#deadgirl-writes

[deadgirl-requiem]

Syrin's Muse- Silent Voices

💧- angst/ frustration

F! OC x Rick Flag

Part 2/ (?)

Read the prologue here

Summary: Verana realizes the situation she's in, and comes to terms with the fact that her recklessness put both her and her best friend in their current predicament.

T/W: language, violence, threats of violence. Mild flirting?

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The throbbing echoing through her skull mixed with the heaviness laced within her body brought her from the darkness. Her arms, legs, as well as her neck felt heavy and cold. Her hands reached up towards the nape of her neck in an attempt to figure out what was weighing her down.

Her fingers lazily crawled up to her neck grazing the metal collar clamped tightly around her throat. She looked down at her hands and noticed thick metal cuffs around each of her wrists.

Looking around the room she realized how empty it was, empty and silent. Not even a hum of white noise or the sharp buzz of her mind spinning. She opened her mouth, but no sound was made. Even her breath was silent, no matter how hard she huffed. Inching forward on her hands and knees she felt the material of the room around her.

As she padded against the walls and floor her mouth moving as if she were speaking, yelling but still no sound was made. As she stood on her feet, uneasy and unsure, she lifted her head slowly and glanced up around the room, her mouth twisting in anger.

There was a sudden click, followed quickly by a sharp, high-pitched noise. Her hands shot to ears as she crumbled to the floor, a muted scream leaving her lips as she folded in half. She rose slowly to her knees after the noise subsided. As she caught her breath, her hands fidgeting with the collar, there was another clicking sound. This time it was heavier and came from her left. She turned and to her left the wall that was once a solid padded stone color was now translucent.

She could make out a man standing in a closed doorway, watching her. He stood rigid, not moving an inch. His eyes burning through hers, taking her back a bit... 'what the hell is going on?'

Her mind buzzing, but her eyes dead- face expressionless, seemingly unmoved and unbothered. She stared back, not wanting to be the first one to move- but that wasn't up to her. As her eyes stared blankly into his she began to hear it- a dull hissing sound. Still facing him her eyes began to float around her field of vision trying to find were it was coming from.

Slowly she began to waver, her eyes began to flutter faster and faster, bubbles and specks floating in front of her. She couldn't get her vision clear no matter how many times she blinked. Before she melted to the floor she caught what seemed was a glimpse of remorsefulness in his eyes.

Her mouth tasted like... stale oranges? Slowly the sounds of the room she was in came back to her, the feeling of her limbs reconnecting her to the cold clunkiness on her wrists. The clunkiness she felt on her neck before had been replaced by a soreness radiating from right behind her ear.

She croaked out a cough and moan, the sound of her own making startling her almost.

"I can hear myself now... This has to been some sick trick."

Impressed by her quick recovery and subtle caution the two figures watching her from the hall agreed who would go in first.

The man from before... no before that too, his eyes were too familiar to have just been from behind the wall. It was when their eyes locked it all clicked, all of it.

"You." Her dry voice came out an even more threatening growl than she meant but she loved it, "Let me go!" Her rhythmic voice hit his ear but not it's intended affects.

A small but wicked smirk landed on his face as he stood there silent, "Wipe. That. Smirk. Off. Your. Face." She thrashed against her bindings, still not affecting him.

The footfalls of another person approaching brought her attention back to the door- and in stepped a woman, shorter, her expression almost seemed bored. It was the lady from the SUV.

"Verana Cadenza also known as Syrin she's like a muse -"

"What are you? A fan? Sorry I don't subscribe to... whatever this is."

"Ms. Cadenza, my name is Amanda Waller and I'd listen if I were you, unless you'd rather never see Ms. Pero again? Now, we-"

"Holy shit... This is that suicide team bullshit, no- nope- count me out bitch."

"What would be so different about doing for us what you did for yourself?" He finally spoke- his eyes daring her to be defiant.

"Fuck you. What I did I didn't enjoy- at least not all of it- anyone I used my voice on deserved it."

"And we will point you in the direction of more people who deserve it."

"Or, we could lock you in the quiet room, throw away the key and forget about you. Whereas Ms. Pero... well we could easily do without. But can you?"

She glared at Waller, she could take her... if she wasn't bound.

She released all the air kept in her lungs, he limbs slack and her head hitting hanging slightly, "Fine, you got me. I'll do it."

Waller nodded, turning to leave, her profile stood solid as she looked back at Verana, "Colonel Rick Flag here will be in charge of you- Flag, you know what to do."

"That explains so much about you, 'Colonel'. You sure know how to chase a lady." Her voice clung to their, moving through his ears like silk.

"The cuffs and collar are power dampeners, so keep singing your song all you like it won't be affecting anyone. Unlike you, your friend has been equipped with a bomb- piss me off and she goes. "

"Mmm," She paused, he bones aching, "I like an assertive type."

"I'm in control of your dear friend, Sila's bomb..." He took a step to leave, stopping in the doorway, "you might wanna know she joined to save you." And with that, he was gone.

She was in a room, with 3 of Flag's men, her stuff in a case at her feet. She looked at it plainly, she knew what was supposed to happen, but wanted someone to say it, "You boys wanna turn around? Not like I can do anything."

The door behind the men swung open and in walked Flag, "Verana-"

"It's Vera or Syrin- your pick." Her eyes fluttered as she looked into his eyes.

