#jazz shepard

[aves-pantherart]

things i missed/forgot to upload

[bainer]

[setokaibapetty]

5 + 1 Fic Friday Roundup: On Campus

One of the things that April is an awareness month for is community college. So, have some fanfic with student//teacher characters or a school setting.

Mahogany (AO3) - "Shepard and squaddies are students at the elite Galactic Training Academy. (Think Starfleet meets Hogwarts. In space.) Reapers have been dead for hundreds of years, but there are still plenty of baddies out in the galaxy. Shepard-in-training rises to the occasion, with the aid of her squad and a certain snarky flight student. Currently Rated M for language and mature situations."

The Night Will Come but Not to Stay (AO3) - "Jazz is excited about going to Gotham University for college. It's halfway across the country from Amity Park and anyone who knows about her weird family or ghost nonsense. Finally, she can pretend to be a normal woman who just wants to go into psychiatry. She meets a cute guy named Jason, and they seem to be getting along great."

Form 23-C: Application for a New Roommate (AO3) - "After battling ninjas, aliens, madmen, mafiosos, other heroes and death itself, Jason was about to face his most unknown foe yet: a normal life. It's fine. He'd always dreamed of going to college and for once reality sort of lived up to expectations. He loves the classes, he can handle the workload and his cases too. His roommate is a total douche, but whatever. Jason's fine, he's got this. Then he meets his roommate's brother. Jason totally doesn't have this."

Holy Romantic Overtures, Batman! (AO3) - "After the heist of a lifetime, henchman!Jason decides to go legit and enrolls in college. The last person he expected to see there was Robin, and he certainly didn’t expect to fall for him either. But somehow it all works out. Maybe it’s all the labels?"

campus cryptid vs. future valedictorian (AO3) - "Mara Glass did not care about "weird hot guy," the supposed "campus cryptid." She had heard of him her first couple years and had him pointed out to her by a classmate once, but what was there to notice? Okay, he was probably thirty, a nontraditional student, so what? There were a number of those around. Apparently he was hot--well congrats to people who were into people, they could keep him. And if you asked Mara, from her extremely objective perspective, those Disney-green eyes were doing a lot of heavy lifting. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about a thirty-something guy who didn't talk about himself to twenty-year-old classmates. He probably had, like, a real life. There were rumors he was married, although Brittany noted that the only reason people thought that was because one time someone heard him finish a phone call with, "You light the candles, I'll bring dinner. I love you." None of that was remotely interesting to Mara. He sounded like a normal person, and she wished people would shut up about him. Then in third year, she had a history class with weird hot guy."

Bonus: Scholastic Nightmare (AO3) - "Nara Sayuri, a religious studies major from a traditional household, would be hard pressed to come up with a worse nightmare. It was her first time presenting a paper at a conference and apparently her paper was so wrong that one of her ancestors - a deified ancestor, the Shikabane-hime herself - came down from the heavens specifically to point out how off base Sayuri was."

[zangtumb]

Giant Steps Shepard Tone - Risteárd Ó hAodha

[hallaheart]

i am finally playing ME Legendary Edition

[demon-at-peace]

DP + DC Danny/Dick p2

so hello here’s a p2 of this, cause people wanted more and I thought it would be fun. You should probably read the p1 for it to make sense.

-

Jason spent several minutes staring at the driveway before he looked at the others wearing the same shell shocked expression. “Dicks dating someone?" he asks them.

"I guess?" Tim answers, "did you know?"

"Of course not!" Jason retorts.

"That's hardly the issue, we need to know who Richards paramour is," Damian announces looking stricken.

"Sh*t he's right, we need to give him a shovel talk," Jason agrees, "Babs did you get his face on camera?"

"Of course I did, and yes I've already run him, looks like he's dating one Daniel Fenton, living at 232 Anderson Ave, Apartment 24," she answers easily.

"Sweet, thanks Babs, come on Dami hurry up!" Jason yells as they pile into the car. They rip out of the drive way with almost as much speed as Danny had.

They make their way to the apartment breaking every possible speed limit. And clamber out in a rush, pushing open the doors and heading up the stairs. It's almost a race, Jason in the lead, Tim and Damian shortly behind them.

They burst into the apartment and are suddenly on the ground. "I told Danny this would happen," a young female voice says. Tim glares in offense at the green furry thing pinning them down.

"What is it? Jason mumbles as he tries to sit up but finds himself stuck.

"CUJO UP!" the voice yells again and the furry mass jumps up so they are able to sees it's a massive green... dog? "Small Cujo," the girl, who they can now see looks like adoption bait commands. And the dog shrinks. "Good boy," she coos. Then she trust to glare at them. "What are you doing here?" she demands.

"Who are you?" Jason asks instead of answering the question. "And what is that?"

"I'm Ellie, Danny's sister, or cousin, or maybe my daughter? I don't know? Our relationship is kinda weird, I'm here to prevent you from ruining his date though. " she crosses her arms "And that as you so kindly called him, is Cujo."

