#1930s detective au

[owlrolls]

OBLIGATORY (SUPER) LATE BDAY POST TO THE POOKIEST POOKIE EVER!!!!!

I hope you had a great day surrounded by gifts, cake and loved ones!!!

Here's my small offering!!

@froggi-mushroom

[froggi-mushroom]

Early August, 1934, Cornwall

Gabriel could feel his eye twitch, his brows furrowed.

“I told you that I am staying here, I simply misplaced my key.”

The porter eyed him, eyebrow raised and button-mouth pressed into a frown.

“Listen, I—”

“He’s with me.”

Gabriel looked beside him, blinked, was he dreaming?

“Madam, my apologies, I had no idea, please.” He gestured towards the restaurant, where Gabriel had been trying for the last ten minutes to get into to have what he hoped would be a peaceful lunch.

What?

Beside him, Edith (still as small as she once was, though softer, her hair longer and her eyes tired, so tired) made her way into the restaurant, barely even glancing at him. Not that he had the right to be offended, really, since they’d left off on such a bad note, almost a decade ago, Gabriel was shocked she even helped him at all.

“Well?” Edith asked finally, looking over her shoulders, her coat shrugged off, hat gone, dressed in a simple blouse and long skirt, and looking back at him with those wide eyes and coy smile that always brought him back to Biarritz, when Edith dragged him down to the beach, the sun caught in her hair, bleached blond strands from the sun, her face smattered with freckles, smiling back at him, so vivid in his mind, over 10 years later.

“Well?” Gabriel asked, dumbfounded.

“Well, are you going to join me? Surely you do not wish to dine alone. I know how much you hate being left with your thoughts.”

Gabriel smirked, “You’ll find I’ve grown to enjoy it in the years since we’ve last seen each other.”

Edith rolled her eyes, still petulant as ever, “I suppose if you truly do not wish to join me—”

“I will. Though you must know, I am expecting company soon.”

“A woman?”

“No, why?” he bit his tongue just before he added a sly would that make you jealous? to save himself the embarrassment. She wasn’t his to make jealous anymore.

“A world-renowned detective, and still pleasing on the eyes? I’m quite surprised you don’t constantly have a woman on your arm, frankly.” Edith frowned when Gabriel helped her with her chair, lighting her cigarette with so much vitriol, you’d think Gabriel had spat in her face rather than simply helped her with her chair, “I sure do hope you aren’t trying to butter me up, Silva, you and I both know that regardless of whatever case you’re working on, flattery will not help you when it comes to me—”

“Who says I am on a case?”

“When aren’t you?” Edith spat, coughing, eyes watery, a reminder.

“If you must know then, I am not just joining you this afternoon simply to catch up,” he pulled a small card invitation out of his pocket, sliding it towards Edith for her to inspect, “It is why I am here, it is written in your name, but it’s not your handwriting.”

“Curious…” Edith trailed off, “and it coincides with when I was due to visit? I can assure you, Gabriel, I had no part in this.”

“I believe you.”

“Hmm,” Edith looked up at him, smiling, “You still recognise my handwriting?”

“Well, I am technically paid to notice stuff like that.” And it’s you, he thinks, how could I forget?

“So you are investigating me?” Edith asks, wry smile on her face, “Or at least, you think there is a case to be had here.”

“Well, impersonation is a crime, I ought to find out who has done this and why—”

“Am I to presume that you both will be having high tea?”

Gabriel felt a foot nudge his, looking up from the invitation and seeing Edith eyeing him, her eyebrow raised. Hm? Oh!

“I’m alright with that.”

The waiter nodded and left.

“You were saying?”

“Hmm…” Gabriel scratched his chin, “I was saying that impersonation is a crime, but I’m not so sure this counts, you know?”

“You’ll give yourself a headache if you keep agonising over it, dear.”

Gabriel smiled, nudging Edith’s foot across from him, trailing it up her leg, “You know, it’s been so long since we last saw each other—”

“And I treasure the time we’ve spent apart, I still remember thise l sleepless nights, staying awake whilst you worked away in your office.” Edith spat, moving her leg away and rustling around her bag.

“Please, like your ex husband was ever any better to you.”

Edith stopped, looked up at him, cold.

“At least he put me first for once.”

Obligatory @owlrolls tag because tumblr doesn’t always show my posts to her and vice versa

This is born out of me reading and researching a lot about Daphne Du Maurier for my English coursework, gaining a sudden interest in murder mysteries and visiting the Savoy for my 18th birthday almost 7 months ago. Oh, this has been rotting in my drafts for a while. Also, the random mention of Biarritz is in reference to my dear old mother who went on a business trip there with an accountancy firm back when she worked up London still and said it was very nice there

This is still technically a WIP because I wanna rework the dialogue and the pacing so here’s to hoping me posting this and seeing Owl’s inevitable outpour of excitement will encourage me to finally finish this

I have a lot of ideas for this story that I’m hoping I can do justice, it’s a lot different for me cuz I need to actually be clever about how I write it cuz it’ll be all murder-mystery alongside two ex lovers rekindling their relationship

[bam-bo0zle]

1930s Au.

