#Sydney Mutilator

[rainbow-murderers]

WILLIAM MaCDONALD

THE SYDNEY MUTILATOR

AKA: Alan Ginsburg (birth name) The Sydney Mutilator, The Knick-Knack Man, Sydney's Jack The Ripper, Australias first serial killer, Alan Edward Brennan, David Alan.

Born: 17 June 1924, Liverpool, England.

Death: Natural causes, complications arising from a gastrointestinal obstruction, 12 May 2015 (aged 90)

Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

Family: Daniel Ginsburg (father), Henrietta Frank (mother), Michael Ginsburg (eldest brother, born 1921), Geoffrey David Ginsburg (youngest brother, born 1927)

Life & Trauma: Ginsburg was born into a wealthy Orthodox Jewish family in England. He was the middle of three boys and attended Newborough Kindergarten. From aged 8 he attended the prestigious Liverpool Institute school. He suffered as a student, distracted by constant headaches and fits of depression. He was frequently bullied and kept to himself. He formed no close relationships with either family or friends and his father publically referred to him as "The Idiot Child."

Behaviour & Emotion: Antisocial, non violent as a child, emotionally immature, secretive, introverted, easily distracted, disconnected, humiliated and un-nurtured by his family. He was a loner his whole life and lived inside his own head.

1942-MacDonald (19) joined the British Army, signing up with the Lancashire Fusiliers in Lanark, Berwick-Upon-Tweed. He is raped in an air raid shelter by his senior officer, 45 year old career soldier, corporal Alexander Rice. With no prior experience of sex, sexual desire or acts of self pleasure, this violent attack would be his introduction to male sexuality. "I believe (this circumstance) changed my life forever....and doomed me to a life of homosexuality."

1947-He was Honourably Discharged.

1948-Attended Rushworth & Dreaper's Tobias Matthay Private College of music, Islington. Learns Piano, cello, organ and violin.

1948- He explored his homosexual urges, approaching men in public bathrooms and hotels. He was discovered by police who informed his brother Geoffrey. He was sent to Crichton Mental Institute at Dumbfries, Scotland and recieved electroconvulsive therapy 5 days a week and was heavily sedated.

1949-Ginsburg leaves UK, for Canada. Within a few weeks he'd spent all his money and was both jobless and homeless. He lived on Salvation Army handouts on the streets of Montreal. He was too ashamed to ask his parents for help. After 12 months of sleeping on park benches and in derelict houses, the Salvation Army contacted his mother.

1950-Henrietta Ginsburg sends her son money and he returns home to the UK.

Alan Ginsburg legally changes his name to William MacDonald and undergoes rhinoplasty surgery. He works 4 years in the family business saving money to leave the UK.

1954-Emigrates to Australia on the ship Orcades.

Murder Timeline: 1961-1962- responsible for the death of one men in Queensland (Brisbane) and four men in New South Wales (Sydney). At least 3 other known victims survived attacks. In 1964 he killed a prison inmate and served time in Morriset Home for the Criminally Insane, then returned to prison in 1980.

Methodology: The urge to commit murder was commanded by incessant voices inside his head saying "Kill, Kill, Kill." The frenzied attacks were fuelled by delusion and performed with maniacal rage. MacDonald believed his heroic mission was to destroy his rapist, Alexander Rice. In each victims face he saw Rice staring back at him."When the corporal attacked me, he took my life away, so I thought I'd destroy his sex the same way."

The first murder takes place in Brisbane. Amos Hurst is strangled. He was the only victim not baring the killers trademark of excessive stab wounds and genital mutilation.

1960-Macdonald moves to Sydney assuming the alias, Allan Brennan. His inner city dwelling allows immediate access to the nocturnal pleasures that keep the beast awake at night. He preys on the lost souls who litter the streets after hours. The homeless vagrants are easy prey, lured by a false companion offering alcohol.

He beats and stabs the men to death, to the point of overkill. He attacks their face, throat and heart with a long blade knife, in excess of 40 times. The final act of mutilation becomes the killers trademark: The complete removal of the dead man's genitals.

June 4, 1961- Constable Robert Greentree and a crew of divers search the waters of Wooloomooloo Bay, hoping to find evidence to assist with the case. 10 meters from the shore Greenfield resurfaces, with a man's penis and balls clutched in his hand. It was easily identified as being that of Alfred Greenfield, who was circumcised and tattooed along his shaft with the words "all for a nights love"

Victims:

1. Amos Hugh Hurst (63) March 19, 1960 Strangulation

2. Alfred Reginald Greenfield, AKA Alan Thomas (40) June 4, 1961 Stabbing

3. Ernest William Cobbin (47) Body found November 21, 1961 Stabbing

4. Frank Gladstone McLean, March 31, 1962 Stabbing

5. Patrick 'McNulty' Joseph Hackett (42) November 3, 1962 Stabbing

Occupation: Rent collector (Clerks association), Junior clerk (Evans, Lescher & Ware) Store owner (sandwiches, mixed goods) Postal worker, Railway worker, British Armed Forces (Lancashire Fusiliers) during WW2. Coal miner at Newcastle-on-Tyne, worked in family furniture and piano shop. In Australia and New Zealand he was fired from several jobs for insubordination and his inability to work well with other employees.

Medical diagnosis: Suffered migraines and fits of depression in childhood and adolescence, homosexuality (then considered a mental illness), Paranoid Schizophrenia (diagnosed in army, 1947) Schizoid personality (1961).

Cosmetic rhinoplasty to fix the "hooked nose" inherited by his father.

After arrest (1963) McDonald was diagnosed as clinically insane by three independent psychologists.

His autopsy report revealed Macdonald suffered from leg clots, a peptic ulcer, hernias, dementia and occasional diarrhoea.

Conviction & Arrest:

Macdonald was first arrested for two counts of gross indecency after touching an undercover police officer in a public toilet.

May 13, 1963 arrested for murder. Macdonald made a full confession to 5 murders. Jailed for life in 1963, Long Bay Jail (Sydney)

Justice McLennan sentenced the Mutilator to five consecutive life sentences with a strong recommendation that he never be released.

After 52 years behind bars, he became the longest serving prisoner in NSW history.

Hobbies: The family owned a furniture and music shop called The Piano Galleries. Music was perhaps the one thing Ginsburg ever had a connection with. He grew up listening to the classics (Beethoven, Mozart, Berlioz, Handel, Brahms, Wagner.) His childhood dream was to become a concert pianist. He loved classic literature and Crime and Punishment magazine. As a child he fixated on the macabre and loved violent movies and tales of murder. His favourite film was I Am The Fugitive From a Chain Gang. His unhealthy obsession with Jack The Ripper clearly influenced the method of killing.

References:

The knick-knack man : inside the mind of Australia's most deranged serial killer: Paul B. Kidd

WickedWe: WILLIAM MACDONALD / THE MUTILATOR / AUSTRALIA’S MOST FEARED SERIAL KILLER: Robbie Ruinsburg

Murder Down Under: The Mutilator Dead Man Walking by Anthony Ferguson

Daily Mail: Australia's First Serial Killer

[fungus-no69]

hope lovecraft is rolling in his grave as I write this. I hope more people write about eldritch horrors being gay and shit. lovecraftian gay sex… (i do not write smut)

Context: it is a beautiful day in rapechestershire and you are a horrible monstrosity

Content: Body horror I guess, reader is a little petty (deserved), dol typical bullying, brief and non graphic gore in Kylar’s, mentioned animal death in Remy’s (you are Eating The Cows), some spoilers for Ivory Wraith’s lore

Remembering to oxidise your body is a burden, making your heart beat is a chore, remembering to move the rest of your vessel with your expressions is tiring. What do animals even need these rigid pieces of flesh for?

…though you quickly realised the value of muscles when your meat began to droop around your faux bones which is something you’re fairly certain does not happen to mortals.

Of course, you can’t maintain a full rest while above water in this fashion. You’ve come to learn that humans do not particularly enjoy a mass of greasy limbs, mottled flesh and gunky mucus spread on the floor. 'Sleeping' is nice though, as limited as your opportunities are. Humans are fickle creatures and that also applies to their sleeping habits.

Nonetheless. You need to practise your human-form-making skills. And what better way to learn about appearing more human than to attend the industry of learning itself?

Whitney:

Why this blonde mortal took an interest in you? You're not sure.

One day they were there and they never left

They’re always poking at your vessel. Rude…

Thanks to them and their lackeys you had to learn how to fake falling over when punched because apparently it’s strange to just stand there and take a hit without flinching.

They know somethings wrong with you but they can’t put their finger on it, this leads to even more bullying

Most of their harassment is about how you look and act apart from the straight up sexual assault.

They once saw you slip up on your transformation because it was a particularly irritating day and you briefly reintroduced your habit of scaring off others by posturing.

Not your finest moment, I say. They passed out because your mutilated structure was too much for their poor human mind to handle.

Thankfully you can help them forget the incident or write it off as some weird drug induced hallucination. (by distracting them with something inconvenient when they wake up. Like an ice cube in their mouth. Or a cut to their gums.)

You can’t let something like that happen again

Sydney:

You don't know why they're looking at you weirdly. You have the correct amount of teeth this time. You checked.

