#wip: the dead life theory

[alienbrainworm]

Decided it would be fun to do a little character introduction for my main idiots with each of my WIPs. I'm also planning to do a proper WIP introduction at some point, but my sillies first <3

Event V: Haloed Horizons

Jakrin (he/it): Absolute nerd, resident mechanic. Loves ships probably more than himself and is absolutely mentally unwell. Traumatized as fuck, but he's getting better (lies) (mostly) (they all are so it's fine). Loyal to a fault to its family crew.

Syzygy (she/he): Pilot of the ship and absolutely not the captain of the crew, she'll deck you if you say that. He brought the crew all together and is the only reason they're all still alive today. Reasonable, smart, and extremely protective; she loves her idiots.

Chirp (they/he): Handles the communication part of jobs. The other three have a talent for pissing people off, purposeful or not, but he is also a master mimic and is adept at learning new languages. Also a resident prankster thanks to those mimicry skills.

Pyyri (he/it): Feral little shit of the crew. He's short and it's all filled with rage. Itchy trigger fingers and a knack for thievery, he's easily the one constantly bringing chaos upon the crew, and Jakrin's always more than happy to join in and help; much to the dismay of Syzygy and Chirp.

The Dead Life Theory

Theo (he/him): Fucked-up rich-boy-turned-circus-member. Brash and rude, he comes off as a total asshole, but when you get to know him... he's still a total asshole. But the tough exterior is hiding a good ally beneath all those snapping words.

Harlow (she/her): Extraordinarily protective and loving, but takes no shit, especially from Theo's smart-assed mouth. Joined the traveling circus as a younger teen and loved it, sticking around and only becoming more skilled at what she does. Filled with questions, all the time.

"Dog" Elkan (it/its): Aspiring swamp-creature. Loves exploring, collecting shiny shit, and getting into trouble. It grew up in the circus, as its parents run the thing, and it's spent basically its entire life training dogs. Loves its dogs more than anything, and it'll almost always choose dogs over humans.

333

??? (we/it): Doesn't seem to understand it's only one thing. Or... looks like it is, at least. Weird, off-putting, creepy, but... helpful?

Marilou: Confused as fuck. Doing the best a tired barista can do. Enraptured by the pretty girl weirdly determined to befriend Marilou.

Aimee (she/they): Absolutely self-confident queen who is haunted by the weird creature she met all those years ago when she went into a coma. I mean, what? They are maybe a little too in love with coffee, and are definitely way too sleep deprived from their reading habits.

Round Three of Calling You Mine (working title)

Cory (he/it): Confident, ambitious, and determined, he was always sure from a young age he would be a famous music artist and nothing would get in his way. Fell in a little too deep with shitty stuff, but made it anyways. Maybe with a few too many sacrifices, but he can put on his smile. A little hot-headed and quick to fight, but has a heart of gold he wears proudly on his sleeve.

Atlantis (he/they): Obsessed with everything ocean, he always assumed he'd be a marine biologist or something similar at some point, but quickly got wrapped up in the chaos and dreams of the up-and-coming soon-to-be-star Cory upon moving to the U.S. for college. Always rather avoiding confrontation but not afraid to stand up for himself or those they love, but sometimes... it's hard for him to tell exactly who those are.

Jackie (he/it): Hot-headed bastard who falls way too quickly, way too hard, and way too loyally. But also is extraordinarily self-destructive. A great combo, that surely caused no problems for him or its loved ones. Surely not. Other than that, passionate about storytelling and is constantly filled with random ideas that he loves sharing with his loves ones.

[wwooyology]

The Murder House | Masterlist & Intro ⏃

↳ this is inspired by an ask from the lovely @addictedtohobi

「parings」 : enha x fem!reader

「synopsis」 : it was halloween season once again, and your brother begged you and your friends to go to this new hit escape room that just came into town; the only problem? you hated going to them almost as much as you hated waking up early in the morning. however, being the good friend and sister you were you went with them. you expected cheesy props, dumb riddles and questions, and a rigged room, so you couldn't get out even if you got the right answers. what you weren't expecting was being drugged and waking up in a room with a dead body and separated from all of your friends.

「genre」 : horror/thriller, gore, angst, psychological thriller, mystery

「warnings」 : MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!!, heavy gore, blood, murder, mentions of suicide, cussing, death, manipulation, mentions of being drugged, toxic behavior, reader is speculated to be an 03' liner, trauma bonding, other specific warnings on individual parts.

𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆

「taglist」 : CLOSED

↳ a/n: I have decided to make this into a short series because I just know trying to write one long fic won't suffice, so I am making it into separate parts! I am super excited to see what you guys think so far and to hear all of your theories. don't forget to read the intro at the bottom!! I will be figuring out release dates for all of the parts at a later time, but they will all be subject to change depending on multiple factors! also, if you were on the taglist located on the wip post, then you are still on there, so don't worry! with that being said you will only be added to the taglist if you are 18+ and your age is visible on your page. if you don't meet either of those criteria, you will be ignored.

「start」 : May 8th, 2024 「end」 : June 20th, 2024

「synopsis」 : after waking up trapped in a room with a dead body, you are saved by none other than heeseung, but you're still left with questions. why were you and your friends trapped there, and who is behind it all? though it would seem that you won't be getting your answers very easily and definitely not without a few losses. 「word count」 : 10.2k 「warnings」 : blood, dead body, cussing, mentions of murder, mind games, drugging, mentions of mental health disorders (anxiety, panic attacks, etc...), jungwon is kinda reckless, lmk if I missed anything! 「release date」 : read here

「synopsis」 : with everyone's lives on the line will luck be on your side? except it seems like whoever trapped you here doesn't plan on letting any of you leave that easy... suspicion is rising and trust is starting to falter, but can you save everyone and bust whoever put you and your friends through this hell? or will you have to watch all of your friends die? 「word count」 : 11.3k 「warnings」 : cussing, spiders/bugs, water, blood, mentions of betrayal, arguments, mentions of claustrophobia & arachnophobia/entomophobia, mentions of spider venom, life or death situations, more mind games, mental health disorders (anxiety, panic attacks, breakdowns, etc...), (some tags will be hidden as to not spoil the story!) 「release date」 : read here

「synopsis」 : everything seems to be going downhill at a rapid pace and nothing is going right and you've already suffered the loss of two friends, but the mastermind behind this doesn't seem to be satisfied just yet. another test is thrown your way but things are starting to become more clear and you're realizing that the culprit has been with you the whole time... but will you be able to stop him and escape this hell house with your lives intact? 「word count」 : 10.5k 「warnings」 : cussing, even more 'games', blood, violence, gore, gun goes pew pew, poisoning, betrayal, gaslighting, familial issues, mentions of abuse (mental & physical), knife goes stabby, threats, death, obsessive/stalker-ish behavior, mental health disorders, even more betrayal, traumatic events, police, pls lmk if I missed anything! 「release date」 : read here

「synopsis」 : it's been a few weeks since you managed to escape from the murder house, but it's not quite over yet. your brother's trial was right around the corner and everything is brought back to the table. after he's found guilty and sent to prison you are determined to find out some answers, though you aren't sure if you'll like what he has to say.... 「word count」 : 6.2k 「warnings」 : cussing, petnames (my love, love...), kissing, court trial, sister complex, familial issues, mentions of abuse (mental & physical), obsessive behavior, threats, mentions of death, gaslighting, lmk if I missed anything! 「release date」 : read here

“Come on, y/n. We never get the chance to do this!” Riki whined as he draped his taller frame over your back, causing you to slouch forward. You let out an annoyed huff, letting your hands fall to your lap. Your phone slid from your fingers as you tilted your head to look back at your brother.

“Riki, how many times have I told you that I hate going to things like that?” You pushed back against him, causing the boy to fall dramatically back on the couch. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed your discarded phone off the ground, Riki watching you with a pout.

“You watch too many horror movies,” he grumbled, remembering all the nights you would watch horror movies only to have some new-found fear afterward, even if it was something completely unnecessary.

You dropped your phone once more before glaring up at your brother, “ya know, there is always some truth to them.”

“y/n, please. They are just movies. Complete fiction. Ghosts aren’t real.” Riki rolled his eyes, picking at the loose strings of the couch cushion. 

“Even rumors stem from some kind of truth, Riki.” You huffed out, but it didn’t seem like your brother would stop pestering you until you finally gave in. So after hours of continuously asking and begging, you finally gave in to him, telling him that you would ask your friends only if he brought his own.

And he agreed.

When that dreadful night finally came, you were stuck in a car with all of your friends. The crisp October air was cold on your skin, but the heating in the vehicle that Jay had turned on was enough to leave you comfortable. Jake had some random playlist filling the speakers jamming out in the passenger seat while Jungwon, Sunghoon, and Heeseung were crammed into the far back of the SUV, all three on the brink of passing out from how long the drive was.

“I thought you said this place was in town, Riki.” You grumbled, flexing your jaw, trying to ease the discomfort from having it placed on your hand as you stared mindlessly out the car window. However, now that it was fully dark outside, there wasn’t much to look at, seeing that there were no streetlights.

“I mean, the address said it was in town; how was I supposed to know it was in the ass crack of it?” Riki sassed as he scrolled through his phone, looking at whatever was posted on social media.

“Language, dude.” Jay scolded the boy, his eyes staring at him through the rearview mirror.

“Korean, what else?”

Pursing your lips, you reached over and landed a smack on the back of his head, resulting in him letting out a groan as his head fell forward.

“What was that for?!” Riki exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked over at you with wide eyes.

“Don’t be such a smart ass.” You scolded him, and Riki grumbled before showing Sunoo something on his phone. 

Shaking your head, you lean forward, resting your arms on the back of Jay’s seat, “How much longer do we have to go?”

Jay quickly glanced at you from the rearview mirror, much like he did Riki, before glancing down at the GPS on his dash.

"It's saying we have about ten or so minutes left until we get there." He told you before putting his eyes back on the road. 

It was then that you started to notice just how desolate the surrounding area was. If this was such a hit attraction, why weren't any other cars around? Or any kind of sign of life. It was starting to give you the creeps. However, you just reminded yourself that you were doing this for your brother and that it was probably just your imagination playing tricks on you. So you just tried to relax, sitting back in your seat once more, eyes staring out at the blackness of the trees.

That feeling of unease only grew more once Jay pulled into the driveway, and you noticed that there wasn’t a single car in sight. You pulled your seatbelt off slowly, eyes searching everywhere, trying to find anything to settle this unnerving feeling that was twisting in your gut. As you opened the door, welcoming the chilling air outside, goosebumps littered your skin.

“Come on, y/n, get out. My legs are cramping!” Riki complained, pushing on your shoulder and urging you to leave the vehicle.