At his name Cujo jumps up growing bigger so he can plant slobbery kisses on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry about my brother, he doesn't understand animals are as intelligent as a human," Damian snorts. Jason groans, Damian's love for animals had clearly overpowered his urge to demand answers from the girl. "By the way what breed is he?"

"Actually just a normal German Shepard, his unusual capabilities is because he's a ghost," She explains.

"A ghost?" Jason asks bewildered.

"Oh crap he told you literally nothing, wait did he just speed off?" she asks.

"Yes," Tim admits with pursed lips.

"That's gold!" she cackles. "Anyhow yeah Cujo's dead, Danny's kinda dead, like died and came back, and died and came back, like a bunch so now he's like Schrodinger's cat, both dead and alive. I'm like that too, and so is Dan. Don't worry though Jazz is fully alive, I think.....:"

"What?" Tim asks just shocks.

"It doesn't matter," Damian waves him off and continues giving the dog scratches.

"Yes it does! She said that the dog's dead Dami!" Jason groans. "That dog that belongs to Danny, Dicks boyfriends, who we need to find?"

"Right," Damian agrees but doesn't stop petting Cujo.

"You really are an idiot," Ellie giggles "No way in hell are you ruining my brothers proposal," she glares.

"P-proposal?" Tim chokes out staring at her in shock. "What the heck? We haven't even met Danny?"

"Ugh DAN!" she shouts, within seconds an elder boy who looks just like her is there.

"Oh it's Dick's family, wait did you spill the bean about the proposal? Ellie come on, we told you to keep it quiet!" Dan complains.

"I'm a blabber mouth, you know that, I kept it from Dick at least," she pouts crossing her arms, Cujo leaves Damian and licks her face in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Tell us where they are? You all have clearly done something to Dick, he would tell us if he was dating someone!" Damian argues.

"... Pfft- AHAHAH" she cackles, "You think we did something to him?" she asks laughing even as she says it. "Please as if, your bats aren't you? You don't talk to each other, I'v heard birdy's rants," Dan rolls his eyes.

"See he wouldn't just compromise his identity to anyone!" Jason stares them down. "And why do you call him birdy?"

"Danny came up with it like four years ago, Birdy was showing of his tricks and Danny decided he must have hollow bones, so he's a bird, really he got lucky Danny almost called him Tweety bird instead of Silly bird." Ellie says with a grin.

"Fine we won't mess with it," Tim relents, "but we want some damn background information."

"Jazz," Ellie says at once.

Dan nods "We need Jazz, I'll get her." He salutes and falls backwards through a portal.

"What the actual fuck?" Jason asks, though Cujo jumps on him the second he swears. "Huh?" he asks dazed once again pinned down by the massive dog.

"Danny trained him to pin Dan down when he swears, apparently you look enough like him for Cujo to jump you," Ellie giggles.

"Get him off me" Jason grumbles.

"You can wait for Jazz," Ellie shrugs,

---

this was so fun to write, and It made my day, which consisted of a presentation I definitely failed, and a breakdown, so yeah glad i got to write this.

Also @itsbushytailedfox cause they wanted to be tagged if I did a second part.

edit: we have a part three here

Bye :)

[madamedramatics]

I think of Mass Effect, and the brain train reroutes me to Shakarian thoughts. I don't make the rules. I just follow them.

Now then,

Hear me out. Plz. I'll only be a second of your time.🩷

Turians are sort of a homogeneous society that likes predictability, rationale, integrity, honesty, and all that jazz. Since they have to be selfless, always putting the whole before one's self, they are more than likely not very materialistic meaning whenever they do give or receive gifts, it's a rare moment and probably something that reflects quality or some sort of sentimentality.

Now imagine the beginning of Shakarian's relationship. We have Garrus reading up on human cultures where a large chunk of human societies have gift giving sometimes all year round, which varies in price and other factors. Then imagine Shepard being stumped on what to get Garrus as a gift because she doesn't want to cross cultural boundaries and get something that isn't meaningful to him. The first date happens, and Garrus gets Shepard something super sweet and cost efficient, like a handmade card, so he doesn't come off as desperate (according to the forums he's read) and Shepard gets Garrus the most expensive gun money can buy. Neither knows the other has done their research. Garrus thinks he looks like an asshole by not sticking to his values, and Shepard thinks she looks desperate for such a new and budding relationship since Garrus got her something small but sweet.

They both loved the gifts they received, but they felt internal turmoil about the gifts they bought. Then it comes down to the awkward confession that they both looked up what to do when it comes to gift giving. They both decide they should probably just ask each other from now on about any questions they have since their relationship is neither strictly turian nor human. It's human AND turian, meaning they should just do what feels right for each other and no one else ❤️

[pumpkinsy0]

now that curlys day to beat soda up is overrrrr, how about some over exaggerated, silly hcs of soda and curlys little feud they have going

(i genuinely dont think that soda actually hates curly. annoyed by him? yes absolutely. but curlys just another kid and if he makes pony happy, alright then😒)

tbh real!!! i dont think soda hates curly hes is just deeply annoyed by that BASTARD!!!!

