#Prohibition AU

[nerdzewordart]

It's finally here! I've been so excited to share my works for the MDZS RBB, and I can't be more pleased with how both the art, and @damshtrina's wonderful fic (Which you can find here!)

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Giovanni

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.

- Naven

[0dahv11ng]

What's a Mogul to a Farmer?

In 1920's New York, the prohibition act spreads throughout neighborhoods and businesses. The group of The Elite take it upon themselves to open a chain of undercover jazz club speakeasies under various business models. Tonight they hire some up and coming stars- Swerve Strickland and The Mogul Embassy. 'Hangman' Adam Page has taken a specific liking to the group's singer, Swerve; and navigates it throughout their first meeting. Where will the night(s) take them?

Words: 1.6k & crossposted on AO3

elite/bcc/strickpage prohibition era cozy jazz vibes yes or no.

A/N: this idea came to me in a vision when i was on an airplane listening to jazz. i hyperfixated too close to the sun. this feels like the silliest and cheesiest thing ive ever written- please write me some feedback! this was supposed to be the elite/the bcc but it just turned into strickpage sorry not sorryyyy. i dont know if i executed it quite like how i wanted to but hopefully the vibes are there! enjoy :3 (there will be more chapters depending on how this is recieved!!)

Tranquil jazz echoed throughout the ballroom filled with people. A man with a trumpet was illuminated by a soft spotlight coming from above, his skin glowing in the warm light. Another man was scatting along with his band mate’s trumpet, the bassist and drummer goading them along as they sang together in harmony. 

From across the floor a group of men sat near the bar as they watched the crowd dance together in synchrony. There were the members of the famous gang the Elite. They were known across the streets of New York for their variety of modern speakeasies they had decided to open in the height of prohibition. This one in particular was located in the basement of  a wrestling school. Their uprising in popularity had made their hidden bars big attractions for events like tonight.

“Say, what a voice that guy has.” Nick, the younger of the brothers comments. “We’ll have to keep him in mind for next time.”

“I’d say so. He seems to be well liked.” Matt nodded as he raised his glass to his mouth.

“Especially by the ladies.” A man with longer curly hair joins the conversation as he claps a firm hand on Matt’s shoulder.

“Kenny,” Matt glanced up at him. “Glad you could make it. You made a good choice booking this one tonight.”

The man nods and sits down at their table. “He’s an up and coming star. Feels like all of New York is talking about ‘Swerve’ and his musical talents. He’s awfully attra-”

“How about another round?” The fourth man, and frankly most silent man in the conversation quickly clears his throat and stands up.

“I think we’re okay Hanger,” Kenny shifts in his seat and glances over to the two brothers before asking, “Everything alright?”

The ‘Hangman,’ Adam Page adjusts his cowboy hat and strolls away from their table without saying another word. He went to lean on the bar to order another whiskey, but the singer’s voice distracted him as he closed out his song. Cheers and applause dispersed as the singer grabbed on to his microphone. Adam watched him intently. His face, his clothes, his voice. He called himself Swerve Strickland, and formally introduced his band to the crowd as the Mogul Embassy. Another round of applause rose as he thanked everyone for attending, and the Elite for hosting.

Swerve and his band cleared from the stage to allow the next entertainer to take residency. Doing their best to make their way through the sea of people, they started getting closer to the corner the Elite occupied. Adam started to feel anxious. What could he say to him? Could he even bring up the courage to speak? Why was he suddenly so flustered by this man? They had held events similar to this night after night, and yet, for some reason he had never been so intimidated. He looked on as Swerve walked up to the managers. They shook hands and exchanged laughs before Swerve and his band took a seat at the table. 

It took Adam a few minutes, but he took his glass of whiskey and brought himself over to their table. He glanced around for Kenny and he found him on the dance floor. He immediately diverted his gaze from Kenny and the man he was dancing with. Kota. That’s a subject for another time, he pondered. He let out a soft exhale and watched the group interact with each other. 

“So the name, I have to ask,” Matt questioned with a chuckle. “How did you come up with such a thing?”

“Well,” Swerve glanced around the table of men. “It’s inspired by my mother. She always wanted me to be a big businessman and follow in my family’s footsteps. Just not for me. So I decided to poke fun at it and call my team of boys here the Mogul Embassy.” 

