A/N Jan 2019: Whoops sorry, couldn't avoid it anymore; OC gets a name and I apologize for that, I assume some won't be a fan of the choice. But damn I loved writing this chapter. Got me out of a real emotional slump to be honest. I know it doesn't directly follow the last chapter (there are a few days in between), but I wanted to write it so I did and then I wanted to share it so... I did.

Series Title: first impressions
Chapter: 3/?
Chapter Title: mad and maddening
Pairing: Jacob Frye/Reader OC
Word count: 4907
Rating: T
Story summary: You’d never found violence particularly attractive. But you had to admit… it looked good on him.
start here (brute pt 1), previously (notorious)

He was waiting for you as you entered your mistress’s room. Grinning. “Lizzie.”

You froze for just a moment before quickly stepping in and closing the door behind you, frowning. You tried to keep your voice even, if edged with wariness, a plethora of thoughts suddenly buzzing in your head. “...Mr. Frye.” Why was he here? How did he know your name? What was he-- oh god -- Your heart leapt to your throat with a rush of anxiety, eyes widening before you glared. “You could’ve been caught,” you hissed, stepping forward, glancing around the room as if you might spot something amiss. “I could’ve been anyone!”

How dare he laugh like that. “No you couldn’t have.”

A/N Jan 2019: I really liked writing brute but had a more specific version of the main character in mind. You can find a third person (instead of second person) version of brute over on my FFnet page. Should I change the original on AO3 to be in third person, for the sake of continuity within a series? Let me know.

Also... I unabashedly borrowed the concept of supernatural modesty from His Dark Materials (the witches and how they achieve invisibility).

Title: meek
Chapter: 1/1
Pairing: Jacob Frye x OC
Word count: 2478
Rating: PG, maybe T for referenced violence but not really
Summary: Once more he relied on something besides his eyes, letting his Assassin senses pick out the figure before him. Shifting. Flickering. Fading and cutting in and out of the air itself: fascinating for how forcefully uninteresting it wanted to be. [*A reverse POV version of brute with a specified OC.]

He’d always assumed Evie was the only one who could do that. How, he wasn’t quite sure, but he wasn’t entirely concerned with it either; it was that same instinct he had - that George had, that their father had had. It was part of being an Assassin. Jacob had an innate ability to aim under pressure, his sister could just… disappear. He’d never seen anyone else do anything like it. Or not-seen it, as the case may be.

The first time he saw her do it, he wasn’t even entirely sure that that was what was happening.

A/N Dec 2018: Anyway, here’s the rest of what I’ve got so far on the Jacob/Reader ficlet. This probably won’t be the last of it, but it does wrap up cleanly for something resembling a chapter. And I’m happy with it, so I figured I’d share. ^^ Also, have I mentioned how much I love this art by @kingsdarga? Because it may have contributed to my enjoyment writing this. Cross-posted on Tumblr.

Title: N/A (in other words, I have no clue)
Chapter: 2/?
Pairing: Jacob Frye x Reader
Word count: 3356
Rating: T for canon-typical violence
Summary: You’d never found violence particularly attractive. But you had to admit… it looked good on him. [fight club!Jacob]
start here (1/?)

Previously: And that was how you ended up, about 75% willing and 80% tipsy, giggling arm in arm with Emma as the three of you made your way to the foundry. You held her arm a bit too tight, eyes a bit too wide, skin jittering as alcohol twisted your fear to adrenaline. William knew a fellow, supposedly, who fought regularly in the ring at this particular fight club, and he promised it was a sight to behold. He’d laughed, claiming your eyes had gone the size of saucers upon hearing of the primary draw of such events: last man standing.

It was grotesque in a sort of fascinating way, where you didn’t want to watch and yet you couldn’t look away. It was disgusting, and so often brutish, but god there was something exhilarating about it.

A/N Nov 2018: So. Chapter 6 (7 on AO3) is going to have a lot of technical stuff. I’m a sucker for the imagery of magic control so... it may be wordy and potentially clunky... Though that’s mostly 6-2. A little in this section too, though, so if you’ve got feedback on if/how to clean it up and make it more concise, lemme know. Always looking for comments. ^^  Elsewhere: AO3, FFnet, ko-fi (for 6-2 preview).