They help you out when people ask you stupid questions like 'are you a ventriloquist?' 'how can you bend that far?' and 'hey where'd your elbows go?'

It’s always awkward to dismiss yourself during those encounters, considering your ‘schoolmates’ don’t tend to let things go and are rather fixated on following their more malicious instincts towards you than letting you leave. So Sydney’s help is appreciated.

You leave little gifts for them in the library. A book you found in the lake and dried, the foot of a rabbit (humans find that lucky right?), little shiny objects you discover while walking around.

You’re far from weak or incapable but Sydney’s interventions make keeping up the act more bearable.

Over time they find that they become enamoured with you and that’s terrifying to them. One, because they’ve never felt like this before and two, Jordan seems to disapprove of you in some way? They don’t explain why but they warn Sydney about you. Which raises some issues which you don't completely understand for all of your infinite (old) wisdom.

As they become more corrupted, they get a bit more pushy with their ‘subtle’ questions about you- thankfully they never nag for too long.

You fear that Sydney, loyal and kind Sydney, will leave you when they find your true nature. That they will find you repulsive like many before them.

Thus, you will hide your true nature from them. No matter how often they ask or the fact that they know something is off- you can never let them confirm those suspicions.

Kylar:

You see the way the shadows loom over this mortal- they are more connected to the other worlds than they realise.

This draws you to them in a way, having someone who is more connected to your home than everyone around you. And them to you, though you suspect this may have happened regardless of your identity.

Kylar is another anomaly in a sea of others who look different but are fundamentally indiscernible. If you were to cut open a human and pry open their ribcage, you would find the same thing in each one. But not yours. And perhaps not Kylar’s.

They seem to feel a strange compulsion to protect you. You’ve seen this type of behaviour with Sydney and maybe Whitney to an extent, but never to the intensity that a knife was procured.

You understand that the utensil is sharp but you're a little bit confused to why the students run away when they see it? Stabbing someone requires strength and you're fairly certain Kylar is not very strong.

Surprisingly, they were the first one to ask about why you speak the way you do. When asked what they meant they told you that you speak in a very formal manner. Your expression must have made a change in some way because they quickly apologise profusely for offending you. It doesn't.

If you sulk about it a little then that's nobody's business other than your own.

Harper:

You get sent to the asylum for your silly behaviour (crimes and general strangeness that does not pass for mentally healthy) and Harper tries to gaslight you "there are no tentacles they aren't real" explain this.

You don’t have a firm grasp on human behaviour yet, especially when it comes to being polite but c'mon. Even you know this guy is a weirdo.

They will inevitably learn about your true nature regardless of how hard you conceal it.

Hypnotism doesn’t work on you, your blood is too dark and thin to resemble a human’s, sometimes you forget to make your heart beat etc.

They’re not as freaked out as you thought they’d be but they do want to run some tests on you

You say no thank you because even if it’s just for ‘personal research’ you don’t want your inhumanity on record (and Harper’s a creep)

They attempt to blackmail you in a sense but you stand strong on your opinion. Who would they tell and even then, who would believe them? And then there’s the fact that there is no human nor invention that can contain or incapacitate you.

You may meet them on your vacation to Remy’s farm, they’re initially confused to see you there but just as easily accept it. As much as they want to understand you- you’re not exactly human, so they don’t expect you to act by the rules of humans.

It would almost be nice if they didn’t finish their little spiel by dragging you to a stage. Stares make your epidermis feel like there’s little bugs underneath it and you feel the urge to peel it off to escape the unpleasant sensation. You don’t, because that would reveal you.

You end your holiday by trashing their office.

Remy:

You originally came across their farm because you were hungry. Remy, of course, noticed the dwindling population of their cows and went to investigate. Lo and behold- they found you.

They don’t know for sure if you’re involved in the missing cows but they suspect you’ve stolen them or something. Not that you ate them.

You allow yourself to be captured, you could annihilate these puny humans if you wanted to but something tells you this place will grant you rest and food.

The fact they stole your clothes was mildly irritating but you can easily get some when you return 'home'. What do humans call it? The five finger discount? You're not sure what having five fingers has to do with saving currency but you appreciate it regardless.

You don’t develop transformations. You lack the biology to do so, but seeing other cattle develop their features tips you off to the fact you’re supposed to be gaining ears and such so you try to replicate them…

The farmhand who opens your stable in the morning almost shits their pants

You don’t try again after that.

Remy is wondering why their cattle are STILL disappearing.

Ivory Wraith:

They are much similar to yourself, tethered to this mortal realm through an object. Though their emotions are a bit more… uncontrollable than yours.

But perhaps that came with being human. Formerly, you suppose. Not that you would know what it’s like to be human.

They know your existence is eternal, will last for much longer than their own given their own circumstances.

Inevitably, they belong to this world and you do not.

Nonetheless you understand each other to a point, with both of you being non human and somewhat incorporeal.

They vaguely recognise you from long ago, a painting or two within the temple depicting a monster. They had never really examined it, being too unsettled to do so.

They also remember that during the schism, they felt the presence of something much larger than themself. They suspect it may be you, though they’re not certain.

No matter, you're here now.

…

It is the first time you have felt desire for something other than rest in centuries.

You have never been one to want. You do not experience emotion as deeply as mortals (or former mortals) do, somehow simultaneously deeper but so shallowly. You do not feel affection, and even if you have, it has surely been so long since then that you have forgotten. And yet…

You think this strange feeling in your fleshy midsection is the closest to love you can get.

[museofthepyre]

Assigning the CHNT cast TMA entity alignments… add on if you wish/ have any differing ideas! I have yet to assign some ppl still.

Sydney: The Corruption

(Connection to concepts of decay, mushrooms worms, bugs n decomposition, illness and deterioration, consumptive/ unhealthy attachment style, self-destructive desperation for love/ “always wanted to be killed by something that loves me”- that whole squash monologue captures my point pretty well.)

Jedidiah: The Web/ The End

(He’s hyper-aware of the string pulling us all along to our inevitable fate, serenaded by the unstoppable ticking of a clock. He tries to know, control, and change that. He tries to pull the strings and turn back the clock hands. He manipulates/ hides things from Sydney, who’s all wrapped up in the web he strung. Themes of fate, inevitability, death, and the cheating of it!)

Elijah: The Distortion

Infectious hysteria! His presence is accompanied by confusion, (what’s regarded as) delusional religious beliefs, and just a general aura of dreamlike surrealism. He’s cryptid-like. Those who look at him are overtaken with his religious fervor. Sydney worries that he’s a hallucination for a while. Themes of madness, unreality, and not trusting one’s own mind (manipulation falls under that category).

Adam: The Flesh

Yeah. Next. (Takes on other people’s appearances! Cannibalism! Blood! Mutilation! He knows how human brains function and he uses that understanding to toy with them, that could be interpreted as taking advantage of the fallible nature of flesh. So easily destroyed!)

Ok short spitfire round for some of the counsellors/ others that I can think of atm

Rowan: The Extinction

Juniper: The Distortion

Lucille: The Web

Soren: The End

[rivaldreamer]

House of Malignant - CH 1

Crossover between House of Wax & Malignant

What happens when one pair of conjoined twins meet another?~

CHAPTERS:

CH2 , CH3

——————————————

Madison sighed, leaned over the opened hood of her car and inspecting the smoking engine.

“There’s no fixing that…” Gabriel’s voice buzzed from her phone sat beside her.

“Not now Gabriel…” she muttered, leaning over to get a closer look.

“You should have pulled over an hour ago when I told you.”

“And since when were you the car expert?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to hear that engine begging to be put out of its misery…”

Madison groaned, slamming her head against the hood.

“…ow”

“Sorry…” she rubbed her forehead and by proxy the back of Gabriel’s head.

“Come on, Gabe,” Sydney spoke up, stepping out of the car with a bottle of water, “it’s not like we could have just stopped, we’re in the middle of nowhere.”

That’s true, stopping your car in the middle of nowhere is one thing. Stopping it in the middle of nowhere when you were a bunch of wanted criminals was another.

It had been several months since Gabriel’s awakening and the ensuing bloodbath that followed as they took revenge on those who wronged them and cut down anyone who stood in their way.

Madison had regained her control over them, stopping their rampage, about to seal them away once again. But her twin, practically wailed in fear at the thought of being trapped in the darkness again, cold and alone.

Madison couldn’t find it within her to hate them despite everything they had done. They were still their sibling, their twin and literally a part of them. Gabriel didn’t ask to be born this way and they certainly didn’t ask to be mutilated and cut up like a tumor. So, here they were, on the run, sticking to the remote country roads where no one would find or recognize them.

Madison told Sydney she didn’t have to come along, that this blood was not on her hands. She could continue to live a normal life. But Sydney refused, insisting on coming with them. It was actually Sydney that formulated their plan for life on the run; picking the remote routes to take, getting them burner phones even pulling all nighters to drive them across state lines.

As much as Madison didn’t want Sydney sacrificing her future for their sake, she couldn’t deny the help Sydney’s been.

Sydney turned up, hand to shielding her eyes from the blazing sun.

“We probably picked a bad time to drive through these parts though.”

Indeed, the Louisiana heat was unforgiving in the summer. Madison had changed into a black tank top and tied her hair into a bun, as no doubt the heat would be getting to Gabriel as well.