He rolled his eyes feigning annoyance, "Just get changed."

Two of his men left, leaving just him and one other. She crossed her arms and stared at him, "You could turn around? What am I gonna do, run?" Sass dripped from every word as she waited.

He gave in, albeit, begrudgingly, and waved for the other guy to turn around too. She gave it a second before turning to the case on her left. Opening it she was welcomed by the sight of her clothes, mismatched with her new and old look, they must've just grabbed what they saw.

She pulled pieces out, the layers of her top first, followed by the layers of her bottoms and her holsters. She wiggled on her leggings and shorts, pausing to check Flag and his guy by the door. Still seeing their backs she continued on to her top, throwing off the one she had, she pulled on her halter-style bra, a cut-out crop long sleeve, and then a deep blue halter over that. Checking over her clothes she quickly pulled her multi-colored hip-length hair into 2 Dutch braids. Strands along her crown framed her face as she fixed the pendants around her neck, the holsters to her body, and the shawl over her shoulders.

As she turned around, lowering the shawl from atop her head to her shoulders, she made eye contact with Flag. The guy next to him still racking his eyes over her, "Sorry boys, I don't do free shows."

As she huffed, placing her weapons in their respective holsters Flag glanced over at the guy to his left, giving him a sharp look he ushered him out.

"All that gear, you use it?" His eyes glanced at the knives, various sharp objects and a few other miscellaneous items she was putting away.

"You betch'a baby, and since I can't really depend on my vocal cords, might as well use the rest of my gifts." She winked at him and waited for his moved. But just as Verana was hoping that Sila was ok, she was also puzzled as to why his eyes felt warm, never cold on her, she just hoped Waller, as well as Flag wasn't aware of it.

Once again he rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, he had to keep it going. He didn't know how much Waller knew, or rather, how much she didn't know. As far as he knew, Waller only knew of their previous run-in, she didn't know that seeing her felt as familiar as breathing- at least, he was hoping she didn't know that.

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Okayyy, so I have major explaining to do... It's been a long almost 2 years. Between moving, school, work, stress.

I haven't written anything.

Please accept this as a start to my apology. I hope you guys enjoyed this .5 update.

[dudethatsmyundeaduncle]

DP X DC AU Danny & The Little Dead Girl

(title pending lol, Danny and Curare adventures pt 2!) Pt 1 here My AU art

__________________________________________

Monday comes, as it is won't to do, and Danny has to go to school which means the baby halfa has to come to school too.

" ok, so, one rule for today, big rule, you gotta be quiet in class. Uh-"

Danny pulls his phone out of his pocket as their bus hits a pot hole. Sitting right at the front means they catch the momentum first and he has to hold Curaré against his side lest she go flying into the aisle.

A couple voices grumble behind them at the jostling as Danny gets his text to speech open.

" Necessitas ser quieto en clase. ¿Entiendes?" The Google robot lady voice translates for him.

Curaré blinks at him from behind her little paper face mask and looks from the phone to him curiously.

This is the game they've been playing since last night, Danny says something in English robo lady repeats it in Spanish.

Danny doesn't know if Curaré understands how the phone speaks or even that it does but she's giving him her favorite little blank expression so he assumes she gets it. At least, she hasn't really disagreed or disobeyed anything he's asked of her yet so...not gonna look that gift horse in the mouth Danny boy!

..

School goes well, mostly.

They get through the metal detectors and bag checks at the front entrance just fine. The security guards barely glance at Curaré once they confirm she isn't hiding a Glock or something under her shirt. Which it's kinda sad to know gun control is a cross-dimensional American problem but it's on brand if nothing else Danny thinks.

They get to first period without stopping at Danny's locker and settle down in two desks by the back door. This is Danny's usual spot, well usual as of a month ago, it's mostly empty back here now but Danny used to have a seat partner.

(A seat partner who had a kind of shady tweaker vibe that Danny would have been worried about but that kid went home early one day and never came back so....it's Curaré's seat now.)

The little dead girl looks even littler sat in the desk-chair combo, she can barely see over the top. Danny stacks three dictionaries under her for a boost then he gets her set up with some pencils and paper and the single highlighter he found on the floor his first day here.

Curaré seems vaguely interested in his offerings ,after Danny shows her how to use them to mark the page, and starts creating cautious marks of her own.

She keeps glancing back up at Danny as if to confirm that this is still fine? And he nods his head every time trying to be encouraging as it becomes obvious that nobody taught this kid to write inside Fosters Home for Real life Assassins. Which Danny thinks is poor planning on there part because really? If your Assassin can't write how the fuck were they supposed to leave ominous threatening warnings? Or fake suicide notes? Or any number of written props to flesh out a cover story.

Whatever, obviously the assassins raising Curaré sucked ass all around so he can't say he's surprised but he is majorly disappointed.

As the bell rings for first period a whole slew of teens rush in ahead of the teacher Mr. Berk. Simple guy, grey beard, coke bottle glasses, smells like Vics vapor rub, the works.

He's like the most chilled out version of Mr. Lancer ever so he's alright in Danny's books. Plus he only has one "rule", as long as your butt is in your seat by the time he calls your name for attendance he won't mark you late. In Gotham, where everyone and their brother has enough late marks from shitty public transportion to get detention, it's a pretty sweet rule.

