#rory is a monster in more ways than one.

[meilancolie-aa]

if you ask rory to put the food away she will put the entire pot/pan/skillet in the fridge. what is a tupperware.

#‧ ⁘ ✦ ☾ ︴ musings — the lion-hearted girl. #rory is a monster in more ways than one.

[obsessivevoidkitten]

Animal Farm: Mondays

Male Yandere Harpies x Gender Neutral Reader (CW: Noncon, harpies, general yandere behavior, captive reader, spit roasting, cum in hair, aftercare, male harem, brief mention of being used as a cock sleeve by bull men.) Word Count: 500 (Here it is! I have had a solid wave of productivity lately answering old asks and now there is this, something I said I would do a long time ago. I said I would make a mini-fic/drabble with every group of monster men from my animal farm fic which can be found HERE.)

You sighed. It was early on Monday morning, the sun starting to stream into the window enough to disturb your sleep. You glared at your alarm clock and preemptively turned off the alarm that would go off at 10:00. It was 9:53. You wanted to cry. You had not fully recovered from Rory, Sev, and Bruc swapping you between them as a communal cock sleeve all day on Friday. You lamented your decision to be a monster man farmer with so many different species. You should have stuck to one or two. Oh well… no use crying over it now. At least you started the week off easy after your weekend break. The harpy men had pretty forgiving cocks. Ugh. Was that what it had come to? Judging how not awful your day was by the brutality of the cocks you were about to encounter? You scarfed down a quick breakfast then enjoyed your last few minutes before you were swarmed by the three harpies that called your farm home, Zan, Xilra, and Elry. They all looked similar, green and blue feathers in their hair, emerald green eyes to match, dark skin, with large angel-like wings sprouting from their backs and their legs ended in the way any bird of prey’s did. Sharp. Talons. When you stepped into the aviary your watch read exactly 10:30, you weren’t giving them a second more than you were forced to. It was like your one shred of resistance, even though it didn’t really matter very much. You also were too scared to be late after what happened the one time you were. You were sniffed out and fucked. Swiftly. As soon as you stepped into the large greenhouse-like domed building, it was like a miniature forest complete with all sorts of trees and plants, you were instantly pounced upon by the three monster men. They wasted not a single second in taking off your clothes and tossing them aside on the dirt while pinning you to the wall. “Hey come on! Those were just cleeeEEEEAAAAAANNNED. H-hey!” Two of them were biting, licking and nuzzling all over your neck while the third was using his mouth between your legs. “W-w-why do we always have to start the d-daaaay like thiiiiis??” “We love you little starling~” “Yes! And we must show you!” “We haven’t been inside you for a whole week love! It was torture~” “We must make up for the lost time sweet bird.” And that they certainly did. A week's worth of the pent up libidos of three tall harpy men unloaded on you and in you within hours. They spit roast you while you were on the ground before taking you in mid air. By the end of their breeding session with you you were exhausted. And this was supposed to be the easy day. At least they let you rest afterwards, washing the cum out of your hair and off your sore body before cuddling you and petting you while they sang sweet little bird songs and praised their darling little starling~

#yandere teratophilia #yandere terato #yandere x reader #monster boyfriend #yandere monster #gender neutral reader #male yandere x gn reader #my ocs #My OC Elry #My OC Xilra #My OC Zan #Yandere farm #yandere harem #monster farm harem #yandere harpies #yandere harpy #yandere monster farm harem

[rc-writes]

𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 | 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢  

pairings: benny weir x reader

warnings: one curse word i believe, i say y’all one too many times lol

a/n: this was requested by the same irl friend as my other benny hcs! this blog is going to turn into just a benny fan club soon enough lol. but anyways, i would like to say that in the middle of typing this a roach decided to appear out of nowhere in my room 🙃 that was interesting. also not me writing yet more benny headcanons at 1am. like dude it's bad enough you started appearing in random dreams of mine for a few months (like he’d show up for like to seconds and then dip, or he’d just be in the background and not even say a word) but now you won’t even let me sleep?? 

you and benny had been friends since middle school

which means you guys have been friends forever in your minds

this also means that the idea of benny liking you or you liking him in more than a friend way, and vice versa, was never a thought that crossed either of y’alls minds

for a while at least

since you were friends with benny that also means by default you’re also friends with ethan

and you three, with the occasional rory appearance, most likely spend an insane amount of time together

i’m talking spending full days playing video games or watching movies, grandma weir loving you, having a love-hate relationship with jane, etc.

this leads me to say that there has to been at least one instance where someone though you were dating one of them

or both

which can go one of two ways

either you’re all stuttering, awkwardly trying to explain you’re just friends

or you all laugh it off because that would be ridiculous right?

right?

i feel like if someone was thought you and benny were together he’d be the type to laugh it off

which would lead to you laughing it off as well because once again that scenario never even crossed either of y’alls minds

benny normally flirts with everyone one he sees, especially if they’re the nerd type

it’s like a second nature at this point

so obviously if he never even attempted to flirt with you that means you two are in fact friends, best friends, bros even, and whatever other words that mean friends

until one day benny’s whole universe flips upside down

the gang was fighting yet another monster of the week as per usual

except this entity was particularly nasty and you ended up getting hurt

like i’m talking needing a quick trip to the er kinda hurt

i can imagine trying to explain what had happened was interesting

turns out you sprained your wrist and had a mild concussion

you were going to be fine but the doctors wanted you to stay over night just incase

but no matter how many times you or anyone else said it benny was not listening

you were literally in the hospital, why was no one else panicking??

you are sitting in a hospital bed!!! with a sprained wrist!! and a concussion!!!!

you’d swear you were dying by his shear panic

he’d feel like shit for not being able to protect you

he literally had magic powers so why was this even happening??

you’ve lost count how many times you had reassured him that it's okay, you can take after yourself

i can see him being like stiles in that one episode of teen wolf where stiles fell asleep in the waiting room for lydia until they kicked him out

grandma weir would have to come pick him up and the entire way home she’s all like 👀 because like yes a best friend will get worried about their friend but this seemed like it could be something more

but knowing grandma i think she’d keep her mouth shut and let him figure it out

it’d be funnier that way

and sure enough in the middle of the night benny wakes up in a cold sweat and is like

oh

oh

????

benny short circuits

he decides to ignore that for the time being

but the next day when you’re released from the hospital ethan suggests that they go see you and benny says no

and ethan’s like?? what happened to him thinking you were dying??

eventually benny confesses to which ethan is now even more ????

after some convincing ethan gets benny to go see you

“dude you guys have been friends forever, nothing’s changed”

“‘nothing’s changed’!?!? what do you mean ‘nothing’s changed’?? everything has changed!!”

cue benny being acting so odd once he gets to your place

which confuses and concerns you since less than 24hrs ago he was acting like you were dying

you questioned ethan about it but he quickly and awkwardly said he had no idea

but the fact that he said it in a higher pitch, stuttering, and way over the top about it, made it clear that he did know something

but you dropped because you knew ethan wasn’t going to snitch on his friend

yet, you thought

new mission unlocked for you: figure out what the hell happened to your best friend over night

benny’s new mission was to make sure by all means that you did not find the answer to that

#mbav #mbav headcanons #benny weir #benny weir headcanons #benny weir imagine #benny weir x reader #my babysitters a vampire #my babysitters a vampire imagine #my babysitters a vampire x reader #my babysitters a vampire headcanons #mbav x reader

[mattheosgyat]

Cat Distribution System

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

Contents: Major fluff, cute kitty, Benjamin Wadsworth fan cast as Mattheo Riddle, Hogwarts, fun fun fun

Important Info: You are a Ravenclaw that lives at Hogwarts, your character is named Rory. U little cat mom.

┍━━━━━━━━━━━☽【❖】☾━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┑

┕━━━━━━━━━━━☽【❖】☾━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┙

It was around 8pm, about the time I calm down for the night. I'd much rather be watching tv by myself in the peace of my bed rather than entertain bimbos all day and night. My room was dimly lit, the brightness flashing away every now and then as South Park distracted my attention. I felt nothing but peace in the moment, well, until something brushed against my hand..

If the loud smack of my hand against the wall didn't alert my neighbor that a monster was coming to take me, my scream sure did. I jumped out of bed, immediately putting my back to the wall because of a stupid superstition. But just then did I realize it was a cat. I reached my hand out and slowly started petting it, trying to find a collar, but nothing. I uploaded a picture of it to the school profile before laying back down, playing around with the grey cat. It looked like about a 3-5 year old cat, pretty lazy but playful nonetheless. In about 5 minutes, a text rang through my phone. I'm never one to keep up with messages, it being no different this time. I brushed off the first 3 or so messages, finally checking after getting annoyed

Maybe: Mattheo Riddle

Hey, why's my cat on your bed?

Because there's no way she just snuck into your closed dorm..

I want her back tonight.

Great, an asshole to come ruin my night

Maybe: Mattheo Riddle

My air lock is broke and my roommate is out to pick up food, so I kept the door cracked

My dorm is Ravenclaw, 3rd floor, room 312, you are more than welcome to come pick her up

I'm not coming to your dorm when you took my cat

Read 3m ago

I set my phone down, done with what I needed to say. Get the cat or not, I'm fine either way. I slipped on a hoodless sweatshirt over my sports bra, just incase the guy does actually end up showing up. Mattheo Riddle, Mattheo Riddle, Mattheo Riddle, the name didn't ring a bell. Not in any of my classes I'm pretty sure, and Ravenclaws stay out of other houses business. He must be a bit careless if his cat is wandering around Ravenclaw dorms, but maybe the guy had a tough day or something.

I didn't even hear a knock or a door creak, just my bedroom door swing open. A fairly sized man stood at my doorway. He had a long sleeved plain dark blue shirt on and blue plaid pajama pants, his strings untied and his waistband crooked on his hips. He had dark brown curly hair, matching his dark black eyes. He looked like he was ready to be in for the night too, obviously annoyed by having to be here. His eyes studied my face as he stayed silent, his arms crossed and his fingers tapping in order on his arm. It was almost like he was judging me; reading into every good and bad thing about me.

"I have a busy night wheres Birdie?" He muttered, pissed off that I didn't read his mind apparently. His cat was tucked against my stomach, curled against my legs as I laid on my side. I moved my legs down, showing him where his cat was since he couldn't see past my legs in the blanket.

"Birdie? Odd name for a cat. Doesn't look like you have anything planned." I said as i scanned his clothes and messy hair. His plans included scrolling on his phone, watching tv, and sleeping.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, reluctantly walking over to wrap his hands around his sleeping cat, lifting her against his chest. He backed up quickly, trying not to invade my personal space as he headed back to my bedroom door.

He nodded as a 'Thank you' and walked out of my apartment with his cat back. I heard my front door shut and immediately jumped up and ran to it. Fuck, I'm locked in. I grabbed my phone and had no time to text, immediately facetiming the Mattheo guy. He couldn't have gotten too far. He answered the phone with a confused face, still walking down the hall.

"Hey so sorry to bother, do you have your credit card with you by chance?" I asked quickly, not waisting any time. My face was close to the phone, not giving a care in the world what I looked like. His eyebrows scrunched up even more, a confused laugh coming out of his mouth slightly.

"What crazy cat girl?" he said as he stopped walking, waiting for me to explain further. That probably did sound confusing and not what I meant at all, I should've thought about that first.

"My door, it's broken and when it shuts it jams. Do you have your card with you? And it's Rory." I explain, rolling my eyes at the last part. With a small chuckle he hung up the phone, a card flying under my door about a minute later.

"If you steal it I'll release Birdie on you. She does some serious damage" he raised his voice over the door, joking with me. I giggled a little to myself as i stuck the card through the latch trying to open the door. It took about 7 tries, but it finally stuttered open. When it opened, I saw Mattheo sitting on the hallway floor against the wall, his cat sleeping in his lap as he pet her slowly, glancing up at me when the door swings open finally. I handed his card back with a smile, doing a dramatic pose when i opened the door.

"I'll give you your card ifffff you let me see Birdie again next week" I say with a stupid little smile on my face, looking down at the cute kitty asleep in his lap. He rolled his eyes and snatched the card out of my hand, standing up with the cat held against his chest again.

"And I'll definitely need to re-discuss this with you over text!" he mocked, walking away from me. He took a couple steps backwards and kept his eyes on mine before he turned around, heading out of the dorms and the Ravenclaw common room. He's not even a Ravenclaw? How the hell did his cat get into my dorm...

I'll make a part two if this does good!! This is my first Tumblr post and my first time writing so I hope this isn't too bad!

#mattheo riddle #mattheo x you #mattheo x y/n #mattheoxreader #fanfiction #marauders #harry potter #golden trio era

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

15 Lines Tag Game

tagged by: @carlosoliveiraa @clicheantagonist @inafieldofdaisies @adelaidedrubman @la-grosse-patate @g0dspeeed @direwombat @aceghosts @sofrosine @nightbloodbix @kyber-infinitygems @corvosattano @voidika @roofgeese @thesingularityseries (thank you all so much!!)

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture their character/personality/vibe. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well.

(i failed to follow the rules and did 17 each, i'm indecisive)

tagging: @dickytwister @amalkavian @transcaster @shellibisshe @unholymilf @thedeadthree @confidentandgood @strafethesesinners @harmonyowl @florbelles @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @cassietrn @marivenah @finding-comfort-in-rain @strangefable @efingart (no pressure of course, I'm late to this, sorry for any double tags)

“When you've seen the things I've seen, a little pig sticker cutting through a few layers of flesh doesn't mean much.”

“Blood on my hands or not, I don’t need to be saved. Not by you or anyone else.”

“I’ll bite you if you try and feed me.”

"Then let me do what I do best. I don't need the help, all they'll do is slow me down, make me take my eyes off the ball. You gotta let me win this fight the only way I know how."

"I'm not so delicate."

“Because I prefer to look into the eyes of the person I'm meaning to kill. Makes it more personal. I want them to remember the face of the person sending them to their maker.”