Story Title: Iron & Gold
Chapter Title: 6 (as of yet untitled)
Chapter Part: 1/?
Story Part: 18/?
Pairing: Emily/Outsider (emsider)
Word count: 1798
Rating: T
Summary: Ever since she was a child Emily had been cautioned: beware the fae. She’d heard the typical warnings – faerie rings, wishing wells, mysterious lights in the darkness. But they were just cautionary tales... [A Dishonored fae AU]
start here (prelude), previously (5-3), next part (6-2)

“The key to resisting enchantment is an unwavering surety in one’s own self.”

They’d paused mid-afternoon by a stream Emily had never been aware of before. Then again, they’d been traveling far from any path she’d known, the forest parting to let them pass. While she’d taken a moment to rest, the Outsider had slipped silently into the trees, melting down to shadow again, and returned a few minutes later with an update about the witches’ progress in their search. Satisfied that they had a substantial lead, with the witches searching west instead of east, he’d initiated her first lesson.

“Doubt is both necessary and disastrous. You cannot doubt the tenets of your will, but you must doubt what you are being asked to do.”

A/N Nov 2018: This fae au just keeps growing, I guess. If you’re enjoying it I’d love to see some love for it over on AO3 where it’s going up under the title Iron and Gold. Elsewhere: AO3, FFnet, and the next preview on ko-fi.

Story Title: Iron & Gold
Chapter Title: 5 (I can't fuckin title stuff to save my life)
Chapter Part: 2/3
Story Part: 16/?
Pairing: Emily/Outsider (emsider)
Word count: 2179
Rating: T
Summary: Ever since she was a child Emily had been cautioned: beware the fae. She’d heard the typical warnings – faerie rings, wishing wells, mysterious lights in the darkness. But they were just cautionary tales... [A Dishonored fae AU]
start here (prelude), previously (5-1), next part (5-3)

They went about their business separately, silently, and Emily realized they were getting a much later start than she’d expected. When she’d tucked in for the night she thought she would be lucky to get a few hours of sleep and wake at dawn, but by the time they mounted up it was nearly noon. The realization hit her with a quick jolt of panic as they worked their way deeper into the woods, the horses seemingly briefed on their route beforehand, and she chided herself for not thinking of it sooner. Then again, she’d never been on the run before. If she’d been in Delilah’s place there would’ve been scouts out all night with dogs, seeking out the escaped captive. By noon the next day they would’ve searched well past the point in the forest where the queen now rode.

A/N Nov 2018: Oh wow. I guess I’m all caught up posting the faeU. Working on 5-1/5-2 now, posting the whole project (in full chapters) over on AO3, as well... but in case anyone is trying to keep up with things, I thought I’d keep sharing. This section contains something akin to a panic attack, and a bit of distorted thought processes and teensy bit of comforting around trauma. Reader discretion is advised. Also; shifter! AO3, FFnet, and over on ko-fi, there’s a bit of 5-1.

Story Title: Iron & Gold
Chapter Title: Flight
Chapter Part: 3/3
Story Part: 14/?
Pairing: Emily/Outsider (emsider)
Word count: 1885
Rating: T maybe M
Summary: Ever since she was a child Emily had been cautioned: beware the fae. She’d heard the typical warnings – faerie rings, wishing wells, mysterious lights in the darkness. But they were just cautionary tales... [A Dishonored fae AU]
start here (prelude), previously (4-2), next part (5-1)

Her supplies weren’t exactly ideal, grabbed rather hastily in her escape, but Emily made do. She could focus on future plans in the morning - where she was going, how she’d feed herself, defend herself. Morning was only a few hours away, if she woke at the crack of dawn. She needed rest and she needed to stay warm as autumn shifted to its second half. With the dry chill in the air she hadn’t bothered using her quickly waning energy for building a full shelter, instead setting up a makeshift bedroll between log and fire, where she now lay staring at the leaves that blocked her view of the sky.