As Madison went back to looking over the engine in vain, Gabriel eyed Sydney chugging down her water, the blonde taking notice.

“What’s up Gabe?”

“Give me some of that,” they ordered bluntly.

But Sydney took no offense. “Oh I’m sorry Gabe, you thirsty?”

She went and retrieved a straw from their things, coming back and delicately pushing away the strands of hair in order to allow Gabriel to drink from the bottle.

That was another new development, Sydney overly doting over Gabriel. Despite everything, and especially despite them trying to kill her, Sydney still tried to make an effort for them. Madison didn’t know what Gabriel felt about the constant coddling but they hadn’t voiced complaints, and for Gabriel that’s saying a lot. Gabriel didn’t sugarcoat things, if they had an opinion, they’d say it. They were about as blunt a rock being bashed against your head.

After Gabriel had finished drinking, Madison slammed the hood with a defeated sigh. “Welp… we’re not going anywhere…”

“We’re especially not going anywhere in the middle of nowhere…”

Sydney sighed, closing the cap on the bottle. “According to the map, the next town is still 5 miles away. And I specifically picked this route because it’s the most remote and longest, meaning most people will definitely not drive down this way.”

“So what? Do you expect us to start walking?”

“Oh please, like you’re gonna be doing any work,” Sydney smirked, lightly jabbing Gabriel.

Gabriel let out an annoyed grumble, making Madison chuckle.

“Okay you two, settle down,” she crossed her arms, “we still have a lot of food and water packed with us. We could camp here for, give or take a couple of days, see if any cars drive by during that time.”

“And when no cars pass by? Then what?”

Madison smirked. “Then you can start pulling your weight and start walking.”

Sydney laughed as Gabriel caused the static to kick up and screech from the phone, clearly annoyed.

“I will walk us both into traffic!”

“Sure you will,” Sydney giggled, patting Gabriel’s forehead.

“Don’t chastise me brat!”

Madison shook her head, smiling to herself as her siblings bickered behind her.

It was then, she heard something.

“Hey guys…” she called, getting their attention, “can you hear a-?”

“An engine!” Sydney exclaimed, dashing to the other side of the car.

Sure enough, driving down the highway road, approaching them at a leisurely pace, was a beat up old truck.

“Looks like we didn’t have to wait long at all!”

Madison jogged over to Sydney, grabbing her phone and apologizing to Gabriel as she had to let down her hair in order to hide them.

The girls wasted no them flagging the truck down, the car pulling up beside theirs.

Out of the driver’s side popped a scruffy, filthy looking man, eyeing the girls over with a toothy grin.

“Well I’ll be, what’s two purdy ladies like you’s doin’ out in a place like this?” He asked, his southern accent heavy.

Sydney stepped forward, always the more social one. “Hi, uh- sorry… we’re having car trouble, the damn piece of junk broke down on us. Can you give us a ride? We have money, we’ll pay you for your troubles.”

The man tipped his cap. “Hey, it’s no worries, my brother, Bo, he got a mechanic shop in town. He can get ya fixed right up.”

“Really? Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

“Eyy it’s no problem, just headin’ down that ways myself,” he waved his hand dismissively, scratching the back of his head.

Sydney smiled. “Thank you so much, you’re a real life saver!” She was about to turn, “oh wait-… I uh- didn’t get your name?”

The man grinned, a wide toothy smile. “The name’s Lester little lady.”

Sydney gave a soft smile, nodding. “Nice to meet you, Lester.”

Just as Sydney was about to run off to grab her things, Madison caught her arm. “Wait Sydney…” she lowered her voice, “are we just going to hop on a car with this guy? He seems a bit… shady.”

Sydney frowned. “Maddie we don’t have a lot of options right now, and also it’s not nice to judge someone based off appearances. Besides…” she nudged Madison playfully, “I’m not scared, I got my 2 in 1 guard dog with me.”

“You’re delusional if you think I’ll be bothered saving your ass,” Gabriel muttered, voice low so as to not be heard by the truck driver.

Sydney ran off, calling over her shoulder; “You know you love me!”

Madison shook her head, smiling as she followed after her sister.

As Madison leaned into the passenger seat, collecting her things into her backpack, Gabriel’s voice buzzed over the phone.

“Get my dagger…”

Madison blinked. “What…?”

“I have a bad feeling. Just take it. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

Madison didn’t think long on it, since she too had a bad feeling. Opening the glove compartment, out fell Gabriel’ signature dagger, make-shifted from the trophy Dr Weaver earned from the research and suffering subjected onto them.

She quickly shoved the weapon into her bag.

In no time, they were piling into the truck. Sydney hopped in first but Madison hesitated upon seeing the interior of the truck. It was as worn down and rusted as the rest of it, with various suspicious looking stains, torn seat cushions, strings of bones, shells and feathers hanging from the dashboard and if the smell outside was bad, the inside was another story. Imagine a bunch of animals squeezing into a clown car and dying at once, that was the best way to describe it.

Sydney was well aware but being the ever polite and friendly one, she made a face Madison’s way, a face that said; ‘Yes, I know just please bare with me and don’t make a big deal out of it.’

Madison sighed, hauling herself up. She could practically feel Gabriel squirming in the back of her head. Even they were bothered by the smell.

The truck then took off, driving down the road.

“I gave you’s mah’ name, but I don’t thinks I got yours…?” Lester asked nonchalantly, trying to start conversation.

“Oh uh…” Sydney and Madison exchanged a look. They couldn’t give their real names they were in hiding after all.

“You can call me…Sunny, and this…uh…is my sister…Emily!”

Madison felt a wave of smugness from Gabriel and she had to cover her mouth to hide her smile.

“So, what you ladies doin’ around these parts?”

“Oh,” Sydney perked up, “ya know, just a road trip with us gals, driving around parts of the country unexplored. Really, though, we were real lucky when you drove down this way. I thought this whole route was remote and empty.”

Lester grinned over at her, posture relaxed, one arm on the steering wheel and the other resting on the window. “Ain’t no luck about it, I work around these here parts.”

“Oh? What’s your job?” Sydney asked, genuinely interested.

Lester stuck a thumb over his shoulder. “That’ back there.”

The girls turned and Madison felt like she was gonna throw up. So that’s where that smell was coming from.

In the back of the truck was a rotting deer carcass.

Madison slapped a hand over her mouth, her face going pale, nausea traveling over to Gabriel who, with all the commotion and out of curiosity, peeked through her tresses of hair and saw what had upset her. Lo and behold, both May twins became nauseous.

“Maddie, are you okay?” Sydney asked, concerned.

“No-…they-…I-!” She aggressively pointed to the back of her head then to her mouth.

Sydney quickly rummaged in her bag while Lester looked on, confused and a bit concerned. “Ya’r sister doin’ okay there?”

“Yeah! Just-… a weak stomach!” Sydney carelessly dumped the contents of her toiletry bag, handing the empty item to Madison who wasted no time emptying out the contents of her stomach into it.

Gabriel didn’t really need to eat, sustaining themself on whatever nutrients Madison took in. Sadly, that also applies to expelling nutrients.

Madison could feel the waves of guilt wash over from Gabriel’s side at putting her through this.

Sydney rubbed her back, surreptitiously patting the back of her head as well to give Gabriel comfort.

Lester furrowed his brow at them, pulling over by the side of the road but when Madison went to open the door, she found there was no handle.

“Sorry, thin’ fell off a while ago. Here, lemme get that for ya’…” he hopped out of the truck, walking to the other side and opening it for them.

Madison practically leaped from the car, gaining distance in order to communicate with Gabriel without rousing suspicion. She hunched over, gasping and wheezing. “Gabriel… what the hell? Of all things, I didn’t expect you to be phased by rotting animals…”

“I don’t kill animals…” Gabriel huffed, “they’re better than people anyway…”

“…

you got me there…”

Sydney hopped out of the car, sheepishly looking over at Lester who stood by with his hands in his jacket pockets. “I’m so sorry about all the trouble…”

“Ain’t nothin’ to worry about missy’,” he waved her off, “seems like yu’r sister can’t handle a little bit of roadkill.”

Sydney perked up. “Roadkill…? You mean… you didn’t kill it?”

Lester let out a laugh, shaking his head. “No! Whatchu’ take me for? That right there’s mah job, I go around collecting roadkill offa’ the roads.”

“Huh…” Sydney looked down, “I didn’t realize that was a job…how long you been doing it for?”

Lester seemed taken aback by the genuine interest in his work. “Well uh…” he cleared his throat, “picked it up while back when’s I was still a teen. Ya don’t need no special trainin’ to be doin’ the work. Money was tight around the home so I’d figured I pull mah’ weight around and help out likes mah’ brothers .”

Sydney frowned. “And you’ve just been doing it ever since?”

“Well… mah’ brothers still be livin’ in our hometown and I cant’s just leave em’. They… still need mah’ help…” he trailed off.

There was a distant look in Lester’s eyes.

Sydney frowned, reaching over and setting a hand on Lester’s shoulder.

Lester jumped at the contact, not expecting it, looking at her with wide eyes.

Sydney smiled, eyes soft and caring. “I think it’s sweet you want to stick around for your brothers.”

Lester’s face went red, quickly turning away and clearing his throat. “W-well- thank’s you very much!”

