#but there's your Lazarus snippet for now

[bridehall-if]

--The hungry mouth of Bridehall Manor lets out its clarion call. You have been compelled to answer.

DEMO OUT NOW!

You play as the youngest child of the Simonson family, born out of infidelity-- a perfect Victorian scandal. Due to your unfortunate birth circumstances, your parents have decided to send you away to take up a position as household manager at the remote Bridehall Manor after the previous one's untimely (and altogether strange) passing. You expect your time in the mansion in the Catskills of New York to be uneventful and isolating.

You'd be wrong.

The longer you stay at Bridehall, the more secrets you find hidden behind its mahogany doors, beneath its ornate wallpaper, under its rich hardwood floors, and especially within the denizens of the house themselves.

Just be careful not to drown in the deep, deep black of its shadows.

+ Customize your MC-- what's their attitude towards society? How do they feel about working at Bridehall? What are their thoughts on the supernatural?

+ Also, choose your gender,* interests, personality, name, and more.

+ Discover more about the (troubling) history of Bridehall and the people that have lived in it.

+ Experience the world's most uncomfortable carriage ride.

+ Romance 1 of 5 ROs-- the matriarch, the minister-in-training, the runner-up, the major, or the phantom.

+ Befriend those who live there, or make enemies. Connection is a fragile thing, especially in a place like Bridehall.

+ Blood sacrifices! If you're into that sort of thing.

TW: Gore (not extremely descriptive), mentions of infidelity, violence, brief suggestive content, mentions of animal death, mentions of drug use. This IF is recommended for those 16+

================================================*Disclaimer: Because this IF is inspired by the 1880s, gender roles are still sort of a thing. There is an option to play as femme/masc non-binary, but based on your presentation, that affects how you are treated in society and some additional world aspects. However, there will not be any transphobia/intentional misgendering in this IF. It's just not something I want to write. I'm not non-binary myself, so I'm very open to suggestions on things to change relating to this topic.

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🌑Harriet Margrave -- the matriarch -- (she/her) {FMCs only}

| Assured. Respectable. Intimidating. The wife of Amos Margrave, although she doesn't like it when people bring it up. She runs the house, some might say with an iron fist. She seems to have taken a dangerous liking to you.

| However, beneath her strong, cool exterior, she's not all that she seems-- you catch glimpses of something dark and curious lurking. It's up to you to decide whether it should never see the light of day or, perhaps, to be consumed entirely by it.

| Harriet is in her late 40s, with ash brown hair always kept in a neat, complex updo and deep blue eyes that shift with tones of green in different lights. She has a light but rosy complexion and stands at around 5'7. She tends to wear a lot of black, as if she's in perpetual mourning, although she doesn't mind an occasional blue accent.

"Low and deep Spake in mine ear her voice: "And didst thou dream, This could be buried? This could be sleep? And love be thrall to death! Nay, whatso seem, Have faith, dear heart; this is the thing that is!" Thereon I woke, and on my lips her kiss." -- snippet of Assurance (1887) by Emma Lazarus

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🌒Ansel Margrave -- the minister-in-training -- (he/him)

| Flighty. Devout. Gentle. A hopeful future Methodist minister, he's recently been plagued by supernatural visions (or so he says,) and your arrival and the circumstances surrounding it do nothing to calm his worries. You may be able to reassure him otherwise.

| As you get to know him, he may reveal that he has far better reasons to be afraid than you might think. Will you walk with him through his troubles, or leave him to wander the solemn corridors of Bridehall on his own?

| Ansel is in his early 20s, and he looks much like his mother with his ashy brown hair and pale complexion, although due to its lack of rosiness it sometimes borders on ghostly. He'd like to dress more vibrantly but fears reprisal from his clerical peers, thus, he usually sticks to muted greens and browns. He stands at around 5'9, and wears spectacles.

"In solitude profound, As shadows fall, what memories, Thick as dew-drops on sun-risen meadows Troop around thee!" -- snippet of Night In Egypt (1880) by George Vaughan

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🌓Cecil/ia Blumenthal -- the runner-up -- (gender selectable, he/him or she/her)

| Independent. Scrappy. Creative. C's been working at Bridehall for practically their whole life, climbing the ranks until they could finally reach the position of head butler/housekeeper they deserved-- until you came along. In their eyes, you have everything you want on a silver platter, and how much work have you done to get it? None. In short, they've got a real bone to pick with you. Will you play into the feud, or maybe try to change their feelings? Honestly, best of luck on that one.

| Because of how long they've been at Bridehall, C knows more about its history and secrets than they let on. Much, much more.

| C is in their mid-20's, with shiny brown curls that F!C keeps in an artfully rushed bun and M!C keeps just a bit too long. They have coffee-brown eyes and warm, tanned skin dotted with freckles. They stand at 5'6. They prefer to dress for convenience rather than style, but they always wear a tarnished silver brooch in the shape of a bird-- F!C pins it to her collar, while M!C pins it to his lapel.

"I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I waterd it in fears, Night & morning with my tears: And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night. Til it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine." -- snippet of A Poison Tree (1794) by William Blake

================================================🌔 Marshall Ward -- the major -- (he/they)

| Outgoing. Empathetic. Perfectionist. A new arrival at Bridehall like you, he's an old family friend of the Margraves who plans to stay for the autumn. He's the perfect picture of polite society-- porcelain smiles and impeccable manners. Despite the divide between him as a guest and you as the help, he insists on making a connection with you. One that may be a bit too strong for his own good.

| Now, you don't know much about the military yourself, but it is a bit odd that a non-retired military officer was permitted leave for an entire season, and whenever you ask questions surrounding his arrival, you only get heavy silence in return. It's as if there's a tight wire of secrecy underlying his sunny veneer, and the more you press, the more it's likely to snap.

| Marshall is in his early 30s, with short, coily black hair and an impeccably combed mustache. They have light tan skin and have a small scar running across their cheek, and he stands at 6'2. He is very meticulous in the way he dresses and is particularly fond of red ties with embroidered patterns on them.

"Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell. They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. -- snippet of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854) by Lord Alfred Tennyson ================================================

🌕Annabelle -- the phantom -- (she/her)

| Mysterious. Quiet. Ethereal. Every so often, out of the corner of your eye or the reflection in a mirror, you catch a glimpse of her. Is she even real, or is she simply a product of your own mind, spiraling ever deeper into instability? Whatever she is, you feel an indescribable, intangible pull to her that may become very hard to resist.

| Annabelle is inextricably linked to the house and its history. If you dig to learn more about her, you may unearth the very roots that Bridehall stands on. Roots that it would very much like to keep underground.

| Annabelle appears to be in her mid-20s, although the semi-translucent, filmy aspect to her makes it a bit hard to tell. She has very dark skin that glitters and shines under moonlight, and she seems to be perpetually wet, as if she had just been thrown in a pond. She wears a pale pink dress a decade or so out of date, and stands at about 5'3.