[pappelsiin]

thinking about crystal who's stuck in a form between life and death, a girl who died in her time only to resurface decades later in a body too warm and solid for a ghost but a soul halfway out of the vessel it's tied to. she's more energy than she is human and thus, maybe she won't have to watch niko grieve as crystal ages (she wouldn't, she'd never feel as though crystal is leaving, but rather thank the universe for letting her hold crystal's hand through it all), maybe this form will withstand the test of time better than her living self could've.

and then there's the monty of it all. no one knows whether monty can sustain himself without crystal, with the familial tie they share now. monty doesn't fear, though, because he can not let such things weigh him down when there are two ghosts, two boys who're so incredibly alive, holding him through the nights he can't seem to settle down on.

just, the things decades in the human world does to five people who are all more or less dead. four of them reminiscing a time they can't go back to and one trying to learn what it is to be a ghost.

[shi-yin-drawings]

Detective Azaliah thinks Riley is hiding something, but she isn't too pleased about being a suspect.

Also included a no subs version and the rough sketch below!

[lady-wallace]

Abbacchio Week Day 5: The Story in Your Eyes

For today's @abbacchioweek2024 fic I'm playing with my 1930s AU which up to this point has mostly been headcanons and some various art I've done. I think this might be the first time I've written first person for a character that was not an OC but tried to replicate a noir style narration for Abbacchio here. This AU is set in New York City

~~~~~~~

New York, 1932

It was a quiet night. A bit surprising, honestly, what with all the growing tensions between various gangs—one of which I had, perhaps foolishly, gotten myself embroiled with.

I lit up a cigarette as I stepped out of the restaurant I had come to frequent as of late. The back room had become a little too familiar to me, filled with smoke and discussion, broken up only by the asinine arguments of the young rips my new ‘business partner’ seemed intent on surrounding himself with.

I’d asked him once why he took in a bunch of kids who were more likely to shoot themselves in the foot than enforce protection in his territory and he’d told me firmly that they were good kids. Good kids. Heh. None of us were very good, but that was just what Bucciarati was like, seeing the best in people. He’d tried to do the same to me and I had promptly told him that he was being an idiot. Not that it stopped him, but he’s stubborn like that.

Still, I guess he wasn’t wrong. They weren’t bad kids, they’d just been dealt bad hands—much like the rest of us. Except that new Giovanna prick. I’d thought Fugo was a smug little shit when I first met him but he doesn’t hold a candle to the new blond-haired bastard Bucciarati had picked up. I wasn’t usually in the habit of questioning his judgement, but I was coming close with this one.

I exhaled a cloud of smoke into the night air before tucking my hand into my pocket. I wished for a moment that I hadn’t started attempting to replace my nightcap with a smoke to varying effect. I could really use one tonight.

Bucciarati had a good heart despite his chosen profession, and I knew he wanted change as much as the rest of us did. But I just got the feeling in my soul that Giovanna and his grand ideas were going to cause trouble one of these days—with the certainty that I would somehow be dragged along with it.

I wasn’t entirely wrong, if not slightly mistaken in my original judgement. If anything, Giorno Giovanna was a harbinger with an angel’s countenance, heralding the devil close on our heels. Because it was that night, about a week after Giovanna joined Bucciarati’s team that she showed up.

She was waiting in my office when I got back after the meeting. I never locked the door in case a client needed to get inside—all my important paperwork was hidden in the back of my closet in my apartment and I had been grateful for my constant paranoia on more than one occassion.

She was young, that was the first thing I noticed, couldn’t be older than sixteen and her clothing was expensive and well put together; a gold and emerald necklace around her neck that I could tell even in the dim lighting wasn’t paste.

But it was her eyes that struck me most of all. As emerald as the stone around her neck holding a look of desperation and fear that would have caught the attention of Bucciarati a mile away. She was in some kind of trouble—the bad kind. She wasn’t one of my usual clients who came to me about stolen possessions or a cheating lover. She was terrified, running from something, and I thought for a moment that I should send her out the door before she could tell me what it was.

But she spoke up, voice firm, with a tremor that only one as trained in human mannerisms as I am could detect. “Are you…Mr. Abbacchio?”

“I am,” I replied, in a little bit of defeat. “What can I do for you, sweetheart?”

She shifted, uncomfortable, worrying her gloved hands in her lap. “Mr. Abbacchio, I hope I can trust you to be discreet?”

I pulled my overcoat off and sat down in my chair across the desk from her, tucking a new cigarette between my lips as I reached for my lighter. “I have no one to tell, miss. Not even a secretary to pry into your business.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly but her hands still twisted in her lap. “Mr. Abbacchio…I believe that my father… is trying to kill me.”