“I put my fucking neck out there every day for all of you – I have been from the start. Who else is having these crazy motherfuckers digging around in their head? Do you have Joseph Seed telling you you’re some fucking sign of the Apocalypse? No.”

"If I don't keep my promise it will be just another regret in a long line of them. My life started with regret – should've been a boy, never should've been born at all – my life will likely end with regrets too."

“Just a weapon. A square peg jammed into a round hole for so many years that my edges finally ground down, and now I fit only one thing."

"I might not have the scars on the outside of what my father did to me, but I think the ones I do have are the big scarlet letter about the kind of monster he turned me into."

“It’s a sad state of affairs when I'm someone people are happy to see after any absence.”

“Well shit, if you’re damaged goods then I must be fucking ruined.”

“I did what I had to do. Just following orders.”

“Some people just aren’t meant to be saved,” Kit muttered.

She smiled, an empty grin that creeped across her face but left her eyes cold and dead. “Trust me, Jacob should be the least of your worries.”

 “You know that old saying that God never gives you more than you can handle?" She scoffed, hands held at her hips, posed like a superhero. The demigod she had become. "He must have had quite the plan for me.”

 “I’ve made my mistakes. I hurt people. Innocent people . I can’t have you on my conscience too.”

1) “I don’t give up on anything, but I refuse to be a distraction."

2) “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

3) “Oh, don't worry, sir. I only save the bleeding heart act for the innocent.”

4) “He’s a charming fellow.” The venom in Rory’s voice wasn’t lost on anyone. 

5)“Just have to use my feminine wiles and sweet talk the prick, yeah?"

6) “I’m not particularly fond of having to be like that. I do what I have to. Intimidation, fear – they’re good weapons. But I’m not some sadist, I don’t enjoy it.”

7) “That's just life though, isn't it? It's the fucking pits, and then we die, and that's that. No point letting it ruin what bit of good there is.”

8) “I know. It was him or me.”

9) Laughing, she picked up her cigarette from the sand and took a drag. “I certainly wouldn’t lie about something like that, Captain.”

10) “Two on however many. I’ll take those odds.”

11) “What? You want my life story?” Her eyes narrowed, challenging him just enough. “Is this our first date?” she asked, lifting the MRE packet. “Really splurged on dinner.”

12) “Whatever it takes.”

(and some lines from the COD MW fic i'm working on)

13) “I know, I know. Bureaucratic bullshit, not my fault, can’t let it bury me. Got enough going on inside this head already, yeah?”

14) “Tell me I can help at least. Tell me I can do something. Don’t just let me sit here in this empty house, alone, not when I can be out there making things right. Tell me you’re going to need me on this one, John.”

15) “Love you too, prat.”

16) “Oh, please, no.” She shook her head. “None of the formality. I might sound like I have a stick shoved up my arse, but I assure you, that’s not me.” She held out her hand to shake, and was met by a firm squeeze by Garrick’s hand. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

17) “I’m not sure the simple act of trying to keep you alive is being ‘too good’.”

#tagged #oc: kit cross #oc: rory sinclair #oc aesthetics

[agaypanic]

Benny Weir helps female reader conquer fears of ether small tight spaces heights or haunted houses

It's Not So Scary (Benny Weir X Reader)

Masterlist

Request Something!

Summary: Benny convinces you to go into a haunted house, so it’s only fair that you make him hold your hand the whole way through.

A/N: pretend that it’s still october lol feel like this can be read as romantic or platonic

***

Halloween was probably your favorite holiday. The fun costumes, the free candy, knowing that every monster that passed by was actually just a ten-year-old in a mask. Considering your friend group’s hobbies, you weren’t too scared of real monsters, but it was nice to have a break from that every once in a while.

Something you weren’t a fan of, however, was haunted houses. All your friends knew you’d rather fight an army of vampires than investigate a house filled with paranormal activity.

So it pissed you off when you all passed a haunted house at the Halloween fair and they all insisted on going in.

“I’ll just wait outside, guys.” You said, eyeing the building suspiciously. You obviously knew that the ‘haunted’ aspect was fake and that this was just a tourist attraction, but for some reason, that didn’t ease any of your worries.

“Nooo, come on,” Rory whined in disappointment. “You’re really gonna stay out here alone?”

“I’d rather do that than go in there!”

“Are you sure, Y/n?” Sarah asked. “If you want, one of us can stay out here with you.” You declined the suggestion with a wave of your hand.

“I’ll be fine, guys.” Reluctantly, your friends left you to get in line for the haunted house.

Everyone except for Benny.

“Aren’t you gonna go?” You asked him, confused as to why he was staying.

“Nah, I’ll stay with you.” He smiled before digging around in his candy bag. He offered you some candy, which you gladly accepted.

A few minutes passed, and you were sure that your friends were deep into the house now. Benny kept looking from you to the attraction, and you sensed that he wanted to check it out.

“You can go, Benny.” You said softly, patting him on the back. “I’ll be okay out here; I know you wanna go in.”

“But I don’t wanna leave you.” He said, looking sad at the mere thought of it. Then, his expression slowly lit up. “You know, you could come with me.”

“Absolutely not.” You responded immediately, getting a chuckle from him.

“Come on, I bet it’s not that bad.” Benny watched you look at the house nervously. “You can hold my hand the whole time.” It was probably said as a joke, but you didn’t take it as such. Deciding to bite the bullet, you got into the line for the haunted house, dragging Benny by the hand.

You gulped and squeezed Benny’s hand tighter when you reached the entrance. He pushed you to go ahead of him, making you grumble.

The house was dark, only having just enough light to see where you were supposed to go. A light blanket of fog was on the ground, and the floor creaked with every step you took. You took deep breaths as you walked, Benny holding your hand comforting you because it was a constant reminder that you weren’t alone.

“Ah!” You screamed, bumping into Benny as a scare actor jumped out at you. Although it had also spooked him, Benny laughed at your reaction. He rubbed your shoulders comfortingly with both hands before using them to guide you forward, a hand soon letting go to hold yours again. “It’s not funny!”

“It’s a little funny.” You smacked his chest, making him laugh more.

When you finally made it out of the house, you let out a sigh of relief.

“See? Wasn’t so bad, right?” He was right; the haunted house wasn’t as bad as you thought. Benny being there helped a lot, but you didn’t feel like boosting his ego by saying so.

“Yeah, I guess.” The two of you ventured back around to the front of the house, where you found your friends. They lit up when they saw you.

“There you are!” Sarah said. “We’ve been looking for you guys.”

“Yeah, well, I convinced somebody to go through the haunted house,” Benny said, tilting his head to gesture to you. Your friends congratulated you for getting through it, even though you thought it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“Does that mean we can all go back in together?” Rory asked hopefully, already making his way to the line. You groaned at the thought of going back in there, making everyone laugh. Even though you now knew it wasn’t that scary, you didn’t really feel like going back in.

Benny squeezed your hand, getting you to look up at him. Honestly, you didn’t realize you were still holding hands when you left the house.

“I’ll let you hold my hand again.” He said with a teasing grin. You rolled your eyes, but still walked with him to get in line with your friends.

“You guys owe me some of your candy for this.”

#agaypanic #benny weir #benny weir x reader #my babysitter's a vampire #my babysitter's a vampire x reader

[shipcestuous]

(submission)

Found these. 

F*cked by Natalie Knight (twin brothers x sister)

Warren and Ryker. My delinquent twin brothers from hell.

Our father caught them setting the high school athletic center ablaze and sent them away to rot in jail for six years.

But being locked away did nothing to curb their appetite for sin and debauchery.

Now they’re back with a new agenda—fuck, torment, teach—with one thing on their minds: making up for lost time with their spoiled little sister.

Me.

Obsessions: Part 1 by Lily Black (father x daughter)

I wasn’t supposed to crave him, but I do.The more I try to resist, the more my desire grows.One night changes everything because now he wants me too.What we’re doing is sick, twisted, and wrong,but like addicts, we chase the high,but how long until we fall?

Obsessions: Part 2 by Lily Black (father x daughter)

I swore to protect her from the day she was born,and I intend to keep that promise.What we have is wrong in the eyes of many,but I haven’t felt anything this right in my life.But secrets have a way of getting out.Ours could destroy us both.But if the choice is her or walking away,I’ll choose her every fucking time.And God help anyone who stands in my way.

Crooked Cove by Rory Ireland (brother x sister)

Our parents sent me away because they’re terrified that I’ll corrupt their only daughter.They should be.I’ve returned for summertime on the cove.My restraint is hanging by a thread.All it takes is one taste and I’m hooked.I’m the monster under her bed and her saving grace all rolled into one.And I’ll stop at nothing to claim what’s mine.

And Hell Followed by Beckett Riley (brother x sister)

My parents thought emigrating from Germany to the American frontier was going to be a good thing. But it seems that a darkness is doomed to follow us wherever we go and life can be so harsh and unforgiving in this world, especially for a woman.

Luckily, I have my brother, Thomas, to watch out for me. He can only do so much, though, and after that vile attack, I find myself shrouded in darkness more than ever. It was then I realized that festering gloom came from within.

Although society won’t take kindly to it, we have forsaken God to live an unholy life, and just as things finally began to calm down, the past reared its ugly head and came back to destroy everything we’ve built.

But as Thomas once told me, I would ride my steed through the fires of hell to salvage the only thing worth living for, and if the devil himself gets in my way, he will beg God for mercy.

Stolen Kisses and Secret Promises by Rue Seven (brother x sister)

My sweet Kielyr, we were far too young to understand why our parents decided to go separate ways and keep us apart for so many years. Luckily, we found our way back to each other. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined to hold and kiss you like this, to feel this ever-growing love for you. I’m lucky that I get to call you my love, my girl, my everything, my forever.

From the day we finally met, I promised to protect you. To never let anything happen to you, and to be there for you every second of every day, no matter the circumstances. I also promised to love you no matter what. No matter who’d find out about us, and I like to think that I’ve been able to keep our love protected for longer than we had ever expected. I’ve kept all those promises—and will continue to—but there was one day in our lives I hope to never relive ever again.

That day shattered me. It broke my heart to see you in so much pain, and even when you say to leave it all in the past, I still think back and wonder what I could’ve done to avoid it all. To save you from that cruelty. Sweet girl, you are so incredibly strong, and even after everything you’ve been through, your light still shines bright.

I spend every day admiring your kindness, gentleness, and selflessness.You’re truly one of a kind, and I’m forever thankful for your love. I will love you until infinity runs out. Yours always, Rellian.

Love Unexpected by Q.B. Tyler (stepfather x step daughter)

I’d only wanted one kiss.

One kiss, under the dark of night, in a city where no one knew us.

One kiss fueled by my hormones and alcohol and the blinding grief over losing my mother.

One kiss from the man I told myself was untouchable.

But, it didn’t stop at one kiss.

And now we are running full speed down a road with no intention of stopping.

His touch disarms me.His kiss revives me.But, our love, could destroy me.

Love’s Forbidden Flower by Diane Rinella (brother x sister)

The heart cares not what society forbids.

Lily nurtures a secret love for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate. Donovan is gorgeous, charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and quirks. Their innate knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together they interlock like fine threads creating luxurious silk.

But society dictates this picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all possibilities.

As Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor turns reluctant. Desperate to uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed from a tender-hearted gentleman into a ferociously self-serving, cocky bastard, Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the salvation of her soul mate. However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of chess, leaving her to question his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead to an inconceivable truth, can she help Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?

Time’s Forbidden Flower by Diane Rinella part 2 (brother x sister)

An eternity of passion cannot be quelled by society.

Once upon a time Donovan assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But how could he keep the promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not involve him, though her deepest desires did? Now, Lily has it all—love, passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all she desires, even with Christopher in the way?

For Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to the future that cannot be shattered.

Donovan is convinced Lily has been his love for all eternity. Determined to unravel the past, they embark on a journey to discover where it all began. For centuries Donovan has stolen Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love. How much can a soul endure before the breaking point is reached and a monster emerges? Can the demons of the past be combated to pave the way for happiness in the next life? Or has the abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan hell bound? Time and again, one woman has destroyed their happiness. It’s time to silence her once and for all.

Off Limits by Astra Rose (step father x step daughter)

Have you ever wanted something you just couldn’t have?

When her mother abandons her, Danica Holland doesn’t want to reach out to her ex-stepfather for help–even though he’s always been the one and only parent she could rely on. But when Social Services intervenes on her behalf, he rushes in with open arms…and broad shoulders, strong hands, and that cleft in his chin that drives women wild.

For Danica, life with Jean-Luc Rochat was always safe and secure. But after a year apart and a lot of growing up, things don’t feel so straightforward anymore. For example: Jean-Luc was always loving and protective, but was he also always…this hot?

While Jean-Luc struggles to resist his inappropriate fixation on his stepdaughter and be the parent she needs, Danica realizes that she can’t settle for anything less than the one man she truly loves–even if he is the one man she can never have.

PIKE: St. Charles Hockey Volume 1 by A. Briar (twincest)

PIKEDevil Incarnate. My fraternal twin brother is back in town and he is hellbent on making my life literal hell.

RHYSDaddy’s Princess. My fraternal twin sister. She’s never lived a day in hell, but I’m here to change that and I’ll be holding her hand as we walk through the fiery gates.

#submission #asks #nr #new canon #first post #list: books #list: canon #r: brosis #r: fd #A TREASURE TROVE #THANKS ANON

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: Gripping, romantic, and impossible to put down, this dark and immersive post-apocalyptic debut YA novel is about two teen girls who loved each other before the end of the world — and before one of them became infected with the virus that turned her into a monster.

Perfect for fans of Krystal Sutherland, Adam Silvera, and the darkly human side of the HBOMax horror-drama, The Last of Us.

Seventeen-year-old Mara is dead—mostly.      

Infected with a virus that brought the dead back to life and the world to its knees, she wakes up in a facility to learn a treatment for the disease has been found. No longer a Tick, Mara is placed in an experimental resettlement program. But her recovery is complicated by her destination: she’s sent to live with the best friend she hasn’t seen since the world ended—and since their first and only kiss.      Seventeen-year-old Rory is alive—barely.      

