RECOLLECTION INTERCEPTION

The Work-Afterlife Balance by @blockcat-safari

* A simply delightful episodic comedy (with sides of angst) which follows Abolish as he mentors (babysits) the Organization’s two newest recruits after the events of Oakhurst rendered them both a little directionless. Each mission is loosely based on a different fictional work, and I have laughed out loud many *many* times due to Abolish’s dry humor and Cat's glorious sense of wit.

Circulatory by @jackdaw-sprite

* A time loop fic! This one is fun because it’s Doc and Owen trapped in the loop together and hating every minute of it. Owen is determined to make everything as horrible as possible for Legundo, while Legundo is being forced into some rather uncomfortable realizations about himself and his fellow townsfolk. Oh, and the magic isn’t following the rules. That feels important.

Attrition by @voidindite

* The second time loop fic I want to recommend. It’s just Doc in this one, and he is *traumatized* so badly by what Owen did in canon that his first couple of loops center around just avoiding Owen entirely. So we get to see him develop some really cool relationships with Pyro, Abolish, Martyn, etc… but also grow distant from friends he had in the first place (like Cleo). This one is lonelier and more melancholy than Circulatory, but I love it dearly.

Grim Purpose in All We Do by @audioeidolon

* Lovebitten! (technically, that’s not the only focus). Audio is known for her weird vampire biology/society/hierarchy stuff, and it is in full force here. If you ever wondered what Oakhurst would look like if Louis was alive and starting a competing coven to Scott’s, this is the story for you! (Also, Louis as a bat is adorable. Just saying)

Nobody Has To Understand by @venusplantt

* More Bloodletting, but this one is… strange. It is tagged as Human?Legundo, and I am not yet convinced he’s not one of our starting vamps. The fact that we’re six chapters in now with no confirmed vampires (though I’ve got my eye on Legundo and Pyro) is very fun. Owen however is definitely human, still very sick, and just so very much in need of the good Doctor’s help.

Slay the Vampire by @uncannyfig

* Just started this one and it is *delightful*. It is loosely based off of the game Slay the Princess (and some beautiful art by @dogerbooger), so expect more time loop(?) shenanigans in this one. Just Doc and Owen so far, and just an isolated, winter-bound cabin. Really looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Memories Over Coffee by @bardicc-inspo

* 2006 NYC Abolish is suddenly confronted by a reincarnation of Dr. Legundo. There are other reincarnations mentioned (not gonna spoil them), and I’m really looking forward to the NYC vampires meeting and dealing with those later. Right now, just seeing Abolish have to unpack and deal with all of the emotions and trauma surrounding canon Legundo’s death is plenty enough to tug at my heartstrings.

Guard dog duty by @smootnytechnik

* Another Abolish-centric fic (though it also has many Owen POV sections). This one is an AU that supposes that Owen was taken in by Abolish's organization shortly after the massacre of Oakhurst 200 years ago, and then turned into a weapon. Poor Owen is subjected to very dehumanizing treatment for literal centuries, before Abolish is born, trained and discovers his existence. The two are eventually paired together and it is beautiful to watch Abolish draw Owen out of his shell.

Let Me Help by TheoTheHero

* Was quite excited to see that this one is getting updates again! Let Me Help is an explicitly romantic Bloodletting fic (with kissing), set in a modern AU wherein the Doc catches Owen stealing blood bags from the hospital he works at and decides to help. Beautifully descriptive language, also quite wintery and cold feeling. (Theo, idk if you are on Tumblr but feel free to comment and I’ll add your handle if you like).

Scrolling through your phone, you type on the search bar "means to keep evil spirits and / or devils away for dummies", studies of those same subjects have been all you have find yourself researching for lately

Did they ever work? No, but fuck man if monsters actualy exist them SOMEONE has to have found a way to deal with the supernatural, shit you aren't even looking for a permanent solution just something to guarantee a bit of privacy...

And speaking of the devil, literaly, your trained ears pick the soft jingle of bells coming from your balcony, with exasperated sigh you get up and, harder than you meant to, open the glass door to the outside world

Catching in mid climb, the white-haired Pierro, his black and bright yellow eyes wide from the Sudden movement, his month no were to be seen

"... you gotta stop climbing to the second floor people will notice someday" you move to help the clown, even if you know he doesn't need it anyways, but courtesy is what kept you alive to this day... you hope...

His voice is barely a whisper, his pale face, for you know it is made of something that is not quite a mask but not quite skin, burns lightly pink, shy or embarrassed as he is by being caught "you heard me..."

"No shit" you snort at his demeanor anyways, deep down a part of your brain is asking itself if it is too late to seek therapy or a mental asylum at this point, for despite all the OBVIOUS flags, you have found yourself actualy charmed by the crazy performer... where has your sanity gone? You wonder briefly... especially now that you dig in your pockets to gift your stalker a set of keys "here"

Pierro tilst his head sideways, big wondering eyes going from your hand to your face "keys?"

