#<-murdoch the character and also the show in general

[leitmotif]

went into the tumblr tag for a show i've been watching w my grandma and really enjoying just for funsies yknow to see if anyone else knows about it. only to find out not only that it's apparently still ongoing and has a sizable fan base and has 17 seasons but also that there's two gay characters that are NOT the ones i was expecting.... wishing there were also lesbians

[pynkhues]

https://www.tumblr.com/pynkhues/779899153742495744/why-are-people-so-mean-about-sam-even-if-they

That poster who was talking about Sam being part of a powerful, evil Australian dynasty is a white Lou/mand shipper who was posting about Lou/stat as an abusive evil ship and Lou/staters as racists who condoned abuse before Season 2 showed Armand was abusive too. I think that is the other side of the Sam hate: posters who hate both Lestat and Sam because Lestat is Louis’s endgame and ‘in the way’ of their ship. They want to feel morally superior for shipping Lou/mand and they think up morally superior reasons for why they hate Sam.

I kind of knew this sort of thing was happening from other anons I've received, but this still somehow left me speechless, anon, haha.

[flicklikesstuff]

How about rambling about your top favorite Epithet characters?

Uh oh, I’m afraid you’ve unleashed a great beast my poor, poor Anon….. But if you insist :)

Introducing My Top 5 Favs:

AND full doodle page ;)

(⚠️HUGE EE Spoilers below⚠️)

1. Rick Shades

UGHHHHHHHHH. LOVE this man 💖💖 A pathetic and pitiful wizard dude with one of the coolest epithets! My favourite bit of him is that he’s introduced as some creepy weirdo who sounds like he’d backstab you BUT turns out to be a really fcked up guy with no social skills and genuinely really does want friends. I LOVE it when stories twist expectations for a character and Epithet Erased just keeps doing it a lot.

While Rick is mostly silly and used as comedy relief through POP really, his tragic backstory adds in so much depth and the narration treats the horrors he went through with respect. Chapter 8 has repeatedly dug my grave each time I listen to it. I’m going insane with any Rick/Toidei thoughts. There’s so much I could say about how his traumatic childhood affected him so much and how it shows through his mannerisms and behaviour that we’d be here all day. (Oh wait- I’ve already indulged into his character in like 4 posts.)

Anyways, in general, I would offer my soul to the scary magic man and treat him to a nice day at the beach.

2. Dr. Sylvester Ashling

Sylvie was the reason I got into Epithet Erased in the first place 😂. My favourite thing about him is his DESIGN and POWERS. The swirls and cloud/sheep motif looks sick and his epithet showcase in the museum arc is beyond awesome. Like omfg, it’s just so genuinely amazing to look at.

He seems fun to bully, especially with that pretentious grown-up attitude he puts up. But underneath that, Sylvie’s character is just depressing to the point where it’s intriguing for me. The choice they made to quickly grow up and skip childhood? I wonder what made them decide to do that. Despite what he says, Sylvie really just wants someone to talk to and he really does care for people. He’s just scared to loosen up and become vulnerable in front of anyone.

Sylvie wanting friends but having trust issues and not knowing how to make some? Honestly, what a mood-

I got too insanely happy hearing his short little cameo in POP, even though they weren’t around for too long. He was in there waiting and looking for his only friend awwwwww.

3. Molly Blyndeff

Molly my CHILD 🥺🥺!! Her bear motif is adorable and her character arc within the museum is so wholesome and satisfying to watch. Reading POP just cemented her as my top 3rd fav because her inner dialogue and way of thinking hit way too close to home for me. I was so close to tears many times throughout and I just LOVE her.

Molly just overall learning to stand up for herself and making it very clear she’s no longer taking any sh*t? She’s the character I wished my younger self got to know earlier because it’s what she would’ve needed at the time.

4. Giovanni Potage

Is it much of a surprise he’s in my top 5? Why wouldn’t I like this total sweetheart who would lift the earth for his minions? I adore how he has like one of the lamest-sounding epithets but his insane level of creativity makes up for it completely. I also really found his unique view on bad guys really interesting. The stark contrast between being evil but also absolutely wholesome makes for a great character I love seeing interact with everyone!

Hoping he gets some sort of character arc though. So far, he’s still the same Gio we know from the beginning and it would be very interesting to see him go through a struggle or make tough decisions.

5. Ramsey Murdoch

Haha funny ratman. As I’ve mentioned before, my expectations for him were twisted and I LOVED it. My fav character in the Redwood Run Arc because poor dude isn’t allowed to catch a break. Even outside the show within the streams, he gets absolutely bullied by the plot. This is entirely what he gets for being 1 of 2 people (the other is Molly) that have the braincell to question the bizarreness of….well, everything.

Ramsey is an impressively intelligent character who just has the hilarious misfortune of having things almost never go his way. He’s entirely the reason he and Percy manage to survive Zora and he STILL gets screwed over by getting arrested. Anyways, yes. I love his dynamic with Percy being a subversion of the typical buddy cop trope. Looking forward to having more of him in the next book: Sweet Escape :33

…………..

If you haven’t noticed already, this ask led me to go through multiple trials of tests to see which brushes and colouring process I prefer digitally.

Rick’s was my first attempt and it’s just… terribly basic really. I wasn’t used to Procreate at that point 😅.

Sylvie’s was next and after watching basic tutorial videos, I turn to really like the colouring style I did for them. Wasn’t fond of the rough outline though.

Gio’s was the exact opposite of what I’ve done with Sylvie. While I liked how it popped out in a comic-style kind of way, I wasn’t a fan of the solid shading.

For Ramsey’s, I was a lot closer to finding out my preferences. I pretty much just combined what I liked from Sylvie and Gio’s drawings. Softer shading and a smoother, thicker outline.

Molly’s was my last attempt and one I’m heavily satisfied with! :D It’s the same as Ramsey’s, but I added a lot more detail to the eyes, coloured in some outlines and even added an overlay!

The whole trial and error process was so much fun and very much worth it too! X3 💖💖

[dotthings]

Congrats to the fans of the wee woo show. I don’t go here but it makes me happy to witness how this arc for Evan Buckley got to bloom and I’m happy because I hope this reflects another shift in the TV industry.

For some media commentary context for you: ABC network is owned by Disney. Fox network was owned by Rupert Murdoch. So I can see how the network change for 911 can easily be a factor on how this got greenlit, after years of creator Tim Minear’s intention to work in hints, on the off chance he could take it there. (I don’t go here, but I did my reading). Oliver Stark who plays Buck also revealed he's been for it and couldn't say anything, until he was sure they could do it, until it aired and was out there. (*steeples fingers*)

For further context, Bob Iger—with George Lucas’ vocal support—just fended off a right wing coup on the Disney board from the kinds of people (like Peltz) who complain “why do we need so many female leads” “why do we need movies with all Black leads.” While it doesn’t mean Disney is no longer an evil megacorp, I’m pointing out that its CEO defended inclusive Disney brand content to the shareholders and the board, as well as dismantling the idea that it can’t be entertainment while being diverse.

The ripple of this goes outside of the wee woo show fandom. I’m seeing the joy on my dash from people who don’t watch the show or don’t watch it regularly, as well as from people who have been watching a long time and noticed things and realized there was a progression and it was there all along, and I know how much this must mean to a lot of people. With the world being how it is, with what people are facing inside the US from the far right, in their real lives.

It’s very hopeful in general for inclusion levels on a major network TV show, owned by a big evil megacorp. Representation matters.

