Somewhere in the Sweet Jazz Museum, a haunted typewriter tick-a-tacks away from its corner of the storage room, hauntings of content-starved ghosts pulling together to create...
Ramblings From The Ether!
Why is the typewriter haunted?
Trixie broke the 'No Touching' rule ONE TIME.
Assorted Epithet Erased AUs, headcanons, and/or other random ideas to pore over or use while waiting for the next book to be announced/released! General interaction guidelines below.
Asks/Submissions
If you have questions/additions to any of our posts, or any ideas/suggestions of your own, feel free to send them in!
Shipping/Romance
This is not a shipping or ship-focused blog. In almost all cases, our content is non-romantic and strictly follows canon orientations and relationships. Suggesting attraction between characters in asks/submissions is acceptable in most circumstances as long as the idea itself isn't centered around shipping/romance, but we won't dabble in anything we find unsuitable for the blog.
NSFW/Mature Content
For the most part, this blog will not do mature or NSFW content. Blood and horror may rarely be involved, but anything beyond that will not.
Prison of Plastic, Anime Campaign, & Spoilers
Most of this blog's content won't have any major spoilers for Prison of Plastic, and none of it will have any (intentional) spoilers for Anime Campaign (which we have not watched). Any posts that do contain spoilers for Prison of Plastic will be tagged with "epithet spoilers".
And with that, enjoy continuing to explore the epithet erased tag!
Any tips for writing Feenie, Trixie, and Rick? As far as I understood their characters, my guide to write them is:
Feenie:
Polite and elegant speaking, but says absurd things
Has zero "Fight or flight" rensponse
Extremely determined to be on Santa's list of good kids in first place
Calls people "*Name* dear"
Rich as hell
Not dumb but still a dumbass
Over-emotional as hell
Will give you a lecture about why pickles are good for eating even if you didn't want them in your burger (??)
Trixie:
Has a bit of an accent
Doesn't swear
Makes up funny words and gives "affectionate" nicknames
Streetsmart but bad at school
Likes to mess with Feenie
"Sour-outside-but-sweet-inside," except that we skipped the arc where she is sour outside, and we know that she is sweet inside
The protective friend who'll tell the cashier that you didn't want pickles in your burger
It is naturally scary despite looking like a stress toy
Has emotional depth (TM)
Rick:
*Ocean from Ride the Cyclone's voice* "And he is a freaky monster!!"
Speaks politely, but yells a lot
Has like zero social skills and maybe zero social boundaries as well
DOESN'T lie about his past, his life is just that crazy, but he looks on the verge of a mental breakdown and has zero friends and looks pathetic so people just don't believe him.
Good boy. Would die for you.
The friend you can give the pickles you didn't want in your burger
Much chiller as "Odi"
Has a skewed idea of what friendship is due to his powers and backstory
Scared of a strangely specific list of things (e.g. the color orange????) due to walking in on an adult Halloween party one time
Superhuman memory and puzzle-solving skills, absolutely garbage in literally any other skill or field
Can be pretty smug and patronising when it comes to Rich People Things
Anger responses range from whining (moderate anger) to pouty snark* (extreme rage)
*"Be nice to me!"
Trixie:
Has terrible misanthropic social anxiety and masks it with creepiness / freak behavior / general menace
Their potions / supernatural powers are super real and super magic and don't question them they'll get extremely insecure about it
Same Goblin King genetics as Giovanni Potage
Mean to her friends
Stick It To The Man dot mp4
"Roger dodger!"
Rick:
I'd actually argue his social skills are...okay well he can't interact with people for shit, but he's more insightful and empathic than he seems at first glance
Really plays up the Powerful Wizard Theatrics of his Rick Shades character (but can drop it at a moment's notice)
Extremely high tolerance, both physically and emotionally, but also so, so starved for food, for shelter, for friendship anything really HE EATS PAPER
Surprisingly very good combat tactician, becomes very sane in high-stress situations
Have been thinking of an Epithet Erased Umamusume AU recently. And for better or worse the decision has been made to release this with no regard for the ecosystem.
Also to prevent confusion, the characters will keep their original pronouns until a complete AU counterpart is made, or if complaints reach the dual digits.
