(a lil scene + flashback for Tin-Man, inspired by a conversation with @whumpilicious a while back. Takes place the same night as this comic)
cw: violence, beating, vaguely referenced noncon
The Tin-Man had felt eyes on him since the moment he walked into the room.
He was used to that by now. Strangers staring at his arm, or leg, or even his missing eye. Such was to be expected when you looked less human than everybody else. But tonight was different. Tonight was worse. Because wasn’t it worse when someone who’d known you back when you were a whole person could see what you’d been made into?
He kept his own eye downcast as he served food, poured wine, took away plates. It was the same routine every time the Wizard entertained guests. Keep quiet, serve, do as he was told, and later…
He tried not to dwell on later. Later didn’t always happen, anyway. He hoped it wouldn’t happen tonight.
It was bad enough that the general was here. Old General Hobbs. More than capable in his command, and as cold-hearted as they came. He wasn’t all bad, though. Even commended the Tin-Man on his service once or twice, back when he’d served under him. Back when he’d had a different name, a different heart…
No. It wasn’t ideal to be revealed to an old superior, but it wasn’t the general’s gaze that was making his skin crawl. It was Captain Marsh that had that pleasure.
He’d barely been a lieutenant when they’d served together. To give such a man more rank, more power... It almost made him angry. But that wasn’t an emotion he’d ever been prone to, and nowadays he was even more numb to the feeling.
Still, the sight of Marsh had it echoing back at him, as if from a memory. He removed the dishes from the first course in a hurry, rushing back to the kitchen to close the door, to breathe.
And it’s like he’s a little younger. His hands are warm and his heart is beating and he has a name, a real name. The platoon is marching, slow and easy; they don’t have any urgent orders, or even really any orders at all. He catches Lieutenant Marsh eyeing him with contempt. The other man looks away. He--Faran--is a few inches taller and significantly broader than Marsh, and he suspects the other man is too much a coward to ever challenge him head-on. Still, he’s caught Marsh’s ire and he can’t remember how. He only hopes it won’t come back to bite him on the battlefield.
It’s later. A few days, or a few weeks, the Tin-Man can’t remember, but Faran is there, and he’s coming back to the camp after a night watch. To his surprise, he hears murmurs, rising and falling in volume and intensity. From time to time, there’s a shout, or a laugh. It’s well after sundown. Normally anyone without duties to tend to would be catching what sleep they could.
Not tonight. Some of the men--nine or so--are gathered around the Shedas prisoner, and Faran feels a pit beginning to form in his stomach. Marsh is with them. He’s saying something as Faran gets closer.
“-cheating. If you want to win the pot you can only use your hands, and anything permanent is off-limits.”
“Morgan swung on him for a good minute and the bastard still didn’t cry out,” another soldier cuts in. “They’re stoic as a stone wall. Hands aren’t gonna cut it.”
“Then maybe you’re just not going to win.”
“What’s going on?” Faran says. His voice is soft, barely audible among the group’s bickering, but the other soldiers still jump when they hear it. They look at him, almost accusingly, and for a moment he feels as if he’s the one in the wrong. But the moment passes.
The prisoner--the Shedas man--is bound to a tent stake, looking up at the soldiers with a mixture of wariness and contempt. He’s been beaten bloody. It’s a long moment before Faran says anything else.
“I asked a question. What are you doing?”
“We’ve been waiting on orders for nearly a week now, Faran. You can’t expect us to stand around without looking for entertainment.” Of course it’s Marsh that speaks first.
“This looks more like brutality than entertainment, Lieutenant. And you didn’t answer my question.”
“It’s just a friendly competition,” another man, Morgan says. His knuckles are bloodied. “First one to make the shadow-beast scream wins the pot.” He adds, “Any tools are off-limits. And you can’t take an eye or a tongue or anything, so I don’t see what the harm is.”
Faran levels his gaze at Morgan, then sets it on Marsh. “If it’s so harmless, why are you going about it in the witching hours of the night? Don’t you think it’ll be fun for the rest of the platoon?” His mouth sets in a hard line as he adds the last bit. “Or do you not think General Hobbs will approve?”