•theres nothing soda does that rlly antagonizes curly, soda doesnt know curlys schedule for the day, neither does he rlly care to!! so for on lookers it truly just looks like its a one sided beef of curlys part😭

•even when soda tries to annoy curly on the rare times that he sees the dude, curlys heard wayyyyy worse, he thinks its so funny to hear soda try to push him away so he tries seeing soda here n there for entertainment. THATS sodas charm to curly, curly likes soda overall!!! soda can try to think of cursing combinations and pick up ones he hears on the street all he wants, curlys loving the attention

•curly will come into the dx w his rowdy friends and act like the place is a fast food joint, y r u at the register asking “yea can i get uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh🤔🤔” BE SERIOUS!!!! if the dx sold rolling paper for joints i promise u curly would ask for it all the time and nothing else, maybe a chocolate bar but thats as far as it goes. hes in there for 20 minutes only to ask for rolling paper.

•lowkey their odd relationship has been around WAYYYY back when soda used to go to school, but it was obviously more laid back bc curly didnt care much for curly, he just messed w him for the love of the game. it was small things too like just giving soda shitty pens/pencils, pushing the chair from under him, dropping milk on him, all that jazz, just treating soda like everyone else but without the actual verbal abuse part😭😭😭

•soda got put into lower level classes, like classes w the freshmans and those were the only classes where he would entertain curlys bs, soda didnt rlly know anybody else so curly being there was a semi relief cause he could joke around a bit and get his GET BACKS🗣️🗣️bring up the time soda set a thumbtack on curlys chair and curly will strangleeeee u

•these two would definitely throw water balloons at each other. well SODA would, cause hes a FAIR, silly and SIMPLE guy. curly would fill a big ziploc bag cause he wants the BIGGEST amount of water to splash on that guy, curlys a cheater to the highest degree!!! although sometimes it wouldnt break upon impact immediately, so curly just through a bag of water at soda for no reason and now sodas face feels off

•would it b crazy of me to say that during the shepard vs curtis rumble, curly took his opportunity to slap the hell out of soda. didnt punch him, didnt target him the whole time, just slapped him here and there and moved on to someone else. till this day soda doesnt know who did it 100% bc his eyesight was a lil blurry, but he has an idea that it was curly

•soda likes shaking up the can of soda curly always steals when hes over/DEMANDS for him to get “cause im a guest”. everyone in the gang knows the trick of how to stop it from overflowing when its shaken bc lord knows nobody in that gang cant hold it without dropping some cans, so they just do it everytime before opening one as precaution, but curlys clueless on it so everytime he opens a can, its either it spills all over him or he has to quickly chug and choke❤️

•as a joke curly likes lighting his lighter near ppl to see them freak out, but bc soda is just a ball of energy, curlys accidentally set one of his flannels on fire A LITTLE BIT before he put it out and not sodas flannel as a piece if it thats just flat out burnt. thats the closest to hating curly soda has ever got

[mattdillonbae]

THE OUTSIDERS HEADCANNONS-.

greaser girls————

Angela Shepard-.

-can be the biggest bitch ever like you mess with this girl your done 😭

-is NOT innocent at all this girl has done everything in the book.

-literally just like Tim and Curly but a girl version.

-if the Curtis brothers had a sister I feel Angela would be besties with her.

-Knows Dallas A LOT (because of Tim)

-Bisexual, like this girl will go down on woman and guys I don’t think she gives a fuck 💀💀

Sandy Hatheway-.

-since she is a natural blonde she literally makes sure it STAYS blonde. She will put lemons, lay in the sun and do EVERYTHING to keep it that color. And Soda is like wtf?????

-I feel like Ponyboy says Sandy is sweet but she is actually kinda sassy and tough when she’s with friends or stuff 😼

-LOVES PUPPIES. (Like this girl will see a puppy on the side to the road and will scream)

-she loves when she gets to dress like a total slut (it makes her feel SMEXY) 🤩🤩

-has an obsession with chocolate I don’t know why but when Soda ask what’s she wants from the DX or something it’s always chocolate 😋

-THIS GIRL THINKS OF MARRYING SODA TOO

-still sleeps with stuffed animals (me too girl me too)

Sylvia Jackson-.

-Now like Angela this girl can be a huge bitchhhh like this girl knows how to throw hands and talk nasty. (She learned a lot of it from being around Dallas a lot)

-she smokes when she’s excited or angry 🚬

-loves flirting with anyone like she will flirt with anyone (not in a whore way but like joke flirting.)

-LOVES PHYSICAL TOUCH AND PDA 😚😚

-she lowkey likes when Dal gets in trouble she finds it hot.