Sydney recoiled back, her own face turning red at realizing how close she’d gotten to him.

“Uh…you just work by yourself-? Y-your job I mean!” She stuttered , trying to change the subject.

Lester immediately nodded, suddenly too shy to make eye contact with her. “Y-yeah! Just long hours patrolin’ the roads around these parts…” he scratched at his neck.

Sydney chuckled awkwardly. “And I thought I had it rough with my job…”

“O-oh? What d’ya do?”

Sydney’s face got even redder, shaking her head. “It’s-…it’s really stupid really…”

Lester finally looked back over to her, giving a goofy grin. “Ey no worries, I ain’t one tah’ judge.”

Sydney gave an embarrassed smile.

“I…dress up as a princess…and go to kids birthday parties…”

Lester stared at her long and hard before he burst out laughing.

Sydney looked offended, swatting at him playfully. “Hey! You said you wouldn’t judge!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” Lester wiped a tear from his eye, snorting, “that just ain’t what I was expectin’ at all…”

Sydney crossed her arms, pouting.

As Lester settled down from his laughing fit, he grinned her way. “I wouldn’t mind seein’ ya all dolled up, little princess…”

She perked up, turning to him with wide eyes and a blushing face.

Lester realized what he had said, becoming awkward as he tried to back step. “I-I mean-! I think you’d look real nice-! …B-b-bein’ a princess and all!”

“Uh…th-thanks…” Sydney was finding it really hard to make eye contact right now.

“A-anyways! Ya shud’ probably go check on ya’r sister over there!” Lester was literally pulling his cap over his burning face by this point.

Sydney nodded dumbly. “Y-yeah! Right! I should do that!”

As Sydney ran off to Madison’s hunched over form, putting a hand on their back and checking on them, Lester watched the girls from a distance.

None of them noticed the guilty look in his eye…

——————————

(I know, I know, I’m sorry that the Sinclair Twins didn’t show up in this chapter. I just started writing an opening and I was worried that it was too long. But I hope you guys did still enjoy the appetizer and stick around for the main course 🙂)

[mariacallous]

FAR AZA, Israel—There is a pervasive sense in Israel that time stopped on Oct. 7, 2023. Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the first places Hamas attacked on that day, is now a closed military zone, frozen in time. A sukkah, or temporary hut erected for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which took place the week leading up to Oct. 7, still stands in the yard of one house. In another, a cluster of children’s bikes lean under a tree. 

In the home of Sivan Elkabetz and Naor Hasidim, a young couple in their early 20s, there are still dishes on the drying rack by the kitchen sink. Writing on the wall by the front door, scrawled in the aftermath of the attack, reads “human remains on the sofa.” 

In the days after the attack, in which thousands of militants led and organized by Hamas streamed into Israel at daybreak on Oct. 7, raping, mutilating, and killing some 1,200 people and taking a further 253 hostage, much of the world rallied in support of Israel. Monuments from the Eiffel Tower to the Sydney Opera House were illuminated in the blue and white of the Israeli flag in solidarity with the country.

Eight months later, much of that international outpouring of sympathy has given way to condemnation as Israel has waged an unsparing war in Gaza in a quest to root Hamas out of the coastal territory. 

A little over a mile to the west of Kfar Aza lies Gaza, where Israel is now embroiled in the longest war it has fought since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Amid the burned houses of the kibbutz on a recent morning in late May, a black anvil of smoke could be seen hanging over the the Gaza Strip, accompanied by the distant thud of artillery fire.

“If you want to take a metaphor from a different conflict from around the world, Israel started the war as Ukraine, and seven months after, it’s Russia,” Shira Efron, the Israel Policy Forum’s research director, said at an FP Live event last month. 

More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health authorities, which do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Some 8,000 children have been killed, according to data shared by the United Nations—a likely undercount as an untold number remain buried under rubble. 

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has asked the court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside senior Hamas leaders, accusing them of having committed war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare. The United Nations has warned that a full-blown famine has taken hold in northern Gaza. 

But although Israel has grown increasingly isolated, the war is viewed in starkly different terms within the country, where many see the campaign in Gaza as one of existential necessity. 

“For us, it’s a ‘never again’ war,” said Avner Golov, the vice president of research and alliances at the Tel Aviv-based think tank MIND Israel. “My generation now faces a question that I never thought I [would] face, and this is whether a Jewish state can exist in the hostile Middle East,” he added. “We need to make sure the answer is yes.”

While global attention has turned to Gaza, Israel is still mired in the trauma of Oct. 7 and the security failures that left thousands of people defenseless in the face of Hamas’s onslaught. There’s a creeping fear that the bloodshed of the attack is being forgotten or even denied. 

“I feel like no one believes us enough,” said Yarden Gonen, whose 23-year-old sister, Romi Gonen, was taken hostage from the Nova Music Festival. In a country of just under 10 million people, almost everyone knows someone who survived, was killed, or was taken hostage. 

Reminders of the 120 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity—only about 80 of whom are thought to still be alive—are omnipresent throughout Israel. Passengers arriving into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport are confronted with images of the captives on biometric passport scanners, ATMs, and a phalanx of posters that line the ramp down to passport control. The media is filled with an agonizing drip of information about their fates. 

Hamas struck as Israel was embroiled in its most profound political crisis in decades over judicial reform proposals by the Netanyahu government that critics feared would undermine the country’s vaunted independent judiciary. And though Israelis rallied together in the wake of the attack, that did not translate into greater support for Netanyahu, and frustration has only mounted over the government’s failure to secure the hostages’ freedom or present a viable path out of the war.

Shmuel Rosner, a researcher with the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) who has been conducting weekly polls of Israeli public opinion, said there was no surge in government approval ratings in the wake of Oct. 7. 

“There was never a case in which a country was attacked by another country or by a terror organization in which the leadership of the country did not get not even one iota of bump in the polls,” he said. 

But when it comes to critiques leveled by the international community, Israelis largely stand united, said Dan Illouz, a member of the country’s parliament, the Knesset, from Netanyahu’s Likud party who sits on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. “On almost all of the issues where the international community is trying to pressure Israel, those issues are not seen as political within Israel,” he said. “There’s tremendous consensus within Israeli society on these issues.”

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in March and early April found that almost 40 percent of Israelis felt that the country’s military response in Gaza had been about right, while just over a third felt that it had not gone far enough. The poll found sharp divides in the way Jewish and Arab Israelis see the war. Almost 75 percent of Arab Israelis, who make up around a fifth of the country’s population, see the war as having gone too far, compared with 4 percent of Jews.

“I just came back from Canada and the U.S., and I saw that even very intelligent people adopted this thing of [the Gaza war being] ‘Netanyahu’s war,’” said Einat Wilf, a former Knesset member who served as a foreign-policy advisor to former Israeli President Shimon Peres during his tenure as vice prime minister. “It is Netanyahu’s bungle—I think he is in large responsible for it being so badly done,” she added. “But the war? It’s the war of our people.”

Part of that disconnect between Israeli and international perceptions of the war has to do with how the war is portrayed in the media. “The media here [in Israel] doesn’t show what’s happening in Gaza the way that other media does,” said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel-Palestine with the International Crisis Group. “Suffering in Gaza is just not a factor in the way this war is being narrated in Israel.”

International media has been awash with harrowing reports from Gaza of doctors performing amputations without anesthetic, of parents writing their children’s names on their bodies for identification in the event they are killed. But although left-leaning Israeli outlets such as Haaretz and +972 have closely scrutinized the conduct of the war and the vast suffering it is causing for the millions of Palestinians living in Gaza, analysts say it has not featured prominently in the mainstream Israeli media.

“Seven months of Israel displacing, shelling, starving, killing, crushing and crowding together about 2 million people—and on the Israeli channels there’s nothing,” Israel lawyer Michael Sfard wrote in an op-ed for Haaretz last month.

Amid international outrage about the death toll in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) contends that it has gone to significant lengths to spare civilian life while fighting in exceedingly challenging urban terrain against an adversary that has deliberately entrenched itself among the civilian population. 

“Israelis by and large feel that the world puts too much emphasis on the humanitarian issue in Gaza and does not have proper consideration for the need for Israel to win the war and hence to fight in problematic urban areas,” said Rosner of JPPI. “Israelis feel that the world does not appreciate enough the huge effort that the IDF is making not to harm innocent people, not to hit civilian targets.”

By the end of March, the IDF had dropped more than 9 million leaflets and sent 17 million voice messages warning civilians to evacuate ahead of its operations in Gaza, according to IDF data. “The army, in its very protocols, does much more than what is needed according to international law,” said Illouz, who previously served as a legal advisor to the IDF. 

But longtime observers of the IDF, including some in Israel, counter that the military has, in recent years, loosened its rules of engagement, particularly in the current war. “It was very clear from the beginning that the IDF adopted new rules,” said Yagil Levy, a professor at the Open University of Israel, who said he feared that the campaign was fueled by revenge “in a most severe way” in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack.

Statements made by Israeli officials have also furthered the perception that the country’s political and military leaders don’t see as much of a distinction between Palestinian civilians and militants in Gaza as the rest of the world does.

“Though it is distinguished from the civilian population, Hamas is a Palestinian organization,” said Capt. Adam Ittah, a spokesperson for the Southern District of the IDF’s Home Front Command. “There is collective responsibility once you conduct such a massacre.”