So Mr. Berk takes attendance like usual and only pauses on Danny and Curaré in the back for a brief moment.

Curaré stops drawing and stares down Mr. Berk like he's the T rex from Jurassic park. Frozen in place and without breaking eye contact. He stares back at her completely unphased.

" A small visitor then?" He says.

Danny nods. " My sister"

" Mhm" Mr. Berk says already moving on to the next student on his roster.

Danny breathes out huge sigh of relief, that was so much easier then he expected.

They more or less repeat this exchange the whole day. Mondays suck ass because it's one of the only days Danny actually has all 6 periods, but they make it through 1st, 2nd, and nutrition unscathed.

By lunch time Danny thinks they might actually be home free, if no one is gonna bring up the whole freaking child tagging along with him then he can probably just bring her with him everyday.

Maybe he can find her some work books and she can learn the alphabet? And addition? That's like on track for 4 year olds right? Danny can't remember being 4 but that feels right to him. He will educate the child in his care like the responsible almost adult he is. She will go to college!

At lunch Danny sits them at the back of the school right next to the teachers lounge because it's mostly deserted.

In Danny's exprience the best place to hide is in plain sight. He's been sitting here everyday since he enrolled himself and the teachers have never noticed him. Their way too busy trying to get any kind of break from teaching high schoolers to be concerned.Which Danny is greatful for because he has broken the rule about using his cell phone at lunch 50 times at this point.

Listen he has to do universe research when he has access to wifi! Which he only does at school. The administration should be glad he's using his lunch period to educate himself really.

So they eat by the lounge. Danny has Curaré face away from the door so she can take off her face mask and eat unencumbered.The cut on her face is still gnarly, it looks an almost enflamed purple as it tries it's best to heal.

Danny had given Curaré a little immuno-boost with his own ecto the night before to try to speed up her healing factor. But like any Halfa, basically just Danny's personal experience, you have to nourish the ghost half and the human half in equal parts to heal all the way.

It's not until home room, period 6/7, that the metaphorical straw breaks the metaphorical camels back. or the real straw to the metaphorical camel? Did camels even carry straw? where would it go? Between there humps? Not important Fenton!

Home room was a grade A disaster.

Mr. Perez, Danny's kind of ancient home room teacher, who was for almost all intents and purposes blind, had a freaking nose for trouble. It's like he could sniff out vapes and cell phones as soon as they hit the stale class air. Danny thought this would be the easiest class by far, Mr. Perez wouldn't even see Curaré let alone smell her.

And at first it seems like he doesnt, Mr. Perez takes attendance and skips right over Danny and Curaré with no fanfare.

Danny thinks that's the end of it and starts to breathe easy until 15 minutes before the final bell when Mr. Perez' TA asks him to step into the hallway with her for a second.

Danny generally liked Mr. Perez's TA, her name was Sabrina Kahn and she was the kind of girl Jazz would have hung out with.Straight laced, wore argyle cardigans, read books, the smart sort. She looked Jazz's age too, maybe 21ish and she always rolled her eyes when people gave dumb answers in class.

She looks a little embarrassed to be speaking to Danny which immediately sets him on edge.

" It's okay that you brought your little sister today but, I'm sorry, you won't be able to do that again. A bunch of your teachers made complaints with the front office and Mr. Perez got a call about it ..."

Sabrina had always been nice to him and now she was about to ruin his whole week.

" But Ms. Kahn-" Danny started.

She gave him a sympathetic look " Lemme guess, your parents can't take her to work so this was the next best option?"

Danny closed his mouth and nodded, that was actually a much better lie then he was gonna tell, thank you Ms. Kahn. ( But also Boooooo curse you Ms. Kahn!)

" Here, I know it can be hard to find childcare for metas, especially ones as ah-vibrant as your sister. My brother had the same trouble with my nephew."

Sabrina hands Danny a flyer, it's still warm from the printer, it looks like it's just a screenshot of an email.

"Thanks?"

The TA rolls her eyes, wow a lot like Jazz then.

" It's the address to that daycare and a referral. They only take kids by word of mouth, they're kind of... off the books. But their good people! I hope they can help you Danny."

The paper is on off yellow, as Ms.Kahn heads back into homeroom Danny feels all his hope go with her. Shit, what was he gonna do now? He looks through the little glass window in the door to the back where Curaré sits, she's already watching him. He tries to smile at her, be reassuring, he's not sure it works.

......

When the bell finally rings Danny picks Curaré up and puts her on his hip to avoid her being crushed by the rush of high schoolers who stampede out the door in front of them.

The flyer from Ms. Kahn feels like it's burning a hole through his pocket as they ride the bus towards the Narrows.

Danny cased the house from the flyer with maps street view as well as he could. It showed a skinny sublet house across from a small strip mall and laundrymat.

Inconspicuous sure, maybe even innocent looking but well...you could never tell in Gotham, all the buildings looked sort of evil by default. It was probably because of the gargoyles and the general low level stink fog that seemed to always be out.

The big city™ really made Danny miss the suburbs of Amity Park more then just the regular gut wrenching home sickness. Oh what'd he'd give to take a deep breath of air and not inhale the smell of piss when he walked down the street.

They get off the bus at the corner a block from the daycare.

Danny holds Curaré's hand which makes for slow going but seems like the right thing to do. She's never wandered off but Danny didn't want to give her the opportunity to either.