-INTO BAD BOYS. (no wonder she dated dal)

-their girl loves red or black like her nails are always red and her toes (lol dawgs) 💋

-she loves to get dolled up, Evie always does her hair and she adores it.

-THIS GIRL SLEEPS IN STRAIGHT DARKNESS.

-she’s into rock definitely or jazz music 🎶

Evie Langenkamp-.

-she loves her curls so much.

-FAVORITE COLOR IS PROBABLY BLACK AND PINK.

-actually really smart she doesn’t show it a lot but she is. (slayyy) 😚😚

-she’s more like Sylvia then Sandy. Yes she can be sweet but will be a bitch and she swears A LOT.💋

-loves partying.

-she tried barrel racing once and hated it ever since

-is a lifeguard with the other girls in the summer. (She never shows up tho)

-she smokes too but not a lot 🚬

-DESPISES FOOTBALL. Like when Steve would take her to games with his buddies and their gfs she never focused on the game at all.

-hates chocolate. She thinks it’s to sweet.

-LOVES LOVES ROSES

-gets sent away to camp every summer by her parents and she is ALWAYS PISSED. She hates it there and she just wants to spend time with stevey poo 😚😚

[jgroffdaily]

For any theatre fan, getting spit on by Jonathan Groff can be considered a badge of honor. “I’m notoriously a sweater and a spitter on stage—an extremely wet performer, generally,” says the Tony winner jovially, without a hint of self-consciousness. Indeed, it’s become something of an in-joke that when you sit in the front row of a show featuring Groff, you may be hit with some moisture. So for Groff’s newest project—Just in Time, where the stage is transformed into a cabaret venue with audience members seated at café tables—the actor suggested waterproof ponchos: “We joked about calling it the ‘splish splash zone.’”

Though plastic ponchos may not fit the vibe of Just in Time, a “splish splash zone” is perfect. “Splish Splash” is the name of a famous song by mid-20th-century crooner Bobby Darin, who Groff is playing in the new musical Just in Time, currently running at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre with an opening night of April 26. Directed by Alex Timbers, the musical (with a book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver) details the life of Darin, a singer/songwriter who rose quickly to fame in his 20s with hit songs such as “Mack the Knife,” “Dream Lover,” and “Beyond the Sea.” But Darin had a short life. The singer had a weak heart due to multiple bouts of rheumatic fever as a boy; he had heart surgery twice and died shortly after his second operation at the age of 37. For Groff, this story of highs and lows was filled with dramatic potential.

“He overheard the doctor telling his mom that he was going to die by the time he was 16. So from 16 to 37, the age he actually did die, it felt like borrowed time,” says Groff.

In fact, Darin famously said: “I want to be a legend by the time I’m 25.”

Adds Groff, with reverence: “It’s someone that lived at a breakneck pace and was living for the moment and extremely present…I do think that there’s something really powerful in shining a light on his story. And there’s a universality, because essentially, we’ve all got a ticking clock. We never know when the day is going to come for us, where we die. And so I think there’s something really life-affirming about his story and about his ambition and about his living for today and not for tomorrow.”

Playing a jazz singer may seem an odd choice for the Broadway favorite, who won a Tony Award last year for playing Franklin Shepard in the Merrily We Roll Along revival. On Broadway, Groff has mainly sung contemporary scores from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Duncan Sheik, and Stephen Sondheim. Singing big-band standards is new for the performer. But Groff is passionate about the show. Not only is he also a producer on it, but last March, he did a workshop for Just in Time while he was still doing Merrily. “This has been such a passion project. I touch my pulse, and it races when I think about this man and this show,” says Groff.

Groff has been working on Just in Time for eight years; the project began in 2018 when producer Ted Chapin asked if Groff would perform in a series of concerts called The Bobby Darin Story at the 92nd Street Y.

While Groff knew Darin’s songs (who doesn’t?), it was seeing videos of Darin performing—and how immediate and present he was—that inspired the actor to take on the role and try to get the story to Broadway. Darin had a clear love for live performance. “He had a love affair with the audience,” says Groff. “There’s this great song called ‘The Curtain Falls,’ where he sings, ‘If I had this to do again, I would do it for you. I would do it for you, the audience.’ That’s essentially what he’s saying. So we want the audience to feel like they had a great time, and we’re celebrating Bobby Darin. And in celebrating Bobby Darin, we’re celebrating the art and the unparalleled magic of live performance and the relationship between performer and audience.”

It’s a relationship that Groff knows well as a longtime performer himself—someone who is always enthusiastic about taking photos with fans and talking to them. In fact, Groff was just 21 when he made his Broadway debut in the original production of Spring Awakening; Darin was 22 when he had his first hit song. Looking back on his younger self, Groff admits he didn't take care of himself. "During Spring Awakening, four days before the Tonys, I collapsed on the street. I had, like, tension in my neck," he recalls. Because he never professionally trained as an actor and out of the gate, he was in a show for two years. Similar to Darin, he was also living at a breakneck pace. "Lea Michele [the co-lead of Spring Awakening] would laugh at me; I would eat, like, dessert before [a show]. I was not healthy at all."