So Here's Some of The Highlights so far:
Most likely all the characters were isekai'd to Tracen Academy. They all will each be imagined a 'real horse' backstory to explain their new umamusume designs (which in turn are based on their EE designs) and nicknames.
So far Molly, Giovanni, and Trixie have their concepts done out. Feenie's was half done but her's was a bit too close to Evil Nice Nature's build for comfort
Giovanni's design is basically Vincent Murder without the mask. He might still have a villain persona to be all dramatic and such (which oddly enough might give him a good dynamic with T.M. Opera O).
Imagine Giovanni having a dramatic rivalry with T.M. Opera O. They might even have a mutually beneficial dynamic (Giovanni is not one to avoid the opportunity to praise someone else for their efforts at self expression, while Opera O by nature gives others a goalpost to beat plus a free narrative by the Conqueror herself for such a conflict).
Giovanni's 'RL' horse counterpart perhaps earned the nickname of the 'Golden (Hearted) Villain' because he didn't hesitate to aggressively clash side-by-side with other rival horses that tried to block him, but turned around (at the first opportunity given by the jockey) towards another horse or jockey that fell in the middle of the race.
So far Trixie's concept is a cross between Agnes Tachyon's eccentricities and Manhatten Cafe's supernatural "I see a ghost who bothers me" theme. Not sure how to develop it further of that though.
Molly is likely a Wit-reliant End Closer (which also requires Power, which her canon bear claws from Prison Of Plastic and silence bubble which can be a debuff giving ability or something allow better maneuvering). Special abilities might revolve around her bear claws and silence bubble from canon.
Originally Feenie was to be the one funding the gang's education in Tracen Academy (she carries around amounts of money that will have to be declared in crossing customs), but decided against that for obvious reasons (no currency exchange potential).
Have been thinking of an Epithet Erased Umamusume AU recently. And for better or worse the decision has been made to release this with no regard for the ecosystem.
Also to prevent confusion, the characters will keep their original pronouns until a complete AU counterpart is made, or if complaints reach the dual digits.
So Here's Some of The Highlights so far:
Most likely all the characters were isekai'd to Tracen Academy. They all will each be imagined a 'real horse' backstory to explain their new umamusume designs (which in turn are based on their EE designs) and nicknames.
So far Molly, Giovanni, and Trixie have their concepts done out. Feenie's was half done but her's was a bit too close to Evil Nice Nature's build for comfort
Giovanni's design is basically Vincent Murder without the mask. He might still have a villain persona to be all dramatic and such (which oddly enough might give him a good dynamic with T.M. Opera O).
Imagine Giovanni having a dramatic rivalry with T.M. Opera O. They might even have a mutually beneficial dynamic (Giovanni is not one to avoid the opportunity to praise someone else for their efforts at self expression, while Opera O by nature gives others a goalpost to beat plus a free narrative by the Conqueror herself for such a conflict).
Giovanni's 'RL' horse counterpart perhaps earned the nickname of the 'Golden (Hearted) Villain' because he didn't hesitate to aggressively clash side-by-side with other rival horses that tried to block him, but turned around (at the first opportunity given by the jockey) towards another horse or jockey that fell in the middle of the race.
So far Trixie's concept is a cross between Agnes Tachyon's eccentricities and Manhatten Cafe's supernatural "I see a ghost who bothers me" theme. Not sure how to develop it further of that though.
Molly is likely a Wit-reliant End Closer (which also requires Power, which her canon bear claws from Prison Of Plastic and silence bubble which can be a debuff giving ability or something allow better maneuvering). Special abilities might revolve around her bear claws and silence bubble from canon.
When it comes to criminal affairs, a strong external ally can be just as vital to a racket as the strength of the racketeer themselves; and when it comes to strength of any kind, Detective Percival King is as good as anyone can ask for. Having left the lead-littered ruins of the Great War behind her, Percy now battles to maintain peace and safety in the criminal boiling pot that is the United States, under the overwatch of a deal made with a certain crime family.
Background.