With a shaky sigh, you slowly let your foot fall to the ground, your knees feeling like jelly. Jay stepped out of the car, pocketing the keys before looking over at you. His eyebrows scrunched together, taking in the uneasy expression on your face.

“Hey, y/n, are you okay?” he asked, softly taking your arm and pulling you away from the open door so everyone else could pile out. 

“Yeah, it’s just…” You trailed on as your eyes caught sight of the small sign that was hammered into the ground.

The Murder House

You could have sworn that you felt your heart stop. What kind of douchebag names their escape room that? As if the air around you wasn’t suffocating enough, seeing that only made it feel like you were fighting for your breath.

“Sunoo, you’re in the back on the way home.” Heeseung groans as he stretches out, his joints groaning in protest. Sunoo just gave the older male the side eye before moving to stand on the other side of Jake, who had just gotten out of the car.

“Riki, I thought you said this was a hit attraction.” You looked over at your brother, who was inspecting the area much like you were until his eyes landed on you. “Why is there no one here?”

“Calm your tits, sis. I’m sure we just came on a night that no one else wanted to?” He rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, that just means we won’t get stuck with some randos.” Heeseung shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Come on, y'know, we didn't come all this way just to chicken out," Jungwon grumbled, tossing his hair with his fingers.

You curled your lips inward, knowing that they were right and that you were just thinking too much about the situation. Crossing your arms over your chest, you nodded your head in silent agreement. Jay wrapped his arm around your shoulder, giving you a gentle squeeze, ignoring the prying eyes that were on the two of you.

“Don’t let it get to you too much, okay? We’ll just get it over with, and if anything, we just let the timer go out.” He whispered softly in your ear, and the warmth of his breath eased your mind slightly. 

“You’re right, I’m just overthinking.” You gave him a small smile before following after him and the others.

“God damn, Riki, why did we have to walk all the way up here?” Sunghoon huffed as all of you reached the steps of the porch.

You couldn’t help but laugh, knowing he was right because that was a pretty lengthy walk uphill. All of the guys nodded in agreement before Jake walked further up the step, trying to see if you were able to get in. He then noticed a welcome sign hanging from the door, with a small basket underneath holding a piece of paper.

“It looks like we got some instructions, boys and girls,” Jake exclaimed with a broad smile, turning with the paper held high.

You looked at him uneasily as he unfolded it with a flourish and started reading it out loud so everyone could hear.

‘You will have two hours to uncover the grand mystery and escape the murder house. You will find clues and puzzles, but be careful, for everything isn’t as it seems… Good luck!’

A shiver ran down your spine as he finished reading. You weren't sure whether it was the chilling breeze that swept through or the cryptic words of the note. However, you did know that it wasn't just your mind messing with you; there was something deeply wrong with this place.

“Hey guys, this seems really weird. Maybe we should just go.” You voiced your concern, earning yourself a collection of groans from the guys.

“Oh, come on, y/n. Stop being such a negative Nancy and have some fun for once in your life.” Jake rolled his eyes, his hands falling to his side.

Your jaw clenched shut, and a glare adorned your features before you leaned forward, snatching the paper out of his hands.

“You’re such an asshole, Jake.” The words tumbled out quietly as you reread the same message that Jake had just read aloud, trying to see if there was anything else that he had missed.

“Yeah, yeah.” The brunette rolled his eyes before going on to complain about how thirsty he was and how he was sure that they would have drinks for sale or something inside. Then, without another word, he opened the door despite the multiple protests from you and a few others. 

“Jake, you can’t just walk in like you own the place!” You exclaim, hands slapping against your thighs as he disappears around the corner.

Letting out a huff, you step past the threshold, trying to shake off the eerie feeling that started to settle into your bones before going in the direction you saw Jake go, everyone trailing after you.

You walked into the foyer with a groan as you saw the older male chugging down a water bottle, some of it trickling down his chin before catching on his shirt. Your eyes then trail over to a tray that sat in the center of the table, six other bottles neatly placed inside.

“Jake, you can’t just take shit that’s not yours!” You scolded him, which only caused him to stop drinking, a gasp leaving his lips as he pulled the bottle away.

Riki then walked past you, looking down at the table and seeing some kind of note. Taking it, he held it up so everyone could see.

Free refreshments!

“The host probably just sat them out for people to take.” Riki shrugged, setting the paper back down on the table before grabbing a bottle for himself. 

Your stomach turned as you watched him unscrew the cap, “we can’t just trust drinks that are given to us by some random strangers.”

Heeseung then moves past you, his arm brushing yours, before grabbing one of the bottles. He inspected it for a few seconds before meeting your gaze.

"It's still sealed; there's no way someone tampered with it," he explained before twisting the cap open and swallowing a few drinks.

“Weren’t you the one complaining about being thirsty in the car?” Riki raised an eyebrow at you, and you just rolled your eyes.

“Yeah, but-” “But what, just drink the water, it’s not like you’re gonna die.” Riki quipped, causing your jaw to tighten. You knew he was right; you had been complaining about not bringing an extra drink for the road, but you weren’t quite sure if you were thirsty enough to drink some random water given out by a stranger. However, the dry feeling in your throat was telling you otherwise, so with some hesitation, you took the bottle Jay was handing you before twisting the cap off and bringing it to your lips; the liquid instantly quenched your dying thirst. 

After everyone got a much-needed drink, they all needed you all gathered around the coffee table. You, Heeseung, and Jay were on the long couch while Sunoo, Niki, and Jake cramped on the loveseat, leaving the armchair for Sunghoon, Jungwon perched on the armrest. 

“So… when does this game start?” Sunoo asked, leaning forward so his arms rested on his knees. Looking around, you couldn’t help but notice that the room was neatly decorated and clean, yet there was no sign of anyone being there.

Heeseung then leaned forward to grab something sitting on the table, catching everyone’s attention. He flipped it around, trying to find any indication of what it was, but nothing was written on the outside, so he opened the flap and pulled out the papers inside.

“It’s more instructions,” he explains as he starts to read them aloud. It says that as soon as the… the… sorry, I just feel really lightheaded.” He mumbles, shaking his head while squeezing his eyes shut, trying to stabilize his vision.

"Hee man, are you good?" Jay asked, putting a hand on the older male's shoulder, and Heeseung just nodded.

“Yeah, I just…” Heeseung’s words slurred as he started to sway, his eyes drooping. 

Panic started to set in your chest as you noticed that Heeseung looked like he was on the brink of passing out. Just then, Jungwon slumped to the side, falling right into Sunghoon’s lap, causing him to start calling out the boy’s name.

You quickly stood to your feet to check on him, but you fell back into your seat just as soon as you stood, your vision swimming. However, as you looked around, you noticed that all of the boys were either slumped over or on the brink of passing out. 

Worry then etched itself into your bones when your hazy vision landed on your brother's motionless form. You opened your mouth to call out for him and tried to get your body to move, but it wouldn't respond, and no words left your lips. Then everything seemed to fade, and your body grew weaker and weaker until you fell to the side, your head resting against Jay's back before everything went black.

Your body shot up with a gasp, and your ears rang so loud you could have thought it was coming from some kind of speaker. However, as it started to die down to a dull shrill, you realized that it was just you.

Looking around, you felt a chill run down your spine. You couldn’t see a thing. The room was shrouded in darkness, with not a single light in sight. Panic then started to set in as the earlier events started to play in your head. 

Where was your brother? Or your friends? What caused you all to black out?

So many questions started filling your brain, some overlapping others as you fumbled to get to your feet. You blinked multiple times, trying to fully stabilize your vision and to see in the darkness.

A scream escaped from your lips as you tripped over something, landing in some kind of liquid. Your heartbeat roared in your ears as you hurriedly tried to get to your feet, the ringing in your ears growing louder.

Scrambling to your feet, you reach out in front of you, trying to find the wall, and as soon as you do, you start searching for the light switch. With shaky hands, you felt around the wall until you felt the switch. Letting out a relieved sigh, you flipped it, allowing the room to flood with light.

You looked up with a smile before remembering that your hands were still covered in whatever you had fallen into. Your gaze then fell down to your hands, only for the smile to be wiped away and your eyes to go wide.

Blood. Your palms were covered in blood.

Your stomach turns the urge to throw up very strong; dread then fills your veins as you slowly turn around. A high-pitched scream leaves your lips as your eyes are set upon the body of a man, blood pooling all around him.

Fear clouded your brain as you quickly turned back around to open the door. Rushing over to the wooden door, you wrapped your hands around the knob, hoping that it would turn. But it didn’t.

The door was locked, and you were trapped.

@wwooyology | Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or repost any of my work

𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖗 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴜʀᴇʟʏ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ.

[gffa]

*walks back into BATFAMILY fic fandom eleven months later, holding a Starbucks cup* I'm right on time, I don't know what you mean. AND I have returned with the fruits of a fandom that continues to be incredible at providing the good stuff! Sometimes it's still hard for me to grasp just how much fic has exploded onto the scene in the 10+ years I was away from DC, that there was some incredible fic back when I was into the fandom, but coming back to actual mountains of it has continued to blow my mind every time and made me love these characters even more than I already did.

It's almost overwhelming, honestly, how much good fic there is to read, so let me scream at you guys and shove links at you because I'm having a great time here and I want to drag all of you into it with me, COME HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT RIDICULOUSLY DRESSED SUPERHERO COMICS WITH ME, it's all fun and games, I swear! (Okay, but at least you'll have a good time crying about the Bats, I can give you that much at least.)

BATFAM FIC RECS - BABY DICK IS THE CUTEST GREMLIN ROBIN I'M NOT HEARING ANY ARGUMENTS: ✦ sleepless, perfect duty by glassofwater, dick & bruce, 4.3k     The choice to forgo sleep, to forgo Dick Grayson, has never been easier. Not when the other option is Robin. ✦ Parallels in Reverse by rosetteanon, dick & damian & bruce, time travel, 2.2k     Damian travels to a dimension that's a little bit behind his own. There, he meets a younger Dick Grayson, and a happier Bruce Wayne. ✦ string theory by wingdingery, dick & bruce & damian, time travel, 8k     When Bruce and Dick get transported to an unfamiliar Gotham, it only takes running into a different Batman and Robin for Bruce to realize two things: one, they’re in the future; and two—in the future, Dick Grayson is dead. ✦ Rooftop Meetings by orphan_account, dick & bruce & leslie & shrike & cast, 10.2k wip     When Two-Face almost beats a newly minted Robin to death, Bruce decides that the life of a vigilante is too dangerous for a kid. This becomes the catalyst for a series of events that leads twelve-year-old Dick Grayson down a darker path. ✦ It Could Stay This Simple (Just Stay This Little) by coconuticecream (magspie), dick & bruce, 3k     Maybe claiming legal guardianship over a child at 22, and so soon after becoming Batman, spread Bruce thinner than he'd realized. Maybe Bruce was less equipped to parent a third grader than he'd thought. Maybe Bruce should do more to invite Dick into his life. Maybe Bruce should hug Dick, or promise he'll do better by Dick, or tell Dick that he loves Dick more than he thought himself capable. (or: bruce and dick practice self care together.) ✦ No One Said Flying Was Easy by Wrtrmd2, dick & bruce & alfred, 51.1k     Eight year old Richard Grayson has just watched his parents fall to their deaths. Hurting and alone, he struggles to adjust to the new life he's thrown into. Bruce Wayne takes him in, but seems to have no idea what he's doing. Can they help each other put the pieces of their broken lives back together?