But the Glee star has since learned that in order to sustain eight shows a week, and to not faint on the street, he needed to build healthier habits, including learning how to slow down. When he agreed to do Merrily We Roll Along with Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, "my goal was to leave the show stronger than when I went in, and to be really disciplined about what I was doing outside of the theatre," explains Groff. So he learned how to meditate and incorporated that into his performance routine. "Exercising and the meditation were a huge part of my success of that experience. And I was sharing so much of the time on stage and the press and everything with Dan and Lindsay. So it was, like, we really were holding hands, the three of us together through that whole thing. And it was the perfect way to get my body in shape and ready to step into something like this, which is more physically and vocally demanding than Merrily was."

For Just in Time, Groff is pushing himself yet again. He's dancing extensively on stage for the first time in his career ("it's so exciting to learn new things about my body"), and he's interacting with the audience. This is why Just in Time needed to be a live experience, versus a film (there was a 2004 biopic that received mixed reviews). Darin was hands-on with his audience members, taking their hand or even dancing with them as he sang. Groff will endeavor to give audiences at Just in Time that same attention, while singing the roughly “20 to 30” songs in the show. Yes, he does plan on picking a lucky audience member from the crowd and dancing with them.

And because the show is about that special connection between a performer and the audience, Groff actually starts the show as himself: "When we were developing the show over the last seven years, we kept asking this question: 'Could I start the show as myself and establish that connection, that true connection between performer and audience, without even the artifice of character between us, so that we begin connected?' That's the most important relationship to establish—if you're going to tell the story of Bobby Darin's life, it's that relationship with the audience." Not only will audiences learn about Darin, they'll learn a little something new about Groff as well.

So if you ever wanted to get up close with this Broadway star, now is your chance. “I’ll be taking my vitamins and trying to stay as healthy as possible,” teases Groff, “as we get up in each other’s grill on Broadway.”

[craftyhal]

Updated my links and stuff I think, so my new pen name is Athena Ash Shepard

Here's my KoFi if you like my writing and wanna tip!:

I'm Athena Ash Shepard, call me Athena, I'm a 28 year autistic writer with Ehlers Danlos and I love to write fantasy paranormal stuff like Vampires, Angels and Demons and all that jazz!

I'm slowly getting out of a 3 year writers block/burnout so please bear with me. I handwrite my wips because my laptop broke, so I'll share excerpts through mobile and stuff and photo updates!

Thank you for reading

@bardic-tales @pinkevilwriter @ahousefullofmuses @watermeezer

[oleskyfm]

You know, I was ready to nitpick and roll my eyes and #snark about Shepard and Liara in Mass Effect through this replay - get on my high horse, all that jazz, moan about inconsistencies and writing contrivances and frustrating/rushed character development, some of it off-screen, or the general bad/male gazey (or whatever you’d call it…) way the asari are written at large … but here’s the thing, man. As far as big flashy romances in #gaming go, #shiara might as well be gaming’s korrasami - they fucked in 2007 and it caused a mainstream media controversy on Fox News! That’s historic, that’s nuts.

I’m not saying the little gay bitches owe everything to this blue alien woman and Shepard - who, as far as analytics go, is far more commonly played as a straight man or a straight woman - but it’s still notable. It feels special to me. When it hits, it hits. What other RPGs out there let you carry out a blooming love between two women across three games with a woman who singularly devotes herself to another, and who talk about growing old and having kids with one another ..? They don’t exist. I checked. If they do please tell me.

Not every RPG needs romance. Very often it’s implemented/written poorly. But you know what? Not every RPG needs combat, and pretty often /that/ is implemented poorly, but you don’t see people making as much of a snobby stink about it as people can get twisted up over romance. I dunno. I will respect writers, their intentions, and what they choose to write on (especially with the considerations of AA/AAA game development and the crushing burden of publisher guidelines) of course, but …. more romance !!!! All the flavors !!! More gay and bi broads !!!

[anonameisadditions]

So You Want To Write #2: The Roguish Type

It’s the 1930s in America, and the world is a dim, grimy place. Gone is the Jazz Age- with slick art deco, free-flowing illegal liquor from every speakeasy across the nation, and get-quick-rich schemes smothered under The Great Depression. The Great American Experiment seemed to be over- the rot in the once-great society (In the eyes of the vastly more empowered Caucasian men of the time) had become septic, and foul. The banks had shown themselves just as greedy and selfish as the average American, failing to properly plan for an economic bubble burst and ending up going insolvent within days of the economy crashing. The entire country would be placed out of work- the great boom of industry transformed into a sputtering, dying foghorn in the mist. It is no shock that in this era, our art would turn mistrustful, angsty, and depressed. And nowhere would this deep illness be reflected so cleanly as Film Noire.

