#detective fiction 40s

[everysongineverykey]

i think natasha lyonne’s charlie cale will be excellent for the failgirl amateur detective industry. we need more weird eccentric autistic gay women meandering around solving murders

[the-postwar-times]

Character Introductions

Johann Richard Cohen

Our leading man in the story. A stone faced and towering middle aged German-Jewish immigrant. After fleeing Germany in 1941, Richard enlists in the United States Marine Corp and serves until the end of the war. Standing broad shouldered and at 6'6, he often comes off as quite intimidating. Which is quite helpful in his work as a detective. Trying to build a life for himself and his family in the U.S after the end of the Second World War, Richard finds himself struglling to adapt to life in the States, the expectations of men in the 1950s and battling the realities of his own past.

Valentina Margo Maria Romanov

The daughter of a well known Russian-American socialite and Spanish opera soprano. A fairly quiet yet fiery woman who grows frustrated with the treatment of her as a delicate thing that must be protected. She has spent most of her life underneath her parents thumb, sheltered from the outside world. While she tries to accept her role as the daughter of supremely well off parents, she struggles to be happy in the life they're making her live. She desperately craves freedom. And she hopes that her marriage to a man named Dominic will offer her some freedoms for the first time in her life. She is a highly skilled pianist and often times performs in upper class venues. She also adores the color pink to an almost revolting level. 

Schubert Harold Cohen

Richard's twin brother. A middle aged man suffering from severe mental illness. Diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic after the war, Harold struggles to get by in day-to-day life and depends heavily on Richard for support. And is often in and out of both psychiatric facilities and jails. Harold’s symptoms of mental illness were heavily aggravated after his service in the European theater, during which he was shot through the head and suffered a traumatic brain injury. In the U.S, Harold finds difficulty trying to integrate into American culture and often feels outcast because of his status as both a German and a Jew, facing discrimination for both his heritiages. As well as his peculiar looks and mental illness. He is known as the “nutcase.” and is lovingly nicknamed by the people that know him, “screwy Schuey.”

Adler Bauer

Richard and Harold’s father. A veteran of the First World War who is sent home early from service after suffering lung damage from a debilitating gas attack. Because of this he spends the rest of his life with a constant cough. A cruel and abusive man, he raised Richard and Harold under an iron thumb. He spent his life as a farmer until the Second World War took his farmstead away from him. His whereabouts after the war ended are unknown. 

Mathilda Bauer

Richard and Harold’s mother. A withdrawn and quiet woman. She finds much dismay in her life and feels hopeless. She is killed during the war in 1942.

Dr. Milton Adam Burke

A middle aged man working as a psychiatrist. He is well known for his sometimes bizarre and unorthodox treatment methods and ability to work with even the most difficult of patients. Despite this, he is well regarded in his field and sees much success with his patients. He has a warm demeanor, is very soft spoken and has a general air of calm around him.

Konstantin Artur Romanov

Valentina's father. An old fashioned and intimidating third generation Russian-American socialite with more money than he knows what to do with. His intimidating nature is not warranted though, as he is a fairly quiet and soft spoken man. He is regarded as somewhat of a minor celebrity in Boston. His great, great grandparents made a fortune in the California Gold Rush. While he is sociable, he tends to keep to himself and holds a fairly awkward nature.

Sarita Maria De Leon Romanov

Valentina's mother. A high class woman who believes the world should view her and treat her as nothing less. Originally from Spain, she was a well renowned opera singer before marrying Konstantin and moving to the U.S. She values money and status over almost anything else and goes to great lengths to maintain her reputation. 

Agatha May Cohen

Richard’s eldest daughter. A tomboyish girl who struggles to understand the world around her as she watches her father and mothers marriage disinigrate.

Vera Mathilda Cohen

Richard’s second daughter. Diagnosed as retarded at age two. Much against Richard’s wishes, after her diagnosis Heather placed Vera in a state mental institution where she stayed for almost 2 years. She stayts there until 1951 when Richard is able to remove her from the facility and take her home. She is extremely quiet and refuses to speak. 

Margaret Tiffany Cohen

Richard's third daughter. A bright and happy girl. She is bubbly and talkataive, seeming to never quiet.

Heather Joan Mason

Richard’s ex-wife, divorced in 1951. The two were married in 1942 and the relationship quickly turned sour. A bitter and manipulative woman who expects more out of everyone then is reasonable. She regrets her relationship with Richard as well as having children with him and isn’t afraid to make that known. She has a stinging tongue and an air of unpleasantness around her. 

Rutherford Benjamin Hudson

A friend of Richard and Harolds. A lawyer who is heir to his fathers massive fortune and ship manufacturing business. He is a rather attractive man with a propensity towards reckless and dangerous behavior. He enjoys cars, particularly open-wheel single-seater formula racing, sailing, golfing, and reading tedious and boring law books. He is well spoken, well groomed, and extremely confident. He is bombastic and outspoken and accurately defined as a playboy minus the women. 

Dominic Grayson

Valentina Romanov’s fiancé. Another socialite that rubs elbows with the Romnoav family. A tall blonde man who thinks very highly of himself and his status. The kind of man who hates being told no.

Sidney John Bishop

The lieutenant overseeing the beat patrol in district D-4. An older, well experienced man. He has three sons and his wife passed away in 1948. He struggles to keep Richard in line a lot of the time. He sympathizes with the discrimination and harassment Richard often faces from other officers on the force, but he’s often frustrated that he can’t get Richard to change his attitude. He continually covers for Richard when he gets in trouble and keeps him from getting dismissed or penalized. And he and Richard eventually grow quite close. Eventually he is transferred from overseeing the patrol officers to overseeing the homicides and violent crimes detectives.

Donavan Prince

A younger officer new to the Boston PD. A difficult young man who uses his job to assert authority over others, even when not warranted, and give him an inflated sense of self importance. He is generally troublesome and picks fights with other officers. He is particularly unfond of Richard because of his age, nationality, marital status, height, and the rumors surrounding him. He’s a shorter man and is extremely self conscious because of this and tries to overcompensate. He is generally protected from being reprimanded for his actions as his father is the deputy police chief.

Peter Clark

A young man working as a patrol officer with the Boston PD. A level headed man who works with Richard as his patrol partner. 

[foxglovegames]

Looking for a new Lead Character Artist!

Foxglove Games is a tiny indie game studio dedicated to writing visual novels and romance games in a variety of genres. We released our debut visual novel, Trouble Comes Twice, back in 2023.

We are currently working on our second visual novel - BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL. A neon-noir crime romance packed with action, mystery, and a touch of horror.

Set in a fictionalized eighties England, where supernatural creatures and other horrors hide in plain sight, you will play as one of two protagonists: the seductive vampire detective Circe, on the hunt for an explanation to a series of bloody murders, or the unwilling cop Dante, a half-demon looking to put an end to a dangerous new drug before it claims more victims. Due to health reasons, our previous art lead unfortunately had to step back from the project. We are now looking for a new lead character artist to draw the sprites and CG illustrations!

Some basics:

🛰️ Remote, Part-time (available for work for the next two years) 💵 Paid role ($25-$40 USD/hour) 🎨 Portfolio showcasing character designs & illustrations a must

Read more and apply here

Reblogs/sharing the word with your friends is much appreciated!

[heroesriseandfall]

Introduction to Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying, April 1990

Introduction by Dennis O'Neil for Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (1990 collected edition)

Transcription below the cut/readmore.

INTRODUCTION by DENNIS O'NEIL

Robin was gone. We needed a new Boy Wonder. There had been two previous Robins. The original first appeared less than a year after a new costumed hero called Batman made his debut in DETECTIVE COMICS #27, to instant success. Some time within the next eleven months, his creators, artist Bob Kane and his writer-collaborator Bill Finger, decided to give their dark, obsessed hero a kind of surrogate son, Robin, who was hailed on the cover of DETECTIVE #36 as “the sensational character-find of 1940—Robin, The Boy Wonder.” Over the next 40 years, Batman’s fortunes varied: always, however, Robin was at Batman’s side.

He served a couple of functions. If Batman were real (and it may shock some of our more avid readers to learn he isn’t), and if he were the grim, obsessed loner he is often portrayed as, Robin, with some help from Batman's faithful butler Alfred, would keep him sane; a man whose every waking hour is focused on the grimmest aspects of society, who is unable to release the effects of seeing his parents murdered, whose life is an amalgam of sudden violence and lonely vigilance, would soon skew into a nasty insanity if he did not have someone to care for, someone to maintain a link with common humanity. But Batman is, of course, not real. (My apologies to avid readers.) He isn’t exactly a fictional character—more on that shortly—but he does not and could not exist as a living, breathing human being. That doesn’t make Robin any less useful: he serves the same functions in the Batman stories as Watson served in the Sherlock Holmes canon and the gravedigger serves in Hamlet: like Holmes’s faithful doctor, Robin is a sounding board, a person with whom the hero can have dialogues and thus let the reader know how brilliantly he’s handling matters and like the gravedigger, he occasionally provides a bright note in an otherwise relentlessly morose narrative.

Which is why I was a trifle uneasy when we—the editorial staff of DC Comics—decided to let our audience decide whether he would live or die. It came to be known in our offices as the “telephone stunt.” We had a character, Robin, the readers didn’t seem terribly fond of. This wasn’t the original Robin, the “character-find of 1940”; that Robin was Dick Grayson and he had graduated from sidekick to bona fide hero who fronted a group of evil-fighting adolescents, The Teen Titans. In 1983, it was decreed that Robin should grow up and assume a crime-fighting identity of his own—become his own man, as befitted the leader of the mighty Titans. He left Batman’s world to assume the name, costume, and persona of Nightwing. Gerry Conway and Don Newton replaced him with a second Robin, Jason Todd, whose biography was virtually identical to that of Dick Grayson. Why not? Gerry and Don were not trying to innovate, they were simply filling a void. The assignment they were given was simple: Provide another Robin. Quickly and with as little fuss as possible.

In 1986, Max Allan Collins inherited the Batman writing assignment and told his editor he had an idea for an improved Jason Todd. Make him a street kid, Collins said. Make his parents criminals. Have him and Batman on opposite sides at first. Sounded fine to the editor and, since DC was in the middle of a vast, company-wide overhaul of storylines anyway, Collins was told to go ahead. I was the editor; I did the telling. And I’d do it again, today. Collins’s Robin was dramatic, did have story potential. But readers didn’t take to him. I don't know now, and will probably never know why. Jason was accepted as long as he was a Dick Grayson clone, but when he acquired a distinct and, Collins and I still believe, more interesting backstory, their affection cooled. Maybe we—me and the writers who followed Collins—should have worked harder at making Jason likeable. Or maybe, I guessed, on some subconscious level our most loyal readers felt Jason was a usurper. For whatever reason, Jason was not the favorite Dick had been. He wasn’t hated, exactly, but he wasn’t loved, either. Should we write him out of the continuity? It didn’t seem like a bad idea, and when we thought of the experiment that became the telephone stunt, Jason seemed the perfect subject for it. The mechanics were pretty simple: we put Jason in an explosion and gave the readers two telephone numbers they could call, the first to vote that Jason would survive the blast, the second to vote that he wouldn't.

It was successful—oh my, yes. We expected to generate some interest, but not the amount or intensity we got. As soon as the final vote was tallied—5271 for Jasons survival, a deciding 5343 against—the calls began. For most of three days, I talked to journalists, disc jockeys, television reporters. We got a lot of compliments. They ranged from a critic’s liking our stunt to the participatory drama of avant garde theater to the brilliant comedy team of Penn and Teller expressing mock envy that we beat them to “the kill-your-partner-900-number scam.” But then came the backlash, ugly and, to me at least, totally unexpected: one reporter claimed that the whole event had been rigged—that, in fact, we had decided on Jason’s demise ahead of time and staged an elaborate charade; a teary grandmother said that her grandchildren loved Jason and now we’d killed him; several colleagues accused us of turning our magazines into a “Roman circus.” Cynical was a word used. And exploitive. Sleazy. Dishonorable. Wait a minute, I wanted to reply. Jason Todd is just a phantom, a figment of several imaginations. No real kid died. No real anything died. It’s all just stories—

I would have been wrong. Batman, and Superman, and Wonder Woman and their supporting casts are quite a bit more than “just stories” if, by “stories,” we mean ephemeral amusements. They’ve been in continuous magazine publication for a half-century, and they’ve been in movies, and television shows, and in novels, and on cereal boxes and T-shirts and underwear and candy bars and yo-yos and games—thousands of ventures. For fifty years. Fifty years! Although the circulation of our magazines is relatively modest, these characters have been so enduring, so pervasive, they have permeated our collective consciousness. Everybody recognizes them. They are our post-industrial folklore and, as such, they mean much more to people than a few minutes’ idle amusement. They’re part of the psychic family. The public and apparently callous slaying of one of their number was, to some, a vicious attack on the special part of their souls that needs awe, magic, heroism.