As he helped her climb the three short stairs up to the house Danny was suddenly hit with a wave of panic.

What the fuck am I doing? Am I really gonna take care of this freaking Halfa ghost baby for the next 18 years? Im not even an adult! I work weekends at BatBurger for minimum wage WTF?

Danny's hands began to sweat and his stomach cramped. Oh fuck, here was the existential crisis he'd been waiting for since he first decided to take Curaré from the leagues super secret baby basement.

Oh shit he couldn't breathe, what was he gonna do! OH fuck think!

What would jazz do? Call child services and offer psychological support. Not Uber helpful in this case Danny didn't know the first thing about psychology and Gotham CPS was actual prison.

What would Sam do? Assassin babies are hella counter culture but maybe find a cool rich eccentric family to adopt them? Nope, not gonna work Danny only knew one eccentric rich girl and she was a whole dimension away. FUCK THINK FENTON!

What would Tucker do? In this situation ask Google, homeschooling is big these days so maybe if you leave her in the apartment while your gone with an iPad-

" Hey you alright there dude, can I help you?"

Danny choked on the end of his anxiety panic badbadbad spiral and looked up.

The front door to the house was open and just inside the threshold stood a younger teen, maybe 16? With the kind of fade haircut Tucker always whined he couldn't pull off and a bright yellow hoodie.

Danny held his breathe for a moment making sure he felt it burn up his lungs and throat before letting out a big sigh.

" Yeah, yeah sorry kinda zoned out there I'm just uh kinda nervous I was told to come here for Daycare help for my little sister?"

Curaré looked at the stranger in the doorway with the same wide eyed blankness she stared at everything with. Funnily enough she was still holding Danny's hand, had held on through Danny's entire mental meltdown too despite the ecto sweat. Danny felt oddly touched by the gesture, even if it was more likely that the little girl wasn't bothered by his crisis then her being sympathetic.

The teen in the Yellow Hoodie raised an eyebrow at Danny as he fumbled the paper from Ms. Kahn out of his pocket to hand over.

Yellow Hoodie took it and looked between it, him, and Curaré.

" You're not a cop right? You have to tell us if you're a cop"

Danny made a face, " no, I'm not a cop! I would never be a cop, cops suck."

" Right." Yellow Hoodie said still suspicious " So you wouldn't mind if I called your referral up?"

" Be my guest dude."

The teen pulled out his phone and made sure to keep steady eye contact with Danny. Who could do nothing except not look away during this, the world's most impromptu staring contest, until Yellow Hoodie put his phone away.

" Just wanted to see if you were bluffing. Sabrina called earlier said she'd sent someone our way but you can never be too careful. Come on in. "

Danny felt the wind go out of his sails for the second time that day, what was with people and making him anticipate the worst.

.....

The inside of the house was old, homey, but old. It had very obviously been well lived in by a few generations of children, easy to see from the scuffed floors, chipped crown molding, and the sheer number of framed photos that hung on the walls.

There were signs of new life about too, some toys scattered on the floor, walls that were covered in butcher paper and crayon as high as little hands could reach, and oddly enough some scorch marks. Although, Danny's supposed that an unlicensed daycare for meta kids worth it's salt ought to have a least a few burn marks. For posterity if nothing else.

" I'm Duke, I volunteer here when I can but the place is run by the Mariscos, Mrs. Marisco specifically. She's been in the game for a long time" Duke nee yellow hoodie said as he stopped them in front of a closed door.

The hand made sign on the door said Office in nice scribbly lettering and it was hung on with a peg and twine. Real kitschy.

Danny could just make out the sounds of kids playing in another part of the house and was a little impressed that Duke had managed to keep Danny from seeing even one tiny tot during the impromptu house tour.

" I gotta go help Izzy with the kids, this is Mrs.Mariscos' office just knock before you go in, she might be on the phone."

Duke nodded to Danny, smiled down at Curaré and disappeared down the hallway.

Leaving Danny and Curaré alone in front of a closed door once again.

Danny looked down at Curaré and she looked up at him, she was characteristically silent.

" This feels like a job interview, did you bring your resume? "

Curaré blinked.

" Yeah, me neither. But I think if we both give her puppy eyes maybe our combined under aged-ness will activate her maternal instincts and she'll be forced to accept us?"

The nerves were back, they had never really left but now they had settled like a rock at the pit of Danny's stomach.

He couldn't bring himself to knock on that office door just yet so he fussed over Curaré instead. Kneeling down he straightened the collar of Curaré's hooded jacket and moveed her little backpack strap back up her shoulder where it had slipped.

" We got this. It's you and me now remember, even if this blows and you have to come to school with me for the rest of year it's you and me." Danny rested his hands on little shoulders and hung his head. " Jeez, I sound like my mom"

"No need to be so nervous Mijo! My Chiqis never met a kid she could turn away."

Danny's neck had never snapped up so fast in his life.

Curaré hadn't been looking up at him at all. No, Curaré was staring up towards the elderly woman floating near the ceiling.

Which was not great, because Danny for all the time had spent in Gotham had never seen another ghost. Not a single one.

Which was unsettling on its own but not bad per se, he'd thought maybe this dimension was just different, not enough spectral energy to manifest a ghostly body.

But no, again nope, this was so much worse.