Born in a village bordering Cambrai, Percival King was dropped right into the middle of the Belle Époque, and her life in France was largely defined by a short-lived era of societal overhauls and tumultuous politics. Gifted with a preternatural precocity and a portfolio of peculiar interests which included masonry, engineering, law, and swordplay, she swiftly and thoroughly took to educating herself on all topics immediately and potentially relevant to her life, before it was so violently disrupted by the advent of the Great War.
When war arrived in France and the German army struck Cambrai, Percy took it upon herself to help her country fight back in any manner possible. Usually, this involved playing the role of field medic, building and repairing makeshift fortifications ad nauseam, and even manning the guns and mortars herself, if not duelling enemy combatants in person. She had long become accustomed to the rhythms and rituals of battle by the time she was forced to evacuate by the oncoming Battle of Cambrai.
Following the scorching of the city and the German forces’ retreat, and after managing a sincere—if vain—attempt to restore her hometown, Percy eventually followed a close friend to the States in search of new opportunities. Managing to bring along an entire mortar from the battlefield, she soon landed a career in law enforcement in the small, border-facing Sweet Jazz City, where her talent for crime-fighting and fighting in general soon attracted the attention of the city’s most prominent crime family. And thankfully, one more interested in peace and order than violence…somewhat.
Relations.
Despite taking a healthy caution in regards to the members of Bliss Ocean, Percy does have her share of attachments within its ranks. Chief of which are her surrogate affection for Molly Blyndeff and her close friends, as well as her unexpected acquaintance with Professional Lying Rat Bastard™ Ramsey Murdoch, who occasionally helps her administrate the balance of order and chaos in the city.
Deeper within Bliss Ocean’s ranks, Percy often remains contentious towards the family’s less savoury members, but she does hold some duty of care for the younger Sylvie and Giovanni, as well as recognising and highly respecting the former’s precocious talent, and she does her best to reciprocate Rick and Indus’ endless (if unsettling) friendliness towards her. She keeps her distance otherwise, but expressly appreciates what loose morality and discipline the family occasionally displays.
Bliss Ocean Report.
It’s nothing new for criminal syndicates to pay off or work with the slouches and sleazebags of law enforcement to dodge the ire of its more thorough officers, especially come the legislative fustercluck that is the Eighteenth Amendment. However, when along comes a detective so lightning-minded, so capable yet eccentric, so dedicated and yet empathic as Percival King, how could I not chance the risks to add her boon to our family’s firepower?
Far and away one of the most capable members of Sweet Jazz City’s police force, all of Detective King’s apparent quirks seem to disappear in the heat of battle behind a commanding assuredness and flurry of combat prowess. Her military history is readily visible in her tactical wit and preference for the longsword over conventional urban weaponry, and for someone with such a seemingly absurd moral code, she can be deceptively pragmatic and crafty in combat, especially when lives are at stake.
Having had the great pleasure of discussing civil matters with the great detective on several occasions, her unique mind stands out even past the little absurdities of her personality, and perhaps even in service to them. She has a distinctly…three-dimensional perspective to things, both in and out of combat, directly informed by her passion for engineering and extensive experience in rural warfare. Even her defensive, counter-focused fighting style and acrobatic skill seem apparent to me in our conversations, in the way she observes and reacts to situations.
Dr. Ashling and I can best describe Percy’s psychological profile as…’circular’. Every part of her craft, skillset, and fighting style owes itself to, and in turn heavily influences, every other part of her mindset and personality. Perhaps this interconnected web of principles, insights, and spatial awareness is also the explanation for the fact that she owns a mortar. A…mortar. From the war. A mortar that—perhaps fortunately so—sees little use in her line of work…so far. Time will tell whether her symbiosis with our little syndicate will necessitate its deployment once more.
On the subject of her relationship as a police detective to Bliss Ocean, though…being honest, I’m not worried. As I’ve said, Percy can be surprisingly pragmatic, and so far she’s been more than willing to look at things from my perspective. More importantly, she trusts my word, and recognises the value in our grip over the city’s underworld. She’s even begun to acquaint herself with some of our family, most notably Molly, for…what I suppose are obvious reasons. In any case, it’ll be interesting indeed to see how we can fully utilise her unique capabilities…
Not much to ramble today but imagine Frostpunk 2 but reskinned so you are essentially rebuilding Deepwood Country following the Aminata Disaster.