It's the mention of the General that stops them, not any authority Faran could pretend to have. As the soldiers begrudgingly go back to their tents and their cots, he can feel Marsh's gaze burning into the back of his head.
Not for the last time. No, Faran seemed to have a way of getting on Marsh's bad side. From the very beginning to his own death. And now, now that he's been broken into pieces, repaired, merged with something cold, inhuman, Marsh's eyes are on him again.
Burning, burning, burning.
tag list (it's been way too long since I did anything for this story ;-;)
While I love so much about this project, I don't see myself having the time/motivation to do anything for it story-wise. I may still post short comics or doodles, but the main story will probably never get its prose, at least not in the foreseeable future
Therefore, for those who were interested in it, under the cut is a (pretty detailed) synopsis of how the story would've gone :)
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Character Details:
(note: art of the characters is linked, but some lead to full comic pages/whumpier art. Also, characters will be referred to as their better-known names throughout the synopsis to lessen confusion)
Dorothy Gale - Stranded in Oz at 12, Dorothy has since made a name for herself as a witch hunter and general assassin.
Tokoret "Toto" Nightshade - Dorothy's partner. A tiefling-like humanoid from the land of Shahaedr, and an ex-mercenary. Dorothy rescued from his former employers.
The Tin-Man/Farran Black - A fallen soldier who was "rescued" and resurrected by the Wizard. His heart and a few limbs were replaced by enchanted inventions, and the Wizard keeps his original heart in his lab, preserved by magic.
The Scarecrow/Wil Ironcrest - A thief imprisoned by the Wizard after being caught one too many times. His voice was magically sealed away due to his tendency to insult his captor, and his mouth was stitched closed for good measure.
The Lion/Reyne Arada - Taken in by the Wizard after his village was destroyed. Subject to several magical experiments meant to turn him into a ferocious protector.
The Wizard/??? - A powerful and mysterious magician. Guardian and unofficial ruler of the Emerald City.
Kanna Lanterne/The Woods Witch - A master of nature magic. Actively opposes the Wizard, and lives in an isolated part of the woods.
Glinda Utara/The North Witch - One of the Wizard's closest allies, and occasional tormenter of the Tin Man.
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Setting Details:
Oz is the country as a whole. It borders Shahaedr, known by less-tolerant Oz citizens as 'the shadowlands'. Oz and Shahaedr are almost constantly at war with each other, and are currently in one of their periods of fragile peace. The war Tinman died in was between Oz and Shahaedr. The Emerald City is one of the closest settlements to the border of the two lands.
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Summary:
Dorothy and Toto are traveling via horse-drawn cart to the Wizard's castle to meet about a hunting job, when they encounter Scarecrow, who is in the middle of attempting an escape. The pair try to help him, and make an effort to figure out what he's running from, but are horrified to discover that his mouth has been sewn shut, and he cannot speak. Before they're able to do anything, a pair of guards appears to drag him away, claiming he's a dangerous criminal in the care of the Wizard, and apologizing for the disturbance.
They carry on, soon reaching the Wizard's castle, and are told the Wizard will see them at dinner that night.
When the time comes, they briefly meet the Tinman, who serves the meal. Dorothy asks after Scarecrow, mentioning she met him on the road, but the Wizard says he's been taken care of and moves on to discussing the job.
He asks her to kill the wicked witch of the wood, and offers a large sum. Dorothy tells him she cares less about the money than the justice, and asks what the witch has done. The Wizard spins a tale of her evil deeds, and Dorothy agrees to begin the hunt the next day.
Meanwhile, Tinman is excused, and goes to check on Scarecrow, who's been beaten and confined to a cell. He does what he can to treat his fellow captive.
Later, Dorothy is settling in, and tells Toto that she doesn't trust the Wizard, especially with the way he treats his supposed servants. After dark, she sneaks out of their room to have a look around, and is drawn to a strange green light that seems to be coming from a staircase. When she tries to get closer, she runs into Lion, who attempts to scare her away, but fails, and becomes upset because of it. Dorothy comforts him, and they have a quick conversation. He promises not to tell the Wizard she was snooping.
The next day, the Wizard confronts her for snooping.