Also I'm aware the wee woo show already had a queer couple, plus it's already an intersectional inclusive series, that’s great.

There shouldn't be limits placed on inclusion though. “But you already have X” shouldn't be weaponized to tell people to shut up. There is no “enough” or “too much” when it comes to inclusion. While I'm not for undermining the inclusion that's there, I've seen that weaponization used with a series that hasn't been great on inclusion, and I've seen that weaponization used for 911, which is. It's a sus argument.

Indirect and unintentional as it is, also bi Buck shut down every concern troll, every gaslight, every denial, every rationale I've ever seen people deploy against bi Dean. Everything from people who don’t understand what bi actual means—“but he likes girls so he can’t be bi”—to “but he wasn’t declared bi from the start of the show so he can’t”—yes he can and the wee woo show just did. On one of the original big three networks. Or people who say it would "ruin the character." Really? “But he’s an action hero”—so what? Evan Buckley is a hero, Dean is a hero, both badass action heroes. “People who see this as canon are delusional”—Evan Buckley went O RLY? Not so delusional now, is it.

Evan Buckley avenged bi Dean.

It’s self-evident. It’s right there. Different show, different network, but the concepts are familiar, the situation has a certain familiarity. This turn of events on an ABC show didn't just make bi Dean fans valid. bi Dean fans were always valid, the bi Dean reading was always valid. But I appreciate how much what happened on the wee woo show bonked people with a truth stick, about self discovery, character arcing, queer readings, queer coding, and the validity of merely noticing things.

[direwolfrules]

Oh my fairy godmother I am so happy you are post about Ever After High!!! Do you have any fanfic or au ideas involving them? Like, what if one character had another destiny or what if they were in the Star Wars universe?! It’s just interesting to think about!

Hey! Glad to see we share another fandom interest!

So, I have this barebones post for what I would have done as a crossover between g1 Monster High and Ever After High.

As for general fanfic ideas I have a few. I shall now list them in varying levels of detail:

1. A Very Charming Groundhog Day Year:

Basically, the Charming siblings time loop back from a bit after Dragon Games but before Epic Winter to the day before the school year started (the day of the Family Ball in the books). While it would be kinda angsty, the best time loop fics are usually crack fics, and this would be no exception (if I ever wrote any of these things).

So Daring, Dexter, and Darling are all initially in states of panic and anxiety. Daring, he was in the middle of a quarter-life crisis and now has to deal with everyone and their fairy godmother thinking he's Apple's Prince Charming.

"Daring Charming, more like Distressed Charming, am I right?"-- Dexter, who should get to exhibit asshole little brother energy more often, as a treat.

Speaking of Dexter, he's panicking cause of all the awful stuff that's going to happen during the school year and also because now he has to go through the nerve-racking ordeal of asking out the girl he likes all over again.

Darling's in hell because everyone and their fairy godmother expect her to be this perfect little damsel, again, which is just- ugh. There are days she wishes she could carry her sword around with her, and they're most days. Also, she never got to talk to Apple about their True Love's CPR, which is just tragic.

The loops go on for a while, some constants in them include: Darling freeing herself and helping little Good-Enough Charming get one of their grandfather's trophies for the scavenger hunt, Dexter and Darling teaming up to kill the changeling and free cousin Charity (sometimes Daring helps but he's content to let his siblings have fun for once), Darling accidentally on purpose flirting with Apple and Apple experiencing several degrees of gay panic, Dexter fumbling asking out Raven for the first time (he's really such a dork, just a funky dude), and the Charming Siblings teaming up to make Milton Grimm's life a living hell.

In one loop they secretly film him playing with his toy unicorns and his action figure of himself and they hijack Blondie's mirrorcast to play it to the entire school.

After several loops a Monster High crossover happens, and so in every loop after that the Charming sibs, who have grown incredibly gremlin-like after experiencing the insanity of the school several dozen times, make sure to drop monster slang when it's just them and Cupid. Like:

Darling: "Wow, Cupid, that top looks clawsome."

Daring: "Totally, it's freaky fierce."

Cupid: "What?!"

Darling: "That top looks nice on you. Anyway, we gotta run."

Dexter: "Yeah, see you later ghoulfriend!"

I have some other half-baked ideas for this one but it'd probably be it's own post.

2. Murdoch Mysteries-ish AU:

This one makes no sense if you've never watched the hit Canadian Detective Show, Murdoch Mysteries. Or maybe it makes some sense, idk. Instead of a modern AU, we have a 1895 detective AU. It's barely an idea, I have no idea if I'd even keep this in the fantasy setting of (an 1895) Ever After or not.

Dexter is the Detective William Murdoch of this AU, the man with no game and beautiful blue eyes who women keep inexplicably falling in love with. He's observant and a little strange but he's also a brilliant detective. One of the major differences though is Dexter is the disowned son of old money parents.

Raven's the Dr. Julia Ogden, the outspoken, independent, and compassionate coroner helping solve cases and being amazing. Her rich, controlling mother doesn't much approve of her life choices but old Mrs. Queen can suck it. Raven and Detective Charming have a clearly mutual attraction but they're both hesitant to act on it cause what's a romance without a good slow-burn.

Hopper's the Constable George Crabtree of this AU. Listen, the everyday George matches Hopper's human side, and writer George matches Hopper's frog side. I will not elaborate, because I really cannot. Just feel the vibes, cause the words aren't coming.

I'm not 100% sure who'd be the Inspector Brackenreid. Part of me kinda wants to make it Professor Badwolf, and then I could make Milton Grimm the asshole commissioner. Coach Gingerbreadman is the Inspector of Station 5, the rivals of Station 4.

Daring is heir to the Charming family fortune. Golden boy, everyone loves him, wants more than anything to be able to talk to his little brother in public, but their parents would disown him as well if he stepped out of line.

Apple is one of Raven's housemates at Sisters boarding house, run by Bella and Brutta Sister. She was once courted by Daring, it was at the point where people were expecting an engagement announcement any day. That's when they suddenly broke it off, with no explanation (the explanation is Daring's in love with another girl and Apple's in love with his sister). Snow White and her husband barely agreed to let her move into the boarding house, I honestly have no clue how Apple managed to pull that off but good for her.

Idk, Darling's a vigilante. She's got the same deductive genius as Dexter, she just doesn't have the same ability to join the police force. Inspector Badwolf is tired of his cops being outdone by the mysterious White Knight (yeah, yeah, I made Darling into Victorian-era Batman). Couldn't the White Knight patrol Station 5's territory? (The answer is no, because Darling really wants to catch a glimpse of her twin and also because Sisters Boarding house is in Station 4's territory and sometimes she likes to secretly crash with her girlfriend).

3. The Destiny Cycle AU (AKA: Ever After High but the Rebel Movement is an actual Rebellion AU):

What it says on the tin. Raven discovers the book is fake before Legacy Day. Her and Dexter, who in this AU is believed to be Ashlynn's future Prince Charming because someone made a good post about the potential dynamics that could cause and I love it, set out to uncover what other secrets those in charge are hiding.

Basically, in this AU Ever After is a dystopia where the Royal Families tied the survival of their dynasties' rule to their stories. Like, magically tied them. The Fates themselves have been bound by the magic of the Destiny Cycle. Ever After's Destiny-bound citizens are forced to repeat the same stories as their ancestors, all because Happily Ever After doesn't include a revolt or the institution of democracy. All stories are repeated as a precaution against anyone figuring out what the ancestors of the Royal Families did.