Instead of clearing ice, perhaps now you are clearing wildland in a way that does not over damage the environment (or instead choose to clear it all out) while juggling massive corporate powers funding your city project, and managing intercommunal tensions boiling over as in the original game (but perhaps with a greater emphasis on class conflict and intersectionality with environmentalism and other causes that could be depicted).
Each type of district in FP2 already has a unique colour in the UI; with Deepwood Country's coloured lights having meaning, this new Deepwood Simulation could see multicoloured districts lighting up the dark.
Also perhaps the secret police reskinned are basically the white-robed lethal enforcers.
One day a portal opens between Taiga Country (or any other EE country if you so desire) and yours, what do you imagine happening?
Do you imagine awkward-til-tension-defusing cultural exchanges? How can you imagine world logic varrying for those that cross here and there? What food would Howie Honeyglow approve of from your homeland?
Under what circumstances and story do you imagine seeing your favourite EE character across the street, how would you meet?
What if instead of finding a generator site (since Percy's evacuating group was just sent in a random direction to prevent overcrowding the other generator sites), they crashed into the side of a dormant volcano/exposed 'geothermal vent' (following the theory that the Great Frost was partially caused by overpowered eruptions of Krakatoa).
Thus, the initial gameplay quest involves finishing an abandoned not-quite-complete geothermal power plant project to act as a heat source.
Perhaps later in the story it was determined that they would not have enough steam cores or other unique resources (even after a few side quests in exploration) to upgrade the completed plant to a degree that it can fully heat an above ground settlement. Thus bringing in a dilemma:
1) *Scrapping the damaged dreadnought* that brought Percy's people here for critical parts (and thus removing the possibility of a 'safe' escape into the frostland and a second chance)
2) *Raid a nearby outpost* that the former scientists who built the site escaped to that is run by a military junta (posing a moral question of stealing to survive plus the element of does standing against evil permit unrestrained measures for one's own interests)*.
*Here is another potential to include Bliss Ocean reforming and proposing negotiating with the junta or destabilising the junta, or to negotiate with the scientists who's support is an unknown variable
3) *Maintain both* the subpar (but still remarkably working) geothermal plant and the damaged dreadnaught as heat sources. While the heat output of both is smaller than with a single generator tower, at least the entire settlement does not rely on only one heat source plus the future possibility that the damaged land dreadnaught could be rebuilt (when enough materials are made available in the future).
4) (Unlockable if Percy/The Player permits the risky expansion of underground chambers to redirect the flow of heat to cover a wider area**) *Using the big drills* found in caved-in French rail tunnels, dig larger tunnels and 'safer' chambers to allow people to live between the hot magma below and the cold surface above.
**Consequences may include small spots of the settlement map becoming off-limits to construction as geysers burst through the loosened earth.
One idea in including Phoenica Fleecity as a noticed background character could be to pose it as "oh dear, the general's kid is with us" and the background story of how she gets along (or not) with the other children (of various less fortunate backgrounds), and ends up becoming friends with Molly (another background character now).
Then, when the Soldiers' Outpost is met, the news may be brought that Percy's mentor/father figure and Feenie's dad are dead; the latter in the outpost which offers Feenie the chance to leave to pay her respects for a bonus in relations with the rogue soldiers' junta (making it possible to make a devil's deal with the outpost). If the outpost is to be raided, Feenie may be at risk.
What if instead of finding a generator site (since Percy's evacuating group was just sent in a random direction to prevent overcrowding the other generator sites), they crashed into the side of a dormant volcano/exposed 'geothermal vent' (following the theory that the Great Frost was partially caused by overpowered eruptions of Krakatoa).
Thus, the initial gameplay quest involves finishing an abandoned not-quite-complete geothermal power plant project to act as a heat source.
Perhaps later in the story it was determined that they would not have enough steam cores or other unique resources (even after a few side quests in exploration) to upgrade the completed plant to a degree that it can fully heat an above ground settlement. Thus bringing in a dilemma:
1) *Scrapping the damaged dreadnought* that brought Percy's people here for critical parts (and thus removing the possibility of a 'safe' escape into the frostland and a second chance)
2) *Raid a nearby outpost* that the former scientists who built the site escaped to that is run by a military junta (posing a moral question of stealing to survive plus the element of does standing against evil permit unrestrained measures for one's own interests)*.