Lion is with him, looking somewhat ashamed as the Wizard boasts about his familiar's loyalty. Dorothy doesn't mention her distrust, but admits she was curious about a green glow she saw earlier. The Wizard claims it's his "own special brand of magic", and deflects any further questions. At this point, Scarecrow, who's been cleaning the hall throughout this conversation, collapses. When Dorothy runs to help him, the Wizard tells her to not bother.
She tries anyway, despite being met with wariness from the three captives, and helps Tinman get him to a bed. They talk briefly, and she expresses disapproval of the Wizard's disciplinary methods. The Wizard comes upstairs and hurries her along before she can ask any questions, but the Tinman is now more trusting of her. Afterwards, she begrudgingly goes into the Emerald City to get information on the witch.
While there, she notices an alarming amount of citizens are wearing green spectacles. They claim it's a wearable protection spell gifted to them by the Wizard. When asked about the witch, the lenses seem to glow as the people speak of evil and treachery. Later, Dorothy finds a broken pair and cautiously moves to try them on, but is stopped by Jade, a street vendor. Jade warns her they poison the wearer into madness, and it's all the Wizard's doing. Dorothy asks about the witch and the captives, and is given honest, if uninformed, answers. The Wizard took the three in under the guise of helping them and providing 'gainful employment', but anyone can see none of them are treated well, and the witch's only crime is refusing to ally with the Wizard.
Meanwhile, it's revealed that the Wizard was watching them through the broken glasses.
When Dorothy returns, she claims she's learned enough and will leave to hunt the witch the next morning. The Wizard offers to pay her in advance, but she declines, and is dodgy about further questions, having made up her mind about where her loyalties lie.
That night, she and Toto make plans to break in a week later, when the Wizard is supposed to be away, and free his captives, as well as investigate the odd green magic. They find Lion spying on them, and calm him down, talking him into not telling the Wizard.
Lion goes to tell the other two, but the Wizard is nearby and overhears some; afterwards cornering Lion and coercing him into revealing the duo's plans, threatening to hurt the others if he doesn't.
When Dorothy and Toto set out the next day, they're ambushed by the Wizard's guards. Dorothy escapes, but is wounded, and passes out in the middle of the woods after running a good distance. Upon waking, she finds herself in the witch's garden. The witch knows Dorothy by reputation, and introduces herself as Kanna. Despite being on edge and distrustful at first, they come to an understanding and agree to help each other: Kanna will help to free Toto and the captives, and Dorothy will aid her in taking down the Wizard.
Meanwhile, the Wizard hosts Glinda, who is delighted to take part in interrogating a captive Toto, and agrees to help the Wizard with his plans to invade Shahaedr, Toto's homeland, despite the delicate treaty Oz currently holds with them.
Back in the woods, Kanna tells Dorothy she'll put the Wizard's guards under a sleeping spell, but must stay in her garden to focus. She promises to catch up with Dorothy and lead them all back to the safe haven once the three captives are freed.
With the advantage of being presumed dead by the Wizard, Dorothy easily breaks in and finds the Tinman and Lion locked in separate cells. Scarecrow has been tied up outside, left to starve as a punishment. There is no sign of Toto, and Dorothy is forced to flee when the Wizard seems to be returning, taking her horse, which had been stabled at the Wizard's after the ambush.
They cut the stitches that seal Scarecrow's mouth, but he still can't speak due to the Wizard's magic. (He has totems that grant him more control over them: a straw doll for Scarecrow and an iron one for Tinman).
Meanwhile, the Wizard is outraged to find his prizes gone. His eyes fall on the totems, and he reaches for the metal doll.
On the road, Tinman suddenly starts writhing in pain as the Wizard holds his totem's metal leg over a fire, then saws away at his arm with a file. Dorothy is unsure what to do, resolved to simply holding Tinman and trying to comfort him. Lion is panicking, and Scarecrow is still too weak to be of much help.
Kanna suddenly arrives, and analyzes the scene. She and Dorothy remove his metal limbs, and the Wizard watches as the totem's corresponding limbs crumble away, becoming furious. He seizes Tinman's heart, and holds it over the fire.