Most controversial has been Israel’s use of hundreds of heavy ordnance in Gaza’s dense urban environments, including 2,000-pound bombs that are capable of killing and severely injuring people within a 1,000-foot radius. 

In the first two weeks of the war, around 90 percent of the munitions Israel dropped in Gaza were satellite-guided bombs of 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, according to a senior U.S. military official cited by the New York Times. 

“Even a 500-pound bomb is too much in a densely populated area,” said Wes Bryant, a retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant who led a U.S. strike cell against the Islamic State in Iraq. “I could tell from the start that Israel, from the government to the IDF, was waging an emotional campaign.”

In early May, the Biden administration paused a shipment of heavy ordnance, including 2,000-pound bombs, to Israel as its troops planned to enter the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where U.S. officials have urged Israel to conduct a more targeted operation than those seen in the early phases of the war. 

The civilian death toll, Israel’s throttling of humanitarian aid, and the killing of aid workers in Israeli strikes have placed enormous strain on Israel’s relationship with its closest partner, the United States, which provides the country with billions of dollars of military aid annually. 

Eleven days after the Hamas attack, Biden touched down in Israel for an extraordinary wartime visit. In an emotionally charged speech, he drew on the Hebrew Bible, his decades in office, and his own experiences with grief. “As long as the United States stands—and we will stand forever—we will not let you ever be alone,” he said.

His remarks also contained a word of caution, based on the United States’ own bitter experiences of going to war in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. 

Biden referred back to this warning in an interview with Time magazine published last week. “They’re making that mistake,” he said.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Adam Levick

First, as Israelycool has documented, Lattouf drew intense criticism after she has repeatedly claimed that videos of pro-Palestinian protesters chanting “gas the Jews” at the Sydney Opera House in October were unverified – a narrative she continued to peddle even after new evidence emerged proving that the antisemitic chant could clearly be heard.

This was ignored by the Guardian reporter.

Lattouf also has shared her strongly anti-Israel views on her personal Instagram account.  In late October, she posted a video claiming that “many journalist friends…are being intimidated behind the scenes by pro-Israel lobby groups”, and the accusation that Israel engaged in the “indiscriminate killing of [Palestinian] children”.

That incendiary Instagram post was ignored by the Guardian reporter.

Lattouf also has engaged in anti-Israel advocacy on TikTok, including the posting of a video in which she engaged in a one-sided rant alleging pro-Israel Wester media bias. She also evoked charges of apartheid and genocide against Israel, and suggested that Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre didn’t happen in a vacuum, citing Israeli oppression of Palestinians since 1948.

This was ignored by the Guardian journalist.

Lattouf also posted on countless occasions since Oct. 7 on her X (formerly Twitter) account smearing Israel. In fact, her first post after the terror group’s mass murder, mutilation, torture, incineration, rape and kidnapping of Israelis was this re-post, on Oct. 8, which appeared to partly justify Hamas’s barbarity by citing the ‘context’ of putative Israeli oppression.

We were unable to find any posts by Lattouf (on X or anywhere else on social media) condemning Hamas for the antisemitic massacre they committed on Oct. 7.

[questionable-chnt-hc]

Ive got a ton of stupid little things that im gonna mush into one ask:

Soren has rabies

Sydney doesnt take testosterone because he doesnt want male pattern baldness

Elijah ate the worms for the same reason i did when i was an itty bitty doodad, he just thinks its really really funny

Juniper has the weird fucked up antenna things that girafefs have on their head

Sydney and jedidiah are always im layered clothing cause they are both constantly freezing cold

Adam does so much self mutilation cause hes aware that hes a dream man and that he'll be fine

Joshua drinks lake water

Rowen gets frequent migraines cause of the sky</3

Salem is a caterpillar enjoyer

Most councilers in the camp have absolute shit taste in fashion(and i love that forthem all)

Lucile is trans, MTF

I thibk thats all:]

All of these canon canon canon

[maladaptiveobsession]

Hi! Wellcome to my blog! Below I will introduce myself and discuss my boundaries. You can find my masterlist at the bottom of this post.

Introduction —

Please call me Mal!

My pronouns are xe/xem or she/him.

I’m genderqueer, agenderflux, and electio aroace.

I’m currently writing for hazbin hotel, degrees of lewdity, baki the grappler, and slashers.

My blog contains immensely dark, nsfw themes; all works tagged appropriately. Please exercise your right to block my page if my content makes you uncomfortable. I am not accountable for your comfort nor will I entertain hostility.

Boundaries —

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT; MDNI

Please state your age in your bio before interacting! You will be blocked if otherwise. If you aren’t comfortable stating your precise age, please at least somehow indicate that you are old enough to interact with adult content. That being said, I have neither the time nor energy to confirm the age of every blog that interacts.

Below are my kink request guidelines. If your kink is listed under the “not happening” or “may consider” section, it’s not because I care what content you consume, rather because I either have no desire to interact with it or I am simply not confident writing for it. Assume all unmentioned kinks are on the table until otherwise specified.

Content I strictly will not write for:

age play

age/animal regression

beastiality/zoophilia

chasity

cuckholding/cheating

diapering

eproctophilia

scat

underaged characters

vore

Content I may consider writing for on a case by case basis:

a/b/o dynamics

cannibalism

emetophilia

foot play/worship

force feeding

forced feminization/sissification

incest

lactation

moresome/orgy

mutilation/gore/guro

necrophilia

pet play

psuedo-incest

tentacles

tickling

watersports

Content I will happily write for:

age difference

breeding/impregnation

dacryphilia

dubcon

knife play

manhandling

noncon

omorashi

overstimulation/forced orgasm

period play/blood play

play fighting/wrestling

praise

purity kink/deflowering

sadomasochism

size difference

somnophilia

sounding

stuckage

teratophilia

threesome/foursome

voice kink

yandere

Masterlist —

🔞: nsfw

🧷: sfw/mostly sfw

Baki the Grappeler

Kiyosumi Katou period headcanons [🔞/🧷]

“Titfucking” — 2023 kinktober day 2 with Baki Hanma [🔞]

“Teratophilia” — 2023 kinktober with naga!Katsumi Orochi [🔞]

Degrees of Lewdity

“Pegging” — 2023 kinktober day 1 with Kylar [🔞]

“Boot worship” — 2023 kinktober day 3 with Sydney.[🔞]

“Robin’s shocking discovery” — Robin finds the porn you drew of him. [🔞]

“Leighton’s delight” — Leighton discovers the porn you wrote of him. [🧷]

“Too little, too late” pt. 1 — DOL LIs react to the player’s suicide. [🧷]

“Too little, too late” pt.2 — Bailey reacts to the player’s suicide [🧷]

Hazbin Hotel

Yandere Vox headcanons [🧷]

Yandere Valentino headcanons [🔞]

Yandere Valentino/reader/Angel Dust [🔞]

Yandere Alastor headcanons [🔞]

Yandere Adam headcanons [🧷]

Yandere Charlie headcanons 🧷]

“Safe and sound” — yandere!Charlie/reader [🧷]

Slashers

“Misunderstanding” — yandere!Rusty Nail x reader [🔞]

[dixxiemaegraphics]

Get to know me better!!!

Tagged by @jennilah

Tagging: literally any of my buds here! Any of you!

Three ships: Stuilly (Billy x Stu from Scream), Hoffstrahm of course (because they’re my favorite boys from Saw), Laszlo x Nadja (What We Do in the Shadows)

Honorable mentions: Louis x Lestat (any version), Hannigram, and Ricky x Julian (Trailer Park Boys)

First ship: Hmmm probably either Tulio x Miguel (Road to El Dorado), Tommy x Merton (Big Wolf on Campus… ALSO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MORE PEOPLE NEED TO WATCH THIS SHOW IT’S LIKE A LESS SERIOUS CANADIAN VERSION OF BUFFY), or Quicksilver x Avalanche (X-Men: Evolution… I literally don’t remember why though)

Last song: “Waiting for Mommie” by My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult (goddddd that’s a fun act) (I will list my recent on repeat songs under the cut if you’re curious though… I could go on about music forever)

Last movie: lol Dinocroc (I had to show it to my husband to explain who Dick Sydney is)

Currently reading: SO I haven’t started these yet, but these are stories I’m about to start: Rouge by Mona Awad (because I just read Bunny and I LOVE THIS STYLE), Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle, and I really need to jump back into Debaser by @sharpth1ng (and Wave of Mutilation to that extent)

Currently watching: I’m so bad at sitting down to watch shows consistently because I can’t stay still unless I’m drawing… That said, my go-to’s whenever I turn on the TV are It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Trailer Park Boys, Mighty Boosh, or What We Do in the Shadows

Currently eating: Coffee with Mean Girls creamer and a rosé Poppi mixed with Hydroxycut (messy milf-coded breakfast as I call it)

Currently craving: Black clove cigs and an iced caramel hi-rise from Caribou Coffee

Okay still with me?

Here’s my recent on repeat songs! Check ‘em out!

