#tim speakeasy

[holosart]

It's @lmaowhateven's BDay, Make sure to wish them a happy one! I drew their oc's in special attire to celebrate :D

[fidjiefidjie]

Bonne matinée 🎧🥤💙

The Speakeasy ,Tim Tim 🎶 Rum 'n' Coca Cola (Shake It Up Well)

[honey-vampire]

[itsawritblr]

More Dumbo 2019 nostalgia.

New Year’s Eve at The Question Mark, V.A. Vandevere’s Speakeasy.

The strike of Midnight!

The Power Tower lights up!  Fireworks over Dreamland!

Happy New Year!

[khajittink]

Damian Wayne headcanon

Damian, trained from birth in the League of Assassins, is an incredible dancer. He was trained to have total control over his body, and one of the best ways to learn that is dance styles like ballet, swing, belly dancing, pole dancing, etc.

The batfam slowly finds this out over the years. Apart from Jason and Cass, as they have the same training. Eventually Tim finds out from his time with the League but that's after a couple years of knowing Damian.

The first is the obvious, waltzing at galas. That's expected, of course Talia would teach Bruce Wayne's son to waltz.

The family goes to one of his school events, and are very surprised to see him doing ballet (Cass and him practice together and she was happy she could share this with her shocked family).

They find out he can swing dance while undercover at some speakeasy club. Tim is undercover as Caroline Hill (and this is post League base explosions), and absolutely has a shit eating grin on his face when he sees Steph's flabbergasted expression across the bar. He later tells her Damian is who taught him to swing dance actually.

Dick tries very hard to forget finding out Damian could pole dance, having been visiting the Iceberg Lounge and not knowing Damian was undercover to keep an eye on a new Penguin deal. He's just glad he's an adult now cause he doesn't think he could bear watching his brother doing that underage without blowing his cover.

Jason and Damian end up undercover as belly dancers for entertainment at some rich fucks compound so they could bust his trafficking ring. Duke still can't forget how mesmerizing they both were (and maybe asks them for tips later, as well as telling Tim the latest batch of Bat™ concealer hid the scars so well he almost didn't believe it was them).

Babs blows everyone's minds when she sends a video of Damian break dancing to the group chat, cause even the League trained bats didn't know he could do that, and Damian just smiles and says he picked it up from watching tiktok videos Jon sends him.

Bruce had always guessed what Ra's and Talia had taught Damian, but each discovery he couldn't help but be amazed and impressed with his son. He pays Babs for videos of his dancing to save in his Proud Dad™ folder.

[froggibus]

Valentine's Day HCs - Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, platonic! Damian Wayne

Includes: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas and platonic! Damian Wayne

Summary: how your fave batfam member would treat you on valentine's day

CW: gn! reader, some are a little ooc cause its my first time writing them, fluff and sweetness all around, dames is strictly platonic!!!

another part to my valentine's hcs!! if you guys enjoyed this, consider checking out some of the other ones!

Valentine's 2023 Masterlist

————

Bruce Wayne:

probably one of the only nights you can actually convince him to take a break and pay attention to you

(read: Alfred would ground him for weeks if he forgot to do something nice for you)

leaves you a big gift box on your bed stuffed with fancy tissue paper and a little card 

it just says ‘wear me’ and when you unwrap it it’s a super formal outfit 

Bruce doesn’t tell you where he’s taking you until he shows up at your house in one of his cars, holding a dozen roses 

he ends up taking you to his private airstrip in Gotham 

he flies you to Monaco and takes you to a restaurant you always wanted to try!! 

and since you’re away from Gotham, the press isn’t even bothering you

after dinner, he takes you to a nice speakeasy for drinks and dessert 

he even turns his phone off so that he can focus on you 100%

you guys stay the night in a penthouse suite above Monaco 

“I know I don’t always have a lot of time for you, but I hope you know that I do really love you.”

Dick Grayson:

this man is CHEESY I’m sorry 

like he goes all out and he’s not even embarrassed about it 

probably asks you to be his Valentine in like a cute promposal-esque way

he’s somewhere between between Bruce and Jason on Valentine’s plans 

like he doesn’t want to go all out to all these fancy places, but he doesn’t want to just do a date at home 

so he ends up taking you ice skating!! 