These films- seedy, provocative crime films based around smoking, whiskey-swilling private dicks, and smoldering, vicious women would depict the dynamic of a dying society- a place where the police were rotten, the men weak, and the women hard. This is the environment we associate with the icon of the film noire- The private eye.

A “good” man, in a matter of phrase- for they always had some canny sense of right and wrong, a belief that their work was making life truer for someone. But, they’d be shaken- a dame, a woman worth trusting, beautiful and convincing, would lead them astray, tricking them into a deadly tango of treachery that would have them once again asking- Is it worth it to be good in a world that’s so bad?\

In steps The Man Who Knew Too Much.

“The Man Who Knew Too Much” is the common DNA of the modern rogue, in our modern conception of one. It stars Leslie Banks- a man known primarily for playing gruff, menacing bad guys across the pond at this point- and casts him as a leading man. He’s a brawler. He shoots first and asks questions later. He puts himself up against terrible odds- an entire criminal conspiracy to destabilize the political situation in London- and steps through with candor and charm, at each step along the way. He gets way too involved with a situation and ignores all rational advice given to him by the police- all because he trusts himself more than he trusts any institution.

And the audience EATS THIS UP

“The Man” becomes an instant classic, and Hitchcock begins to truly accue stateside appeal- and this only gets refined in his spy-fiction follow-ups, the best known being “North By Northwest.”

What’s the point of this brief history to the topic at hand- The Roguish Type, and how you want to write them? Everything. Because to write is to render fat from meat- it’s to understand how society changes a story as society adapts to it, to understand the underlying psychological underpinnings of motivation that makes an audience resonate with an archetype. And none is as misunderstood and spiritually confused as “The Rogue.” A scoundrel, A criminal, a scumsucking mouthbreeder who sits below the expectations of society- he flits from job to job, obliged to no one but himself- a modern cowboy, perhaps, but without an obligation to protect anyone but themselves. Within the rogue, however, lies an exceptionalist ideal we all wish we could live up to- the idea of innate goodness. 

Art from 2nd ed. Dungeons and Dragons, Kyle Punk and Tim Shepard

Prince Of Thieves

When we refer to “rogues”, the Jungian ideal in our world is drawn to the Tolkienesque, fantasy-focused interpretation of a rogue- a man bundled in leather, with a meaty look to him and a small, sleazy smile. He plays with knives, idly- using the point of his blade to clean out under his fingernails, suggesting a propensity for violence, and skill with a dagger. His eyes size you up and down, boldly, questioning whether a quick robbery could solve some problems that need solving, right, bub? 

But then we see him act. He joins our merry caravan, the rogue- this criminal outcast, this thief, this reject- and we see that he’s more than some petty criminal- he’s a self-styled robin hood, who won’t screw over people he likes, and will actively target those he doesn’t- but he' never given someone something they didn't have coming. He’s a self-styled anarchist- a true believer in individuality, who smiles and accepts the dog-eat-dog world of the undercity- and yet, this dog only eats a meal worth having. This “Robin Hood” didn’t need an education, a religion, a cause, or a care to be good to people- He only needed his wit. 

When Indiana Jones goes deep, deep, into the jungles of some tribal colony to steal their precious Incan gold relic, he does so to do… what? Sell it to a museum? He’s certainly making a buck off this. But, Jones is then contrasted to what a man like Beloq is- unprincipled.

A true asshole, willing to work with Nazi’s as long as they pay enough. He is quite rich from this-- His resources are plenty, his palette refined, his Jordan’s unsoiled. But then, as you see them interact, you realize that Jones and Beloq could not be more similar- The only thing stopping Indiana Jones from exceeding Beloq- no, what makes Beloq unable to win against Jones, with it’s final act, is the fact that Jones, despite his bad behavior and bad traits, still desires to be good. 

This is where I draw the core concept you must adhere to in “The Rogue”. Within our society, we have a strange relation to criminals. Our court system’s biggest inherent flaw- by design- is that ultimately, a jury of your peers will be the ones to convict you. We use this concept because we believe that a man must be considered a true criminal, a malintented traitor, worthy of punishment. This is why the jury must be convinced of the fairness of the charge to cast judgment on the offender, and why we don’t treat manslaughter and murder the same. Criminality is not inherently defined by breaking the law- it is defined by breaking the law for reasons that the state views as invalid.

Some say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But the rogue presents a different hypothesis- that one can use the tools of evil and still be good, as long as they can keep their moral code intact. This places the rogue in the place of the outsider- a common character used to question societal norms with pluck, determination, and humor. 

Examples? Right. Examples.

Look, Your Worshipfulness, let’s get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person: me.

