#my lawyer has advised me to not say anything more

[comradedoug]

[dwohttv]

i promised myself in 2023 i would not spend an ounce of my energy lurking g**lor discourse and so far it's been going. okay. things happen. but my stance on the matter is simply

[elodieunderglass]

It's not really my business, but honestly it feels like it would be advisable to hire a copyright lawyer. Like I don't feel like you're in it for the money, but it might be gratifying to have the guy milking your idea at least have to formally acknowledge you. I think I'd do it just for the peace of mind to know if I've been "legally" wronged or not. Either way, hope you continue to inspire, and live out a peaceful life.

(In reference to this post about the guy who pretends to have invented “Elder Teletubbies,” specifically how he is now kickstarting DnD minis of them.)

Ha, well, it’s all a little tricky I think. I might, hilariously, post on the r/legaladvice Reddit (even though they’re all cops lol) because the only thing I want here is for him to stop selling my “transformative work,” and ideally to stop pretending he invented it (which might be difficult as he appears to fully believe his work is creatively independent.)

I think if anything, my post counts as protected commentary or a transformative work of BBC’s Teletubbies, and I think it’s stinky to profit on that stuff in general (like I’m 190% okay with buying LotR fanart on stickers ! but I wouldn’t dream of trying to publish a fic with the serial numbers filed off. Why?)

I think ultimately I’m not a grifter, I’m a grownup, and I think it’s several levels of eye roll to sell fanart of a tv show on this level. I would be embarrassed to touch money made on that. I’m too fucking scrupulous and artisanal. I have toyed with a silly original novel for funsies since 2019 but keep saying things like, “oh, people will think this is too similar to something else that already exists” as if a silly original novel I write for fun has to somehow pass a Bar of Originality higher than anything salary-writers aim for.

I’m also pretty anti-intellectual-property myself in that leftist sense where I don’t believe people should be acting as if creative works are, like, oil. Like the resource extraction angle of intellectual property freaks me out, I don’t think getting super high-horse and snotty about Magical Brain Property is entirely compatible with the artisanal temperament I personally got going on here. I am like snufkin about this, simply smoking a pipe and making a flower crown saying “poor fools! Producing works for market, and serving as the guard dogs of the market, lest their work lose value if it becomes more common!” I do not have a high horse. I am not going to post 6900 words about the importance of defending fucking… Mickey Mouse. I buy those lotr stickers on Etsy! I do have a horse, but it’s a pretty low horse.

If it was his own work I would not care about this guy doing this in the least (apart from loftily calling it stinky - but hey, nerds are common and nerds are stinky, it’s not rare) IF he wasn’t STEALING FROM MY ANTI-COMMERCIALISATION DREAM TO DO IT.

That’s the bit that PISSES ME OFF too much to ignore: that and accepting compliments for being original like 😌 yes my twisted mind did this idk lol.

Like if you asked him point blank about the artistic choices he’d be like idk my twisted mind just sees the Teletubbies this way teehee! but if you ask ME why, for example, the adult Teletubbies live in the forest I’ll explain that in 2017 I was at a major life crossroads and this dream was ABOUT that. It was goodbye to my identity as a foreigner from the pine forests, and full steam ahead to settling permanently in the fucking shire (where the baby teletubbies on the bbc show live). It was about going back to work having had my first child, and saying goodbye to my various career dreams for myself (famous scientist! Published author!) as I chose instead, finally, the responsibility of working humbly as a public servant for the actual good of society. It is about witnessing the wild and saying “I am not of it, but it is my job to be its witness and voice.” That’s why the adult Teletubbies are dancing in my native forests while I’m watching them from the English hills. This guy doesn’t know that he just vaguely heard “spooky forest cryptid” and didn’t develop it at all, I do more work than that with FANFICTION in my time off!!!

So it’s really about nebulous stuff and ethics and not something worth paying a lawyer for I think!

But thank you so much for this, I think the thing that gets most perennial about it is the TOTAL GASLIGHTING of the “outside world” of the rest of the internet like, fully believing they invented this, and they DIDNT. They’re so wrong on the internet and they don’t know

[thoughtsfromlayla]

The allegations are BS. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE between saying “believe all women” and “the facts don’t matter, the allegation is the proof”. In this case, the sources and information are insanely vague and lack any sort of information that would constitute a true “allegation”. PEOPLE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION BUT HAVE ALREADY DECIDED HE IS GUILTY. People don’t even know what he’s actually accused of anymore because the story has been fabricated and spun so heavily already. I see some saying “he sexually assaulted an actress” or “he assaulted his 20 year old nanny” or “he slept with his 20 year old nanny consensually but it’s still wrong because he’s famous” like WHAT?!? Those are all very different allegations, and not a single one of them have a true source or piece of verifiable information (could be YET or could be NOT AT ALL). Every “source” is just someone saying “I saw some other person say it”. It’s like a bad game of Telephone. It’s not real. Too many people nowadays can just say someone did something to them and people will take it and run with it without fact checking or researching a thing. There are no real, credible sources and absolutely ZERO verifiable pieces of evidence to even remotely prove that it’s true. Crazy that all it takes is for a person to say something online or in a podcast that’s completely made up and BAM- it’s everywhere and they have successfully ruined someones life and career while boosting their own platforms for a quick viral moment. Fame is a hell of a drug. People will do or say anything to have their moment and no one stops to ask “WHY would this person say this? WHY would this person want this particular fanbase to be involved? Why now? WHY would they reveal this allegation in such a silly and fake-sounding way that any lawyer or attorney would completely advise against until actual investigations have been conducted?” People will believe anything they read nowadays. Such a shame. And when the allegations are proven to be as fake and staged for a viral moment as they sound, I hope every person that so easily believed the lies and turned their backs without a shred of information or common sense feels ashamed of themselves. Social media has truly rotted peoples brains 🫠

What’s crazy is- whether Neil is guilty or completely innocent, his reputation and career are ruined. No information, no factual sources, no investigation info, and everyone has still already decided to stone him. The Sandman will likely be boycotted, Dead Boy Detectives will never see a second season, the Sandman fandom will fizzle (you already said that even you intend to be part of ending it on here). He is more than likely innocent and it won’t matter because people have already decided his fate. Sad as hell.

I would rather support the victims and be wrong and apologize than be silent about something like this. I will never feel ashamed for standing up for what I believe is right. Neither will I feel ashamed for learning that I was wrong and being taught better.

I said in my original post (which I'm assuming is what made you send in this in the first place) that I understand that the situation is very complex - that the information regarding both parties and the publishing company that made the story made the allegations unclear.

I've also said that I am still a Sandman fan, just that I will not support Neil Gaiman any longer. Which, wouldn't be all that difficult for me as I didn't even know his name until I watched the Netflix adaption of The Sandman. It took me another year to even bother looking him up and learning that he was also the author of other popular works that I enjoyed.

