUDREN / TAUDS / TAUD - Pronounced Todren / Tods / Tod

son, 15: at the time of The Humbler (book 2)

MOLCUM / MOLC - Pronounced Malcolm / Malc

- Father, 47 - works mostly from home on statistical analysis for a small, expanding Insurance Agency. Molcum helps set up new offices for his company in different parts of Dogaland, and so has to move every two years on average. When he’s not busy doing this, he runs computer simulations - sort of. Sometimes. Statistical ones, which he didn’t design, but does know how to use. Which towns would SHORT AND MADDERLEY find as most fertile ground for a new local branch? Which part of the town? Molcum is no mathematician, but he knows the glitchy software - proprietorial, cobbled-together by a company that’s now gone bust - well enough to keep it running and make it do what it’s meant to do.

LAZABEL / LAZA / LAZ - Pronounced Lizabel / Lisa / Liz

- Mother, 41 - buxom, sexy woman from whom Yarra gets her looks, Lazabel is privately submissive to Molcum.

STUDENTS at KENNIGWORT INDEPENDENT GIRLS SCOOL (Younger to older, by class)

FARTHING PELLING : Class 8+ Farthing’s name derives from the old British subdivision of a penny - a farthing being one quarter of a penny (i.e. a fourthing). She also has a sister called Penny who has just left school and who we do not meet in this tale. Also see Penny Farthing (early bicycle)

- one of Yarra’s key allies. 5’0”, slim, with a cute, straight-haired bobbed blond haircut. Still growing. Farthing has a high voice due to age, not temperament. Her gravel-voiced father Scunner Pelling makes her watch Gratuitous and other horrible things, including the SPD.

MERCY KARP : Class 8+ Girl in orange from Farthing’s class, targeted by Vido Cuckles and suggested by him for orange. Willing to help out the rebel pack girls, and a bit in awe of Farthing, but starts to be haunted when Cuckles begins to pick on her.

KEET LENDERSBY : Class 9- Pronounced Kit, as in Kitten

One of Yarra’s key allies. “Snorty picked us for orange because we’re the ones with the biggest tits.” Mentally strong & independent, 5’3”, coltish, fit.

MINTY PLOOM : Class 9-

- speaks out - has a sense of justice and injustice. Is empathetic of other girls’ distress. Awkward, poor co-ordination - standing on one leg pulling on a sock a problem. Hears music in her head all the time though. Isn’t all that fazed by how it’s going at school, it turns out. Brother Gedron (Pronounced Ged with a soft J rather than a hard G) prefers boys. Her dad has a key for the database, which Ged has access to but doesn’t want to watch. Popular is not a channel they watch. Ged wears long collars: a sign of boys who like boys.

FALLA BUMBER : Class 9+ (her name does not have an English equivalent - pronounced as it looks)

Blue-skirted girl made Orange. Was ultra-obedient to Cuckles when in class 8+ last year - cowed into submission. Flight not fight. Cuckles mocked her, calling her Big Bum Bumber. Medium up top, curvy (but not unnaturally so) below.

CARREL GUELDER : Class 10- Pronounced Carol Gelder

- pretty, developed, fastish, fit body, has a strict father who calls her a fool, does sometimes punish her at home. 5’2” but still growing, brown eyes, pale skin, ash-blonde hair. Initially picked for Orange when another picked girl from her class doesn’t come to school. Flight not fight.

MISTY LUTYENS : Class 10-

- shy, blushes easily, nervous, curious, flight not fight, not a runner, sticky-out breasts, curvy bottom, squeals, embarrasses easily, has single mum who also blushes & is described as weak. Pretty but prone to clutziness.

IMENNA SCUTTER / MENNA : Class 10+ (no English name equivalent)

- a key girl for Kennigwort Independent on the SPD, the gorgeous Imenna is a natural sub with nice legs, a husky-sexy voice, odd high forehead (neo-natal), pale skin, jet black hair, shiny black eyes. Mr Needan’s victim of choice in the evenings when Mrs Locus is not present, also targeted by Mr Dickle. Lovely bum cheeks, delightful young torpedo breasts with swollen aureoles. A girl who always does what she’s told. Really sexy girl, even Yarra can see it. Nickname amongst some other girls Slutter Scutter. Taudren thinks that despite everything, she seems innocent - his first stop when he logs in to the SPD. Imenna is always clean, her clothes are always fresh, in stark contrast to her apparent father the down-at-heel Lankworth Scutter

SHELLA TANTY : Class 10+ Pronounced as Shelley but with alternate final vowel.