✦ Zitka by PechoraFlow, dick & bruce, 2.7k     After Dick's parents fall to their deaths, he is left clinging to the few things he has left: one of them being Zitka, his stuffed elephant. ✦ your heart is the only place that i call home by emavee, dick & bruce, talon!dick, 6.3k     There shouldn’t be any Talons that are this small, this young, but there’s one standing right in front of him. And that shouldn’t be Bruce’s soulmark blooming on his too-pale skin, but it is—there’s nothing else it could be. Batman really should know better than to bring a Talon home with him, but here he is, wrapping up the boy in a set of meta-cuffs and tucking him into the backseat of the car. ✦ Hostage by EternalLife, dick & bruce & alfred, 3.9k     Dick Grayson is 10 years old. Batman is nowhere to be seen, and Robin has a gun to his head. ✦ The Mother-Son Dance by cometoastop, bruce & dick, 1.8k     Dick is upset he doesn’t have a mother to bring him to his school’s mother-son dance, so Bruce offers to bring him instead.

BATFAM FIC RECS - ADULT BATSON AND BATDAD ARE MY KRYPTONITE, I FOLD LIKE WET CARDBOARD FOR THEM: ✦ Permission To Pause by farawayfiction (JJ_Thomas), dick & bruce, 1.9k     Bruce pulled the phone from his pocket. A text from Dick was waiting for him on the notification screen. ✦ oathbreaker by one_step_closer_to_death, dick & bruce & cast, 2.3k     Stranded and on his last leg, Batman might be fighting his last battle yet. But Bruce promised he was coming back home and this was one promise he wasn't going to break yet. ✦ Judge and Juror by CamsthiSky, dick & bruce & alfred, 6.6k     Anonymous asked: I was just wondering if you would like to write a story set during bvs and how Nightwing could be involved there? ✦ When You Don't Have an Umbrella by TheSilencer, dick & bruce, read the tags, 1.2k     Dick Grayson and Batman talk about the rain. Except they're not actually talking about the rain. ✦ riding the blues by TheResurrectionist, dick & bruce & oc, 3.9k     “What’s in there, anyway?” Charles asked, rolling down the window. “Looks heavy.” “A few million dollars' worth of electroshock weapons,” the kid said, dead-serious. After a moment, a grin stretched across his face. “Nah, I’m just fucking with you. It’s old clothes, mostly.” ✦ Lexically Homeless by nighhtwing (divineauthor), dick & bruce, 1.1k     Dick, Bruce, and their relationship with language and each other.

BATFAM FIC RECS - EVERYBODY LOVES DICK: ✦ One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by sElkieNight60, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce & alfred, de-aged!dick, 17k wip     Dick was twenty-eight. The boy in the mirror most certainly was not. ✦ Weight of Judgment by Dragonbat, dick & bruce & alfred, 1.6k     As leader of the Teen Titans, Dick had to make a difficult decision. Now he's dealing with the fallout. ✦ Robins, titmice, and other spring birds by Fleur_de_Violette, dick & jason & bruce, 8.5k     There are a lot of things Jason doesn’t understand in the dynamic of the Wayne manor, despite being here for nine months. Maybe a rescue turning a little more dangerous than it should have been for Robin will help him see things clearly? ✦ bachelor parties of different sorts by cedarcat, dick & jason & barbara & cass & bruce (& background dick/babs), read the tags, 4.4k     Dick and Barbara are engaged. There's just one complicating factor that Dick has to deal with. He'd rather avoid it. aka: the one where dick handles past trauma poorly, finds the support he needs in his family, and comes out better for it. ✦ Kitchen Talk by Smitty, dick & alfred, 3.1k     Dick Grayson gets some good advice in the hours before Nightwing #45. ✦ Teach Me to Dream by CamsthiSky, dick & bruce & alfred & leslie & cast, time travel, 29k wip     Dick’s eleven. Not thirteen and eager to prove himself. Not seventeen and mourning a brother. Not nineteen and wishing his best friend wasn’t dead and Bruce would look him in the eyes. He’s only eleven. So why does he remember all of that? ✦ like the back of my hand by Jo_B, dick & bruce & conner & dick/babs, 2k     “Cut it out.” “Would you stay still, please?” Dick swats Bruce’s hand away and starts pushing himself up. “Y’know, in the wild, bats eat their kids.” “That’s not even a little bit true and you know it.” ✦ idea man by vaporeon_ninja, dick & bruce & jason & damian, 8.3k     Ask him. As if it were that easy. As if Damian hasn’t only just barely begun to respect him, and would immediately burn all the ground they’ve covered if Dick so much as implied he wanted to help him get through something. Yeah, fat chance. No, Dick can’t ask him. But he can’t just keep doing nothing, either. So he decides on a third option- just start trying anything. ✦ One of His Own by DawnsEternalLight, dick & bruce & damian & alfred, 1.3k     Dick's freshly back from Spyral and apartment hunting. Little Does he know his dad has already got that covered. ✦ Now That's a Lot of Damage by Sanctioned_Chaos, dick & bruce & jason & tim & cass & cast, 5k wip     On a joint operation with the Justice League, Dick's family falls victim to a particularly malignant curse and he's the only one who can free them. Consequently, it makes him the subject of their suffering.

BATFAM FIC RECS - JASON TODD IS AN ASSHOLE CAT, I'M GONNA THROW HIM AT DICK BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY (AND MAYBE SOME OF HIS OTHER SIBLINGS TOO): ✦ All the Roofs of Uncertainty by Kieron_ODuibhir, dick & jason & bruce & leslie & cast, 70k     For all the blood on his hands, Red Hood was never just a villain. And Nightwing never gives up on family, not for good. (Or: The one where Dick bleeds a lot and Jason argues with everybody.) ✦ Red In My Ledger by WordsAblaze, dick & jason, 1.1k     day five, where jason realises a little too late that dick isn’t an intruder breaking into his safehouse... ✦ Fixed Points and Fluxes by i_am_the_imposter_syndrome, dick & jason (& bruce), 16.5k wip     When a mission involving a mysterious sorcerer goes wrong, Dick and Jason find themselves out of time and place in a Gotham that’s not quite their own. Protocol dictates they lie low and avoid unnecessary interactions as much as possible until they can get home, but their family here is fractured, and if there’s one thing that’s constant across universes, it’s that Bats have each other’s backs. ✦ Too Close to Call by Dragonbat, dick & jason & bruce, 5.8k     Summary: Things go horribly wrong when Robin thinks he can bring in Two-Face by himself. Now Nightwing’s life is on the line and one bad decision might spell disaster!

BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK AND DAMIAN WERE THE BEST BATMAN & ROBIN, I'M NOT HEARING ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT EITHER: ✦ Won't You Stay A While? by fishfingersandjellybabies, dick & damian & tim, 2.8k     Ric did not expect to find a child sitting on the hood of his cab. Damian did expect to get his brother back. ✦ The Universe Doesn’t Get to Take This by fishfingersandjellybabies, dick & damian & bruce, 1.9k     “And they’re so important that you don’t come home to check on your recently un-amnesiac brother? And here, I thought I was your favorite.” ✦ Just a Little TLC by fishfingersandjellybabies, dick & damian, 1.7k     Dick was not sick. Really. He was fine. Fine!

BATFAM FIC RECS - BATKIDS ALL HAVE MANY SIBLINGS AND THEY'RE ALL PETTY ASSHOLES AND/OR WONDERFUL BABIES AND I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE BEING: ✦ The Long Way Home by itsnatalie, jason & tim & bruce & dick & damian & cast, 111.6k     With Jason tentatively back in the Batfamily, things are going pretty well for him--except for the whole thing with Tim. But who gives a shit about Tim Drake? But when Jason and Tim are pulled into a frightening race for their lives inside a labyrinth that's out to kill them, they may have to look past their differences just to stay alive. Maybe along the way, they'll discover they aren't as different as they thought, and family comes in many different forms. ✦ IRIS Log #1548 by deadchannelradio, jason & cass & barbara & bruce & steph & tim & damian & roy & dick, 8.5k     A Disclaimer From Your Friendly Neighborhood Oracle: The following is a transcript of Patrol Communications Audio written by state of the art transcription technology, IRIS (Interpretation of Recorded Intelligence Software). IRIS was created to provide easily searchable records, automatically, and eliminate the need to transcribe each patrol audio log manually. That being said, IRIS is still experimental, and may not always be entirely accurate. ✦ Real Housewives (sort of) of Gotham by brandywine421, dick & selina & bruce & damian & jason & roy & talia & dinah & harley/ivy & helena & cast, no powers au, 5.9k     Selina is curious to a fault but she has a twinge of concern at her almost-stepson's name popping up on her personal line. They were allies and frenemies, depending on who was Brucie's favorite pet at the moment but he usually texts birthday wishes and xoxo's instead of actual voice contact. "Is everyone okay?" ✦ War! by Smitty, dick & barbara & tim & cast, 1.9k     What 'entertainment' was Nightwing talking about in Nightwing #44? Innuendo. ✦ Nowhere Safer by lurkinglurkerwholurks, dick & jason & tim & bruce, 9.6k     What's a Robin to do when the nightmares don't stop? ✦ Love like Cats by Laroyena, alfred & bruce & dick & jason & julia & cast, 20.7k     “This takes crazy cat people to a whole new level,” his old friend told him. “So this old family your dad took care of, they left their fortune to a cat.” Alfred Pennyworth, ex-special agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service, moves to America to become a butler. A cat butler. ✦ Minimum Height Requirement by Drag0nst0rm, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph, 66.4k     Somewhere in the multiverse, there's a universe where letting his children dress up in capes and follow him into vigilantism seems like a good idea. Bruce is determined that it isn't going to be this one . . . Despite his children's repeated attempts to convince him otherwise. (Or: "When you're eighteen, you can do what you want. Until then, no capes.")