Taking some inspiration from the SDCC Raven Queen doll's letter from her mother, the Evil Queen discovered the truth about the Destiny Cycle, said "not my kid you bastards", and proceeded to try to break the Cycle's bonds. Her taking over other stories and cursing Wonderland was an attempt to stretch the probability bonds of the Destiny Cycle's magic to the breaking point.

Stuff's gonna go down and basically these kids know time is running out until there's a war, cause the only way to avoid being offered up as a lamb to the slaughter is to overthrow the whole system.

God, I really gotta make this into it's own post as well now. But here's a basic rundown of some stuff I'd include:

Dexter and Raven being young and in love and just all the secret romance feels

Snow White knows about the Destiny Cycle, but Apple absolutely does not know.

Apple being born blonde is a sign that the Evil Queen's schemes loosened the grip of the Destiny Cycle, at least for a moment.

Ashlynn, Hunter, Dexter, and Raven as secret rebel leaders.

The backgrounders will have actual roles dammit! (Looking at you Lawrence Bonecrusher III, aka Orc Boy).

An exploration of artificial Destiny Cycle "True Love" vs. real True Love, featuring Apple, Daring, and Darling.

C.A. Cupid, sent by her godly family to infiltrate Ever After and cure it of the Destiny Cycle, because it's interfering in the domains of the gods.

A unique Monster High crossover idea that I will elaborate on in another post.

These children absolutely end up having to kill someone and it scars them forever.

As for different destinies AUs or Star Wars AUs, I haven't really given them much thought.

I think, in a Star Wars setting (possibly Old Republic?), Raven would be a Jedi padawan descended from a long line of Sith. Instead of Mirror Prison, her mom is dead and her Force Ghost is bound to a giant, mirrorlike piece of kyber crystal. Uh, not 100% sure who her master would be.

Darling would also be a Jedi padawan, and Maid Marian would be her Master. Maid Marian gets into custody battles over this kid with this old Jedi Watchman known only as The White Knight. She'd still have her time-slowing hair flip, in this AU it's just a unique way of activating the Force Slow ability.

[tristantzara]

my (hopefully comprehensive) leon czolgosz rpf compendium

full books:

the bradys and the anarchist queen; or, running down the "reds" (1902): short dime novel; has a bunch of slightly changed names so they can't get sued for libel i guess; the portrayal of anarchists as evil is so exaggerated that it's mostly just funny; more seriously, warning for earnest anti-black racism

with claw and fang: a fact story with a chicago setting (1911): a dubious response to the anarcho-egoist/proto-fascist book might is right (1896); leon czolgosz's name is nikola golzosch and he has different things going on from real life; bizarre & very christian; also warning for earnest anti-black racism

assassins (1991): the musical. we all know this one.

the anarchist (2001): the daniel a. coleman one, which is in fact the original The Anarchist; from the perspective of a psychiatrist who sort of befriends leon czolgosz in prison and is pushed left by his experiences with anarchists & his suffragist girlfriend; boring!; i have made most of a pdf of it 🫡 wait a bit

death of riley (2002): an aspiring detective investigates the murder of her employer (another detective) and meets bohemians and anarchists who are involved in the murder and the investigation alike in varying ways; leon czolgosz is canonically gay if you care; on z-library

the temple of music (2004): a wild ride, but still mostly coherent; has a bunch of different pov characters, only one of which is fictional; the writing is really not bad, and it was pretty emotionally evocative for me; probably has the most leon czolgosz scenes; speaking of which, he is in the midst of a mental breakdown for most of the book; on anna's archive

the anarchist (2009): the john smolens one; about some people trying to capture leon czolgosz and failing, and then getting involved in another anarchist domestic terrorism plot afterwards; probably has the second most leon czolgosz scenes; on z-library

a moment in the sun (2011): i haven't read this yet, as you all know; about the turn of the century in general; on z-library

the fifth assassin (2013): leon czolgosz never actually shows up, but there is some fiction narrative surrounding him; all the assassinations are connected, someone is repeating them all, and there's about to be a new fifth one; the protagonist aims to catch this assassin; on z-library

assassin of shadows (2019): some detectives uncover the conspiracy surrounding the mckinley assassination; on z-library

a gilded lady (2020): i never actually read it apart from the one very short leon czolgosz scene and don't really know what it's about; on z-library

very short things:

"interview with an assassin" (1901): a description of an interview in which leon czolgosz is a devout christian and explains his actions accordingly; written in opposition to christian proselytisation which had increased due to the assassination

"the last guest" (1901): about a woman contemplating leon czolgosz's execution; his corpse shows up but that's really it

"czolgosz heard from" (1901): excerpts from a letter leon czolgosz sent from hell

"oklahoma fish story" (1903): john wilkes booth, charles guiteau, and leon czolgosz are hanging out together in oklahoma

"the scar his ring made" (2010): short story by a high schooler about paweł czołgosz being abusive; starts on page 85

"very short dorian gray x leon czolgosz fic" (2022): need i say more

"reason" (2024): genderbent, one-sided leon (leona) czolgosz x emma (emmett) goldman

tv show episodes (which i haven't seen):

reaper s1 ep6 "leon" (2007): leon czolgosz escapes hell and some people are trying to make him go back; apparently the least accurate portrayal ever (it does not sound like they were trying anyway)

murdoch mysteries s7 ep15 "the spy who came up to the cold" (2014): the opening scene is the mckinley assassination; about a possible conspiracy around the assassination

[misfitwashere]

Profiles in courage 

ROBERT REICH

FEB 13

Friends,

Sometimes it takes a crisis to reveal one’s true character. This is especially true of people who occupy positions of leadership, both in the private and public sectors. Are they courageous, or are they cowards? Worse yet, are they complicit in doing grave harm? 

During the current crisis of American democracy, we know who’s in the complicit category: House Speaker Mike Johnson and almost all other Republican lawmakers. Several CEOs: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Rupert Murdoch. And many Fox News personalities. 

History (to the extent future historians have access to the truth) will judge them harshly as traitors to America. 

As to the cowards, I’d include Jamie Dimon, chair and CEO of JPMorganChase, the largest bank in the United States, who likes to think of himself as a spokesperson for American business. Dimon and others like him are playing along with Trump and Musk. 

What about the courageous? A few Democratic lawmakers are finally showing some spine. 

But today I’d like to honor unsung heroes whose courage in the face of the Trump-Musk takeover of America deserves our profound thanks. They are public servants who have chosen to fight rather than submit to Trump’s treachery, contesting his blatantly illegal attempts to fire them. They include: 

1. Phyllis Fong, the former inspector general of the Department of Agriculture. 

When she got notice that the Trump regime was terminating her employment, Fong informed her colleagues that she intended to remain in her position because Trump had not followed proper legal procedures in terminating her. 

When security guards told Fong — a 22-year veteran of the department — she had to leave, she did not go quietly. She had to be dragged out of her office.

The inspector general of the Department of Agriculture has a broad mandate to protect the public — pursuing consumer food safety, consumer health (such as tracking the bird flu that’s been spreading among cattle and chickens and killed at least one person so far), and auditing and investigating government payments to a large number of contractors. 

In 2022, Fong’s office launched an investigation of Elon Musk’s brain implant startup, Neuralink. With Fong out of the picture, that investigation now appears on its way to being closed. 

For her long-standing dedication to the people of the United States and her steadfastness in seeking to remain in her important job, Fong deserves to be known as a profile in courage.

2. Brian Driscoll, acting FBI director.

Driscoll has refused a Justice Department order that he assist in firing FBI employees involved in investigating the people responsible for violence in the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. 