"For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling-- my darling-- my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea-- In her tomb by the sounding sea. -- snippet of Annabel Lee (1849) by Edgar Allan Poe

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[ri-writes-if]

Intro

LINK | 6 chapters, ~360K words (last updated 30/05/25)

FOUND A TYPO/BUG? | PATREON | PUBLIC BONUS CONTENT | DISCORD | PLAYLIST | PINTEREST | PROGRESS UPDATES | SNEAK PEEKS | SNIPPETS

In the underworld kingdom, where demons fight for survival against the abyssal monsters, you are just an Oracle. In the distant past the Oracles were at the top of the demonic hierarchy, but those golden days are long gone. You did what you were most afraid to do and now sit under arrest in the royal palace.

When the Abyss sends you a vision of a terrible disaster that will happen in the future, you make an inevitable “deal” with the Sovereign to try to change the future and improve your abilities, not only to become stronger and learn more about the coming disaster, but also in an attempt to achieve mind stability. 

However, what has been happening to you since you received the vision makes you think that you are already slowly but surely losing your mind. 

Will you be able to maintain your sanity and help others protect the kingdom, or will you become just another name in the long list of Oracles gone mad?

This is a free to play interactive fantasy story with a heavy focus on friendship and romance (with strangers to lovers or enemies dynamic). The story is rated 18+. Content warnings: violence, death, loss of sanity, trauma, avoidable sexually suggestive/sexual content, and more (the full list is in the demo).

Customize your Oracle: pronouns, traits, and appearance. Choose your full ✨ demonic form. ✨

Build friendship or romance with five different characters. (Allo and ace routes available.)

Learn more about the Oracles’ past and what truly drove their royal clan into ruin. Uncover the secrets of your abilities. Chat with the Abyss?

Decide what you do for fun. Do you sing, dance, paint, play a musical instrument, or write? 

What you did cannot be undone. Your reputation forever ruined, how will you handle the public’s new attitude toward you? 

Maintain your sanity. Depending on your choices, you’ll either move closer to loss of control and madness or further away from it.

Decide what fate awaits you. You’ll have to make an important decision that will open two very different paths for you, influence the plot’s progression, and your relationships.

Will the victory be sweet?

✨ Vezriel, The Sovereign (m / f)

Vezriel seems a perfect ruler: they’re smart, calm, patient, know moderation, and always put demons’ well-being first. But you’re not so naive as to think this is their real face—many secrets lurk under the golden shell of the nobility. You never thought of meeting them in the past, but now spending some time with them is inevitable. Perhaps you will find out what lies beneath their mask?

They have dark brown skin, long curly black hair, and black eyes with pale white flecks. Tall and of strong build, Vezriel cuts a robust but elegant figure, usually dressed in beautiful robes.

✨ Osara / Osaron, The Heir (f / m)

Vezriel’s only child and heir, O is their Chief Counselor, and they have a consistently good reputation. Their character reminds of their parent, though O is much more cold and reticent. Nothing seems to touch or shake their emotions, despite the known long list of ex-lovers. You don’t need their attention, but the circumstances have put you right under it. What will you make of this opportunity?

They have warm brown skin, long wavy black hair, and silver, almost white eyes. O is tall and strong, their expression impassive most of the time, which makes them rather intimidating and unapproachable to some demons.

✨ Lazarus / Lazaris, the General (m / f)

L rose from the bottom of the ladder and made a name for themselves, though judging by old rumors, their clean background wasn’t always so clean. They’re charismatic and popular but keep others at a distance—everyone except their friends… and you. L treats you especially well, but you’re not foolish enough to blindly play their game. What do they want from you?

They have beige skin, short/medium-length wavy blond hair, and golden eyes. Many small and big scars can be seen on their hands. L is tall and has a strong build. Despite their high station, they seem friendly and laid-back.

✨ Ashmedai, the Royal Healer (f / m)

Ashmedai was sent to observe your condition after the incident and to help you with mind stability if needed. They performed their duties without showing any displeasure or impatience no matter how you behaved. Ash is secretive and reserved, and you guess their restrained temper is connected to the dark rumors surrounding them. Will they open up to you?

They have pale skin, long straight black hair, and bright red eyes. A large scar runs on the left side of their face, from their forehead along their eye and to their chin. Ash is tall and slender.

✨ Azarias / Azaria, the Royal Musician (m / f)

Ash’s younger sibling, Az somewhat resembles them in appearance, but their characters couldn’t be more different. Az is bold, humorous, and fickle. They know everyone—and everything about everyone—and enjoy a special favor from the Sovereign, which has allowed them to retain their place in the royal palace for many years. You’re concerned about their peculiar attention to you because there’s no reason for it—you two have never met before. Or… is there a reason after all?

They have pale skin, long white hair, and black eyes with narrow silver pupils. A tattoo of a snake with flowers curves around their neck. Az is tall and lean.

[ladysomething]

oh mads, you have managed to bring tears to my eyes again. i just finished reading Lazarus Rises and i don’t think i’m the same person. i remember reading the snippet doc and being hooked but when the oneshot came out, icl i’m a bit lazy and didn’t want to read nearly 18k words. BUT OH MY GOD!! i was crying from the beginning, the way the book opened and ended with the poems actually finished me. this was so so gut wrenching. and while the main plot line of the story was devasting in itself, it was the way you captured greif and missing someone. you did it so so well, the parallels that charles saw with younger max. at the beginning when, he ran into younger charles’ appartement and was confused on where max is — ‘The bed sheets are red, not deep blue. The second bedside table is empty. Max’s clothes aren’t draped over the chair in the corner.’ this killed me. it was such a small little part but it truly shown how the little things max did changed charles life in ways he didn’t notice before and now he misses him and his little antics more than ever. the scene at the end where max and charles are getting ready for the last race and keep referring to them being together for ever, i will never recover !!!!!!! never. they were just so happy to be together, just not knowing what’s to come. charles being worried what will happen if max wins and charles will ignore him because of his own jealousy. oh only if he knew. god and i can’t forget when charles was thinking about how that max will forever be gone and no one will remember him soon and the fact that that charles is gone with him too. gut wrenching. — ‘Nobody who will know how the sun shone in his hair the day they got married; nobody who will know he got bitten by a fish on their honeymoon and then pouted about it for days; nobody who will know that the first time he tried to bake Charles' favourite cookie he set his apron on fire.’ this too, he just wants his sweet max back who can always make him laugh. god i could go on about this book for so much longer, but this already so long. this was life changing. thank you for your service !

I'm so happy you loved the poems, I've been sitting on those for, like, years, and finallyyyy had a reason to use them.

honestly I feel like you captured all my favourite parts of this fic too tbh. the poems, the longing, past Charles' worry about losing Max bc of the championship and not knowing he'll lose him for a far worse reason, then Charles' melancholy about all those little things he loved being lost forever.

I don't have anything else to add anon except I'm so glad you enjoyed it and saw the vision!!!

[spacedace]

here be a snippet of my "The al Ghuls are the Addams Family of the DC universe" fic idea that I've been working on here and there for while.

(Context/au info under the cut)

-

Six months ago, a young man had appeared practically at Ra’s doorstep while he’d been doing his usual check in on the Amazon Reserve he and his family maintained in Brazil. No more than a boy a handful of years older than Talia, the child had somehow not only discovered that Ra’s family owned and protected the vast acreage of rain forest, but that Ra’s himself would be there at that time.