(unrelated but I HC him as a really good figure skater)

holds your hands the whole time and does like some cutesy couples skate 

also he definitely shows off what a good skater he is and does some cool gymnastics moves 

after skating, you guys go through a walk through the park 

he takes you to get some yummy street food and hot chocolate too 

“Thanks for always sticking out the good and the bad with me, y/n. Whenever you’re with me, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Jason Todd:

I feel like this man is secretly super romantic 

he doesn’t really like big crowds and don’t even get him started at fancy restaurants where the portion is way too small 

also he’s a big softie so he probably plans something super intimate for you guys

picks up a copy of his favourite book and annotates his favorite passages 

and writes little stories and things he loves about you in the margins 

he invites you over to his place to cook dinner for you

has a playlist of your favorite music playing while he cooks

definitely something super yummy and comforting!! 

he gives you the book after dinner while he waits for dessert to be done

you guys eat dessert and cuddle on the couch and talk about books and movies 

he would definitely dance with you in the living room too!

like cute dorky dancing where you stand on his feet and just kinda sway around the room 

“I’m pretty sure you know how I feel about people, but y/n? You make me think not everyone is so bad.”

Tim Drake:

he is definitely the type to not care about Valentine’s Day 

anytime someone brings it up he has to go on this tangent about how it’s not a real holiday 

however, if his partner cares about it, he can put his own feelings behind him and suck it up for the day

definitely stays up for several days trying to plan out a perfect for you guys

but since he’s so tired he ends up sleeping in past when he’s supposed to pick you up :((

you don’t mind tho because Tim sleeping is a gift in itself lmfao 

he scrambles to get ready and picks you up not much later than he was supposed to 

he takes you to a super cute video game cafe 

you guys get some yummy drinks and cute little heart shaped cookies and snacks 

and then you guys hop on the computers to play some games!! 

he probably plays some fun little coop games with you so that you can actually spend quality time together 

takes you home and you guys just relax on the couch and watch tv 

(Tim definitely watches Criminal Minds and relates a little too much to Spencer Reid)

“I know I said I don’t really care about Valentines and honestly I don’t but I know you do and I know it’s not a lot but I just really wanted to give you the date you deserve.”

Stephanie Brown:

this is HER holiday 

like it might as well be St Steph Day

she has MAJOR plans for the two of you

and she definitely asks you to her Valentine with this cute little homemade Valentine she made just for you

she brings her camera with new film because she’s going to take so many pictures!! 

probably coordinates her outfit to yours just so you guys look all cute and matching

she takes you to a light dinner first, probably like sushi or ramen or something 

and then you guys go to a special Valentines concert in the park!! 

of course Steph knows all the songs and all the choreography 

she dances all goofy and tries to get you to dance with her too! 

sends you copies of all the pictures she takes after and posts them on her Instagram with a cute caption like

“Best Valentine’s Date Ever!! y/n truly is the loml !”

Cassandra Cain: 

she’s probably never celebrated Valentines before

just never did as a kid and then never had any interest as an adult 

but you seem so excited about it that she wants to try 

she definitely goes to Steph and Barbara for advice on what to do for you

and of course her girls have her back!! 

she’s really shy when she asks you, but she decides to go the simple route and straight up asks 

she’s so relieved when you say yes!! 

she gets you a potted plant instead of flowers cause she doesn’t really get the point of getting you something that’ll die soon 

she packs you guys a really nice picnic and the two of you go for a hike by her favorite spot 

there’s a really nice waterfall up there and some dry rocks where she spreads out a picnic blanket 

the two of you snack on the food she brought and just chat 

you’re honestly really touched that she was thinking about you this Valentine’s Day and wanted to do something special for you 

“I know it’s not much, but it’s my first time celebrating and I really wanted to do something nice for you.”

Duke Thomas:

he’s super nervous to be celebrating your first valentines together

and knowing him he just has to make it perfect 

he’s probably had his dinner reservation for like a month at least 

picks up a bouquet of your favourite flowers too (bonus points cause he gets them from a local florist instead of a supermarket) 

spends hours and hours picking out the perfect outfit too

probably calls Steph and asks for her advice on his outfit, cologne, his gift for you etc. 

is at your house ready to pick you up super early 

waits as long as you need to get ready and his jaw DROPS when he sees you 

all flustered and shy and stumbles over his words while he tries to compliment you!!

he definitely relaxes a little on the way to the restaurant

by the time you’re eating, you guys are making easy conversation and by dessert he’s holding your hands across the table <3

insists you guys go for a walk after dinner to look at the stars !!

“so, how did I do? did I nail it?”