He turned his head to the looming figure standing with an arm resting on Matt’s seat. His golden curls caught the glimmer of lights flashing off a mirror-ball, a glass in his hands. Although he thought it was his imagination, he was still catching glances from this man just like he had earlier on stage. There’s something off. He thought.

“That is just inspiring.” Matt leaned back in his chair with crossed arms. He looked over to the crowd of people dancing to a song being sung by a singular woman in a sheer robe and flapper attire. He looked back over to the table to crane his neck behind himself at Adam. A soft smile was shared between them. “Care for a dance, Hanger?”

He looked down to his friend and chuckled back at him. “No, Matt.” He stepped back. “Thank you though. You’ll have to save one for me.” Downing the rest of his whiskey, he set it on the table before once again turning on his heels to walk away. He stumbled up the stairs next to the bar to make his way back up to the main floor to get some fresh air. 

“Hanger?” Swerve was intrigued by the nickname, diverting the attention back to the table as everyone watched Adam disappear. 

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Nick laughed and stood up. “Well fellas, I think Matt needs a dance. Thank you again for coming tonight, it was an honor to meet you. Feel free to step up to the bar or join us for a dance!” He glanced down at Matt, still sitting in his chair with his arms crossed. “I need to get my brother a dance partner.”

Swerve stood with Nick to shake his hand and thank him in turn. He gave a friendly wave to his band mates and made his way to where the man had left. He hiked up steep steps leading to a hallway with the speakeasy’s admission host. “Have you seen a cowboy around here?”

“Ah.” The tall man nodded. “The Hangman. He just went up to the roof. Make your way through the combat club and take a left. You’ll find the stairs there.”

------------------

“Hangman?”

Adam turned on his heels away from the view of the New York skyline to face the voice coming from behind him. His blue eyes locked with a pair of dark brown ones now standing directly across from him. The sudden eye contact made him shuffle in place and he looked down. His hand rested on his belt buckle, an old quirk he never seemed to shake off.

“Caught you off guard?” Swerve stepped closer to him. “My apologies.”

“You’re-” He cleared his throat. “No worries.” Adam’s eyes caught Swerve’s once again. He intently held up his gaze, doing his best to come off calm.

“The Hangman,” Swerve reiterated, shoving his hands into his over-sized jacket. The fur lining blew gently in the wind. “How does one end up with a name like that?”

“Just,” he stuttered with the slightest southern drawl. “An old nickname. From back home.”

“Back home?”

“Down south.” He looked back out to the city. “S’Where I met Matt and Nick. Came all the way from the California coast to my little town in Virginia on their way up to the big city.”

“You’re a cowboy, then.” Swerve gestured to him with a nod.

“If you’d like to call it that way.” Adam softly smiled and rested his elbows on the edge of the rooftop barricade. “How about you, Mogul?”

“Pops served in the war and somehow we ended up here.” He joined Adam at the barricade, shoulders nearly touching. Adam glanced down at their closeness and felt his breath hitch in his throat. Swerve was still talking yet he couldn’t focus on anything but the soft breeze that was directing the smell of his sharp cologne in his direction. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Adam’s head shot up with a furrowed brow. He opened his mouth to speak but his breath stuttered in his lungs. His mouth closed as he made eye contact with Swerve. 

“Are you feeling alright?” Adam’s mouth opened right back up as he stared at the man next to him. 

“I’m alright.” He stuttered. “I’m just fine, thank you.” There was silence as Swerve slowly cocked his head to the side. Adam sighed and looked back out to the sky. “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” A large smile graced Swerve’s face. “But I know you want to talk to me. I’ve been watching you watch me all night.”

A deep red blush crept its way across Adam’s entire face. All he could do was sigh and put his head in his hands. 

“Well if you need me,” Swerve straightened his back as he stood up from the barricade. “Here’s where you can reach me. Write to me whenever you feel.” He took a small piece of paper out of his coat pocket and waved it in the air. Adam looked over from his hands and watched Swerve as he put the slip in Adam’s own pocket.

“Thank you.” He sighed again. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve had too much to drink.”

Swerve started to back away towards the door. “No need, cowboy. I’d like to know how Virginia is. I’m betting on you to tell me.”

“I won’t let you down.” A pondering grin spread across the Hangman’s face. He began moving closer to Swerve. “You know, my real name is Adam. Adam Page.”