The boy - Bruce Wayne, he’d introduced himself as, bowed low and respectful in deference to Ra’s position as head of the family - carried no weapons with him. He barely carried any supplies, despite the fact that no vehicles had carried him up to the village that housed Ra’s and his extended family. Unless something had massively been overlooked, young Bruce Wayne would have had to hike the thirty or so kilometers from the nearest true town to even get there. Even further if he’d come from a different direction.

Ercilia, who was in charge of the village and overseeing the reserve while Ra’s was away attending to other business, was understandably furious at the breech of thier security. That a scrawny boy with holes in his shoes and a patchy, unimpressive collection of beard scruff on his unshaven face was able to not only get to the village but slip past herself and all those she trained. His dear niece was howling for blood, ready to carve into Wayne’s sunburned hide until the boy was howling too.

In a different situation, Ra’s would be just as ruthless in his desire for retribution and answers. Such a breech posed an incredible threat to the reserve and his many family members that had volunteered to guard it. Nou had nearly come to the reserve in his stead so he had more time to check in on the cloning lab in Sweden that had just begun working on the Tasmanian Tiger samples they’d gotten ahold of.

If it had been an assassin instead of the scrawny boy before them now, had it been his pacifistic wife instead of him…

Ercilia and the other members of the family stationed there had some Lazarus Water on hand for dire situations. And Noukou’s vow to not rise a hand in violence did not mean she would simply permit herself to be slain like a sacrificial beast. She was just as fierce and strong as Esfir, and while she did not know how to fight she was daringly clever and unimaginably quick and would have made for a poor prey to those with vicious intentions.

These were not guarantees though. Poison could kill as easily as a blade. A person asleep could not outfox a murderer. Nou, could have very well died that night before anyone even knew there was an intruder.

And yet.

It was just a boy. Wet around the ears. Shadows in his eyes. Weary and broken.

Ra’s found no fury or rage in his heart, only faint amusement, overwhelming pity and a sharp bite of interest.

“What has brought you here, young Bruce Wayne?” He asked, watching the boy’s face carefully. Searching for the haze of mind control. The glimmer of deception. The cutting edge of murderous intent. “Surely you must have known my reputation. Did you come all this way just looking for your death?”

The boy’s face lined with grief and determination. “No.” He said, simply. “I came to speak to you.”

That Ra’s already knew. Wayne had said as much when he appeared at the doorstep of the small domicile Ra’s was staying in while visiting. Hands clear and in view, body and face open and easy to read, movements slow as he dipped in a low, respectful bow. He’d spoken clearly as he’d given his name and the reason he was knocking at Ra’s door. Why he had wandered so very far away from his home back in Gotham.

“So you said.” Ra’s demurred, one brow arching. He motioned with one hand, indicating with a small movement the situation they were now in. “I suppose we will see if that is all you are after then. You have me as your audience, young man. Though I fear your time to state your case is rather limited. My dear niece is not one for surprises at the best of times, and your sudden appearance is not so welcomed as those best of times.”

Ercilia scowled as he indicated her. Her fingers twitching threateningly at the firearm holstered at her side, not even blinking as she glared a hole in the boy’s face. “I’m more than happy to get answers out of him, Tio.” Her words as bitingly sharp as Esfir’s ancient, beloved sword.

She wouldn’t be, Ra’s knew. Not really. Ercilia, while well blessed with the terrifying ferocity that was a hallmark of the women of the al Ghul family, was not a violent person by nature. At heart, she was a deeply kind, devoted protector. Loving and gentle to those under her care, able to draw upon a seemingly endless well of strength when called upon to defend.

It was why he had chosen her to oversee the Amazon Reserve, his heart settled by the knowledge that she would love and care for the rain forest and its many at risk inhabitants as completely as he did. Why he had welcomed her into their family all those years ago when he’d first met her.

His niece was good at putting on the image of a ruthless, cold killer, but she wasn’t one. She did what she had to, when the time called for it and being blindsided always put her heckles up. But she was a gentle soul. Ra’s knew that she saw the intruder cuffed in the seat before them as he did: just a hollowed out boy a couple years shy of her youngest son’s age.

Bruce Wayne, barely older than Ra’s youngest, didn’t seem to notice her or the threat at all. Perhaps he was as suicidal as his decision so far implied. Or perhaps the boy was sharp enough to read Ra’s and his niece so well as to see the bluff for what it was.

Either way, Ra’s suspected he was going to like this young man.

I posted about the idea in more detail here, but brief overview is that I want the al Ghuls to still be the al Ghuls but replace all the racism with Addams Family levels of unhinged love for their family and shaky grasp on things like "mortality." Death is something that happens to other people, not al Ghuls.

Also give them the Addams' tendency to just adopt people who fit their freaky vibes into the family as cousins/nibblings/ect. For example: Ercilia. She's not actually Ra's niece, that's just what he decided she was after adopting her into the al Ghul family (also known as the League of Assassins.)

Look I just want them to all love each other unconditionally but also still be a deranged Bond villains trying to save the world with the most unhinged eco-terrorist plots you've ever seen put to paper, is that so much to ask for?

Anyway, specific context that probably is helpful to this is that both Talia & Nyssa's moms are alive and they are in a happy polycule with Ra's (and probably a few other folks too).

(Also the whole "Death and the Maidens storyline just didn't happen, okay? All we're taking from it is that Nyssa exists, she and her mom are Jewish and Nyssa has spent the past few centuries bobbing around trying to be a force of good in the world. Forget everything else.)

I named Nyssa's mom Esfir since as best I could tell she didn't have a name in canon and gave her a whole backstory that I'll probably post later but tl;dr is that she was raised by a bunch of criminals and one very Done (TM) Rabbi and is down to fight god and the devil in a waffle house parking lot at the drop of a hat.

I renamed Talia's mom Noukou (I decided to make her Hmong and wanted to give her a Hmong name as a result) since I wasn't a fan of her name in canon. Also gave her a whole backstory that boils down to her having half a dozen phds and a dozen or so arrest records for her part in trying to stop major corporations from destroying nature preserves and the like all before she ever met Ra's.

[ditzyredrobin]

(Don’t) Leave Me Alone -

This could fit into Shrike!verse but I decided to make it its own thing for now. She’s Shrike verse adjacent, maybe a touch of something that could possibly be a thing. Part two and the big reunion with Jason and Dick coming soon. 💜

Also! Also also also! Thank you so much for all the love of my other snippets. Shrike!Verse chapter one should be out soon. I’m still working out a couple of kinks but it’s close.

-

“Can’t you just, I don’t know, just leave it the fuck alone for once?” Jason raises his voice, clenching his busted up fists. “I don’t need your constant fucking motherhenning, from either of yet.”

He made a point to look between the both of them. A white line formed along Dick’s jaw from where he was clenching his teeth.

Tim…he just didn’t know what to say.

The little green flecks in his eyes shone a little brighter in those vivid blue eyes, sending a chill down his spine.

The last time he had encountered the lazarus green, he had ended up in the hospital for a month and a half. His leg still ached at the thought.

“No, Jason, I’m not going to just let it go.” Dick snaps back. “Neither is Tim. We’re worried about you. You’re not acting like yourself and partners don’t just let it go.”

Tim inhales slowly, in through his nose and out through his mouth.

It doesn’t help, rinse and repeat.