My love for The Sandman and the fandom is not tied in with Neil Gaiman. I love the actors and workers that made the show possible, too. I love the people who create art and write fanfics, that I've met because I decided to share my love for the fandom as well.

I also never said that I would stop posting my Sandman fanfics on here, just that I believe it would be best to refrain from doing do now given the circumstances. I believe myself to be a small and (relatively) new blog and one blog in the humongous fandom that is The Sandman. So even if I did decide to quit, I doubt would cause the fandom to fizzle.

At the end of the day, we don't know what kind of person Neil Gaiman is because he's just another person on the internet. You don't even know the kind of person I am and how and why I would take my stand the way that I do. If you want to defend Neil Gaiman and whether or not he is guilty or not is completely up to you.

If you don't agree with me, that's fine, but do not come onto my blog and tell me or other people how they should feel about the situation or shame them for being hurt by the information, too.

Layla

[himejoshiangels]

batgirl 2000 reread pt 2!!!

Back 2 batgirl..Cass has to have some of the worst daddy issues in the whole family and that's saying so much like between Bruce and Cain she deserves billions of dollars in compensation for all the all the way fucked up and over shit they put her through that she doesn't even have the capacity to work through yet

also this little interaction made me smile, average bat conversation

obsessed w how they integrate cass into the Bruce wayne: murderer storyline. We're operating fully from cass's perspective here and the whole thing is formatted like any other case she's taken on. we get exposition as cass investigates but there's a feeling of uneasiness as she paces the manor. she fully doesn't know who this guy is but we do. we do.

truly one of the most iconic ways anyones ever figured out his identity. she knows him so deeply that she's able to recognize the pure unbridled determination and fury in his eyes just from a picture

Cassandra cain truly stays unmatched, the "I'll kill you" "not tonight" panel hits just as hard as when I first read it. I need a physical copy of this shit NEOWWW. also cass's ability to recognize that Shiva is just as suicidal as she is, that in fighting each other their both fulfilling the others death wish..like we know she isn't going to kill her from the start but it makes the decision all the more powerful

EEEK she's so cutest patootest..she's a detective

cass if projecting onto every case she dealt with was a job..

srsly tho the whole alpha arc thing was sooo good especially when it came to cass's immovable belief that even people with the most diabolical histories are capable of change, are worth saving

ermmm..the lawyers are advising me not to discuss the stephcass drama issue at this current time..thank you

idk how I missed the political commentary the first time but issue 43 got it. FAWK AMERICA

I love this comic I LOVE THIS COMIC!!! I love love love when Cass has a conversation that leads her to experiment which leads her to self discovery. oh my god. truly baffled and disgusted as she discovers gender roles, she just like me fr

THIS^^^^^^ is so, it's such a good way of broadcasting cass's insecurities and emotions to the audience. unlike a lot of characters cass rarely ever says what she's feeling, even when asked she'll often lie. it's either that or a lack of self awareness/means of communication when it comes to her own emotions. BUT this also shows that cass is aware of the complex interpersonal dynamics and drama around her. Usually these things are just implied like when Cass wordlessly punches the shit out of dick for making babs cry, but this is one of the first times in the comic where these things that cass had been feeling and hearing are told instead of shown [which is pretty 50/50 considering the kinda jarring writer switch but I think this specifically was a cool choice]

Cass has a tendency to avoid emotional topics centered around her all together but at the climax of this arc she's forced to confront very conflicting views of her identity, social pressures, and her own insecurities.

this part got to me BAD

Cass's pure and utter devastation in response to Bruce attempting to fire her (I say attempt bcs that shit barely lasted a day) is so gutwrenching. batgirl was the first name she ever had, the first identity as a human being she'd ever had. Not to mention her suicidal-perfectionism. For Batman of all people to say those things to her, not only does she not have anything outside of batgirl (partially BECAUSE of him) but she's literally as close to perfect as it gets, matter a fact bruce literally calls her perfect. To be accused of jeopardizing the mission, despite that she might be the only person who values it just as much as bruce does..No wonder she shatters into a billion pieces when he does that to her. she has nothing else to be if she's not batgirl.

[thenightfolknetwork]

(a friend wrote this, and didn’t get the chance so submit it, so I’m putting it in for her!)

Let me just start by saying that I didn't mean to blow up all of my colleagues. It just sort of happened. One minute I'm in a meeting, getting increasingly more frustrated with the idiots prattling on around me, next I was standing up and yelling at them while ignoring the start of my magic boiling in my stomach, next I was standing in a pile of rubble with red mist fading into the sky. Like I said, it just sort of happened.

The arresting officer, however, didn't exactly see it that way. Neither did the jury, or judge, or either lawyer. I got in a lot of trouble for that whole... incident. Like, a lot of trouble. Like, a major fine, and some jail time and my girlfriend testifying in court that I'd been unstable to begin with kind of trouble.

At the very least, the psychiatrist (the only halfway useful witness that the idiot public defense managed to find) was able to verify that given the level of magic that I'd been using for my old job, I had most likely been verifiably out of my mind when the explosion occurred. So rather than several lifetimes worth of prison, I just got a very special lock on my magic that blocked any of my abilities to use it.

That was... a big transition, to put it mildly. Before this, I'd been something of a prodigy with my magic, and I loved using it. Like, more than I loved that girlfriend. So suddenly not being able to, and having to find a job without it, and the whole thing resulting in me no longer having any living friends...

Yeah, that took a while to come back from, even just emotionally. But I did. I made friends. I found a job, which I didn't love, but I liked. I even started dating again. But then one day, me and my friends were kind of messing around with some things (a couple of them have magic, so "messing around" can get messy in a number of ways), and to be honest, I'm not totally sure what we did, but the lock on my magic came undone.

My friends, I'm pretty sure, just think that I'm manifesting it late. It's rare, but it happens. I never told them about what happened at my last job. I still don’t really want to.

But with suddenly being able to use my magic again… don’t tell the judge, but looking back, there were absolutely signs that my magic was starting to spiral out of control. The thing at the office just happened to be the first one with major casualties. And already, some of those sorts of signs are coming back.

I love my new friends, and my new life. But I also love my magic. I don’t want to hurt my friends, but I can’t figure out a plan that doesn’t end with them or my magic gone again. And I barely made it through losing my magic the first time. I don’t think I will again.

Can you please give me some advice? Should I tell them, so at least they have time to run away? Should I turn myself in, since there is no way that using my magic again is legal? Or do I just keep using my magic and hope for the best? I really don’t know what to do here, but I could use some help.

First things first, reader – I want to be very clear that I am not a legal professional, so please do not take anything I say here as serious legal advice. Especially if it sounds like I'm advising you to do something illegal. Which I would never do. Of course.

With that out of the way, I can say that I'm not especially surprised this magical lock of yours has failed. Studies have shown time and again that such measures are not a sustainable solution to the issue of emotionally triggered thaumaturgic flares. Not only can these devices fail, as you've experienced, they also do nothing to solve the actual causes of these flares.