✦ Family Crisis by librarylexicon, bruce & dick & jason & tim & cass & steph & leslie & cast, 85.8k     At the close of the gang war, Batman uncovers an attempted deception concerning the life of his former protégé Stephanie Brown, and suddenly nothing is as important as his family. While Dick seeks absolution, Tim struggles with grief, Cassandra searches for belonging and Steph rebuilds her sense of self, Bruce faces the return of ghosts from his own past and psyche. (War Games AU) ✦ grasp of ice by Kieron_ODuibhir, tim & damian, 6k     “Drake.” The hand in his was cold. Not because it belonged to a corpse, but because the night was cold. Cold and bright and pitiless, fresh snow glittering perfect under the waning gibbous moon like diamond sand. “Drake. Stay awake.” Drake, because he was insane, smiled before he said, “I don’t want your pity, Robin.” ✦ The Salem Protocol by Dragonbat, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & jim & cast, 47.4k     An AU version of Batman, RIP. When the GCPD makes a surprising arrest, Gordon knows he needs to call in support. Contains MASSIVE spoilers for Batman #678.

BATFAM FIC RECS - I CUT MY TEETH ON DICK & TIM AS CLOSE BROTHERS AND NO ONE WILL NOT TAKE IT FROM ME: ✦ Hide and Seek by WordsAblaze, dick & tim, 1.1k     day twenty five, where a mission leaves dick and tim playing a not-so-fun version of hide and seek... ✦ To be a good brother by andthentheyweretwo, dick & tim (&tim/kon), 7.7k     It’s not always easy to be a good brother. Sometimes, it’s downright hard. ✦ Think Happy Thoughts by fanfictiongreenirises, dick & tim & bruce, 2.3k     Dick's vitals keep crashing if his thoughts turn downwards. Tim tries to help. ✦ Hisstamine by coyote_nebula, dick & tim, 2.7k     Dick gets bitten by a venomous snake. Tim pretends to know exactly what to do. ✦ Words That Must Be Said by Dragonbat, dick & tim, 1.4k     Tim needs Dick's advice when his long-lost uncle turns up.

BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK/BABS FOREVER AND YOU CAN SHUT IT IF YOU DISAGREE, THEY'RE ADORABLE TOGETHER: ✦ I'll crawl home (to her) by dizarys, dick & babs, ~1k     She needed to focus. She was Oracle and Oracle couldn’t falter or be distracted by personal feelings, not when multiple lives depended on her coordinating teams across the city, the country, the globe. There was no time to worry about Nightwing or his radio silence. Too much going on to pester him. He got out, said he wasn’t majorly wounded, and she needed to trust him. After all he was Nightwing. Vigilante since he was ten. Dick didn’t need her worrying in his ear while trying to stay alive. They needed to be professional because anything else could end in death. ✦ to my word now I'll be true by theragingstorm, dick/ babs, NSFW, 4.7k     A chance night becomes something more. ✦ Scar Tissue by Smitty, dick/babs, 2k     Some scars heal more easily than others. ✦ Time Enough by Smitty, dick/babs, 1k     Barbara asked him for time.

BATFAM FIC RECS - I WILL DIE ON THE HILL THAT TIM DRAKE'S TRUE LOVE INTEREST IS CONNER KENT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME, NOT EVEN GOD: ✦ What a Hunk (Of Rock) by AelinSardothian, tim/kon & cast, 4.4k     Tim is pulling another all-nighter when an injured Kryptonian lands on his balcony, leaking blood and affection. ✦ Obligatory Nap Time by egg_thief, tim/kon, 2.6k     Tim hasn’t been sleeping lately. Kon’s determined to at least get him to take a nap ✦ GUY.exe by thebodydies, tim/kon, NSFW, 4.6k     “If you tell me what you want,” Conner said, “I’ll do the rest.”

BATFAM FIC RECS - TAKE THE ANGST DIAL, TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN, AND BREAK THE KNOB OFF, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR: ✦ threadbare by inconstant_moon, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce & donna & cast, read the tags, 53.8k wip     That's the thing. Dick looked right at the kid, broken hand and all, and nearly let him in. He nearly let him train. Because after all these years, he didn't process anything wrong with the image before him. (Dick, Bruce, and the implications of raising a partner instead of a child.) ✦ Kindness isn't Free by minnow_doodle_doo, bruce & dick & alfred, no powers au, 6.7k     “You need to love humanity unconditionally or else the world will beat you into the ground and you won’t be able to get back up again.” He said into Dick’s hand like a prayer. “And you can’t kill what you love and survive.” ✦ Home Assignment by librarylexicon, dick & bruce & tim & babs (some dick/babs), 6.8k     Blüdhaven police officer Dick Grayson is suffering the tail end of a nasty cough when he's summoned to work a stakeout as Nightwing with Batman and Robin in Gotham. As the night wears on, his worst fears are realised when three urgent pleas for help pull him in separate directions, forcing him to choose between members of his own family in a way that feels suspiciously intentional. ✦ How Sharp The Pieces Were (You Crumbled Into) by WinterSky101, dick & tim & damian & cass & bruce & alfred & steph & duke & cast, 14.9k wip     Dick is back, but scars like his don't heal easily, even with a new healing factor. (Thirteen stories of Dick and his family in the year after his return to Gotham.) ✦ Pain o' Chocolate by Anonymous, bruce & dick, 1k     Dick is in a coma.

[roguegambitweek]

Romy Discord FanFic Rec List

In honor of Rogue/Gambit Week, some of the writers from the Romy Discord wanted to share some fics that we’ve written. 

With so much Romy love to share, we hope y’all find a new favorite or rediscover an old one. 

💚💖 Thanks for reading! 💖💚

Takes Two To Tango (or take down a Wild Sentinel) @aldreantreuperi by AldreanTreuPeri [ao3]

Rating: M | Universe: XtAS’97 | Words: 1,521 | Chapters: 1 | Status: Oneshot 

Summary: A battle is as much a dance as anything achieved on a dance floor…and having the proper partner can literally keep you alive… Episode 5 fix-it fic.

But Here We Are by AppleJ @applejacks1552 [ao3] 

Rating: M | Universe: Comics | Words: 32,978 | Chapters: 30 | Status: Complete 

Summary: They never thought this would be possible, but Rogue is uneXpectedly eXpecting. Yet nothing is ever THAT simple in the life of an X-Man. What secret will Gambit discover that complicates their happily-ever-after?

AppleJ says: Hmmmm ... why I wrote that fic in particular: First, because I wanted to make the fan theory that the twins (Maxime & Manon) were Romy kiddos real. Second, because I KNOW it will be a cold day in hell before Marvel ever gives Romy kids in the main 616 (like maybe long after I'm dead & they're out of storylines & they've already split/reunited them 5 times over?), so it seemed like fertile ground (pun intended). And third, because they say to write what you know & I wanted a pregnancy/birth story that reflected the reality that it isn't all sunshine & rainbows & certainty for many of us & that's okay too.

Mighty Thin Ice by Cajun_Hawk @cajunhawk [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: E | Universe: Comics | Words: 138,942 | Chapters: 11 | Status: WIP 

Summary: Rogue is working hard to get her powers under control while she and Gambit have decided to take their relationship to the next level, in hopes of having something normal very soon. 

The Legacy of Dark Cerebro by Chellerbelle @chellerbelles [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Movies | Words: 45,064 | Chapters: 12 | Status: Complete 

Summary: What if X2 had ended differently? What if the X-Men hadn’t gotten to Professor Xavier in time and all the humans had died? Takes place 5 years after this alternate ending (exception of the prologue). 

Chelle says: After much indecision, I decided on The Legacy of Dark Cerebro. The opening scene had a special place in my heart, and New Sun vs Phoenix was on my fanfic bucket list for a long time. 🙂Also, this story seems a bit more “new reader” friendly than some of my other favourites, haha.

Risk and Reward by DayenuRose @dayenurose [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 47,518 | Chapters: 13 | Status: Complete

Summary: There’s an old adage that goes, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. As a thief, Remy LeBeau know full well that oftentimes the greatest risks come with the greatest rewards. When he starts to fall for the enigmatic Rogue, Remy must decide if the risks are worth the possible reward. 

Rose says: This was one of the first Romy fics I’ve written. It was a real entry into Romy fandom for me. Everyone was so welcoming and kind in the comments. And during the process of writing this, it helped me come to a better understand of Gambit, Rogue, and their relationship. 💜

LeBeau’s Eleven by Ilargikat @ilargikat [ao3]

Rating: G | Universe: Comics | Words: 14,182 | Chapters: 6 | Status: WIP

Summary: Planning a heist is not easy, especially when you need special skills to pull it off. The luck of being an X-Men is that the skills are within reach, maybe not people willing to commit a heist.

Once. Now. Before. Always. by lovethelebeaux @lovethelebeaux [ao3]

Rating: M | Universe: Comics | Words: 10,179 | Chapters: 4 | Status: Complete

Summary: Four vignettes from four different time periods over the course of Rogue and Gambit’s relationship. 

Lovethelebeax says: Heehee I've only written like four things so this will be easier for me than most 😅 it's this one, my first in 20 years

The Tailor & The Seamstress by Ludi_Ling @ludi-ling [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: M | Universe: X-Men |Words: 58,659 | Chapters: 13 | Status: Complete

Summary: Remy LeBeau is the creative lead at a waning fashion house in 1910 New York. Over the street is his employer’s rival, where a pretty and talented seamstress happens to work. Romance ensues, of course - in-between a friendly rivalry, that is. 

Ludi says: It was a tough call on which fic to choose, but I settled on this one because the last fic I write is always the one I'm most proud of, and this is the last one I completed! Last summer @narwhallove challenged me to write a Romy fic that played on my love of both them and of historical fashion. She threw some ideas at me, and I wrote nearly an entire chapter. Then, X-Men '97 starts, and I read back on what I wrote in July '23, and suddenly the rest of the story unfolds before me. I had a blast writing it! And I hope you have fun reading it too 😉

But I Can’t Trace Time by Sandmans_Raven @sandmansraven [ao3]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 8,998 | Chapters: 1 | Status: Oneshot 

Summary: After a battle with the time-traveling mutant-hunter known as Ahab, Rogue is sent into the future. To get back, she must rely on old friends and put a stop to Ahab’s plans. 

Toys by Spaceorphan @spaceorphan18 [ao3]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 1,619 | Chapters: 1 | Status: Oneshot 

Summary: Romy catches Remy playing with toy action figures of the X-Men. Shenanigans. Set in the 616 verse, but some fun meta-y references to XM97.