“Did you hear me? I don’t need your help, Dick.” Jason came back, heated. “And if Tim wants to talk, he can talk for himself. Can’t you, Babybird?”

Tim grimaces.

FIghts like these weren’t uncommon. They just weren’t a staple in their relationship anymore, at least--in the time they’ve been together, there’s only been a few fights that have amounted to this level. Jason and Dick, for as compatible as they were, still had a tendency to butt heads, on and off patrol. They tended to work as a well oiled machine, able to have a conversation in one look, but even machines malfunctioned now and again.

Neither party gave him a chance to respond before going at it again.

“This isn’t about Tim,” Dick’s voice was even, with an edge of violence. “This is about you and what happened on the mission. It’s okay to not be okay but you don’t get to shut us out.”

The mission in question wasn’t one Tim had been on. Dick and Jason had been sent undercover together and had only just gotten back, already at each other's throats.

They hadn’t talked, at first, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. But one slip of a glass and all hell broke loose leaving Tim on the sidelines, trying to keep track of the blows.

Hoping the verbal blows didn’t actually turn physical.

“You know what? I don’t need to hear this from either of you. You need me? Don’t.” Jason snaps at Dick, grabbing his helmet off the dining room table. He doesn’t even look at Tim this time. His eyes are only for Dick, who’s jaw has a white line from clenching so hard.

“Fine, fine! Run away like you always do, Jason.” Dick bites back but Jason is already out the window and down the fire escape.

They stand there for a long moment, Dick clenching and unclenching his fist in the kitchen, surrounded by the remains of the offending glass. Wonder Woman posed with hands on her hips with her golden lasso at her side was scattered across the hard wood in pieces.

They don’t speak, he just watches Dick from the far side of the room. After a long moment Dick sighs, releasing his clenched fists. Not all of the tension leaves his body, but his shoulders drop.

He turns back to Tim smiles weakly, “Look…I, I’m sorry, Tim. I know this wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go but you know how Jason gets sometimes. I just can’t be here right now. Can I take a rain check and tomorrow we can go out to that new Vietnamese place you’ve been talking about?” His voice sounds low and strained and he can’t meet his eye.

Not trusting his voice, Tim smiles and nods.

“Thank you,” Dick leans down, wrapping his arms around him in a quick hug. He pressed a kiss to the top of his hair, and then he’s out the window and down the fire escape.

Tim stands there in the aftermath of whatever the hell that was, and can’t shake the feeling that all this is his fault. The sound of the glass shattering echoes in his ears, on a loop repeating over and over.

The physical contact should have helped, it always did, but this time it left him feeling uneasy.

Is this my fault?

[fandomfourever]

WIP Tag Game

Thanks @lalaurelia for tagging me!! :D

rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

I have so many WIPs this is going to be a big post omg. I’m going to exclude a couple just because there are some I started and then decided not to continue, because otherwise it’ll get ridiculous.

Gobblepot

You Make My Heart Beat – My zombie apocalypse AU. Oh this poor fic. I had such ambitions.

To Memories Lost and Memories Made – Post Season 5 Oswald Amnesia fic

No Business Like Show Business – A semi-crack fic where a villain causes everyone to break into song. AKA my Gotham The Musical fic lol

Every Rose Has Its Thorns – Post Season 5 Hanahaki fic

Wintersberg

Aftermath – Ethan and Heisenberg come back to life and go find Rose. I am so close to finishing this fic, anyone who sees this post that’s been reading, I know it’s been over a year and I’m so sorry. It will be completed, I promise. There’s like two chapters left and possibly an epilogue, I just have to get my motivation back.

The Power Of Love – Post Game AU, Rose uses her mold powers (and help from Eveline) to go back in time and save Ethan and Heisenberg

Sincerely Yours – Soulmate AU where soulmates can communicate by writing on their arms, but can’t put names/locations/identifying information. Then they realize they’re soulmates when they meet in the village

Untitled ABO Mold Soulmates Fic – Not true ABO but something along those lines

Steddie

There And Back Again – Steve time travels back to season 3 and wants to try and keep everyone alive, and falls in love with Eddie

Untitled Overboard ABO AU – Steve is a rich omega married to Tommy. Eddie is an alpha trying to raise and look after several kids and works as a handy man. When Steve falls off his yacht and loses his memory, Eddie takes Steve in as revenge for Steve being a spoiled bitch to him. AKA, if you’ve watched Overboard you know what this is, just with some twists.

Untitled Pirate AU – The evil pirate captain Henry Creel kidnaps Will and Chrissy, but the Captain Eddie of The Hellfire crew is blamed instead. Steve is part of the Navy and is sent to capture him, not knowing the kids have snuck aboard The Hellfire.

Inhun

The Art Of Living – After the events of season 2, Gi-hun is made to stay with the Frontman and watch the rest of the games. Gi-hun hopes to convince In-ho to end them, and In-ho hopes for forgiveness.

Off The Rails – A Train To Busan ABO AU. Gi-hun and Ga-yeong end up stuck on a train when the zombie apocalypse breaks out. It’s on this train they meet In-ho, Jun-ho, and a whole host of other colorful characters.

NoBarry

They Smile When They Are Low – Barry rescues NoHoHank from being tortured; was writing this before the final season, so it’s my take on what I thought could happen during the final season (Again I’m so sorry it’s taken so long to continue this fic, I don’t want to abandon it, it’s just been a while)

Trognak

Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace – Grognak The Destroyer Attorney At Law returns to Los Santos and goes on a date with Troy. But everything gets worse when Anto shows up. (Almost done with this as well, and again it’s been a while, sorry, but I’m not abandoning this)

Peter/Egon (Ghostbusters)

Four Men And A Baby – Vigo plans to return to the world, but needs a new host, and also wants revenge on the Ghostbusters. Through ghost shenanigans, Egon ends up pregnant with Peter’s baby, and now they have to keep Vigo from possessing their child once they’re born.

Stretch/James (Casper)

Second Chances – James and Kat are living with the ghosts. Kat is trying to figure out how to remake the Lazarus Potion to bring Casper back to life, while James is giving the Ghostly Trio therapy. James and Stretch end up having feelings for one another.

Headless Horseman/Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow 1999)

The Forest For The Trees – Ichabod has been having strange dreams about the Horseman. He must return to Sleepy Hollow when a string of new murders occur.

Uh, other than people who have already been tagged, idk who else is a writer. So, if you see this and want to do this game, please do!

[spiritsglade]

wip wednesday

hi @birdiedoesdc ty for the tag!! if you don't already know birdie you should check out her stuff now. i'm not asking.

here's a list of my active wips--there are a lot of others that are dying slow deaths in the drafts but they're not important.

lies of omission - currently being posted as chapters are completed, and we're over halfway done! (12 out of an estimated 20.) this is set in an au ~4 years post under the hood, canon divergence around countdown/bftc, in which the bats do not know jason in any way that matters, jason prefers it that way, and things do not stay that way. he's immortal, mute, and has the all-blades in this one :)

TOWER, TUMBLING - first chapter of this is also posted whoops. first installation of a titan's tower au-verse where i try!! key word on try!! to base things on what actually happened in canon while keeping it interesting. the actual fic itself involves tim & jason getting drop-kicked into a truly miserable alternate universe. i'm sure nothing bad will happen.

suicide watch - essence seeks out jason directly after the under the hood confrontation to help her track down whoever wiped out the all-caste. featuring a lot of untitled hunting, disastrous arguing, and jason's unending suicidal ideation.

the other essence fic - part of the hollowed soul au, in which the lazarus pit made jason a shiny new soul because his old one was busy hanging out in heaven. spans an adaptation of jason's time in the all-caste and essence winning the projection olympics.

feel free to ask about any of these just in general, too!! i love talking.