No ghosts was easy enough to reationalize but one ghost? One ghost meant there was enough spectral energy, one ghost meant something was really really wrong with Gotham.

Because if there was only one ghost in a crime ridden pissed off city like this where the shit were all the others?

--------------------------------------------------

Yo! Just wanted to say thank u for all the support on part 1, did not expect people to like or care about it lol. Anyway back on bullshit, I've had this written for a while but didn't have the insp to post it until now.

Might write more, might not, you get one bat cameo for reading this time ur welcome.

Forgot to add this to the first post, it's in the reblogs, but TLDR Curaré is an assassin from batman beyond.

Note: if you wanna see cool art for this AU check the Danny and the little dead girl tag on my blog!

[deadgirlwalking91]

Do you think you could write a short scenario where Lilith realizes just exactly what Lute and Adam are to each other? Or rather, what she perceives them to be? Something like

"I see you've found another replacement, Adam."

"Watch it, Witch." Adam snarled.

Even if Adam's assured Lute a million times that she's his best girl, his one and only, I could see something like that digging under Lute's skin something fierce.

Hey Anon,

I hope this is what you had in mind ❤️

Lilith drummed her long, black fingernails lazily on the varnished tabletop as she gazed out the window.

These annual meetings with her brute ex-husband were such a drag. Honestly, being subjected to the same idle pratter year after year was starting to become a real chore.

At least this time Lucifer had left her alone to deal with him. He was always so insistent on keeping their dealings strictly business. Now, with him otherwise occupied, she could at least have a little… fun.

“Did you hear me, harpy?” Adam snapped. Sighing, Lilith turned her head to face him.

Poor darling. Afterlife had not been kind to him. His once bright, wonder-filled eyes were now heavy-lidded and framed with bags. The way his face, once angular and chiseled, had filled out - not heinously, but enough - hinted at some level of overindulgence. Perhaps he feasted more often than he should, or drank himself silly most nights.

She didn’t know. She didn’t care.

“Sweetheart,” she began, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed the small woman next to him stiffening slightly. She was a plain little thing, with a harsh face and short, cropped hair that did her no favours. “You should know by now that I’m only here out of obligation. I haven’t been paying a word of attention to whatever it is you’ve been rambling on about since you opened that foul mouth of yours.”

“You always were a defiant bitch, Lil.”

“Now, now darling, must we resort to childish name-calling?” she chided, propping her hand on her chin. “Especially when we’re amongst company? I see you’ve found another replacement. Who, I might add, you’ve still not introduced me to. You always did have awful manners.”

The woman furrowed her thin brows slightly, but made no comment at Lilith’s jab.

“Shut it, witch,” Adam snarled. He jerked his head towards his companion. “This is Lute.”

“And whom might Lute be to you?”

“Lieutenant of the Exorcist Army. As if it wasn’t fucking obvious enough with the uniform.”

Now, it wasn’t Adam’s answer that made Lilith sit up a little straighter, nor was it the realisation that their meeting was soon to come to an end. No, it was the very brief wave of disappointment that flickered across Lute’s face when he introduced her as his lieutenant.

That expression told Lilith everything she needed to know.

Clasping her hands together on the table, Lilith cleared her throat before addressing Lute directly. “And how long have you been Adam’s… lieutenant, dear?”

“Many years, your Highness,” she answered dutifully. Her voice was as sharp as her face. No softness to her whatsoever.

Very different to Adam’s usual type, indeed.

“I see,” Lilith said. Her lips curled into a tiny, knowing smile as she asked, “And how long have you been fucking my ex-husband?”

Fury burned in Lute’s eyes as she opened her mouth to respond, but Adam quickly intercepted. “Don’t you dare fucking ask her shit like that, Lilith.”

It was hard to contain her smirk as she watched Adam snarl at her like a rabid dog. Still, she couldn’t help but recognise the softness that crossed his eyes as he stared at the girl.

It was something she’d felt from him, once. A very, very long time ago.

“Oh, don’t get all bent out of shape, Adam, I was just asking a simple question. Honey,” she turned to address Lute, who’s face had turned a brilliant shade of gold. “Let me offer you a little piece of advice. Woman-to-woman. Don’t put up with his disgusting behaviour. Get out while you still can.”

“With all due respect, ma’am,” Lute said, her voice thick with venom that held nothing but pure disdain for Lilith, “I don’t need you sticking your horns in affairs that are none of your business.”

Oh, dear. She was infatuated with Adam. Blindly so, it seemed. Yes, now Lilith could see the way she gazed back at him so adoringly, so lovingly, like he was the only thing in the world that mattered to her.

Stupid girl. They deserved each other.

“Very well. Suit yourself.” Lilith rose from her seat gesturing towards the door. “I believe our little meeting here is done.”

[hidingoutbackstage]

Fellas is it gay?

[bc-johnson]

Deadgirl 4 Progress

Daybreak is looking good! Almost finished with the fourth act (traditionally one of the shorter acts) then it’ll be right into the fifth act, basically the climax (also pretty short).

The epilogue section is gonna be a little longer in this book than the others, but it’s the end of a series, whaddya want from me?! In fact the whole book is looking to be longer than the others (even 2, which has been the longest up until now).

But, it’s hard to tell for sure. It is a first draft, and I tend to cut like a motherfucker when second draft time comes. I’ve removed entire chapters, characters, and storylines snicker-fucking-snack before. All cruft must go. Not even cruft, just stuff that isn’t necessary. I removed literally my favorite scene from Ghostlight.