“Nice to meet you, Adam.” His back hit the door. He let out a small shudder as he watched Adam raise his hand.

He took Swerve's hand in a firm handshake, his other hand going to his shoulder. "Pleasure."

[dagon-flavored-extract]

Alright I’m elaborating on the Limited Life Mafia/Mob/Prohibition/whatever AU, here’s some headcanons

Clíona “Cleo” O’Connor is an Irish immigrant who rose to power through primarily the illicit sales of alcohol and through her booming speakeasy “The Clocktower” earning her and her family the nicknames “The Clockers” or the “O’Clockers”. She is a fiercely independent and strong willed woman who loves her family and puts it above all else. But business is a close second. She’s very messily divorced from her children’s father Etho Lab, and tends to meddle with his business as often as possible. Indirectly of course, she very rarely needs to get her own hands dirty. But don’t underestimate the older matron, she was known as the “Flame Haired Banshee” in her youth for her liberal use of arson against her business rivals and enemies.

Breandán “BDubs” O’Connor is Cleo’s oldest son and her self appointed bodyguard. Though he is more naïve then most, he is very loyal and devoted to his family. However, this includes his estranged father Etho, often leaving him torn between his parents. BDubs is always hopeful that one day he may be able to bring his mother and father at least back into friendly terms. He has a love of clocks ever since he was young, which led to the name of his mother’s speakeasy being “The Clocktower”.

Conall “Scar” O’Connor is Cleo’s youngest son, and the family troublemaker. Also known as “Goodtimes”, he’s famous for his silver tongue and affinity for dynamite. He’s cheerful and laid back, though his easygoing demeanor often leads people to underestimating him. He’s his mother’s negotiator and con man, and tends to handle getting her deals with new suppliers. However, he got the nickname “Scar” from the wounds he got during a shootout to protect one of his mother’s runs. He isn’t nearly as divided in his loyalty as his brother and often jumps at the opportunity when BDubs hesitates to prove his loyalty to Cleo

Etho Labs is, in all appearances, an upstanding pillar of the community. This is, however, said without the knowledge of his past involved with the O’Clockers and his current business with the Ties. He agreed to marry Cleo to help her immigrate, and the two did end up with two children together. However it quickly became clear that Etho’s more mild mannered until provoked demeanor clashed hard with Cleo’s more abrasive and assertive personality. The two are on thin peace at the best of times. Etho loves his boys, he really does. But maybe not enough to be around their mother much.

Scott Major is Cleo’s primary supplier and oldest and dearest friend. Head of several seaside shipping operations, the two met when they were both new to the country and working on the same run. Scott is known to be a friend to all, but a terrible choice to stab through the back. He runs his business alongside his husband Martyn, who is also his enforcer. Scott, Cleo and Pearl Moon used to work as a group of hired hands protecting shipments until they were able to grow into business titans of their own. His ex husband Jimmy Solidarity is one of Cleo’s cousins, which does lead to a bit of awkwardness at family dinners.

Martyn Littlewood is Scott’s husband and right hand. He’s a rather cheerful and helpful man, always ready to make you laugh with a good pun or quick witted joke. However he is a notoriously tough survivor who tolerates no disrespect of his husband or their business. When he was younger, he met Scott, Pearl and Cleo on a job. The four quickly became close, though some rumor that Martyn and Cleo had a fling while Cleo was married to Etho at the time. (Some even whisper Scar may not be Etho’s son, but rather Martyn’s). However later on he and Scott would fall in love and end up together. He’s very loyal to his family, and is always close on hand when Cleo needs help.

Pearl Moon is a notorious “gun for hire” also known as “The Scarlet Pearl”. She made a name for herself smuggling booze in her youth alongside her friends. However as time went on, she drifted a bit apart from the others, which has led to some conflict between her, Cleo, and Scott. She’s incredibly sharp and most who meet her describe her as “a few degrees left of center”, as she’s prone to fits of almost madness when pushed too far. However she is also incredibly cunning and makes it her business to know anything about anyone at anytime. She’s very rarely seen without her dog Tilly, a massive wolfhound whose presence always seems to lend a little more credence to Pearl’s threats.