We had promised to abide by the telephone poll, and we would. But within a few days, it became apparent that we’d have to begin growing another Robin. We had forgotten that Batman exists outside the pages of our comics, is not the exclusive property of DC’s editorial staff; because he is both popular and imperishable, hundreds of others have some legitimate interest in him (not the least of whom are the readers who, for one reason or another, had missed the voting.) Our medium may have kept him alive, but others have added immeasurably to his success. When we began hearing from them, the consensus was that a Batman without a Robin wasn't quite a Batman. I wasn’t surprised. Nor did I disagree, particularly. So our problem became: how to create Robin III without generating the hostility that plagued poor Jason. Dick Grayson was the answer. If, as we thought, readers felt Jason had somehow usurped Dick’s place, then we should link the new Robin to Dick—give Robin III his predecessor’s stamp of approval. One writer had done almost all of the Dick Grayson material DC had published for a decade: Marv Wolfman, co-creator (with George Pérez) of the New Teen Titans. That made Mary the first, and really only, choice to undertake the task of giving Batman a new helper. And if we were using Marv, why not have some of the story happen in the pages of THE NEW TITANS, which he was already writing, and thus be able to take advantage of the very considerable talents of Marv's collaborator on the Titans, George Pérez? George volunteered to co-plot the story with Mary and do layouts on the TITANS episodes, and editor Mike Carlin enlisted Tom Grummett and Bob McLeod to complete George's graphics work. I asked the regular BATMAN artists, Jim Aparo and Mike DeCarlo, to handle the BATMAN issues. Finally, we chose a name for Robin III—Tim Drake—and, after a couple of editorial conferences, six gifted gentlemen retired to do what they do best.

The result seemed worthy of being collected between one set of covers, to be read as a graphic novel. We decided to do that and you’re holding the result. I hope you enjoy it. But please don’t think it’s the end of the Robin III saga. Dick Grayson’s lasted 50 years, after all, and Tim Drake does have his blessing.

Dennis O’Neil

April 1990

[nolanhattrick]

imagine you are in your mid twenties. you were always out of place - the eldest, uglier daughter of a bookstore owner that never said he loved you and was always disappointed in the decisions you made. you read science fiction and 40s detective novels and quite literally studied the blade because it was better than being at home or getting rejected by boys.

you've just been reassigned all the way across the country after the married coworker you were sleeping with was shot in the line of duty - on YOUR watch. everyone was looking at you because YOU let him die. so they sent you away. and now that you're here, it almost happens again.

something weird happens and they send you... all the way across the country again, with someone new in some weird location doing god knows what. and you get to do wonderful beautiful amazing scary life altering things. and you build a life there. you adopt a ferret and you move all of your belongings and you make friends and you save lives.

and then. oh, and then.

you grew up reading the novels. you fell in love with the writing and the fantasy of it all - science we could never dream of having and concepts we could never think of exploring. and then you got this job, and it all... it was all possible.

and then you met her. you found out she was actually a woman. and you met her. sure it was at the hot end of a gun, but. she saved your life. she gave you one of her inventions. she took you on wild adventures. you became partners.

you fell in love.

and then you met at the hot end of a gun again. she betrayed you, everyone you worked with, everyone you worked to make trust the both of you. she fell apart. you fell apart.

you gave it all up. they made her disappear.

she comes back one day. it's not really her. they trapped her mind and released her body off into the world. and just as you get her back she's gone again. she's gone and you're gone and she looks at you and says how dare you come back, how dare you interrupt my life, the life i'm building, the life i have away from you what are you doing here myka

"you called us"

myka bering you deserved so much more. you deserved more than bury your gays you deserved more than silent and implied bisexuality you deserved more than longing looks and lingering stares myka bering you deserved to be happy and to be emotional and to love helena wells with every part of your being and i am so sorry you didn't get that babe

[dec4podcast]

It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill.

But as we discover, there's so much more to his varied career, encompassing acting, music and writing. We learn about Andrew's current project, the Apple Top 40 fiction podcast, Letter From Helvetica, talk about his early life and how his professional journey in music and acting began, and he shares with us some of his creative influences.

We explore his continuing musical collaboration with Joe Dooley, and get to grips with some general acting and career matters, including authenticity in casting, accents, received pronunciation and the art of speech, and the mixed blessing of being in a long-running series. We also discuss opportunities for mature actors and, inspired by an unstoppable generation of rock and roll performers, if perceptions of age are evolving in a positive way within the arts and beyond.

Our companion webpage for this episode has some additional career details, images, links and recommendations for further reading, viewing and listening:

Andrew with fellow luminary of The Bill, Natalie Roles (DS Debbie McAllister). Both star in the hit fiction podcast created and written by Andrew, Letter From Helvetica, which can be streamed free from wherever you get your podcasts.

Very special thanks to Andrew, and to the producer of The Bill Podcast and Letter From Helvetica, Oliver Crocker, for making this episode possible.

[roykaplanpod]

Roy Kaplan is here!

Yes, you heard me right, Roy Kaplan: Out of Sight is finally ready for launch, complete with a proper (and actually correct) release date: December 28, 2024. I did say that I was going to get this ready for launch by the end of the year!

If you don't know what Roy Kaplan (or Roy Kaplan, Private Investigator if you prefer) is, it's a paranormal cyberpunk detective audio drama taking place in a (very low-key) post-apocalyptic future. It features the titular Roy Kaplan--private investigator, ex-burglar, and psychic--as he puts his wits to the test to solve all kinds of cases with the occasional assist from his ghost roommate, Wes. Stylistically, it draws significant inspiration from old time radio shows such as Richard Diamond and hardboiled detective fiction of the 1930s-50s.

This first season, Out of Sight, consists of twelve all-original mysteries, each 30-40 minutes long. It will be releasing on Saturdays every two weeks, with Patreon supporters able to hear episodes a week early.

Roy Kaplan is hosted on Pinecast, which means you should be able to listen to it on any podcast aggregator that supports RSS feeds. It'll also be available on common podcast apps like Spotify and Amazon Podcasts (right now Apple Music is having some hiccups, so we'll see what happens with that). It's also available on YouTube, if you like getting your podcasts through there.

Alternately, you can listen directly in your browser at my website, where you will also find the full voice credits and transcripts and writer's commentary blog posts if you're into that sort of thing. You can subscribe to my newsletter if you'd like to get notified of Out of Sight updates directly in your email.

I will have more to say about the show (about things like how to support production and whether season 2 will happen) but for now, season 1 is cooking and it's nearly ready to serve!

If you want more information about Roy Kaplan, the best place for information is the main page on my website, which will have all the links to everything else.

(For the trailer credits and transcript, that is also on my website.)

Happy listening, and I'll see you on the other side!

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Shadows Entwined: Part 2

BatmanVsTmnt!Leonardo x sidekick!reader

Part 1 / Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Bonus (18+)

In which both Leo and reader get grilled by their families, because of the "pretty eyes".

Warnings: Spelling, loong.

The reader and the turtles are 19.

—--------------------------------------

“They call him… The Batman”, Donnie said, reading from his computer screen, causing Leo to break from his starting contest with the wall. He didn’t even remember how he got to staring at the wall. He remembers returning to the abandoned cafe with his brothers, after their meeting with this, Batman and… her. She had said his eyes were pretty. No way she actually meant it. Not with eyes like hers. They were… Leo did not know how to describe them… deep? Colorful? Lively? Filled with emotion-, oh this is how he ended up zoning out in the first place.

Leo was once again pulled out of his thoughts, as Raph started yelling about how stupid it was to use half an hour to google something he could have guessed in seconds.

“I’ve read rumors about a supernatural bat creature in Gotham, but I assumed that he was an urban legend, or that he was a mutant like us”, Donnie said deeply fascinated.

“That guy was definitely human”, Leo finally spoke. “And I think his super natural powers are just his gadgets. Anything about the girl?” Leo could see Raph facepalm out of the corner of his eye.

“Nothing”, Donnie said. “Only stuff about this Batman, or whatever he is”. Why did that pull down on Leo’s mood? No information about her at all?

“We already know what he is!” Mikey was practically dancing at the whiteboard. “He’s awesome!... Unless he’s a bad guy… That would make him… 40% less awesome”. Leo could already tell by the look on Raph’s face that he wanted to punch their little brother all the way back to New York.

“No one knows his motives, but it does appear that he only attacks criminals”, Donnie continued. “Especially this clown guy”.

“So he wears a Dracula costume and punches clowns. Who cares?!”, yelled Raph. “The dirtbag stole my sai!”

“Dracula costume? What kind of Dracula movies have you been watching?”, Donnie muttered.

“Is that why that girl hang around him?!”, Mikey yelled from his whiteboard, jumping with the same enthusiasm he had shown ever since they arrived in Gotham. “He has bitten her and now she is under his control? This city just gets better and better!”

“I don’t think so Mikey. She did say Leo had pretty eyes”, Donnie said. “Hypothetically, I don’t think a human under vampire control would say that. I actually don’t even think vampires in fiction can control people like that…”

Leo already hated this conversation.

“Look all I’m saying is Shredder stole the ooz from TCRI and came to Gotham, we know he’s been working with a new partner, right? It’s gotta be this bat creep and that Leo loving sidekick he has around”, Raph said, exasperated.

Leo remained unmoving with his arms crossed, but the mentioning of the girl made something move in his stomach.

“I’m not so sure”, Leo said. “The way they fought, avoiding lethal blows. They wanted to figure us out. Like a detective".

“She wanted to figure you out”, Raph mumbled, just loud enough for Leo to hear it. Leo would have spoken up, and Mikey not done it first.

“Okay bros. I broke it down”, he said, pointing to his drawings on the whiteboard. “Awesome: Little bat throwing things, cool car, sweet hat, Leo’s first girlfriend. Not awesome: Kicked our butts, may be evil, mean voice, Leo’s first heartbreak”.

“Either way”, Leo broke in, before giving his brothers any chance to add on to Mikey’s whiteboard Batman and sidekick breakdown. “After Wayne Enterprises, we have no idea where the Foot will be next. The Batman is our only lead”.

Donnie nodded. “Whether friend or foe, he and his sidekick was at the scene of the crime. And if you give me a minute, I think I’ve gotten an idea”.

---

“I was right outside!” you yelled like a spoiled child, waving your arms in the air, while Batman carefully looked at the magnifying glass in front of him, a sample he had taken from the sai laying in the little glass tray. “I did nothing but watch those metahumans kick Penguin’s butt! I could have helped you!”

“I did not need help”, Batman said, stoic as he always was when wearing that mask. “I had it under control”.

“That blood in your mouth said otherwise”, you sighed leaning against the deck next to you. This man was stubborn and you knew it. It was no use fighting him on his opinions, as it would be a losing battle for anyone except him.

You heard the familiar sound of a grappling against metal, and saw as Batgirl made her way out of the air vent.

“Heard on the scanner that the police took in some of Penguin’s men. Said they were jumped by four crazy frogs. I assume those were my lizard guys”, she said.

“Your lizard guys are strange”, you told Batgirl.

“They are turtles”, Batman said, pressing keys on the computer keyboard. “And the DNA on this weapon suggests they were mutated by an outside agent”.

“Mutant ninja turtles”. You raised a brow. “And me who thought Gotham couldn’t get any stranger”.

“The technology the ninjas have already stolen could be used to refine a mutagen like that”, Batgirl noted. “But why?”

“The cloud-seeder is the last piece of the puzzle. Which is why I had to move it to a secure location outside of Gotham”.

“I really wished you guys brought me in on this!”, Batgirl said. “I mean I saw the monsters first. It’s my case”.

“And pass up the opportunity to watch them swordfight Penguin later in the future? No way! I had front seat tickets!”