I pause briefly in my movements, before I collect myself again and flick my lighter into life, inhaling deeply as the cigarette tip glows red. “That’s quite the accusation. Do you have any proof of that?”

“I have no physical proof but I…I heard him over the phone today, telling someone that…that he wanted me…taken care of.”

She was shaking. I got up slowly to pull the bottle of brandy out of my file cabinet. I poured some into a glass and headed around the desk to press it into her hands. “Are you sure that was the intent?”

She nodded firmly. “I’m positive. I believe the man on the other end of the line asked the same thing and my father said, ‘no, I want her dead. I want… to be sure.’” She was shaking so hard now she could barely hold the glass as she brought it to her lips, taking a bracing drink.

I leaned back on the desk, arms folded over my chest. “Who is your father?”

She looked down, still shaking. “You’re just a private detective, right?” she asked. “You’re not…affiliated with anyone?”

“I work for myself,” Abbacchio said, wondering if he could count Bucciarati as an ‘affiliation’ and decided that explanation would complicate things. At the end of the day Bucciarati and his gang were my clients, not my co-workers. “If I may ask, why exactly are you concerned about that?”

“Because,” she whispered. “My father…is a very powerful man.”

I nodded. “I gathered as much from your appearance.”

She looked down, hugging her coat closer to her. She had probably put on her least fancy dress to come here thinking she could hide. I felt another wave of pity for her, she was just a kid, after all. A terrified kid.

“What’s his name, sweetheart?”

She shook her head. “His name means nothing. You wouldn’t know him by that. No one does.”

I felt unease run through me as I bent to meet her eyes. “Who is he?”

She let out a half sob. “He—he’s the head of the mafia branch—Passione. The Boss. Don Diavolo. He named himself after the devil, Mr. Abbacchio. That’s the kind of man he is.”

I was still processing the information when her eyes finally snapped up to me with a new look of desperation. “His men are looking for me and they want to kill me. I don’t have anywhere to go, please, Mr. Abbacchio, please help me!”

The tears in her eyes had me pulling out a handkerchief, handing it over.

“I can’t,” I told her simply. I knew I was sealing my fate, whatever that may be, as she looked up at me in shock and hopelessness and I continued. “But…I know someone who can.”

[alphacentaurinebula]

Fanfic Recs!

Been on a reading spree so I thought it would be nice to rec a few of my favourite Good Omens fics

The Many-Venomed Earth (teen) - Gorgeous AU 1930s detective story where amateur sleuth Aziraphale must get Crowley off a murder charge. Yes that pun was intentional but actually this one is rated teen. I absolutely INHALED this fic and am halfway through the sequel - it's just brilliant.

Trial & Error (E) - Crowley on trial again - this time in Heaven, and the Supreme Archangel Aziraphale is the judge. AWK-WARD. Hilarious, angsty and hot, what more could you ask!

Half agony half hope (teen) - absolutely loved this one! Regency AU which basically uses the British class system as a replacement for Heaven, with a lovely bit of moral awakening, especially for Aziraphale. I’m a sucker for a good bit of history and there are some nice real historical events referenced within - part of said moral awakening - and really deftly done. highly recommend.

Jesus, Etc (Gen)- the very first Good Omens fic I read, in that desperate post S2 period where all I wanted was a funny, happy resolution for those ineffable idiots...and this one delivered!

A Narrow Escape to the Country (teen) - properly funny. Aziraphale and Crowley appear on a daytime househunting tv series. Hilarity ensues.

Married at first sight (teen)- another reality show, which I have not watched, but that did not interfere with my enjoyment of this fic. Fake marriage is like…my favourite trope. Give me more.

Muddle through somehow (teen)- oh wait, here’s some more! Fake marriage and fake kid and fake country cottage. The voices are spot on in this one!

The Grinder Logo Doesn’t Even Have a G in It (E) - You've almost certainly read this already and if you haven't you must. Post season 1 fic which manages to do footnotes RIGHT. Properly funny, extremely hot, and pretty flipping adorable. I loved it.

Slow Show (E) - AU. Who possibly hasn’t heard of this fic? But it is fantastic, and hot and romantic and gorgeous.

[owlrolls]

Test doodles i made to test out a new watercolour brush! 🫣

[deconstructthesoup]

A few months back, I threw a couple concepts for a Dead Boy Detectives film noir AU... and, well, as I am using my free day to rewatch Mentopolis, I am in the mood.

So---

It's the early-to-mid 1930's, and Detective Edwin Payne, formerly of Scotland Yard, has moved to New York City after a spat with one of his coworkers led to him getting outed and fired. Joining him is his best friend since childhood, Charles Rowland, who came along not just to support Edwin and make sure he wouldn't be alone in a new city and new country, but to leave a life of working a shitty factory job behind. The two friends are attempting to make ends meet by starting up a P.I. business, but so far, it's pretty slow going. The only real work they've been able to get is marital disputes, and they can barely afford to keep their secretary, Niko, around... until a couple things come in at once.