A far more sustainable solution to your problem is a combined approach of cognitive behavioural therapy and acute thaumaturgic discipline training. Together, these can help you manage both the emotional side of your problem, by helping you recognise and handle stressful situations before your magic is activated, and help you keep control of your magic even in the throes of emotional distress.

I strongly recommend you seek out a therapist with experience in thaumaturgic discipline. NHS waiting lists for this kind of care are appallingly long, so if possible, you might consider paying for private care instead. Consider it a very worthwhile investment in your future health and happiness.

I hear your concern that you can feel signs that your magic is already starting to slip out of your control. Have you considered the use of thaumaturgically resistant materials?

Court-ordered magical locks are designed to suppress any and all magical activity on the most profound layer of existence. This is, in my opinion, a little like dropping a nuclear bomb on one's garden in order to stop slugs eating your cabbages. A more measured response would be to experiment with silver jewellery, salt-water swimming, or rosemary balm. Hopefully, these will dampen your magical abilities, and give you a little breathing space within which to work on the underlying issues at play.

You've done extremely well to get through the pain and trauma of this previous incident and build a new life for yourself. I have every faith that, with a little hard work and perseverance, you will be able to get through this as well. Good luck, reader.

[For more creaturely advice, check out Monstrous Agonies on your podcast platform of choice, or visit monstrousproductions.org for more info]

[pricechecktranslations]

Hi! I was checking your blog and I noticed that you translated Ichika's new permissions on the use of her art, thank you very much for making that information more accessible, although I think she changed them again, well I got that impression from the last tweets she posted, tbh for me, who doesn't know much about copyright laws, it's starting to get a little confusing.I don't know if it's because of the way she writes it or if it's really a complicated matter.

I think perhaps I'm the one who's not being clear. So I will try to be as precise in my delivery as possible.

Ichika is not talking about legal copyright. She is not saying she'll come after people with a team of lawyers. She is an independent artist on the internet. She is simply talking about what she does and does not approve of people doing with her work, the work she is uploading to her personal artist accounts. She is asking very politely for people to respect these rules. I promise you, it is not complicated.

To go into her newest tweets--she is simply trying to use more clear and unambiguous wording in her permissions page. That's it. Like emphasizing that it is specifically the reupload/reposting of her work that's the problem, and that any acceptable uses of her work (like as icons/headers) ONLY applies to things SHE has posted on her own accounts. If, say, it was done as a commission such as on a video, then she gives no permission for its use.

According to the updated profcard wording:

Ichika does not want people reposting or reuploading her work onto the internet, regardless of whether or not they've made edits to it.

The only exception to this is that people can use her art for blog headers/icons/etc for their personal online accounts. However, this only applies to art that she, Ichika, has posted publicly herself. The only modifications people are allowed to do to these is to trim the art.

If these personal accounts contain any radical or problematic statements, however, she would prefer people did not use her art for them.

She is talking solely from the perspective of her personal approval. Again--the above points are not regarding copyright law, they are regarding her preferences for the way people use her art.

She clarifies at the end that people are allowed to use or reference her art in a manner consistent with basic copyright law.

The only time she mentions copyright law is in the end, and that's just her noting that the usual exceptions to copyright law also apply to her art.

Now, if you plan to do anything at all on the internet, ESPECIALLY in fandom spaces that deal with Japanese media, I would strongly advise you to go and familiarize yourself with said copyright law (again, I am aware that Evillious being Japanese exclusive makes this a piracy fandom by necessity, but that's no excuse not to be aware of what laws you are breaking when you, say, upload the entirety of the "Daughter of Evil" manga to a public drop box). The vast majority of infractions are allowed to happen because the rights holders are gone/aren't aware of them/deem it a waste of time and money to pursue/beneficial for creating a foreign market/etc etc, not because it isn't technically against the law to do.

But anyway I would say that what she's referring to here is something called Fair Use in the US (disclaimer again that I am NOT a lawyer, nor am I familiar with Japanese copyright law). Fair Use allows for limited use of copyright protected material for non-profit purposes. For example, uploading 2 minutes of a 2 hour movie for the purposes of reviewing it, or uploading a small sample of pages from an art book to discuss the contents. I'm less familiar with how one would go about applying Fair Use to just wholesale uploading Ichika's Twitter art solely to have it on your blog, so my advice would be to just not do that, hope that helps.

[canonically47]

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW

OF COURSE!!! THANK YOU FOR ASKING I WAS JUST ABOUT TO MAKE A POST LOL

here we go...

DCAS episode 3 thoughts

spoilers!!!

(no duh.)

first of all, somebody spoiled in chat that lake would be the vote, so i’m pissed off enough as it is

patrons... when i catch you patrons...

seriously fuck all of the leakers & patrons that spoil stuff. i hate you guys. hope your pillow is hot on both sides

anyways!!! genuine opinion time

tom, my baby, my love, the light of my life, you did a good job voting for lake. this might be controversial but i think that, out of everyone, she is definitely someone to get out early. maybe there will be some sort of comeback challenge that she’ll win, because i don’t feel like her story is fully over yet, but for now, i’m satisfied she was the one to go.

connor and riya make me more uncomfortable by the day, but thank you to riya for putting an end to their situationship. not looking forward to connor doing pathetic puppy eyes and sighing broken-heartedly throughout the challenges though. and just between you and me, i truly hope one of them is the next vote.

also why did she say "i’m not your daughter" when they’re supposed to be interpreted as a couple/situationship thing... isn’t that a weird writing choice... or is it just me skull emoji fire emoji

on the note of another weird couple, yul is showing his true colors. i told you it was only a matter of time before he showed his true colors... grett, baby, you deserve so much better. i hope when this ship inevitably crashes that grett kicks him in the nuts at one point. she deserves to crush his balls. as a treat :3

love to see a potential alec-fiore-miriam alliance, and miriam back on her gaslighting shit. i have the feeling she might make the merge, but ellie will have her revenge against her and get her out by exposing her somehow. but for this to work, we would need someone dumb enough to vote for her, and i really wonder who- nvm jake is still in the game!! (and tom could probably be manipulated ORRR he could change his priorities and realize that jake and miriam ain’t shit

DEREK AND TREVOR ARE SOOO FUNNY derek’s voice actor is the best of the bunch and i am dead serious. he is sooo funny his deliveries are always so good (compared to many of the others that i would be burnt at the stake for giving the names of lol) derek forgetting THEY are the interns made me laugh so hard i love them

ashley please stop fueling jake’s dumbass fantasies he’s bad and fucking stupid enough as he is

jake can you just accept some people can be friends or are you going to be arophobic this entire series /hj. only a joke because of the arophobia but has this man never heard of platonic male relationships? not to be mean but [CENSORED] [CENSORED EVEN MORE] [CENSORED AS IF IN THE COMMUNIST ERA] [MY LAWYER ADVISED ME TO DELETE THIS ENTIRE SEQUENCE]

fuck jake

fuck riya

fuck connor

fuck jake

fuck yul

fuck jake

fuck yul

oh and how could i forget?