“There were too many unknowns. You could have gotten hurt. Both of you”. Batman turned his attention towards you. “You have to be more careful, (Y/N)”.

“What do you mean? I was beating that blue one pretty good”.

“Yet you didn’t notice the red one almost tapped you from the back”.

You felt a movement in your stomach and cold run down your back, yet your face started to feel hot. You did not notice at all. When would that have happened?... How long did you look into those blue eyes? Did the red one see an opening, only for Batman to save you, while you were being engulfed in a mutant turtle’s eyes, not noticing the world around you?

“N- no, I didn’t”.

“No, and you’ll have to work on that before I start calling you for backup”. Feedback from Batman always sounded harsh. And it did make you feel self conscious. But when it came to fighting alongside Batman, it was a matter of life and death. “In the meantime”, Batman continued, before you could dig too deep into your own feelings. “I’ll need to start working on a way to counteract the mutagen”. Batman stood for a moment. “And for that I could use both of your help”.

You could feel a big smile form on your face as Batgirl thanked the man you saw as your father figure. It wasn’t often that he actually asked for your help, or any help at all, making this a rare occasion, forever saved in your memory.

“All though”, Batgirl said as Batman looked closer at the sai he had gotten from the red turtle. “If those creatures left the Penguin's men tied up for the police, maybe I was wrong about them”.

“Maybe”, was all Batman had to say about that.

The drive back to the Batcave from Wayne Enterprise was silent. With you and Batgirl squished together in one seat, while Batman was driving the Batmobile. The silence that was so common when it came to Batman. It was a far cry from the Bruce Wayne that had taken you in as his own daughter. I was as if the moment he took the mask on, he became a different person. Not less loving than the Bruce Wayne you had given the title father, but less expressive and harder to read.

“Pretty eyes?”, Batman said, finally breaking the silence. Batgirl looked at you in confusion.

“It caught him off guard didn’t it? I’ll say it worked”, you said, playing with a smile on your lips. The bat stayed silent. You knew that silence. It was not an approving silence. You tried playing it off, talking about something else. “Did you notice how easily excited the orange one got? And how mad that red one was? They kind of remind me of Robin-”.

“Your brother is not comparable to a bunch of ninja turtles”.

“Well you might think that”, you mumbled, thinking of your pestilence of an adopted brother, that often caused chaos in your daily life, by sneaking around Wayne Manor. “He does look a little like them”.

Batgirl turned to Batman. “Care to explain?”

Batman sighed. “(H/N) and the blue mutant had a moment where she told him he had pretty eyes”.

“A moment?”, Batgirl asked, slightly shocked.

“A stare down”, you said, feeling your cheeks getting hot.

“A moment”, Batman corrected. “Even his attacks became softer after she told him”.

“No they didn’t!”

“They did. And so did yours”.

With your cheeks on fire, you crossed your arms and leaned back into the seat you shared with Batgirl. The amused smile she was trying to hide, made you wish the Batmobile would swallow you on the spot.

Why did that damn turtle have to have such pretty eyes?

[ghostflowerdreams]

Audio Drama Recommendations, Pt. III

Click here for part one and here for part two. Recently, I've been drawing a lot, which gives me plenty of time to listen to audio dramas and podcasts. These are the ones I liked the most and found entertaining enough to recommend to others. This is not in any particular order, either.

The Green Horizon – is a sci-fi comedy drama created and written by Paul Walsh. It is sponsored by Faustian Nonsense, an indie entertainment network. It currently has three seasons, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long, but later on it increases to 30 - 40 minutes. A fourth season is said to be coming out soon as well.

It is set in the year 2261, and it focuses on a ne'er-do-well Irish space captain and his rag-tag crew, as they traverse a war-torn Galaxy in search of fame and fortune. [ONGOING]

It was a little chaotic and rough at the beginning, but it does smooth out and become more polished. I can definitely tell that they up their game with the improved sound effects and production quality. The voice actors and the writing for the audio drama does an excellent job at bringing their characters to life, which made it very fun to follow along.

If you like Firefly, Red Dwarf, Orville, Cowboy Bepop, and so on then I think you may enjoy this too.

DERELICT – is a sci-fi narrative audio drama from award-winning science fiction author J. Barton Mitchell, and produced by Night Rocket Productions. It currently has one season titled FATHOM, which consist of 10 episodes with each one ranging from 40 mins to an hour, mostly the latter.

Something has been found at the bottom of Earth's ocean. An ancient artifact that can only be described as a giant door, inset into the sea floor. It becomes known as the Vault. A gigantic enigma, buried and forgotten...nineteen thousand feet down.

To study the artifact, the galaxy's most powerful corporation, Maas-Dorian, has built a massive, self-contained, secret laboratory base surrounding it, named FATHOM. It's objective: unlock the secrets of the artifact and discover what it holds.​ But some mysteries should remain buried. And some doors should never be opened... [ONGOING]

DERELICT started as the first project set up as a kickstarter. They produced one episode to entice backers, but then the pandemic happened, and they didn’t raise enough money for the rest of it. Instead, they worked on a prequel season called FATHOM. It's where the story really starts, and I highly suggest you listen to it before listening to "DERELICT E1 - Through the Gate."

I hope they redo the DERELICT's first episode because there's a bit of disconnection from it and FATHOM. For example, Sarah and Agent Blayne already know each other. She mentions it to the others, but the conversation they have with each other doesn’t make it seem that way.

Never mind. I apparently confused this Sarah with the Sarah in FATHOM. Can't blame me for thinking that when I heard the name Sarah and that she was already familiar with Agent Blayne.

Deviser – is a sci-fi horror audio drama created, directed, acted and produced by Harlan Guthrie. The same creator of Malevolent. It's a 7-part limited series, with each episode being about 20 mins long.

Son wakes up aboard a spaceship bound for earth in an effort to recolonize. What he discovers, however, will change everything he knows about his world and himself. [COMPLETED]

It's not for everyone, so please do not ignore the content warnings because there's graphic description of violence, self harm, body horror, gore, animal death/being hurt, and what not.

Victoriocity – is a detective comedy audio drama written by Chris and Jen Sugden, directed by Nathan Peter Grassi and produced by Dominic Hargreaves. It is an entirely independent production. It has two seasons, containing 13 episodes in total, and each one is about 30 to 45 minutes long. There's also a feature-length special and a up-coming third season with the help of a kickstarter.

It is 1887 in Even Greater London, an alternate steampunk Victorian London, where Queen Victoria reigns even after being assassinated eleven times, thanks to the wonders of modern science.

In this vast metropolis, Inspector Archibald Fleet and journalist Clara Entwhistle investigate a murder, only to find themselves at the centre of a conspiracy of impossible proportions. [ONGOING]

It's put together so well, and I see why people say it gives off strong Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett vibes to it. So if you like their works, then I wouldn't be surprised to hear that you like this too.

Impact Winter – is an apocalyptic vampire audio drama created and written by Travis Beacham (Carnival Row, Pacific Rim). It has two seasons containing 22 episodes in total and each one is about 17 to 30 minutes long.

“They came after the impact and the firestorms. When the sun went dark. Like they’d been there all along. Just waiting.”

In the British countryside, a band of survivors forms a resistance in the fallout shelter of a medieval castle. Darcy is a battle-tested vampire hunter who is at the front line, leading the charge to save humanity. Meanwhile, her younger sister Hope wants life to return to normal so she can go above ground and know what it’s like to live again. And she just might be willing to risk it all. [ONGOING]

It has a stacked cast led by Holliday Grainger (Cinderella, Great Expectations), Esme Creed-Miles (Hanna, The Legend of Vox Machina), Liam Cunningham (Games of Thrones, Hunger), Himesh Patel (Station Eleven, Tenet), David Gyasi (Interstellar, Carnival Row), Caroline Ford (Carnival Row, Nekrotronic), Chloe Pirrie (Emma, Carnival Row), and Bella Ramsey (Games of Thrones, The Last of Us).

This reminded me a lot of the film 30 Days of Nights (2007) with a little bit of Reign of Fire (2002), which were both fun films to watch. I think if you like those two, especially the former, you'll enjoy this or at least be entertained by it.

A Voice From Darkness – is a scripted paranormal horror audio drama. It is written and produced by Jac Rhys. It currently has two seasons, containing 20 episodes in total and each one is about 20 to 30 minutes long. It also has 7 bonus voicemail episodes and 15 Patreon exclusive episodes which are longer than the main episodes. A third season in the works as well.

Join parapsychologist and radio broadcaster Dr. Malcolm Ryder as he helps those who suffer the supernatural, paranormal or otherworldly problems on his call-in radio show. It is also interspersed with segments, one of which is called 'Today In Odd America' that delves into the origins of a holiday, local traditions, and history. [ONGOING]

If you like Welcome To Night Vale then I think you'll like this too. A Voice From Darkness is a bit more serious and not as long-drawn as Night Vale was, with a perfect mix of storytelling and lore. It also reminds me a bit of The Magnus Archive too.

How i Died – is a mystery audio drama that brings a "new twist on the true crime genre." It is an Audiohm Media original production, co-starring Vince Dajani as Jon Spacer and Shaina Waring as Sheriff Fran Crowley. It currently has three seasons with 39 episodes in total, not including bonus episodes. Each episode is usually about 20 mins, give or take a few minutes.

Bodies are piling up in the strange town of Springfield, and forensic pathologist Jonathan Spacer intends to find out why. But, Jon isn’t without his own secrets… He can talk to the dead, for starters. [ONGOING]

Ooo, a character that can speak to the dead? It's always so interesting to see what they'll do with their ability and where the creators take them. This has been entertaining, but at times I do think they can do better in developing their characters a bit more. For example, I can count on one hand the number of times Crowley doesn't get angry. Though to be fair, Jon isn't an immediately likable character, but that does change the further you go...sorta.

The Amelia Project – is a comedy fiction audio drama created, written, directed, produced and edited by Philip Thorne and Øystein Ulsberg Brager for Imploding Fictions and The Fable and Folly Network. It currently has four seasons, with a fifth one on the way. There's about 72 episodes, not including prologue, special, and BTS episodes which would up the total to 122. Each episode also varies in length from 20 to 45 minutes long.

The Amelia Project is a secret agency that fakes its clients' deaths, then lets them reappear with a brand-new identity. A black comedy full of secrets, twists... and cocoa. The series starts as a succession of interviews with clients who want to fake their deaths, then slowly a larger narrative begins to emerge... Each episode tells its own story, but we recommend starting with Season 1. [ONGOING]

It was fun to listen to while I was drawing or washing the dishes. I could also follow along without becoming too distracted by it, either. I was worried it would be one of those that take a while to get to the main overall story, but thankfully it did not. It will definitely keep you entertained and interested to know what will happen next.

Community Cat News – is a neighborhood news show done from the perspective of cats. There's currently 13 episodes so far and each one varies from 5 to 12 minutes long.

Local News: The human is opening the fridge! Will we get a taste?

Foreign Affairs: What are those squirrels up to now?

Traffic: WHY is the bathroom door shut again?

Every episode is sponsored by Meow Meow Puffytail, Feline Rights Attorney, who is ready to sue your human for even the slightest inconvenience. [ONGONG]

It's cute, light-hearted, and funny. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It even uplifted my mood without me realizing I was feeling low.

[whencyclopedia]

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author and poet, often credited as the father of the short story, a pioneer of science fiction, the inventor of the detective story, and the master of the horror genre. He is best known for his poems The Raven, Annabel Lee, and Helen, the short stories The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Masque of Red Death; and the detective story The Purloined Letter.

Poe was one of the most influential writers in his own time as well as generations later. Robert Mead in his Literature of the American Nation wrote that Poe's stories, poems and essays, "convey the conviction of intensity felt experience, the authority of extraordinary intelligence. That was Poe's genius" (71). One of his best themes is the difficulty of establishing a discrete limit between the living and the dead, the exploration of the border between things that one may wish to remain separate: life from death, the human from the animal, and the real from the imaginary.