With impaired mobility from an injury and a dead sister, Rory’s nightmares are just as monstrous as the Ticks that turned her former best friend. Even after the Island—one of a handful of surviving communities—rebuilds itself, Rory is prepared for the Ticks to return at any time. She never expected them to come in the form of the only girl she’s ever loved.      

As the girls struggle with their pasts and the people they’ve become, the Island’s soldiers go rogue and come after the Ticks and anyone harboring them. With the Island’s fragile peace in the balance, Rory and Mara must lean on each other to survive—or risk losing the girl they love all over again.

Review:

The Last of Us meets a love story about two girls dealing with the aftermath of of a virus taking over the world and what happens when one of them is infected... and now is being let back out into the world. Mara and Rory were best friends, they've even thought about being more... until a virus known as "the Tick" happened turning people into flesh hungry zombies essentially and Mara gets infected... and that was two years ago... and now she has been rehabilitated and been put on a treatment program to treat her disease. Mara is put into an experimental resettlement program... and who better than to be her host family than her godparents... aka the same family with her old best friend and the girl she loved who she knows now hates her lives. Mara is still traumatized from what happened to her, she remembers everything she did as a Tick... everyone's she's killed including her parents. Rory is reeling from losing her younger sister, having sene her been killed, and she has impaired mobility from an injury. She is still plagued by nightmares and she's dreading facing Mara again. Rory has spent her time preparing to face off against Ticks, what she didn't expect was facing it in the form of the only girl she's ever loved. Both girls struggle with dealing with their pasts and the girls they have become since then, all the while the island's soldiers have gone wrong and are coming after the rehabilitated ticks and anyone who is harboring them... with the leader of the island's soldier particularly going after Rory and Mara, the girls will have to learn to lean on each other and grow past their differences in order to survive this new horror... and maybe fall for the new girls they are now. This was the perfect read for anyone who loved The Last of Us or loves a post-apocalyptic Romance!! The angst was real and the tension was so good. The world building in this one was fantastic and I loved how the book has you so interested in what was happening all the way to the end of the book. The romance was so well done and I loved that the girls were both healing and trying to get to know the new version of the person they loved. This is a fun read and I would absolutely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #book #sapphic books #lgbtq reads #the last of us #hearts still beating

[typicalopposite]

W.I.P. Ask Game!

tagged by: @meraki-yao <3

Ask me anything about my WIPs! :)

(just like... be prepared... there's a lot... and I'm not even going to post them ALL! These are the ones I want to get up by 2025!)

Works Started

Shassie Fic

Psych fic! It's going to read like a 5+1 fic but with an added +2 lol! Just a chapter for each season starting with them pining and eventually getting together! Think the Shules timeline but Shassie instead... with some scene changes missing scenes episode swaps and all that! I swear I'll have a better summary when I post it!!!

you still haven't noticed (oh but baby, I have)

RWRB Fic. I have been sharing the snippets from lately. Another 5+1 fic (I love them ok!) about Alex noticing things about Henry through the their relationship. Gonna have a lil bit of angst because... well just because.

Happy Birthday to Me!

RWRB Fic. This was supposed to be written on my birthday... it didn't happen! but since their birthdays are in March... hopefully I get it up this month!

no one's more mystified than Shaan

RWRB Fic. ANOTHER 5+1 fic! Shaan POV. It's going to be part of the Zahraverse series, and will be kind of a parallel to the Zahra Deserves A Raise fic!

first rule of fight club

RWRB Fic. BAMF Henry! The jist? A guy punches Henry and Henry learns how to fight so it doesn't happen again.

Baby Mine

RWRB Fic. Kid fic. Henry and Ellen bond over baby June! :D very very cutesy very very fluffy as kid fics should be!

Three Nights

RWRB Fic. Sequel to Three Days!

Rewrite the Stars

RWRB Fic. Amnesia Henry! Amnesia takes place during the polo match.

Desperado

Destiel Fic. Fix it where Dean doesn't die and they retire. Of course Cas gets saved... what do you think I am a monster??

Kiss The Angel

Destiel Fic. Jack goes to the empty to save Castiel. Makes a deal with the Empty that Dean will reciprocate Cas love confession (with the catch of him not remembering Cas' confession) by the time the sun sets on the third day... or the Empty can have him too. Yes its a Little Mermaid themed fic :)

Make it Better

WangXian Fic. 5+1 fic. Five times LWJ uses WuJi on WWX and one time WWX uses it on LWJ! :)

Drunk XiChen Fic

WangXian Fic. Because one drunk Twin Jade of Lan is not enough apparently.

(boy, I am killing it with these summaries... I KNOW!)

Practical Cultivation

WangXian Fic. A Practical Magic themed fic! :)

Sympathy For the Devil's Spawn

Lucifer Fic. Season 6 fix it! Rory is stuck in a hell loop (the whole she goes back to confront her dad, makes him "abandon" her, rinse and repeat BS that was the series ending) but in reality he was there and a part of her life and HAPPY, but she thought she ruined his life by being born so she goes to hell to learn about him and gets trapped in a hell room :)

just a little while

Gallavich Fic. Gallavich take Liam after the series finale and are amazing uncles to Franny and Frank! its just a cute fic with some angst! I will finish it soon i SWEAR

IDEAS!

Arthur POV

RWRB Fic. probably will be a 5+1 of Arthur finding out about his cancer and spending time with his family up to the end. or something sappy shit like that!

The Puppy Trap

RWRB Fic. Yes another David fic with The Parent Trap theme!!

Henry and Oscar Fic

RWRB Fic. SOOOOOO what if they like bond over losing their dads.... that sounds bittersweet and delicious... right?? :)

Nutcracker Fic

RWRB Fic. @meraki-yao this one is for you! <3 and like... is self explainatory.

NoteBook Fic

RWRB Fic. Again self explanatory. Angst and angst and so much ANGST! but in a good way!

Practical Cultivation FirstPrince

RWRB Fic. I don't even know how to make this work... but I need to make this work!

Clap Your Hands If You Believe

WangXian Fic. Think how the kids bring Tinkerbell back to life... but make it WWX and restoring his golden core! :)

AAAND I think thats all... omg Imma have carpel tunnel from typing this!!!!

No Pressure Tagging: @onthewaytosomewhere @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @scripted-downfall and @taste-thewaste <3

#my wips #so many wips #like literally there's too many #i need to stop making more #rwrb #firstprince #supernatural #destiel #the untamed #wangxian #lucifer #deckerstar #shameless #gallavich #i have so many wips i didn't even add omg #and dont get me started on the fics of mine of which i dont talk about... LOL #that's another like 20 wips! #i clearly have a problem

[galwithalibrarycard]

My New Who watchthrough has now reached well into the second half of Series 7, and it’s time for some Opinions:

- I’m gay for Clara Oswald already. Also I crackship her with Amy Pond and I will be reading all the fanfic.

- I don’t care for River Song.

- Okay, no, hear me out, River’s an interesting character and I like Alex Kingston, but I can’t stand how her entire character bit is a constant smug-ass “I know something you don’t know”, and her whole arc felt kind of anticlimactic. Also, I don’t buy for a second that she and Eleven have an actual romantic relationship. I don’t see the spark. It’s all offscreen if it happens at all, so I don’t care. Bringing me to…

- Eleven/Amy/Rory OT3 is the superior ship of the Smith years. Platonic found family or romantic messy awkward polyamory, either way they’re very sweet together and I’d rather watch them than River any day. You can also have asexual Eleven in there, which I can really see why people headcanon. I want to call them “ot3: the power of three” but I feel like the threes sound redundant. Oh whatever, I’m calling it, that’s the ship tag I’m using.

- If it wasn’t for the weird Doctor/River romance, you could totally say that River’s Time Lord DNA makes Amy, Rory, and Eleven ALL her parents, and I’m annoyed that canon makes it more than a little weird to consider that headcanon concept, because it could be cute in another world.

- I like the Ponds a lot, but I have to say: Amy and Rory’s ending felt like such an arbitrary “we’re obligated to make the separation from the Doctor permanent, what monster can we use to do that?” ass-pull of a writing choice. In my head, Amy and Rory’s arc ends with them staying on Earth in 2012 at the end of The Power of Three and enjoying the mundane life they built together. Just say the Doctor sends them postcards and visits offscreen once in a while. The characters don’t have to be walled off from the Doctor forever just because the actors never want to come back to the show. I really like the idea of them choosing their own life outside the TARDIS, almost Martha-style. (Gotta love Martha!)

- It feels cheap to take Amy’s kid away and then not bother to give her an emotional arc dealing with that trauma. Same for Rory, for that matter. I bet someone could write or has written some extremely deep fanfic about that. I don’t know that I want to read it but I want it to exist, if that makes sense. And I would’ve liked to see more of it onscreen.

- The episode with the Gunslinger is OOC garbage, the Doctor would never use a gun, learn the show’s lore, Steve.

- So many little “what straight white man did this???” moments in Moffat era. It’s like going on a nice walk and then every once in a while you find yourself walking through a surprise cloud of gnats. (Not that Davies era was completely blameless either but damn.)

- Eleven’s “retirement” and hopeless disillusionment in The Snowmen feels like a flat, rushed, emotionless retread of the far superior arc of Ten going dark and mad with grief and his god complex across his last four specials. Ten did it better.

- Speaking of which, godDAMN the Tenth Doctor’s send off was good. I miss him forever and I need all his audio dramas and tie-in novels yesterday.

- While we’re on that, I have FEELINGS about Tenrose and Tentoorose and how they’re the same exact ship but also two completely different ships, but I’m still tagging them both as “otp: I believe in her” and no one can stop me. (They could have had a house with a mortgage AND still traveled in the TARDIS on weekends, I’m just saying.) (They are PEAK ROMANCE and I’m never recovering.)

- Lotta concrit here but that being said, I really do love Eleven, he’s a sweet adorable lil bean. I’m gonna miss him so much too. Can’t believe I only have a handful of his episodes left! There’s so much good stuff in here, truly. Vincent and the Doctor! The Power of Three! 🥹 I also really liked Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, even though the longer you look at it, the more Problems you see. Those are my standouts off the top of my head.

- We are now well into the era of New Who I’ve never seen any of and know basically nothing about, so no spoilers please!

- I’ve also never seen any of Classic Who, so be aware of that. There’s a lot I don’t know.

- (I already do kind of pre-ship Twelve and River in a totally superficial way, just because, to quote Bones, “they are the exact same level of hotness.” I just think they’d look good together, and sometimes I’m basic like that. I know she has an episode with him, that’s the only thing I know about that era, so we’ll see.)

I’m all-in on this fandom now, for real. And I still have so much to catch up on! So, is it too much of a line to say Allons-y? (I still like it a little better than Geronimo!) 🤗🪐👽

#my post #gal’s dw opinions #DW opinions tag #so I don’t have to put this in the real tags bc big new-to-me fandom is scary #i love this show ok #please no one get mad at me I’m literally just chilling and having thoughts #also I don’t looooove how much more of a kids show the Eleven era is trying to be #there’s a difference between a family show and a kids show and sometimes they lean too far to the kid show direction for my taste #and on that note it’s late and I’m going to bed goodnight! #i feel like this comes off as a really negative post but it is not meant that way #i still finish most episodes feeling overall happy

[timeagainreviews]

Moffat’s Great Gamble

Over its lifetime, Doctor Who has accumulated an ample and varied stable of villains, monsters, and baddies. Some are more successful than others. The Daleks were an overnight sensation spreading Dalek mania across the UK. The Cybermen were burned into every Whovian’s mind after proving too much for the Doctor, kickstarting the first regeneration. However, one of the more surprisingly successful baddies was the Weeping Angels. Having been introduced in one of the Doctor-light episodes most writers usually avoided, their overnight success must have been a pleasant surprise at the BBC. Overnight, the phrase “Don’t blink,” became as iconic as “Exterminate!” The next question, of course, was- can lightning strike twice?

It wouldn’t be until three years later that newly appointed showrunner Steven Moffat would put them to the test. A common practice within Doctor Who, when bringing back popular baddies, is to up the ante. Usually, this is done by establishing new abilities and/or technological advancements. Long gone are the days when Daleks were powered by static electricity. No longer can you escape their plunger’s grasp by ascending a flight of stairs. In a similar fashion, one of Moffat’s first steps was to address similar shortcomings of the angels. The next step was also a common one- going bigger.

Unlike the Doctor-light affair that was “Blink,” the return of the Weeping Angels demanded a bigger budget and lots more Doctor. So much so, that it actually required two whole episodes to tell the story. Adding to the grandeur was the exciting reappearance of River Song who had yet to return after her first story with the Tenth Doctor. It’s safe to assume that a lot was riding on the success of this story as it was the first they ever filmed with Matt Smith. An excerpt from the script was also used while auditioning for the role of Amy Pond. In many ways, this was the proof of concept for Moffat’s entire run on Doctor Who. Can the show continue outside the hulking shadow of Russell T Davies and David Tennant?

It’s important to me when revisiting older Doctor Who episodes to try and remember what we the audience knew at the time. When reviewing the First Doctor’s initial stories, I tried to imagine what it was like to walk into the TARDIS for the first time. We’re so used to that old phone box being bigger on the inside that we can forget its initial splendour. Knowing that River Song is Amy and Rory’s daughter and the Doctor’s wife can make us forget that at one point, she was a mystery. I find it important to remember these things because they can colour our memories with hindsight bias.

My initial reaction to River Song was one of frustration. In making the Doctor and her constantly meet in the opposite direction, much of the chemistry between River and the Doctor is merely implied. We’re told about these great adventures when being shown is far more interesting. It feels akin to falling out with a TV show only to jump back on two seasons later and discover a brand-new main character you know nothing about. There’s a sort of grudge against the new guy because they’re unfamiliar to you. In some ways, both Moffat and Alex Kingston lean into this frustration. This adds a bit of something to River as a character. She’s flirty, a bit of a mystery, and very possibly dangerous. It can also subtract from her character as it makes her feel less established and vague.