1st draft probably done in a couple weeks, 2nd a couple weeks after that, 3rd depending on how long Gina takes to read it and tell me what’s terrible and then I fix what’s terrible. Maybe two weeks more there, a month on the outside.

Then it’s just copyediting, formatting for ebook and print, then wrangling it into the system. Maybe another week or so there.

What does that add up to? Optimistically a March 2023 release date? Certainly possible. April at the latest.

[homoeroticgrappling]

Danhausen shared some excellent Hookhausen Scream fanart by @deadgirl-inc on his story and honestly I could write an essay on the implications of that choice

(Genuinely though check out her account, not only is this absolutely beautiful but she's done tons of really cool art of wrestlers and she was nice enough to give me permission to post this for people who aren't on instagram to see)

[thackeroy]

April 2024 Plans and WIP list!

Previous month here

Hi there, my name's JZ, I'm a 31 year old transguy (he/they) I'm from the North-East of England. I'm an artist, crafter, writer, gamer, streamer (I stream crafting and art) and an environmentalist punk. Masterpost for all project links including completed ones

My plans for April;

[misc] Write up full month crafting review

[misc] Post Kofi project

[misc] Post Midnight Whispers

[misc] Continue to run my year long stash busting challenge in my discord server

[misc] post all frog yarns so far from @mothyandthesquid

[cross stitch] 1% on Deadgirl

[cross stitch] One dinosaur from my A-Z Dinosaur sampler from Purple Panzy

[cross stitch] Find a frame and FFO my sisters wedding gift

[cross stitch] Continue stitch along with @chelystitch

[knitting] Work on first sweater

[knitting] Frog 1 overalls

[blackwork] Keep up with Moonlit Market SAL

[blackwork] Complete frame for Moonlit Market SAL

WIPs;

[cross stitch] Memento Ophelia

[cross stitch] A-Z Dinosaur Sampler

[cross stitch] Bee

[cross stitch] No More V2

[cross stitch] Stitch-o-graphy

[cross stitch] Mondays

[blackwork] Bat With Bell

[blackwork] Moonlit Market SAL

[blackwork] Norse Mandala

[embroidery] Trick or Treat

[knitting] Corryn / Spider Lace Shawl

[knitting] Make Gnome Mistake

[knitting] Burn It Down socks

[knitting] First Sweater

[knitting] Frog 1 overalls

[crochet] Spider Web doily

[crochet] Granny square blanket

[tablet weaving] Second Project

[hand sewing] Tiny Hexies

[hand sewing] Measuring Tape

[sewing] Denim Apron

[quilting] Windy Day / Birb quilt

[brightbeautifulthings]

Hello, lovelies! Tell Me Something Tuesday is a meme created by Rainy Day Ramblings and currently hosted by Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, That's What I'm Talking About, For What It's Worth, Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Offbeat YA. It provides weekly discussion prompts on various book and blogging topics with optional participation. You can sign up for prompts here.

This week’s prompt is: What are some of your favourite indie/small pub authors/books?

I adore this prompt because I have SO many small/indie press books that I love that don't get enough attention. It's the saddest thing to love an incredible gem of a book and know it’s not getting the proper hype. I was going to try to narrow this list down to five (and then ten), but these all deserve my love and recognition, so here are ten indie/small press books you might not have heard of, and two you probably have (although if you've spent any amount of time on my blog, you’ve probably heard me screeching about all of them before).

The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan (Amberjack Publishing) I could scream forever about Callahan's writing. She's easily one of my favorite small press authors, and I would read anything she ever published without question. A very well-done YA contemporary coming-of-age story about authenticity and friendship, with barely a hint of romance.

Dream Keeper by Amber R. Duell (The Parliament House) Why why why haven't more people read this book? It's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) meets Rise of the Guardians (2012), complete with Sandman and Weaver, a sweet romance, and some truly spectacular world-building. I haven't stopped raving since I read it.

The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle (Central Avenue Publishing) There isn't enough goblin fiction out there, in my opinion (and I've looked), but this is easily my favorite of what I've read. It's a paranormal romance with complicated characters and a gorgeous setting, where goblins are pure and simply the villains-- no sexy goblin king here.

The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning (Titan Books) Speaking of sexy goblin kings. Hi, hello, have you heard me screaming about this book too? Fans of 80s nostalgia fantasy like The NeverEnding Story (1984) and Labyrinth (1986) will find so much to love about this. It’s basically a spiritual sequel to those films about what happens when we grow up and don't believe in magical worlds anymore--and how much we still need them, even as adults. Complete with talking puppets!

Daphne by B.C. Johnson (self-published) Technically, this is a horror novella set in the Deadgirl universe, but it's my favorite in the series, and I don't think readers unfamiliar with the other books will have trouble following it. If you need a violent, lesbian harpy in your life, with a blend of Greek/Norse mythology and a body count, this is for you. You had me at eat them alive.

Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton (Entangled Teen) Yet another book I can't believe more people haven't read. It's such a strange, gruesome little afterlife story with a dash of romance, like The Corpse Bride (2005) without the slapstick humor or the singing. Exactly my kind of weird.