Firstly, a pushy young reporter by the name of Crystal Palace---who everyone knows, as much as she tries to hide it and make an actual name for herself, is the daughter of a pair of incredibly famous Hollywood actors---starts coming by the office. At first, she's just visiting her friend at her new job, but as someone who wants to be an investigative journalist but is constantly being given puff, society pieces, she starts to get very interested in Edwin and Charles's work... and for some strange reason, she always seems to show up exactly where they're investigating, and she always seems to have some sort of information that nobody could possibly know.

Secondly, Edwin and Charles wind up getting their first big case, from an individual known only as "The Cat King---" a nightclub owner and gentleman thief, who hires them to solve the disappearance of a young man that he'd started doing some jobs with, who never gave out his real name but went by the moniker "Crow." Edwin and Charles both have a hard time trusting the Cat King, and Charles in particular is convinced that he's not telling the whole truth, but since even the 50% the Cat King paid up front is enough to pay their rent for months on end... well, they've got no other choice but to go chasing down alleyways, infiltrating speakeasies, and scoping out the most dangerous parts of the city to track down Crow. And as they get further and further into the case, they realized that they've opened up a can of worms involving one of the most powerful families in New York.

And... I think I'll leave it there for now ;)

[willfox88]

One of my AU-

«Prohibition»

(Old artwork)

So..

Hurricane

The State of Utah

1920 - 1930 (I haven't decided on the exact date:_)

Prohibition is in effect

|William Afton|

• The hired killer. He kills not only for money, but also for fun

• Professional in his field

• In addition to a firearm, he likes to use a knife

• If he was hired to kill you, you can immediately say goodbye to your life and prepare a coffin in advance

• Perfectly knows how to play the piano and the violin, studied since childhood. But he prefers the piano more

• Once killed a person with a violin bow

• Spends a lot of time with Henry. But not as much as with his favorite job

• Smokes expensive cigars a lot

• Likes to ruin Ben's life because he's interested in him

|Henry Emily|

• Excellent mechanic and jack of all trades

• Dreams and wants to build "miracle machines", amazing "robots" that the world has never seen

• Has never dealt with a gun and does not want to

• He is very afraid of the situation in the city and what William is doing

• Wants a quiet life

|Ben Critcher|

• A detective who works for himself

• Used to be in a dangerous gang, maybe even...mafia, but then left for personal reasons. They didn't look for him. What eventually became of the gang is unknown. Maybe they've all been dead for a long time.. Maybe that's the reason they didn't look for him

• Really wants to stop and kill William

• Frequents underground bars to drink

• He has a lot of weapons that he doesn't use

|Max Eston|

• A wonderful and humble writer

• In addition to work, he likes to write for himself in his free time

• Loves silence

• He can play the violin quite a bit, but on the whole it turns out well, although he rarely does it

• He has never dealt with a weapon, although there is a small gun at home that he has never used and generally did not touch it

• He doesn't know what's going on in his hometown at all

[mintsuwu]

Midnight Mysteries AU Q&A!

Hello! I´ve been opening asks on Twitter recently and a bunch of people asked stuff about the AU. So I thought it would be fair to share the information here as well to keep everynyan updated! I´ll also take the chance to reply to asks that I have pending in my inbox as well.

Which Midnight Mysteries characters would be magical fellas, like "madoka magica, smile precure"?

Probably Poppy or CraftyCorn, the latter was a unicorn after all 👀

Detective Bubbaphant looks like he needs serious therapy /aff

Oh trust me, HE DEFINITELY DOES.

Every single Critter in that AU needs therapy. That´s partly the reason why Rosie (Bobby) became a psychologist /hj

Can I give Officer Kicks a hug?

Sure you can!! Don´t approach him when he´s angry though.

Do you allow OCs/Fanfics or such for your AU?

Yeah, I absolutely do and it makes me so happy that people would like my AU that much! 😭🙏💖

Does CatNap have a tragic backstory or personal goal or is he bad just for funsies? :00

He sort of has a tragic backstory, not too much, but he definitely has his motives... And even though his intentions could be sort of good, his ways are not the right ones (?

Chat, what happens if Officer Kicks is angry?

Dear user, I pray that you never encounter an angry rooster in your life because one nearly attacked me when I was little and it was... Quite the experience-

That aside though, he has an awful temper and can even get violent at times. Kickin´s character development simply hasn´t kicked in yet.

Are LoolaLamb and CatNap dating or does he just like messing with her?

They have been engaged for years. They married out of convenience and their relationship isn´t fully romantic, but CatNap actually cares about her in a way and is kind of possesive of her.

How did you come up with the Midnight Mysteries AU?

Funny enough, the idea simply came to me one day in which I was listening to the Spy X Family openings, and since my previous hyperfixation was The Great Mouse Detective my mind suddenly thought "What if I made an AU inspired on both things?" That added to the fact that I always kinda imagined Bubba as a detective and knew I had to draw it sometime.