Something I have always admired about Steven Moffat’s era of Doctor Who is that he was one of the few writers to really play with the concept of time travel. It’s no wonder that “wibbly wobbly timey wimey,” is one of his lines. Even a Comic Relief short like “Time,” does more with the concept than a lot of other writers. It makes sense that Moffat would play with the concept of two time travellers always meeting out of sync. The problem is that while this gimmick is creative, it’s not incredibly interesting to hear about. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again- I don’t care about Jim the Fish. However, this time around, I found myself pleasantly surprised by River Song, and this is largely due to the fact that I know who she is now. If I were to think of her in the same vein as I did those initial First Doctor serials, I would probably still voice the same frustrations. But Alex Kingston is fun, and ultimately, so is River.

While I’m on the subject of River, I would like to mention one bit that still boils my blood, and those of you familiar with this story may already know what I am about to say. While watching River fly the TARDIS with her fuck me pumps hanging from the console is very cool, I can’t stand the joke about the parking brake. I’ve had people defend this joke as clearly being a gag, but I just can’t go there. My geek brain can’t divorce the joke from the history of the show. That would mean that every Time Lord in the history of the show is so bad at piloting a TARDIS that they too leave their parking brakes on. Furthermore, it’s shown to be more than a joke because as River lands the TARDIS, it doesn’t make that fantastic sound. I know this is incredibly pedantic, but I hate it. The only way forward is to ignore it like I would ignore the Doctor being half-human on his mother’s side or the majority of the Chibnall era.

After River’s iconic entrance, we’re given a glimpse into how this new era of Doctor Who will work. Much of this story functions in the same manner as a classic UNIT story. The Doctor is the difficult genius helping a team of soldiers and scientists, while Amy is the audience experiencing the danger on a human level. Much like Sally Sparrow, we experience the toll the Weeping Angels take through her dusty eyes. The fan reactions to the Weeping Angels are challenged here when Amy’s quick-witted idea of winking as opposed to blinking is undermined by an angel imprinting itself within Amy’s eye.

Writers don’t always make characters more dangerous when reintroducing them. Adding more rules isn’t always as effective as creating more dangerous conditions. Too many rules can bog a story down. After years of changing hands between writers, Superman’s powers became so numerous that he bordered on stupidly overpowered. I am happy then that Steven Moffat did a little bit of both. While he does indeed give the Weeping Angels more powers, he also ups the ante by placing our heroes in a more dangerous situation. Instead of an old house full of a few angels, why not an ancient ruin full of hundreds of them? That will do it.

When I first watched this story, I had originally been quite turned off by the idea of the image of an angel becoming an angel, but now I feel a bit differently. You can tell that Steven Moffat thought about the ways these deadly hunters might adapt. If you can stop them by looking at them, then they’ll compel you to look them in the eye thus imprinting themselves. Steven Moffat’s bread and butter are these little areas where he can turn the mundane into danger. Stay out of shadows because they’ll clean your bones dry. Forget a monster the moment you look away. And whatever you do, don’t blink. These are the thoughts of a writer who sat around as a child thinking about Doctor Who. Every one of Moffat’s wibbly wobbly proclivities is the product of growing up a geeky little boy reading Target novels and pondering the implications of time travel.

While Matt Smith is one of my favourite Doctors, I do feel like it’s obvious this is his first outing as the Doctor. There’s a bit toward the end where I feel his Doctor comes across as too angry. Though this is hard to gauge as much of this adventure would be incredibly stressful. You do get an implication, however, of the type of Doctor we would see more of in the Capaldi era. In this story, the Doctor comes off as more authoritative and bossy than usual. By the time they got around to filming “The Eleventh Hour,” he seems much more comfortable in the role. It’s not hard to see how I was instantly endeared to him as the Doctor. He was able to get any stumbles out of the way by the end of filming “Flesh and Stone.”

A stand-out of this story would have to be Iain Glen as Father Octavian. In the future, the Catholic Church becomes more of a military than a religion. It’s a bit muddled how any of it operates, but this doesn’t detract from Glen’s performance. It wasn’t until researching for this review that I realised this role pre-dates his role as Ser Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones by about a year. I thought his role had been a cameo fresh off the buzz of his HBO fame. Mind you, I didn’t see this episode as it aired. It wasn’t until season six that I got to actually watch Doctor Who in real-time. I was still working my way through David Tennant at this point.

Another cameo I appreciated more than most was that of Mike Skinner as the soldier tripping balls on River’s psychedelic lipstick. In the early 2000’s I was a bit of a fan of the Streets, so it was cool to see him if even for a moment. He’s also a bit of perfect casting as seeing him whacked out like “darlings on Charlie,” was appropriate for his brand. It’s also a great reintroduction to River Song. It’s established that she goes around getting into danger and escaping it with relative ease. Whoever River Song is, she’s dangerous. However, I don’t exactly understand any of what I’m seeing on Byzantium leading up to her and the Doctor’s reunion. I love the idea that the Doctor keeps score by visiting museums. And I like the idea that this futuristic ship full of James Bond villains crashed 12,000 years ago. But I don’t understand why she’s there or much of anything else.

We know that the Byzantium is now crashlanded on Alfalva Metraxis, and its radioactive core is feeding a group of long-dormant Weeping Angels. And this is about as far as Steven Moffat wants us to think about it. River’s transition from spy thriller nightwear to military fatigues is about as fluid as the show’s shift in tone. A couple of throw-away lines of dialogue and suddenly River is GI Jane. It’s not a very elegant transition considering you might miss it altogether. But like I said, Moffat seems more interested in progressing the story. It’s less important how or why we’re in a giant ruin full of Weeping Angels. What’s important to know is that we’re in a giant ruin full of Weeping Angels.

The soldiers work much like they always do in UNIT-type stories- as fodder to be thrown into the gnashers of great evil. There’s some brilliant character work with the Doctor comforting Scared Bob. He also uses this opportunity to bring Father Octavian down a peg or two by implying that it would be stupid to underestimate the angels. This is driven home and amped up all the more by revealing the native species of Alfalva Metraxis had two heads, implying that every statue with only one head is actually a Weeping Angel, eroded by centuries of entropy. It’s nice to be reminded that all you need to do to illustrate the danger of a threat is to place the protagonists in a dangerous situation. I’m not exactly scared of a tiger at a zoo, but if it the jungle, that changes things a bit. You don’t need to give tigers lasers to make them scarier, you just need to place them in an environment advantageous to tigers. It also helps if there are a shitload of them.

With the new reality of their situation in mind, our protagonists are reasonably terrified. Soldiers begin shooting wildly. It would be easy to let the story fall away into action schlock, but ever present is the grounding role that is Amy. Karen Gillan should really be commended for nailing her character so early. There is a vulnerability to her performance here that feels thoughtful. As a person who experiences infrequent eye problems, I can attest to how they can completely occupy your awareness. Much like her performance in “The Girl Who Waited,” Gillan uses her physicality and posture to a great degree. You never forget that something is going wrong with Amy, which creates a persistent unease. The audience is unable to relax because Amy is in trouble.

It’s this sense of dread that carries a lot of this story in sections where it drags. Like a lot of multi-part Doctor Who stories, they feel too long for one episode, and too short for two. A big chunk of the story is given to the Doctor’s conversations with the hijacked consciousness of Bob after the angels snapped his neck. Angel Bob chimes in intermittently to demoralise the lads and establish exposition. It’s an okay device, but out of all of the angels’ new powers, this one is my least favourite. I’m not sure the angels ever needed voices, and in some ways, it makes them less terrifying. This isn’t a Davros moment where the angels have suddenly established their own dictator. It’s closer to learning the inner thoughts of an unknowable horror. Eldritch abominations lose a bit of their edge when you learn they’re not above schoolboy taunts.

Being generous though, I’m going to chalk it up to the fact that the Angels aren’t at full strength. They would need to conserve energy by employing cruder forms of warfare. I suppose my main gripe is that it feels like when Eric Cartman has the power to have every power. I’ve griped about this in previous reviews about the Moffat era’s tendency toward giving villains new and perplexing powers. Like the Zygons turning people into big balls of hair. Or the Ice Warriors and their guns that fold people like beach towels. If this episode is the overture for the grand opus that is the Moffat era, then you can see why problems began to form. Oneupsmanship can be exciting, but it can also be a crutch. It is a form of sensationalism and it can also deflate actual dramatic tension by either elucidating too much or pushing things too far.

Regardless of how I feel about the inclusion of “every power” the Angel Bob segments are still creepy. David Atkins gives a strong interpretation of a naïve soldier being twisted into something cruel. The fact that he’s able to get so much out of voiceover work is impressive. I’m surprised he’s not had a bigger career. Hell, not even Big Finish has used him. Much like Amy’s story arc, Angel Bob gives to the horror movie element of the story. When comparing this story to “Blink,” you could draw parallels to the Alien franchise. The first story is a smaller-scale budget horror while the next installment was more of an action blockbuster. Where the comparison breaks down, however, is that this isn’t an action story after all. It’s more like the story of “Predator,” where a group of soldiers fresh off the set of a Canon film walk directly into a slasher movie. Doctor Who has never told a straight military story. Even when the Doctor worked for UNIT it was usually beside them than with them.

The fact that the military in this story is the Catholic church is an interesting choice, thematically. Angels vs the Church, very big brain Steven, bravo. I do have to scratch my head imagining the sequence of events that would cause the Catholic Church to pivot from systematic abuse toward forming a military… oh wait, I answered my own question. It does muddy the waters a bit with regard to certain characters’ motivations. Father Octavian feels like a man of deep conviction, but if the Catholic Church has pivoted toward becoming a military, does he pray with bullets? Is the G-Man upstairs still part of the equation? Are these priests one with the holy spirit or is that all balderdash in their time? Maybe nobody else gives a shit about these questions, but they’re things that nibble at the back of my mind, distracting me. I can’t be the only one.

Moffat has said in interviews that when he pens a two-part story, he endeavours to begin the second half of the story in a different location or circumstance. He was frustrated by the way “The Doctor Dances,” simply picked up where “An Empty Child,” left off. You can see this in the way “Silence in the Library,” ends in the library, whereas “Forest of the Dead,” begins with Donna living in a house under the care of Dr Moon. I’m not really sure why this is such a big deal for Moffat. It’s like how Simpsons episodes start in one place and end up in a drastically different location. There’s no rule that the second part of a story can’t pick up where the first left off any more than the guarantee that the opposite will be interesting. What’s interesting then is that this story does a bit of both.

Having ended with Matt Smith’s rather cool speech about being the last thing you want to put into a trap, it was a bit of a mystery as to where we would end up in the second half. Having shot a set of gravity stabilisers on the Byzantium, the Doctor and company were able to fall upward to the gravity of the ship’s surface. But this is only a stopgap from the onslaught of Angels growing evermore powerful from the ship’s radiation. The slick interior of the Byzantium stands in stark contrast to the eroding temple below, giving us that Moffat point of difference. On a horror level going from a broken temple to a polished spaceship is a bit of a downgrade. It’s not like the Nostromo with its hanging chains and dark corridors. But don’t you worry, the Byzantium has a forest inside it!

There’s something very Moffat about going from a ruin to a ship, to a dark forest. The forest is arguably the first place we found ourselves naked and afraid. If you’ve ever walked through a dark forest on a moonless night, you know a bit of the animal terror that preys on your brain. Your eyes begin to trick you as you peer in vain to distinguish shadows of trees from shadows of predators. Imagine then that those shadows may be a group of hungry statues with the power to send you back in time to live under Thatcher. Terrifying. I know for a fact that this situation would be scary as it was the most effective part of the walk-through section of the Doctor Who Experience. Even at 30, I didn’t want the Weeping Angels statues to touch me. I think that speaks truth to the lasting terror of Moffat’s most infamous creations.

Things get worse for our heroes when the crack in time and space from young Amy’s bedroom wall makes a cameo. However, this time instead of having the giant eye of the Atraxi inside, we’re greeted by a hungry force of broken spacetime eager to heal itself by feeding on people’s lives. It does so by enticing the priests into its light like an angler fish. As the men go one by one to inspect this phenomenon, it erases them from existence, with the only one seeming to remember being Amy. The Doctor later explains this by telling her she remembers the men because she’s a time traveller now. This makes enough sense in the moment, but falls apart when Amy can’t seem to remember Rory, a fellow time traveller to whom she’s been engaged for some time.

The Doctor, River, and Octavian work their way through the Byzantium while leaving Amy behind. The need arises after Amy’s condition has progressed to the point that she is started to see things that aren’t real. After she begins to think her body is turning to stone, only the sting of the Doctor’s bite can convince her that she is still flesh and blood. Even more worrying is that Amy has begun slowly counting down from ten and doesn’t even notice herself doing it. It’s genius then that the one way for Amy to survive this encounter with the Weeping Angels is by doing the one thing you’re not supposed to do- closing her eyes. Once again, it’s the type of situational intensification that works so much more for me than tiger lasers. The pinnacle of this story arc comes in the form of Amy having to navigate past a group of angels as though she were still able to see. If the angels think she can see them, they might behave as though she can see them.

At the time, I remember murmurs in the fandom from people who were upset to see the angels move in this scene. I can see their argument a bit. It’s a bit like knowing their thoughts in that seeing them move makes them feel a bit less scary. The fact that we never see how fast they move or what moving may look like gives them a monstrous feeling. Personally, I don’t really mind. It worked for me the first time around and I still find it rather fun. The stone-against-stone sound they make as their heads look toward Amy is cute. Does it break the fundamental rules of the Weeping Angels? A bit yeah. The fact that they kind of move here says that maybe the angels aren’t quantum-locked at that moment. It implies that maybe they’re standing still because they expect they can’t actually move. It’s a case where the unknown leads to interesting questions as opposed to distracting ones. Moffat is transferring the way he experienced Doctor Who as a boy into his writing.