FUCK JAKE

sorry i know he didn’t do much this episode i just hate his ass

tess was really smart with her vote tbh... love that for her. she gets it

aiden and tom alliance PLEASE I CAN FEEL IT BLOOMING I LOVE THEIR FRIENDSHIP SO MUCH ARGHHH

fuck jake

fiore deserves better, she hasn’t even done anything this season, why will nobody give her a damn break lol? ashley and jake when i catch you...

hunter fuck you. you know what you did

ally-hunter-fiore alliance getting out jake WHEN WHEN WHENNNNNN!!!!!!!! not a want but a NEED!!!

fuck yul

fuck jake

FUCK JAKE!!!

also fuck riya and connor and their stupid ass drama

and fuck yul

but how could i forget? fuck jake

that’s all :3

(fuck jake btw)

placing my bets for the next episode...

ally-hunter-fiore alliance blooms but hunter is visibly hesitant about it. thank god he doesn’t have to vote, or he’d have probably already betrayed the alliance...

tom-aiden bonding, tom reluctantly accepts ellie as an ally, and gabby tries to get the two closer to each other, at least to work together if not to be friends

yellow team loses. riya goes home (more of a hope than anything though, realistically i think hunter and/or ally have good chances of leaving...)

alec-miriam-fiore alliance also blooms. throw connor in there too, but only as an ally of alec’s. alec is the one to convince connor to vote for riya.

jake explodes and fucking dies

yul explodes and fucking dies

riya explodes and fucking dies

[extreme-unorthodox-cuddles]

same anon here! of course we missed! YOU A LEGEND and uhhhhhhh 📉🤔this two? for the game BTW I WAS READING YOUR POSTING AND YOU HAVE A SOMEONE????? thats wild i lost so many things from you :O

YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME I SWEAR OUGH THANK YOU SO MUCHHHHH

But also for the ask game:

📉: I answered this in the last ask but I'll say it again because I feel it needs to be said: HALF SIZE VORE IS BEST VORE AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. The fillingness for the pred, the cozy but not too cramped for the prey, the obvious but not obtrusive belly perfect for cuddling just O U G H I LOVE IT SO.

🤔: I struggle to pick favourites for anything, but I do have one that I particularly like which also does link with the other question you gave: Pred holding a half size prey up and hugging them close, before opening their mouth and engulfing their head in it and lifting up the prey so that gravity can assist them in swallowing and the prey helps in their own way by wriggling to try and slide down a bit easier. The pred continues swallowing and supporting the prey as they slide in, the pred having a hand on their belly as it so nicely fills up. Then once the prey is completely in, the pred relaxes back and starts rubbing and kneading their now engorged belly while the prey wriggles and squirms both to get into a more comfortable position and to give the pred that nice active meal sensation, both of them relishing in this wonderful feeling. totally dont frequently imagine myself as the pred in this scenario haha what

And for that last part, yep, I love them so, and if anything bad were to happen to them I would [my lawyer has advised me not to continue this sentence]. But ye I love them they are so wonderful <3

[blametheeditor]

Court's In Session

Prompt Roulette By Title

Character A's been dreading this day for a long time- the end of a committed relationship that Character A had tried desperately to make work. But what can they say, sometimes divorce is a better solution that couple's counseling. Issue is, Character B isn't content with JUST signing papers and leaving. No, Character B's far more interested in arguing the need for alimony, their number one citation being "-you're paying for my therapy sessions, asshole."

NOT MEANT FOR EVERYONE

Content Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of people being experimented on. Mentions of child custody. Messy divorces.

I promise to give Scott a break after this, he deserves it

_________________________________________________

Scott had been praying that his boy’s would be brought to the meeting. He knew it wouldn’t happen, knew his soon to be ex-wife wouldn’t want to put them through that because it wouldn’t be fair to them. That there might be yelling, at the very least name calling, and she would be a good mother leaving them with her parents while they sorted this out. 

But he’s selfish. He wanted to see them one last time despite how much it would hurt them. Yet another reason why he isn’t fit to raise his children.

Karen will always take care of the boys first, though, meaning she came to the house alone. A decision he respects and even appreciates because it was the right thing to do. Didn’t say anything as he passed the divorce papers over after she sat down at the dining table. The familiar furniture seeming almost alien now that the center piece and placemats had all been taken. 

They sit in silence as she reads it over. The first time they’ve been alone in a room together. No lawyers this time. It goes against everything they were advised, and if changes want to be made it would’ve been easier to have the people who can do such a thing in the room, but they had wanted to go over what was submitted as a ‘final draft’ with just them. 

Karen suggested it because she didn’t like how formal everything was, as if this they weren’t discussing a transaction instead of the end to a relationship. Scott had agreed because he loves her, and he always will. 

“...I get the boys.” 

Scott hangs his head, looking down at his coffee instead of meeting her gaze. “You do.” 

She hesitates. “You’re not fighting me on visitation rights.” 

“I’m not,” comes out in a whisper, clearing his throat in order to keep his tears at bay. “I, it’s not that I don’t want to. I’ve had a lot to think about and...and it seems like it’d be for the best.” 

It had taken several months for him to see Karen’s request as something more than just her trying to be spiteful. She has the capacity to, and had displayed it a few times during their relationship, but it was never used as a weapon. Never to hurt someone. Because at her core, she does everything in her power to make sure the people she loves most are taken care of. Fights when she thinks she or someone else is being wronged. 

He hadn’t remembered that when he heard the words ‘you will never see or speak to them again’. He had only seen red. Cursed her name every way he could as soon as he got home that day. Broke down sobbing when a week later, he realized she only wanted to protect their sons. It would only hurt them to keep Scott in the picture, even if it was just a phone call. 

“Are you planning on selling the house?” she asks, glancing at the page where the house they bought together, the one they’re currently sitting in now, has Scott’s name laying claim over it. 

He shakes his head. “I don’t think I ever will, to be honest.” 

Karen takes a deep breath. Closes the small packet of papers before setting her hands on it. “I won’t sign it.” 

“Any particular reason why?” Because the rest of the assets had been split 50/50 between them. The house falling under his name had actually been something she requested, not wanting their sons to be raised somewhere only bad memories were kept. 

“I want alimony.” 

Scott’s jaw drops. “E-Excuse me?” 

“You heard me,” she murmurs. Not combative, just firm. 

“Karen, I’m paying child support, as much as I can. With the rest of the mortgage, I-I can’t pay alimony.” 

“I can’t live with my parents forever,” she begins. “I already have a few job interviews, but I don’t have enough to rent an apartment. I can’t even send the boys to daycare.” 