Damian Wayne:

he is a complete stranger to the concept of Valentines 

And much like Tim he simply does not care 

however his teacher makes them make little mail boxes in school and teaches them about the history of the holiday 

and he gets a bit of a heavy heart realizing this is something normal kids do and he just really wants to fit in even if he’ll never admit 

which is what leads him to you the day before Valentine’s Day 

and of course you can’t say no to him because he’s being vulnerable with you and he’s just so fragile :((

that’s how you end up taking him to the craft store to pick up foam and ribbons and glitter glue and stickers 

the two of you sit down at the table and get to work making cute little heart shaped valentines for all of his classmates 

he probably handwrites a message on each of them individually 

things like “I tolerate you” and “you’re not the stupidest person in our class”

the spirit is there lol 

Steph and Dick definitely join in and help you guys make them at some point 

and Alfred makes sure you guys have snacks and drinks the whole time 

at school the next day he’s so nervous to give them out but when he gets his first ever Valentine he’s so happy !!

and when he gets home you’re waiting there with the rest of the family with more Valentine’s for him!! 

pretends he doesn’t care but he’s smiling and blushing and hides them in a shoebox in his closet

he looks at them whenever he’s sad :((

“As stupid as Valentines are, thank you, y/n, for helping me join in this year”

pretends he doesn’t care but he’s smiling and blushing and hides them in a shoebox in his closet

[hummingbirdspark]

Feel free to use these ideas if you want! You do not need to credit me, but just let me know you did so I can read it.

Details for the story ideas under the cut

Kidnapped and forced to do maths

Pretty self-explanatory, they get locked in cells equipped with digital blackboards and stuff and can’t leave until they answer enough questions right. Penalties for wrong answers is death. Perhaps opportunities for teamwork?

Kipo and the age of Wonderbeasts au

Might not make sense if you haven’t seen Kipo but Carmilla uses megamute dna to try and make humans able to live on the surface, but after getting kicked out of her burrow, she has to wander the surface, looking for humans desperate enough to accept her ‘help’. I already have a bulletfic for how each of them gets found and mutated

Steven Universe au

Mechanisms as the Off-Colors. Gems thst either rebelled against or were thrown out by the diamonds. They wander the galaxy, and sometimes assist gem rebellions. The moon war was fought over earth’s moon base, between the crystal gems and those loyal to the Diamonds.

Doctor who TMA au

Jon and Jonny were brothers on Gallifrey, and while Jon excelled in timelord school and became The Archivist, Jonny was distracted by paying off his father’s debts and failed, never to receive the title of “the Captain” or 12 regenerations. He didn’t stay mortal for long, as Carmilla found him like in cannon and mechanized both of his hearts. They stole a TARDIS called Aurora and fled to the stars. Many many years later, The Archivist finds his long lost brother when taking his companions, Martin, Tim, and Sasha to the Steamworld Intergalactic Music Festival

False domestic psychological prison

An enterprising young member of an intergalactic authority comes up with a new idea for these immortal criminals’ containment: the only prison the Mechanisms can’t escape is the one they don’t know they’re in. They capture the mechanisms and through a combination of the sedative effects of the Lotus, and some memory altering microchips, they get the Mechanisms to think they are just (mostly) normal people on a normal planet. To make them less likely to escape, they gave them something they never could have had before. Jonny gets respect as the owner of a tailor shop, with workers who call him sir, and trust and obey his judgement. Brian, as a priest is listened to in all his advice and praised for his wise moral decisions. Will they realize it’s a trick? Or stay living this lie forever?

Spaceteam fic

The Aurora gets stuck in a strange wormhole (bifrost?) and she can’t operate anything but basic piloting. Suddenly strange new controls are on the bridge, as well as whole other consoles of controls. Instructions for what to do are provided on screens, but they don’t match the control each mechanism sees on their console. Luckily they’re all within shouting distance, but they will have to learn to work together… as a spaceteam. Set Sigmaclapper to 5! Soak Ferrous Holospectrum! Baste the Emergency Whittler!

Summer Camp Councilors

Human au where the mechanisms are councilors at Camp Cosmo, with wacky hijinks, camp names, and songs. Several units of cabins inspired by the 4 story albums, a great spot on a canal with sea kayaking, regular kayaking, sailing, and canoeing. A high ropes and low ropes course, an archery range, and an arts and crafts area are also present for those who aren’t water crazy. Pack up your sense of adventure and extra flashlight batteries! Hopefully the campers won’t get into any drama…

Kofi rat from Small Saga meets Marius

This is for the KofiAssam fans out there! Our very own rat-tailed rover finds themself on a massive metal god dwelling and encounters The Metal Armed God!

Or

Marius Von Raum finds a rat wearing clothing that seems to be able to play the mandolin. Good thing he learned to speak rat when he and Toy Soldier went to that candy planet where Toy Soldier somehow became a prince…

Steam Powered Giraffe roleswap

What if Doctor Carmilla lived on earth and created nine singing automatons that could self repair?

What if Colonel P. A. Walter mechanized 6 humans with blue matter to create a force of galactic heroes, that then forgot their original names?