One element that really bothers me is the way in which Father Octavian dies. With so many variables to now worry about, the Doctor is really feeling the pressure. Amy is close to death. The angels are progressing. The crack is getting bigger. And there are lives at stake. What bothers me is that the Doctor gets lost in thought about the crack’s ability to erase people out of existence. I find it annoying that the most they can find for the Doctor to do in this moment is flap his hands about while piecing together that time can be rewritten- a fact that the Doctor has stated on numerous occasions in the past. He gets so involved with this train of thought that he completely misses that Father Octavian is about to be outflanked by a Weeping Angel. It’s nice that Father Octavian has a brave and dignified death, but I am offended that it was because the Doctor was busy figuring out the blatantly obvious. It’s one of the moments I felt was a bit of a misstep for this new Doctor. Sure, the Doctor is prone to get lost in thought, and the Doctor does occasionally get people killed. But this was possibly one of the dumbest reasons ever. Octavian’s death is played like a sacrifice, but it was a very unnecessary one.

The answer to all of the Doctor’s problems is of course right in front of him. I sort of like the way the angels try to goad the Doctor into dying for them. It’s as if in their own sick manner, they are attempting to use the Doctor’s ethos of self-sacrifice to save even their rotten existence. The Doctor is having none of this though, as a group of Weeping Angels would be just as satisfying a meal to a time anomaly as would a Time Lord with years of time travel under his belt. The fact that the angels even tried this tactic makes them feel alien. Like they misunderstand compassion so much that they think of self-sacrifice as an exploitable weakness. I like that even in giving the angels the ability to speak, they do still retain a bit of their esoteric inscrutability. 

Putting his big Time Lord brain to work, the Doctor comes to another obvious conclusion- if messing with gravity worked the first time, why not a second time? In the spirit of Indiana Jones chopping a rope bridge, the Doctor cuts the gravity long enough to feed the Weeping Angels to the crack in the wall, satiating its hunger enough to seal the crack once more. This moment is also a nice call back to the scene where the Doctor jumps down into the Byzantium which changes his centre of gravity. What seemed like a cute little moment of sci-fi fun with perspective and physics was actually the loaded gun ready to go off in the third act. I love it when Doctor Who does that. It’s like how throughout all of season four you hear about planets disappearing, a trope almost as old as the science fiction genre, and discovering that it’s actually a huge plot element in the finale.

While the Doctor still doesn’t trust River, it's interesting then that she returns to the Storm Cage. Whoever it is that she murdered, it was someone she respected enough to believe she belongs in prison. With nobody around to physically take River back to her cell, she still makes no attempt to escape the smokey teleportation beam. If they were ever trying to make us think River had murdered anyone other than the Doctor, I would be surprised. It seems pretty easy to imagine that it’s the Doctor. I think the only way they could have subverted expectations is for it to have not been the Doctor. You can even tell in the way the Doctor asks River who it was that she killed that he already knows the answer. There’s an interesting dichotomy set in motion where River knows she killed the Doctor, and the Doctor knows River died to save his life. It’s one aspect where the concept of two people meeting in two different directions can be very fulfilling.

As a proof of concept for the Moffat era goes, I would say this was a success. Steven Moffat wasn’t just working to establish his brand of Doctor Who, he was working to keep the show afloat. This was a Patrick Troughton moment in that much of the show’s future hinged on its success. I know I make it sound as though I am treating this like it was the actual first story that aired, but as I said before, it was the first story they filmed. They needed to nail this one in order to move forward. And it wasn’t just about whether stories about the Eleventh Doctor or River could replace the Tenth Doctor or Captain Jack. It was about whether the era could maintain the momentum of the Russell T Davies era. If everything were to all change from what came before, would it make or break the show? I think we can proclaim that yes, lightning can strike twice.

#Doctor Who #Flesh and Stone #The Time of Angels #Steven Moffat #Eleventh Doctor #Matt Smith #Amy Pond #Karen Gillan #River Song #Alex Kingston #season 5 #BBC #TARDIS #Weeping Angels #Father Octavian #Iain Glen #Time and Time Again #timeagainreviews

[ashthedrawer]

•OC FIC: DIOLES•

Masterlist | Characters: Felix (he/him), Winola (she/her), January (he/him), Maddox (he/him), Akali (he/him), Avil (she/her), Alzena (she/her), Nyssa (she/her), Astley (he/they), Rory (they/she), Kuali’i (he/him), Wilder (he/him), Gunther (he/him), Adelio (they/he), Bliss (she/her), Mr Prader (he/him), Cora (she/her), Reagan (she/her)

Characters in blue all belong to @jiphenn

“Excited?”

Bliss smiled at Felix, stepping closer to him. She wasn’t in uniform yet, her short hair pulled back by barrettes. He grinned at her, already feeling jittery. “Mhm.”

Bliss glanced around, watching the cast members prepare for the play, but she seemed more subdued than usual. It was obvious something was bothering her.

“You nervous?” He asked. Bliss turned away from him, frowning slightly. “I’m not, but someone else is.” She motioned over to Kuali’i.

He was staring off into space, his expression unreadable. Bliss’ eyebrows furrowed. “He’s usually really confident but something’s up with him today.”

Kuali’i didn’t even seem to notice their staring, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. People bumped past him, but it was like they weren’t even there.

Felix hummed thoughtfully. This was his last year here, so maybe that was the reason for the nerves. And the vaccine did come out tomorrow, which was when they would find out if January was telling the truth about knowing how to hack their files…

“I’m probably just overthinking it.” Bliss elbowed him playfully, pulling him out of his thoughts with another smile. This one was genuine. “It’s fine, tonight will go perfectly.” She reassured him. Standing with her, he was sure it would be fine. Kuali’i was probably just stressed for no reason. And after this would be Winter Break, where he finally would get to relax. The whole Board Game Club was going over to January’s for a sleepover. He had nothing to worry about. Life was actually peaceful, for once.

A few minutes later, now fully dressed up in costume, Felix peered through the curtains, looking out at the crowd. It was completely packed. The theatre was filled to the brim, people whispering amongst each other. He saw Reagan and Paisley sitting in the front row, Reagan looking more anxious than Kuali’i had been.

“Nervous?”

Kuali’i stood behind him, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. “No,” he smirked up at him. “Are you?”

Kuali’i just grinned. “Nope.” He said it with so much confidence that Bliss’ judgement of him being nervous was now hard to believe. He was back to his usual smiling self.

“Excited, then?”

“Yeah!” Kuali’i’s smile grew wider. “We’ve all been working so hard so I know we’ll do great.”

“Okay, is everyone ready?” He could hear Mr. Blackburn calling out to everyone backstage. “Starting scene with Alard and Amanda, so the wind instruments get ready!”

Kuali’i fixed his hair one last time before waving goodbye to Felix. “That’s my cue to go, good luck!” And with that he ran off.

The play ran smoothly all the way to the start of the second act.

Felix’s big moment had come. He strapped into his harness quickly, getting into place. His first lines were delivered with ease. It was all going perfectly, just like Bliss had said.

“This is why humans and Dioles can never get along! All you care about are your own selfish ideals!” Desiree’s actor shouted with passion.

Felix scoffed. “Are you not the same?”

“No.” She retorted with disgust. “Because unlike you, we humans have a heart! You Dioles will always be nothing but heartless monsters.”

Felix felt himself begin to lift in the air. This was it. The percussion started building, the band growing louder and louder. This was what he had practiced for, his big moment, at the climax of the play.

“DIOLES WILL WIN!” He finished his monologue, his voice conveying pure, raw conviction, carrying through the audience.

But instead of Kuali’i shouting his next lines, Felix’s entire world was flipped upside down.

Alarms started blaring, the whole room filling with red flashing lights. “ALERT. ALERT. DIOLE ON THE PREMISES. DIOLE ON THE PREMISES.”

Felix’s blood ran cold. The entire band stopped playing, yet no one else moved. The entire theatre was still in anticipation.

There was a deafening crash. Cracks formed along the roof, splintering away, as a majority of the back wall collapsed. Debris rained down on the audience. Felix watched helplessly as people were thrown and crushed. Blood splattered the walls, the ground, the stage. Smoke filled the room. He was hanging mid-air, still tightly secured by his harness. He couldn’t move, couldn’t get down. He was completely stuck. Fear tightened around his chest. His friends were in that audience. Paisley was in that audience. Reagan was sitting in that audience.

“I came at the perfect time.” A booming voice echoed from above, laughing at the scene. Felix saw a flash of black, as a large creature emerged from the missing wall.

It was as tall, if not even taller, than the school. Its hands were jagged, pitch-black in colour, flinging pieces of debris everywhere. “‘Dioles will win!’” It repeated with another laugh. “Great delivery Felix!” It turned its head, revealing its piercing yellow eyes.

Felix was frozen in terror. He couldn’t look away from it. He could hear screaming from below, growing louder as more people ran in. Dioles. They blocked all of the exits, attacking the audience. Felix managed to reach for his harness, desperately trying to claw at the lock and tear it open. It wouldn’t budge.

“Winola!”

It was Adelio on the ground, trying to lower Felix down. “Come here and help me!” Winola ran up to him, abandoning her screaming band members and helping him with the ropes. More blood splattered on the ground as the monster threw even more debris at people, Dioles overwhelming others.

Felix’s feet finally touched on the ground, his harness making a clear clicking noise as it was unlocked. Felix had never been more relieved. He ripped it off of himself, shaking all over.

Gunfire rang off, the gym teachers aiming bullets at the monster. It just laughed, swatting the bullets away. “C’mon, you’ll have to try a little harder than that! How about a real hero fights me?” It grinned, looking around. This all seemed to be nothing but amusing to the creature. Felix couldn’t believe his eyes. It couldn’t really be him. There was no way it was really who he thought that was.

“Fine. Guess I’ll have to use a hostage.” The monster laughed, scanning around the screaming crowd. Its glowing eyes finally fell on the stage. “Oh, how about you?” It reached down, giant hand stretching towards Felix, Winola and Adelio. It had claws that must have been taller than Felix himself.

It brushed past Felix, hands closing around the person only five feet away. Felix was finally free from his harness, yet he couldn’t even make himself move. Couldn’t make himself speak. He watched helplessly as the creature snatched his friend away.

“Let’s see, who will save this poor little defenceless human?” It dangled Adelio around, holding onto them by nothing more than his arm. Adelio’s face was twisted up in pain. The monster held them out tauntingly to the crowd. “Anyone?” It asked with a grin. “Maybe I’ll have to make things more dire.” It slowly squeezed Adelio’s arm, and his piercing scream filled the theatre. Blood exploded from its fist, showering the people below.

Felix sprinted at the monster, abandoning all logical thought. Adelio’s scream wouldn’t stop ringing in his ears. He dodged debris, leaping towards the creature.

He had to save his friend.

The monster kicked him squarely in the chest, and he went flying. He crashed into a wall, pain spasming through his entire body. Felix gasped, the breath sucked out of his chest. His head pounded. It felt like he had broke something. His vision blurred.

“No takers, huh?” The monster said to Adelio, dangling them directly in front of its face. “Guess I’ll have to find a more valuable hostage.”

Felix shakily got to his feet, just in time to see Adelio get tossed through the air, discarded like he was nothing. He ran at the monster again, his side burning in white hot pain.

“RODRIGUEZ STAND BACK!” Someone screamed.

It was Mr. Prader. He grabbed onto him, pulling him back. Felix could only watch as the monster reached down again, plucking up another victim. “Oh you’ll definitely have people willing to save you.” It laughed.

Felix screamed.

The monsters hand was closed around none other than his best friend, a horrified look on her face.

It was Bliss.

“Well who’s gonna save her?” It laughed gleefully. Like it was a fucking joke. Felix fought desperately against Mr. Prader, staring up at Bliss, panicked. He couldn’t let her get hurt. Not her.

“NO!” He screamed. “PUT HER DOWN! DON’T HURT HER!” He tried to wriggle free from Mr. Prader’s grip, to escape and save his best friend, but Mr. Prader wouldn’t let go.

“DO YOU WANT TO DIE RODRIGUEZ? I SAID STAND BACK!”

Teachers kept aiming bullets at the monster, all for naught, as they were deflected with ease. “NO!” Felix kept screaming, begging, “DON’T DO THIS. DON’T HURT HER.” His voice cracked with emotion. Anyone but her. Anyone but Bliss.

“HOLD HIM BACK.” Mr Prader ordered some random people, and they all grabbed at Felix, keeping him still. Felix fought against them, but it was five adults versus him. They pinned his arms back.

He just needed to get to his friend. He needed to do something.

The creature looked around again. No one else was running to Bliss’ assistance, other than the teachers whose bullets accomplished nothing. “Man.” The monster sounded almost disappointed. “Nobody’s willing to save you either? Guess you’re just not that valuable.”

It’s fist started to squeeze, closing in around Bliss. Felix’s voice was raw, yelling and screaming and praying for the monster to notice him. Just look at me already.

“GUNTHER.” He pleaded, “Please, don’t hurt her!”

Gunther didn’t even look at him. His friend, someone he had trusted, joked with, laughed with, who now just stood there, holding one of the people Felix cared about most and laughing as he squeezed the life out of her.

Cracks formed in the ground, snaking between his feet. Below him he could hear rumbling. The floor burst, and out came a violent stream of…

Water?

Gunther’s hand was forced open as it got sliced by a giant blade of water. Bliss went flying. Felix focused in on her, opening a portal underneath her and safely transporting her a few feet away from the fight.

Gunther was laughing maniacally. “FINALLY.” He yelled, shaking his hand. “THANK YOU AVIL!” His eyes focused on the girl with a familiar blue-and-purple ponytail, now standing in front of him, water floating around her.

Felix finally pushed away from the people holding him, instantly sprinting towards Bliss’ side. He dodged water and fallen debris, landing next to her and checking her pulse.

She was alive. He sobbed, eternally grateful for Avil.