Send W, I, or P and get the following: W: WORK! Work on your WIP. Tell us how you did. I: IN! Post a snippet of the middle of a sentence or part of the inside of a paragraph. P: PROGRESS! Tell us about your progress, or what you're looking forward to/struggling with!

no pressure tags! @batgirlpurpleedition @helsingvania @sundryd @liedownquisition

[numerousbees1106]

Fanfic Writer Interview!

Tagged by: @sinvulkt

What fandoms do you write in?

I write primarily in Star Wars Fandoms - mostly prequels-based, but occasionally I'll drabble in OT-based fics.

How many words have you published in 2024?

According to Ao3, my word count this year was 105,150 words, which is crazy considering that my total word count is 427,158 words. I also published a few duplicate works to Tumblr, as well as one or two Tumblr exclusive works/snippets, so the actual number is probably a few thousand more.

What is your greatest achievement this year?

I'd say writing and publishing my work Ecesis for my Ao3 anniversary. It's an even 11,000 words, too, which I consider another achievement, and I'm quite proud of it. It's one of my few OT fics, and is another part in my Wastelands series.

What are your top three fics you've written this year?

I'd say Ecesis is easily one of the top three - number two, maybe. A work I'm currently writing but haven't published yet, Crown of Lazarus, is definitely number one, as even though it is now 2025, I'm really proud of all the progress I've made with it so far. As for third place, I'd say either Might Be Stepping Out Of Line or I Wanna See Why The Birds Are Silent At Night, depending on my mood.

What was your biggest pit of despair moment?

While writing for the 2024 angstpril challenge, I faced the loss of my best friend, who I considered a sister. Her loss sent me spiralling into a horrible depression, and I didn't write anything for the rest of the spring or summer, and only resumed writing because I had a tradition of posting something for my Ao3 anniversary, which is in August. After that, I took another break from writing until around December, when I picked up an AU concept that I had been slowly toying with for a while, Crown of Lazarus. That loss and the following depression was definitely a dark point for me, but luckily I am on new, better antidepressants.

What have you learned?

I've learned that, for me, Angstpril is cursed as anytime I try to write it, something horrible happens. I'm unsure if I'll attempt it again this year because of that.

Did you beta any fics? Any favorites you want to shout out?

I did not beta any fics, nor are my fics beta'd. I'm unsure of how that even works, actually.

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

This is a difficult question due to the sheer number of fics I have read. If I head to choose three, I'd say Spy Wars by ClawedandCute, The Accidental Sith, the Confused Jedi Masters, the Eager Padawan, and the Rebel Senator also by ClawedandCute, and The Good He Seeks by Husborth.

The first two fics I mentioned are both prequels fics regarding my favorite blorbo, Anakin Skywalker, though they do have a lot my other favorite and adored characters sprinkled in. Spy Wars is a lot of fun because it's very crack-y and humorous, while the The Accidental Sith (...) is more heavy, more angst-filled, and it's very well written. One line from it in particular lives in my head rent-free, but the rest of the story is fantastic as well.

The Good He Seeks is an OT fic, and is an AU where Vader (my beloved) survives the Death Star and agrees to help the New Republic destroy the Imperial Remnant while keeping his declining health a secret. It's very angsty for all involved, and full of hurt and hurt/comfort.

What ideas are percolating for next year?

Mostly my Crown of Lazarus project, which I first came up with years and years ago when I was a sophomore in high school. Crown of Lazarus (snippets here and here) is a prequels AU following Anakin Skywalker as he navigates the Galaxy with a strange power - the ability to revive from death as many times as need be, receiving a 'Change' each time. These Changes include venomous fangs, night vision, wings, and more. I'm very hyped for this fic, and I currently have 14 Chapters + an interlude written/planned, and it should be ready to post soon, though I'm hesitant to give a date or timeframe as I am notoriously terrible with those.

Another project I have on my to-do list is Ecesis Part 2 - The Smuttening (not the actual title) which I promised back in August but have barely began to write (thanks, depression). It's on the roster, as is an actual Part 2 to the Wastelands series in general.

Who do you want to thank?

I want to thank my best friend who, though she has now passed on, gave me many years of love and friendship even through the darkest parts of my life. I will always remember you, and your picture by my bedside will always remind me of the memories we shared, both good and bad.

I'd also like to thank @sinvulkt for tagging me in this, as well as @clawedandcute and Husborth for writing fantastic works. Thank you to all fanfic writers, actually, who create not for the sake of monetary gain or fame, but for the sake of creating.

Tagging: all the people mentioned before who want to join (yes, even if you were randomly mentioned as a fic writer or as thanks), anyone who see this and want to join, as well as:

@clawedandcute and @space-asparagus (you're the only oneswhose tumblr username I know. Husborth says they're no longer on tumblr and I don't know if CourtesyTrefflin has an account.

[beaconfeels]

WIP Whenever

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any of my writing, and although I haven’t done much lately, I wanted to share something. So here’s a little snippet from my “Stiles leaves Beacon Hills with Peter” story. (The first snippet from this story can be found here for context)

“What’s all this?” Peter asks, taking in Stiles who is wearing a pink apron with a cherry print on it, and holding out a plate full of donuts.

“I mentioned wanting a deep fat fryer, and you got me one,” Stiles shrugs, “So I made you donuts, chai flavor. Your favorite.”

Peter smiles, and looks probably just a bit too long at the picture before him, because Stiles starts looking self conscious and says, “What? Did I do something wrong?”

“You’re just very sweet sometimes,” Peter says, and enjoys the way that Stiles ducks his head and bites his lip.

Stiles breathes out sharply through his nose, his lips twisting into a wry smile. “Ha! Tell that to like, anyone who knows me.”

“I know you,” Peter says calmly, “and I’m telling you that you’re very sweet sometimes. Like right now, when you’ve made something to please me.”

Stiles swallows. Peter can see his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he does, watches his cheeks grow more pink as he shuffles his feet. “Oh fuck off,” he says without any heat.

Peter puts a finger under Stiles’s chin, and strokes his thumb across his cheek. “Take the compliment,” he says sternly.

“Okay,” Stiles whispers.