[duskysprings-if]

demo (coming soon) | ro appearances | other characters

❝welcome to dusky springs. a family-friendly p̷̧̲̱͛͊̉̔̑͂ă̴̤̝r̶͎͗͋͗̈́͌͠͝͝a̸͉̫͌̉̆d̷̢̨̛͚̠̖̺̞̲̍̃̓͊̄͗̚i̷̟̱̖͆̓̉̉̽͋̌͠s̵̤̦̠̝̬̩̻̓ḙ̵̺͎͂̌̽͆̏̒̈́��̰̩.❞

stuck in dead end jobs to pay the bills is not the future you or your twin sister envisioned for yourselves. so, when your grandfather bequeathes his museum of mysteries to you both in his will, you both leap at the chance to turn over a new leaf and start again.

only the town of dusky springs is nothing like you expected. the town is too vibrant, the people are too friendly, and the woods bordering the whole place are way too eerie for comfort.

still, you and your twin manage to carve out a piece to call home and with it, create a small family that consists of three employees of varying skill and sass, some rich kid with a surprising amount of sense, a wandering stranger, and the demon you accidentally summoned thanks to an old journal you found.

a journal that leads you to the realisation that in dusky springs…

no one is safe.

dusky springs is 18+ cog wip based on alex hirsch’s gravity falls.

content warnings include explicit language, optional sexual content, murder and attempted murder, graphic depictions of violence, blood, and injury, emotional abuse, age gap (optional), body horror, manipulative behaviours, and alcohol and drug use. please proceed with caution.

⛦ customisable mc. play as female, nonbinary, or male with cis and trans options available. chose your pronouns, identity, and titles separately.

⛦ personality stats include: stoic/emotional, cautious/reckless, ruthless/merciful, genuine/sarcastic, kind/rude, stubborn/compliant & sanity. skill stats include: physical strength, charisma, intelligence, and magic. These are subject to change, however, this if is story driven and you will not be punished for low stats.

⛦ four characters to romance with two poly options available to pursue. platonic routes available.

⛦ manage the museum of mysteries, investigate the going’s on of dusky springs, and try to keep your ragtag family from blowing something up.

aspen lyrik [m/f/nb]

the demon you accidentally summoned and bound to you. aspen is quick-witted and intelligent, and you can’t tell if they’re fond of you or not. one moment, they’re refusing to speak to you and the next, they’re almost dying in order to protect you. you knew demons were going to be confusing, but nothing could have prepared you for yours.

loukas/louella cynara [m/f]

one of the employees you inherited with the museum. lou is the laidback life-of-the-party. despite their somewhat slacker attitude at work, they become a fast and loyal friend and appear ready to accept whatever crazy theories you throw their way. as a dusky springs lifer, their insight and knowledge could prove valuable.

vanya seneci [nb]

the child of the richest family in town. vanya lives off daddy’s money without shame. getting caught up with you and the imaginary mysteries of dusky springs was the last thing they wanted. except when things get a little real, you and your twin are the only ones they can turn to.

rayn/raelyn esias [m/f]

the stranger. r rolled into town around the same time you did. the only thing you know about them is the name they gave you and the fact that they seem to know a lot more about dusky springs then they’re letting on.

poly options are aspen + rayn/raelyn and loukas/louella + vanya

[paperbackribs]

For your WIP weekend, tell me about Demi-Eddie-Soulmate-Steddie!! ❤️

Thank you @eyesofshinigami!! 💚💚💚 An explanation rather than a snippet, this time:

Eddie shoves Steve up against the boat-shed wall and they say each other words - bingo bango, Steve's elated, he's found his romantic soulmate! Robin had tumbled into his life as a rare platonic soulmate last year and he can't wait for this next chapter of his life to begin, once they get rid of Vecna of course.

Eddie's a little more confused. He's never really experienced a keen sense of attraction so he's always just assumed he's straight. He lets Steve down as gently as he can and Steve takes it on the chin.

What else can he do, he explains pragmatically to a sympathetic Robin later. He may want the big R of Romantic Love, but he's destined for platonic. Not that that makes their bond any less, Steve hastily tries to reassure her.

Robin simply hugs him. Sad and confused on behalf of Steve. Wondering what the hell is the deal with Eddie because, as the plot unfolds, there's clearly something there but she thinks that the other guy just doesn't see it.

And Eddie doesn't. Season 4 rolls out, completes, Vecna's dead, everyone survives and Steve and Eddie become almost SteveandEddie with how close they are.

Naturally, after all, they're platonic soulmates.

Except the closer that Eddie becomes to Steve the desires that Eddie never really thought were his to own start to become more apparent, and they're decided on only the one person.

Meanwhile, an unaware Steve is respectful of the situation but he still wants sex and romance; he craves that intimate touch and, with Robin's encouragement, he starts dating.

Cue uncomfortable feelings for Eddie.

Cue increasingly jealous feelings from Eddie and a distressing need to unpack his assumptions about himself as he's about ready to tear Steve from every gal and guy that looks at him twice.

But he's still wholly not realised why he's jealous. Could it simply be that he had gotten used to Steve's attention? And obviously he can't steal him away from Robin so does that mean that Eddie has to get used to having less Steve in his life?

It's a conversation with Joyce that oddly makes Eddie understand himself.

Joyce talks about the meaning of soulmates and her theory of it being your best versions fitting together. Because Lonnie, her ex-husband and soulmate, was great when he was good.

Awful when he wasn't.

And, in the end, Joyce chose Hooper and she talks about the importance of trusting the heart, not just the soul. This strikes Eddie twofold. First, that he can make a choice without lables of straight, gay, soulmate or not.

Secondly, Steve's looking for someone to be happy with and Eddie knows that any person, soulmate or not, would be the luckiest bastard alive to have him. So he better get his ass in gear or he's fucked if that beautiful boy decides to pin his heart on someone other than Eddie.

[rainbow-nerdss]

WIP Wednesday

A little bit of Buck and Chris from the Bucktommy fic 💙💙💙💙 (Aka: you can pry couch theory from my cold dead hands, actually)

“Why were you asking about me and Tommy, anyway?” He asks. “No reason.” Chris shrugs “Dad just mentioned it, that's all. Tommy's pretty cool.” “He sure is. Even if he's got terrible Star Wars opinions.” “Hey!” Chris protests again.  Buck just shrugs. “I said what I said.” He thinks for a moment, then adds. “I guess I never really talked to you properly about me and Tommy, huh? I'm sorry about that, bud.” “It's okay. Dad explained it. I mean, obviously I know what bisexual is already, but he explained how you didn't always know. How there can be things some people learn about themselves as a kid, and other people learn when they're old.” Buck gets a little choked up by how simply put it is. Sure, he's always known Chris to be intelligent, and he's a proper little teenager now, but the way he says it so plainly, the way Eddie explained it to him, it's… Well, he's pretty sure it's love. “I'm not old,” Buck says, just to be a shit, and also to keep himself from bursting into tears. How'd he get so lucky to have this kid in his life? Chris shrugs. “That's just what dad said! Take it up with him.” “Your dad’s older than I am!” Buck protests, and Chris cackles.  “Okay, so maybe I paraphrased a bit. Can you go away now? I'm trying to concentrate and you don't even have math superpowers to help anymore.” Buck sighs dramatically, but he does get out of Chris' chair. He sits on the couch, which is still perfectly fine, thank you.  Usable, at least.  Okay, so he'll probably need a new one soon, but he's sure the people at the furniture store will recognise his face by now and he just can’t deal with that. He turns the TV on low and flicks around for a while, then starts scrolling on his phone, just waiting for Chris to finish his work. They spend the evening playing video games—no more than two hours, Buck knows better than to incur Eddie's wrath on that, then they cook together, eating at the table like grown ups with good table manners.

tags below the cut:

@dangerpronebuddie @wildlife4life @theotherbuckley @wikiangela @daffi-990

@theotherbuckley @diazsdimples @bidisasterbuckdiaz @exhuastedpigeon @aspecbuddie @thewolvesof1998 @neverevan @loserdiaz @goforkinard @kwills91 @trenchcoatsandtimetravel @spotsandsocks @devirnis @steadfastsaturnsrings @sunflowerdiaiz @lover-of-mine @liabegins @lovelettertothewise @slowlyfoggydestiny @buddieboos @shitouttabuck @pirrusstuff @jesuisici33 @nmcggg @elvensorceress @eddiebabygirldiaz @your-catfish-friend @eightpackdiaz @gigi-gigi @bisexualbuckleys @loveyouanyway @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @arachanae @dangerpronebuddie

[teamdilf]

I'd love to know a little more about the Solavellan Time Travel AU from the WIP Ask Game!

This fic is going to be a long and bleak one! The basic premise is that, 20 years post-Veilguard, the Executors (who are the Forgotten Ones - at least according to the theory I'm going off of for this fic) have arrived in Thedas in full force, and Solas, realizing he is unlikely to escape them, prepares Iris to travel back to the moment of the breach at the Conclave as soon as he dies and the Veil falls.

Iris watches Solas fall to them and she swears her vengeance, uses an amulet based off of the one Dorian had, and travels back, arriving in her body at the moment of the breach, but with 30 years of knowledge/life experience. She's deeply, deeply traumatized - her husband was just killed in front of her shortly before all of this, and now she's encountering a Solas who is a stranger to her, but with the awareness of who he is/what he's planning/what his fate will be if she cannot stop the Forgotten Ones.

Here's a snippet:

Grief looks enough like defiance to those who do not wish to see their prisoner as an innocent, and so her silence accomplishes the same as it did her first time through, freeing her into Cassandra’s custody to hike through the mountains in search of Solas, Varric and the fade rift that will prove her usefulness to the fledgling inquisition.  While they trudge through fresh snow, she focuses on maintaining a mask of defiant disinterest, despite her stomach twisting with terror at the prospect of meeting Solas again. Meeting her Solas was an ordinary affair - the two of them were Elven apostates and instantly had common ground. That remains true, yet Solas does not know that, in another world, he had been her husband for 20 years and that she returned to the past to prevent his death. He cannot know - not right away, but when the time is right, she will reveal that she knows who he is, that there is a better path before him, and that if they work together, they may be able to stop the Executors before they arrive in Thedosian waters.   They do have a fresh commonality this time around: they’re both lying about their identities. Whether that will help or hinder her efforts to get to know Solas once more remains to be seen.  Solas is but an hour dead in her mind, having woken up with no memory of the explosion or her jaunt in the Fade this second time around, and she’s yet to weep for her husband. Her head swims, as if she’s looking at herself from a distance.  “You seem distracted,” Cassandra says after leaping between her and a demon, raising her shield to spare her from a heavy blow and finishing it with a swing of her sword. “My would-be executioner is forcing me to fight through a sea of demons. Would your head be clear in my circumstances?”  “It would not,” Cassandra acknowledges. “Your cooperation, however reluctant, does you credit. Know that much.” “I’m sure I’ll find that a great comfort when you snap my neck.” Cassandra frowns at her but trudges forward and she takes a moment to catch her breath; to force down the panic building. Your husband is dead yet you will see him in minutes, a perfect stranger. It won’t be him. He won’t have the scar over his right eye or the ones on his neck and the top of his head. He’ll be more distant, looking upon her as a science experiment and not as his wife. 