“I know, I know,” Scott sighs. “But I can’t. You know Freddy’s doesn’t-” 

His wife- soon to be ex-wife suddenly stands up as she glares at him. “You’re still working there!” 

Even when that’s the reason why I left? That’s why you were never home? That’s why we continued to struggle financially? You love it more than you love your family?

He hears it even though she doesn’t say it. Because it’s a familiar topic they had discussed before. Fought over. Written on the message she left when she packed everything she could and left with their sons. 

Scott almost breaks. Almost tells her everything. After years of holding it in, keeping it a secret because he didn’t want to burden her, he almost lets the damn break. 

“...yes.” 

Karen grows furious. “Then I’m getting alimony. Because you’re paying for my therapy sessions, asshole.” 

“No.” 

“For what you’ve put us through, it is the bare minimum that you could do!” she erupts, throwing her hands into the air. “You seriously don’t expect me to let that slide! You’re still at that hell hole despite losing your family! What makes that damn place so special that it deserves your everything!” 

“I can’t leave!” he shouts, standing up in order to look her eye to eye. Pleading she understands. “I can’t explain! I want to, but I can’t! It’s not my choice!” 

“It sure looks like it is, Scott!” 

It looks like it is. But it’s not. Forced to stay alive every night made his world crumble beneath his feet. The small patches of discoloration on his arms and legs took away his freedom. Hearing the methodical voice repeating key words in the back of his mind every second of every day makes him question who he is. 

And if he tries to leave? Tries to escape? It’s been proven too many times what would await him is worse than death. 

How can anyone expect him to be a good husband and father when someone is literally pulling on his strings to make him dance? 

“I, we can’t continue this discussion,” Scott says, backing away from the table, from the woman he loves, from his everything. “I’m so sorry. But y-you need to go.” 

Before I damn you too.

She stares at him. He swears a look of remorse flashes across her face before it disappears, so quickly he might’ve just imagined it in his desperation. Then she turns on her heel and stalks furiously out the door, slamming it behind her. 

Scott waits for the tears to come. Stares down at his now cold coffee. Feels nothing but resignation. 

He wants to be angry. That she isn’t by his side when he needs her most. That she’s taking away his entire world as he’s reaching out for a hand to keep him from falling. That she’s nailing his coffin shut without remorse. 

But that wouldn’t be fair. He brought this upon himself. At least Afton will be happy now that Scott has no reason to be anywhere but right next to him, ready to obey every command. 

At least his sons will never see the hollow shell their father has become. 

[steele-soulmate]

Tattooed Wings, CHAPTER 566, Peter Steele & OFC, Soulmate AU

SUMMARY: Mary Claire Bradley meets her soulmate- literally- the famous Peter Steele of metal group Type O Negative. But will obstacles including trauma, stalkers, and toxic family members get in the way of their life?

WARNING: mentions of child rape (nothing graphic) PTSD, milk kink, soft smut, grinding, assault, fingering, hand jobs, blow jobs, 69, P in V sex, blood, noncon rape, violence, death, vandalism, graffiti, attempted kidnapping, break-ins, wild animal attacks, terrorist attack (sabotage) consensual impregnation, bareback, impregnation kink, creampies, terrorist attacks (shootings) hit and run pedestrian accident, precipitous labor, neonatal death, abandoned baby

WORDS: 1260

“Heya MC.”

I looked up from where I was making a small pot of chicken noodle soup and saw my baby sister. She had wrapped the soft afghan from the foot of her bed around herself and Mittens trotted next to her, looking quite pleased with herself.

“Sammi, hey!” I greeted her as Peter did the dishes in the sink. “The kids are all watching a Disney movie in the back room if you want to join them. Or are you hungry? I made you some chicken noodle soup!”

Sammi’s tummy let out a cry for attention just then.

“Say no more- take a seat,” I urged her, pointing with my lips to the kitchen island, where she tugged out a chair and took a seat.

“Peter, if anything happens to me, I really want you and MC to get custody of Baby Noah.”

I poured some soup into a bowl, setting it in front of my baby sister as I pressed a sweet kiss to her temple.

“I’m already a step ahead of you there,” Peter chuckled fondly. “I’ve already gotten in touch with a lawyer, but he’ll need you to sigh some things- I’m having him send over the paperwork to the family’s PO box.”

“You are the best!” Sammi sagged in her seat, pushing her now empty bowl off in front of her, signaling that she was done eating. “So now what?”

“Can you clarify on what you mean by so what now?” I requested of her, taking a seat next to her.

“i remember Dr. Lamb telling me that my high sex drive was caused by the mass in my brain and that the medication he has me on will not only make it shrink in on itself but kill my need to fuck multiple times a day,” she explained. “I built much of my life around being a professional slut- I mean, I still work at the tattoo parlor, but really, what now?”

“You graduated from college, right?” Peter asked, finishing up with the dishes. He turned the water off and dried his hands off on a dish towel. “You got you four year degree in fashion business management from the Fashion Institute of Technology if I remember correctly.” He caught the expression on my face and chuckled. “You told me at the beginning of our relationship, sweetheart.”

“Did I really now?” I blinked, trying to remember. “I’m afraid I do not recall that.”

“Wow, you really remembered that?” Sammi blinked, obviously impressed with my husband’s memory.

“I remember everything that my sweetheart tells me,” he bragged, puffing himself out.

“Uh huh…” I loved my big beefy silver daddy to bits and pieces, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if I really believed him being able to recall everything that I have ever said to him in the four years that we had known each other.

“Hey sweetheart, Sammi, what do you want to tell the kids?” The thought flitted across his mind just then, distracting me from his unproven statement.

“MC? What do you advise?” Sammi asked, turning to me, a more experienced mother.

“Um…” I drew my lower lip in and began to nibble at it. “Well, let’s try to keep it simple, that Sammi is sick and that the hospital will make her feel better, okay?”

“That sounds good!” Sammi hummed. “Hey, where will Baby Noah sleep?”

“Wif mesies!” Baby Tommy announced as he skipped into the kitchen, his little man dollie tucked under an arm. “Mesies and Baa bee Nono have sweep ova’!”

“A sleepover?” I giggled as the kids trickled in just then, their movie clearly having ended. “Well alright then!”

“Now that everyone’s here again,” Sammi shuffled in her seat, drawing her blankie in tighter around her. “Kids, I’m sick, but the hospital is helping me.”

“Sammi…” I clucked before clarifying for the kids. “Auntie Sammi is sick, yes. But she is receiving top notch care at the hospital, as she just stated. So for the unforeseen future, both she and Baby Noah will be staying here with us.”

Elizabeth and Katie both exchanged looks, and I knew that they knew something.

“Mesies and Baa bee Nono sweepi now,” Baby Tommy announced just then, his younger cousin letting out a comically loud yawn.