@aurevell @mirrorthoughts @esoxwrites @exlibrisfangirl @teenwerewoofs @nogitzune @like-lazarus any projects—writing, art, craft, etc—you’re working on that you wanna share? I’d love to see what you’re up to

[s1utspeare]

for the wip title game: would love to hear about none of us are going back (i feel like i have asked about this before? if you haven't really gotten new wips recently) or tiger, tiger (hello???) or if you'd live to talk about your professional wips then the gay lazarus one 👀👀🏳️‍🌈

love you!! i hope you're doing well ^^

VISHIEEEEEEEEE HI ILY!!!! also thank u for this image it is pretty good and also great.

none of us are going back is the MCTNA zombie au that i have put very small amounts of progress into!!! I think I've figured out the basic plot now (which is good cause i was kind of just going off of vibes before), but that's about all I've got. I will, however, give you a snippet bc I love seonhwi with all my heart

One day, Hwi wakes up from a dream he doesn’t remember having, the sound of the wind breaking through the slats in the boarded-up windows in a thin, rasping wheeze.  Except for there is no wind. And no boards on the windows. And the sound is coming from below Hwi instead of somewhere beyond him.  He looks down and nearly shouts, because Seon-ho is under him and Hwi’s fingers are wrapped around his throat and Seon-ho’s face is turning purple as he struggles to pull in air.  Hwi manages to unclench his fingers, though it takes a moment, and it’s much harder than it should probably be. He slumps off of Seon-ho, who rolls to the side and coughs gratingly. Hwi lies on his back and stares at his hands, his trembling fingers. He looks over to the side and sees the rifle and Seon-ho’s knife nowhere near, still sheathed and uncocked. Like Seon-ho had never even thought of using them to defend himself.

(And as for gay Lazarus!! this is a project I started in my 2022 Artist-in-Residence program; after I performed it the first time I've taken a break, but I really want to go back to developing it a little more and hopefully turning it into a full album, but I've got a lot of work to do to get there lmao)

[madphantom]

And another Sarah snippet cause I'm feeling charitable

After several hours of reading, the snow outside had faded out and the air was crisp and cold. The patient was still asleep. Rebecca had gone to bed as well.

Suzanne was sitting in the kitchen with the boy, trembling in every limb. She was pale and troubled and there were large circles around her eyes. I stood in the doorway and watched her, anxiously drumming her long fingers on the table, while he lurked in the far corner of the room like a protective shadow.

"Suzanne, dear, go home," I finally told her.

She looked up, her mouth slightly agape. "Oh, pardon me, doctor, I cannot. The dread would surely kill me, no, heavens, I must stay." She hesitated for a minute, looked around anxiously. Desmond gave her a somewhat lopsided but reassuring smile.

"Will you at least get some rest?", I asked of her. "There is a spare bed in the guest bedroom. With all due respect, you look frighteningly unwell."

"He may be right," Desmond noted, his voice quiet. "Perhaps you will need the strength later."

She sighed, glanced at me uneasily. "Will you wake me if anything new shall happen?"

"Of course."

"Then I shall rest for now." She rose from her chair. "Wake me every half hour or so."

Her dress rustled when she left the room. I listened for a moment, then turned to Desmond.

"You are in love with her, are you not?"

He leaned back, his blue eyes dreamily gazing out of the frosty window.

"In love with her is so easily said," he finally replied. "That doesn't even begin to describe it. When I see her I feel resurrected. Every time I see her she kills me instantly and every time she smiles she brings me back to life. She turns me into Lazarus every weekday. She has a little gap between her left canine and front tooth, did you notice that? It's so beautiful. It's because she lost a tooth as a child when she tripped over a toy horse and fell on her face. That little tooth gap is enough to make me feel as if I am about to faint. And that's just that, a tooth gap. Now imagine how dizzy it makes me feel to know that she is a living, breathing, complete human being."

I smirked. "Oh, boy, you are quite in love indeed."

"Between you and me-" He leaned forward confidentially. "-call me a pathetic romantic all you want, but the freckles in her face are stars to me. Her eyes are kaleidoscopes. I worship every thin hair on the back of her hands."

"Why don't you simply tell her?"

Desmond flinched. "Heavens, no. What on earth would she do with me? She's an angel, what am I? A milkman's son, who writes quite awful poetry in his free time. No, no, I think it is better for the both of us if I just continue to stare from a distance…and fall a little more in love with every passing day…" He paused. "Oh, I do sound very pathetic."

"I'm quite sure she would not mind knowing about your feelings," I said. "Perhaps not tonight, but I am sure you will find the right moment some day."

"Doctor Habernathy, you are an intelligent man." Desmond looked at me. "Why do you believe I could possibly have a chance?"

[lostywrites]

Hi Losty, first off, thank you for the awesome fic and tag. :D Feel free to answer this in a different way if it does not apply, but are there any competing ideas or snippets which didn't make it into Crossing Shadows? :D

Also, I know it's a draft, but I'm curious about your Tim and Jason supernatural/horror fic?

Hey, Marley-mun! (hope you don't mind my calling you that) Thanks so much for the ask. I'm so happy you're enjoying Crossing Shadows! <3 I'm also glad that I chanced upon Misplaced Hearts while browsing through the Ao3 tags because it's one of the best Loki/Basim fics I've read!

I'll admit that Crossing Shadows is not an easy fic to write. I've scrapped so many ideas and rewrote scenes while trying to merge separate lores from completely separate universes into a coherent storyline and it's not always fun! >.< But I do enjoy the challenge and I think I've finally found something that works with this story. I don't want to reveal too much but a certain Isu and Azeroth's Titans will be very much involved in the later chapters. ;3

In Chapter 4, I originally wrote a scene with Enkidu keeping Basim company at the inn. Though it didn't make the final cut, this scene still holds a special place in my heart because it's simply adorable:

And here's a snippet from the Tim & Jason fic that's been sitting in my folder for a few years now. I was very new to the fandom when I first wrote this but I hope to revisit this idea and explore their dynamics someday.

I just wanted a story with pre-Lazarus pit Jason, when he was still Robin being friends with some weirdo kid named Tim. xD

[dc-sideblog]

I'm starting WIP Saturdays because that's more manageable for me than WIP Wednesdays. Send an ask and I'll post a snippet

Cryptid Bats

“Stop,” Wonder Woman said. She unhooked her lasso from the clip at her waist. Set it on the conference table. “There is a simple enough answer to this.” “I wouldn’t lie to you.” “Bruce.” Diana took his hands in her own. “I am concerned that you are lying to yourself. You are a rational man. I think you know, perhaps just subconsciously, what is really the truth.” Bruce stared at her. Diana didn’t blink. He unlatched his gauntlet. “This will prove only that I know my own mind.” He wound the rope around his fist. “I am… not human. Anymore.” Oliver wasn’t the only one who swore, then.

Cass and Jason are Twins

“You look just like my brother,” what a fucking prick. No Jason the fuck did not. It’s been four years since Dick last saw him, and during that time, Jason went through puberty, injected a shitton of testosterone into his veins, got dunked in a Lazarus Pit, and started killing people. He grew over a foot taller, put on more than a hundred pounds of mostly muscle, and has war in his eyes now. Even his hair and eyes are different. Dick deserved for Jason to have said worse, honestly. At least he had the good sense not to say that Cass looked just like his dead little brother, true though it may be. “So how do you two know each other, anyway?” Jason asked, just to force Dick to come up with a cover story on the spot. Fuck that guy.

Deaged Batkids

“Wait, no,” Dick said. “We can continue the meeting. I don’t want to delay anything important.” “Robin, that’s kind of you, but this is serious,” Vixen said. “I can handle peace negotiations! I’ve been a vigilante for four years.” “Your people employ child soldiers?” another well-dressed alien asked. “No! No, of course not. Robin here is a… child hero,” the Flash said. “it’s different.” “Very different,” a man with a scruff and scaled armor said. He looked… a bit like Garth. But Garth was twelve. Not… twenty-five? He was also, um. Pretty. Handsome? Garth grew up well and Dick thought his face might be hot.