1920s American speakeasy

Probably heavily based on Lackadaisy. Carmilla’s Speakeasy is a great place to get illegal alcohol, and its secret entrance is inside the Cafe Aurora. The owner, Carmilla herself is illusive at best, and her seeming to only show her face at night has lead to rumors of her being a vampire or witch. Rumors that are only worsened when she gave each of her employees a strange new gift: pins, that she insists are a new part of their uniform to be worn at all times. The purpose of the pins is made clear when Jonny is shot by a rival rumrunner while on a job and comes back from the dead.

SCP contains Brian and Toy Soldier

Brian was on MJE and Toy Soldier was under direct orders from a researcher to not escape. The only question is would Doctor Bright be an expert on immortality, or would letting him know about The Mechanisms be a terrible idea?

Marius backstory oneshot based on the christmas armistice

There are many things Byron Marius expected to hear in the middle of a war. The pound of bullets, the screams of other soldiers, and crash of giant robot mechas overhead. What he didn’t expect to hear was singing.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht

That’s all, folks

I have way too many ideas.

[intotherabithole]

Maribat 1920s speakeasy au

I was originally wanting to find some miraculous ladybug mafia 1920s AUs but I couldn't find anything. Then I figured I would make my own and instead I came up with a maribat one.

This is the mess I have thought of so far:

[ ] Anarka runs a speak easy called the liberty with help of gang leader Jason todd

[ ] Jason and Roy help run alcohol for the liberty and kick out trouble makers

[ ] Luka plays in the band for the liberty and helps out Jason with odd jobs

[ ] Juleka is the singer for the liberty but wants to help more

[ ] Juleka is dating Rose and she tries to keep her out of the dangerous part of her life

[ ] Nino also plays in the band for the liberty

[ ] Alya works as a reporter

[ ] Dick Grayson is a dective investigating a string of murders with the help of his partner Tim

[ ] Tim has only recently joined the police force having always looked up to Dick

[ ] The murders they are investigating are getting written off as gang violence but they think there is something more to it

[ ] There is a new mysterious club that has opened up called Papillion owned by Gabriel Agreste

[ ] A strange drug is showing up called Akuma

[ ] Marinette makes clothing under alias to high-profile clients. Some of these clients have connections to criminal organizations

[ ] Talia is a ballet instructor to both Cass and kagami. She is also friends with Anarka and Emilie.

[ ] Emilie has gone missing

This is what I've thought of so far. I'm not sure what the ships should be or the murderer. If you have any idea, feel free to share them. Also, if you want to make your own works inspired by this concept, please tag me. I would love to see what everyone comes up with.

I also made some sketches already for concept designs.

I was thinking Juleka would uncover her eye when she sings.

[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

[thighzp]

Educate Me - Chapter 6 sneak peek

It had been a few weeks since Tim’s first hookup with Professor Fuller – or, Hawk, as he was now allowed to call him whenever outside the classroom.

Could it even be classified as a hookup? What Tim considered a hookup now at 21 was usually more involved than what had occurred in his professor’s office. That was more akin to a quick high school fantasy, more or less a rushed hand job in the principal’s office. 

Not that he had had experience in that regard. 

Even still, it left Tim wanting more from the older man. To feel Hawk’s hands wrapped around his length was one thing, but to imagine the professor’s impressive girth filling him up when he could finally get him alone again… 

Tim was snapped out of his daydream by Hawk – er, Professor Fuller, calling on him in class. “Would you agree, Mr. Laughlin?” The professor sat on the edge of his desk, biting the arm of his glasses and all but eye fucking Tim in front of the entire class. 

He sat up straighter in his seat, “Um,” looking around the class to find everyone else paying very close attention. “Yes, you’re absolutely correct sir.” He punctuated the last word by looking over the frame of his glasses, and only Tim would notice the professor shift his position to camouflage the effect of his word choice. 

The two had done a bit more sexting since the last physical encounter, nothing going past what their first telephone exchange entailed. Occasional texts from Hawk, working late in his office with his cock in his hand, or one from Tim freshly out of the shower, muscled torso on full display cutting off just above the area the older man longed to see most. 

That day on his way out of class, the professor slipped a note into Tim’s book bag as he shuffled past the other students. When Tim got back to his apartment that evening after the rest of his lectures, he retrieved the note. 

Old school, he thought. He could have just texted me. 

All the note contained was a time and a location. 

The Understudy, 8pm. 

The name sounded familiar. Tim did a quick google search to find that it was a lesser known speakeasy type bar just off of campus. 

So, he wanted to meet out in public. Well, semi public. The photos online made the place appear dimly lit, somewhat exclusive, and rather intimate. A secret hideout of sorts. 

Tim knew a date when he spotted one. And he fully intended to commandeer this date into bringing the professor back to his apartment. 