Han Solo occupies an interesting role in the first Star Wars film. He’s a smuggler who’s working under the boot of a powerful fascist army, driving a spaceship that’s widely considered one cherry vehicle, and shows a reluctance to get himself involved with the fleeing Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan. His introductory scene- the infamous “Han shot first” under-the-table pistol blast helps establish Han quite well as a rogue, using an unscrupulous and dishonorable trick to remove an obstacle in his path. But as Luke spends time with Han, so do we, and we start to realize there’s more going on in the heart of this smuggler than he lets on. He implies a background working with the resistance, several times through the film; He quickly bonds with Luke like a big brother. What’s most important for this roguish character, however, is the clash of sentimentality and practicality. Han Solo denies an opportunity to work with the rebellion to strike a major blow against the empire, in what is considered practically a suicide run. But, in the last moments of the film, while Luke is left to perform the trench run, alone, Han Solo comes back, with a quip and a cheery face; For the rogue, despite his dog-eat-dog psychology, sentimentalism and heart is why he lives to fight another day. 

"It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside."

If you thought for a fucking second i was going to use Benedico Cumshlupper or whatever, you have a lot to learn about me.

Hows this for a head teaser? It’s often easy to forget that Sherlock - the insufferable, upper-class advisor for all manner of criminal mystery - is, as accounted by the original short stories and novels, the roguish type. Consider- Sherlock seems to regard absolutely zero importance to the laws and rules of polite society, making an absolute terror to his landlord, doing large sums of illegal narcotics to stave off boredom, and generally treating the police as ineffectual at best and annoying, abusive bullies at worst.

Sherlock may be better off than the average rogue, but do not be mistaken- His interests, as selfish as they are, are still interested in helping his fellow man. Most Sherlock stories have Sherlock professing a lack of care towards the problems of “average people”, save for the mystery- yet most of his stories end with a brief segment of sentimentality, of Sherlock making right what was wrong often at personal expense, and recognizing the humanity in the poor souls who come to him, seeking his help. Sherlock utilizes both the concept of authority and breaks the law to bring justice and truth to people- despite his assurance of having nothing but self-interest in mind. 

"ARGH! The common language doesn't have enough swears!"

Chilchuck, from Dungeon Meshi allows us to explore this tendency further. Chilchuck fits our archetypical rogue- a highly skilled, vaguely illegal operator with a focus on the fine arts of thieving- mainly lockpicking, athletics, trap navigation, and other roguish skills. But while Chilchuck doesn’t typically encompass the criminal miscrent side of the rogue, he does showcase the other commonality between the last few examples- the eruption of sentimentality. Chilchuck constantly comments on how he shouldn’t even be working with the twins, and empathizes, again and again, that there is no possible way that he’s going to stick his neck out for his party beyond what he’s being paid to do. Yet, what does Chilchuck do every time the situation gets tough? He runs to danger. He only threatens to leave when he feels his concerns are unheard by Laius about the state of the adventure. Chilchuck can pretend all he wants that he doesn’t care about anyone but himself- but actions speak louder than words. 

Conclusion

The identity of the rogue is based in a rejection of the concept of nature vs nurture in a work of fiction. The Rogue, despite his background in skullduggery and criminality, showcases an intact moral compass that even the most polished wonderboy can recognize as a heart of gold. He exists in this environment to prop up an element of heroic fantasy- the belief of innate goodness, that one can utilize the powers of evil for the purpose of good and avoid letting it corrupt themselves too far. They work in contrast to other, more pure-of-heart characters to exemplify that circumstances don’t always make the man- and to let us, the audience know that we didn’t need to grow up a soft-eyed farm boy or be promised a great destiny to make a difference- only have our hearts in the right places and to do what we can to make evil lose. If you liked this blogpost, Give it a reblog and a like, and don't forget to follow me for more media analysis and creative endeavors. Below, you can vote on the focus of my next entry in "So You Want To Write" series.  

Yours Paradoxically, 

AN0N

[shivunin]

Three-Song Playlists

Rules: Compile three-song playlists for as many OCs as you can/would like to

Thank you for the tag @greypetrel! Like you, I am linking the full playlist in case anyone would like to listen to them c: The songs are in no particular order.

Tagging @star--nymph @zenstrike @daggerbean @ndostairlyrium @dungeons-and-dragon-age @inquisimer @idolsgf @dreadfutures @bitchesofostwick @vakarians-babe @jtownnn @nightwardenminthara @brother-genitivi and anyone who loves music (Please recommend music to me!! I love hearing new songs!!)