Although Poe was a brilliant writer, his life was one of poverty and misery, and his short stories and poems reflect the deep sense of loss Poe experienced throughout his life. Charlotte Montagne in her book on Poe called him a giant of American literature "but his life was a disaster, a tale of unremitting misery, constant poverty and repented frustration and disappointment" (Intro). He was the first American writer to try to support his family through his writing. Unfortunately, he failed. While he may have lived in poverty, he changed American literature forever. Despite his tragic death at the age of 40, he left behind over 70 macabre stories, poems, and one novel "filled with suspense and brilliantly twisted plots." (Montagne, Intro)

Early Life

Edgar Allan Poe was born on 19 January 1809 in a boarding house near the Boston Commons in Boston, Massachusetts. Mead wrote that, from the beginning, his life seemed destined for destruction. Both of his parents were actors, not a respectable occupation at the time. His father, David Poe, Jr. (1784-1811) was a member of the Boston Thespian Group. He proved to be a major disappointment to his parents, who wanted him to become a lawyer. He and Elizabeth (Eliza) Arnold Hopkins, an expatriate English actress, met in Norfolk, Virginia, and were soon married. She was a widow. Her husband Charles Hopkins had died six months earlier. Poe's brother William Henry was born nine months later in 1807; he would die in 1831 of tuberculosis.

David and Eliza traveled the theater circuit up and down the East Coast leaving young Poe and his sister Rosalie (1810-1874) with David's parents David Sr. and Elizabeth in Baltimore. By 1811, David had abandoned his family. Never getting any respect for his acting ability, his stage career had stalled owing to his heavy drinking. He died in December of 1811 in Norfolk. Considered a talented actress by most reviewers, Eliza became ill with tuberculosis and died at the age of 24 on 8 December 1811. The young couple died within three days of each other.

Although he was only two years old, with little memory of his father, many believe Poe inherited his father's character and bad habits. Since his grandparents were financially unable to care for Poe and his little sister, Rosalie was adopted by the Richmond merchant William Mackenzie. Although never formally adopted, Poe was taken in by John Allan, a tobacco merchant and his wife Frances. Poe was given Allan as his middle name. John was said to be impulsive and quick-tempered, but Poe wanted for nothing. He was encouraged and given opportunities to indulge in his literary pursuits. He had the unique ability at a young age to memorize and recite long passages of poetry.

Continue reading...

[androxys]

Comic Ages: Quick Breakdowns for the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Ages

If you're new to comic fandom, or even if you're not, you may hear people talk about specific "Ages" of comic books. If you don't know what that means, or what people mean when they talk about a Golden Age, this is a quick writeup meant to help you out!

This focuses on the Golden Age, the Silver Age, and the Bronze Age of comics. This is a DC focused writeup, though it's loosely applicable to Marvel comics too.

The Golden Age (1938-1950s)

DC Comics as we know it started taking form in 1937 with the debut of the Detective Comics title. Published by Detective Comics Inc. in partnership with National Allied Publications, the title was an anthology of various detective and mystery stories featuring characters such as Slam Bradley. Have you ever read the first dozen or so ‘Tec stories? Because I haven’t. I care much more about what came next. In 1938, All-American Publications began publishing Action Comics, debuting a character called Superman. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Soon after, in 1939, Detective Comics #27debuted the Batman. Arguably with Action Comics #1, though definitely by 1940, the Golden Age of comics had begun.

The original iterations of the Flash and Green Lantern—Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, respectively—were created in 1940. The savvy reader among you might recognize these two as belonging to the Justice Society of America, which had arrived on the scene by 1941. The JSA would be rounded out with Hawkman, Doctor Fate, the Spectre, Sandman, the Atom, and Hourman. Other characters created around this time include Green Arrow (1940), Wonder Woman, (1941), and Aquaman (1941).

You may notice that the Golden Age overlaps with World War II, and it definitely affected DC’s publication. The newly created figure of the superhero became a more starkly patriotic figure, often spangled in red, white and blue. Plots began to incorporate nationalistic themes, and heroes often fought spies, foreign agents, and saboteurs. Arguably, though, scholars argue that the war era was most important for how superheroes began to move out of a purely print medium to radio and film. (For additional reading on DC Comics and WWII, see the Freeman and Hutchens citations below)

As the 40s went on, however, interest in superheroes began to wane, and DC (though technically they weren’t yet a consolidated DC Comics) began to pivot to other themes, such as Western stories or science fiction. The end of the Golden Age, however, can arguably be traced to 1954 with Frederic Wertham publishing Seduction of the Innocent. Wertham’s book that claimed that comics were an active harm to children due to their depictions of violence and supposed (homo)sexual themes. Seduction of the Innocent led to Wertham testifying before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee, which in turn ended up leading to comics publishers adopting the Comics Code Authority, a sort of self-imposed regulatory authority.

I would personally characterize the Golden Age as having a sort of earnestness to it. Characters are being invented left and right, but the writers haven’t yet had enough time with them to shape them into the figures we now know them to be. In hindsight, a lot of these early stories seem... silly… Superman eating a pocket-knife in Superman #8 comes to mind. But even within the same issue as the goofy knife-eating, you see Superman working against foreign agents representing the real-world anxieties of the time.

The Silver Age (1958-1970)

After the establishment of the Comics Code Authority, the content of comics had to change. At the same time, DC Comics (though they still weren’t technically doing official business under that name) had a stable of characters begging for reinvention. In 1956, Barry Allen debuted as the new Flash in Showcase #4, and the Silver Age was off. Science fiction themes seemed to be all the rage for the Silver Age: Hal Jordan, the new Green Lantern, got his ring from a dying alien. Ray Palmer, the new Atom, was described as a genius inventor who created his size changing powers. Hawkman was brought back, no longer as the reincarnating pharaoh Khufu, but as a police officer from the planet Thanagar. The Martian Manhunter was more thoroughly fleshed out and elevated from a detective to superhero. As individual heroes were getting re-tooled, the concept of the Justice Society was updated in 1960 to become the Justice League of America, which debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28.

After establishing refreshed versions of some of their older heroes, DC decided that they wanted to begin to reincorporate some of their older characters into their modern publication. This effort began in 1961 with the spectacular “Flash of Two Worlds” in Flash #123, which featured Barry Allen, the Flash, teaming up with Jay Garrick, the Flash of the Golden Age. This issue established that the Golden Age characters all still existed, but on a parallel Earth that vibrated at a different frequency than the Earth of DC’s main heroes, which was designated Earth One. By using their powers, characters like the Flash were able to vibrate at the other Earth’s speed, crossing over. This concept would soon be expanded upon, leading to frequent crossovers between Earth One and Earth Two characters and teams.

Having two separate Earths, each with their own history, allowed DC to have multiple variations of the same characters, offering greater storytelling breadth. The Bruce Wayne of Earth Two, for example, had retired as Batman to become Gotham Police Commissioner, passing on the torch to his daughter Helena Wayne, the Huntress. Huntress would cross over to meet the Bruce Wayne of Earth One, the younger, childless Batman. DC would develop other Earths, such as Earth Three, with villainous versions of Earth’s heroes, of Earth Prime, with a single Superboy as Earth’s only superhero.

The Silver Age, as a whole, can be looked at as campier than other eras of comics thanks in no small part due to the regulations imposed by the Comics Code Authority. Stories tended towards science fiction and the fantastic, and creators were very interested in making pre-established concepts new again. Comics continued to expand through new mediums, often keeping with the tone of the time: the Adam West Batman TV show, for example, ran 1966-1968 and is a great example of Silver Age camp. While the Silver Age has an event that can be pointed to as a relatively agreeable indication of the era’s beginning, its end is slightly less clear.

The Bronze Age (1970-1986)

The Bronze Age of Comics came about during the 1970s, but it’s not easy to discern exactly when or with what event. Comic readers had been indicating a desire for darker or more mature stories. (In some ways, this desire can be considered as a reaction to the trend of the Silver Age as a whole. For further reading, I suggest The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon, which dives into how Batman media specifically follows a tone-pendulum.)

Some point to the death of Gwen Stacy over in The Amazing Spider-Man as the event that heralded in the Bronze Age, others point to Jack Kirby leaving Marvel to join DC and begin the Fourth World. The Bronze Age was emboldened by the revision and weakening of the Comics Code in 1971, after Stan Lee published a comic about drug use without the Authority’s stamp of approval. The comic was a success, leading the code to reevaluate or be left behind.

In the realm of DC, Green Arrow’s joining the Green Lantern title in 1970 in what would then be Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 is generally considered a Bronze Age hallmark. The series focused on contemporary social ills, with its arguably most famous story tackling drug addiction in America. 1971’s Green Lantern/Green Arrow #78, “Snowbirds Don’t Fly,” depicted the teen hero Roy Harper's addiction to heroin and the other heroes’ reaction and response. In the Batman comics, Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams began a long campaign to bring Batman back to a more gothic, brooding figure with appropriately dark villains. O’Neil and Adams’ 1971 Batman #232 debuted Ra’s and Talia al Ghul, while 1973’s Batman #251 would see “The Joker’s Five Way Revenge” take the Joker from his Silver Age clownish portrayal to a more menacing, murderous villain.

As DC Comics approached 50 years of publication in 1985, they began to recognize that five decades had left them with quite a mess of continuity. There were the Golden Age heroes on Earth Two, the Silver Age heroes that had become the Bronze Age heroes on Earth One, and a plethora of alternate Earths and company acquisitions to make it muddier. To mark the anniversary and clean house at the same time, DC embarked upon the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Crisis on Infinite Earths, often referred to just as “Crisis” was a year-long maxi series running from 1985-1986. The plot involved the destruction of the DC multiverse, and resulted in the establishment of a New Earth with a new continuity. Nearly everything that came before was taken off the metaphorical table, and writers got to choose which pre-Crisis elements to re-canonize and which elements to create fresh.

[moldycigarette]

alright so i know this isn’t like my normal posts but a lot of people on this platform struggle with writers block, including me, and i wanted to give some prompts that could help! you don’t have to use these and can adjust them however you’d like, these are just ideas!

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Fiction & Creative Writing

1. a character wakes up in a world where everyone communicates through music.

2. a mysterious book appears on your doorstep, but its contents change every time you read it.

3. write about a time traveler who is stuck in the past and can only communicate through dreams.

4. a detective who solves crimes using supernatural powers realizes they’ve met their match.

5. a ghost is trying to prevent the person who killed them from dying.

6. a famous artist is haunted by a subject they’ve painted who comes to life.

7. your character is the sole survivor of an apocalyptic event, but soon realizes they're not alone.

8. a town where no one is allowed to speak after sunset, and no one knows why.

9. an inventor creates a machine that allows them to experience alternate versions of their life.

10. a person discovers their reflection in the mirror has its own consciousness.

Fantasy

11. a magical library appears only at midnight to those who need it.

12. in a world where dragons are extinct, your character finds a dragon egg.

13. your character inherits a mysterious key with no lock and begins a quest to find out what it opens.

14. write about a warrior who is bound by a curse to protect the very thing they want to destroy.

15. a forest that grows whenever someone tells a lie.

16. your protagonist discovers they are the reincarnation of a legendary hero, but with none of the hero’s abilities.

17. an ancient prophecy foretells that your character will either save the world or destroy it.

18. write about a society where magic is powered by emotions.

19. a kingdom built on clouds is in danger of falling to the earth.

20. a witch casts a spell that backfires, turning her into a child and her familiar into her guardian.

Science Fiction

21. a spaceship is sent to explore a distant planet, but the crew starts aging in reverse.

22. an AI designed to assist humanity begins developing emotions.

23. humanity’s last hope for survival is a space station, but something—or someone—inside it doesn’t want them to survive.

24. a society where everyone’s lifespan is determined at birth by an implanted chip.

25. your character discovers an alien artifact that changes their perception of reality.

26. a scientist creates a device that can predict the future, but only five minutes ahead.

27. the world’s oceans have disappeared, and underwater civilizations are revealed.

28. in the future, people can purchase memories and experiences—but at what cost?

29. a human and a robot must work together to survive on a hostile alien planet.

30. a colony on mars finds an ancient alien structure buried beneath the surface.

Romance

31. two rivals are forced to work together and uncover feelings neither expected.

32. your character accidentally texts a stranger and starts an unexpected relationship.

33. a love story set in a small town where everyone seems to know your character’s secrets.

34. two people from different timelines fall in love through letters that mysteriously appear.

35. your character is engaged but starts to question everything when they meet someone new.

36. write about a romance that blossoms during a road trip across the country.