***

I shall return later with a full chapter, but I'm excited to continue with these two and wanted to throw out a little teaser ;)

[walterdecourceys]

tim and nastya should have been at the club. toy soldier worked at the club (speakeasy) and this seemed to have no noticeable effect on it. jonny was at the club (casino) and it was actually the source of most of his problems. i think the rest of them would have found a way to ruin their lives regardless of location

[disniq]

Something something jason getting stuck with a case, it's a kidnapping and he can't figure out why or where the kid is for a few days and he knows how critical it is to find them. And it stresses him out and eventually he calls tim and tim doesn't hesitate to come over and together they figure it out. A small thing jason overlooked. Tim vaguely being aware of how much jay is projecting already. Jason being grateful for the opportunity to take a step back and breathe. The relief when they find the kid and free them. They go home wanting to celebrate but end up falling asleep in each other's arms exhausted. Tim cooks breakfast in the morning.

It was obvious that Jason was struggling with this case from the moment Tim pulled up in Gotham, but Tim somehow still doesn't clock the building panic attack until after they've found the missing kid.

She was stashed away in an old speakeasy cellar in the Bowery, and in hindsight that should have been Tim's first clue because Jason definitely knows these streets better than Tim does.

But it was Tim that caught the clue, and Jason had seemed happy to let Robin run point. He'd lurked just out of sight while Tim jimmied the brand new door of the very old building and ran straight for the kid, and then the Red Hood had put the traffickers down with a swift, merciless bullet between each of their eyes. He'd even put the call in to the cops, calmly asking Commissioner Gordon to send an escort to take the shaken girl back to her mom at the station.

It was only after, when Jason tossed Tim the keys for his bike and stiffly slid into the pillion seat, that alarm bells started ringing.

Jason never lets Tim drive his bike.

Continue on ao3

[whalehouse1]

So in a Speakeasy AU would the Batfam be the cops in it or the bootleggers or would the rogues be the cops or bootleggers?

I’d prefer Batfam as the speakeasy gang. Dick and Jason as bartenders, Alfred is the brewmaster, Babs and Tim running the numbers, Bruce bankrolls it and does the networking with Kate and Kathy, Cass is on the piano, Duke singing, Luke is security with Harper, Steph and Bette are flappers and Damian and Cullen are the errand boys who are “too cute to be caught.”

[rigginsstreet]

Sorry to watch teen dramas and make it everyone else’s problem but like

The trope of “playboy character suddenly falling in love” can be very hit or miss and as I’m rewatching gossip girl and the chair of it all I am reminded why Tim and Lyla’s set up on fnl absolutely flopped for me

Because on gossip girl they actually put in the effort to give Chuck and Blair actual build up in the episode prior to them actually hooking up. First of all even before that we see in other episodes them being around each other and communicating and having some form of relationship to begin with even tho there’s nothing to suggest anything romantic but we DO see them sharing a love for conniving and general chaos

So in 107 we have something to build off of. The episode starts with the two of them discussing chucks potential business venture and Blair encouraging him and we see more shared interests in burlesque and speakeasy’s and the general 1920s aesthetic

They have that foundation already so there’s something to build off of later in the episode when Blair’s doing her dance and revealing a whole other side to her character that the audience (and her peers) haven’t seen. And she can do this through this relationship with Chuck and we watch him be enthralled and we can see the switch flipping in him where this is not just another girl to him this one is gonna be different, so in the next episode when it’s revealed he has actual feelings for her it’s not a surprise we watched it happen

They tried to do this with Tim and lyla on fnl and it just did not hit because they have no build up. There are no shared interests (well besides Jason street which is a whole other thing to unpack) there’s no prior relationship like yes they know each other but again…entirely through Jason. They would have no relationship without him. So when they hook up it’s like… crickets

You can explain the initial kiss being all the pent up feelings about Jason’s accident and that makes total sense. But once they start regularly sleeping together and Tyra’s giving her line to Tim about him being in love with Lyla you’re left sitting there like where the fuck is this coming from? Sleeping with your best friends girl behind his back cuz you’re both traumatized over his accident and suddenly you’re in love with her based on that alone???

There could’ve been a story about misplaced feelings and deflection because lbr that’s all their relationship ever was but instead the writers tried really making me believe real feelings were involved without putting any effort into establishing any sort of genuine connection between those two characters, and shown through chuck and Blair you really only need one episode to do this effectively

Anyway idk what audience this is for besides myself lmfao but I had to get this out thank you ✌🏻

[daggerzine]

MY FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2023! (lists in no particular order....well, sort of)

MY 20 FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2023  

Anna Hillburg- Tired Girls (Speakeasy Studios)

RVG- Brain Worms (fire) 

The Tubs- Dead Meat (Trouble in Mind) 

Seablite- Lemon Lights (Mt St Mtn)