Does CatNap just manipulate or make deals with the Sugary Scoundrels to cause trouble?

Sort of! As those two grew up in the orphanage that he runs, it´s more or less their way to repay him the favor, even though they spend most of their days out on the streets roaming around. But they are also lowkey intimidated by Catnap... Though, Bunzo has it worse with Mistress LongLegs in comparison. PD: The girls, specially CatBee, really admire Loola! And the latter is quite fond of them too.

Will the Midnight Mysteries AU have a similar story to Poppy Playtime, or does it only have the characters in common with the original source?

It will most likely have a slightly different route as PPT´s story is not done yet, but there will be events of the AU based on it! For example, The Hour Of Joy took place as well, but the motives behind it will be different.

What year does the Midnight Mysteries AU take place in?

Historically wise, it would take place around 1930-50, I don´t have an exact year but I know it would hace to end in 5 given how Poppy Playtime takes place in 2005.

What was MM Catnap´s childhood like?

I still have to think better on it, but he was a wondering performer! Perhaps specialized in acribatics.

What sort of things did Huggy and his siblings do before working for the railroad? What were their parents like, were they even around?

Their parents died when they were still yound, so Huggy had to raise his siblings by himself. They were later taken into a circus, but things weren´t very nice in there... After leaving the circus he took part on several crimes, being the brute force of the villanous gang while his siblings were unaware of their brother´s felonies. But when he took part in The Hour Of Joy, Huggy decided to change his ways from then on and did his best to leave the past behind along with his family.

What are Angel´s pronouns in the AU?

He/They!

Is Angel close or affiliated to any of the characters from the AU (DogDay for example?)

Yeah! He is allies with Poppy, Kissy and DogDay. Angel shares a parent-son relationship with the latter as they practically raised the poor dog after he had gone through a negative moment in his life.

Is CraftyCorn in the MM AU, or does she have yet to be revealed?

... She used to be(?

Is Billie actually a boy looking for his dad, or a kid playing innocent to help CatNap?

He´s mainly looking for his dad! But I love that twist ngl...

Did DogDay get that scratch from CatNap or something else?

Yes, he got it from CatNap in a fight.

Is Billy´s mom, by any chance, Mistress Long Legs? Does she know?

Yes, she does know but perhaps she wouldn´t recognize him at first as she didn´t raise him and Billie wouldn´t even know how she looks like. Darwin tried not to tell him much about her and her deeds, or at least he wanted to wait and tell him until he was old enough.

How did Darwin go missing, did Billie witness it?

He got kidnapped, and Billie did witness it. He caught sight of the kidnapper but couldn´t catch up to them when he tried to go after his dad.

What happened to Angel?

Many things...

Does Angel have the ability to die and revive in the past before they died? The Angels from the other universes are able to do that too.

No... Or at least, they haven´t tried out yet, so who knows!

"Traitor"? Did Angel used to work for the Prototype before rebelling against them?

Indeed, Angel betrayed their comrades in a very critical moment and since then they all have been searching for him... CatNap mostly. Which is why they usually remain hidden, outcasted and only keeping contact with selective people.

[kstrucknet]

surprise !! please check out { @seokminfilm } new post !!

─ ⊹ please reblog and leave feedback for the creator.

monet | lee seokmin

pairing: lee seokmin x reader

warning: non-idol au, noir au (early 1930's), romance, private detective!seokmin, jazz singer!reader, lots of flirting, seokmin calls reader angel, implied age gap, mutual attraction, they're hot and in love your honor

word count: 1.7k | for @kstrucknet

The sultry sound of jazz music filled the vibrant nightclub, where the brooding Seokmin sat in a hidden corner. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and whiskey as the singer on stage finished her final solo. His eyes were like darts, dashing across the room and scanning the faces of patrons who passed by him.

Smoky nightclubs weren’t Lee Seokmin’s thing—as a detective, he spent most of his time in a police station, working on filing papers and questioning delinquents who didn’t want to talk. Being stationed in a nightclub was the last thing he wanted, and now that he was here, sipping on a glass of whiskey himself and wincing at the crooked high notes the older lady hit, he realized just how much he hated this atmosphere.

And then, you came along and changed that completely.

The clapping started to fade away, and you entered the stage in all of your soft glory, light dress a stark contrast from all the other female singers who tried so hard to be sensual. A smile was on your face as you cleared your throat away from the mic, and once the pianist started to play, you sang like there was no tomorrow, your voice clearer and brighter than anything Seokmin had ever heard. You looked out of place—like you weren’t made for the smell of cigarettes and dirty wine, and Seokmin found it incredibly alluring. More alluring than any other woman he had seen tonight. 