The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch (Hawthorne Books) A gut-wrenching and beautifully crafted memoir about what happens to women in particular when we don’t fit the labels our culture has made for us. Fans of Cheryl Strayed will adore it.

After Always by Barbara J. Hancock (Entangled Teen) Sometimes the blend of paranormal and romance hits exactly the right note, and this book nails it. I adore the haunted house setting and the lovely, atmospheric writing, but I stayed for the excellent character arc of Lydia both grieving her lost boyfriend and realizing he wasn't good for her.

Theories of Forgetting by Lance Olsen (Fiction Collective 2) If you like experimental fiction at all, you absolutely need to read some Olsen. While I feel it's not quite as thematically whole as Calendar of Regrets, it might be a bit more accessible. It's smart and easy to read if not to understand, since while there are a lot of big concepts in here, the writing itself isn't overly complicated (also assuming you can decide where to start, since both sides look like the back cover of the book-- good luck!).

We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott (Entangled Teen) This is a weird, fucked up little thriller about a toxic relationship, so of course that's exactly why I love it. The characters are complex, codependent, and completely unaware of how badly they behave, and the plot is tense and mysterious. One of my favorite underrated YA thrillers.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (Duet Books) We've reached the part of my list where you've probably heard of these books, but they're well-worth mentioning, especially for superhero fans. Great characters, fun world-building, and excellent queer representation across the board.

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic (self-published) You knew this was going to make the list, right? This book is so immensely popular on Tumblr that sometimes I forget it was a self-pub. I've read and reread it so many times, and the characters are so compelling, the story so immersive, that once I've started the first, I can't stop until I've finished the trilogy. Well-deserving of its hype.

[andromerot]

if i wrote fic i would write about corona and cyth interacting because theyre like this dramatic alivegirl femme and this even more dramatic deadgirl femme and together they could do anything because i believe in women and in the unbreakable bonds of blonde and brunette

[deadgirl-requiem]

Villains Aren't Born (They're Made)

[This song had me reimagine the ending to one of my WIPs.]

There is a 5-10 second intro, a fixed (stationary) POV of a figure walking through a hallway, like they walk on air. Their eyes obscured- just a gentle smile. It flashes between them walking and them standing in front of a throne.

They're seen interacting/talking with others. Smiling laughing.

There are flashes of people fighting, crying, fire, blood.

They are seen talking with others around a table. The smile slowly fading away

We see them standing in a room, shadows behind them, like people. In front of them is a small group of people squared off.

We see them again, walking down a hallway, smoke behind them.

Lights flash slowly like explosions.

They stand in a circle, surrounded by people they know, slowly after each flash one by one the people disappear, only a shadowy silhouette left behind.

We see them again standing in a dark room leaning over a table, the view is zoomed in on their eyes, rage/contempt (think a soft glare) visible in them.

We see more shadows appear and fall behind them with dimmer flashes of light.

As each shadow falls we see them ascend large steps, the view of their profile- ascending the steps and facing them- showing the shadows behind them. Their face still obscured from view.

The final view snaps to them, no longer moving, zoomed in on their eyes, closed.

Their eyes snap open and the view switches to show them in front of a throne- a devastated field behind them.

[janerra-ava]

tagged by @pisswater-deadgirl 👌🏾🙂 thank you, needed to get my mind on something else

“Get to know me tag game”

Do you make your bed? - Kinda, I make sure the covers and sheets are laid back where they were. 

What's your favorite number? - 8 (weird fact: since I was little and to this day, I've given personalities, genders and relationship dynamics to numbers and letters....)

What is your job? - Cleaning

If you could go back to school, would you? - Nope

Can you parallel park? - Can’t drive

A job you had that would surprise people? - Did not have a job prior to the current one I have

Do you think aliens are real? - Sure, I’ve seen and experienced weird things before, it wouldn’t be surprising. Just don’t mess with them, please. 

Can you drive a manual car? - Can’t drive

What's your guilty pleasure? - I don’t feel much guilt for the things I enjoy anymore. So none. I keep things to myself, so idk if that counts as guilt. But I like a lot of shit people hate or are called “cringe” or “problematic” and I used to be embarrassed about it. But people are assholes so why bother caring what they think of things that make me happy?

Tattoos? - None

Favorite color? - Green (think traffic light green)

Favorite type of music? - Anything that makes my brain, limbs and genitals happy. If I’m moving around or humming, I like it.

Do you like puzzles? - Yes :>

Any phobias? - Trypophobia (should write this word down somewhere because trying to search how to spell it is a fucking nightmare. Do all other phobias shove the phobia in your face when looking it up, or is it just us? 🙃🔫)

Favorite childhood sport? - None 💀 

Do you talk to yourself? - Not out loud a lot, but every second of my life in my head. It’s why I need videos or music to block it out.

What movies do you adore? - in general, movies with a big cast where I actually care about all of them and enjoy their dynamics, great soundtrack, cool shots, overall invested in the setting/world they’re bringing me into. 

But specifically? Scooby Doo On Zombie Island, Spirited Away, Twister, The Lion King and Holes have been my top 5 for many years.

Coffee or Tea? - Ice TeaFirst thing you wanted to be when you grew up? - An art teacher

[argesta]

ASOIAF Themed Asks: 1, 5, 10, 11

♡ Thank you sm for this, this was so fun!

1. Favorite Great House

Blackwood + Bracken if they kissed. No notes.