[fanaticsnail]

⚠️❗️ANIME SPOILERS FOR BENN BECKMANN DOWN BELOW❗️⚠️

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Sorry for that, but I wanted to put a warning in case others don't wanna know. Okay, so, apparently, on Beckmann's bounty poster, it says he's wanted "Only Dead" rather than "Dead or Alive". I cannot find proper evidence of this anywhere other than internet comments saying so, but I'm gonna roll with it anyway for the fun of fanfic writing.

There's theories about why this could be cause it's pretty crazy to think he's only wanted Dead and meanwhile, Shanks (his captain) is "Dead or Alive" (as far as I'm concerned at least). One theory I saw that stuck out to me was that he might've killed a celestial dragon as the cause. Now, here comes the fic idea, what if Beckmann met someone at Sabaody who was forced to become a celestial dragons wife? I have quite a few ideas on how this would play out, but I wanted to share it with you cause I wanted to hear your thoughts, plus you love Beckmann a lot.

Sorry for the long paragraph btw, hope you don't mind. Also, I have to recommend you listen to Lady by the Sea by Stephen Sanchez while thinking of him. Maybe it's just me, but it gives Beckmann vibes.

Snail: sighs. "Lemme open my WIP list"

I'll Handle It

"Your voice it blooms the flowers on the beach // With lips that glisten in the moonlight every time you speak"

Synopsis: All of it was against your will. It was never your doing, your craving, your motivation, nor your love that drew you to the celestial dragon. It was arranged from before you were born, you trained your whole life to serve him. Your duties as a wife were performed with excellence and grace, only met with violent brutality at the hands of your spouse. Fleeing into the night, you were immediately met with a broad torso, two strong arms, and a kindness in his eyes speaking more volumes than words could ever muster. "I'll handle it."

Notes:

I have so many thoughts, and I took some time to think on it to see what my mind could cook up for you. Let me know if I'm on track for hitting the craving for him in the head.

It might get a little messy with DV implications, I will heavily tag.

@i-am-vita would you read something like this?

[ageless-aislynn]

It's coming up on a year since I last could make a vid (and to properly/more easily make GIFs). In this year, my creativity has hit new lows, lower than I even felt when I had writer's block for 6 years. I feel like vidding is deeply connected to my inspiration for other things, primarily writing.

I'm so proud of and happy with Georgette (aka my computer if you didn't know 😉) that she's been able to run the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster and we're so far/so good when it comes to the Denuvo Anti-Cheat I was worried about. In theory, she ~~~should~~~ be able to handle me putting my Vegas on, which would give me back vidding and GIF-making.

So... why haven't I done it? 🤔

I finally realized it tonight: I'm afraid that it won't be enough. That my inspiration and creativity is simply gone and nothing will bring it back again. I'm afraid that's going to break something in me that I might not be able to fix, to realize that desire to make something just isn't in my heart anymore.

Maybe it would be okay. I won't know unless I try, right? I really want to finish these last couple of WIPs. If I'm done with writing for good, I'd like to go out on my own terms, with as much completed as I can possibly finish. I guess I've started hinging that hope on getting my vidding back and thus, feeling creative again. I really miss that NEED to make something, whether it's to write a story, make a vid or even just edit some GIFs. They're all just different forms of how I've been a storyteller my entire life and that's missing in me now and has been for a while.

I miss that a lot.

Anyway, just rambling a bit before I turn in. Hope you're all doing well, friends. Love to you all. 💖

[magnus-sm-writes]

WIP Intro: Body

Genre: Literary Fiction/Speculative/Weird | Progress: Querying | World: Earth | POV: Second Person, Braided Narrative (weaving past/present)

The Past (2000)

The narrator wakes up in his own grave as a Newly Returned Person. As is protocol with NRPs, he's expected to continue the life of The One Before: keep his name, continue his job, and live with his wife, Fransisca. However, both the narrator and Fransisca know that he is not The One Before. When the narrator meets another rogue NRP named Van, he realizes that there's more to his new life than just pretending to be a dead man.

The Present (2001)

Van goes missing. The narrator searches for him, terrified of losing the man who has allowed him to become himself. He and Fransisca deal with his grief and guilt while searching for Van, and make an unexpected ally along the way.

Literal Logline

In a thinly-veiled trans allegory, a man learns how to love after undeath.

Inspirations

Mollymauk Tealeaf, "Moonkids" by Abbey Mei Otis, that part of Fight Club where the narrator is frantically trying to find Tyler Durden, Glass Animals' "Dreamland" album, my gender dysphoria, Kelly Link's Magic for Beginners collection, the theory of the doppelgänger, my grandmother's death

Characters

The narrator has no name that belongs to him. He hasn't quite gotten used to being alive yet, but he's getting better at it.

The One Before is the person the narrator is supposed to be. He is dead, and will stay that way.

Fransisca is the wife of The One Before. She's strangely understanding of the narrator's plight and comforts him through his grief.

Van is the first NRP the narrator meets that refuses to pretend to be a dead person. The narrator falls in love with him for that.

Setting

A world where the dead have begun to come back. Some people believe this is the real Y2K; others believe God has begun rejecting souls. Whatever the cause, NRPs are cropping up around the world. A particular hotspot is New York City.

In early 2000s New York City, the narrator's job at a shitty motel and fight to find Van brings him to some unsavory places with equally unsavory people.

Excerpt

She looked at you with pain, but no anger. You were wearing her dead husband’s face like a poor Halloween costume. If she were angry, you would understand. But she looked as if she’d been stabbed. A deep pain you didn’t know yet. You’d never known loss before, because you were the loss.

“I’m not him.” You wanted a cigarette. You wanted to run away. You wanted to hide in the cabinets. There were so many things you wanted in that moment, and you could have none of them.

Taglist

@flower-reads, @drowsy-quill

If you'd like to be added to the taglist, please let me know!

[abysskeeper]

Bronch day sucks. Too busy to actually write this week. But! I've been sitting on this for a while and after rereading it last night...yeah, I'm still pleased with this.

So, WIP time (apt for Wednesday). I love me some wizard angst fights. Who knows, one day I may even complete this.

******

They were hurtling towards the final confrontation still somewhat in the dark, and he was hurtling towards his judgment. It was…a necessity—divinely tasked. He couldn’t see a way out of it now, and the way she continued to refuse the truth hurt. It hurt him to know there was someone like her still keeping faith in him, and it hurt him to watch her work herself into a frenzy trying to save him.

He wasn’t worth it. It was not what he wanted, but Gale Dekarios had made his mistakes and knew his path towards penance. It was a path he could take, so long as he had her at his side until the end.

“Is that so wrong?!” he demanded. “If we are correct in our theories based on what we read in Thorm’s room, this is an elder brain controlled by the Dead Three. That alone is already magnificently worse than when we believed this was simply an illithid invasion!”

“And I do not agree the sacrifice is worth it before we are even certain of what we are dealing with,” she refuted, throwing up a hand in exasperation. “I am not relying on your death to solve all our problems before we are even fully sure of what they are!”

“We have a very simple solution to it before this whole plot grows even more out of hand! One life for the Sword Coast, that hardly seems like a sacrifice.” It wasn’t a sacrifice at all. It was the only thing he was meant to do from the moment the Orb fused into his chest, he had to believe that. He had to. “One life to prevent a future you have already seen and know can come to pass—”

“A future that is one of several possible outcomes!” Nox corrected on a cry. She glared up at him, anger glinting in the few tears pricking her violet eyes. “You might be so cavalier with your life, Gale, but I am not,” she hissed at him. And despite his anger, despite his annoyance—at her, at the situation, at what he was charged to do—his heart stuttered with her admittance. “I don’t want you do die. None of us want you to die.”

“Alright…” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a step away from her. He needed a moment to disengage before he said something he didn’t mean—or, perhaps, said something he meant all too much. “Disregarding the several issues that exist with you making that decision for me, and there are several—” He glared at her to get his point across. She narrowed her eyes at him in return. “—Did you not think that I would want to be down there, regardless?”

Nox’s jaw clenched and her nostrils flared with the release of a breath. “And did you not think that the rest of us would take necessary measures to prevent you from killing yours—”

“This isn’t about that!” Gale shouted. It was an outburst of tangled emotions, rage and fear and an overwhelming sadness, but he felt it cooling in the few seconds her shocked expression stared back at him. “Do not cast me from your side, Nox’ani,” he said, the desperation pumping in his heart bleeding into his voice. “I have had more than my fill of that in my life already.”

She stilled in front of him, momentarily stunned at his admittance. He watched her composure fall, the same fear and desperation flowing in his veins mirrored in her eyes. Then it was gone, schooled behind a mask of cold, metallic resolve. She sincerely believed she was doing him a favor. He did not know how else to convey this was anything but.

“This is hardly the same,” Nox bit back, harsh. Her arms crossed over her chest once more.

“Isn’t it?” Gale demanded, mimicking her stance and rocking back on his feet. Was it better to show his anger or his despair? He didn’t know, but he was bordering on both. “Because it certainly feels the same.”

“No! No, it isn’t at all! Don’t you dare compare me to her,” she ground out. “One was over a grandiose mistake you should have known better than to make, and one is over whether or not you deserve the right to live because of that mistake!”

“And that is ultimately my decision to make in the end,” he pointed out, voice rough from holding back tears.

“It is,” she agreed dangerously low. Her hand clutched at her staff, still stuck in the ground. “But I find it difficult to believe you are acting of your own accord.”

Gale swallowed, struck nervous by the puzzle in her words. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Do you truly want to die?” Nox asked quietly. “Do you truly want to sacrifice your life to save the world? Do you truly believe this is the only way? Or is it your own gods’ damned ego being stroked by a Goddess to court her own means in the end?”

He momentarily forgot how to breathe, indignation flaring in his veins to temporarily burn away everything else. “You…you think it is pride that is driving me to blow myself up to the Heavens?!” he asked, incredulous. “You believe my ego is so easily inflated I would consider killing myself over some pretty words and half-baked promises? This is Mystra! This is eternal salvation!”

“I don’t know what else it could be!” she shot back. Nox growled out a string of curses in Elvish under her breath and ran a shaky hand through her hair. “Of course you are the only one who could solve this problem, right?” she demanded, glare snapping up to meet his eyes. “Only you can fix it and bring an end to the Absolute? Only you have the capabilities, never mind everyone else and what we can do. Never mind none of us want to watch you die for a threat we could handle!”