37. your character returns to their hometown and reconnects with a childhood friend who has changed in unexpected ways.

38. a relationship between a human and a shapeshifter who struggles with their dual identity.

39. a character falls in love with someone from their dreams, only to meet them in real life.

40. your protagonist is a famous actor who falls for someone who has no idea who they are.

Horror

41. a family moves into a house where no one can leave after nightfall.

42. a seemingly ordinary object starts bringing terrible luck to everyone who touches it.

43. a town where no one remembers the year 1999, but your character discovers they lived there during that time.

44. your character is being watched by something in the shadows, but no one else can see it.

45. a child starts drawing pictures of places they’ve never been, but those places exist.

46. a group of friends find an old VHS tape, but every time they watch it, the events change.

47. your character wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how they got there and discovers they’re not alone.

48. a haunting occurs only when your character speaks a specific word they can’t remember saying.

49. write a story about a character who realizes they’ve been dead for years, but no one else knows.

50. a creepy doll your character threw away keeps reappearing in their home.

Historical Fiction

51. write about a soldier who returns home after a war to find their village completely changed.

52. a story set in ancient rome, where a slave and a senator form an unlikely alliance.

53. during the salem witch trials, a character must prove their innocence while hiding a dangerous secret.

54. set your story during the french revolution, with two characters on opposite sides of the conflict.

55. write about a young woman navigating life in the 1920s, struggling between traditional roles and modern aspirations.

56. your character is a spy during WWII, but their mission is compromised.

57. a historical figure falls in love with someone who wasn’t meant to exist in their time.

58. a doctor in the victorian era discovers a breakthrough that could change medicine forever, but at a high cost.

59. write a story set on the titanic, focusing on passengers from third class.

60. a knight and a scholar form an unlikely partnership to solve a mystery in medieval england.

Thriller & Mystery

61. your character receives a letter from a friend they thought had died years ago.

62. a private investigator uncovers a conspiracy that links seemingly unrelated crimes.

63. your protagonist’s sibling goes missing, but as they search, they uncover secrets about their family.

64. a heist goes wrong, and now your character is on the run from both the law and their partners.

65. write about a detective who must solve a crime, but they themselves are the prime suspect.

66. a series of disappearances in a small town are all connected by a single photograph.

67. your character is trapped in a game where their every move is being watched, but the rules are unclear.

68. a journalist uncovers evidence of a crime that happened decades ago, but someone wants to keep it buried.

69. a locked-room mystery where the murder weapon has vanished without a trace.

70. your character witnesses a crime but is unsure whether it was real or imagined.

Dystopian & Post-Apocalyptic

71. after the collapse of society, your character stumbles upon a group that claims they can rebuild the world.

72. in a future society, books are banned, and your character is part of the underground effort to preserve them.

73. your protagonist lives in a world where all forms of art are illegal, and they are secretly a painter.

74. a virus has wiped out most of humanity, and your character is immune—but they’re hiding that fact.

75. the government monitors everyone’s emotions through implants, but your character is beginning to feel something new.

76. in a world where water is the most valuable resource, your character uncovers a hidden freshwater spring.

77. a character is chosen to participate in a deadly competition, but they have no idea why they were selected.

78. the sky has turned permanently red, and no one knows why—but your character is determined to find out.

79. society is divided into castes based on intelligence, and your character is faking their way to the top.

80. in a future where memories can be bought and sold, your character is tasked with recovering a stolen one.

Literary Fiction

81. a character returns to their hometown for the first time in years and must confront their past.

82. your protagonist faces a moral dilemma that could change the course of their life.

83. write about a friendship that slowly unravels over the course of a year.

84. a character grapples with the realization that they are more like their parents than they ever wanted to admit.

85. a story about an ordinary day that takes an extraordinary turn.

86. your protagonist is an artist struggling with creative block, but an unexpected encounter changes everything.

87. a character is given a choice between two life-changing opportunities, but both have major consequences.

88. write about a family gathering where long-held secrets come to the surface.

89. a story about forgiveness, where a character must come to terms with a betrayal from the past.

90. your character navigates life in a big city while feeling completely disconnected from those around them.

Memoir & Personal Reflection

91. write about a time you felt completely out of your comfort zone.

92. describe a moment when you realized you were stronger than you thought.

93. what is a memory that you revisit often, and why does it stay with you?

94. reflect on a relationship that changed your life, for better or worse.

95. write about a place that holds special significance to you and why.

96. describe a moment when you had to make a difficult choice and what you learned from it.

97. write about an event in your childhood that shaped who you are today.

98. reflect on a time when you felt misunderstood and how it impacted you.

99. write about a dream you’ve had that you can’t seem to forget.

100. reflect on a moment of failure and what it taught you about resilience.

Romance x Mystery

1. a couple moves into a new home only to discover love letters hidden in the walls, all addressed to someone who lived there decades ago. they set out to uncover the fate of the mysterious lovers.

2. your character is a private investigator hired to follow someone’s spouse suspected of cheating. along the way, they start falling for the person they’re spying on—but discover something far more dangerous than infidelity.

3. two strangers meet on a train, both running from their pasts. they quickly fall for each other, but one of them is hiding a dangerous secret that could destroy their new connection.

4. a detective is assigned to protect a key witness, who turns out to be their ex. as they work together to solve the case, old feelings resurface, but so do the reasons they broke up.

5. your protagonist receives a love letter from a secret admirer—except it’s from someone they thought had died years ago. the search for answers leads them deeper into a web of lies and hidden passions.

6. a journalist meets a charming stranger while investigating a string of disappearances. as they grow closer, she begins to suspect the person she’s falling for may be involved in the case.

7. two former lovers reunite when a mutual friend goes missing. as they investigate, they discover that not only is their friend in danger, but someone is trying to keep them apart.

8. your character finds an old photograph of a couple at a flea market and becomes obsessed with finding out who they were. along the way, they meet someone who helps them uncover the mystery, sparking a romance.

9. a billionaire hires your character to solve the mystery of a missing family heirloom, and they quickly fall for the billionaire’s aloof but alluring sibling, who may know more about the theft than they’re letting on.

10. your protagonist is a novelist who starts receiving anonymous love letters that mimic the plot of their latest mystery book—except the events in the letters begin happening in real life.

11. two people inherit an old mansion, discovering a series of love letters that reveal a tragic romance tied to a long-unsolved crime. as they investigate, they find themselves falling for each other.

12. a couple's relationship is tested when one of them starts receiving cryptic, romantic messages from an unknown sender. the deeper they dig into the messages, the more dangerous the situation becomes.

13. your character's spouse disappears, leaving behind a single cryptic note and no trace. as they unravel the mystery, they uncover shocking secrets about the person they thought they knew—and question whether they should trust their love.

14. a woman finds a diary in a forgotten room of her partner's house, filled with entries that seem to predict the future—including their blossoming romance and an unsolved murder.

15. two rival art thieves fall in love while hunting for a legendary painting, but as they get closer to the truth, they discover one of them is keeping a dangerous secret.

16. a wedding is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger who claims to know the groom’s deepest secret. as the bride searches for the truth, she finds herself questioning the person she’s about to marry.

17. your character starts dating someone new, only to realize their new partner is connected to an unsolved crime from years ago. as they grow closer, they must decide whether to confront them or live with the suspicion.

18. a character receives an anonymous invitation to a masquerade ball, where they meet someone they feel an instant connection with. after the night ends, they’re left with only a cryptic clue to the person’s identity—and a growing sense of danger.

19. two amateur detectives fall for each other while solving a case, but the deeper they get into the mystery, the more they realize their pasts are dangerously intertwined.

20. your protagonist's ex goes missing, and as they investigate the disappearance, they begin receiving love letters and cryptic clues that suggest the ex may still be in love with them—or is leading them into a deadly trap.

21. an online dating match leads to a whirlwind romance, but when your protagonist tries to learn more about their new love interest, they realize the person’s entire identity might be a fabrication.

22. a librarian and a mysterious stranger team up to investigate an old family mystery involving forbidden love. as they unravel the clues, they find themselves drawn to each other, despite the growing danger.

23. a woman starts receiving flowers from a secret admirer, but each bouquet contains a puzzle piece that, when put together, reveals a decades-old mystery involving her own family.

24. two people reconnect at a high school reunion, but one of them is hiding their involvement in the disappearance of a mutual friend years ago. as old feelings resurface, so do dark secrets.

25. a detective falls in love with a suspect in a high-profile art theft. as they try to clear the suspect's name, they begin to question whether they’re being manipulated.

26. your character starts dating a brilliant scientist, only to discover that the scientist’s previous partner vanished under mysterious circumstances. the deeper they dig, the more dangerous their relationship becomes.

27. a couple’s honeymoon is interrupted when they find a hidden message in their hotel room, leading them to uncover a mystery involving a missing person.

28. your character falls for a charming stranger while on vacation, only to find out that the stranger is under investigation for a crime they may or may not have committed.

29. a letter from a long-lost love arrives, telling your character to meet them at a specific place. when they arrive, they find a murder scene and a trail of clues leading them to question everything about their past relationship.

30. your protagonist discovers their new partner is being stalked by someone who knows intimate details about their life. together, they must uncover the stalker’s identity before it's too late.

Romance x Science Fiction

1. after a nuclear apocalypse, two survivors meet while scavenging for supplies. they fall for each other, but one holds a secret that could jeopardize their relationship—and their survival.

2. a deadly virus wipes out most of humanity, and your character is immune. when they meet another immune survivor, they struggle between opening their heart and staying emotionally distant for survival’s sake.

3. a comet is heading towards earth, and society collapses in the face of the impending disaster. your protagonist falls in love with someone they meet in a survival bunker, but time is running out.

4. the world is overrun by zombies, and two people from rival survivor groups find themselves trapped together. as they fight to survive, their initial distrust turns into an unexpected romance.

5. an alien invasion destroys civilization, leaving two humans as the last survivors in a city. they rely on each other for survival, but the closer they get, the more they worry about what will happen if one of them doesn’t make it.

6. the sun is dying, and a scientist is working on a solution to save the world. as they work against the clock, they fall for their assistant, who is secretly planning to escape to a hidden underground colony.

7. after the collapse of technology, two people living in a primitive society discover old-world relics that hint at a more advanced way of life. as they journey to find answers, they grow closer, even as danger looms.

8. in a world where oxygen is scarce, two people fall in love while competing for a limited supply of clean air. they must decide whether to share their resources or save themselves at the expense of the other.

9. a solar flare wipes out all electronics, plunging the world into chaos. two strangers meet in the aftermath and fall for each other while trying to build a new life in a world without technology.

10. a giant earthquake destroys most cities, and a woman is trapped in a remote cabin with a stranger. as they rely on each other for survival, they discover a deep emotional connection.

11. a group of survivors hides from relentless storms that have devastated the earth. two people find solace in each other while living in an underground bunker, but when they run out of supplies, their bond is tested.

12. the earth is slowly freezing over and two people stranded in an arctic research station fall in love. they must choose whether to stay together in their isolated world or attempt the dangerous journey to warmer lands.

13. in a dystopian future where water is scarce, a water hunter and a desert nomad fall in love while on a dangerous quest to find the last freshwater source. their romance grows even as they realize they may not both survive the journey.

14. a plague wipes out most of the population, and two survivors from different backgrounds must navigate the ruins of civilization. as they work together to stay alive, they find love in the most unexpected circumstances.

15. humanity flees earth to live in space stations, and your character is separated from their partner. as they try to reunite, they must survive the dangers of space travel and the political intrigue aboard the stations.

16. the world is invaded by hostile robots, and two people from opposing resistance factions are forced to work together. they fall for each other despite the growing tension between their groups.

17. a mysterious fog covers the earth and people begin disappearing. two survivors fall in love while trying to unravel the mystery of the fog, knowing they could be taken at any moment.

18. a solar flare has caused mass blindness, and two sighted survivors meet while helping guide the blind to safety. as they fall in love, they must decide whether to reveal the truth about their abilities.

19. the seas have risen, and the last remnants of humanity live on floating cities. two engineers from rival factions fall in love while working on a project that could determine the future of their people.

20. after the apocalypse, a group of survivors rebuilds a small community, but food is running low. two members of the group fall in love, but their relationship is put to the test when one of them is chosen to leave on a dangerous supply mission.