“Sherlock Holmes” BUT THE MINI MANSIONS COVER

Also from Mini Mansions: “Vertigo”, “Monk”, and “Death is a Girl”

“Off to the Races” Lana Del Rey

“Perverted” Elita

“Hip to Be Scared” Ice Nine Kills

“Ritual” Ghost

“Lucretia My Reflection” Sisters of Mercy

“Get Off” Kittie

“Taipan” Kublai Khan TX

“Your Love is My Drug” Kesha

“I Can Dream About You” Dan Harmon (lol mine and bestie’s song)

“Lust” Boy Harsher (read any Corey Cunningham fic to Boy Harsher and have a nice time)

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV Journey *Deadloch*

I watched this show way back in July, and I did not take notes at the time. So, I am going to try and be short and get to what made this such a surprise and balm. 

The show takes place in the eponymous small town in Tasmania, Australia. A lesbian couple, including former Sydney Detective turned local Constable Dulcie Collins has recently relocated there. They are not the only prominent lesbians in town, but that does not make the town of Deadlock free from homophobia or misogyny. Back when she was a Sydney detective, Dulcie cheated on her wife Cath York, (who’s professionally a veterinarian, amongst other roles), and the relocation is something of a penance for Dulcie. Since she is no longer a detective, and it’s such a small town that there is no detective on staff, when the first of several mutilated male corpses is found on the beach, a detective from Darwin named Eddie Reddcliffe is sent in to investigate. Eddie has no desire to be there and is frequently drunk while mourning for her partner in detecting, thus ensuring that Dulcie has to get involved in the investigation. .

Meanwhile the town is supposed to be hosting its annual “Feastival”, a food and arts festival that the town’s rich white lady, Margaret Carruthers started. There is a running joke about how Amanda Palmer is the last celebrity guest to cancel her appearance. I think she was chosen because of her “Map of Tasmania” song, but there may have been less friendly reasons for the choice. The Feastival cannot be the empowering celebration that its founder wanted because of the legacy of colonialism. There are key native townspeople involved in the mystery, including the two teenage girls, Miranda and Tammy, who find the first body. If I were less rushed I’d spend more time on them because they’re wonderful.

I wanted to write about the series for a reason other than that I try and write about every television series I watch.  I wanted to write about it because the ways it handled debates about gender and power while also being humorous and frightening was so well done. I never really doubted that the killer would be a man (though I didn’t guess who) but the attempts to determine why men were being targeted, and what gender stereotype would lead to the killer’s reveal could have gone so wrong. They could have led to either extreme gender stereotyping or nihilism. It didn’t. I feel like I’ve run into both bad options plenty of times before. After watching Deadloch I read Terry Moore’s Serial, which could be an example of how this type of story can end up in the nihilistic mire. (See my other blog for more thoughts on that series.) The conclusion was exciting and fulfilling. I hope to see Dulcie and Eddie solve more crimes, even if they’re no longer in Deadloch itself.

[ellie-volkov-a]

recently I fist-fought our Jedidiah out of front because his presence terrifies our partner system's Sydney – my Sydney – and I'm fucking proud of it. #grlpwr I guess?

also his weird wet guilt-infested dreams about being raped and mutilated by Sydney as a punishment for all the damage he caused are fucking disgusting. Nik tries to be understanding of it, but they're a) some sort of a dream god b) not human and c) not informed about the horrors of someone ignoring their best friend with BPD who also has a crush on them; I don't try. I'm furious I have to remember this shit. would say it's blasphemous, but I'm trying, and very successfully so, to get out of religious psychosis.

[brookston]

Holidays 3.22

Holidays

Age Is Just A Number Day

Arab League Day

Army Day (Philippines)

As Young As You Feel Day

Baltic Sea Day

Banned in Boston Day

Bihar Day (India)

Captain James T. Kirk Day

Cinematograph Film Day

Cornstarch Day

Daffodil Day

Day of the Berlin Bear (Germany)

Day of the People’s Party (Laos)

Earth Day [Original Date]

Emancipation Day (a.k.a. Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud; Puerto Rico)

Festival of Immortality

Gryffindor Pride Day

International Day of the Seal

International Goof-Off Day (a.k.a. National Goof-Off Day)

International Gurjar Day

International Taxi Driver Day (Russia)

John Magufuli Day (Tanzania)

Labour Day (Christmas Island)

Laser Day

Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day

National Badminton Day [also 3.30]

National

National Day of the Podenco (Spain)

National Day of Work-Integrated Learning Day (Canada)

National Donald Day

National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day

National Ride2School Day )Australia)

National Sing-Out Day

National Tree Day (Sent Maarten)

National West Virginia Day

Newlyweds Day (Serbia)

Plane Tree Day (French Republic)

Resident Evil Anniversary Day

Stamp Act Day

Stanley Cup Day

Sun-Earth Day

Talk Like William Shatner Day

Tuskegee Airmen Day

World Cloud Security Day

World Coma Day

World Day of Metta!

World Doula Day

World Mime Day

World Organic Research Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bavarian Crepes Day

Brewing Water Day

Coq au Vin Day

We Love Broccoli Day

World Water Day (a.k.a. World Day for Water; UN)

4th Friday in March

Friday of Sorrows [4th Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Pliny the Younger Day (Normally 1st Friday in February but moved in 2023)

Wear a Hat Day (Ireland) [4th Friday]

Independence & Related Days

Bihar (State founded; India; 1912)

Malus (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Nowruz (New Year) [Day 3, Around Spring Equinox] (a.k.a. ... 

Dita e Nevruzit (Albania)

Nauryz Meyramy (Kazakhstan)

Navruz (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)

Nevruz (Albania)

Nooroz (Iran)

Novruz (Azerbaijan)

Festivals Beginning March 22, 2024

Barcelona Beer Festival (Barcelona, Spain) [thru 3.24]

Bluebonnet Brew-Off (Dallas, Texas) [thru 3.24]

California Artisan Cheese Festival (Santa Rosa, California) [thru 3.24]

Hammond Smokin’ BBQ Challenge (Hammond, Louisiana) [thru 3.23]

Hermann Wurstfest (Hermann, Missouri) [thru 3.24]

Kirkland Wine, Beer & Spirits Walk (Kirkland, Washington)

Lollapalooza (São Paulo, Brazil) [thru 3.24]

Litchfield Restaurant Week (Litchfield, Connecticut) [thru 3.29]

MN Brewers Conference (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Salzburg Easter Festival (Salzburg, Austria) [thru 4.1]

Sydney Royal Easter Show (Sydney, Australia) [thru 4.2]

Ultra Music Festival (Miami, Florida) [thru 3.24]

Vossa Jazz (Vossevangen, Norway) [thru 3.24]

Feast Days

Anthony Van Dyck (Artology)

Anton Raphael Mengs (Artology)

Attis Arbour Intrat (Procession of Pine Trees, dedicated to Cybele, Ops for Rhea; Ancient Rome)

Basil of Ancyra (Christian; Saint)

Benvenuto of Osimo (Christian; Saint)

Catharine of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Clemens August Graf von Galen (Christian; Saint)

Darerca of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Deogratias, Bishop of Carthage (Christian; Saint)

Dies Violae (Laying of Flowers at Tombs; Ancient Rome)

Epaphroditus (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Cybele (Attis’ self-mutilation; Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Entry of the Tree (Ancient Rome)

Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

John Frederick Kensett (Artology)

Jonathan Edwards (Lutheranism)

Justin (Positivist; Saint)

Keep Richards Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lea of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Owen (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas von Flue (Christian; Saint)

Paul of Narbonne (Christian; Saint)

Pretend to Be Sober Day (Pastafarian)

Rite of Eostre (Everyday Wicca)

Quinquatria, Day 4: Poet’s Day (Pagan)

Rosh Chodesh Nisan (Judaism) [1 Nisan]

Slightly Silly Day (Pastafarian)

Toothbrush (Muppetism)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Shabbat Zachor (Remembrance) [13 Adair]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

All Shook Up, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1957)

Apostrophe (‘), by Frank Zappa (Album; 1974)

Behold the Man, by Michael Moorcock (Novel; 1969)

The Bible, printed by Johannes Gutenberg (Book; 1457)

Bosko the Speed King (WB LT Cartoon; 1933)

Bringing It All Back Home, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1965)

Bullwinkle Scores Again or Fool’s Goal (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 356; 1965)

The Clock (Film; 1945)

The Croods (Animated Film; 2013)

Defending Your Life (Film; 1991)

D-I-V-O-R-C-E, recorded by Tammy Wynette (Song; 1968)

East St. Louis Toddle-oo, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1927)

The Egg Cracker Suite (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

The Explorer, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Far Beyond Driven, by Pantera (Album; 1994)

Fist of Fury (Film; 1972)

Flames in the Sky, by Pierre Clostermann (Novel; 1951)

The Golden Touch (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1935)

Gutenberg Bible (Religious Text; 1457)

How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, by Francis A. Schaeffer (Philosophy Book; 1975)

Luca (Pixar Animated Film; 2024)

Mr. Wonderful (Broadway Musical; 1956)

Much Ado About Nothing (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1940)

Olympus Has Fallen (Film; 2013)

On the Border, by The Eagles (Album; 1974)

Pleased to Meet Cha! (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Please Please Me by The Beatles (Album; 1963)

Power to the People, by John Lennon (Song; 1971)

The Rules: All You Need Is Cash (TV Rockumentary Special; 1978)