“Nox…”

Some of his anger chilled the longer she shouted at him, ironically enough. He could practically see the desperation rising in her throat, her arms flailing like a signal for him to understand what she was saying. For him to understand what she was truly saying beneath the surface. And he wanted to—he so dearly desired to—but it still didn’t change the truth sitting before them. “My Goddess asked this of me—”

“Your Goddess forsook you!” Nox reminded him with an exasperated shout. “And now she demands penance in the form of your life for a mistake she refused—still refuses—to explain! How is that right? How is that demand worthy of consideration?!”

Gale remained silent, taking a moment to truly examine her. Heavy bags rested under tired, pleading eyes while she panted with exertion and frantic appeal for him to see her version of sense. For all he probably should have, he couldn’t prevent the fondness welling in his heart at watching her argue with him for his life. It was charming, heartwarming…and very reminiscent of a life he once knew. The words were out of his mouth before he consciously thought on them, “…for someone who so often speaks of hubris, you have little self-reflection.”

She recoiled like she had been zapped. “And what, exactly, do you mean by that?”

He shouldn’t have spoken a word. “This is Mystra,” he answered softly, honestly. That was all he could do. “You are asking me to consider you and your words above the command of the Goddess of Magic.”

He intended it as a compliment. It was a compliment, in his eyes. It took some gall—it took some care and some heart for someone to demand something of that nature. It was still the wrong thing to say. Gale watched the deep wound cleave through her eyes, her jaw falling open in shock and unfettered pain. Just as quickly, she snapped her mouth shut and turned away from him. He still noticed how she tugged at the collar of her robe and how her hand remained, clenching the fabric and trembling slightly.

A grave error, indeed. “…Nox—”

“You’re right,” she said, voice chillingly quiet, “I do speak on hubris often. But do not misconstrue what I am asking here. I am no better than Mystra. I am far, far below the Goddess…on all counts, I see now, but I am still asking you to consider what I am saying. As a friend and…as one who knows hubris.”

Nox breathed deep and the mask slipped over her with her exhale, a glossy veneer as cool as the ice she wielded. Elegant, beautiful, fragile. “I speak on pride because I know what it is, Gale. I speak not on mine because I have already had it trampled.” Her hand slipped from her staff, defeated, and she rocked between her heels and the balls of her feet. “My pride was believing I could ever step into my mother’s shoes and fulfill her role after we lost her. Elturians did not believe me. My own sister did not believe me and Elturel fell. Again.”

She turned away from him, her feet dragging her into a slow, circular pace around her staff as she contemplated it. Gale wanted her to stop then. He knew where this was going, she had already recounted her history to him. She hadn’t said it, but he knew there was a lot to regret in it.

“My pride was believing I would ever be able to recreate the lost art of chronomancy where my mother failed. Now I am chained to a past I cannot escape and haunted by a future I do not know how to prevent,” Nox continued, words rising in volume and speed. “My pride was believing I could ever act like my sister and step into a leadership role with respect. It is something I have here only because of her, I know this—”

That was blatantly untrue.

“And my pride was in hoping I could still use that regardless. My pride was in hoping I could talk to a talented, stubborn, good wizard as a peer and a friend and have him consider my words!” she said, motioning towards him in exasperation. Or as an example. A few tears started spilling from her eyes. “And my hubris was falling for that stubborn man—who tasted power and divinity beyond what I could ever comprehend or compare to—and believing I ever stood a chance!”

They both froze. Gale stared at her, Nox stared back, eyes wide enough that she appeared as though she were just caught in the midst of a crime. It was the appearance of someone who instantly regretted saying way too much in a fit of madness. Her tears fell faster, slipping from glittering eyes that she squeezed shut before violently turning on her heel from him.

His mind screamed at him to step forward. To respond. To pull her back before she inevitably left. He didn’t—couldn’t—move.

“Oh…fuck it,” she growled. She uprooted Mourning Frost from the ground with a quick yank. “Just…do whatever you will,” she muttered roughly and began walking further into the darkness of the cursed lands. “I have tried all I can.”

[full-on-sam]

New WIP Intro

Since I finished outlining the first act of this WIP, y'all deserve a formal introduction. Especially because I am going to blabber about it a lot.

You might like it if you like...

Lgbt/queer or disabled characters

Healing magic

Polytheist religions

Themes of life, death, balance

Pirates

Detailed worlbuilding

Battles

Travelling across lands

If any of this sounds like your cup of tea, read under the cut!

The Basics

Genre: medieval fantasy, LGBT/queer, low fantasy

Setting: the universe of U'nyon-he that is divided in five islands. Wassermund, inspired by medieval Germany. Tijara, ispired by the 13th century Maghrebi area. Yue Weifeng, inspired by Ming Dinasty China. Velstand (also known as Iskald), inspired by Scandinavia. Fluye, inspired by pre-colonization Mexico.

Language spoken: the five languages, and Common language. The names of gods and the universe is in Common.

Plot

Five islands. Five gods. Four people who meet death, and get sent back with a mission. Only one, to which the mission is gifted from higher powers.

In theory it is very simple: find the Staff of Time, free the gods, reunificate the islands who have grown apart centuries ago. In practice, no one is very enthusiast about the idea of dying, serving the gods, and going back to be dead again once they are done. Especially not in a time of such upheaval.

Plus, Katz has her own way of reuniting the islands. Souad, needs to stop a war first. Jiang would like to become a famous mage before going, and Haakon has a nation to rule. Nayeli on her part, would like to understand why the gods seem to target always her.

They have been given an opportunity to do all that again, there is no way in hell they are wasting it!

Characters (the mortals)

Katz (she? they? who knows. certainly not Katz.) : A young pirate from Wassermund. Katz's main goal: joining the rebellion to make all islands more similar to Velstand, with freedom to choose more than one path in life.

Souad al-Halabi (she/her): An extremely capable merchant from Tijara who can also be an amazing on the spot diplomate.

Lin Jiang (he/him): He dreams to be a famous mage. For now, however, he is being held back a grade at the magic school in Yue Weifeng. Maybe if only he understood what is the true essence of magic, he would succeed.

Haakon Ari Holderburg (he/him): The crown prince of Velstand. He was admired and beloved by all, until his vision. Now that everyone believes him to be crazy, he has to recover his reputation as well as lead a war against Tijara. All while coming to terms with his newly acquired disability, and heavy mobility aids.

Nayeli al-Saghir (she/they): the preferred by the gods. She has been found as a baby in Tijara, now she is an estimated priestess and oracle in Fluye. They are deaf, often experience visions, and have a very developed spirituality. Her main problem, a part fetching the damn staff, is figuring out why the gods seem to only bother them.

Characters (the gods)

Ylan: God of travel and water

Elaij'ah: God of all things dying

Etris: God of all things living (twin of Elaij'ah)

Xira: God of magic

Gador: God of trades

All gods are genderless

[ekingston]

I was gonna be cheeky and ask for 10 and 19 again BUT I shall resist that urge… for now.

I will be sneaky (critical failure) and ask for three (I lied) 28. 30. And 37.

And what the hell, everyone should be proud of their work/s so a 33. (Feel free to pick a couple if this is just asking for a lot - I feel like it is 😅)

I feel like I’m order takeout or reading lotto number here

haha thank you! and the bonus number is…

Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

today i’m reminding myself to practice mindfulness! and not in the sense of breathing exercises or lengthy meditation sessions (although I’m sure those have their benefits too) but by making myself be in the present, paying attention to all of my senses, and remembering that my characters would do the same. you’ll need that material to fill in the little details that draw the reader into your work, that tricky thing that makes them feel like they can’t just see it, but like they’re actually there. life is a sensual experience, and i think our stories should reflect that!

Describe a fic that almost happened, but then didn’t.

this got long, so…

i once scribbled down a dream i had that was a sort of trippy time travel/repeating day type of thing, where Lena was part of a small crew of criminals that used Lena’s tech to travel back in time to aid them with their heists. they would simply rewind time over and over, taking note of the details, learning every possible outcome, eliminating obstacles along the way, practicing the motions often enough to nail the final, perfect execution.

the first scene was a very bloody one, and i came in right in the middle of it, not understanding how Lena and her people could be so callous about the people laying bleeding and dying at their feet, especially because Kara was one of them. Lena’s crew just kept saying they’d ‘fix that next time’, like some sort of cryptic mantra.

in the dream Lena ended up looking for Kara in every run through, charming her in a thousand different ways, always the same, Kara falling for her every time. there were a few rewinds that took her back so far that Kara was still a child, immediately smitten but completely lost on earth, abandoned and alone, and Lena lobbied hard to make sure her crew fixed that, too, even when it meant Lena would never meet her again.

i saw Lena’s crew running down a dark alley over and over again, at least one of their crew dead or dying, at least one other gravely hurt. Kara turned out to be the reason their plan failed every single time. Lena ended up having to turn against her team to save her before they could eliminate her from their timeline completely.

in the end Lena lay dying in child-Kara’s arms, telling her ‘we’ll fix it next time.’ this was when she’d finally discovered Kara wasn’t human. the line i woke up with was Lena telling Kara to promise her, ‘if you figure it out someday—fly up’. the theory being, i think, that if Kara somehow were to fly high enough, fast enough, she’d achieve the same effect Lena did with her tech, and Kara could go back to save Lena instead.

my dreams get pretty elaborate, but they rarely come with as tidy of a plot as this one did, so i bet it already exists somewhere.

Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

i don’t feel i write the kind of stuff that requires a lot of research and that’s probably a good thing! because i will go down absolutely every rabbit hole the internet has to offer when i do and zero writing will get done. my longform WIP TFOT has been brewing since—let me check—December 11, 2022 (thanks @mooosicaldreamz) and i’ve written less than 20k words, including my outline. instead i have spent my time working on it ‘studying’ veterinary medicine, learning about sustainable agriculture, planning trips to Wyoming and wondering alongside Paula Cole where all the cowboys have gone.

Give your writing a compliment.

i can’t tell you how happy it makes me when people tell me i managed to write something that made them laugh out loud. several times even! sometimes waking up their loved ones or startling strangers! i love that so much.

[thetruearchmagos]

WIP Questionnaire

Thank you kindly for the Tag, @theprissythumbelina !

1. What is the first part of your WIP that you created?

Well, the Setting, probably, which as an answer works for just about any of the WIPs I could name. In theory you could argue Gustav and the Magician, individually and as a 'set' of sorts, technically predate my coming up with the 12 Worlds, but the form they took then has only passing resemblance to their current incarnation.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Ooo, well, I've been thinking I'd probably see about getting something original made, or making something myself as a side thing. I mean, I kinda envision a lot of my WIPs as serial animations in my head anyhow, so I've put more thought into this question than reality is ever likely to require.