“The Bad Boys” are Cleo’s hired hands, and cousins. They’re a rowdy group of young men consisting of Jimmy Solidarity, Joel Smalls and Grian Avin. Loose canons at best, they tend to cause almost more problems then they’re worth, but they all carry a healthy enough dose of fear and respect for the head of the family that it keeps them in line enough Cleo doesn’t have to worry about them blowing up too much of her shipments.

Ok that’s what I’ve got for now! I will definitely be adding onto this at some point

[zybynarx]

Here are the art pieces I did for the @rewritetheages bang event! I got to work with the amazing @thebatmandiaries who came up with an incredible story, which you can read HERE!

More artist comments under the "Read more" break, but long story short, I had a blast reading through the story and working with my partner on this! It's been super fun and I'm happy and proud of what we came up with!

Alright... so, once upon a time when I got into the Supernatural fandom... I myself had come up with a Destiel 1920's AU. The AU plagued my mind for a good couple of years! I drew fanart, I attempted to write stuff out, but ultimately I just sort of "wrote it in my head" and then left it at that when it was done.

This was back in like... 2014... fast-forward to 10 years later, and the summary for a 1920's DeanCas AU caught my eye during art claims. I thought the summary was really intriguing and I like the vibes for those Prohibition days (I slightly blame my older sis for her fascination of the mafia and their history rubbing off on me XD ). As I began drawing, I knew I needed the right mood music to keep me in the zone. I remembered jamming out to the Great Gatsby soundtrack when it first came out, so I thought it would work. As soon as the first song played, I was INSTANTLY transported to my earlier SPN fandom days and I remembered this AU.

It felt like such a sweet little celebration for me, and it made me want to do justice to my author's fantastic story even more! Seriously, I was hooked from only the first few paragraphs! I love the description and the pacing of the story. The scenes that always stood out to me the most was when Dean and Cas were talking, so I knew that was what I wanted to try and bring to life with my main drawing.

This was the colored version I had initially done for the bang, but then I thought, "Heh, wouldn't it be funny if I made it black & white too? Just like in the old times!" I sent both versions to my author and they loved the vibe of the black & white drawing, so we decided to go with that! I still wanted to show off the colored version though! So here you are!

Both the main artwork and the banner had their challenges. There were times when my bestie and art bestie had to cheer me on as I was screaming in a slight panicked confusion on how the heck I was going to get everything looking right. But I really am happy with how both of these turned out! And I feel so incredibly grateful and honored to have been able to work with such a talented author!

With that being said, again, go check out the story!

[autumnmobile12]

Defying the Volstead Act: Illicit Affairs

“We came to America for a better life and what did we find?  Enforced sobriety.” ~ Trevor Belmont

Castlevania Prohibition AU

I’m having way too much fun with this one.  Alucard is too powerful, Sypha is adorable, and Trevor’s just done.  Definitely gonna be drawing more characters in this au, stay tuned!

[xxdreamersdesirexx]

Self ship prohibition/noir era AU Asks

Get emoji asks in your inbox, or answer any questions you feel like.

🔫 Are F/O and S/I lawmen or crooks, or something else? Are they on the same side?

👔 What are F/O and S/I wearing? Suits or slinky dresses?

👒 What kind of hat do S/I and F/O prefer?

🍸 At the speakeasy; what are F/O and S/I ordering from the bar?

🎷 Do F/O and S/I go dancing? Who leads and who follows?

🃏 Do F/O or S/I play any games? Poker? Blackjack? Pool? Darts?

🚗 Between F/O and S/I– who’s driving and who’s firing shots out the window?

🎶 What song would you pick for S/I and F/O for this AU?

🚬 Do F/O or S/I smoke in this AU? What do they smoke?

🫂 How would F/O and S/I meet in this AU?

[sliebman10]

Snippet:

The theatre was lit up and Remus couldn’t help but stare. Greyback had invited him and his father to see vaudeville with him in the early days, but it had been a long time since he’d been inside. 

Sirius looked around for the box office window, but it had a “sold out” sign on it and was dark. He looked around for a few moments, then approached one of the ushers. He spoke to him for a moment. The usher looked skeptical. Sirius slipped a couple bucks into the usher’s hand and he escorted them to the balcony, where they stood in the back, in the ‘standing room’ area. 

The show was about to start and Sirius scanned the audience through his opera glasses. 

“He’s there,” Sirius said, passing the glasses to Remus. Remus looked through in the direction Sirius was pointing. He saw the familiar graying head in a box on house right. “Who’s he got with him?” Sirius asked, his pen poised over his notebook.