When Driscoll notified his staff about the Justice Department’s order, he wrote, “I am one of those employees.” Driscoll took part in the arrest of Samuel Fisher, an adherent of the QAnon conspiracy theory, in Manhattan two weeks after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

FBI agents found in Fisher’s Upper East Side apartment and car over a thousand rounds of ammunition and several weapons, including an illegally modified AR-15 rifle and machetes. In 2022, Fisher was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge in Manhattan Supreme Court. He also pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally entering the Capitol on January 6.

Trump pardoned Fisher on January 20. 

In a defiant email sent last Friday night, James Dennehy, the top FBI agent in the New York field office, warned his staff that the FBI was “in the middle of a battle of our own.” Praising Driscoll and Driscoll’s deputy, Robert C. Kissane, as “warriors,” Dennehy said they were “fighting for this organization.” 

FBI agents have anonymously sued to block dissemination of the names of agents who worked on the January 6 cases. 

For his refusal to furnish the names of FBI agents who helped investigate the January 6 assailants, Driscoll deserves to be seen as a profile in courage.

3. Ellen L. Weintraub, chair of the Federal Election Commission. 

Trump tried to fire Weintraub last Thursday, but she is fighting the dismissal. 

Weintraub wrote in an X post, to which she attached Trump’s dismissal letter:

“Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of FEC. I’ve been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That’s not changing anytime soon. There’s a legal way to replace FEC commissioners — this isn’t it.”

According to federal law, FEC commissioners are appointed to six-year terms. Because the FEC is an independent agency with a highly sensitive mission, its commissioners can be removed only for cause. Trump’s communication did not invoke any cause for the removal. Commissioners can remain at the FEC past their term’s expiration date until a replacement is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Trump’s attempt to fire Weintraub comes just as the FEC was considering complaints involving the 2024 Trump campaign and Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC. 

In comments to The New York Times, Weintraub said she wasn’t surprised to be targeted by Trump. She had publicly complained that the FEC’s structure of six commissioners, no more than three of whom can be from the same political party, ensures 3-3 gridlock on enforcement matters, including ones involving the president’s campaigns.

For her courageous stand, Weintraub deserves to be seen as a profile in courage. 

4. Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel. 

Dellinger runs the office that enforces federal whistleblower laws and the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in most political activity. In the 1978 law that established Dellinger’s job, Congress provided that the special counsel can be removed only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

Trump fired Dellinger on Friday. On Monday, Dellinger sued, calling his removal illegal, arguing that nothing about his performance could possibly meet the standard Congress laid out for dismissing a special counsel. “Since my arrival at OSC last year, I could not be more proud of all we have accomplished,” Dellinger said. “The agency’s work has earned praise from advocates for whistleblowers, veterans, and others. The effort to remove me has no factual nor legal basis — none — which means it is illegal.”

Dellinger continues to police the government against Hatch Act violations, even when they involve federal workers who allegedly discriminated against Trump. In a complaint filed Tuesday, Dellinger alleged that, during a hurricane response in October, an aid supervisor for the Federal Emergency Management Agency illegally instructed FEMA workers not to visit homes with Trump signs.

On Monday night, Judge Amy Berman Jackson blocked Dellinger’s dismissal at least through today, as she hears arguments in the case. 

For choosing to fight, Dellinger is a profile in courage. 

5. Gwynne Wilcox, chair of the National Labor Relations Board. 

After being dismissed by Trump last week, Wilcox sued, arguing that the statute governing her position allows removal “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause.” 

By firing her, Trump also made the NLRB inoperative, because it no longer has the number of commissioners needed to make rulings. Not incidentally, when Trump fired Wilcox, 24 separate cases were pending against Musk before the NLRB. For choosing to sue Trump, Wilcox is a profile in courage. 

6. Federal workers who are peacefully resisting. 

I also want to salute other federal workers who are resisting Trump’s arbitrary and illegal orders terminating their employment. 

The staff of the General Services Administration have flooded online communications channels like Slack with spoon emojis in response to Musk’s “Fork in the Road” buyout offer. 

Scores of other federal workers have marked the buyout memo and other emails from Trump and Musk as “spam.”

Thousands of federal workers in agencies that collect or analyze sensitive data have launched encrypted chats to discuss how they can best shield the data from Trump and Musk. 

Also meriting our profound thanks are federal workers who are showing up to and leading the protests at USAID, the Department of Labor, and other agencies targeted by the Trump-Vance-Musk regime. 

The “fednews” subreddit, an online forum popular with government workers, has seen multiple highly upvoted posts urging fellow workers to “hold the line” and “support the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic” by NOT resigning.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal workers, now has the highest number of dues-paying members in its 92-year history. Four thousand federal workers joined the union in the first five days of February.

***

The public servants who are defying and contesting the Trump-Vance-Musk coup are putting themselves, their jobs, their careers, and in some cases the well-being of their families on the line. They are doing so because they believe in the importance of their jobs in protecting and helping the American public, and they justifiably believe Trump and Musk are violating the law. 

In sharp contrast to those who are complicit in the Trump-Vance-Musk coup and those who are too cowardly to speak up against it, these men and women are today’s true patriots. 

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ted Johnson at Deadline:

Brendan Carr, newly installed as chairman of the FCC under the new Trump administration, is reviving a trio of complaints aimed at NBC, ABC and CBS content, ones that his predecessor dismissed for being “at odds with the First Amendment.” The revived complaints come from the conservative Center for American Rights and generally align with Trump’s gripes about media coverage during the 2024 presidential campaign. The complaints include one against ABC’s Philadelphia affiliate, WPVI-TV, alleging bias in ABC’s hosting of the September presidential debate; one against WCBS-TV in New York that accuses CBS of “news distortion” in the way that 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris; and another against WNBC-TV in New York for alleged violations of the equal time rule when Saturday Night Live featured Harris in a cameo the weekend before the presidential election. Just last week, before she resigned, FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, appointed by President Joe Biden, dismissed the three complaints, as well as another one filed by the Media and Democracy Project, which challenged the license of Fox-owned WTXF-TV in Philadelphia. That complaint alleged that the revelations from the Dominion Voting System defamation case against Fox News showed that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch lacked the “character” to hold a broadcast license. Carr’s order, however, does not revive the Fox complaint. In restoring the complaints today, the FCC said that the dismissals were “issued prematurely” and “based on an insufficient investigatory record for the station-specific conduct at issue.” The agency said that the complaints require “further consideration.” In her statement last week dismissing the complaints, Rosenworcel said, “The facts and legal circumstances in each of these cases are different. But what they share is that they seek to weaponize the licensing authority of the FCC in a way that is fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment. To do so would set a dangerous precedent.” She also warned that the agency “should not be the president’s speech police.” When he took office on Monday, Trump signed an executive order on “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.” Among other things, it says that “no taxpayer resources are used to engage in or facilitate any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.” The order, though, calls out the Biden administration for “exerting substantial coercive pressure” on social media companies over their content moderation practices.

Brendan Carr, the new FCC Chair, revives the three bogus politically-motivated complaints about the alleged “bias” from CBS, ABC, and NBC from right-wing Center for American Rights.

See Also:

HuffPost: New FCC Chair Brendan Carr Revives Complaints Against NBC, ABC And CBS Over Bias Against Trump

Reuters, via The Guardian: FCC reinstates bogus politically-motivated complaints against ABC, CBS and NBC for 2024 election coverage

[fire-branded]

8 & 14

8. What makes you stray away from canon material and base your character, in case of canon muse, on your own headcanons?

A lack of detail, most of all. If canon gives me the barest bones of information to work with, I will run with that sliver of info, dive into Headcanon Land, and never look back.