*Here is another potential to include Bliss Ocean reforming and proposing negotiating with the junta or destabilising the junta, or to negotiate with the scientists who's support is an unknown variable
3) *Maintain both* the subpar (but still remarkably working) geothermal plant and the damaged dreadnaught as heat sources. While the heat output of both is smaller than with a single generator tower, at least the entire settlement does not rely on only one heat source plus the future possibility that the damaged land dreadnaught could be rebuilt (when enough materials are made available in the future).
4) (Unlockable if Percy/The Player permits the risky expansion of underground chambers to redirect the flow of heat to cover a wider area**) *Using the big drills* found in caved-in French rail tunnels, dig larger tunnels and 'safer' chambers to allow people to live between the hot magma below and the cold surface above.
**Consequences may include small spots of the settlement map becoming off-limits to construction as geysers burst through the loosened earth.
Just imagine Percival King as the Captain of a generator outpost of meant-to-perish evacuees (their evacuation land dreadnaught was sent off in a random direction to increase the chances of the Rich's survival) consisting of children, not the most compliant young adults, and criminals without conviction (no time to hunt down assassins or artifact thieves when the world is ending).
Percy's sword is a relic some stowaway smuggled on board the land dreadnought (battleship-sized evacuation vehicle), I can imagine it ending up becoming her symbol of authority as interim-then-undisputed captain of the settlement she builds.
Perhaps if we want a thematic representation of tension, we could borrow some Sword of Damocles visual by installing a downwards facing sword design in the front of the generator. And when Percy makes a speech in front of it, the perspective from below the stage should make a striking visual.
Anyways, if the entire Epithet Erased cast is here... Bliss Ocean definitely makes an interesting challenge gameplay-wise (imagine this story as a scenario in Frostpunk 1).
Just imagine Percival King as the Captain of a generator outpost of meant-to-perish evacuees (their evacuation land dreadnaught was sent off in a random direction to increase the chances of the Rich's survival) consisting of children, not the most compliant young adults, and criminals without conviction (no time to hunt down assassins or artifact thieves when the world is ending).
The Roaring Twenties is a time of conflict, crime, and chaos—but chaos is opportunity, and the inexplicably salmon-haired Giovanni Potage is a professional agent of it. Currently under Naven’s employ after falling out with a much larger gang, he leads the majority of Bliss Ocean’s soldiers with little other than a vandalised baseball bat, a cooking pot of tricks, and a reckless confidence only matched by his sheer dumb luck and unconventional faculties.
Background.
Giovanni Potage was born to a small immediate family of two mothers in the Chinese diaspora of the US, and close relatives to the legendary crime family known as the Roughhouses. His upbringing was largely informed by honoured family traditions and festive gatherings, the ripples of the Great War overseas, and the growing cultural obsessions of baseball and motorsports in the States. The values of respect, diligence, and unity were deeply instilled in him since childhood, just as much as his taste for brazen rebellion and troublesome aptitude for making a weapon out of anything he could pick up.
Hungry for excitement, surrounded by an extended family versed in crime, and perpetually cruising for a bruising, Giovanni was soon enveloped by a strange aspiration: To become the greatest criminal name in the United States of America. He quickly found himself in a notorious, nationwide criminal group known as the Banzai Blasters, where his natural charisma and unusual, uncanny instincts would soon earn him a small company of deathly-loyal soldiers and an early promotion to captain (and help him to survive the job, at that!)
Giovanni first met Naven by proxy of Molly, who he had befriended early into the Prohibition during an operation gone-awry, and who he proceeded to protect from the chaos of said operation. When the organisational fallout of that night’s events revealed to him the true penny-pinching, dog-eat-dog mentality that suffused the Banzai Blasters’ ranks, Giovanni swiftly left the gang, bringing along his loyal crew of “boys” and a gang-spanning grudge with him. Naven quickly saw the unique assets and potential of the young rogue, and would soon approach him with a new, once-in-a-lifetime job offer. And what kind of aspiring criminal legend could refuse?