“Looks like…” Remus adjusted the opera glasses. “Avery and Snape.”

Sirius snorted derisively. “Best of the lot, are they?”

Remus shook his head, amused. “Something like that.”

The curtain went up and the show began. Remus forgot they weren’t strictly there to see the show because he was enchanted by what he saw onstage. However, he was brought back to reality during intermission when Sirius led him down the stairs to Greyback’s box. 

Read more here.

Read from the beginning.

@wolfstarbingo2023

[laiqualaurelote]

chapter two: any bootlegger sure is a pal of mine

“Steve Rogers,” said the redhead. She was sitting on Tony’s desk in a little black number with a fringe of jet beads. Her hair was different from the first night he had seen her in the Arc; now it was flawlessly marcelled and woven through with dusky pearls. She uncrossed and crossed her legs; Steve glimpsed the glint of a knife in her garter, and knew she had meant for him to see it. “You’ve been snooping.”

“Ma’am,” said Steve, trying to keep his voice level. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“They call me the Black Widow.” Her flat accent was not American; it was not anything. She spoke utterly without provenance or affect.

“Sorry for your loss.”

In Jazz Age New York, aspiring artist Steve Rogers enters a glittering underworld of speakeasies, gangsters and spies, presided over by the maddeningly enigmatic Tony Stark. 1920s Prohibition era!AU

[llflorence]

Thumb Strings (on AO3) by LLflorence

Rated: E for Spinneret Kink (Yes, the wrussy)

Prohibition AU, Cartoonist!Peter, CopyEditor!Wade, Identity Porn, Suspense, Murder Mystery, Team Red

“Aw, come on,” Wade joked, laying down another line of nickels at a water gun game. “You were only off by, what, an inch?”

“Try six,” Peter corrected, liking very much the neat row of teeth behind two soft-looking lips. It was dark enough outside now that Peter only caught glimpses of those blue eyes, mostly when they reflected the gleam of lights as Wade stared at Peter’s face.

Wade refused each and every prize he was awarded, explaining he was just doing it for the practice. Every one, that was, until they happened upon one of those coin-rolling machines. The kind that pressed it flat and imprinted the date and time into the newly shaped copper.

Wade slipped in a penny and turned the crank, straining and groaning as he pretended it was too difficult for him to work. Peter laughed, the first time he had in months, and Wade actually tipped his hat back to look properly at Peter.

“You’ve got a great laugh,” he said, sounding genuinely wholesome, but making Peter’s face go hot with the compliment. It was becoming easier and easier to gaze into that face and find it symmetrical, young, handsome. Peter found he had to look down at the ground to not give away that he was considering asking the man out for a cup of coffee the following day.

Read on AO3

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Molly

The silent, stress-shouldering youngest of a widowed toymaker, eternally-exhausted Molly Blyndeff does her best to occupy as little space as possible in a time where even space is often sought after. Molly spends her days toiling to maintain her family’s finances and keep them above the poverty line, but come nightfall, Bliss Ocean’s goddaughter and errand girl finds an unconventional respite in the operation of a different resource: information.

Background.

Born the younger sister of a prodigious teen actor and puppeteer favoured by their father, Molly is quite used to going through life unseen and unheard, especially after the death of her mother, whom she was closer to than anyone. In the years that followed, she was forcibly thrown the responsibilities of her household and of running their small, family-owned toy business for income’s sake, earning her a necessitated knack for diplomacy and administration.

She first met the illustrious Naven Nuknuk taking pictures with him during one of his PR campaigns, directed towards helping the needy in Sweet Jazz City; where her disillusioned deportment and striking ability to garner sympathy from the press would catch his attention (and later, so would the exact circumstances of her home life). They became fast friends outside of work, and he would later go on to foster, support, and even mentor Molly in her neglectful family’s stead.

Molly’s first real brush with crime presented itself when she inexplicably found herself in the midst of a frantic firefight between one Giovanni Potage’s old gang and the ever-zealous Dr. Sylvester Ashling, and even more inexplicably when she managed to befriend both individuals in the end. Naven’s discovery of this event would mark the beginning of Molly’s induction into Bliss Ocean’s far outer circle, where her skills in subterfuge and gathering intelligence would be put to good use in return for some much-needed additional income.