Or canonical details that I feel don't line up well enough with other details established in the content(game, in this case), things that come across to me as contradictory, things that I don't personally feel comfortable with utilizing(especially when it comes to ages of characters), or information presented in the Ultimania that don't make sense with what we know from the game itself. Because for me, the game's lore takes precedence over an outside source like the Ultimania. (Though no shade to anyone who does choose to use its info.)

That and just... the general notion of adding a personalized touch to my blorbo, you know? I do try to use canon material as at the very least a basic foundation and build off of it, but sometimes there's not enough background information, so you just have to fill in all of the details yourself.

Especially when the character you're playing as dies within the first like fifteen to twenty minutes of the fucking game, and you learn more about him through other characters than through actually ever having gotten to know him through seeing him.

14. What is the most annoying fact or trait or fanon that is attached to your muse and bothers you?

I ... admittedly have no idea. I never kept up with fandom opinions outside of my little corner here on Tumblr. Like, I'm sure Twitter and Reddit and whatnot have A Lot to say regarding him as a person, regarding his parenting, regarding his rulership over Rosaria, etc.

There is one fact that bothers me, even though I can see where people get the idea from overall despite me disliking the theory. And that's the theory that Elwin and Hanna Murdoch were having an affair behind Anabella(and Rodney too I guess?)'s back.

I can, again, understand where the theory comes from, despite heavily hating it. I don't hate it purely because of my personal feelings towards adultery; I just don't see it as a proven fact. The absence of evidence does not make evidence. We don't see enough of Elwin and Anabella on a personal, more intimate level to know what their relationship was like behind closed doors. We know Anabella was pissed at Elwin, yeah -- but again, in my personal opinion, her grievances sounded more directed at his method of and priority while ruling(putting the people first, and their territory/land second), and the decisions he made combined with his ambitions for the duchy's future. Her remarks in her Inner Thoughts thing are surprisingly neutral, with statements like, "My husband, for better or worse" and ... I forgot what exactly the one with Phoenix Gate was, but it read to me like, "Nothing personal, kid".

We also know that Elwin is very big on being an honorable, just, compassionate, and duty-driven man, and I personally doubt that excludes in his personal/familial life.

Again, these are all my personal views and interpretations.

Even the fact that Hanna still had Elwin's old outfit and whatnot doesn't automatically spell "cheating" to me, considering the home is the Murdoch's home, and Elwin and his family visited Eastpool to spend time with the Murdochs there every summer, where the description says Elwin left the clothes there to wear every time he returned to Eastpool on vacation. It screams of sentimentality to me, of the same intense grief and not wanting to move on that Hanna also shows towards Rodney. She still wears her wedding band, even nervously fidgets with it when she talks about Rodney having died at Phoenix Gate. The fact that she never moved away from Eastpool to seek refuge in Rosalith, didn't even move out of the Murdoch's home... The fact that she was selling other items from the house and family to take care of the people of Eastpool and the displaced Bearers, but never sold her wedding band, Elwin's clothes(including the Metian Bonds, which were forged for Elwin by his dad when Elwin came of age, as was tradition. They probably would have sold for a pretty penny.), or Invictus -- which was Rodney's sword.

She held on to these specific items that had been important to the two men, in my belief because of the strong emotional attachment she has to those items -- because those items are the only things she has left of Rodney and Elwin.

Oh god I rambled I AM SO SORRY.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Carrie (2002)

If no other adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie existed, this 2002 made-for-TV movie might have been worth recommending. While the running time is excessive and it’s lacking in scares/suspense, the source material is strong and Angela Bettis as the lead character offers a good performance. Unfortunately, all you can think of while watching is “Brian De Palma did it better in 1976”.

Carrie White (Angela Bettis) is a friendless, socially awkward teen living under the rule of her domineering mother (Patricia Clarkson) - a woman obsessed with purging all “sin” from their lives. Knowing nothing of puberty, Carrie panics when she experiences her first menstrual period at school and is ridiculed by the girls in her class. Punished by the kind Miss Desjardin (Rena Sofer) for her bullying, Chris (Emilie de Ravin) plans on humiliating Carrie on prom night, unaware Carrie is developing telekinetic powers.

At 132 minutes, this is the longest film version of Carrie by far and I don’t know why director David Carson held onto the bits that obviously needed to be cut. It’s one thing to stay faithful to the source material, but did the scene showing that time a meteor shower nearly burned down the White home add anything? There are other moments that while not useless, don’t contribute much to the whole. For example, the first time we meet the school Principal (Laurie Murdoch), he’s a complete fool, repeatedly calling Carrie by the wrong name and generally acting like he’s never dealt with teenagers before. The next time we see him, he’s confronting Chris’ bully of a father with expertly curated material and the confidence that shows he takes his job seriously. So which one is it? Of all the character inconsistencies, however, the worst by far is Chris and her boyfriend, Billy (Jesse Cadotte). Since Chris goes to the same school as Carrie and orchestrates the legendary prank that will humiliate her, you’d think she’d be the one in charge but the second Billy shows up, she acts like she’s being strongarmed into this operation. It makes no sense.

The story is told in flashbacks to the police by Sue Snell (Kandyse McClure) and Miss Desjardin, which is something we haven’t technically seen before, though it does give away too much of the ending. A scene shows us how Carrie has been kept in the dark on sex ed and the like, which explains why she doesn’t have access or knowledge of how to use the internet. It makes everything more believable than in the Chloë Grace Moretz version. Other than the framing device, the topic of the World Wide Web and a conclusion that leaves itself open to be continued in a series, this Carrie does nothing new. It’s just a beat-for-beat repeat of what we’ve seen before. The themes are not re-imagined or re-contextualized in any meaningful ways, the movie has nothing to say about bullying, teenage girls or religious obsession. Why was this even made? So they could continue the story in a TV show that didn’t materialize. Even if you know that there really doesn’t feel like there was a point at all.

I suppose I should also mention the special effects, which range from “ok for TV” to “bad, even for ’00s era TV”. Their quality doesn’t really matter in the end because you would’ve forgiven them had the picture been great, and it isn’t. It’s another example of a film that would’ve been better - or at least more memorable - if it was worse. 2002's Carrie is not scary, or tense but it is well-acted and, ultimately, unnecessary. (August 10, 2022)

[drmikewatts]

Weekly Review 1 November 2024

Some interesting links that I Tweeted about in the last week (I also post these on Mastodon, Threads, Newsmast, and Bluesky):

I think this is the biggest reason to not use AI to generate important code or material-it's too easy for bad actors to inject malicious code into the model used: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/bytedance-intern-fired-for-planting-malicious-code-in-ai-models/

Google's AI mediator, that helps guide people to agree: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/googles-deepmind-is-building-an-ai-to-keep-us-from-hating-each-other/

The quality of data being used to train AI is declining. Garbage in, garbage out: https://www.bigdatawire.com/2024/10/23/ai-has-a-data-problem-appen-report-says/

Like many other AI, this transcription tool hallucinates: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/26/openais-whisper-transcription-tool-has-hallucination-issues-researchers-say/

It is going to take some time to sort out the legal issues around the scraping of content to train AI: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/unjust-threat-murdoch-and-artists-align-in-fight-over-ai-content-scraping