"For the front door" You sigh, closing his hand around the set "so you can stop giving me a heart attack and paranoia"

The clown is trembling, smile tretched tightly as it gets when he gets excited, muffled you could hear heavy breathing and red tints his face ever stronger by the passing seconds

You ignore all this and continue to walk back inside your apartment "might as well, right? It's not like i can stop making you show up, so might as well handle you the keys. Just don't eat everything on the fridge, alright? I need a bath... and a nap... definitively a nap..."

But just as you were about to cross the door, a giggle makes you look up, the squeak you gave was definitively not good for your dignity but God damnit did Harlenqueen ever knew how to freak you out when he wanted to

The green clown chuckles, but there is no glint of mischief in his neon eyes. No, they are narrow and... perhaps, genuine resentful "my my if I knew all it took to get an invitation to your house free of charge at any time,bwas to keep being such a clingy dog, I'd gladly put on a colar for you~"

You imediatly slap your hand on Harlenquins' neck, making sure your fore arm covers his chest as you gently push him out of your way, it was never a guarantee that Pierro wouldn't throw his knifes at his companion when he as much as breathed three feet away from you, but you hope they could at least behave today, you would hate to clean blood of your curtains... again

"Fucks sake Harleen give a heads up when you do this shit" you feel claws grip your free hand, a looming shadow behind you is insisting in having your attention again, so you give in and pull Pierro along for the inside of your house, leaving Harlenquin behind

"What?" The green clown asks mockingly "no keys for me? I'm hurt dearest, after the good times we have had-"

"There were no good times" you cut him before one of Pierros' knife do "and I only had a budget for one set of copies. Wait your turn, geez. "

"..." now he shuts up, impatient prick, he even has the gall to shine his alredy bright eyes, month only a small gap of razor teeth in surprise "you were actualy planing to give me a set too?"

"Yeah, but it was supposed to be a surprise like Pierros'- don't look at me with those kicked puppy eyes. You got yours first - because you two will keep showing up at my house, and i really don't want any cops or god forbid neighbors being suspicious"

You ignite the stove and put a pot with water in it, might as well make coffee for your "guests", all the while your clingy pierrot doesn't let go of your hand and even rests his head in the back of yours, you can feel him pouting

"Besides" you gesture for Harlenquin to sit on the nearest chair, as if he wasn't already doing that to begin with, the familiar shit eating grin back at it's place on his face "it's not like i have any more stalkers besides you two righ?"

Both clowns nod, agreeing to something at least, but you freeze

As if your body needed a wake up call, you feel eyes still watching your every move even if you were so sure there would be no more, and from the corner of your vision you see a shadow on the mirror

A mirror that stays perfectly positioned in your room to be seen from the kitchen of the small apartment, and that shadow looks at you with only one amusing eye

You groan, and if you were anything but human you would probably have actualy growled, letting go of Pierros hand and marching pissed back to your room, the attitude so strange that shocks both clowns into a stun

The shadow is not there for the naked eye, but you know he is still here, and with the confidence of a trained demonologist, you dive both hands at your mirror, and they pass thoroughly immediately. Deciding to not think and only do you ignore the screams of wrongness and strangeness your brain gives your gut,how this wasn't supposed to happen, how a mirror should be solid and not... moist

You feel him, and you grab him, and you pull him out directly to your floor, you bark "are you fucking kidding me?!"

The ticket taker looks at you neutraly, as if this was expected "you could have just asked for me to come out"

"OFF MY MIRROR?! IN MY OWN ROOM?! CAN YOU JUST GO TO ANY MIRROR NOW?!"

Pierro, for his part, looks genuinely shocked while Harlenquin recovered really quickly, and faintly, you hear "do you think he would let me borrow that mirror to see them too?"

You ignore it as well as the sound of slashed meat, and continue ranting now, pacing from side to side as the blue ring master dusts his clothes back into shape "is there anyone else I need to know that is stalking me now? My grandma? My ex? My shadow?!"

And as if summoned like the devil himself, a hand grabs your feet and at this point you only look down and... yup... your shadow has purple eyes now, and it's getting off the ground "what the fuck"

For all it matters, now Harleen looks genuinely frightened and Pierro just freezes, but of course the ticket taker only looks mildly surprised

"I thought we would take turns," the bastard has the gall to say

"I heard you screaming from my tent" Jester chuckles into reality "and this looked like a party... what are you two doing out of the circus at this hour?"

The ice and threat that those words carried went right above your head because you were genuinely so fucking tired of this bullshit, you need to get out,get some air, SOMEWHERE WITHOUT THOUSANDS OF EYES ACTUALY FOLLOWING YOU WOULD BE EXCELENT RIGHT NOW

You groan pinching your nose "first my balcony, then my mirror, now my shadow, you know what let me get out for fucks sake DOES NO ONE KNOW THE MEANING OF PRIVACY ANYMORE?!"

You continue walking, ignoring the eyes following you as you march to the door "i might as well go visit the doctor and let him vivisect me, what is that compared to four people having already seen me butt ass naked at this point"

And right as you open the door... there is the biggest plague doctor of your nightmares, holding your tinny jacked in his arm, he looks at you like an owl with those big red tinted glasses

You look back, stunned into silence

"You... forgot this on your latest appointment?"