- 5’0, round face, but fully in proportion for a taller girl. A five foot nothing waif who seems startled to be in orange. Shella’s single mother Mrs Tanty is alcoholic and unreliable.

MIKI MUNNET : Class 10- (Short for Mikita)

father Garrold Munnet. Miki talks to Yarra sometimes on the K44, heading home from school. (Miki, blue-skirted, gets brought by car in the mornings.) One of the oldest girls in her year.

YARRA CORKLE : Class 11-

Lead character, selected for class eleven minus’s two mandatory orange skirts by random lottery. 5’1”, blonde, blue eyed, curvy like her mum (see Corkle family, above).

MISRA SPINKS : Class 11-

- not so attractive as Yarra, does not stick with her in the playground, eventually goes absent.

REMI BREECH : Class 11-

- is picked for orange by random lots when Misra Spinks fails to show up. One of the happier girls in the class before that random pick - generally cheerful, quite pretty. Can panics and gabble. Already-budded breasts. Up-rising squeal of fear when in a predicament, but has an interesting reaction to Taudren.

ROSSA WILMUTT : Class 11+ Pronounced Rosa

- another of Yarra’s brother Taudren’s frequent SPD stops, Wilmutt, though not as pretty as Imenna Scutta, is the most subby sub in the school. “An actual sub-slut” - a wet dream of a sub. Big ‘dirty’ breasts and body.

SHIRELLE POTAPKISS (not key to story)

- her temporary absence sees Cherry Croutier picked for orange for one day.

CHERRY CROUTIER : Class 12+

- Picked by her teacher Mr Ford on a whim when Shirelle Potapkiss goes absent. Is put in orange skirt four inches shorter than other girls by Dunnel Tund as a cruel joke. Her slow-curl auburn hair shines close to red when reflecting the sun. 5’4”, 30-23-35 figure. Her single mother is Mrs Croutier - not a striking woman - has no access to a car. Cherry’s father lives, or works, abroad - “a continental, she probably gets her looks from him.” Cherry is ‘A proper goody two-shoes’: she has always tried hard to stay out of trouble and has made following all rules to the letter her default reaction. Makes little bird-like movements with her head when she’s checking her surroundings.

MENDELLE CLITSTROP / MENDY : Class 12+ Pronounced like Mandy, but with an e instead of an a.

- a bold, fit, athletic girl who speaks truth to power even when she may be targeted for doing so. 5’5” athletic frame, strong chin - can be stroppy when she needs to be.

ERMA WOLLER : Class 12- Pronounced as expected, Erma is an old -style name which has come back into fashion.

- opinionated but ill-informed. A know-nothing know-it-all. Huffy demeanour. Nose in the air. Arrogant but ignorant. Bustles busily. Calls Imenna Scutta “the slut” and “disgusting”. Up-flicking, tutting eyes. Mouth and nose pinch. Can stutter when challenged. Juts lower jaw forward when annoyed. Not an athlete. Tending just to the plump side of fit.

TEACHERS & ASSISTANT TEACHERS at Kennigwwort Independent Girls School

TEACHERS WITHOUT A CLASS:

BURRIS ECCAR - gym teacher - big-bodied (steroid-muscled), massive-shouldered, small-headed. Blonde-topped, side-shaved hair flops oddly. Segeant-Major-like shouty ‘hairdryer’ voice

DUNNEL TUND - the Floater - as in, floating teacher without a class of his own - a stand-in generalist teacher but permanently employed at Kennigwort Upper Girls. Nickname TURD - Tund the Turd. Vindictive smile. Lop-sided grin. Tallish (6’+) Lanky frame, a man who will sit slumped down in a comfy chair with his long legs wide apart. Tund’s head weaves on its long neck like a snake about to strike.

TEACHERS & ASSISTANTS BY CLASS:

8- (eight minus)

Teacher MECKLE KOFFA - ‘Traditional’ girls school background - pro CP but rational, Koffa is the smallest-scale male teacher at the school.