More ways AI will keep lawyers happy-who's responsible when an AI controlled vehicle crashes? https://dataconomy.com/2024/10/23/the-ethical-dilemmas-of-autonomous-cars-whos-responsible-in-a-crash/

Ten Python libraries you should be familiar with for working with data: https://www.kdnuggets.com/10-essential-python-libraries-for-data-science-in-2024

The last time I got a scam call I told them to talk to my d*ck and put the phone down the front of my trousers. I don't think that would work if it were an AI calling: https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/24/openai_realtime_api_phone_scam/

An AI that can write, and verify, code: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/24/anthropics-ai-can-now-run-and-write-code/

Biased data produces biased AI models. This is as true for cybersecurity applications of AI as it is for anything else: https://www.datasciencecentral.com/why-ai-bias-is-a-cybersecurity-risk-and-how-to-address-it/

Do we really want an AI to be able to control the mouse on our computers? Maybe useful for people who have motor impairments or tremors: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/anthropic-publicly-releases-ai-tool-that-can-take-over-the-users-mouse-cursor/

AI company fires back at lawsuits over its scraping of content for training data: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/24/they-wish-this-technology-didnt-exist-perplexity-responds-to-news-corps-lawsuit/

Did a chatbot AI really encourage a teenager to kill themselves? Time for guardrails: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/23/character-ai-chatbot-sewell-setzer-death

Using AI to enable a garden to talk back: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/oct/25/ai-powered-garden-chelsea-flower-show

The idea of multi-agent architectures has been around for decades. Will generative AI be able to coordinate different agents to perform useful tasks? https://www.informationweek.com/machine-learning-ai/10-reasons-why-multi-agent-architectures-will-supercharge-ai

It looks pretty obvious to me that some companies will try to use Microsoft's AI to replace workers, not augment them: https://dataconomy.com/2024/10/23/microsoft-rolls-out-virtual-employee-ai-agents-for-enterprises/

The US wants to use more AI, especially in national security: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3587124/white-house-tells-intelligence-agencies-use-more-ai.html

The AI Cisco is using for customer support: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3578806/ciscos-new-ai-agents-and-assistants-aim-to-ease-customer-service-headaches.html

If the AI chips only last three years, what happens to them after that? Can they be recycled, or is this another way AI can negatively impact the environment? https://www.extremetech.com/computing/data-center-ai-gpus-may-have-extremely-short-lifespans

AI generated material is a threat to us, especially its use in election interference: https://www.informationweek.com/cyber-resilience/ai-manipulation-threatens-the-bonds-of-our-digital-world

An approach to watermarking AI generated text: https://spectrum.ieee.org/watermark

Replacing journalists with AI is not a popular move: https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360462671/polish-radio-station-replaces-journalists-ai-presenters

40 years later, Terminator continues to influence people's opinions of AI: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/40-years-later-the-terminator-still-shapes-our-view-of-ai/

Who needs AI safety? Not OpenAI: https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/25/open_ai_readiness_advisor_leaves/

[sublimeobservationarcade]

Dumb Americans & Trump

If you talk to most Australians about America and Trump the general consensus is that America’s love affair with Donald Trump puts them in the ‘too stupid to believe’ category. Dumb Americans and Trump. Are they really believing the non-stop lies coming out of Trump’s mouth? This has most of us rolling our eyes in disbelief. Dysfunctional relationships are often like this – you know when a close friend falls for a complete arsehole and cannot see him or her for what they truly are. It happens and the destructive consequences of such hook ups may go on for some time. In this instance, with a fantasy creation like Trump ascending to the highest office in the world, the impact is felt far and wide.

America Lost In Reality TV

Donald Trump is a fictional character, a reality TV concoction, the bluster and the schtick are fabricated for the mass media. Americans engage way more with what they see on screens than with anything remotely real. We all do these days to varying degrees, as most of us are removed from the realities of public office. We live in big cities and are part of populations boasting millions of members. The great majority of us don’t know stuff about many of the crucial roles within our communities. We only vicariously engage with police and paramedics through TV shows in the main. A lot of us have no real idea about what it is like to be a soldier, a social worker, a government administrator, and such like. We are all cut off from the worlds outside of our own vocations to a large degree. This makes it easy for us to be manipulated by those wishing to paint pictures of certain realms we know nothing concrete about. Enraging America MAGA Style The media wants your eyeballs on their screen offerings. ‘Click bait’ is the term used to describe sensationalist headings and images designed to grab your attention. Social media is all about winding us up via stuff that gets us riled and our blood up. Algorithms keep feeding us with the provocative content to enrage and despair at. Middle ground is anathema to these platforms. Crime is a favourite of the media and has been for the longest time, indeed, way before the internet was invented. Shocking superficial statements and images are the porn of the news stations. Youth crimes committed upon the elderly are gold for the networks on this score. Law and order has been the meat and potatoes of the conservative aligned media for eons. It plays really well with ‘so called’ ordinary working people, as it shocks them out of their apathy. Injustice is easy to present when not all the facts are presented. The media is the Greek chorus of our times, endlessly amplifying stories via repetition. The upshot is that viewers tend to perceive a crime wave rather than isolated episodes. We live in populations in the millions; therefore some statistical balance is required but the media is not interested in such wet blankets. Everything is a crisis and an emergency in this digital world. If you talk to many older folk they are concerned about the likelihood of being attacked at home or on the streets. Many express vehemently the need to punish perpetrators more forcibly on this basis. Conservative commentators on radio and TV selectively choose stories designed to enrage their audience – it is all part of the business model. You may have noticed the reduction in investigative reporting and its replacement by opinion editorials - op eds. Gossip and outrage is much cheaper to publish and produce – it also gets more engagement within a quicker time frame. However, the truth suffers in this trade off promoted by publishers and network owners like Rupert Murdoch. Fake news is much easier to promulgate and falsely claim in this op ed media environment. The media creation known as Donald Trump thrives in such a world. A Crooked Man Walking A Crooked Mile Americans, it seems, would rather a crooked President than a feeble one – if the polls are to be believed. I find it fascinating that President Joe Biden, an octogenarian, is the champion of democracy up against the openly appalling Donald Trump. Short term memory loss is affecting many Americans, as well as the candidates, apparently. I mean who can forget the rambling President Trump during the pandemic promoting the consumption of bleach and actively undermining his own public health officials. Nearly a million Americans died from Covid-19 in supposedly the richest nation on earth during Trump’s presidency. Australians looked on in horror at what was happening over there in the United States (disunity was as apparent as the virus). Mask wearing became a political thing rather than a public health strategy. When stupid people are in charge and leading an anti-science campaign you can see how once great civilisations can fall. Trump just flat out lies about everything non-stop and many Americans are happy to drink the kool aid on his say so. If 40% of the American population are in the Trump cult then we can say goodbye to what we once knew as the shining light of democracy. They called it the American experiment, democracy on this scale, and the scales of justice have tipped over into a state of lawlessness via the capture of SCOTUS by radical right wing agencies. A con man and convicted felon has been given carte blanch by a bunch of bent and bought justices. Trump, like a mob boss, pre-arranged the judges prior to committing his crimes via appointments and favours. The rule of law no longer applies to American presidents, according to this latest SCOTUS ruling. Billionaires have funded the lifestyle of Clarence Thomas to the tune of $4 million. Justice Alito flies flags supporting the big lie about the stolen election in 2020 – I mean in Australia it would be impossible to imagine a High Court judge openly flying a national flag upside down in an act of dissent – he or she would be immediately removed from office. These are the signs of a collapsing civilisation, when the highest court in the land is in active defiance of the people and the elected government. The January 6th insurrection has still not been dealt with nearly 4 years later, in terms of prosecuting the actual leadership of it. Likewise the voter fraud and election interfering crimes committed by Donald Trump remain like a weeping sore on the body of America.   “President Biden managed to gain ground on former President Donald Trump in key battleground states and trails by only two per cent — even after his disastrous debate performance last week, a new poll shows.” (news corp) - (https://pro-assets.morningconsult.com/wp-uploads/2024/07/Bloomberg-Election-Tracking-Wave-9-Toplines-Crosstabs.pdf) Will America awaken from its bad dream or will it collapse under the weight of extreme divisiveness? Will the third of voters who do not really engage in the process have some sort of epiphany? In a dog eat dog consumeristic society can these Survivor contestants recognise the value of democracy? Apathy hangs over the United States like a veil hiding the very real danger that dictatorship represents. Dumb Americans and Trump is this a match made in heaven? Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump. ©MidasWord Read the full article