“GUNTHER WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Avil shouted, hurling more water blows at him. He laughed and flashed a row a razor-sharp teeth. “Killing these humans.”

Blood was dripping from Bliss’ head, her eyes glazed over. She was sprawled out in the rubble, unresponsive.

Felix didn’t know what to do. Gunther and Avil were still fighting, debris and water going everywhere. He needed to get her somewhere safe. He couldn’t leave her here. She’d be crushed. He had to find Reagan and Paisley… had to find Akali. He didn’t even know if Adelio had survived. He couldn’t focus, the sounds of Dioles fighting and gunshots firing too distracting. Bliss needed a hospital now. But there was no way he’d get out in time. He glanced back at Gunther, terrified and completely lost.

“BUT WHY?” Avil screamed again, hurling even more water at Gunther.

“BECAUSE I’M A DIOLE CAN’T YOU SEE? YOU SHOULD GET IT. ALL TWELVE OF YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND.”

Felix turned back to Bliss, carefully picking her up and slinging her across his shoulders. His heart was racing. He had to bring her somewhere safe. He had to get her out of here. He glanced around. The entire theatre was coming down.

There wasn’t anywhere to go.

“ALL OF THE BOARD GAME CLUB SHOULD UNDERSTAND. RIGHT GUYS?” He smacked the water away, laughing again. He sounded deranged.

Felix didn’t care about him anymore. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get Bliss help. There was no use hiding anymore, not after Gunther’s announcement.

Still holding onto Bliss, he opened up a portal and stepped through, praying this was the right decision.

Winola limped, pain shooting up her leg for every step she took.

Adelio hadn’t woken up.

He was slung over her shoulders, his mutilated arm slowly pouring blood, soaking her clothes. Winola didn’t know how much time he had left, didn’t know if he would even make it, if she found a way to a hospital.

Still, she searched for an exit, trying to stay undetected by the other Dioles. There seemed to be no escape to this place. Water bursted out of the cracks in the ground, the blood from her gunshot wound and the dead audience members making it slippery to walk. Smoke burned her eyes, but she kept pushing on. She wasn’t going to give up now. She had to get Adelio to a hospital.

The blood loss was making her dizzy. She had tied her sweater around her leg, but Adelio was weighing her down even further. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest.

“YOU!” Someone yelled.

She picked up her pace, trying to readjust Adelio in some way that was less painful for the both of them. He was completely out of it, his arm still gushing blood.

“COME BACK HERE!” The person screeched again, and Winola could hear them sprinting after her. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Winola didn’t care about anything except getting Adelio to safety. She didn’t care if she died doing it. She would have preferred it, honestly.

A hand closed around her shoulder. She ignored it, praying they weren’t armed. She couldn’t deal with another bullet wound right now.

She could still hear Gunther raving as Avil fought him. “JANUARY, MADDOX, FELIX, WINOLA, NYSSA, ALZENA, WILDER, RORY, KUALI’I, AKALI, ASTLEY, AND YOU, AVIL. WHY DON’T YOU JOIN ME? YOU’RE ALL DIOLES AFTERALL.”

Winola pulled away, glancing around for another way out. Gunther laughed again. “Looks like I broke the club oath. Guess you’ll have to kill me.” She could hear the grin in his voice.

Someone stepped in front of Winola, stopping her in her tracks. It was Felix’s older sister, Reagan. Her brown eyes were wide, her face ghostly pale from Gunther’s announcement. She looked nauseous.

“WHERE IS FELIX?”

“I don’t know.” Winola mumbled, really tired of the Rodriguez siblings. She moved around Reagan, still determined to find some way out.

Gunther’s screams echoed through the theatre, deafening. “SO WHO WILL IT BE? AKALI, AVIL, JANUARY? MAYBE YOU SHOULD WORK TOGETHER SINCE THE REST OF YOU CAN’T DO MUCH.”

“YOU WERE WITH HIM, WHERE IS HE?” Reagan gripped her hand, oh so desperate. She looked at her with tears in her eyes, like she would die if she didn’t find him.

“I already told you I don’t know.” Winola said, getting annoyed. Adelio was bleeding out. He needed help more than Felix. “I need to leave.” She tried pulling away again.

“FELIX CAN GET US OUT OF HERE.” Reagan screamed. “I NEED TO FIND HIM, PLEASE.”

“Then stop talking to me and look for him.” Winola rolled her eyes.

Reagan opened her mouth to protest, before her eyes landed on someone behind them. “FELIX!”

Winola kept looking for a way out.

All the exits were being blocked, either by debris or Dioles she was in no condition to fight.

There was a large hole in the wall, except Gunther was blocking it.

But she had no other options.

Avoiding the falling debris, she quietly made her way to it, carrying Adelio.

“SHE’S A DIOLE!”

People started pointing Winola out, all staring at her with animosity. She tried to escape them, to just get to the exit, to help Adelio.

A blast went off, stunning Winola. She blinked, trying to ignore it, to just keep going, but she found that she couldn’t move. Something warm seeped through her other pant leg, stinging.

Someone had shot her again.

Her legs buckled, and she was knocked to the ground. She couldn’t move her legs. Adelio was laying just in front of her, unconscious. People ran away from her in fear, leaving her laying there on the ground.

She propped herself up on her elbows, gritting her teeth at the fiery burning in her legs. Her head spun. Her vision faded in and out.

Her arms shook, giving out underneath her. She was so weak. She could feel herself slipping away, barely able to even stay awake now.

Then something started to lift her up. She closed her eyes, and everything went fuzzy.

Felix found himself in Bliss’ house.

He’d been in this exact foyer probably a hundred times over the years, all the way back to when he was only five. He’d spent countless days here, hanging out with Bliss, talking to her about anything and everything, gossiping, complaining to each other, laughing and joking around.

But tonight the house was cold, dark. Unbearably quiet. He wished there was somewhere else to go, somewhere else he could portal that wouldn’t immediately get him killed.

“HELLO? SOMEONE? HELP!” He screamed, met with nothing but complete silence. Her parents weren’t here, they would have been in the audience, watching Bliss play on the cello with the band. There was nobody home. He could feel blood seeping through his clothes. Bliss was even worse off. He couldn’t think straight, panic taking over.

He leaned down, laying her on the ground, trying to be as gentle as possible. He reached into his pants pocket, where he thankfully had left his phone in. With shaking hands he called 911.

“PLEASE, HELP. A DIOLE ATTACKED MY FRIEND. SHE’S GOING TO DIE.” He screamed into the phone. He rushedly gave her address, his voice trembling with pure desperation. “SEND AN AMBULANCE. PLEASE. HELP HER.”

He was met by a steady but firm tone on the other end of the line. “Sir, we’re going to need you to calm down. Please tell us what happened.”

He looked down at Bliss again. Her head was bleeding worse now. She was scarily pale. He needed to stay here with her, make sure that she got the help she needed. He needed to protect her.

But his sister was still at the theatre. She was defenceless. She wasn’t a Diole. And she was stuck there with Gunther. He needed to find her. He couldn’t leave his family. If Reagan got hurt, got hurt because of the Board Game Club, because of Felix, he would never forgive himself. He had to go back, had to go find her. He couldn’t just abandon her, abandon Paisley, abandon the Board Game Club.

He remembered a few months ago, laying on his bed, Bliss’ head resting on his chest. It was the night after his 16th birthday party, the first time she’d ever slept over with him. It was just the two of them. They’d stayed up all night, talking and eating birthday cake.

Laying with her, talking about nothing really important, the two of them trying to suppress their laughter, he’d felt completely content. It was perfect. His life was finally settling down. His powers were under control, he had the Board Game Club, and he was even passing most of his classes. She’d smiled at him, so full of warmth and happiness. He could never stay in a bad mood around Bliss. She was just so full of complete love for the people around her. And when she smiled at him, he’d felt so normal. It was the best feeling in the world.

But he was a Diole and she was not.

And he couldn’t stay here and wait with her, as much as it killed him. Reagan could be hurt, could be dying. He needed to get back and help the rest of the club. He stared at his phone. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

“I have to go.” He said hoarsely, wanting nothing more than to just stay with her, to ride to the hospital with her, make sure she was safe. “Please, please send an ambulance.”

He took in her face one last time. He prayed that he would get to see her again. Hug her again. He opened up another portal, back into the theatre, and Bliss’ house disappeared.

He landed back in the rubble.

The theatre was still in chaos. He glanced around, looking for Reagan, holding back tears. He didn’t even have time to grieve, not when he was surrounded by blood and fighting and gunfire.

“FELIX!”

He whipped around. Reagan was sprinting at him, her eyes wild. She didn’t seem to be hurt. Her hair was out of its original braid, flying around her face, and she was covered in dust, but other that that, in one piece. He ran towards her, unbelievably relieved that she was okay, that Gunther hadn’t crushed her. She grabbed him tight. “WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE.”

“Where’s Paisley?!”

“THAT’S NOT IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO LEAVE.” She screamed again, looking at him in despair.

Avil and Gunther were still fighting, water splashing everywhere. “No, not yet!” Paisley was nowhere to be seen. “We have to find her! And I can’t leave them!” He gestured to Avil and Gunther. “I have to go help!”

She gripped his shoulders, fingernails digging into his skin. “SHE ALREADY LEFT.” Her voice cracked, she looked like she was two seconds from bawling her eyes out. “SHE SAID THAT SHE’LL MEET US. WE NEED TO GO.” She was pleading with him, begging.

“THERE, THE DIOLE.” Someone Felix didn’t know screamed, pointing at him angrily.

He hesitated, wondering for a second if he should just leave with her, let January figure this out on his own. But he couldn’t. They’d signed an oath. He wasn’t like Gunther, he wouldn’t break it like that. He had to help them. Gunther would kill them all if he left. He couldn’t lose both of his best friends.

“GET SOMEWHERE SAFE! I’LL BE BACK I PROMISE.” He stepped back from Reagan, opening up a portal.

“FELIX-“ Reagan screamed, reaching for him. He’d never heard her sound so desperate before.

But it was too late.

He landed on top of Gunther, trying to keep his balance as Gunther swung out and ripped more of the wall apart.

“Huh? A fly?” Gunther laughed, ignoring Felix. Felix kicked him in the eye as hard as he could, enough to at least stun him a bit.

“FUCK YOU!” He screamed.

Gunther just blinked, barely even phased. He laughed again. “You’ve been training for how long and that’s all you can do?” He reached up, giant hand closing around Felix before he could think to dodge.

Felix clawed at him, trying to squirm out of his grasp. He screamed in frustration. “I HATE YOU!” He tried to kick at his eye again, but Gunther just pulled him away. He dangled him by his arm, just like he had with Adelio. Felix was probably fifty feet up in the air. Enough to kill him if he fell. Gunther’s lips curled into a smirk.

“You always did amuse me, you know.”

Felix had never hated someone more.

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU? YOU RUINED EVERYTHING.”

Gunther used his free hand to swipe away the bullets and water that were still being shot at him, but he seemed slower. The water pressure had evidently started to affect him. “Oh, I’m doing you all a FAVOUR.”

“MY LIFE WAS FINALLY GOING TO BE NORMAL!” Felix screamed back, so overcome by rage that he didn’t even care if Gunther dropped him. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND. HOW COULD YOU?”

“Normal?” Gunther laughed harder. “Your life never WAS and never WILL BE normal.” He threw Felix. “You have to accept that in this society you’ll be nothing but a MONSTER.”

Felix flew through the air, opening up another portal and landing in a heap on Gunther’s shoulder. He got to his feet again, staring at him in disbelief.

“LOOK AT YOURSELF.” He yelled. “LOOK AT WHAT YOU’RE DOING. I WOULD NEVER DO THAT. I WOULD NEVER HURT SOMEONE LIKE THAT.” He motioned to the mess of blood and bodies below, the Dioles that kept attacking. “IF YOU HAD JUST PLAYED ALONG THEN WE COULD’VE HAD A NORMAL LIFE!”

“THERE’S NOTHING NORMAL ABOUT US. HAS JANUARY RESTALL TAINTED YOUR MIND WITH SO MUCH FALSE HOPE?” He laughed. “I’M NOT LIKE YOU GUYS, I DON’T RUN AWAY FROM MYSELF. I DON’T CARE HOW MANY PEOPLE I HAVE TO HURT FOR MY OWN FREEDOM!”

Gunther grabbed onto more debris and hurled it.

“YOU’RE FUCKING CRAZY!” Felix couldn’t believe this was the same guy who had sat and laughed with him on Monday, sitting in the club room, playing board games with the rest of them. Had he known all along? Had he sat there while knowing he was going to do this?

“WHAT ABOUT YOUR GIRLFRIENDS? YOUR FAMILY? YOU HAD FRIENDS. DON’T YOU CARE?”

“I’m doing this for THEM.” He hissed, flicking Felix away. He stomped, cracking the ground and causing several chunks of the roof to collapse.

Felix opened another portal, landing on the ground lightly. “YOU THINK THEY’RE GONNA LIKE YOU NOW, AFTER YOU MURDERED A BUNCH OF HUMANS?”

Gunther narrowed his eyes, laughing. “This truly shows how we were never really friends.”

Felix thought about all the times he had hung out with Gunther. How Gunther had saved him when he had broken his leg in a fight, how Gunther had been one of his closest friends in the Board Game Club. Months of jokes and conversations. Gunther was one of the only people he could be fully himself, not having to worry about being a Diole. Gunther was cool, strong, and good at fighting. He was charming. Felix respected him; looked up to him, even. He was everything he wanted to be.

He didn’t want to admit how much that all really hurt, how much Gunther’s words stung. He had trusted him. And it was all nothing?

“HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLY WANT ALL THIS?”

“OH YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW ANYTHING.” Gunther spit back, seething.

“THEN TELL ME!” Felix screamed, waving his arms around. “TELL ME HOW ANY OF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE SENSE?”