Blood Drinking Dead on Main

Her interview was conducted with Superman, Batman, and an HR rep.

“So, Dr. Fenton, Arsenal tells me you have experience with ethics in heroism?” Ms. Hofbauer asked dubiously. “Yes, that’s correct. I provided psychological support and mentoring to the young heroes of Amity Park for two years.” “Which young heroes?” Ms. Hofbauer asked. “Phantom and Red Huntress.” She nodded. “How exactly did you support them?” “I offered counseling and advice on problem solving and stress management. I was a sounding board for the issues that came up in their heroic and personal lives. I also subbed in as a supportive fighter on occasion.” “How do you know Phantom?” Batman asked. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid that’s confidential. I will be respecting Phantom and Red Huntress’s privacy as much as possible here. I’m sure you understand; having a secret identity yourself.”

[moroaica-vamp]

Story snippet: 

It was quiet when Zack walked out into the garden. In a lot of ways, Rin was like his mother. When she needed to think, she liked to be among the flowers. Hopefully this time, they would bring him some much needed peace too. He didn't bother with his shoes; she kept the garden terrace from their apartment in the castle utterly  immaculate. And it wasn't like the stones would leave a permanent mark. Unlike the newest one to adorn his chest. 

He frowned as his fingers brushed along it. It was still angry and red. He wondered if it would fade to silver over time like the rest. Part of him knew damn well that it wouldn't. 

The night was quiet and clear, and the moon was full. He found her where he thought he might - sitting on the bench among the spider and eterna lilies. Once, she told him what these flowers had come to mean in the wastes of Midgar, a cultural artifact from far after his own time. Death, and resurrection. When she planted them after her own murder at the hands of Lazarus, he had found it morbid. He couldn't stand to look at them, and didn't know how she could. All he saw was he broken, rotting body. 

Now, he wondered if she saw his. That was the last thing he wanted. If he could erase that image from her mind forever, he would. 

Let alone the final images in his own. 

The tentacle of the monster swung, and he watched his sword shatter to pieces in his hands-

Breathe, he demanded of himself. She doesn't need this shit from you. You have to be strong for her.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you?" she said softly from the bench without turning around. He didn't know how she did that. He moved as silently as ever, and not even their children could sense her presence like they could other vampires. 

"I'm fine, babe."

She turned around then. "Zack. Stop lying to me!" 

"I'm not-"

He broke under her gaze. "You don't need this," he said. "You're sick. And our baby isn't okay either."

She put a hand on her still slight stomach. "The baby is fine, and I can take whatever it is. Watching you freak out and try to hide it is way more stressful than whatever it is you need to tell me."

"Rin-"

"Zack."

Silence hung between them for a moment. She softened. "Sit with me?"

He obliged. 

"You had an episode at the ball too," she said. 

"Yeah..."

"So tell me what brought it on."

He wanted to, but he couldn't. It was so much. 

She placed a hand on his knee, and took his own with the other. "Didn't we promise eachother?"

The vampire sighed. When he started to let it out, it came out all at once: "I can't stop seeing the way it killed me."

Her expression turned to one of raw empathy. Zack hated it almost as much as it made him feel better. He was supposed to be the strong one, the one to keep her safe. It just felt wrong that now he was so weak and sniveling, from something that was over, done with, and not even physically happening anymore!

Which was why it made him hate himself that much more when his restored heart began to hammer every time he thought of it. His claws dug into his own palm and drew blood in a futile attempt to calm himself down and make the images go away. It didn't work. 

For the first time in his life, Zack understood why his father drank so fucking much. 

"It's not easy," Rin touched a hand to his cheek. Zack leaned into her touch. "I had nightmares for a long time after too. It only helped a bit that I woke up in your arms. Sometimes-" she paused, and bit her lip. "Sometimes I'd see Cloud's or Tifa's fangs and get scared that they'd kill me too."

"... Did you ever feel that around me?" he breathed, feeling even more guilt bear down on him. 

She shook her head. "Only once. And it was over something dumb! We were cooking together in the kitchen, and you laughed. It triggered a flashback but-" she stroked his cheek again. "I knew I was safe. I knew you weren't Lazarus."

"I'd kill that bastard again if I could," Zack mused. 

"I know you would."

A heavy silence hung between them punctuated only by the rustling of wind through flora. "I'm not gonna be able to kill this thing on my own," he said. 

"No," she shook her head. "I don't think any vampire could. But... Zack, you tried. And you bought so many people enough time to get away."

"But I almost didn't come home to you!" he snapped. "I almost made our kids grow up without a Dad! This one wouldn't even have met me!" he didn't mean to yell at her, but he couldn't help it. "Yeah, my dumbass just had to piss a Goddess off, didn't I?!" his tone turned bitter and his voice wavered with his oncoming tears. "And now Aerith is gone. Because of me."

Rin blinked, and her next words came out with a hint of raw agony. "I don't want to think about what would have happened if she didn't do what she did..."

Zack kept going. "You know I remember it, right?"

"The lifestream?"

"The negative lifestream, yeah. The same shit that possessed me, back when we met," he let out an exhale that shook like a laugh. "Man, the people who came up with Nibelrung's Hells? They had nothing on that shit."

"Zack-"

"How am I supposed to just let that go, babe? How am I supposed to let feeling an alien abomination destroy my heart go? How am I supposed to let go of being Sephiroth's plaything? It might only have been a couple of days. I don't know. I don't care. It felt like way longer."

Rin sighed. "I went to therapy."

Zack remembered that. Once a week, for months, a therapist from the WRO came to the castle to talk to her in their living room, on his father's dime. Apparently, he'd suggested it. It made him wonder why the man was still hitting the bottle, if it was so "effective". 

"What would a therapist know?! A therapist didn't die that way! They could never understand!" 

He hated himself for yelling at her. It made him wish he was still dead. But he couldn't stop. If he was yelling, then he wasn't crying. 

"It's okay to cry..."

God, why the fuck did you have to say that?!

The vampire broke down. His beloved human pulled him into a deep hug and rubbed the bare skin of his back. "They can't understand, not really," she said to him, tears apparent in her own voice. "But they can help to make it easier."

Zack was practically inconsolable. Rin pulled him down into her lap, and stroked her fingers through his hair in the moonlight. "Shhhh.... you're okay. You came back to me. You came back to Kirri and Ceres. You'll meet our new baby in a few months... shhh... Zack, you don't need to hold it in. You're okay."

He almost cried harder, but her fingers running through his hair helped bring him down. He took several deep breaths, trying so hard to relax and bring his restored heart back down to something normal. 

"You don't have to stick with it, not if you don't want to," she offered. "All I ask is that you try three sessions. And if you don't like it, fine. I want you to talk to me instead. Unlike the therapist, I do understand what it's like to be dead."

He wished so badly that she didn't.

"Okay..." he agreed. 

She leaned down briefly to kiss him in the moonlight. 

In her arms, among the spider lilies, he found some semblance of peace in this life found anew.