At the end of your song, Seokmin found himself joining in with the crowd, standing up and clapping his hands together as you did a polite curtsy, smile dazzling once more as you made your way off of the stage. He felt tempted to laugh at himself; it was as if he was observing his actions from outside his body and the instant attraction that he had to you was something akin to a high school crush.

As much as he tried, though, he couldn’t deny how much more he wanted to know about you. How much he wanted you.

“Hey,” Seokmin’s voice was sharp, and the bartender cowered slightly, answering with a timid “Yes?” as Seokmin’s slender finger jabbed to the stage. “Who was that girl?”

“Her? Well, she’s—” Seokmin’s tongue poked the inside of his cheek annoyedly, and he turned to the side for a second, immaculate side profile on display as he returned his piercing gaze to the confused bartender. “The one who just left the stage.” He sighed, annoyed, and the young bartender cleared his throat, nodding quickly.

“That was Monet. No one knows her real name, as she uses her stage name for everything. She’s one of the newer performers, but she’s already our most popular one.” He explains, and Seokmin is drawn in even more, mind now full of unanswered questions as he continued to ask the bartender about her. What made her choose the name Monet? Why did she start singing? Wasn’t she too young to be in a place like this?

“Where would her dressing room be?” Seokmin asked, and the bartender looked at him warily, obviously disturbed by his rather out-of-the-blue question. “Why would you want to know that, may I ask?”

Something about this girl was different. He didn’t know her from anywhere, but he wanted to know more about her. The desire to get to know her was so strong, and he couldn’t fight it anymore. Monet was the only thing he could see or hear anymore. Maybe it was the whiskey talking, or maybe the cigarette smoke was finally getting to him, but he wouldn’t be able to rest until he had finally solved the many mysteries swirling around in his head.

This wasn’t Seokmin’s mission, and he knew that. Now, though—now he had made it his mission.

“I simply want to congratulate her, that’s all,” Seokmin says simply, and it was the truth—he just wanted to lay his eyes on her once, thank her for her stunning performance, and finally get her out of his head. The bartender, on the other hand, didn’t seem so convinced and shook his head. “I don’t think I can let you go back there, sir.”

Seokmin’s thick eyebrow raised as he looked down at his watch, and straightened his black tie, nodding. “Fine. Just let her know I want to see her before she leaves.” The bartender nodded slightly, and went back to cleaning glasses, leaving Seokmin to make his way back to his seat in the corner of the room and ignore the look of swooning women surrounding him. He only had his eyes set on one woman, and that woman was the ever-present Monet.

The bar was empty now, with just a few more patrons left as the quiet chatter of certain tables played as the music of the hushed establishment. Seokmin finished another glass of whiskey, still not drunk as his eyes continued to dart down the hallway that contained the dressing rooms. He could see your plaque on the door, signed Monet in a pretty cursive font that teased him as he waited for your door to open.

Seokmin stared down at his watch again, reading the time as he pushed the empty glass away. It was almost ten at night, and you still hadn’t left your dressing room; he wasn’t about to give up, and as long as the workers of the club didn’t kick him out, he’d still be here, eager for any chance to talk to you and hear your pretty voice.

Just as another patron said goodnight and left the bar, the door in the small hallway—the one Seokmin had been waiting on for what seemed like forever to open—had finally opened up, revealing you in a dark coat as you said goodbye to what must have been your makeup artist.

You said thank you to every patron and other performer who had complimented or congratulated you, and the smile on your face was radiant as you left the hallway, chatting with the bartender Seokmin had talked to earlier.

After a few minutes of laughing, the bartender whispered a few words to you, pointing to the corner table Seokmin sat at as you looked over to see the man he was gesturing to.

He was attractive in many ways—he had this air of strong masculinity around him, one even you weren’t immune to. His features were strong, eyebrows thick, nose strong and sculpted, and lips plush as they wrapped around the glass of water he was drinking. The suit he wore was out of place, but it drew you to him even more.

After thanking your good friend behind the bar, you made your way over to the table where Seokmin was, a polite smile on your lips as you spoke. “I heard you wanted to see me, sir?”

Seokmin’s throat bobbed as he admired you quietly, taking note of your delicate face and soft features, highlighted by the soft makeup you still had on. You were an angel, an angel from heaven that God had somehow graced Seokmin to see.

“I did. You were amazing up there, angel.” The pet name just came naturally to Seokmin, and you didn’t shy away from it or become uncomfortable because of it—in fact, it made you blush. 

“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the performance; that’s my goal for every performance I do. To have someone enjoy it.” You look up at Seokmin through your eyelashes, and the collar around his neck feels tighter as he gives you a lazy smile, eyes sparkling with an undeniably attractive emotion as he takes another sip of his water.