“Katie and I will pull out an air mattress and get Baby Noah settled in!” Elizabeth announced before herding everyone off again.

“Such sweet kids,” Sammi commented with a smile. “But anyway, coming back from a life where I was the slut who loved a good fucking will be…”

“A challenge, I’m quite certain of it,” I finished up for her. “Sammi, listen. Peter and I have some rules for you to follow while you’re staying here.”

“Such as?” she asked, accepting a glass of water as Peter handed it over to her.

“No doing OnlyFans in the house, no one night stands, and no crass language in the presence of the kids,” I told her with a firm look. “Peter will be your ride to and from the doctor’s for checkup appointments in regards to your brain tumor.”

“Okay,” she shrugged. “But can I make a post up onto @SammiXxXHeart up on Instagram? Just saying that I’ll be going on a hiatus to focus on my mental health?”

“That sounds reasonable,” I agreed with a hum. “My love?”

“Just don’t tag us or the kids or the house or anything,” he warned her as she began noodling around on her cell phone.

“Okay, will do,” she flashed a crooked smile at the two of us before excusing herself to go to bed. “Oh, hello there!”

I looked and saw Elizabeth and Katie both behind the short wall between the kitchen and entryway.

“Auntie Sammi has a tumor in her head?” Elizabeth asked, her lower lips tremoring as her hazel blue eyes shone with tears.

“Come here now girls!” Sammi held her arms open for the both of them. “I am in good hands now, do you hear me? Your parents and my doctor all know what they’re doing. I will be fine now, alright?”

“Now, go on up to bed, won’t you two now?” I clucked at them. “It’s past your bedtimes, and you both have school tomorrow!”

TAGLISTS ARE OPEN/ ASK BOX IS OPEN/ REQUESTS ARE OPEN/ PLOT BUNNIES ARE WELCOMED

If you liked this, then please consider buying me a coffee HERE It only costs $3!!!

PETER STEELE TAGLIST

@rock-a-noodle

@ch3rry-c01a

[friendshiptothemax]

Hey just stumbled onto your blog! I’m an aspiring props artisan/master that’s predominantly involved in theatre but eyeing tv and film intently though I don’t know a huge amount about the logistics of the field. Out of curiosity how much connection/communication does the writers room have to the technical production of a show (on average this must fluctuate)? Do writers primarily write with the intention of affects/costuming/set/props etc filling in the blanks themselves or are these details considered during the writing process? Are technical leads ever brought in to advise writing rooms about things? Any and all deets about the relationship between the writers and broader technical direction and departments would be very interesting to me.

Hi there! This is a great question. This brings to mind something a showrunner said in a training session I went to through the Writer's Guild. He said that as writers, we're trained to give details, we're told that makes for better, more evocative writing. So if we want to describe our character's car, we'll say "purple Lamborghini." So then the person on the set who is responsible for booking cars will look only for purple Lamborghinis, and ignore blue Lamborghinis or purple Ferraris, when actually we would have been fine with either of those. So a good writer communicates with the set when it has to be a specific detail, or when it's just trying to be evocative.

In every show, usually while one episode is shooting, the next episode is prepping -- which is called "pre-production." This is the period when the script is done being written and the crew members get to work on it. There are two big meetings in this time when the crew and the writer all come together to go through the script page by page to talk about any details: the concept meeting, which occurs at the beginning of pre-production, and the production meeting, which happens at the end. When I went to New York for the shooting of The Blacklist episode 1015, I actually sat in on smaller, less formal crew meetings every morning and this was an awesome experience. It was nice to be able to talk about details when they were still less finalized -- this is how I would like to run my shows in the future, when I hopefully get that chance.

As for thinking about it during the writing, something else I heard from this showrunner that I think also rings true is that you never know unless you ask. It's hard to know, as the writer, what will be easier and cheaper for the crew to pull off. Maybe a crew member has an amazing connection you had no idea about, and your ultimate fantasy for a prop or location or costume would actually be really easy for them -- you just don't know. So I'm of the opinion that it's best to write what you actually want, don't guess, but then be open and flexible if you hear back that it's no feasible. The climax of episode 1007 was originally written to take place in a subway control room, but as we got into it, it became clear that it was going to be too difficult logistically to pull off that AND the Ferry terminal, so I had to choose, and I was amenable to changes so I ended up doing a lot of research into apartment collapses.

We do have technical advisors. We always have a weapons/police advisor on set whenever we do anything involving weapons, and we've also have consultants to give advice on FBI jargon and medical terminology (and in general we have several ex-lawyers in the writer's room so we don't need to go outside for that). Other shows with other needs might have other kinds of consultants. I remember we had an episode with some kinky sex stuff -- I think it was one of Taylor Martin's episodes? -- and we had a BDSM consultant on set that day!

Good luck! I'm really fond of the props department on The Blacklist -- they do amazing work. Also, newspapers feature heavily in episode 1015 and they gave me copies of the ones featured onscreen as a present which was so nice of them. :)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich :: Con Man

* * * *

The Final Report: “The central cause of Jan 6. was one man.”  ::: December 23, 2022

Robert B. Hubbell

         Late Thursday evening, the House Select Committee released its Final Report on its investigation of Trump’s attempted coup and insurrection. The Final Report is here: Final Report: Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. It would be impossible to summarize the 845-page Report in today’s newsletter. But the table of contents provides a roadmap to the Committee’s findings. Below are the major headings in the Report:

1.                The Big Lie.

2.                “I just want to find 11,780 votes.”

3.                Fake Electors and the “President of the Senate” Strategy.

4.                “Just call it corrupt and leave the rest to me.”

5.                “A coup in search of a legal theory.”

6.                “Be there. Will be wild!”

7.                187 minutes of dereliction.

8.                Analysis of the attack.

         The Report sets out its thesis in the Executive Summary (page 8): “The central cause of Jan. 6 was one man, former President Donald Trump.”

         Among the remedial actions recommended by the Committee, one stands above all others: To create a formal mechanism for Congress to consider whether Trump should be barred from holding state or federal office under the provisions of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

         The table of contents suggests that the Report is drafted in a literary style grounded in the evidence. It will stand as the judgment of history on Trump’s effort to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. It is a prodigious effort that will serve as a resource for prosecutors and historians alike. There will be much more to discuss in the coming weeks.

         Before the Committee released its Final Report, it released the interviews of Cassidy Hutchinson. The transcript is here: Cassidy J. Hutchinson (Redacted) . Her testimony provides a sordid and sobering view into the pervasive corruption of the Trump administration, his lawyers, and the GOP dark-money infrastructure that sought to “protect the president” at all costs.

         Acting like mobsters protecting their “don,” Trump’s advisers attempted to intimidate, cajole, deceive, bribe, threaten, and use Cassidy Hutchison to conceal the truth about Trump’s criminal effort to overturn the results of the election. It is worth reviewing her story because it previews much of what is to come as special counsel Jack Smith assaults the wall of silence that has protected Trump for too long.