(Those are both technically great houses up to ADwD I think, but if we’re taking great houses to mean the ones vying for the throne, then probs Tyrell. The #1 pride float keeping RUSH in business.)

5. A dead female character you need to save

I can come up with a hard narrative-impacting answer if I really sit and think about it, but Dalla’s death still pisses me off 10 years later. So, out of honour for that knee-jerk instinct I’m going with her.

Notable mention for the pre-book Rebellion Era Ashara Dayne. I just have so many questions for her. Like, talk about the og deadgirl used as device. A woman dying as a rumour and living on as something worse. That’s tough, man. And I could fix her. This Friday.

10. A quote so good it makes you crazy

I can’t remember the quotes I obsessed over while reading it (again, a decade ago! GRRM is not a serious person!) and I probably wouldn’t resonate with a lot of them now as many cycles of literary consciousness and grimdark media have come and gone since then. But a good portion of what Jaime says still hits like crazy. Like whiteboy can talk ig. No men like me, reviled for my finest act, etc.

Writing-wise, this bit in Stannis’s odyssey of guilt strikes me as one of the best passages in the series. It reads like a Brecht soliloquy.

“I dream of it sometimes. Of Renly’s dying. A green tent, candles, a woman screaming. And blood. I was still abed when he died. Your Devan will tell you. He tried to wake me. Dawn was nigh and my lords were waiting, fretting. I should have been ahorse, armored. I knew Renly would attack at break of day. Devan says I thrashed and cried out, but what does it matter? It was a dream. I was in my tent when Renly died, and when I woke my hands were clean.” 

11. Favorite bastard

They’re all fucking bastards to me.

But Mya Stone probably. I need Sansa to get her miss thing on with a nonbinary baddie more than I need Winds of Winter in sales.

If anyone feels so inclined to send me more I’d be delighted! You can find the original post here. Feel free to like this if you reblog the post & want to get some asks in your inbox too 💌

[deadgirlwalking91]

Had a laugh when I imagined both Adam and Lute having their own separate wide eyed "Did you fuck your Commander/Lieutenant?" From Sera and Vaggie respectively

Hey Anon,

Enjoy ☺️ I don’t have time to write out both buuuuut here’s a fun Adam and Sera interaction I dreamt up in the supermarket:

***

“Adam,” Sera sighed, clasping her hands together. She should have known this conversation was going to be tough. It didn’t help that he was in an unusually cheerful mood; he was rhythmically tapping his fingers against his thigh and humming merrily as he sat in her office chair.

“Whatever it was, I didn’t do it,” he grinned, “especially considering I haven’t been at work for two days.” He was looking at her, yet his eyes were completely unfocused. It was plain as day that his mind was elsewhere.

Sera looked skyward, praying for some kind of divine intervention to help her navigate the current situation. “I’ve heard some… whispers lately. Concerning whispers, Adam.”

“Uh-huh.” His phone buzzed and he checked it immediately, his eyes lighting up as he began tapping away furiously. His grin softened, the smile considerably gentler than what Sera was used to. One she hadn’t seen in many years.

“I have to ask.” She leaned forward. “Are you sleeping with your lieutenant, Adam?”

“Yep.”

She sucked in a breath. “What do you mean, ‘yep’?”

“Exactly that. Yep. That’s why I was late this morning. I had her bent over my kitchen counter, and I was—”

Sera groaned and massaged her temples.

This was going to be a long meeting.

***

[hidingoutbackstage]

Me and my mutuals: Lol what if JT and Rickie were gay?

Trent Haaga writing Deadgirl 2 with a romance between its female lead and the Deadgirl:

[bc-johnson]

GRAVEDUST Paperback Out Now

Today is paperback release day for GRAVEDUST! Grab it now, for yourself, a friend, or for a medium-sized paperweight/bug crusher. Get Paperback

[brokenglasscastles]

Deglove

CW Gore

A small portion of the story I'm writing about two lesbians who torture a rapist.

Jane had wrapped each arm off at the bicep, limiting blood flow for the work she was about to start. Her dominant hand held the scalpel, the other a pair of tissue forceps, both gloved in blue Nitrile. With her forceps tenting the skin of his wrist she was able to press the scalpel in without risk of real damage. With forceps readjusted to grip the freshly created cut she pulled at the skin covering the back of the hand. Fascia offered some resistance on the palm side that was met just as easily with the razor sharp edge of her blade.

As she worked she rolled the skin of the hand down like a sock on an ankle. It rolled smoothly as the fascia connecting it to the flesh below was sliced. Upon reaching the fingers she had to gently work them off the tendon covered ligament wrapped bones beneath. With a final tug the skin came completely free. Holding it by the limp fingers she rolled the skin back down, it looked like a pale glove. She lifted it to eye level to study it momentarily before dropping it between his legs unceremoniously. A wet sort of squelchy thump could be heard as it hit the metal table below.

I've always been a fan of descriptive writing and horror, so I recently decided to make something out of both. Feminist horror often relies on very graphic visual imagery to discomfort its viewers. Think movies like The Woman, Jennifer's Body, and Midsommar which make use of excessive gore, sexual violence, and emasculation as in the case of Deadgirl. There's a lesbian romance plot packed in here as well!

Keep an eye out for more! I plan on uploading more small bits whether or not there's interest.