“It seems like you don’t have a hard time reaching your goal, then. The compliments have been flowing for you tonight, you know.” Seokmin’s voice was like honey, thick and smooth while draping you with such an ego boost you could barely stand to be around him anymore.

“That’s what I’ve heard, sir.” You reply, and Seokmin looks up at you, glancing down at his watch. “Well, are you heading home? It’s growing increasingly late.”

“I am, sir. My house is about fifteen minutes away, so I better start walking now.” You say, eyes glancing at the clock adorning the wall. Seokmin’s eyebrows furrow, and he stands up, adjusting his crisp black suit as he looks at you. “You’re not going to walk home, are you?”

“That’s what I was planning on doing, sir. There’s no other way I would get home, and I’ve done it many times before,” You reassure him, but Seokmin doesn’t let up, coming closer to you—so close you can smell the strong cologne wafting off of him in heavy waves.

“I can’t let you walk home alone, angel. There are plenty of dirty men out there who would jump at the chance to take you for themselves.” Seokmin states, and you can’t help but laugh, looking up at Seokmin again through your eyelashes as you tease him. “But don’t you want to take me for yourself?”

Seokmin’s eyes darken slightly and he smiles, taking your hand in his as he pulls you closer to his body, lips brushing your ear as he whispers, “I do, angel, but I want to do it in a polite and proper manner.”

You blush, laughing nevertheless as you add, “But you don’t even know my name. I don’t know yours, either, I’m afraid.”

“I know everyone calls you Monet, angel. And now you’ll know my name,” Seokmin says, taking your hand again as he brings it up to his soft lips and kisses your knuckles, sharp eyes meeting yours as he continues to speak with that husky tone that embodies the strong personality behind his watching eyes and rich-looking exterior. “I’m Seokmin—Lee Seokmin, private detective.”

“Oh, I’ve heard many things about you.” You giggle deviously, and Seokmin’s smile widens at your cute, contagious laugh as he adds, “All good things, I hope?”

“All good things. All very, very, very good things,” you reply sweetly. Seokmin promises himself from that moment on that he’ll do everything in his power to have you, only if you want him in the same way.

“I’m flattered, angel. So very flattered,” Seokmin’s voice is like sugar, making you feel sweet inside and out as he comes closer to you again. “So, will you let me take you home?”

“Depends on which home we’re talking about—I would much rather go home with you, Mr. Lee.” Seokmin’s chuckle is dark, dangerously attractive and alluring as his lips brush the shell of your ear again, sending shivers down your spine as he whispers once more.

“Then let’s go home, then, angel.”

[bam-bo0zle]

hii uh! i was wondering if you could talk more about the 1930s au⁉️ i think it’s really cool .w.

YESS :)))))) I loooooove the premise i just dont got any ideas about plot atm </3 some vague stuff about javert being a private eye and being hired to investigate jvj - who is a politician of some sort im not sure - but other than that i got nada :,( i just love 1930s-40s fashion and the whole noir detective vibe :) ... been thinking of doing a little comic for the au but as of yet the ideas arent flowing.. perhaps be on the lookout for that tho..

[blueiscoool]

‘Horrible’ Painting Found by a Junk Dealer Could Be a Picasso Worth $6 Million

An Italian family had long debated throwing away the unconventional portrait.

It’s not often you sit down to read a book about the greatest masterpieces of art history, then look up to find a stellar example hanging on your own wall. Yet this was apparently the experience of Andrea Lo Rosso, who began raising questions about a peculiar painting in his parents’ living room at their home on Capri in Italy. Could it possibly be by Picasso, the forefather of Modern art himself?

For years the man’s parents had argued over the unconventional portrait, which was discovered by his father Luigi Lo Rosso in the cellar of a villa in Capri 1962, given a cheap frame, and put on the wall. This did not please his wife, who despaired at the female sitter’s strangely contorted face. The scrawled name “Picasso” in the top left hand corner meant nothing to either of them.

“My father was from Capri and would collect junk to sell for next to nothing,” Lo Rosso told the Guardian. “He found the painting before I was even born and didn’t have a clue who Picasso was. He wasn’t a very cultured person.”

“My mother didn’t want to keep it—she kept saying it was horrible,” he added.

The family sought out the counsel of the Arcadia Foundation, which carries out art attributions and appraisals. A member of its scientific committee, Dr. Cinzia Altieri, a trained graphologist or handwriting specialist, studied the signature on the painting. The foundation also enrolled the help of famed art detective Maurizio Seracini, who led a chemical-scientific analysis of the work.

As a team, these experts have confirmed the attribution to Picasso. The painting has been identified as a portrait of Dora Maar, the French Surrealist photographer, painter, and poet who was at that time Picasso’s mistress.

It is believed to have been made some time between 1930 and 1936 during a trip to Capri, where Picasso often visited, although he first met Maar in late 1935 or early 1936. The pair had a relationship lasting nearly nine years and, though she was an artist in her own right, Maar’s work has only recently received the attention it deserves. In 2019, a landmark retrospective of over 250 works by Maar was presented at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Tate Modern in London.