Sing Smokey, by The Temptation (Album; 1965)

Sleepy Time Chimes (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

Spring Breakers (Film; 2013)

Standing Room Only or Bullwinkle Sells Out (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 355; 1965)

Station 19 (TV Series; 2018)

Stealin Aint Honest (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1940)

Symphony No. 1, the Poem of the Forest, by Albert Roussel (Symphony; 1908)

Us (Film; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Clemens, Elmar, Klemens, Lea (Austria)

Rosen, Rositsa (Bulgaria)

Lea, Leonarda, Oktavijan (Croatia)

Leona (Czech Republic)

Paulus (Denmark)

Viktor, Viktoria (Estonia)

Vihtori, Viktor (Finland)

Léa (France)

Elmar, Lea, Reinhilde (Germany)

Drosos, Drosoula (Greece)

Beáta, Izolda (Hungary)

Benevenuto, Caterina, Lavinia, Lea, Muzio, Onofrio, Nilda, Nilde (Italy)

Dziedra, Giedra, Ralfs, Tamāra (Latvia)

Gedgaudas, Gedgaudė, Kotryna (Lithuania)

Paula, Pauline (Norway)

Bazylissa, Bogusław, Godzisław, Katarzyna, Kazimierz, Paweł (Poland)

Drosida, Vasile (Romania)

Beňadik (Slovakia)

Bienvenido, Lea (Spain)

Kennet, Kent, Viktor (Sweden)

Lea, Leah, Lee, Leigh, Leighton, Parker (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 82 of 2024; 284 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 12 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 6 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ding-Mao), Day 13 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 12 Adair II 5784

Islamic: 12 Ramadan 1445

J Cal: 22 Green; Oneday [21 of 30]

Julian: 9 March 2024

Moon: 94%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 26 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Clement of Alexandria]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 4 of 92)

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac: Aries (Day 2 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 3.22

Holidays

Age Is Just A Number Day

Arab League Day

Army Day (Philippines)

As Young As You Feel Day

Baltic Sea Day

Banned in Boston Day

Bihar Day (India)

Captain James T. Kirk Day

Cinematograph Film Day

Cornstarch Day

Daffodil Day

Day of the Berlin Bear (Germany)

Day of the People’s Party (Laos)

Earth Day [Original Date]

Emancipation Day (a.k.a. Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud; Puerto Rico)

Festival of Immortality

Gryffindor Pride Day

International Day of the Seal

International Goof-Off Day (a.k.a. National Goof-Off Day)

International Gurjar Day

International Taxi Driver Day (Russia)

John Magufuli Day (Tanzania)

Labour Day (Christmas Island)

Laser Day

Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day

National Badminton Day [also 3.30]

National

National Day of the Podenco (Spain)

National Day of Work-Integrated Learning Day (Canada)

National Donald Day

National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day

National Ride2School Day )Australia)

National Sing-Out Day

National Tree Day (Sent Maarten)

National West Virginia Day

Newlyweds Day (Serbia)

Plane Tree Day (French Republic)

Resident Evil Anniversary Day

Stamp Act Day

Stanley Cup Day

Sun-Earth Day

Talk Like William Shatner Day

Tuskegee Airmen Day

World Cloud Security Day

World Coma Day

World Day of Metta!

World Doula Day

World Mime Day

World Organic Research Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bavarian Crepes Day

Brewing Water Day

Coq au Vin Day

We Love Broccoli Day

World Water Day (a.k.a. World Day for Water; UN)

4th Friday in March

Friday of Sorrows [4th Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Pliny the Younger Day (Normally 1st Friday in February but moved in 2023)

Wear a Hat Day (Ireland) [4th Friday]

Independence & Related Days

Bihar (State founded; India; 1912)

Malus (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Nowruz (New Year) [Day 3, Around Spring Equinox] (a.k.a. ... 

Dita e Nevruzit (Albania)

Nauryz Meyramy (Kazakhstan)

Navruz (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)

Nevruz (Albania)

Nooroz (Iran)

Novruz (Azerbaijan)

Festivals Beginning March 22, 2024

Barcelona Beer Festival (Barcelona, Spain) [thru 3.24]

Bluebonnet Brew-Off (Dallas, Texas) [thru 3.24]

California Artisan Cheese Festival (Santa Rosa, California) [thru 3.24]

Hammond Smokin’ BBQ Challenge (Hammond, Louisiana) [thru 3.23]

Hermann Wurstfest (Hermann, Missouri) [thru 3.24]

Kirkland Wine, Beer & Spirits Walk (Kirkland, Washington)

Lollapalooza (São Paulo, Brazil) [thru 3.24]

Litchfield Restaurant Week (Litchfield, Connecticut) [thru 3.29]

MN Brewers Conference (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Salzburg Easter Festival (Salzburg, Austria) [thru 4.1]

Sydney Royal Easter Show (Sydney, Australia) [thru 4.2]

Ultra Music Festival (Miami, Florida) [thru 3.24]

Vossa Jazz (Vossevangen, Norway) [thru 3.24]

Feast Days

Anthony Van Dyck (Artology)

Anton Raphael Mengs (Artology)

Attis Arbour Intrat (Procession of Pine Trees, dedicated to Cybele, Ops for Rhea; Ancient Rome)

Basil of Ancyra (Christian; Saint)

Benvenuto of Osimo (Christian; Saint)

Catharine of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Clemens August Graf von Galen (Christian; Saint)

Darerca of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Deogratias, Bishop of Carthage (Christian; Saint)

Dies Violae (Laying of Flowers at Tombs; Ancient Rome)

Epaphroditus (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Cybele (Attis’ self-mutilation; Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Entry of the Tree (Ancient Rome)

Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

John Frederick Kensett (Artology)

Jonathan Edwards (Lutheranism)

Justin (Positivist; Saint)

Keep Richards Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lea of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Owen (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas von Flue (Christian; Saint)

Paul of Narbonne (Christian; Saint)

Pretend to Be Sober Day (Pastafarian)

Rite of Eostre (Everyday Wicca)

Quinquatria, Day 4: Poet’s Day (Pagan)

Rosh Chodesh Nisan (Judaism) [1 Nisan]

Slightly Silly Day (Pastafarian)

Toothbrush (Muppetism)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Shabbat Zachor (Remembrance) [13 Adair]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

All Shook Up, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1957)

Apostrophe (‘), by Frank Zappa (Album; 1974)

Behold the Man, by Michael Moorcock (Novel; 1969)

The Bible, printed by Johannes Gutenberg (Book; 1457)

Bosko the Speed King (WB LT Cartoon; 1933)

Bringing It All Back Home, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1965)

Bullwinkle Scores Again or Fool’s Goal (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 356; 1965)

The Clock (Film; 1945)

The Croods (Animated Film; 2013)

Defending Your Life (Film; 1991)

D-I-V-O-R-C-E, recorded by Tammy Wynette (Song; 1968)

East St. Louis Toddle-oo, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1927)

The Egg Cracker Suite (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

The Explorer, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Far Beyond Driven, by Pantera (Album; 1994)

Fist of Fury (Film; 1972)

Flames in the Sky, by Pierre Clostermann (Novel; 1951)

The Golden Touch (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1935)

Gutenberg Bible (Religious Text; 1457)

How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, by Francis A. Schaeffer (Philosophy Book; 1975)

Luca (Pixar Animated Film; 2024)

Mr. Wonderful (Broadway Musical; 1956)

Much Ado About Nothing (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1940)

Olympus Has Fallen (Film; 2013)

On the Border, by The Eagles (Album; 1974)

Pleased to Meet Cha! (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Please Please Me by The Beatles (Album; 1963)

Power to the People, by John Lennon (Song; 1971)

The Rules: All You Need Is Cash (TV Rockumentary Special; 1978)

Sing Smokey, by The Temptation (Album; 1965)

Sleepy Time Chimes (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

Spring Breakers (Film; 2013)

Standing Room Only or Bullwinkle Sells Out (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 355; 1965)

Station 19 (TV Series; 2018)

Stealin Aint Honest (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1940)

Symphony No. 1, the Poem of the Forest, by Albert Roussel (Symphony; 1908)

Us (Film; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Clemens, Elmar, Klemens, Lea (Austria)

Rosen, Rositsa (Bulgaria)

Lea, Leonarda, Oktavijan (Croatia)

Leona (Czech Republic)

Paulus (Denmark)

Viktor, Viktoria (Estonia)

Vihtori, Viktor (Finland)

Léa (France)

Elmar, Lea, Reinhilde (Germany)

Drosos, Drosoula (Greece)

Beáta, Izolda (Hungary)

Benevenuto, Caterina, Lavinia, Lea, Muzio, Onofrio, Nilda, Nilde (Italy)

Dziedra, Giedra, Ralfs, Tamāra (Latvia)

Gedgaudas, Gedgaudė, Kotryna (Lithuania)

Paula, Pauline (Norway)

Bazylissa, Bogusław, Godzisław, Katarzyna, Kazimierz, Paweł (Poland)

Drosida, Vasile (Romania)

Beňadik (Slovakia)

Bienvenido, Lea (Spain)

Kennet, Kent, Viktor (Sweden)

Lea, Leah, Lee, Leigh, Leighton, Parker (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 82 of 2024; 284 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 12 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 6 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ding-Mao), Day 13 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 12 Adair II 5784

Islamic: 12 Ramadan 1445

J Cal: 22 Green; Oneday [21 of 30]

Julian: 9 March 2024

Moon: 94%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 26 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Clement of Alexandria]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 4 of 92)

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac: Aries (Day 2 of 31)

[curamorte]

" i want to fake my own death. " (from sydney)

｡° ᅳ 【 @svpernaturally 】

It's not the most surprising thing she's ever heard. In fact, Elouise only turns, and on her expression is genuine introspection as she weighs the possibilities and efforts to be done. A hum and she fully faces Sydney, head cantered aside.