3. What are your favorite characters that you made? Why?

Well... You know how big this list could be. I love all of them, and at any moment which forces / allows me to dig deeper into any single one of them makes me love them even more. Still, my final choice is an obvious one: Gustav Johann Schmidt, who's been in it since the very start, and who's voice has by now almost become my own whenever he comments on some facet of his world in the same way I would.

4. What other pieces of media do you think your fan base would share?

Hmm, well, I've always thought this would go down two tracks. First of all being the classic 'Techno Thriller' crowd, the sorts who like tanks going boom and spies under deep cover: I'd go with things like The Hunt For Red October and Red Storm Rising, both being stalwarts of the genre which have absolutely been personally inspiring. The second track goes down the wider book / writing community, or at least those looking for 'genre fiction' and all that, who might discover the 12 Worlds more on its fantastical or worldbuilding grounds than for its techno thriller nature: I don't really 'understand' what I'd mean by this cohort myself as much, but I guess it could include series like ASOIAF, possibly.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

Well... If we're speaking in the past tense, as far as things that have already happened go I'd put forwards "making sure the worldbuilding exists and isn't utterly contradictory", since there's too little writing down so far to count for a big struggle. Dates are hard, and measuring things on the order of decades to a century leaves me with a lot of uncomfortable dead space on one hand, and a bunch of events clustered together on the other. Untangling this has to happen before the writing does, to me, and it's gonna be hellish.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Uhh... Technically, Snake In The Sandbox (Gustav's third and least brought up WIP) features two animals! One's a snake which literally scares G's shirt off when he finds it in his tent, and the other's some sort of desert lizard the 18th Corps adopts as its mascot.

7. How do your characters get around? (Ex. Trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Oh, probably their respective combat vehicles more than anything, though long distance stuff gets done by plane / aeroship, and getting between Worlds means ships for everyone. Non military types might get their own car, or plane.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

Technically brought this up already, but the answer's worldbuilding. It's always worldbuilding. Though within that category, I'm technically supposed to be writing up a piece on the UC' policy towards Goilac / Nouvoulouis pre SSAW, but... I have been having a lazy weekend.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe) of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

Big flashy boom booms and cunning military tactics, strategy, and leadership on the one hand for sure, but I'd like to think the depth, history, and life that exists within the 12 Worlds might have some appeal to readers.

10. What are your hopes for your WIP?

Published novel, or really a few considering how many there are already for the 12 Worlds. Then... Well, I think I've got a few ideas in me for the Setting yet.

Anyone fancy a boardgame?

And that's that! Tagging @athenswrites @hessdalen-globe @caxycreations @sanguine-arena @vyuntspakhkite-l-darling @thatndginger and anyone who'd like to take part!

[hahahax30]

I sadly have no moodboards yet for this WIP, I haven't had the time to work on them and l'm not super sure on their names yet so I don't want to make them until l'm sure of that front 😭😭😭

Also apologies in advance if this is too long, I struggle to shut up about any MCs, so please don’t hesitate to tell me to stop

The main characters are as follows: Cleo Brisbane, Casper Brisbane, Rose Tully, & Zoya Amobi-Chapman/Zoya Saltykova

Yes I spent the last couple days finalizing everyone’s names

Cleo Brisbane is the first daughter of Roland Brisbane and his selkie-wife Cassandra, older than her twin brother Casper by a whopping twenty-two minutes. A “reformed bad influence”, as she considers herself, and despite being raised in isolation and then being in a detention center from the ages of 13-15, she had become burnt out and , but she’s put away her party-girl ways in order to be the “leader” of their little group. Cleo is a talented ballerina, though she has recently started to re-devote herself to it; as she had to put it aside when training her magic. Roland was convinced that she needed to be shoe-horned from a young age and spent a small fortune trying to bring out Cleo’s ambition with a more “human” talent (if ballerina’s can really be called human because I wish I could do what they do), as he did with all of his children.

Cleo is ruled by her insecurities, despite her confident exterior, and is constantly seeking validation from others (especially from men). She views herself as constantly out of control, a monster of epic proportions, no matter how hard she tries. This is because of her “strange” abilities.

She is a psychic and she is plagued with visions and dreams of the future. There are times where she doesn’t know if she’s watching the past or the present in front of her. She is haunted by dreams of the water, beckoning her closer and closer. She often goes running on the beach, hoping to quell her urges to just jump in and let the sea take her away. She doesn’t trust her own mind most of the time and there’s a lot she (and we) don’t know about the full extent of her powers.

A quote from Cleo: “If you want to play with dead things, you’re more than welcome to join them.”

Rose Tully is perfect, that’s probably what people would say about her if asked. She’s smart, multi-talented, always clean-cut and polite. There are no cracks in her veneer. At least to the naked eye, there’s not. She’s constantly jealous and insecure, stuck in always looking over her shoulder, afraid to find someone better than her. Someone that could replace her. She is an uber-talented pianist, having been playing since she was two years old and declared a prodigy. Music is her biggest passion and it is one of the few things she lets herself actually show some emotion for. Other than that, she hides behind her mask of indifference. Her need for perfection comes from something her mother told her when she was eight years old. She was drunk when she told little Rose, “No one will love you if you aren’t perfect” and Rose would take these words to heart for the rest of her life and they haunt her brain to this day.

Her mother is Claire Tully, the de-facto leader of the cult in Roland's absence. Claire is one of the cult's most devoted followers and Rose, like Cleo and Casper, was born and raised within the cult and has never known another life. Despite not believing in what the cult practices and preaches,

Rose isn’t particularly powerful when it comes to magic, despite her constant working herself to the bone. She has the ability to manipulate materials on a molecular level; such as metals, textiles, glass, steel, wood, etc. Despite years of working at it, Rose is still considered a novice in terms of her extra ability. The reason for this will be revealed later on (though theories are welcome)

Quote from Rose: “You’re not an idiot, a flirt maybe, but not an idiot.”

Rose and Cleo are very similar people, but they don’t see it. Rose is the clean-cut Cleo and Cleo is the messy Rose. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Olivia Rodrigo song, lacy, but Cleo and Rose are each other’s Lacy. If that makes sense.

Casper Brisbane, though he prefers Caz, is Roland Brisbane’s second son (though he doesn’t know that). He and his twin sister, Cleo, are beyond close; their relationship is co-dependent, often to a point of concern, due to their complete lack of socialization with other children. Caz is going through it right now, everything is weighing heavily on him at all times. He’s a club rat, to put it lightly, and is constantly breaking curfew to go out to bars and clubs. Out of everyone in this ragtag group of cult survivors, he was arguably the most loyal to the cause of the cult and struggles the most with “abandoning” his father.

He deals with the severe guilt of not knowing whether or not his loyalty to his his father was unfounded or not and is constantly questioning every decision, every moment, every memory of his life. Caz deals with these feelings by going out and “numbing” them by making bad (and often reckless) decisions that aren’t approved of by those around him.

Unlike his twin, he isn’t plagued with physic visions. His extra ability is to control the air. He can manipulate the air pressure, play with sound waves in the air, etc. If it’s in the air, he can work it to his heart’s content. He’s highly powerful, don’t get it twisted, but Caz could care less, he’d rather use it for fun than actually focus on controlling it more. His main magical focus however is potions, he is the group’s official potion maker because he is so talented at making potions just the right way. His interest in botany certainly does help those matters

A quote from Casper: “And that’s why I don’t give you wolfsbane, if makes you zany.”

Zoya Amobi-Chapman is the only one who wasn’t born into the cult, she was kidnapped into it. Her father is Ivan Saltykov (one of the OG cult members from the Barty era) and he spent the first five years of her life trying to find her. Despite not having been born into it, the cult life is the only life Zoya remembers, much to her chagrin. She, like her bff Cleo, considers herself to be a “reformed bad influence”, though she feels nothing had to be reformed about her behavior. She’s a major fashionista, constantly tweaking, designing, and thrifting to match the aesthetic she wishes to achieve. Her favorite brand is Vivienne Westwood and Zoya has spent years thrifting the brand to fill her collection, and her style is very heavily influenced by that. She strives to be the most fashionable person in the room, no matter the cost. If she’s going to stand out anyway, people might as well be talking about her outfit.

She was the result of the abusive, tumultuous relationship between Ivan & her mother (Zara Chapman). For the first five years of her life, she was raised by Zara and her new husband (Michael Amobi), neither of whom have magic. Her identity is her biggest struggle, as Zoya often feels like she is two people; Zoya Amobi-Chapman and Zoya Saltykova. Zoya Amobi-Chapman is who her parents want her to be. Normal, non-magical, the devoted daughter who’s never even heard of Brighton Beach and doesn’t speak a word of Russian or spells. She remembers little-to-no about her life with them before the cult, a few bits here and there, and fears being unable to make them happy and tries to push them away; despite loving them without her memories. Zoya Saltykova is the girl raised by Ivan. She’s unashamed of her magic and her Russian heritage*, she’s tough as nails and isn’t scared to disappoint anyone. She’s trying to find a balance between the two, but it’s hard, and she feels it’s a struggle she has to have on her own

*Zoya is half black and half Russian; she was primarily raised by her (white) Russian father which is why she feels more connected to her paternal heritage rather than maternal, though she feels Zara and Michael don’t understand what her life was like without them because they villainize her past and pretend as if she wasn’t Russian at all

Zoya’s ability is probably the most fun of them all because she’s a SHAPESHIFTER!!! I love me a shapeshifter. Out of everybody, Zoya is probably the most well-trained when it comes to her ability (one she shared with her father). She has the ability to change shape into any human or animal she desires, she can also focus her shifting to certain features such as her hair or nose. She’s one of the most powerful characters, though many underestimate her when they shouldn’t

Anyways, CK, I hope you enjoyed reading about these characters!!! Again, please tell me if you want me to calm down with these because I absolutely can if you want me too

Riley, there are NO WORDS to express how sorry I am for the late reply (again). Uni's really been kicking my ass and it's been two weeks :')

Damn, I already feel sorry for Cleo. She seems to have a lot of trauma yet to be unpacked. Also I hope that her need for male validation doesn't make her end up in toxic relationships? Provided she's attracted to men which I reckon she is?

And Rose is also pretty traumatised what with her need for perfection. I don't have many theories as to why her powers aren't as, well, powerful as they could be, but they sure sound pretty interesting (if you could expand on what they entail?)

Okay I really do like Caz and I think it's beyond great that he has such a good relationship with his sister (ofc there are some issues with their closeness but I love stories with emphasis on non-romantic relationship)

Okay, with Zoya I'm sensing a pattern here (your characters are all traumatised lol)