Relations.

Even before working for Bliss Ocean, Molly had a tight-knit friendship with Trixie Roughhouse and Phoenica Fleecity, both youngest members of their respective legendary families. Her unexpected sibling bond with Dr. Sylvester Ashling and aspiring gangster Giovanni Potage was also the catalyst for her honorary induction into Bliss Ocean, and the two of them have had a major positive impact on Molly’s perception of herself.

Molly’s penchant for diplomacy and general affability has also helped her ingratiate herself with even Bliss Ocean’s inner circles. Detective Percival King and Ramsey Murdoch especially found a sort of surrogate affection for her, supporting and nurturing her as such. Other members of the family—Rick Shades, Mera Salamin, and even Zora Salazar, to be precise—have developed a kinship with the troubled young girl, occasionally providing her emotional (and sometimes physical) support.

Bliss Ocean Report.

Truth be told, I do feel some guilt over involving the young Blyndeff in such a perilous trade, but my avenues for supporting her otherwise are limited, and Molly has made it quite clear herself that she’d prefer it over continuing to endure her current circumstances. Regardless, she’ll only be gathering information and running some small errands; ideally, she shouldn’t ever be in much danger, if at all.

I want to say I was taken aback at just how swimmingly Molly’s taken to her new job, but given her already-tumultuous home life, I’m not sure how surprised by her adaptability I really should be. From her field reports, it seems she has a remarkable administrative talent, able to quickly assess her surroundings and parse out any potential assets and liabilities she sees. And yet, her still-unexplainable ability to elude notice and disappear from view at the drop of a hat has become even more apparent.

After getting to know her better, it’s become rather obvious that Molly hates attention and prefers to appear as unremarkable as possible. But she’s clearly an empathetic person; she knows how people think and see her, and she knows how to take advantage of it. She wields a people-pleasing smile and an aversion to conflict better than many politicians I’ve met, and it’s always a delight seeing her practise her craft in less stressful situations. In fact, I’ve recently taken it upon myself to personally teach her additional communication skills; given time and practice, I believe she could make quite a masterful diplomat.

What troubles me still regarding Molly is her passivity. Her recent years have been more difficult than anyone deserves, and the one thing she has to show for it is an incredibly potent set of skills that could drastically improve her circumstances if nurtured and used properly, but she clearly views them more as a means of survival and protecting herself than as tools for change and gain. But they are tools, very powerful ones, and the fact that her unforgiving home life has forced her to use them almost solely to defend herself saddens me greatly.

If there’s any solace to be had, Molly’s situation is improving, if slowly. She’s bonded quite well with the rest of Bliss Ocean, and I believe those connections are good for her. Giovanni was already encouraging her to use her skills more proactively, something I absolutely advocate for, and Sylvie, Percy, and even Ramsey have taken to supporting her in lieu of her family. Perhaps with time, and with their help, the future will finally see things getting better for her.

- Naven

[matrica-a-novelized-actual-play]

Hiatus continues, so have another Prohibition AU doodle! Sieger is probably one of the major design departures, seeing as how the real world doesn’t have tieflings. He kind of has cop energy, but maybe there was corruption in the force, so he quit. Hence why he just looks like a badass P.I.

(We also imagine that both he and Yufi served in WWI, the closest analog to our in-fiction conflict. AU Sieger was maybe a POW and suffered some sort of traumatic head injury. After the allies win, he’s alive and rescued but still doesn’t remember shit.)

[landlessbud]

chapter four!

THE HEIR

“I—I’m David. David Jacobs.” A truth, but not one a novice would admit willingly. “Shit, I’ve already fucked this up. First day in the mob I didn’t know my father was a part of and I’m already bad at it.” It’s 1924, and David Jacobs is late.

[bixels]

trying something very radical and weird with one of the pony redesigns as a villain. can anyone guess who this is supposed to be?

[autumnmobile12]

Defying the Volstead Act: We Play What We Play

The forge master duo and Lenore playing for the speakeasy.

Castlevania Prohibition AU

The trombone is a left-handed trombone.  I definitely did not draw it backwards.  Not at all.  Don't worry about it.

[himboblackdragon]

#imagining him in the 1920s#he'd be the most dignified and suave boss in the whole game#and the best dressed#lol

(via mount-everwhite)