#I wasn't sure how to summarize the AU thing succinctly

[larissa-the-scribe]

I'd love to hear about First Meetings and The Witch in the Woods from that WIP ask game!!

Thanks for the ask! (from this ask game)

First Meetings:

Info:

The first part of the scene is actually already up on tumblr! You can find that >>here. It's (currently) the opening scene for Fallen Breath, a story about a Lawful Good(tm) detective and a probably insane sailor lady investigating the supernatural curse that's sweeping through Santa Juliana. The idea already existed but it got solidified and made A Thing by Inklings Challenge 2022.

So this scene would be the first time they met, and also the hook for the mystery (Julia has info and she wants Crispin's help because he's not affiliated with the Detective's Guild, unlike most private investigators).

Snippet (this is from the document, after the scene on tumblr):

The day drew to a close, the black darkness of night smothering everything until the streetlights struggled to stay alight. Further toward the middle of Santa Juliana, loud peals from the belltower marked the time. 1800hs.  Crispin shrugged. Maybe she’d had to stay overnight in the hospital.  Turning up the collar of his coat and shoving his hat over his mop of red-gold curls—wondering wistfully if maybe the darkness meant it’d be socially acceptable to not wear a hat—he went out to call a cab for Ms. Hallifax, then began locking up. It didn’t take long.  For all that the monstrous and skeletal building of bronze and glass was large and sprawling, there weren’t many rooms and, consequently, not many doors. Most of them were on the second story, anyway, and there were only two stairways to that.  Clicking the locking mechanism closed and shoving the fold-key into his pocket, he thought for the twentieth time that week that it was time he got to cleaning the multitude of windows. Sometimes he regretted not having thought about that when he bought the place. Maybe that had been why it was so cheap; either that or the fact that it was constantly falling apart. 

The Witch in the Woods:

Info:

This is a slightly different kind of project, since it's an AU of my ocs, but also it's canon. It gets complicated but (spoilers) basically a thing happens where reality gets fragmented and as a result a bunch of AUs happen with different versions of and different storylines for the four core Rifters (Kathryn, Benn, Lyn, and Zo).

In this AU, the "Assassin AU," it takes place in a more medieval fantasy setting. Benn and Kathryn didn't come in and shut down the assassin program run by the government (well, its equivalent in this world), so Zo is never rescued out of that. Benn has disappeared, Kathryn is hiding in the woods because she's become bitter, and Lyn never gets friends who care about her and take care of her, so she's just fully letting the depression win.

The story for this timeline gets kickstarted when Zo is sent to assassinate Lyn (who, in every universe, knows far too much), and for the first time comes face to face with someone who *wants* him to kill them. This is too weird and intriguing and Wrong, so he refuses to kill her (to her frustration). Instead, he goes rogue and starts figuring out why she's supposed to be dead, dragging her along for the ride until she learns that life is worth living, and he learns to have a moral compass. They also meet Kathryn and Benn along the way :)

This scene takes place when Zo goes back to his "guild," expecting to find help after his clients double-crossed him, only to find out that, no, yeah, his guild also wants Lyn to be dead. His mentor tries to make it a lesson in "don't get attached to people--you're an assassin so you're supposed to be Smarter Than That," but Zo has gotten a Friend now and doesn't fall for it. They make it out, barely, but Lyn is mortally wounded, and they need help, now. So there's this borderline eldritch witch in the nearby woods that his guild has always feared and avoided, but like, he's left them, so, uh, maybe it could be a good idea to ask her for help.

Snippet:

“Go.” Lyn waved a weak hand at him. “I’ll be here when you get back.”  He set his jaw, curling his fingers around one of his knives, and set out deeper into the woods.  It was darker, more silent than ever, the tree trunks crowded closer, the roots more knobbed and scattered under foot, making walking more difficult and uncomfortable. But he wasn’t going far, anyway.  He unsheathed the oak-wood dagger he’d swiped on his way out of the castle--polished, worn, carved with letters he couldn’t read. He knew what they said, though. It was the title of the person he was summoning, and he remembered it clearly; it had been the day Julian had told him to never go into the woods. Fitting, then, that it'd be one of the first places he went after cutting ties. On one hand, the fact that he had stolen a magic artifact from the castle meant that [people from the castle] would definitely be after him, but on the other, it wasn’t like they were going leave him or Lyn alone anyway. He hadn’t told Lyn what he was planning to do, and unease churned in his gut. No matter which legend held truth, this was probably a stupid move. It wasn’t like he had anything to offer in return, and he was the last person who’d be able to appeal to someone’s humanity. Not that he’d really tried yet, but there was also the doubt as to whether or not whatever was here was human.  This was a fool’s hope, certainly.  But desperation had certainly made a fool of him.

(and one more because I couldn't resist)

The girl tilted her head, cloak fluttering about her in a wind he didn’t feel. “And why do you think I will do what you ask? Last I heard, the rumors were that I was a monster.” “Because those aren’t the only legends, are they?” He hoped Lyn was right. “At least that’s what she believes. That the old tales of a being who traveled throughout the land, in this region specifically, and gave aid to those who needed it.”  “Oh?” Her eyes narrowed. “Why is that me?” “I…  don’t know exactly.” He bit back his growing frustration with an effort. “Something about the legends ceasing around the time you showed up here, or some of the characteristics being the same. It’s not really my area of expertise.” “No, it wouldn’t be,” she said thoughtfully. She didn't sound judgmental, but, considering her earlier vague remarks about “Castle people,” Zo felt his efforts to check his irritation failing rapidly. “So what are you going to do?” Zo asked.  “Avoid history repeating itself,” she said.  The cloak fluttered a little more, and she vanished.