         The remarkable story of Cassidy Hutchinson’s ultimate refusal to commit perjury to “protect her boss” is a testament to Hutchinson’s strength of character and moral courage. Hutchinson did not have the resources to pay for a lawyer to represent her in testimony before the Committee, so she begged her estranged father for a loan so she could hire her own lawyer. She explained to her mother why she did not want to be represented by a “Trump-world” lawyer:

I’m f*****d. I was like, No, I am completely indebted to these people. . . . And they will ruin my life, Mom, if I do anything that they don’t want me to do.

         Per Hutchinson, her Trump-world attorney, Stefan Passantino, would not tell her who was paying for her defense. But he made clear that her job was to protect Trump. She testified that Passantino told her,  

We just want to focus on protecting the President. We all know you’re loyal.

         Hutchinson broke with her Passantino after he counseled her not to correct untruthful testimony in her second examination by the Committee. Hutchinson testified about the moment Passantino told her to lie by saying “I don’t recall” when she did recall the facts elicited by the Committee’s questioning:

I looked at Stefan, and I said, “Stefan, I am f*****d.”

And he was like, ��Don’t freak out. You’re fine.”

I said. “No, Stefan, I’m f****d. I just lied.”

And he said, “You didn’t lie.

I said, “No, Stefan. Do you know how many times they just asked me that

question? I just lied.”

And he said, “They don’t know what you know, Cassidy. They don’t know that you can recall some of these things. So you saying ‘I don’t recall’ is an entirely acceptable response to this.”

         If Trump’s corrupt lawyers suborned perjury with Cassidy Hutchison, it is reasonable to infer they provided the same advice to other witnesses. Stefan Passantino will likely be disbarred and prosecuted. If he hopes to avoid a lengthy prison term, he should begin cooperating with special counsel Jack Smith ASAP.

         And so it begins. All it takes is one witness who tells the truth. That allows prosecutors to flip other witnesses up the chain. The walls surrounding the Mafia don are beginning to crumble and he is losing his ability to punish those who betray him. Because of one courageous 26-year-old staffer, the most corrupt president in history may finally be held to account for his crimes and be sentenced to prison.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[thing4olderladies]

Stop objectifying women, but...

Can we stop with the "Stop seeing women in sexual terms" please? The whole self-righteous whatever feminism wave we're on with "Don't objectify women."

Just stop. Please.

I agree with "Stop seeing women ONLY as sexual things" or "Stop judging women by how fuckable you think they are." That I agree with. If you go to a dentist or lawyer and she's not hot and that's why you don't go back, fuck you. If you respect your woman boss because she's smart and gets shit done, but you're also trying to nail her, stop.

But...

Let's say you travel to a conference for work and someone you know introduces you to these three ladies. All your friend says is "This is Denise, Mary and Sue. Friends of mine." and you move on.

They could be world class lawyer. Leading doctors saving thousands of lives. They might be average mid-level managers. They could be moms of attendees. You don't know.

But if you tell someone "Man, the blond on the left it hot" you will be labelled an abuser and misogynist and harasser and toxic male.

You know what? She is hot. There is nothing wrong with thinking that. All you know about her is how she looks. And you're attracted to her. Good. If I were one of these ladies and I met someone in passing like that and someone later told me "That guy Daniel thinks you're 🔥" I'd be 💦💦💦💦💦💦!!!!! It's not a threat or an insult. I want to feel sexy and desirable. "That guy wants to fuck you" might make me wonder if he's dangerous, but someone finds me attractive? Yes, please!

HOWEVER!!!! If the situation is "This is Denise, Mary and Sue. They're the investors I mentioned we'll be meeting later" it's a different story. If all you see them as are pretty facing and stunning bodies, fuck you. BUT, there is nothing wrong with seeing them as accomplished business women, confident and intelligent people some whose advise you should listen to... and pretty facing and stunning bodies. But they are your investors first.

Look, sexual harassment is real thing. Men whose first want is to get into your pants are a problem. A dangerous one. All they see you as is something--not someone--to fuck. It's about power.

And a man who sees you as intelligent and accomplished in your professional relationship, but also wants in your pants, is a problem if you don't want that. It's hard to focus on quarterly reports and try to look down my top at the same time. If you think I'm that hot, my tits are top of mind for you, not work. That's a problem.

But if I found out a male (or female) colleague who I used to work with, and we had a great working relationship, would fap to my pictures when he was home? That would be so hot. It would be awkward if we still worked together, though.

But we've gone to far. It's like outside a dating app men are forbidden to see women, or even think about them, as beautiful, stunning, desirable or sexy. Just wash it from your brains, guys. That cute redhead in the shorts and halter top, don't you dare look at her. Yes, maybe she wore it because it's comfortable or maybe she wants to be checked out. That's where boundaries are important. And don't stare or ogle her. That can get creepy. But to say you, in your head, can't think "Man, she's hot. I'd love to see her naked" is bullshit.

Oh, and SPOILERS: Women think men are hot, too. I have underdressed and fucked silly tons of guys in my head. And yes I get that a man is more dangerous to a woman than the other way around, but it's almost like this "Don't objectify women" is denying anything sexual about women.

I want to be seen as sexy. I want someone to fantasize about me in when masturbating or having sex with another woman. I'd love to find out a friend of a friend has a cute picture of me in their secret folder on their phone. I want my cleavage or short skirt or tight pants to distract you. BUT DO NOT HARASS ME, FOLLOW ME, CREEP ON ME OR CROSS MY BOUNDARIES IRL. THAT MAKES ME A THING TO YOU, NOT A WOMAN. But if you see me as a woman who makes you horny and excited... 💦💦💦💦💗💗💗💗💗🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.

That's my rant today.

Original post for the photo up top:

[snxwflxwers]

Character Task 001: Initial Sitdowns

“When did you last speak to Greer?”

There wasn’t a right answer to this question, but there was definitely a myriad of wrong ones. Telling a true lie was risky, but the truth was too expensive to give away this easily. She would have to settle for a middle ground, with enough wiggle room to escape if her words were brought into question. “I don’t really remember. We weren’t close, but we were family.” She put on a show of trying to think of an answer. That was important. They had to believe she was cooperating. “We probably texted at some point during the week she disappeared, but I erase my messages pretty often. There’s no way to know for sure.” 

“Why would you delete your messages? Do you have anything to hide?”

She had anticipated that question, so this time, Jiwon was prepared. “Our family has a reputation to keep.” Her words came out as a matter-of-fact, as if it should obvious to everyone else in the room. And honestly, it should. Although it wasn’t the entire truth, the habit had come from a legitimate place. “Even though I have nothing to hide, our family lawyer advised us to always keep the slate clean.” She shrugged, and brought on the big gun she’d been hiding. “I got doxxed one time when I was a teenager. Nothing happened, but that security breach got us all a little jumpy about online safety. Well, at least me and my parents. I don’t know if Greer and her siblings do the same thing.”