21. a solar storm wipes out communication satellites, and a long-distance couple is separated. as the world descends into chaos, they struggle to reunite, facing dangers and new relationships along the way.

22. a mysterious virus kills anyone over the age of 30, and two young survivors fall in love in a world ruled by teenagers. as they grow older, they must come to terms with their inevitable fate.

23. after a global blackout, two people living in a fully automated city must learn how to survive without modern conveniences. their romance blossoms as they work together to find food, water, and a sense of purpose in the ruins.

24. a volcanic eruption covers the earth in ash, and a scientist and a firefighter trapped in a rescue bunker fall in love. as they wait for the skies to clear, they must decide whether to stay together or return to their previous lives.

25. in a world where the air is toxic, two survivors live in protective suits, communicating only through radios. as they fall in love without ever seeing each other’s faces, they must decide whether to risk exposure for a chance at real connection.

26. the oceans have dried up, and a sailor and a scientist searching for answers fall in love in a world of endless deserts. as they race to find a solution, they must confront the possibility that it may be too late.

27. a supervolcano has erupted, and two people living in different cities are connected through a ham radio. as they fall for each other over the airwaves, they must decide whether to risk their lives to meet in person.

28. a worldwide famine has left food scarce, and two strangers form a bond while scavenging in the wilderness. their romance blooms, but they must decide whether to keep their relationship or join larger, more dangerous groups for survival.

29. the stars begin to disappear, and two astronomers fall in love while trying to solve the mystery. as the universe itself seems to collapse, their relationship becomes their only anchor.

30. in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, two bounty hunters are after the same target. as they compete—and eventually team up—they fall for each other, even as their dangerous line of work threatens to tear them apart.

—————

i hope these helped! if you have specific genre suggestions just let me know in my inbox and i can give ideas!!

likes, comments, reposts, and submissions to my inbox are always appreciated.

☻ jude

[valentinegab3]

Jungkook Fic List

FANTASY/ HISTORICAL FICTION (ONESHOTS/ SERIES)

Bitchin (masterlist)

The 80s were a time of choices. Which perm was right for you? What color neon would you wear next? None of these choices, however, were more questionable than a certain deal you made with Jeon Jungkook.

pairing: fratboy!jungkook x reader

genre: 1980s au, eventual smut, e2l

warnings: multiple smut scenes, science talk, banter, jealousy, alcohol & LOTS of colorful 80s slang lmao

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10

A Promise of Freedom war soldier jk x doctor reader

Words: 8.8k

Genres: 60% Angst, 40% Fluff, Wartime!AU

Summary: War is cruel and its inhumanity has not spared you. Captured by the enemy, you were brought to the front lines to heal their wounded. But after one night of saving a particular man’s life, he swears to fulfill any wish of yours.

Dynasty

Words: 17.4k

Genres: 50% Angst, 35% Smut, 15% Fluff, Historical!AU

Summary: It’s no secret that the Emperor is infertile. But even so, a girl is selected every three months and brought to become his concubine in hopes of conceiving the next heir. This time, it’s you. And in order to prevent execution, Jeon Jungkook might just aid you in conception.

Winter soldier l jjk Winter soldier!jungkook x Averger!female readerv

genre; winter soldier/avengers au, angst/smut/fluff

summary; the love of your life died during ww2, they honored his death. you had never imagined you’d ever see him again until you’d join him in death, but here he is and he’s trying to kill you. he’s not himself at all. you, however, insist that the man you used to know is still in there somewhere.

word count: 6,764

Paralian Jungkook x reader

Genre: Pirate!AU + Merfolk!AU + Royalty!AU

Synopsis: Far away, under the sea exists the merfolk Kingdom of Venetus. Y/N is a warrior princess, sworn to protect the nation she loves. Each night she and her unit are tasked with patrolling the ocean, until one night they come across an unmarked ship. The ship carries a dangerous secret which tears Y/N’s ideals apart. In the midst of escaping said danger, Y/N is forced to rely upon a Prince. The Prince of Pirates, whose fate and Y/N’s seem inexplicably entwined. Whether their meeting will end in joy or heartbreak remains to be seen. (A -very- loose retelling of The Little Mermaid).

Énouement Captin!Jungkook l Soldier!Reader

Description: Mulan!AU | War is Hell, but it’s what you had to do to take your brother’s place. Of course, between the days of Hell are little slices of Heaven you’d call your Captain, Jeon Jungkook. Warning: Dom!Kook, Character Death, Gore, Angst, Choking, Intercourse, Fingering, Dirty Talk, Punishment, Oral, Hair Pulling, Public Nudism 

Word Count: 19,554

Arranged Marriage... sort of

Price of Freedom detective!jungkook x professor!fem!reader

summary: upon learning that your father had arranged for you to marry kim taehyung, heir to the biggest corporation in asia, to secure his win in the presidential election, you sought the help of det. jeon jungkook of the intelligence unit to take him down and attain your freedom. however, you soon realized that freedom had a price and det. jeon’s was the most expensive and dangerous of it all. 

FWB

When Worlds Collide ll series ll jjk ll masterlist Jungkook x reader

summary:  since your mother's passing a year ago, life has been a whirlwind. balancing your passion for ballet with a low-key presence at college, where you’re the top student, was your norm until Jungkook stepped into your world. known for his reputation preceding him, jungkook is the talk of the campus with his casual rendezvous that have the girls buzzing. despite his allure, you're puzzled by his need for your tutoring prowess, especially given his own academic merit. yet, succumbing to his persistent requests, you reluctantly agree, only to find yourself thrust into the spotlight you've always avoided.

genre: angst, smut, slice of life, strangers to lovers, college au, fuckboy jk, inexperienced/virgin reader.

word count in progress: 46k ch1-4

warnings: mentions of sex, jungkook might be a asshole, mentions of death, sexual tension, explicit sexual content, alcohol, red flags. i’ll give warnings on each part and make sure to give you a heads-up if the part contents smut.

☾01 ☾ 02 ☾ 03 ☾ 04☾ 05 ☾ 06 ☾ 07 ☾ 08 ☾ 09 ☾ 10

A "Coquette" Misunderstanding relationship:fuckboy!Jeon Jungkook x fem!reader

genre: Romance/Comedy 18+

summary: Jungkook has been a self proclaimed fuck boy after his last relationship ended fairly messily… until he met you. Started out as fuck buddies, but he always had a huge crush on you. With time, he realized that he’s actually falling in love with you, and he is itching to make you his girl. He knows being a fuck boy means he has to prove himself when it comes to being serious, so he comes up with the perfect gift to give you when he confesses… only for it to turn into the biggest fucking mess.

Evolution of a lover's heart 01 l 02 pairing: fuckboy!jk x reader

summary: the rules are simple: first one to take the virginity wins.

genre: fluff, angst, college au, fuckboy au, bet au

01 word count: 8.1k

02 word count: 23.5k

Once the Thrill Expires l jjk relationship: college!jungkook x female reader

synopsis: you housmate turned fwb takes another girl home after a night out

wordcount: 5.8k

FRIENDS TO LOVERS

Fall back in love l jjk jungkook x f.reader.

word count: 17.6k

summary: jungkook somehow grew a reputation of sleeping around on campus, leaving him lonely and inexperienced with relationships. so when you, his old childhood best friend moves onto campus, he discovers what a relationship can feel like as he finds himself falling in love with you

WORK

RISQUÉ | JJK (m) series masterlist jungkook x f.reader

summary; in which jungkook becomes involved with his boss’ daughter, who’s 10 years younger than him, despite knowing he shouldn’t. however, no matter how hard he tries, he’s unable to stay away. eventually feelings get in the way and so does jungkook’s subconscious, making it difficult for him to decipher if he should give into his lust and feelings or walk the other way before anyone gets hurt.

what started out as a one-time-thing to get the tension out of their systems ended up being a whirlwind of confusing feelings, doing the right thing and letting themselves fall in love despite the odds that are against them.

rating: 18+

word count: 100k+

content; age gap au + secret relationship au, smut/fluff/angst

Landslides-001 l goldrush- jjk relationship: officeworker!jungkook x female reader (coworkers) fluff and some angst

word count: 6.8k

Summary: jungkook asks you to dog sit over chuseok. he doesn't ask you to steal the empty spaces in his head, the dreams he's yet to have, nor the idea of you always just being 'you' to him - and yet, like a thief in the night (with his own damn dog as your accomplice), you do.

ENEMIES TO LOVERS

Things You Didn't Say Jungkook x reader

summary: with the recent interactions with jungkook, you try to downplay your feelings, but your friends encourage you to acknowledge your past and move forward.

genre/au: angst | ex-best friends to friends/lovers(?)

word count: 7.3k |

✨ playlist

warnings: minor language, lana threatens oc with a fork, drinking, game of truth or dare, confessions, kissing

Things You Don't Know jungkook x reader

summary: it’s been seven years since you last saw the boy that broke your heart. after moving back home, you try everything you can to avoid seeing him around town, but destiny has a wicked way of doing the opposite.

word count: 4.3k | ✨ rating: M/17+

Love to Hate You Jungkook x reader

summary: “when obnoxiously rich and spoiled frat boy jeon jungkook comes up to you one day and asks you to fake date him for money, you definitely should have said no. because before you knew it, you were going on insta dates with him and having lunch with his equally obnoxiously rich and spoiled friends.”

genre: fratboy! AU, fake dating! AU, college! AU, rich kid! AU, enemies to lovers! AU, angst, fluff, sexual themes (later chapters)

word count: estimated 100k for the entire series, 970 for this preview

coming saturday, april 6th 2024

Show Me Something Jeon Jungkook x reader

Genre | Road Trip!au, Friends to Enemies to Lovers!au, First Love!au, Smut, Voyeurism

↳ Prompt | Take a Road Trip

↳ Summary | He was your first kiss years ago, only to become your first heartbreak the next day. Your life would have been much easier if only you would forget about him and move on, instead of having to see him almost every day because your best friend had fallen in love with his best friend. When your pal had suggested having a road trip for the final days of summer break before going back to campus, you said yes for a reprieve. Too bad she forgot to tell you about the two extra passengers tagging along. One of which is the boy who still has a tight hold of your heart without either of you even knowing it.

I want you to stay (series masterlist) JJK Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: boss!JK x assistant!reader; idiot strangers to lovers; slow slow burn; k-drama feels (What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim-inspired); angst, drama, fluff, smut

Episode 1 (wc: 12k), Episode 2 (wc: 11.9k), Episode 3 (wc: 14.8k), Episode 4 (wc: 11.4k), Episode 5 (wc: 14.8k), Episode 6 (wc: 14.6k), Episode 7 (wc: 15.4k), Episode 8 (wc: 17.4k), Episode 9 (wc: 18.4k), Episode 10 (wc: 20.6k), On going Episode 11, Episode 12.1 - Finale pt.1, Episode 12.2 - Finale pt.2

STRANGERS TO LOVERS

The Curious Lifespan of Migrating Monarchs -jjk Streamer!jk x international stundent!female oc (s21)

word count: 13,011

Warnings: Clubbing [go to the link to see the warnings because there is so much]

Love Wager Jungkook x fem!reader

Genre: college au. strangers to friends to lovers. forced proximity.

Synopsis: Jungkook, scarred by his parents' divorce, staunchly believes love leads to embarrassment and heartbreak. Y/N, a hopeless romantic, challenges him to a bet: a month of embracing romance and cringeworthy actions to prove him wrong. Through debates and banter, they form an unlikely friendship. Yet, as their experiment progresses, they must confront whether to risk their friendship for love or let fear dictate their future.

playlist pinterest 🤍

CHAPTERS: 01. 02. 03.coming soon..

Baby Boy Jungkook x fuckgirl!reader

Genre: strangers to lovers? smut, fluff, a little bit of angst

estimated words: 15-20k

Summary : You are bored with all of the boys on your campus and now you want the new toy except...the new toy doesn't want you.

Warnings: Jungkook hates reader at the beginning 😭😭😭, Jungkook is an asshole to her, reader and her friends are low-key mean girls, reader and her friends objectify Jungkook a lot (red flag right there), reader is kind of the s word, slutshaming, angst (but it's like very tolerable), SMUT (FURTHER WILL BE ADDED IN THE ACTUAL FIC)

Release date- July - August

[thatsatricky1]

† 𝕽𝖊𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 † ‘Black polish’ chapter 𝟚

Synopsis: Y/n a once prodigy child, later on detective, finds herself working on the case of her brother’s murder, also a former detective himself. Leading down a long winding hole of crime, death, gore and mixed feelings she never thought would surface with all that was happening. Mixed feelings that should never even be entertained.