Arianwen Tabris (🗡️)

I Spit On Your Grave by ZAND (Spit your blood into my cup and then I'll gulp you down)

Trigger Finger by Coyote Kid (Bloodstains on a kitchen knife/ it wasn't made for this, but I know how to improvise)

Praying Mantis by Jazz Alonso (If I show my teeth, I must be hungry/ in you go, baby)

Maria Hawke (✨)

Nobody Wants to Be Alone by Christian Reindl, Atrel (When you strain your eyes to see the light, I won't be far behind/ Cause it's better in the dark when you're a friend of mine)

Champion by Fall Out Boy (I'm just young enough to still believe, but young enough not to know what to believe in)

Gracias a la Vida by Mercedes Sosa (Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto/ Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto/ Los dos materiales que forman mi canto)

Emmaera Lavellan (✉️)

Every Other Love Song by MALINDA (So good at explaining/ at finding the right words/ but when I look at you, I fail)

No Choir by Florence + the Machine (If tomorrow it's all over/ at least we had it for a moment/ Oh, darling, things seem so unstable/ but for a moment we were able to be still)

Comfort by Deb Talan (If you can't remember a better time/ you can have mine)

Elowen Lavellan (🌱)

Overture III/Awake by Sleeping at Last (Today, I'll survive/ tomorrow, make sense of my life)

Soap by The Oh Hellos (I don't know I've seen a thing grow/ without an open coat/ not without a softness showing)

Queen of Nothing by The Crane Wives (Isn't this what you wanted? Time sure feels like it's running out/ Just finish what you started/ Queen of nothing, wearing such a heavy crown)

Salshira Lavellan (🍂)

punchline by KiNG MALA (I'm having a great time/being the punchline to my own joke)

Dutch by Dessa (Love is like liquor/ it burns when it moves you/ Far as I figure/ there's nobody fireproof)

Mean It by K.Flay (So when I say I love you, I want to mean it/ Cause I say a lot of things that I don't mean)

Tavitha (Tav) (🌤️)

Can't Cheat Death by The Ballroom Thieves (There are two things I know for sure: I will be free, I will be free, I will be free/ and you can't cheat death)

Greener by Anju, Uliya (You reached inside and took the parts you wanted out/ maybe you forgot/ you can take what I have, but I grow something better back)

Dancing Plague of 1518 by mollyofgeography(Make room to hold a want that's weighted/shapeshift to sate it/ 'til my head knows my heart betrayed it)

Jesse Shepard (☄️)

Machine Heart by Icarus (You've been looking for some kind of savior/ you created me and turned me into you/ to make me last a lifetime)

Glitter & Gold by Barns Courtney (Do you walk in the shadow of men who sold their lives to a dream? Do you ponder the manner of things in the dark?)

Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash (You wired me awake and hit me with a hand of broken nails...but I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run)

[somehwere-between]

Hiii hello I would love to hear your 2000s outsider’s au thoughts on the shepard’s taste in music as well as Byron, mark and Cathy if that’s not too much, please I’ve been rotating your hc in my head after seeing it. Johnny liking heavy metal is such a fascinating niche that I’m 100% on board with.

YAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYYAYY HIIIII HIMENO!!! Welcome to the hell hole. Johnny being a metal head (music-wise, not culture-wise) is something I love and I must preach it to whoever will listen.

Okay so. You have walked into my Evil Autism Trap. I will have to keep this a bit shorter because I’m working on a paper + moving (not yay), but I will come back to this later with more stuff!

Shepards

Tim: he’ll listen to whatever’s on the rock radio station, but he’s got a soft spot for nu metal + metalcore. Seether, Ill Niño, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park are most emblematic of his tastes. Dally makes fun of him for having more “contemporary” tastes, probably calls him ‘emo’ despite Tim very much not being emo.

Curly: classic 80s punk, both coasts. He doesn’t give a shit about the politics (ironically), he just likes fast-paced stuff and whatever allows him to punch people in the face. He’s okay with metal, digs some 90s rap (so long as it’s fast-paced), and abhors Angela’s music. He tolerates Pony’s tastes since there is at least some overlap.

Angela: 90s/early 2000s “trashy” pop, a la Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani, and sometimes jazz-influenced artists like Blu Cantrell and Alicia Keys. No Doubt and P!NK are more rock-flavored than her usual tastes, but she digs it. She HATES Avril Lavigne though, thinks she’s for middle-class girls who want to be edgy.

Etc.

Bryon: he’s not truly a greaser, so he doesn’t really hate contemporary music as much as most greasers do. The Killers, All-American Rejects, and I Monster (their 2005 album) all show his personality pretty well I think. He likes a lot of male-oriented pop rock.

Mark: dislikes labels of any kind but in general, he digs post-punk and some new wave (mainly Oingo Boingo). Sonic Youth, R.E.M., Matchbox Twenty, whatever the fuck he wants. He even likes the Beatles on rare occasion and fucking top 100 songs. Wildly eclectic, down to try anything at least once.

Cathy: almost the inverse of Angela’s, Cathy loves the Goo Goo Dolls, Hole, K’s Choice, some of Kelly Clarkson’s discography, and occasional Paramore songs. She also got into Joan Baez and Sinéad O’Connor when living with her aunt. She likes Bryon’s taste and her own preferences compliment his, since his is largely male-oriented versus her more female-based bands.

I have a fixation on this AU at the moment so whatever questions you got I will try to answer. I also need to make playlists for Curly and Bryon (Tim has one, it’s just private). Yay.