[countenanceblog]

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

David, Rufus, Karen, Jack, Corey, Lazarus, Jonah, Nook, Emma and Ariadne sat cross-legged in a circle; in a circular room. Nook's eyes were intently closed. An atmosphere of tension permeated the room. A pair of large black dogs circled the room aimlessly. Rufus huffed.

"The house has been destroyed. They took out an entire city block just to get it. I don't know what else to look for," Nook told the others. Her body convulsed for a brief moment, and then her eyes opened. "I'm sorry."

Tears welled in Karen's eyes. Rufus put his hand over hers on the floor. "We don't know what happened," he told her. "Maybe some of them got out alive." Jack snarled.

"Damn it! We should've taken them with us. By Hel, that's it. The Fort was hit by a wedding crasher."

Lazarus' low voice rose. "Ain't no way they missed."

Emma said, "Rufus is right, we can't be sure what happened. We were too late to find out. Your friends could still be alive, but the use of a wedding crasher raises a question. Has the Court given up on order?" Corey watched closely as Emma spoke.

Karen buried her face in her hands. She cried. "I knew this was going to happen. I knew I was supposed to – "

"Hey," Rufus cut in, "We don't know what happened. Maybe they bombed the place because, because they knew that someone was escaping. Maybe . . . "

"Sorry, Rufus," said Jack. "It seems likely that they got everyone just now. Aleister, Gwyneth, Xander, everyone."

Rufus' pointed eyebrow spiked up. "Dude, that's not helping. Let me put it to you this way, why don't we keep my little sister, who has telekinesis, as calm as possible?"

"What do you mean?," snapped Karen. "Are you saying I'm dangerous?"

Rufus held up his hands in a calming gesture, trying to diffuse the tension. "Hey, Karen, that's not what I meant. You know I trust you. But with everything that's going on, it's natural for emotions to run high. We need to stick together, right? I'm really fucking sorry."

Karen wiped her tears, trying to regain her composure. "You're right. I'm sorry too. It's just so hard to accept that they might be gone."

Corey spoke up. "We can't lose hope just yet. We need to find out what happened for sure. Nook, is there any way you can use your powers to gather more information?"

Nook nodded, her face a mix of determination and exhaustion. "I'll try my best. It takes a lot out of me, but I'll do whatever I can."

Emma chimed in, her verve evident in her voice. "And while Nook does that, the rest of us can start gathering whatever resources we have left. We can't let the Court destroy us like this. We need to fight back."

Ariadne, always ready for a challenge, grinned. "Hel yeah, let's show 'em we're not pushovers."

Lazarus spoke up in his signature slang, "I got your back, fam. We gon' take 'em down one way or another."

Jack cracked his knuckles, a determined glint in his eye. "Count me in too. I've had enough of their games."

David nodded with a serious expression. "Alright, then it's settled. We stick together, we gather our strength, and we hit back harder. But first, Nook, do your thing."

Nook closed her eyes once again, focusing her energy. Her body trembled slightly as she reached out with her mind, trying to connect to a source of information. Slowly, images and snippets of conversations began to flood her mind. She saw an SCET Bunker model, black paint, driving down the highway. Inside were five people.

[monster-noises]

Alright so..

Incoming thoughts on Cadou and The Aging Process!

As always nothing too concrete going on here, just some thoughts and ponderations and perhaps a weeee bit of completely making things up whole cloth for my own enjoyment..

So to begin!!

I believe it's fairly proven fact that cadou/megamycete makes you ~functionally~ immortal right? Like obviously you can be Killed if infected but it ain't easy, and you don't really die of old age.

But if we're working with the possibility that like.. Karl was given his Cadou at a younger age but is now Old and Alcina was given her's at 44 but looks.. perhaps a Bit older (save the Largeness ofc) but in relatively the same age range

Then somethin weirds gotta be going on, and it's probably not a frozen-in-time immortality situation

(not to mention Donna and Moreau, who like??? Who knows when they were taken in and how old they were? Personally my head cannon infrction order for them is Moreau, taken as an adult - Donna, as a young adult - Alcina, as an adult - and Karl, as a child.. something to perhaps expand upon another day)

So I posit two ideas that work in tandem;

1) how much it affects your aging process is dependent on your infection stability. We see how Cadou stability affects a person's physical make-up; moreau is extremely unstable, Alcina is more in control but is still clearly struggling in some ways.

Karl and Donna on the otherhand undergo no severe physical changes, or all their changes are internal rather than external, as the Cadou adheres completely to their bodily systems. [also notable here is the difference in alci/sal turning into monsters Vs. how heis does it and the fact that donna Doesn't but that's yet another topic for another day] They are leagues more stable, both near perfect specimens, as Miranfa notes.

So the more stable you are the less Cadou is likely to interfere with your aging process, you do just kinda grow up. But if you're Cadou is unstable things get kinda Fucky. (It's a bit hard to tell with Moreau since he's a fish man and all, which I think is a transformation that happened slowly over time, but in Alcina's case particularly her mutation has a lot to do with cell growth and regeneration, so it kind of makes sense she wouldn't Age as much as someone with a mutation that just Grew New Organs One Time)

2) It slows things down on a sort of plateauing curve.

Definitely something with no/very little Textual evidence that i've mostly just made up to satisfy my need for Answers and Understanding and Making My Headcannons Work but it kinda tracks that the longer the parasite is in your system, the deeper it digs itself in and melds to you, and the Older You Get, the less you will Age because you are being propped up by this nasty self-sustaining mold parasite.

(Basically; everyone becomes Ethan Eventually lol)

So Karl and Donna are both possibly older than they look but are Also physically much older than they were when they were infected with Cadou.. and Alci's already slowed-down aging would get even slower.

And Moreau... is a Fish.. it's hard to tell how old he's supposed to be because of how badly he's been bunked up..

This does leave a Bit of a weird mystery with Mother Miranda, who appears to have aged exactly 0 since she found the megamycete..

i have 2 ideas for this as well;

(could really be either/or/and here, things don't always have to be concrete when we're making things up about source material we didn't initially create..)

But the possibilities i've so far considered;

Is that Miranda, unlike the Lords, was infected with megamycete directly, and not it's parasitic extract Cadou, and so it's possible she has a more complete and all consuming connection to the mold, like Ethan or the bakers had, and that that Does just whole hog halt the aging process (implying that Miranda is also Completely Mold)

Or that she works on the same plateau curve rules and has been aging ever so slowly, but her ability to take on different forms allows her to uphold the illusion of (relative)Youth. (In this idea I like to imagine that the Old Hag is in fact her truest form... And that she uses her eternally younger apperance to bolster religious belief in her, and the persona as the hag to reinforce said beliefs amongst villagers, and keep an eye on everyone, and has done this for a looong time)

And.. yeah!! That's all that really.. I'm kinda endlessly fascinated by thinking about how megamycete/cadou work and how it all seems so weird and magical (and it definitely like... Is) but there are still like.. very real ways to tie it back to core mold/fungal behaviours of like.. growth and consumption and perpetuation/sustainment!! It's cool idk!

(Gotta... resist.... going off.... about re7/8's themeing being about Family and collecting/growing a family... And then centering it... around an Argueably sentient in some ways if you really wanna think about it Mold/fungus.... Ahhh... I don't know enough about literary analysis to talk about this Smartly...)