Pairing: Ateez Ot8 x AFAB (F) Reader

Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery, Romance & Thriller.

Word count: 3,7k+

Warnings: undercover detective, slight violence, mentions of death, mentions of serial killing/murder.

Disclaimer: This does not depict an accurate picture of Ateez and this is strictly fantasy/fiction

Y/n resisted the urge to rub her eyes, her hat long forgotten which now rested on top of the desk she’d been working away at for the last forty minutes. Wrist and fingers now aching from the amount of flicking and scrolling she’d done watching old security footage, she watched, she replayed and then she downloaded before she moved on to the next thing that caught her interest.

Though she kept a close eye on the clock not wanting to gain any suspicion for lingering too long in the security room. Finally deeming she’d gotten enough to satisfy herself as she unplugged her thumb drive, moving it towards her currently ‘borrowed’ uniform.

Letting the thumb drive slip from her fingers, as it slid down her uniform shirt and landed snug, hidden away where others wouldn’t even think to look for something. Standing up, her knees cracked from staying still for a long amount of time, something her body wasn’t used to. Just sitting in an office and not going out in the field from time to time would be impossible for Y/n to do, that type of work was not in her books and wouldn’t ever be.

With nimble fingers she took her work baseball cap fitting it snugly back on her head, looping her ponytail through the hole pocket of it before making sure her facial mask was also adjusted in the right area to cover her lower face once again.

Casting one final look at the security screen before turning towards the door, her hand grasped the handle but before she could open it, the door was abruptly pushed inwards causing her to take a swift step back in order not to get it slammed in her face.

The face of her ‘work colleague’ appeared as he muttered a quick apology about nearly hitting her in the face with the heavy set door.

“Tell me you've finished checking all the security cameras in the area and that the security room is in working order. I want to go home.” The worker in his late 40s huffed out clearly more focused on the thought of his sofa, a ready made meal and shitty television show than his job.

“Just finished up actually, I agree with you. Home sounds much better than this shithole.” She agreed bluntly while moving to side step the worker.

The worker’s eyebrows raised as he turned his head to watch her walk out into the hallway not thinking she’d be just as fed up wanting to go home. He’d thought she’d be the type of young worker driven to do over hours to climb up the ranks.

“Well… I wouldn’t say it’s a shithole, they've got nice paintings… ah, wait for me.” The man muttered at first before mild panic set in, noticing her getting further away.

She was the one with the keys to the van after all, worried she’d somehow leave him behind. Jogging to catch up to her as he watched her walk, posture straight and ponytail swishing side to side with every stride she took.

The worker let out a few puffs of air having caught up with Y/n who waited for him at the elevator. She moved to cross her arms watching the older man take a few breaths of air, amused at the sight.

“You didn’t think I wasn’t going to wait for you, did you?” She teasingly asked, watching him fumble with his words only to close his mouth as she unfolded her arms, one hand waving in the air to dismiss his words showing she had only been joking while the other clicked the elevator button.

The two pleased to see the elevator had been on their floor as it started opening up, the worker had now caught his breath back and it seemed to be her turn for her breath to be taken, almost as if it was sucked right out of her.

The time she had taken to walk to the elevators with her ‘coworker’ also seemed to be the time it took for a certain pair of males to make their way back from the office and into the elevator, finished with their own business too.

Her coworker made his way in with no problem, causing her to relax her posture taking steps into the elevator politely bowing her head at the two other males even if every muscle in her body would have preferred to give a more violent greeting.

Stepping into the elevator Y/n ignored making eye contact with the two men instead turning to stand with her current work colleague and stare at the now closing metal doors.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa shared a glance at each other at the coincidence before their gaze landed on the two figures in front of them. The once already seen woman and never before seen man who most likely was a work colleague of hers.

“You’re new, so I’ll give you a tip. Our boss usually asks us all to go for a work dinner on the last week of the month on a Friday. Just go even if you don’t want to, it helps keep our boss happy to see everyone there.” The older man spoke looking over at Y/n.

Y/n turning her head ponytail flicking as she does so, tilting her face up slightly so he could see her eyes better only from his angle to see as she mulled his words over in her head. Obviously after today she would no longer be ‘working’ for their company.

“So it’s this week then.” She pointed out seeing as it was the last week of the month. Though she was conversing with her colleague she was still very much aware of the presence of the two men behind them.

“Exactly, I’ll send you the details, your name should be on the work list.” He confirmed with a smile thinking it had been easy to get her into going.

“The phone call list is for work related things.” She buts in with a frown hidden behind her mask, though it didn’t matter the number she’d listed down was not even in use.

“The work outings are work related.” The man huffed out before teasingly pointing at her claiming “I’ll be able to tell if you ignore the dinner meeting address text, just come it won’t be as bad as you think.”

“I’m busy this Friday.” Y/n shook her head looking forwards again causing the older man to let out a displeased whine as if he was the younger one between the two of them.

“Yahhh, just come what are you even doing on Friday.”

“Laundry, cleaning, oh and going out to eat with my ex colleagues.” Y/n replied with a sharp response taking a glance at his rejected face.

“Yah! Why would you go meet your ex colleagues and not go with your current ones.” The older man exclaimed, raising his arms in the air gesturing half-heartedly.

“I am messing with you.” She finally lets out moving a hand over to his shoulder patting it reassuringly causing the man to shake his head letting out a laugh that truly showed his age.

The elevator dingged as the doors started opening up four floors until the ground floor with a few people shuffling in.

Y/n’s hand slipping away from her colleagues having to step backwards in order to make room for the four new people, causing a bit of a crowd much to her annoyance at them just not waiting or deciding to take the stairs.

She was required to take quite a few steps back, her back feeling warmer on her last step, a frown settling on her lips once again realising just exactly why that was. In order to fit everyone in, personal space had become invalid. And unfortunately for her she was now being pushed up to the point her back was nearly flush with the person behind her.

From where she’d been standing at the beginning it could only be one person. Kim Hongjoong. Being in his space as she breathed in she could smell a faint smell of fruits mixed with maybe jasmine and a musky undertone. She straightened her posture so she wasn’t brushed up against him, intending on ignoring him.

They’d only gotten one more level down before the elevator stopped once again causing her jaw to clench, she swore if another person decided to squeeze in, instead of just waiting she’d have to hold herself back from shoving half of them right out the elevator doors.

The doors opened to reveal a man, most likely in his late thirties giving off an urgent vibe as he shoved his way in disregarding others. The woman in front of Y/n letting out a gasp most likely getting the brunt of it, slightly disbalanced as she took a step back.

Y/n taking a step back as well to avoid getting bumped into her, hand on reflex cupping the woman’s elbow that was unintentionally heading on a path towards her stomach. Letting her hand slip away from the woman’s elbow once she deemed it safe enough. The woman glanced back with an apologetic look but turned away when Y/n shook her head in a silent way of saying it was fine.

Seonghwa’s head cocking to the side, tilting as he watched her fast reflexes. Something he hadn’t expected for a security maintenance safety worker to have in her line of job. Eyes glinting at the fact, wondering where she’d gotten her reflexes from. Wondering if she was a fast runner too.

In the moment Y/n stepped backwards with no more space to go, her back bumped into Hongjoong’s front as his arm slipped around her waist in an attempt to make sure to steady her balance, even if Y/n’s balance wouldn’t be so easily impaired from that.

Y/n didn’t speak a word to Hongjoong nor removed his arm, it was too crowded to cause a scene, and if she opened her mouth it would likely not be for long as her fist ached to land a punch anywhere on the man currently holding onto her.

Hongjoong glanced at the back of Y/n’s head noting her ponytail was still just as neatly tied back, placed through the baseball caps hole, not a hair out of place somehow managing to do so even with the work she had done today.

Taking in a silent breath noting how with her this close he could smell tones of a familiar amber floral scent, Jean Paul Gautier Scandal Le Parfum, expensive taste. Hongjoong being a hobbyist when it came to perfume and colognes.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow in wonder if the woman had splurged on her latest pay check or how she could afford such a perfume. The current market for such a perfume is going for an easy 146 in cash. Then again he wouldn’t argue seeing as the woman had a good taste in perfume.

His hand absentmindedly tightening around her waist, though not by much as it was still loosely laying across her abdomen. His eyes flickering up to the numbers on the elevator noting they were nearly on the ground floor.

As the elevator doors finally opened to reveal the ground floor reception desk, clear in view. Everyone started to get out of the elevator, Y/n’s colleague being the fourth last out.

Y/n’s hand slipped along Hongjoong’s arm. Fingers feather light as they grayed their way along, his eyes watched enamored on the way her chipped nail polish managed to still look good on her, trendy even. Though that ended as he watched her hand slip over his own, her chipped black painted nails clashing with his freshly black painted nails for a second before she dug her nails harshly into his hand.

The harsh feeling of her nails digging into the flesh of his hand was opposite of the way she gently pushed his arm fully off of her waist. Nails leaving his hand as if never being there in the first place as she moved out of the elevator without a glance towards him.

Hongjoong’s hand automatically moved to touch his other hand where angry red marks were already forming, a reminder that she’d touched him and it wasn’t just his mind playing tricks on him with her interesting yet brutish action. Thumb absentmindedly brushing over the reddened skin.

“What an enigma.” Seonghwa commented as the two stood still standing inside the elevator.

“Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal Le Parfum.” Hongjoong replied back, staring out the open elevator doors.

“Expensive taste.” Seonghwa hummed in return, eyes casting down at where Hongjoong rubbed at his hand.

“Delicious taste.” Hongjoong added eyes shutting slightly pressing his thumb into the angry red marks as if to relive the short sharp pain he’d received just a moment prior.

Seonghwa doesn’t respond this time silently moving his hand forward, halting the now closing elevator doors that ran on time, not sensing any other person departing, halting its movements as it pushed back open.

Hongjoong also finished with the conversation as he took a large confident stride outwards finally letting go of his hand, pocketing it instead into his washed out jean pocket. Seonghwa, just a step behind him.

“You finished up that case pretty fast Ducky.” A low voice spoke up from the doorway.

Ducky was Y/n’s assigned nickname at the office that she’d received from her work colleagues since she’d always followed her older brother around step for step in the time she was an apprentice. The nickname stuck much to her displeasure.

“I always do.” Y/n hummed in response, not looking up from her computer, fingers typing up paragraphs without her eyes leaving the screen, no need to look down at her keyboard having memorised the feeling of where every key was. Not looking over at the person who’d entered her office, knowing full well who it was.

Gentle footsteps approached the desk before a soft thump of something landing beside her keyboard, only then did her finger pause from typing. Eyes, slightly reddened from staring at her screen for a while, glanced over at the male hovering by her desk.

“Why are you in the office so late, Min?” She softly called out, scanning him from head to toe.

Mingi was wearing casual clothes meaning he’d just stepped into the office. His hair parted in the center, wearing white sneakers, blue jeans, a grey hoodie with his bag slung over his shoulder and his glasses hanging off his hoodie neckline.

“Just thought I’d stop by, you usually end up here late at night to finish off paperwork and I thought this might help you get by.” Mingi replied softly, hand moving out to tap the white plastic lid on top of the take away coffee he’d grabbed her on his way there with his pointer finger.

“And yours?” Y/n asked another question raising her eyebrows slightly at the lack of a second coffee. His lips breaking out into a grin as he shrugged.

“Drank it already on the way here.”

“Of course you did, thanks Min.” She hummed out grabbing the coffee, having to stop her eyes from fluttering at the warm sensation tingling her fingers from the coffee. Moving it up to take a small sip, not being able to help closing her eyes this time as she let out a soft hum at the delicious caffeinated drink.

Mingi watched with an amused smile before moving to stand behind her leaning down scanning the document she was typing up about some case, though it didn’t seem to be too interesting.

“Where have you been heading off to lately by the way? You seem busier than usual.”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Y/n retorted, placing the coffee filled paper cup down, turning only her head as she stayed seated, head angled up slightly to look at Ming’s face who in turn looked away from the screen and gazed into those eyes of hers.