“Maybe you’ll find out, if you make it to Paradise.” He started to morph again, growing larger in size, the ground collapsing even further. Cracks formed under Felix’s feet, and he was forced back farther.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

But Gunther was finally finished. He didn’t even look at him, instead using his sharp claws to continue to break the building.

Felix gave up trying to reason with him, portaling back up to his head and trying to poke his eyes out, distract him, do any sort of damage against him.

Gunther was seemingly getting stronger and stronger, effortlessly deflecting Avil and Felix’s attacks while dodging bullets. Felix had never made so many portals consecutively. His whole body shook with effort. His face was dripping with sweat. He stumbled, and Gunther tossed him through the air again. He managed to create another portal, this time rolling roughly on the ground. He felt sick. He couldn’t keep going like this for much longer, and he was sure that Avil couldn’t either. Gunther was still standing tall, wrecking the school. He didn’t even look bothered.

Gunther was always stronger than all of them, better than all of them. He knew it. Everyone knew it. Felix’s portals were nothing compared to him. He was no match. He wasn’t even sure if the entire club working together could overpower Gunther. It didn’t matter anyway, because the rest of the club was nowhere to be found. Maybe January really had abandoned them all.

There was a sharp bang. Felix’s shoulder exploded with pain. He coughed, blood soaking his jacket.

For a split second he could almost understand Gunther. Their bullets were doing nothing against Gunther’s monstrous form. The only person causing any real damage was Avil. The two of them were on their own against him. And yet the teachers were still shooting at them. Only a few minutes ago Mr. Prader had held him back, tried to protect him. Felix hadn’t hurt anyone, he was actively trying to distract Gunther long enough for Avil to finally land a hit on him. Yet it didn’t matter, all they heard was “Diole” and suddenly he was the enemy, a criminal; not a student.

Felix had been hiding - running - since he was six years old. He couldn’t remember what his life had been like, for the short time that he was normal. Before his parents died. Before Reagan found out he was a Diole. Before she took him away from their grandmother, before it was just them. He was only six. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He wasn’t evil, or wicked, or some sort of murderer. He was just a scared kid who had just lost his parents. But suddenly the world had decided that he was too dangerous.

“You’ll be nothing but a MONSTER.” Gunther’s words repeated in his head. There were people running away from him, staring at him like he was the one that had wrecked the school, that had crushed those people. They were scared of him. He could hear them screaming, shouting “DIOLE!” at him. Like there was no difference between him and Gunther, not in their eyes. He wondered bitterly if Gunther was right. If he really was running away from himself, if he was a coward.

But Bliss was somewhere bleeding out, possibly dead, because of Gunther. She was innocent, the one person Felix knew who didn’t seem to hate Dioles. She always spoke lightly about them, commenting on how neither humans nor Dioles could be inherently good or evil. “If a Diole can kill someone, then so can a human, and vice versa.”

Gunther wasn’t right. He was no different than them, attacking the school, laughing as he crushed Adelio’s arm and discarding them as if they were nothing more than a toy.

Felix crouched behind the rubble, trying to catch his breath. He wouldn’t let Gunther hurt anyone else. He had to find a way to be actually useful, because kicking Gunther in the eye wasn’t doing anything but annoying him and tiring Felix out. His shoulder stung. He was pretty sure that he was going to pass out from exhaustion. Every single muscle in his body hurt.

Keeping low, he searched the rubble for something sharp. His hands closed around a piece of jagged metal. Standing up shakily, he managed to open another portal, and slipped into it.

He landed on Gunther’s head once again, but this time he wasted not a second before attacking. Gunther didn’t seem to notice him, and he was becoming much more sluggish against both Felix, Avil, and the constant gunfire. Felix prayed this meant that they were actually chipping away at him, even if it was just slowly. Felix raised his arms above his head, arcing the weapon down with all his strength and impaling Gunther’s eye.

Gunther hissed, grabbing Felix and flinging him in the air. Felix flew up at least twenty feet, away from the school this time. Disoriented, he created another portal, slashing out at Gunther’s other eye.

Gunther merely closed his eye, the debris deflecting off of his hide. Felix twisted in the air, caught off balance, and Gunther took advantage of it, swatting him away. Felix opened up another portal, almost missing it, and fell back down to the ground, this time rolling roughly through the rubble.

The debris had started to float into the air, raising around Felix and Avil as they continued to fight. Gunther didn’t seem to pay it any mind, destroying more of the school.

January.

Felix hoped he was somewhere around here, hoped January had some sort of plan. Because Felix sure didn’t have one. He prayed the rest of the Board Game Club was safe. That someone would come to help them. He really wished Akali was here right now. He was the strongest in the club, next to January and Avil. He would’ve been able to take down Gunther much more easily than Felix was.

Gunther grabbed him again, but this time he was caught off guard, catching his breath down in the rubble. His claws closed around Felix, pinning his arms down. This time Gunther didn’t throw him, instead raising him higher into the air. His yellow eyes flickered dangerously. Felix’s heart sunk. It was the same amused look he had while holding Bliss.

Slowly, Gunther started to squeeze.

Felix screamed. His entire body lit up with pain. He had never felt like this before, every single muscle and bone in his body in agony. He couldn’t see, couldn’t think. All he could hear was himself screaming, his throat raw. Blood gushed from his bullet wound, dripping down Gunther’s fist. He screamed louder.

He couldn’t breathe.

He could feel his ribs folding in on each other, and his lungs felt like they were being crushed. The edges of his vision were blurring red. He could feel all the blood rushing to his head. he felt like he was going to explode. He wished he had said goodbye to Reagan. Wished he had said “I love you” one last time.

He was going to die, killed by one of his only friends.

Tears streamed down his face, he gagged. Stop, he wanted to beg. Please stop. He couldn’t make himself do anything except yell out in pain. Things were falling out of the sky, but his vision was so blurred that he couldn’t tell what it was. He didn’t even really care anymore, too focused on the way poison seemed to be sloshing around in his rib cage.

Someone grabbed the collar of his shirt, and the pressure ceased. The last thing he saw was a mountain of rubble come crashing down on Gunther with alarming speed, before he melted into shadow.

“You’re such an idiot.”

Someone grumbled, their monotone voice familiar. He was laid down on the ground gently. Bright LED lights blinded him. He must have been far away from the theatre now.

He blinked, and Akali in all his sweaty, blood-covered glory came into focus.

Felix shook, unable to say anything. His entire body still hurt, and his head felt foggy. Akali stood up, giving Felix a once-over quickly to make sure he was okay. “I’ll be back.” He vanished into a cloud of black smoke again.

The entire school was eerily quiet now. Felix couldn’t hear Gunther any longer. He laid there, shaking all over, his adrenaline rush finally fading.

“FELIX!”

Someone grabbed him, helping him to his feet. “WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE.”

It was Reagan, looking even more terrified than before. He managed to stand, feeling dizzy. He leaned against her, holding onto her side for support. “My friends,” he croaked. “I need to find them.”

Reagan just scooped him up, the action both done with utmost care but also urgency. “NO.” She was still screaming. “WE NEED TO LEAVE.”

Felix pushed against her weakly, but she wouldn’t let him go this time. “NO.” He yelled back, determined to not leave his friends. Not when they needed him the most. “They’ll die!”

Reagan looked at his shoulder wound, which was bleeding even worse after Gunther had almost crushed him. “You’ll die!” She stared at him incredulously, her voice taking on a desperate edge.

“Please. They need help!”

Reagan’s face hardened. Her jaw was set stubbornly, and she shifted so that she held him more tightly against her chest. “Reagan, I made a promise! I can’t just abandon them!” Felix pleaded with her. He couldn’t lose Akali and Bliss in one night. Paisley was gone. He wasn’t even sure if she made it out alive. Reagan started running down the hall, ignoring Felix’s protests. “YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.” She shot back angrily, turning down a hallway.

Someone sprinted past them, and Felix noticed a flash of bright red hair. It was Wilder, running in the opposite direction.

Felix tried to jump from her arms and follow him, but he was too weak from the fight, and Reagan too stubborn. He screamed Wilder’s name, hoping Wilder would hear him, notice him, tell him where Avil was, where the rest of the Board Game Club was.

Wilder blatantly ignored him, disappearing into the dust.

Of course. Felix had never been more frustrated, being held back by his sister while Wilder ran away from him, not able to get over his petty grudge when they all were probably going to die. He punched at Reagan, each action causing his shoulder to burn even worse.

Reagan picked up her pace, not even paying attention to his weak attempts at fighting her. He’d never felt so utterly pathetic.

He started screaming, begging her to please, just help him find his friends. Please, let go. He couldn’t get Bliss out of his head, the way she looked laying in her empty house, blood pooling around her, as Felix left her, alone. He couldn’t stop the images of Akali, Avil, January… all with their eyes rolled back in their head, blood soaking through their clothes. He knew they wouldn’t survive if he left with Reagan. He would never see them ever again. He knew he’d never be able to forgive himself if they died.

Reagan didn’t even acknowledge his screams, looking around wildly for some sort of exit.

A door beside them swung open. Standing there was Maddox, looking more disheveled than usual, face wide with shock. His eyes were glowing blue, searching behind the two of them hopefully, like maybe January might be there.

“MADDOX!” Felix screamed, never more relieved to see him in his entire life.

Maddox grabbed onto Reagan, pulling the both of them inside and shutting the door once again.

Reagan stumbled, almost dropping Felix. The Board Game Club was gathered around the room, all behind Maddox. “WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?”

Felix used the distraction to break free, landing on his feet clumsily and managing to lean against a desk. Maddox looked at Reagan, his eyes were wide. “Is it just you two?” He asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

Reagan glanced around, suddenly panicked again. “WHO ELSE IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?”

Felix took in his surroundings, and his heart ached. This was the room where he had broken Gunther’s rotting old guitar. He could recognize the closet in the back, where Gunther kept all his school supplies. He’d hung out here a few times, on the days when he was too bored to make himself go to class. Gunther had always greeted him with a crooked smile.

He hated how much he wished Gunther were here right now, hated how much he missed his friend.

Maddox continued to stare at Reagan, his blue eyes making him look unnerving. He tapped his foot, becoming even more impatient, but didn’t respond.

“Akali was with me,” Felix said, his voice ragged. “I don’t know where he went.”

Maddox nodded, looking like he would have done anything to hear January was okay. He stared down at his watch nervously.

The room went completely silent as a huge explosion rang off in the distance. Felix was horrified. Had Gunther survived being buried by debris? Was it not over yet?

A heat wave hit the room, and everything clicked into place.

Wilder.

Felix had no clue what he was doing, but he hoped he was helping Avil. He hoped January and Akali made it to the room soon.

“One minute left and we’re leaving.” Maddox declared, looking up from his watch again.

“What about January?”

Felix couldn’t have been more shocked. Maddox and January were a pair, and you would rarely find one without the other. The two were constantly together, laughing, joking, walking to class with each other. They were best friends. Maddox knew January better than anyone else, even knew how to calm him down when he got into those freaky states where he seemed like he wanted to kill you. Maddox and January were two halves of a whole. Even Felix knew that. Maddox couldn’t seriously be thinking about leaving without him.

Maddox kept glancing at the door. “He’ll…” He faltered for a second. “He’ll be fine.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

The sound of rushed footsteps echoed outside in the hall. Maddox was immediately at the door, having practically thrown himself across the room. He swung it open.

Akali, January, and Astley carrying Wilder.

There was no Avil.

“January!” Maddox ran up to his friend. “Are you hurt?”

January shook his head, in a daze. He had a faraway look in his eyes.

“Is Avil…?” Felix trailed off, already knowing the answer. His voice sounded incredibly small. This didn’t feel real. No one would look at him. They all stayed silent. He swallowed, his throat suddenly very dry. She’d been his first friend in the club, the first one who actually seemed to like him. She was kind, compassionate, and probably the only person who had genuinely been impressed by him.

She was only fifteen.

More footsteps sounded from down the hall, stomping loudly towards them. Maddox looked around at the group, his face was set. “We need to get out of here.”

“Where?” Felix asked, feeling lost. Maddox glanced back at the door again, his answer immediate, said without hesitation.

“Chumps Jr.”

Any other instance Felix would have groaned, protested, rolled his eyes. But right now he didn’t even care. He was grateful Maddox was taking charge, because he felt like he was about to fall apart. He’d lost too much tonight. He moved robotically, opening up another portal, the simple action taking everything he had left.

It weakly flickered to life, not big enough to even crawl through. Felix could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He was their one ticket out of here, yet he could barely even stand, barely even create a portal. The footsteps were growing louder and louder by the second.

The portal slowly opened wider, Felix feeling like he would pass out any second now. The footsteps were even closer now. Felix’s whole body shook with the effort of it all.

Finally, the portal opened. But so did the door.

Rory was the first one through. They hopped through without a second thought, dragging Kuali’i in behind them.

At the door was Ms. Cora. Her dark brown eyes were wide. At her side was a familiar large gun, the one that she kept in her classroom at all times. But it wasn’t pointed at them, instead resting on her hip, her hands already occupied, holding a scared-looking kid. He was curled up in her arms, and he couldn’t have been older than seven. With a start, Felix realized it was one of Winola’s siblings. He couldn’t remember his name. The kid had bit him at the beach once, that he was sure.

Ms. Cora looked at the club, and then the portal. Her hand twitched, instinctively reaching for her gun.

Felix grabbed Reagan, shoving her into the portal. She screamed, but by then she was already gone. Astley picked up Winola, who was bleeding from both of her legs, too weak to move, and stepped through as well, Wilder still slung across his back.

Ms. Cora disconnected the gun from its holster, kicking it to the side. “Look, look, I’m not here to hurt you.” She looked toward the figure laying on the ground, which Felix realized for the first time was Adelio. It was hard to tell if they were still alive or not. “I just need you to leave so I can take him.”

One by one, the remains of the Board Game Club stepped through. Felix took one last glance at Ms. Cora, who was patiently waiting so that she could pick up Adelio and get him help.

He stepped through the portal, and the school faded away around him.