If the attribution turns out to be true, the Lo Rossos can expect a financial windfall. The Arcadia Foundation has valued the alleged Picasso at €6 million ($6.7 million).

The artist painted many portraits of Maar in their time together, and several reside in major museum collections today. The auction record for a painting of Maar by Picasso was set in 2006, when Sotheby’s New York sold Dora Maar au chat (1941) for $95.2 million, according to the Artnet Price Database.

Unfortunately for this team of Italian art sleuths, their rediscovered modernist masterpiece piece is unlikely to fetch in the millions until it has been legitimized by official Picasso authenticators.

Andrea Lo Rosso said that, so far, the Picasso Foundation in Malagá, Spain has refused to even assess the work, which it believes to be a fake. The foundation declined to comment publicly on the work when contacted. It reportedly receives hundreds of authentication requests every day.

The Picasso Administration in Paris has also been reached for comment but did not respond by publication time.

By Jo Lawson-Tancred.

[thekillingmoonmoon]

Please note!

all will be Fem!Reader (afab)

ALL of them will have a happy ending, promise

If you wanna know more about each idea, keep reading!!!

Bodyguard! Fushiguro Toji x Naoya’s Fiancé!Reader CW: NSFW; Smut; “infidelity”; arranged marriage; misogyny; Naoya; discussion of abuse, grief, neglect; descriptions of violence, blood, death (canon-typical); more misogyny; the very fucked up Zen’in Clan dynamics; age gap Tags: 75% angst; slow burn; strangers to lovers, “If Toji Lived” AU; sorcerer reader; canon setting TLDR: Toji is tasked with protecting Naoya’s Fiancé as she prepares for her arranged marriage into the Zen’in clan.

Guitarist!Tsukomo Yuki x Singer! Reader x Bassist!Kamo Choso CW: NSFW; smut; polyamorous relationship dynamics; a lot of bisexual confusion and pansexual panic Tags: 60% fluff; childhood friends to lovers; miscommunication; band/tattoo artist/record store AU; modern setting TLDR: You return to your homecity only to fall head over heels in love with you childhood bestie, Yuki – only to find that Yuki is already dating Choso, who is, coincidently, ridiculously gorgeous and just your “type” (YES I know I’ve already written a Choso Band AU, sue me)

1930s! Bartender!Fushiguro Toji x Heiress!Reader x Detective!Kong Shiu CW: NSFW; smut; infidelity; kinda arranged marriage; descriptions of war, mental illness, violence, criminal activity; classicism; misogyny; polyamorous relationship dynamics Tags: 70% angst; strangers to lovers; western/eurocentric setting; set in the 1930s TLDR: you find yourself embroiled in a web of lust, lies, and love as you work with Toji and Shiu to bring your criminal husband to justice.

Kitsune!Nanami Kento x Priestess!Reader CW: NSFW; smut; a veritable patchwork of all my favourite Ayakashi x Human manga; brief descriptions of violence, blood, death; age gap (he’s immortal help) Tags: 75% fluff; very slow burn; slice of life; rivals to lovers (kinda); traditional Japanese setting TLDR: Kamisama Kiss retelling with elements from other manga such as xxxholic, demon prince of momochi house, natsume's book of friends – Yokai/Ayakashi AU

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 28 – HISTORICAL FICS

The Emperor's Fury by valtyr

Pairing: Steve/Tony, Wanda/Janet Rating: E Words: 39,936 Tags: Ancient Rome, Law and Politics, Mentions of Slavery and Non-Con

Summary: Steve is an ex-gladiator. Tony wears a toga. Together, they litigate civil cases. Also a surprising amount of boating.

Reasons why I love it: Can I just say that I love the title of this fic so much? The double meaning didn't dawn on me until the second time I read it. Anyhow, this fic is chock full of intriguing politics, a truly fantastic take on Ults canon, and Steve confusing the hell out of Tony, all of which I am a huge fan of. I love this fic, and I really hope you give it a shot, if you haven't already!

Humbugs and Heart by MountainRose

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 17,583 Tags: Victorian AU, A/B/O, Sentinel/Guide

Summary: Tony's hurt, and there's only one place Jarvis knows he'll be safe. At least they have met the man, or this would be exceedingly awkward. (It's not awkward, Steve would never make this awkward.)

Reasons why I love it: I really love the worldbuilding in this fic – the combination of sentinels and A/B/O is super intriguing, and the way that omega senses work in this universe is fascinating to me. Plus, the way Steve and Tony meet is so sweet, and it makes the hurt/comfort later on in the fic even better. I love this one, and I bet you will too!

Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do by copperbadge

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 38,982 Tags: Noir AU, Gangsters, Internalized Homophobia

Summary: The year is 1930, Prohibition and the Depression are both in full swing, and Chicago Police Detective Steve Rogers has his hands full. There's a dead body on the banks of Lake Michigan, the entire city's legal system is corrupt, and the king gangster of the North Side, Tony Stark, has taken more than a passing interest in him.

Reasons why I love it: While reading this fic I swear I could see it all play out in my head like a black and white whodunit thriller. The setting is perfect, and I especially love the banter between Steve and Tony – they're just as stubborn as they are in canon, and the friction is delicious. Definitely check this one out if you haven't, it's a gem!