[flock-of-cassowaries]

Another example from Succession:

A lot of people really hate my favourite character (Roman), because he’s kind of a huge piece of shit who does a lot of really, really harmful things; in the pilot episode, he uses his wealth to sadistically taunt a poor family - literally dangling a million dollar cheque over their 10-year-old child’s head before ripping it into shreds. It’s fucked up and uncomfortable to watch, and it’s far from the last gut-churningly deplorable thing he does in cannon.

(Upon review, he’s not quite tall enough to literally dangle it over the 10-year-old’s head; but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in pure, caustic scumminess.)

Basically, if met this guy in real life - for example, on his mega-yacht - I would be strongly tempted to push him over the railing, to (hopefully) be eaten by orcas. Just fully Chiyoh-from-Hannibal his little twink ass. Splish-splash, motherfucker. Goodbye.

(Like this, but with more carnivorous sea mammals.)

But…

…he’s also a deeply sympathetic character (to me) because he’s an unsuccessfully-closeted queer adult who, at times, demonstrates a strong capacity for empathy; but who is in the thrall of his more powerful, charismatic, abusive right-wing father, who makes it very clear that queerness and kindness are not acceptable traits for his offspring to display.

And wow. I can sure relate to that shit.

(Time for my favourite gif!!!)

(Seriously, someone is gonna take this gif away and put it on top of the fridge.)

…so I just hand-wave the pilot episode as a (literal) fever dream, and generally take the most generous possible interpretation of all his various other sins. Because it’s fiction, and the story I want to tell is, ultimately, about the aspects of his character that remind me of my own struggles.

Does that make the people who fucking hate this character invalid? No. He’s based on fucking Lachlan Murdoch; hating him is a very valid reaction.

And I think it’s pretty likely that no one on the writing or production staff of Sucession was trying to tell the precise story I see in the Rorschach blot of this show.

But it’s a fucking fascinating story to me.

(Postscript: The author wishes to note that they have never, to the best of their recollection, attempted to fundamentally undermine the structure of liberal democracy in their country. Unlike their cherished blorbo.)

I feel like something that’s been really fundamental to how I approach fanfiction (and media in general, honestly) is the concept of “death of the author”. It’s really liberating.

There are a lot of academic works (and YouTube videos) on this – Lindsay Ellis has a really good one – but this way I’d articulate it is this:

There’s nothing wrong with interpreting fictional media in a way that is different than what the author intended; and interpretations that are different than the intended one are in no way inherently lesser.

Expanding on that, from a fanfiction perspective:

I think it’s actually awesome to go ahead and run with the themes and meanings that are most relevant to you.

What’s more, I think it’s completely legitimate to discard / magic-eraser out elements of the original story that do not resonate with the themes you want to develop, or that do not work in the context of the story that you are trying to tell.

[mixedupmelody]

tough guy.

notes: someone needs to seriously make an effort to bruise these guys' ego a little. the t-birds in GENERAL need to come with a warning sign saying "Will Not Show Affection in Public".

contains: danny zuko x gender neutral reader , kenickie murdoch x female reader

characters: danny zuko, kenickie murdoch, t-birds and pink ladies (briefly mentioned)

warnings: swearing, suggestive themes and dialouge

. ☁️ .

꒰ danny. ꒱

“ 'S cool with me, baby. ” Danny holds a hand around your waist, taking care not to look into your eyes. God, he could stare at them for hours. He'd live a happy life if all he ever saw was those eyes. But he can't look at you. Not now. The T-Birds stare at him, almost as if they were waiting on their leader to slip up and say something cheesy. “ I'll see you after school, beautiful. ”

You press a quick kiss to his lips, before walking off to your next class. You knew his status meant something to him, and weren't trying to put him in an annoying spot with his friends. Danny's shoulders relax as you walk off, eyes trailing after you as if he could keep you next to him with his mind.

Danny is the leader of the T-Birds, so he's held to a somewhat higher standard than the rest of the guys. Out of all of them, he's suppossed to be the most macho, the most hard-headed, and the most gutsy member all into one. In between all the turf wars and fights at school, he's the face of their gang that let's everyone know he means business.

And then you came along. You managed to break through his tough exterior and unlock a sweeter, more sensitive side of him. He couldn't help but feel like a total melvin each time he dressed up nice to bring you flowers, or when he put his best efforts into not getting fresh with you when you invited him to your place to study after school.

To him, it's all worth it. Just seeing that smile on your face is enough to keep him going through the exhaustion he feels trying to keep his pure, romantic advancements under wraps.

꒰ kenickie. ꒱

Kenickie's hand reaches dangerously close to your ass as you sit with him at The Frosty Palace. As the T-Birds and Pink Ladies chat at their shared booth, Kenickie made sure to show off that he was a certified ladies man. And what better way to show that than messing around with his girl while they ate?

“ If these jokers keep this shitty conversation up, i'll just have to take ya' home for some real fun. ” You could tell he was practically working overtime tonight. With all those notes you left in his lunch, you were more than sure he was trying to make up the jokes he was subjected to. It's not that he really cared what the guys would think, they knew he would knock them out before they had the chance to flap their gums for too long, but it was a matter of dignity!

Kenickie Murdouch would rather die than let the guys think he's gone soft. He's a rockin', smooth talkin' rebel who's all bark. At least, until he started going steady with you. He feels all mixed up, wanting to treat you nice while also having to be on the look out for the other T-Birds.

God forbid you ever give him a tender kiss in front of his friends at school, or make him quiet a quick "i love you too" when you part ways in the halls. The guys will rip on him for as long as Kenickie will take it, making obnoxious kissing noises and jokingly threaten to take his second-in-command spot.

If they push him too far, he'll switch right back into greaser mode, and threaten to knock the living daylights out of them. They shut up quickly after that.

There's been at least one instance where you and Kenickie were on a date at The Frosty Palace, sharing a milkshake. As you two are talking, he laughs, slamming his hand on the table, and the milkshake splashes on the tip of his nose. When you go to clean his face for him, the other T-Birds barge in through those glass doors. It almost feels unreal how accurate their timing is. You hear a chorus of "oooo!"s as you clean his face, trying your best to calm your boyfriend down before he loses his cool.

You don't see his walls go down often, even when you're by yourselves. Give him time.

[h-worksrambles]

I make it a personal rule not to do holiday stuff (minus important stuff like sorting gifts) until December actually starts. But now that the month is here, I consider it to no longer be ‘too soon’ (it’s been on all the commercials for weeks anyway). So I kicked it off by going through The Smoke Room’s modern AU Christmas special again. I still love it so much.