“Private matters have been keeping me busy Ducky, your turn.” Mingi whispered out, feeling it fitting to lower his tone at their proximity and with the time of night.

“I’ve just been taking on more cases.” She hummed back, voice also lowering as she turned to face her screen once more, typing away again.

Mingi’s eyes never left her face, almost missing her eye contact yet her side profile was just as good.

“That’s news, any specific reason for that? Looking for a promotion finely?” Mingi asked as his eyes finally left her face to glance at how her fingers nearly blurred at the speed in which she typed, noting how her black nail polish had started to chip away, when had that happened? Yesterday? Today?

“If I was looking for a promotion Min, I’d already have it.” She shut down his question straight away with that blunt nature he’d always found amusing.

“If it was anyone else saying that it would come across cocky, little Duck.” Mingi couldn’t help a small laugh escape his lips.

“Mingi as much as I’m enjoying our conversation. Either pull up a chair and sit next to me or head out. You standing behind me like a looming giant is distracting.” Y/n blurted out, still typing away not wanting to be distracted, Mingi’s shadow was casting a shadow over her screen, a clear distraction in her opinion.

“Looming giant is a new one.” He pointed out but complied with her request moving away to sit on the opposite side of the desk sitting down in a brown leather chair snagging the coffee cup as he went.

“I’ll stay for a couple of minutes to keep you company, but then I need to go home and greet my beloved bed for a somewhat decent sleep.” He quipped before taking a sip of her coffee nose scrunching the slightest at the taste of her very specific coffee.

He had no intention of going home once he left the office, he had a late meeting with the others soon, something Y/n would never know about, let alone the whole office of literal detectives he worked alongside with.

“First off Mingi, we both know it’s me keeping your lonely ass company and second off, don’t think I didn’t see what you just did.” Y/n points out still whispering compared to how Mingi spoke at a normal tone not forgetting to point out the fact he’d drank some of her coffee.

Mingi let a smirk make its way onto his lips even if she wouldn’t see it due to her focus being solely on the screen raising the cup to take another sip this time longer before speaking. Only now noting the feeling of stickiness from her lip gloss sitting on the rim off the coffee paper cup against his own lips, not minding it.

“I paid for it.”

“So what, the leaders think someone is trying to sniff us all out?” San queried eyebrows furrowed as he leaned back lazily into the black velvet sofa.

“No, not necessarily. We always get people poking around where they shouldn’t, whether out of pure curiosity or by accident. This will pass as usual.” Hongjoong dismissed the mere thought of someone poking their nose where they shouldn’t, they’ll be dead by the end of the week most likely.

“If the meeting is not about this, then what is it about?” Wooyoung asked, sitting on the floor in front of San leaning his back against the other's legs.

“You, apparently.” Seonghwa replied for Hongjoong, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Wooyoung pointed at chest in confusion as San pushed the hand back down after only two seconds of it being raised.

“No about our group dynamic, not just you.” Hongjoong put more context into Seonghwa’s words as his eyes were trained on his hands where he was picking away at his black polished nails, chipping it.

Everyone sitting in silence waiting for Hongjoong to continue.

“Nothing to worry about, everything is running smoothly. However, that being said, I wanted to remind everyone to continue being careful and don’t get sloppy or you’ll all end up like Kim Do.” He warned out casually as if he was just talking about a normal thing like gardening yet in fact he was talking about murder.

Yeosang scoffed as he sneered out “No one can be as messy as Kim Do, that man was destined to get caught.”

“It’s just a reminder not to let our guards down Yeosang.” Mingi called out tiredly, the coffee and a half he’d drank, unfortunately not having helped the tiredness that was evident in the way he held himself and the tone of his voice.

“Exactly Mingi, with that you’re free to do as you please unless someone has something to say.” Hongjoong tried to close the conversation but left room for it to continue if necessary.

Mingi hummed as he glanced over at Hongjoong, eyes zoning in on his leader's nails where he’d been chipping the back nail polish off of. A little duckling came to mind at the sight.

“I wonder if he smelled like burnt toast or maybe rotting meat.” Wooyoung joked out causing San to grab at his hair giving it a harsh and unforgiving tug at the unhelpful comment. Yunho made a noise from the back of his throat at the others' words.

Everyone ignored them as it ended in a playful scuffle that was a little more violent than an average friend's type of play fighting. Most took their leave besides a few who stayed to lounge around for however long they pleased.

“Still thinking about a certain worker?” Seonghwa voiced out to his leader.

Hongjoong not flinching since he’d felt the dip against the black velvet couch before Seonghwa had spoken, eyes staring down at the now faint line marks, unfortunately she had not broken skin.

“Order it.” He bluntly responded.

Seonghwa did not have to ask for context as he picked up the tablet that had been laying on the finely crafted glass table, fingers typing away searching for a bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal Le Parfum, choosing the largest bottle without much thought.

Chapter one | Chapter two | Chapter three coming soon

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[3nigm4art]

An informal essay/rant on Samurai Jack S5

I love Samurai Jack, for the most part. But my biggest gripe is how season 5 turned out.

Despite the artistic achievement of season 5, the main issue was how rushed it was. With only 10 episodes and still having to deal with the 50-year time skip, many characters feel underdeveloped.

Take Jack as an example. Jack's change was the most drastic yet resolved the quickest. 50 years of a battle with no end in sight is incomprehensible to a normal person, and winning seems impossible at this point for Jack. Understandably, depression, guilt and anxiety have taken over Jack, especially after he lost his magic sword. The voices in his head and the vision of the phantom samurai are evidence of his mental decay. But as a mental health struggler of many years, it feels like Jack's mental struggle should have been way past that stage. Though it should be said that everyone experiences these mental health struggles differently, it just felt less realistic as Jack's descent was not documented well enough. Depending on when his descent started, it could have very different results. Many things could happen in 50 years that would affect a person's outlook in life. It could be total despair: Jack finds no way of continuing and believes that he has completely failed. It could be dutifully depressed: Jack no longer considers himself righteous but still carries on out of habit. It could be blind optimism: despite losing the magic sword, Jack thinks, "Hey, I have fought for 40+ years. I could still do this!" Are these outcomes sound? No! Because there is no development for Jack to prove that they are sound. It also doesn't help that Jack's characterisation is so consistent in the first 4 seasons that jumping from level 1 to 100 in depression for Jack seems improbable and leaves the audience to imagine what happened. After all, depression and anxiety often do not originate from a singular event and build up gradually. Sure, I can buy that Jack is depressed, but I cannot buy that it can be resolved within 7 episodes, with half of that time occupied by Ashi's arc.

Speaking of Ashi's arc, her arc demanded the most time yet is the most unrefined. Her character has simply bitten off more than it could chew for 10 episodes. Within season 5, she went from being a daughter of Aku to an ally of Jack to Jack's lover. Each of these changes can be at least 10 episodes on its own. Especially when she has to undo 20+ years of conditioning, and completely acknowledging that she is on the wrong side of the war is bound to take a toll on her perception of reality. Yet it was resolved as quickly as 6 episodes, thanks to finding out, "Wow, Jack is actually a good guy and helped so many people!" This part of the arc was resolved because of Jack. So naturally, she becomes Jack's ally and then becomes Jack's lover. There is a terrifying idea that lurks in Ashi as one comes to realise that her entire personality revolves around Jack. In other words, if you remove Jack from Ashi's life, she becomes nothing. It is also deeply worrying that Ashi lacks emotional maturity and development as she "falls in love" with a man she has only met for maybe a week (not to say Jack is not also immature here). Her lack of independent development makes her character flimsy and frankly disturbing. She is literally made to become Jack's love interest. There is some irony in one of her final lines in the show; she says, "Without Aku, I would have never existed" when on a meta-fictional level, she would not have existed without Jack.

Character development is crucial in crafting the themes of a story. The above tackled the lack of character development leading to weak characters, but there is one thing that will determine the legacy of the story, the ending. Though it is often commented how Samurai Jack's ending was unfulfilling, it is not true that unfulfilling endings are bad. (Minor spoilers for True Detective season 1) True Detective season 1 did not end in a fulfilling manner, as it did not resolve all of the mysteries it brought up. That wasn't a huge issue as it complied with the genre of strange fiction and the theme of the world being a strange and inexplicable place that evokes more mysteries than it explains. Samurai Jack's ending and, thus, the conclusion to Jack's arc promotes the idea that overcoming one's weakness, sacrificing for the greater good, and bringing justice will not bring you the happiness you deserve... Which does not make sense relative to Jack's character development and characterisation. Jack is often characterised as a selfless hero and a bringer of hope. And the people benefit greatly from his aid. The only person who often does not benefit from this is Jack himself, who often forsakes his opportunity to return to the past in favour of saving the people in need. The show promises that Jack will find peace and happiness when he fulfils his destiny of defeating Aku. And with the classic hero's journey-type story Samurai Jack has, the show rips it apart at the very last moment, with no warning whatsoever. It wasn't a comment on the genre, as it did not deepen its themes. If one wants to turn Samurai Jack into a "we don't always get what we deserve" (please don't) story, then make fate truly cruel and unkind and provide Jack with no divine help in the story. Again, with the irony of Jack's tea being unbalanced, the show is unbalanced, too, as it rewards a suffering protagonist with more sadness and suffering at the end of his story.

Despite what this blog is about (it's art, by the way), art and aesthetics are not everything. Samurai Jack as a whole is beautiful aesthetically, but the rushed story and an unfulfilling legacy feel like a shame. Characters did not have the time to grow in complexity or realism, which made the audience feel disconnected from the characters. I wished I could see Ashi grow and develop into something more than "Jack's love interest". Or they could even develop into something that is not romantic, such as a mentor and apprentice story, which could be as, if not more, interesting. Having more refined characters creates a more refined theme that, if done right, can stir the right emotions in the audience that impact them for a lifetime.

Samurai Jack season 5 had a lot of potential but just couldn't deliver.

[roykaplanpod]

Hello friend! It's Jesse here again to make an updated status post about Roy Kaplan, the paranormal cyberpunk detective audio drama that at least some of you have been very patiently waiting for for the last two and a half years.

What is Roy Kaplan?

Roy Kaplan, as stated above, is a detective audio drama with paranormal and cyberpunk elements. It's heavily based on the style of old time radio shows such as Richard Diamond, and greatly inspired by 30s-50s hardboiled detective fiction. It features the titular Roy Kaplan--private investigator, ex-burglar, and psychic. With his unique skill set and the occasional assist from his ghost roommate Wes, Kaplan solves all kinds of different cases across the city.

Out of Sight is the first season of Roy Kaplan, consisting of 12 episodes, 35-40 minutes long each. The episodic format makes it so most episodes can stand on their own, without needing context from previous episodes (though obviously it is better to listen to the season in release order).

Hey, what the hell is going on with Roy Kaplan?

If you have been one of the people very patiently waiting for Roy Kaplan's release, you are probably aware that we have experienced numerous delays. Real life happens, etc.

Anyways, due to extenuating circumstances, the studio I was previously working on with Roy Kaplan, Tiny Lunar Dragon Studios, has dropped out and I (Jesse, the writer) am taking over the remainder of production and editing. I've been steadily working through all the episodes since May to get them edited together (as well as opening the final casting call for this season to take care of our last required voice files) and I am hoping for a release near the new year.

You might be skeptical of this ETA, since literally every ETA we've given so far has been insanely wrong, but since I'm the one personally doing the work this time, I have a higher level of confidence in this estimate. I've edited together eight of the twelve episodes so far (minus missing files) and assuming no further unforeseen circumstances, I should be able to finish somewhere around November or December. (And if not then, then a few months after that.)

Where will I be able to listen to Roy Kaplan when it releases?

I'll be hosting Roy Kaplan using Pinecast, so you'll be able to listen to the podcast on any RSS feed aggregator. I will also be posting episodes on my Patreon, where supporters will be able to access episodes one week early.

I expect to release Roy Kaplan: Out of Sight on a once every two weeks schedule. I'll talk more about trailer and launch dates when I've gotten all the audio files and the episodes themselves more edited together.

In the meantime, if you want to stay up to date or ask more questions about Roy Kaplan, check out any of the following places:

This Tumblr

The writer's Tumblr (that's me)

Roy Kaplan on The Pinwheel Lab

The Pinwheel Lab Discord Server