Relations.
Though he serves Naven and Bliss Ocean with diligence, Giovanni’s loyalties lie ultimately with his own “boys”. Notable among them is his younger cousin Trixie, of the Roughhouse crime family; as well as the resident foundling, Molly Blyndeff, who he has developed a remarkable compassion for, even serving as a sort of surrogate guardian towards her in her family’s absence. By proxy of the two, he also maintains a somewhat rivalrous acquaintance with Phoenica Fleecity and Dr. Sylvester Ashling.
Within the family’s inner rankings, Giovanni’s almost aggressive amiability—and frankly, his utter lack of social awareness—have also earned him the friendship of the equally-eccentric Rick Shades, the ever-friendly Indus Tarbella, and even a somewhat-amused Zora Salazar. As a largely-amateur criminal, he also admires and is close acquaintances with one Ramsey Murdoch, who has (resignedly) taken to mentoring Giovanni and “making sure the kid doesn’t get himself killed”.
Bliss Ocean Report.
In a business where saying or doing the wrong thing can cost you immeasurably, secrecy and anonymity tend to be valued luxuries; which I suppose is why my colleagues in the underworld find so perplexing my decision to place the notoriously loud, painfully unsubtle Giovanni Potage under my employ. But I do have my reasons, and he does have his traits that set him apart from the common gangster.
Given the young villain’s penchant for making general mayhem, it’s easy to miss just how excellent Giovanni is at making targeted mayhem when he wants to, especially when working in tandem with a team (or a teammate, failing that). Though not necessarily a gifted strategist, Giovanni is a remarkable improviser with seemingly no bounds to his creativity in combat, capable of fashioning life-saving plans out of the most ridiculous of circumstances. His talent with his favourite baseball bat especially is not to be underestimated…although his choice of embellishments for the signature weapon (knives??) can certainly be questionable.
Giovanni also appears to possess some stranger attributes which admittedly interest me somewhat, on top of simply being quite useful. Catastrophe seems to tail the teen wherever he’s directed to create chaos, but no matter the destruction that inevitably befalls the crime scene, he’s never been dragged away with more than a dozen or so scrapes and bruises (and the occasional concussion or dislocated shoulder). Ramsey pins the blame for the damage done on his “lucky” number, 13, which the otherwise-chronically dyscalculic Giovanni keeps count of with a strange obsession. Given his uncanny survivability and tendency to inflict the most devastating attacks at nigh-miraculous moments, I’d argue the accursed number is what’s keeping him alive.
Then there is the matter of…Giovanni’s soup. His soup, which is not only the strongest and spiciest I have ever smelled and tasted of a meal (and seasoned to perfection as far as anyone can attest), but also capable of spontaneous resuscitation, temporary adrenaline production, and sometimes even a minor increase to natural healing. Giovanni has attempted to explain this away as the work of a ‘family recipe’, which explains…well, nothing, and the effects aren’t even always consistent or guaranteed. Nonetheless, he’s never seen without a cooking pot full of it on hand, and he swears it has been a major boon in those missions that come to bullets and blows. I still dare not challenge this claim.
But Giovanni’s greatest asset to us, by far, is his charisma and his compassion. Just during his time working for the Banzai Blasters alone, he’s managed to earn the veritably undying loyalty of six of his peers, largely simply by being true to himself and kind to those around him. He has also taken it upon himself to care for our goddaughter Molly, who I think could benefit from his guidance and infectious confidence more than anyone…despite his criminal aspirations. Giovanni Potage is a chaotic, contradictory character indeed, a wild card to be sure; and personally, I’m almost as eager as I am nervous to see what becomes of his career in Bliss Ocean.
This isn't an AU idea or anything, but I do think it's neat how Giovanni's lucky number is 13, and Molly gets the best bit of good fortune she's had in years in chapter 13 of PoP
We had a gag where the target is a mafia boss fleeing (upon hearing news that Zora is coming) into his car; And Zora turns from the driver's seat saying "hella fellas!".
(Cut to external camera shot) Car proceeds to shake violently with muffled screams.