The Reds, Pinks & Purples- The Town That Cursed Your Name (Slumberland)

Lewsberg- Out and About (12XU)

Melenas- Ahora (Trouble in Mind)

Blues Lawyer- All in Good Time (Dark Entries) 

Colored Lights- S/T (Bobo Integral)

Doe St- Stepping Stones (Legless) 

Guardian Singles- Feed Me To The Doves (Trouble in Mind) 

Corvair - Bound To Be (WIAIWYA)

The Garment District- Flowers Telegraphed To All Parts of the World (HHBTM)

Royal Ottawa- Carcosa (self released)

Tough Age- Waiting here (Bobo Integral)

Soft Science- Lines (Shelflife)

The Midnight Sailors- S/T (self released)

Robert Forster- The Candle and the Flame (Tapete) 

Civic – Taken By Force (ATO) 

Sumos- Surfacing (Meritorio) 

WAIT….HERE’S 20 MORE!

Connie Lovatt- Coconut Mirror (Enchante’)

En Attendant Ana- Principia (Trouble in Mind) 

Withered Hand- How to Love (Reveal) 

The High Water Marks- Your Next Wolf (Minty Fresh)

The Feelies- Some Kinda Love: Performing the Music of the Velvet Underground (Bar-None)

Connections- Cool Change (Trouble in Mind) 

The Ex Bats- Song Machine  (Goner)

The Photocopies- Top of the Pops (Ultra Modern)

Amanda Brown- Eight Guitars (Lillipilli) 

Arthur Alexander- …Steppin’ Out!  (Big Stir Records)

Eyelids- A Colossal Waste of Lights ((Jealous Butcher) 

Panic Pocket- Mad Half Hour (Skep Wax)

Yo La Tengo- This Stupid World (Matador)

Swansea Sound- Twentieth Century (Skep Wax)

Kevin Robertson- Magic Spells Abound (Futureman)  

Super 8- Hoopla (The Beautiful Music) 

The Radio Fields- Dos and Dont’s (Subjangle)

Joe McAlinden- Where The Clouds Go Swimming (self -released)

The Black Watch- Future Strangers (ATOM) 

Rob I Miller- Companion Piece (Vacant Stare)

….AND HERE’S 10 MORE

The Lost Days- In the Store (Speakeasy Studios) 

Life Strike- Peak Dystopia (Bobo Integral)

Belle & Sebastian- Late Developers (Matador)

Lauds- Imitation Life (Fort Lowell) 

The Hepburns- Only the Hours (Lavender Sweep) 

Lomma- Torrey Pines (self released)

C.O.F.F.I.N.- Australia Stops (Goner)

Special Friend- Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In (Skep Wax)

Burning Ferns- World of the Wars (Country Mile)

Wojtek the Bear- Second Place on Purpose (Last Night From Glasgow)

I ALSO REALLY LIKED ALBUMS BY:  Diners, Moving Targets, Bill Orcutt, Skull Practitioners, the Suncharms, Divine Horsemen, The Flashcubes, Hurry, Teenage Fanclub, Lydia Loveless, The Make Three, Shana Cleveland, The Ekphrastics, Ryan Allen, Fruit Bats, Nicole Yun, Dippers, Lost Film, Tony Jay, Cindy, Class, The Clientele, Lemon Twigs, Sweeping Promises, The National Honor Society, The Whiffs, Infinite River, Silver Biplanes, Jason Isbell, The Cuticles, Mudhoney, Alex Lahey, Crocodiles, Peter Hall, Cherry Fez, The Angles, Scott Gagner, Mainland Break, Christian Kjellvander, Sick Thoughts, Grand Drifter, The Motifs, The Sunshine Convention, The 1981, Roy Moller, Youth Valley, Soft Covers, Deadlights, The Smashing Times, The Spires, Helen Love, Motorbike, Silverstiles, Water Damage, Uni Boys, The Royal Arctic Institute, Gina Birch, Gee Tee, etc.

MY  10 FAVORITE REISSUES OF 2023 

The Chills- Brave Words (Fire)

The Replacements- Tim (Sire)

The Ocean Blue- Davy Jones Locker (Korda)

Wild Carnation- Tricycle (Delmore) 

Neutral Milk Hotel- The Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotel (Merge)

Das Damen- 1986- Keeps Me Wild (Dromedary)

Heavenly -Le Jardin de Heavenly (Skep Wax) 

The Verlaines- Bird Dog (Schoolkids Records) 

The Toms- S/T (Feel It) 

Celibate Rifles  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Bang!)