Assistant LORRO HOIK - pro CP (not key to story)

8+ (eight plus)

Teacher ARDUM FIMBER - pro CP but rarely interacts with girls. ‘Ugly smug face, stupid, boring voice.’ Watches Cuckles punish girls from the front while insisting everyone else looks at him throughout. ‘Lets Cuckles do whatever he wants.’

Assistant VIDO CUCKLES - very pro CP, spanks girls at back of class with other girls told to keep their heads to front on Mr Fimber. His last year’s favourite girl was Falla Bumber (now in 9-). Keet coins him ‘Clucky Cucky.’ Cuckles, compared to steroid-muscled gym teacher Bussis Eccar, looks puny. Cuckles used to go to Kennigwort Senior Boys School next door - along with Darden Simkiss the young janitor.

9- (nine minus)

Teacher CHACK ‘SNORTY’ BEELAR v pro CP - snorts when he laughs. Newish teacher, gained full teacher status half way through the year before. ‘Horrible.’

Assistant HENCKEL FAIRLAW - also very pro CP, but gets little chance to practice due to Beelar’s keenness to target his own class. Where Beelar loves dominating the youngest girls, Fairlaw prefers them older.

9+

Teacher ELDON STUDDLES - neutral to CP but manipulatable.

Assistant at start of The Humbler - Ulberta Shrimp, who is then moved to

10+ when Mrs Edina Locus, class 10+’s assistant, has to take extended leave to wrap up her deceased mother’s estate. (This implies that Mrs Locus may soon become a rare female voter.)

New assistant MR LEEK “the vegetable” - a promoted supply or stand-in teacher, who is anti-CP.

10-

Teacher FRINK COTILLIER ‘The Pouff.’ Neutral to CP but will comply with the crowd in order to be left untroubled in his sexuality.

Assistant JORD SMUNK - somewhat pro CP.

10+ (ten plus)

Teacher CHORLO NEEDAN, new full-time teacher just this term, having been a supply teacher at Kennigwort in the previous year. Quiet - Yarra thinks he’s creepy. Pro CP but held back by his experienced assistant Edina Locus, who Needan thinks is sour-faced. She is quickly replaced by:

Assistant Teacher ULBERTA SHRIMP ‘THE BLIMP’ - old, butch, most likely lesbian, sadist. Wrinkles her up-turned, too-short nose. Tilts her blocky head on its wide, short neck. Squat, heavy and broad right across her barrel body, like she never had a waist from the minute she grew up. A chunky head with a pudding bowl haircut sits on top of blocky shoulders with no intervening neck. Fearsome, shapeless breasts, bound in by a jacket so tight its buttons bulge. Legs weirdly thin, like she’s borrowed them from someone lighter. A stocky little bulldog. Tends to speak in shortened, clipped sentences: “Happening now. Time of essence.” Needan’s first thoughts about her is that she’s an ugly, pug-faced battleaxe.

11- (eleven minus)

Teacher DONDER ULLERADE, a young firebrand teacher with great depth of knowledge on many subjects. Very pro girls and womens rights, he believes deeply in equality of the sexes. Fairly tall, freckle-faced, red haired - with quick-smiling eyes and long fingers. He moves his hands a lot, to show the shapes of things he’s talking about and describe their movements. Very anti CP. Teaches his girls many things that are off curriculum, including how to think for themselves. Unable to bear abandoning his girls to a sadist, he lobbies the Headmaster to move up with them from class 10- to class 11- between MORAL DRIFT and THE HUMBLER.

Assistant MISS TANTA MAPLUM, also clever and well-read. Very respected by both Ullerade and the girls. Physically fit and bold. The relationship between Maplum and Ullerade is, so far as everyone knows, platonic.

11+ (eleven plus)

Teacher PIETER DICKLE. ‘Dickle the Diddler’ is very pro CP Has a nasal ‘wrong voice’. Frequent unexplained nasal and other twitches, except when speaking or in action. Laughs at his own weak jokes. Often speaks in a droning monotone. Flicking tongue. Gives wedgies to random orange girls for nothing and has been known to take away girls’ skirts for the day. Moral opposite to Donder Ullerade, Dickle has also moved up from year 10 to 11 between Moral Drift and The Humbler with the same class. Leaves his class’s fire door wedged open with a stopper. Belittles Miss Belleng in front of their class.

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