“When did you last actually see Greer?”

Once again, Jiwon put on a show of thinking about it, though this time it was honest. She didn’t remember the last time she’d seen Greer, especially in Ogden. Most of their communication came in the form of gossip from their peers or text messages, and the odd call that might have happened. “I don’t know. This is a big campus and she was a popular girl, so we almost never saw each other here. It was probably back home. We did see each other a lot back in Manhattan.”

“Was, did... It seems you might know something we don’t, miss Morrison.”

She looked down and away from their gaze, letting out a nervous chuckle. Touché. For a second, her mask almost slipped, but saying out loud that she thought Greer was either dead or being held captive would absolutely not make her look good. “She’s not here anymore. I suppose Greer’s still popular, but I doubt I’ll see her in Manhattan this year. That is, unless you stick to your question instead of making baseless accusations.” 

“How well did you know Greer?”

She shrugged once more. What else was there to say? That was a simple enough question, just as long as she kept the complicated parts of it in the shadows. “She’s my cousin. I know her well enough, but probably less than her closer friends.” Which was true, though once again, not the entire truth.

“What was your relationship with Greer like?”

There was no point in lying or trying to hide anything. Surely, the rumors had already reached the police, and contradicting would only make her look guilty. “We were... Competitive. All in good fun, I assure you. It was friendly, because we’re both overachievers.” It pained her to put Greer, the eternal social butterfly that never applied herself to anything, at the same level as herself. 

“Have you heard or seen anything about where she was this summer?”

For the first time during that entire questioning session, Jiwon could be fully honest. “No. I don’t know anything.” She said, shortly. There was no reason to get caught up into that by adding anything. 

“You wouldn’t have wanted Greer to disappear, would you?”

Greer was her cousin. The answer was so obvious that she almost scoffed before answering, outraged anyone would even ask her that. Blood is thicker than water. Their parents always told them to take care of each other, because their family put a target on their backs for every type of scammer and gold digger. What did it say about her, then, that she was about to lie? “You’re joking, right? We might not have seen eye to eye, sometimes but...” She trailed off, eyes getting lost somewhere far away. Were they ever close? Friends, even? Maybe when they were toddlers, though even then Greer loved antagonizing Jiwon’s aloofness. She shook her head and put on the most offended expression she could muster. “She was my cousin. Maybe instead of trying to get answers that I don’t have out of me, you should be out there, investigating.” She rolled her eyes and got up to stomp away.

[douxlen]

How U.K. Immigration Lawyers Became a Target of Far-Right Riots

New Post has been published on https://douxle.com/2024/08/10/how-u-k-immigration-lawyers-became-a-target-of-far-right-riots/

How U.K. Immigration Lawyers Became a Target of Far-Right Riots

On Monday, Harjap Singh Banghal got an unexpected call from the police, who warned him that he had become the target of far-right activist groups amid ongoing riots across the U.K. A renowned immigration lawyer whose offices in London and Birmingham regularly assist asylum seekers with their claims, Banghal’s work landed his name on a list—which includes up to 60 names of individual lawyers, law offices, immigration centers, and refugee shelters—being circulated on social media platforms with the phrase, “no more immigration.”

The 49-year-old lawyer from Romford, Essex, says he shut down his offices on Tuesday after the police advised him to stay home. “It’s been a mixture of anxiety and concern for my employees because our company feeds 15 families,” he says. “There’s also concern for my clients, who are coming into the office with their children, so I didn’t want anything happening to any of them.” 

The U.K. is facing its worst riots in 13 years as far-right groups lead anti-immigration uprisings across the country, sparked by the spread of misinformation that a Muslim asylum seeker had stabbed three young girls in Southport on July 29. A U.K. judge eventually revealed the suspect as Axel Rudakubana, who is not a Muslim, but by Monday night, a Telegram group had grown to 15,000 members, with the lawyer hit-list reposted several times since.

Read More: How Online Misinformation Stoked Anti-Migrant Riots in Britain

More than 400 rioters have been arrested in connection so far. On Tuesday, authorities braced for more violence with police chiefs saying they would deploy an extra 2,200 riot-trained officers to combat any unrest spreading across the country. Those targeted on the list have been offered extra security measures to prevent potential attacks, particularly in instances where offices are based inside residential homes.

Immigration has become a heated debate in the U.K. after it was reported that almost 45,000 people crossed the English Channel in 2022—the highest number since the government began collecting data in 2018. In response, the Conservative Party-led government under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak engaged in a prolonged but unsuccessful battle in the courts and in Parliament to pass legislation that would allow the country to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The plan cost nearly £220 million, but no migrants were ever deported to the East African country.  Since coming into power in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated he plans to curb small boat arrivals to the U.K. by taking tougher measures to “smash” criminal people-smugglers. 

Read More: How Online Misinformation Stoked Anti-Migrant Riots in Britain

Banghal, the immigration lawyer, says that comments made by members of the last government have nevertheless contributed to the far-right threats he now faces. Last August, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman vowed to “root out” “crooked immigration lawyers” in response to reports that some law firms were offering to submit false asylum claims for a fee. 

“The last government was very clear that it was anti-immigration lawyers, and when you start validating that, it becomes an unsafe zone,” says Banghal. “I’m just doing my job, just like doctors, nurses, and teachers are doing theirs.”

One immigration lawyer on the hit-list was repeatedly threatened and eventually forced to take her website down and cancel all her face-to-face appointments. “People have been calling up my office to threaten and insult me,” she told the BBC.

The Law Society of England and Wales said it was continuing to support any members on the target list to ensure their safety after its president, Nick Emerson, wrote to Starmer, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to express concerns. 

“These threats against our legal profession were an attack on our democratic values,” Emmerson said in a statement to TIME. “Now is the time for our country and our leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the rule of law. They must ensure that all those who have committed crimes in recent days face swift justice.”

Another professional association, the Law Society and Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA), released a statement saying it had personally contacted all the organizations on the target list to make them aware of recommended safety measures, including working from home where possible.

“The planned targeting of immigration lawyers, and the individuals they represent, is the natural inheritance of a climate of hostility fuelled by divisive, anti-migrant, and populist rhetoric from senior politicians in previous Governments and certain parts of the media, upon which the far-right have latched,” ILPA Legal Director Zoe Bantleman said. 

On Tuesday, Starmer convened a second Cobra crisis response meeting to take “all necessary action” to end the unrest spreading across the country after the government set up overnight courts to deal with the flood of cases arising from the riots. 

Banghal, who reopened his legal offices on Wednesday morning, says the riots seem like a way to “play off marginalized people against each other to suit a narrative.” But he adds that he has also received a wave of support from the local authorities and his community. “I’m cautious and alert, but I’m not going to live my life in fear for doing my job,” he says.