MY 15 FAVORITE EPS OF 2023 

Lightheaded- Good Good Grief (Slumberland)

Minor Threat-  Out of Step outtakes (Dischord)

The Cucumbers- Old Shoes (self released)

The Reds, Pinks & Purples- Unloveable Losers (digital) 

The Vapour Trails- On a Beautiful Day (Futureman)

Blues Lawyer- Sight Gags on the Radio (Dark Entries)

Deary- S/T (Sonic Cathedral)

The Wends- Better Will (WWNBB) 

Te Vista- S/T  (Cripes) 

Red Sleeping Beauty- From Sarah With Love (Matinee)

Letting Up Despite Great Faults- Crumble (S/T) 

The Prize- Wrong Side Of Town   (Anti Fade) 

Touch Girl Apple Blossom- S/T (self released)

Galore- Blush (Paisley Shirt) 

Lost Tapes- Crossing Towns (Shelflife)

MY 5 FAVORITE COLLECTIONS OF 2023 

The Particles- 1980’s Bubblegum (Chapter Music)

Primal Scream- Reverberations (Travelling in Time) (Acid Jazz/XTRM/Young Tiki)

The Shapiros- Gone by Fall: the Collected Works of (World of Echo) 

Dot Dash- 16 Again (Country Mile)

Comet Gain- The Misfit Jukebox (Tapete) 

Eric "Eggman" Eggleson's favorite records of 2023!

A Colossal Waste Of Light - Eyelids

Aeterna - Vinyl Williams

Away From The Castle – Video Age

Babydoll – Rat Columns

Bananasugarfire – Golden Apples

Careless By The Coast - Marvin Powell

Cartwheel - Hotline TNT

Colored Lights

Compact Trauma – Ulrika Spacek

Continue As A Guest – The New Pornographers

Disenchanter - Alaska Reid

EP IV – Yumi Zouma

Flowers Telegraphed To All Parts Of The World – The Garment District

Henry St. - The Tallest Man On Earth

Hindsight is 50/50 – Ghost Woman

I Held The Shape While I Could – Bodywash

Javelin – Sufjan Stevens

Left Hand - Becca Mancari

Life and Life Only - The Heavy Heavy

Love as Projection – Frankie  Rose

May Cause Dizzy Ness - The Musical Chairs

My Entire Life – SUSTO

Pearlies – Emma Anderson

Perennial - Woods

Pictures – Dean Owens

Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) - Yves Tumor

Prize - Rozi Plain

Radio Red – Laura Groves

So Soon Now – Trillion

Strange Loops and Outer Psyche – Andy Bell

Suntub – ML Buch

The Greater Wings - Julie Byrne

The Natural Lines

The Queen Is Not Dead – Spiritual Front

the record – boygenius

The Sunshine Convention

The Twits - bar Italia

This Candle Is For You - Spearmint

Waiting Here – Tough Age

We Live In Strange Times – Ian M Bailey

When Horses Would Run - Being Dead

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Library of Ashes

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason takes an interest in the family business (Gotham’s oldest library) when he stumbles upon a secret collection of journals, photo albums, and a book written by his mother.

Chapters: 6/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Kate Kane, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Lonnie Machin, Original Character(s)

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Library AU, No Capes AU, World Travel, Jason Todd-centric, Third Person POV, Hurt Jason Todd, Jason Todd Has Issues, Angst, Mystery, Mentioned Catherine Todd, Mentioned Willis Todd, Mentioned Sheila Haywood, Claustrophobic Jason Todd

Chapter Six: Speakeasy

That night, Jason dreamt of Sanaa. He dreamt of her hands on his chest. Sweating under the moonlight as he stifled his moans. Their chemistry was so strong that they didn’t pass the back patio. A massive wave washed over them, and Jason woke up with a hand on the front of his shorts and a hole in his chest where his heart used to be. He shuddered and cursed. “Naa, please,” Jason muttered as he slipped his shorts off and walked them to the hamper. 

Music was the only thing that comforted him. The silence was an unbearable curse. He showered, dressed, and made breakfast in the dark. 

The music he picked for the day was sad. His heart needed to grieve. Sanaa sowed the seeds of dance and music into his soul. It kept him alive. He emailed everyone their tasks for the day while he ate. His head throbbed. Tim replied almost immediately. Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning into the pressure building behind his eyes. “For fuck’s sake,” Jason whispered. He shut the laptop and called Tim on the landline. 

“Hello?” Tim answered on the first ring. “What about the book  donation box and the shipment of new—?”

“Yes… All of that is important, but I’ve got a headache. Can we do small talk first?” Jason mumbled. 

“Good morning,” Tim replied, “You okay?” 

“I’m not… How are you?” Jason asked. 

Tim cleared his throat. “Um… I—. I’m fine. Do you want to talk about—?”

“No. I just figured I’d be honest. It’s nice to know you’re doing alright. Why are you awake so early?” Jason asked. 