When Tinman starts screaming, Kanna realizes the Wizard also replaced his heart, and orders Dorothy to cut it out quickly while she makes a replacement. Dorothy does, apologizing all the way through, and Kanna gives him a heart of living plants in the nick of time.
The Wizard watches Tinman's totem crumble, and angrily turns to Scarecrow's.
As the women help a barely conscious Tinman onto the horse, a frantic noise from Scarecrow stops them. They quickly figure out he's been blinded and deafened by the Wizard. Kanna isn't able to do much, as she can't replace a mind. Tinman manages to calm him down by weakly signing into his hand, and they proceed to the safe haven.
Dorothy talks to Lion, who feels restless and guilty over leaving. He hates and loves the Wizard in equal parts, since the castle is the only home he can fully remember. Afterwards, Dorothy gets a psychic message from the Wizard, taunting her with the image of a beaten Toto.
Meanwhile, Kanna looks after Tinman, creating him new prosthetic limbs out of plants.
Dorothy leaves in the dead of the night to confront the Wizard and rescue Toto, but he defeats her by controlling several of the villagers' minds through the emerald glasses. Dorothy is horrified, realizing he has the capability to turn the people of the Emerald City into an army. She manages to get away, taking Scarecrow's totem with her.
While she's gone, Glinda finds and terrorizes the garden, overpowering Kanna, then beating up Scarecrow and taunting Tinman. Lion momentarily overcomes his fear to save his friends, and claws Glinda across the face, forcing her to retreat.
Dorothy returns, and gets mildly chewed out by a recovering Kanna. Together they use the totem to help restore Scarecrow's senses and voice.
Now that Glinda knows where they are, the group decides to relocate. Kanna and Tinman start to bond, but when things veer into a more intimate territory, he freezes up, prompting her to pull back. The two talk it out, and set some healthy boundaries.
Dorothy is once again taunted with Toto, who's in bad shape, but this time everyone's dragged in as the Wizard offers to exchange him for Lion. Just Lion. The others tell him not to do it, but with all the times his friends have shielded him, Lion refuses to cooperate, deciding to give himself up if that means the Wizard will stop coming after Tinman and Scarecrow.
He sneaks off to meet the Wizard, but the Wizard simply shoves a bound and injured Toto into the woods, claiming this was technically the deal. Lion tries to stand up to him, but is swiftly cowed.
Toto is found by Jade, who recognizes him and takes him in. At this point, she realizes things around the city are getting weird as the Wizard makes his final preparations to storm Shahaedr. The people wearing the emerald glasses seem strangely intent on finding or improvising weapons.
With Lion missing, the remaining four set out to find him, with Jade encountering them in the process. Dorothy and Toto reunite, but it's cut short when the citizens of the city begin marching in rank towards Shahaedr.
They return to the Wizard's castle. Tinman and Scarecrow split off to find and free Lion, while Dorothy and Kanna go to confront the Wizard. They fight their way past the Wizard's guards, and finally make it to his lab. Glinda is standing beside him as he channels energy through a huge orb that's glowing green, and Kanna challenges her to a fight as Dorothy attacks the Wizard.
Despite his being a skilled magic user, Dorothy is a witch hunter, and manages to match the Wizard, blow-for-blow. Just when she manages to get the upper hand, the Wizard draws energy from the green orb, healing himself and regaining his energy. Though it seems like a lost cause, Dorothy fights on.
Kanna manages to defeat Glinda, but even together, the Wizard has them outmatched as long as he has access to the orb. Just when it seems like he's won, his ex-captives make it to the lab, and Lion breaks away from the group, attacking him.
Surprised and hurt that his own Familiar would hurt him, the Wizard is initially too shocked to fight back, and Dorothy and Kanna surge in to help. Meanwhile, Tinman and Scarecrow manage to reach the orb, and shatter it.
The glow immediately stops, and the Wizard is defeated soon after.
Going back into the Emerald City, they find piles of broken green glasses, and confused, but unharmed civilians. With both their friends and the city freed from the Wizard, the group heads back to Kanna's garden, to rebuild and recover.
An overthrown rebel leader is finally captured by his enemies--after he’s been thoroughly broken by someone far more dangerous than him.
Total $hit$how
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