#this is my roman empire #dioles tag #oc: Felix #oc: Bliss #oc: Kuali’i #oc: Gunther #oc: Avil #oc: Mr Prader #oc: Winola #oc: Reagan #oc: Akali #oc: January #oc: Cora #ocs: The Board Game Club #my ocs #oc fic #oc writing #ocs

[solottrpgchronicles]

2b. Troublemaker - Dead Letter Society (Emile)

Montreal, Jan 30, 2024

Dear diary,

I'm in some serious trouble again.

You know how the Dead Letter Society strongly suggested I keep a low profile? Well, I couldn't just give up on my dream of becoming famous, so I ended up accepting the role of Mercutio in the new Romeo & Juliet theatre production!

I was super pumped for our big opening night - or, let's be real, *my* opening night, since I was the standout talent there. But then everything went south.

I kept peeking at the crowd through the stage curtains. My adoptive parents were there, and even some of their customers (thanks to my aggressive flyer distribution). Then, that damn vampire Celine walked in; I recognized her even if she was all dressed up.

She's the one who turned me. She made me even more incredible than I was as a mortal, so I guess I owe her for that. Still, she obviously wasn't there just for the show or a friendly chat. Something was off.

I tried to focus on my part, but she was staring at me like a creeper. I think she was messing with my head, compelling me, because suddenly I felt this crazy blood lust.

I didn't even make it to the intermission. I felt my eyes become irritated with hunger, my lips parched, and my canines longer and sharper, all of a sudden; I covered my mouth and bolted off stage, ashamed.

I thought I might find some respite in the back alley, but nope. I found a kid being attacked by what he called "dad," but looked more like a wild monster. My blood lust was still raging, so I attacked the creature and drank all its blood.

The kid was shook but strangely relieved. We exchanged nervous glances, and then the theatre's backdoor opened, and the crowd walked out. Celine led them, of course, screaming innocently in fake terror, pointing at me with my probably bloody mouth and the dead body.

People whipped out their phones, filming me - they're so gross. I froze, looking at my adoptive parents' shocked faces. They kinda knew about my... abilities, but not the full extent of what I can do now. My mom slipped a pocket mirror into my hands - some kind of amulet? I guess it was her way to say goodbye, for who knows how long.

I ran after that.

Now I'm in the countryside, hiding near a Sugar Shack. Perfect time to finally read that letter from my new contact.

~~~

Wow, Ava sounds really dull. Probably a stickler for rules, I can tell already.

The part about people turning into monsters was interesting, though. I texted my friend Lukas about it - he's always online and knows about everything that's happening in the world, somehow. Now that I'm up to speed with the news, I think the guy I killed might've been one of those transformed people.

Maybe helping Ava solve the mystery will prove I was just defending a kid, even though there's more to the story. If I can then reveal I'm a vampire, I could be the supernatural hero Montreal needs. No more hiding, just fame. Whoa.

Alright, let's do this.

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

This is a playthrough of a solo TTRPG called "Dead Letter Society", by Rori Montford.

You can check it out on itch.io: https://montfordtales.itch.io/dead-letter-society

#indie ttrpg #itch.io #journal entry #journaling #playthrough #ttrpg #solo games #solo ttrpg #tabletop role playing game #tabletop roleplaying #dead letter society #dls #vampire #vampires #monsters #vampirism #letters #loss #canada #tw death #tw killing #tw kid attacked #tw blood #tw violence #tw murder #quebec #montreal #epistolary

[xuanelle]

i love how tied ragman is to the idea of redemption. we see throughout his time as ragman, rory's views on the suit of souls change and he comes to understand it as something that not only allows him to protect the living but it allows him to provide the hope of redemption for those souls his suit takes.

this passage from robin (1993) #144 highlights it really well I think

[ID: A conversation between Tim Drake and Rory Regan. Tim says, "Hold it, Ragman. You can't just act as judge, jury and executioner." Rory replies, "I don't. I'm just his new jailer. The servant of a higher authority. Too late now anyway, Robin. He's gone. But for once, his fate's entirely in his own hands. If he helps me in my mission, he can earn his way to a better afterlife. Nothing is more fair and just than that. Now let's go find your monster." /end ID]

the souls he takes are evil and awful people. these people are not inherently evil. they chose to do horrendous things and they suffered for it. their actions led them to this fate. but they can choose to be better. no one else decides that for them. it is only their actions that decide their future. it is choosing to help that gets them the chance at a better life because choosing to help and do good is all that matters.

there is work to be done as ragman, one that heals and helps the world by protecting the persecuted and the oppressed and the souls can choose to help him with it and through that, through choosing to do good and help they can find redemption.

it's not something they're given nor is it something they cannot achieve because they're deemed to just be evil. they can find justice and redemption through their actions and their choices. they can choose to do good. it does not forgive them of their previous wrongdoings but it allows them a chance to be better and through that, a path of redemption is possible.

and i think it's notable that this concept is very jewish when ragman itself is a mantle made by and for jewish people.

#ragman #rory regan #dc #bracken.txt

[spritey100]

I have a bunch of head canons so I’m gonna put them in different posts. I’ll put parts 1-3 here cause I don’t feel like constantly tagging

Part 1? 1/?

-- Ethan makes mild "your mom jokes" about Benny's grandmother when the duo is alone

-- Benny probably had a crush on Erica at some point even if it wasn't for that long

-- If they were to survive the last episode, Ethan would be the first to wake up

-- Sarah had a mental breakdown after sucking the venom out of Ethan

-- Erica was the one who persuaded Sarah to drink blood in that one episode

-- Erica liked Rory at some point whether it was romantically or platonically

-- Sometimes Ethan does good things for his sister and is overprotective cause he's scared something will happen to her like everything happens to him

-- Ethan almost cried after Sarah killed his pet turtle- for a 2nd time

-- Jesse had good intentions with Sarah at first but got too obsessed with the relationship.

-- They did NOT die from the explosion

-- Ethan is obsessed with having a rubber duck while taking a bath

-- Benny laughs at Ethan for still liking baths even though he takes them just as much as Ethan.

-- Sarah sometimes takes Jane for ice cream so she doesn't feel left out

-- Ethan secretly knows tons of everyone's personal secrets that he could use for blackmail at any moment

-- Benny still occasionally jokes about Sarah being "Ethan's babysitter" to this day

-- Ethan got his old phobia back. Worse than ever.

-- Erica and Rory are pretty much ready to live forever. They vibe.

-- Ethan finds Jane's drama shows nerve wracking

-- The siren girl was probably either possessed or a demon

-- Ethan hates mermaids

-- Ethan hates among us

-- Benny and Rory make fun of Ethan because he has a mental breakdown every time he can't swipe his credit card

-- His parents probably yelled at Ethan because of the "cake incident"

-- Benny is secretly extremely overprotective of Ethan

-- Benny, Ethan and Rory go out at least once every few weeks for a "boys night"

Headcanons part 2:

Ethan absolutely despises coffee

Ethan and Rory are touch deprived

Ethan can cook simple meals

Benny is banned from the kitchen, but can actually cook simple meals as well

Sarah can cook a bit more advanced things like pasta but isn’t a whole chef

Rory is banned from the kitchen and can’t cook simple meals

Erica doesn’t cook

Ethan has a journal about the past monsters they fought

Headcanons 3/?

None of the cast identify as a different gender from what they actually are

Ethan is petrified of zombies but only freaks out about it if it’s brought up in a certain way

Erica loved Benny as a friend when she was still human

Ethan actually cherishes him and Rory’s friendship and wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him, which nobody else does.

Benny practices his spells a lot when he’s not at school or not with Ethan.

Sarah and Erica are both straight

Rory on rare occasions will get very clingy to Ethan since he’s so much nicer to him than anyone else is.

Rory sometimes takes Ethan flying and it scares the shit out of him

Sarah and Rory sometimes give Benny dating advice

Ethan secretly loves flowers

Jesse wants to die on good terms

Once every few weeks Erica and Sarah will overload herself with chocolate for a day

#MBAV #MBAV headcanons #Headcanons #jesse black #benny weir #ethan morgan #my babysitter is a vampire #my babysitter's a vampire #mbav #sarah fox #erica jones #rory kinnear

[agaypanic]

Hi, I was wanting to request a Benny (MBAV) story: The reader is a werewolf and after being saved by the group, she is meant to hate vampires but imprints on Benny. She ends up living with him and his grandma.

The Werewolf, The Spellcaster, and His Bloodsucking Friends (Benny Weir X Werewolf!Reader)

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Summary: You were always taught to hate vampires. They were evil, bloodsucking monsters. So what do you do when some of them save you from a bear trap, and then you imprint on one of their friends?

A/N: reader’s an orphan lol i know reader being a teenager and living on her own and stuff is a lil bit of a plot hole but whatevs. Ends on a lil cliffhanger bc i didn’t know how to end it teehee

***

You hoped that moving to Whitechapel would give you the fresh start you wanted. Back in your old town, you accidentally started to raise suspicion of some weird creature lurking in the woods. It wasn’t your fault that once a month, you had to run around howling at the moon and eat an occasional animal.

But that’s why you came to Whitechapel. You had heard that the town was filled with supernatural incidents and people. Being a werewolf, this sounded perfect for you. What was less perfect, however, was that there were more vampires than werewolves in Whitechapel.

Pretty quickly, on your first day of school, you had sniffed out a group of them—two girls and a boy. You decided it was best to keep your distance, especially if you didn’t want to leave town anytime soon.

But one night, on a full moon, that distance was closed tremendously.

You had been roaming the woods on the edge of town, looking for a snack and waiting for the sun to rise. Following the scent of a deer, you stepped into a covered bear trap.

At Ethan Morgan’s house, he and his friends could hear a loud and clear yowl of pain. Wondering what had happened, Rory quickly volunteered to look for the sound’s source. Because of his superspeed, it wasn’t long before he returned, looking both concerned and slightly nauseated. 

“Well?” Ethan asked expectantly. “What was it?”

“Werewolf,” Rory answered, earning a grimace from Sarah and Erica. “Its leg is caught in some kind of trap.”

“And you didn’t help?” Benny asked urgently, already reaching for his things to leave. “Come on, let’s go!”

“No way. It’s probably dangerous.” Erica said, crossing her arms. 

“So are you.” Benny rebutted.

“Damn right, I am,” Erica responded, flashing the spellcaster some fangs and yellow eyes.

After a bit more back-and-forth and some reluctance from the three vampires, everyone finally agreed to go into the forest to help you. With the help of superspeed, they appeared in a flash, wincing as they got a good look at you.

“The leg looks pretty bad,” Benny said, looking at your hind leg, which was caught in the bear trap. “And I don’t know how we can help it when it’s freaking out like that.”

It was true; you were clearly distraught. It was bad enough that one of your legs was cut up, making you writhe around in pain and keeping you stuck to the ground. But then the scent of those three vampires invaded your senses, and you became even more overwhelmed. You kept going between growling at the undead teenagers and whimpering in pain.

“Benny, can’t you find a spell to calm it down? Or knock it out?” Ethan asked frantically, trying to figure out a plan to help you.

You watched one of the non-vampire boys reach into his bag and pull out a thick book. He flipped through it before muttering something with his hand pointed towards you. Sparks left his fingertips, and you started to feel dizzy. 

As you faded out of consciousness, the last thing you saw was the group of teenagers cautiously inching towards you.

***

You woke up the next morning dazed and confused. Sunlight crept in through the window, slightly blinding you. Squinting, you looked around the room only to realize that this wasn’t your room. You started to panic.

“Easy, dear.” A voice made you jump, whipping your head around to look at the door. The source of the unfamiliar voice was an old woman holding a cup of tea. “You tore your leg up pretty good. This’ll help.”

You glanced down at your leg, which was filled with a dull ache. It was bandaged up, and you wondered how bad it looked underneath the wrappings and gauze.

Hesitantly, you took the cup of tea that was handed to you. You figured that in your current state, you might as well trust this stranger. After all, she was probably the one who bandaged your wounded leg.

“My name is Evelyn Weir.” She said, sitting on the edge of the bed you were lying on. “My grandson and his friends found you last night. They brought you here after getting you out of that bear trap.”

“Why?” You asked, voice a bit hoarse. But the tea certainly helped.

“Why what?”

“Why did they help me?” You were beyond confused. “I’m guessing you know that three of them are vampires. And you probably already know what I am. We have a history of not getting along.”

“That may be true,” Evelyn said with a smile. “But just because you were taught to hate each other doesn’t mean you have to. Not all vampires are bad.” She patted your shoulder. “Not all werewolves are bad either.”

After you finished your tea, Evelyn took your cup and stood from the bed. She must have enchanted your drink with something because you were already feeling better than you did five minutes ago. She helped you stand up before leading you out of the room, which you learned was her grandson’s bedroom, and down the stairs.

In the living room, the five teens were sitting around, seemingly waiting for you. They all turned to look at you at the sound of your and Evelyn’s footsteps, making you feel nervous and self-conscious.

“Hey, you’re awake!” One of the brunette boys shot up from his seat, looking at you with relief. “Sorry about the Star Wars sheets, I would’ve changed them if I knew a pretty girl would sleeping in my bed.” The boy beside him hit his leg, while the rest of his friends either snickered or rolled their eyes. “Oh, you probably don’t know who we are.”

The boy introduced the rest of his friends to you, but your thoughts drowned out his voice. It felt like there was some sort of gravitational pull, urging you to go to him. As if this perfect stranger was now the center of your life. 

No. It can’t be.

“What’s your name, dear?” Evelyn asked, touching your shoulder as if she could see that you were preoccupied. 

“Y/n.” You replied, eyes still fixated on the boy who had been talking. 

Who you think you just imprinted on.

And was best friends with a bunch of vampires.

“Nice to meet you, Y/n.” He said before anyone else had the chance to. “I’m Benny.”

***

Benny Weir Taglist: @batmandallyboy

#agaypanic #benny weir #benny weir x reader #my babysitter's a vampire #my babysitter's a vampire x reader