It’s a genuinely great companion piece to the main game by showing how many of the main cast’s struggles were born from the difficulties of living amidst the harsh social context of 1915. Seeing all the cast in the modern day, living lives that aren’t perhaps perfect, but where they are at least all living as their best selves is just priceless. Sam in a quiet life with people who love him, Murdoch finally having freed himself from his family, Cliff able to express their gender identity, (this was such a lovely way to get canon nonbinary Cliff confirmation). Will openly gay and comfortable with himself, and Nikolai just being generally out of his shell emotionally (becoming possibly the funniest character in the process) is all a joy. It’s also a pretty enlightenining reference point for how their character arcs may unfold in the future. Like they may not get to lead a life like this in any timeline in the full game, but this is ideal we’re striving for with these guys.

Placing the characters in the modern day also allows for so many blursed references. Sam has an extremely relatable resentment for Mariah Carey. Cliff is a Hatsune Miku stan, Murdoch swears he’ll get Will to see Mean Girls and Will is taking the based millenial line (even calling out the Salvation Army like the chad that he is). Also, spare a thought for poor Blithe, who’s experiencing the one thing worse than losing friends to a serial murderer/supernatural monster...working retail on Christmas Eve.This could so easily have been cringy but damn it’s adorable (even if Cliff saying ‘pog’  is imprinted into my brain forever).

The decision to present all the main cast as a polycule compared to each being a dedicated route just makes it all the more heartwarming and allows for so many fun dynamics within the group.

Look at this. How can anything that includes this not be perfection?

Plus, I appreciate that we still get a little seasonal themed spookiness, which the summer AU would also do. It honestly makes me wonder how much of this is purely for fun and how much is secretly foreshadowing aspects of the main game (I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the summer AU brought up Todd’s bi-curiousity only for that to come up in the very next Will update).

But yeah, this was a lovely thing to revisit to kick off the month. I could see this entering the rotation of my staple holiday season media.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Monikers Erased AU

This is a character swap and setting focused AU which revolves around Phoenica being the protagonist instead of Molly.

The story would also be adjusted to focus on a different path of character development. So instead of Molly learning to stand up for herself, we now have Feenie learning to adapt to the wild ecosystem of the world outside her household.

Aesthetics-wise, the story takes place in the early 2000's in a city of vandalised concrete and eye-searing glass, a city from the United States as depicted in older films essentially. The prime inspiration for this AU's setting is oddly enough the music video for 'It's My Life', not much to talk about but I just thought it would be interesting to have a setting similar to how the world seemed in movies during that era.

Characters and Setting

The Salt Rock Connurbation (originally Sweet Jazz City)

The main focus of the plot like in the original story.

(Original Show) Sweet Jazz City Modern Technological & Cultural Hub, Limited Regulations, High levels of Disorganised crime, a relatively un-militarised police force, has a Museum*.

(In this AU) Salt Rock Connurbation A Stagnating Manufacturing Hub, High levels of (some times ridiculous) regulations on all facets of society, Low levels of Organised crime, Heavily Militarised police force, has a Large Black Market* underneath a stadium like concert area.

The city is in a Cold War between the Police and consolidated Crime groups consisting of gangs, biker gangs, foreign mafias and arms dealers; no one shoots, no one gets hurt.

*A museum is a place where antiques and items of interest are sold or given to where it can be displayed openly. A black market is where such items are sold and sourced from both illegally and discreetly.

Phoenica Fleecity (switching with Molly)

After losing both her parents at a young age, the last living member of the Fleecity Family has been 'raised' by the current regent managing the family: an investor and financial manager by the name of Ramsey Murdoch.

Said regent however spends most of his time cultivating his the family's investments than taking active care for his technically adopted daughter; that responsibility falls to the army of servants who pamper Feenie beyond unhealthy levels.

Falls into the criminal underworld after deciding to investigate how is a concert about rocks became the talk of her generation.

Other character switches (summarised, will be elaborated on request or in future posts)

Giovanni switches with Percy. So we have a criminal in a crime group because they believe they can bring law and order from the other side. Meanwhile we have an extroverted cop who most likely abuses the police station's armoury yet is very protective of his subordinates.

Sylvie switches with Howie. Howie would be the maintenance worker who keeps the largest concert setting in the country running (while also keeping darker elements underneath the stage from disrupting his work). Sylvie meanwhile is still an epithet specialised psychologist though he does his 'research' in the crime infested ruins of a former industrial zone (the equivalent of Redwood Run I still have not decided a name for yet).

Mera and Indus switch with Arnold & Bugsy. The former would be leading a small criminal arms dealing group setting up shop near where Sylvie happens to be (at the equivalent of Redwood Run). The latter are a rowdy band from the gang Percy is supposed to bring back into line.

Zora switches places with Naven. The latter is the coalition maker of the criminal underworld and thus may have Russian Mercenaries or other miscellaneous allies from the darker pits of society. The former is the head of the most powerful domestic terror group who keeps the latter under its wing to maintain control over the deadlock between the criminal factions to keep the law enforcers from trying anything, lest they risk of turning the city into a warzone.

Trixie as a character concept is flipped upside down. Instead of a kid deep into the occult, we now have them as part of a secretive order of sorts which is on the other far end from occultism: religious zealotism.

To note, this isn't the typical holier-than-thou faith sect, this is the kind that has actual working holy artifacts locked in underground vaults plus a reserved seat of representation at this world's equivalent of the Vatican or Jerusalem.

Either way, Trixie is still a social outsider. Just that instead of making homemade potions, they'd try to make holy/magical items/relics based on descriptions from a tome they'd only managed 9 seconds of reading before the librarians realise a child should not be able to access that section of the library.

Yoomtah also has her personality flipped. So instead of a hyperenergetic maniac, she tries to seem a calm and relaxed figure. Until she decides to get things done.

Ramsey switches with Martin.

The former is a cunning investor and self proclaimed financial advisor who was brought in to manage the Fleecity finances. After the accident that left Phoenica the only living Fleecity, Ramsey had taken over as 'regent' to protect the integrity of the family and to quell potential power struggles from former Fleecity afiliates. Whether this is an excuse for Ramsey making the prestigious household his personal kingdom or a genuine yet mismanaged attempt at caring for his adopted daughter, is yet to be seen.

Martin meanwhile, is a skilled yet infamous inventor in the entertainment field on the run. A creative mind that is absent half of the time with the hounds of his creditors at his heel.

The Arsene Amullet's equivalent (I haven't thought of a name for it yet) will instead grant an 'untaken' epithet instead of taking it from its user.

Blurb (because I need somewhere to dump story related metaphors)

An innocent sheep unknowingly intrudes into the hunting ground of the savvanah. She however, is not the main course of the impending feast, for the predators prowling about have turned on one another seeking clues to a strange trinket hidden in the waters of an oasis. One of the contenders, a cheetah deprived of her hunting ground, approaches her otherwise prey and makes a preposterous proposal.

Phoenica Fleecity, rich, innocent and naive beyond belief; finds herself lost in the criminal underground. To get herself out of this, she enlists the guidance of a gang leader whom begrudgingly takes the heir to privilege through the den of the disdained. Meanwhile a transaction is carried underway in haste and secrecy, its cargo holding the potential to upset the fickle balance of power between the factions of the underworld and the authorities above. And thus, the first steps on the ladder to hell pulls down with it the complicated webs of the world above, inch by inch.