       ❝ It's doable. I know how to mould cast a person's face for aesthetic purposes of mutilated corpses. Just depends on how soon you'd want to stage it and what you plan to do after. ❞   Her tone of suggestion is probably a little too serious for what might have been a not-so-serious excalmaition in the first place. A nod of her chin towards Sydney and she smiles softly.

       ❝ What would you want to do after faking your death? ���

[scruffyplayssonic]

Are the ArchieSonic comics actually an 80’s/90’s syndicated cartoon? Episode 58: We have to save the environment, and so do you! (part 2: the Downunda Freedom Fighters)

Hey folks, I’ve got a follow-up to the post I did yesterday about ArchieSonic stories with a focus on saving the environment. As always, I asked everyone to write to me in the comments and let me know if I missed any, and it seems that this time I did!

Thanks for the response, @19molly97! I definitely forgot about that story, and in fact, forgot about the Downunda Freedom Fighters themselves. Rather shameful, considering that I’m Australian myself. I believe this may be the first time I’ve talked about these guys here, so let’s take a look at the Downunda Freedom Fighters.

The Downunda Freedom Fighters consisted of five members: Walt Wallaby, the leader; Barby Koala, the badass mercenary; Guru Emu, the hippie pacifist; Wombat Stu, the young sidekick; and Duck “Bill” Platypus, the… err, the platypus? I guess? In all honesty, he didn’t have a lot of distinction in the early days, he just looked cool. Also, did you know that Wombat Stu’s name is a pun on the title of an Australian children’s book?

Well played, Mike Gallagher, well played.

The DFF were first introduced in issue #2 of the Tails mini series, when Tails was on a solo mission to the continent of Downunda to stop Robotnik’s latest scheme. Tails had gotten tired of the other Freedom Fighters treating him like a little kid and not taking him seriously, so when he found out that Robotnik was sending a blimp full of supplies to his sub-boss Crocbot across the ocean, he decided to solve this case by himself to prove his capability to them. Unfortunately, this mission didn’t come off as the heroic fantasies he’d envisioned…

…but instead revolved around Tails mostly getting his butt kicked and having to be rescued by other Freedom Fighter groups. 

The DFF went on the attack and took the fight to Crocbot’s base in the… Sydney Opera House?

Sir. You go too far. The Sydney Opera House is an icon of historic and cultural wonder, not a bastion of evil. For shame, sir, for shame.

Since Tails’ injuries had put him out of the fight, Walt had taken him for medical attention at a massive crater, which turned out to be the former site of what was now the Floating Island.

It was here that Tails met Knuckles’ great-grandfather Athair, and learned of the prophecy that named none other than him as the “Chosen One.”

With that revelation taking up real estate in his brain and his injuries miraculously healed, Tails linked back up with the local resistance and managed to interfere with the delivery of Robotnik’s supply blimp at the critical moment.

Crocbot tried to escape in a nuclear-powered tank, but of all people it was the pacifist Guru Emu who asked Tails to help bring him down.

“But wait, shouldn’t a nuclear explosion like that have devastated the environment with radiation?” I can hear you asking. And yes, I’d have thought it should. But it was apparently fine, and there’s a very simple explanation for that.

…anyway! The next appearance of the DFF was in Sonic #49, when Bunnie and Antoine had been captured and shipped off to Downunda’s new prison camp in the crater. Which again, apparently had no traces of radiation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It turned out that Crocbot had not been destroyed in the explosion, only mutilated, and he’d managed to turn the tables on the Downunda Freedom Fighters and make them his prisoners and personal playthings. Bunnie and Antoine were able to help free their new friends and smuggle themselves aboard a ship back to Robotropolis to do their bit in the final battle against Robotnik. Meanwhile the Downunda Freedom Fighters took Crocbot and his robot army apart.

After winning the battle the team started a project to restore the crater to its original condition, but unbeknownst to them, Bill had been put under Crocbot’s mind control while he was a prisoner. He started acting on sleeper programming, leading an army of platypi… platypusses… platy… ducky beaver things, and sabotaging the DFF’s restoration efforts.

Luckily in issue #61 Sonic and Tails dropped by to lend a hand and were able to help the team get Bill back to normal and once again stop Crocbot.

After that things were quiet enough on the continent that Wombat Stu was able to take a leave of absence and join Geoffrey St. John’s secret service.

This leads us into the story 19molly97 mentioned, Myth Taken Identity, which was printed in issues #203 - 205. The Downunda Freedom Fighters were holding auditions for a replacement for Wombat Stu, but found the candidates to be…

…that. The team started reminiscing about how they first came together to fight Crocbot...

...but were soon interrupted by a cry for help. 

Fearing that Crocbot’s final warning had come to pass, the DFF decided to investigate.

Guru Emu went into a trance to give them a history lesson about bunyip lore, but was too stoned out of his mind to help when they were attacked by none other than the bunyip itself.

Guru snapped out of it just in time to see his teammates get dragged below the water and dropped (or at least noted he was not dropping) what may just be the first cuss word recorded in the Sonic series (in English anyway), beating Shadow and his damned fourth Chaos Emerald by several years.

Barby was able to calm the bunyip down and sweet talk her into not harming them, and she told them her story. Crocbot had built this dam to generate hydroelectric power when he was trying to conquer Downunda, which had drained the local rivers and lakes and left nowhere for the Bunyip to live except for the dirty and polluted lake the dam had created. Over the time the Bunyip’s simmering anger had progressed into an uncontrollable rage, and she had started lashing out at everyone around her.

At this point Guru had managed to catch up with everyone and announced that he’d found a stockpile of explosives they could use to blow up the dam, restoring the local waterways and the bunyip’s natural habitat. 

Score one more victory for the Downunda Freedom Fighters, and the environment!

The next the Downunda Freedom Fighters showed up was in Sonic Universe #11 and 12, when they teamed up with Knuckles and the Chaotix to save Angel Island from Dr. Finitevus and the Downunda chapter of the Dark Egg Legion, now being led by an undercover Bill Platypus.

But that story wasn’t so much about saving the environment - it was more about Knuckles getting a rematch with Finetevus after the whole Enerjak incident. So I think we can wrap a bow on this chapter!

Are there any other environmentally-focused stories in ArchieSonic that I missed? Let me know in the comments! Next week I’ll be covering episode 59: “stranded in the ocean.” Sonic’s favourite episode, clearly. :P

[justinashworthsoundart]

Justin Ashworth: Artist CV

Justin Ashworth is a sound artist, improvisor/composer based in Naarm. Justin works across a range of platforms including film and dance scores, live sound performance, installation, music production, and curation. His stylistic interests range form generative ambient and drone works for modular synthesiser, field recordings, and noise, with a tendency towards slow rhythmic minimalism. Justin graduated a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours at RMIT in 2017, focussed on generative multi-channel surround sound compositions. 

Recent/Notable history. 

Artificial Environment #1: 5.1 surround work created for The Spaces Beyond the Screen, ACMI, Presented by Starling Spatial Sound Collective. 2023

Iterate (album and installation): Collaboration with Therese Keogh for her exhibition "A Well Revisited", at Staatliches Museum für Archäologie Chemnitz. 2021

Memories in Static (Album). 2019 Wired Head Tantrums (Album): Collaboration with Rod Cooper and Carla Oliver. Released by Frustration Jazz. 2019 

Make It Up Club (curator): A renowned space for avant-garde improvised music performance, now running for 25 years. 2019 - 2023 

The Gods of Tiny Things (Deborah Kelly): Score and Sound design for animated film of paper collages. 2018-2019. 

Little Songs of the Mutilated: A collaborative series of albums based on the Exquisite Corpse process. Released online. Coordinator/curator/composer/visual artist. Also exists as a live performance project developing the process for performance. (2017- present/ongoing) 

Circles of Fire: The Amphitheatre (John Douglas): Composition/sound design for multi screen installation and performance work. Carriageworks: Liveworks festival 2018. 

The Smaller Infrequent Complexities (Justin Ashworth): 5.1 channel surround sound composition for synthesizer and field recordings. RMIT Gallery, Honours graduate exhibition. 2017 

On View: Hong Kong (Sue Healey): sound and music composition for dance video works. Online release, 2017. 

Circles of Fire: Variations (John A Douglas): Composition/sound design for two screen video installation. Toured as part of exhibition “The Patient”. 2017 

HEIMA Art Residency: A three month period of deep listening and field recording, composing and developing works in Seydisfjordur, Iceland. 2015 

On View: Live Portraits (Sue Healey): sound and music composition, for multi screen installation/ performance. Dance Massive festival (Melbourne) & Carriageworks (Sydney). 2015