“Couldn’t sleep. I just—. I wasn’t trying to replace you—.” 

“I know. I don’t hate you. I never did… I resented you for a while because we’re so different, but I never hated you. I want you to work with me for the next couple of days,” Jason stated, “And if you can do a coffee run and bring some aspirin that’d be great, too.”

“Anything specific?” Tim questioned. 

“Three shots of espresso and maybe chocolate… I don’t know. I don’t really care,” Jason replied. Tim hung up, leaving Jason to his thoughts. 

**

When Tim arrived, Jason took an aspirin and started sipping his coffee. “Jason, what are we gonna do about the book donation box and the new shipment of classics?” Tim questioned. 

“Dick’s on the donation box. I’ve got Barbara and Stephanie on classics,” Jason answered as he dug through another set of diaries and journals. “Some of these should be turned in to the police. I think I’ll make a police pile.”

“I heard you were engaged,” Tim whispered. 

“I was. She passed away,” Jason explained. Tim frowned.

“Do you have any pictures of her?” Tim questioned. Jason smiled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to show Tim. He showed Tim a picture of Sanaa with her best friend.

“My fiance, Sanaa, is the one on the right. The other one is her best friend, Margaret,” Jason explained before swiping to the next picture. Jason had his arms wrapped around her shoulders and chest, resting his chin atop her head as they smiled for the camera. “I look at these pictures all the time. I look at them all the time.” 

“You never would’ve come home, huh?” Tim asked. 

Jason shook his head. “I don’t think I would’ve,” Jason answered. 

“Do you think you’ll leave again once you can?” Tim questioned in reply. 

Jason softened. It didn’t seem like Tim had a strong opinion either way. “I might… Why? Are you thinking about getting out of town?” Jason smiled. 

“Listen, if you know a good place, I’m all ears,” Tim joked. 

“Costa Rica is nice. You could probably use the sun,” Jason teased. 

Tim rolled his eyes as he laughed. “How many places have you been to?” Tim questioned. 

“Fifteen,” Jason replied as he squinted at a map in one of the journals. “See anything interesting over there?” 

“Yeah… A very detailed diary entry about a sexual encounter with a younger man,” Tim replied. Jason leaned forward. 

“How much younger?” Jason asked. 

“She’s sixty-three. He’s forty-five,” Tim replied, “ And she’s limber .” 

Jason shook his head and laughed. “Next entry?” Jason asked.

“Same guy, different day… Yeah, I should not be reading this,” Tim replied as he set it aside. 

For the next two hours, it was like that. Jason studied the book of building plans for the library, and Tim made a run for lunch. He didn’t say anything about it, figuring that the plans were incorrect. He wanted to look into it, but he refused to look crazy in front of Tim or anyone else if his hunch was wrong. Even after their shift at the library ended, Jason walked around the building, searching for made-up rooms. What he thought to be made-up. 

Jason’s floor had four apartment-style living spaces. He lived in the biggest apartment, and the other three were otherwise unoccupied. Sometimes, Bruce’s friends would visit and stay in the smaller ones, but they usually used those rooms for storage. According to the plans, one of the apartments had a bedroom with a false wall in the closet. He used one of the hallway keys at the furthest apartment on the left to enter. 

The closet wall felt hollow when he knocked on it, but it didn’t turn with a simple push. Jason stepped back, taking a deep breath before putting his back into it. The wall gave, and Jason almost fell to the ground on the other side of the wall. It was a beautiful setup. The back edge of the apartment had a second elevator beside the bar, and Jason picked up a glass decanter, removing the stopper as he smelled the orange peels in the curaçao. It was an older bottle. He set it on the counter, and he took the elevator down to a secret basement. Jason looked around until he found the bookcase by a large, carved table. Gotham Secret Library. Stacks of books were left dusty and untouched. Handbound books. Books with hand-painted marbled edges. Books with resin, dried flower covers. It was a gorgeous library for the creative people of Gotham. 

And then Jason realized a set of problems. Who would Jason share his secret with? And how long would it take to go through the secret library on his own? The most recent items came from around the nineties. After hours of sifting through the books on the table, Jason stumbled across family court papers with his name and his parents’ names. And his grandparents’ names. Julia and George Haywood. People he never knew existed. And their address. An address that he knew well. He must’ve passed by their house a million times growing up. It made his stomach sick. He wondered if things would’ve been different if they raised him. He wondered if they loved him. 

But his thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. “Hey, Tim,” Jason whispered.

“Where are you?” Tim questioned. “I went back to your apartment to get the box for the police, and you weren’t there.”

“Oh, I went to pick up my prescription,” Jason lied. He couldn’t tell the truth. Not yet, anyway. Maybe this secret was meant to be his and his alone.