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unholyhelbiglinked · 7 years

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Bite Me | Children of the Damned

The heat ofthe flames licked at the edges of my skin, the overpowering stench of oil and charred wood coated my lungs and made my eyes water. I had never seen fire raise this far, or carry this much damage.

Elizabeth grasped my shoulder, her finger cold against the fabric of my dress. I was quiet, eyes glossed over as I silently directed my attention her way. She stood strong, shoulders squared and hands clenching her stomach.

A thick metallic scent of blood filled my lungs more than anything. That familiar sharpness of pain overtaking my throat as I cleared it. The fingers that were wrapped around my wrist continued to tug.

"Rowan, it was an accident." The younger of the Forbes children pleaded with me. Her eyes were a soft crystal, jaw clenched as the moonlight shaded her features in an odd light. "Father will have my hide if we're here when he arrives."

"I-I know." I said, taking a step back away from the edge of the dirt road. A carriage was overturned, horses having run towards town with only a few more minutes before people figured out that something was wrong.

Flames had spread across the mass of the vehicle, but two bodies lay lazily against the dirt. Their throats were ripped out, thick blood dripping past their chests and wicking into the fabric of their attire.

"Ro,"

"Okay," I said, barely above a whisper as I turned around quickly and stared walking towards the woods. This was bad, terrible even. I had fled to Mystic Falls for a reason. It was severely lacking of the undead. But this MO? I had seen it many times before. Lived it.

My fingers laced with Elizabeth's as I instinctively pulled her behind me, dragging her back to the house. Her family had been nice enough to take me in this last year. I had lived with them while I attended classes with his youngest. Margaret was a different story, rarely showing her face outside of the bar.

It was an odd sight. The sheriff's daughter becoming the town drunk in order to drown her sorrows. I didn't blame her, but would never start drinking myself. Not with the clean image I had built in my time here.

"That was horrible." Liz panted, the two of us finally far enough from the crime scene to return to a normal pace. "There was blood everywhere."

"I know," I let out a thick and shaky sigh as we stopped right by the edge of the tree line. Liz was shivering, my first instinct to pull my jacket from my shoulders. She shook her head in protest. I ignored her and draped it over her. She clenched it, not saying another word. "We can't mention it to anyone. William will have both of our heads."

She nodded in agreement, her dark rooted hair flowing over her shoulders gracefully. "Our little secret, promise?"

Liz held her hand up, her pinky trembling from the cold. I took it, making the same gesture as I engulfed her hand with mine. "Promise."

I drew breath into my lungs, the air pressing against my throat in a chilled manor. It burned and bit, but anything was better than that feeling of fire. Sweat was pressed against my brow as I glanced around.

Elena's living room was mostly dark, the movie we were watching had finished, a blue flickering screen giving the area an odd and unwelcoming glow. Elena was passed out on the couch, clenching her blankets to her chin as I shifted my position on chair.

"Are you okay?" Jenna's voice filled my ears. I hadn't even realized her standing against the doorframe. She was dressed in sweats and an oversized sweatshirt. The strawberry blonde rubbed the edge of her eye sleepily. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," I said truthfully. "I'm fine. Just a bad dream, I guess."

The sun was begging to peak above the edges of the horizon. It was too early to go back to bed now. The both of us realizing that quickly. Elena remained fast asleep as we sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Do you want any coffee?" Jenna was quick to stand, running a hand through her messy hair. The scent of caffeine filled my lungs. I didn't realize she had started a pot already. My senses were dull and overwhelmed, everything about that dream taking me back to another time and another place.

She gestured for me to follow her into the kitchen as Elena stirred a bit on the couch. It was almost rhythmic to see her work; grasping two coffee mugs before pouring the black liquid into them. I thanked her as she leaned heavily against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Elena talked to me the other day." Jenna raised the cup to her lips. I watched her silently, not sure where she was going with this. "She told me about that little trip you took her on."

I stood up straight "I am so sorry about that Ms. Gilbert. I thought she needed a few hours of out of town to clear her head-"

Jenna held up a palm. "Call me Jenna, Ms. Gilbert was my sister, and oddly enough my mom." She messed with the handle on her mug. "I knew that Elena would find out the truth about being adopted soon enough. I just hoped her mother would be the one to tell her, not me."

I nodded knowingly. "She seems to be handling it well. She's strong."

"I know." Jenna let out a sigh. "You and Stefan being there really helps. I hope you know that."

"I know," I told her softly. "I was hoping it would."

The school had an eerie feeling in the middle of the night. The darkness of the hallways were haunting, everything looking more like a movie set than a place of learning. The moonlight gave off an odd glow every once and awhile, streaming through the windows as it left patches on the floor.

Stefan had called me from Elena's earlier that night, begging me to head to the school to check out this journal lead. Jeremy had given the book to Mr. Saltzman, something I was sure rested in his desk. I didn't exactly know why he wanted it, though.

I was silent as I walked halfheartedly into his empty classroom. The desk was propped open, a light still illuminating part of the room in a golden glow. The sound of a creaky chair leg caught my attention, a rough vanilla scent invading my senses as I turned around just in time.

The sound of a blast of air filled my ears, a wooden tipped stake flying my way. The material was rough against my palm as I caught it right before it drove its way into my chest. I was breathing heavily, shocked expression meeting that of Alaric Saltzman.

Alaric was quick to try and reload. I pressed him up against the chalkboard quickly, pushing the tip of the stake right under his chin until he dropped the weapon her held.

"We have to talk." I growled, kicking the gun further away before backing away from him. Have a seat."

He was reluctant, staring at his own creation for a few seconds before lowering himself into the nearest desk available. A sad look was etched across his features. It almost made me feel bad for him.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I knelt down and grasped his makeshift gun, placing it on the desk while Mr. Saltzman watched me curiously. "You made this?"

He nodded, "It's pressure sensitive. It only fires if you apply the right amount."

I sat on the top of the desk next to him, messing with the one stake that I still held in my hand. It was a nervous habit, always needing something to play with. "You clearly know about vampire's. Which begs the question, are you even a history teacher?"

"Of course I am." He scoffed, running a hand through his hair with exasperation. "So was my wife until a dark vampire with an affinity for leather jackets ripped her throat out with his canine teeth... after that, I devoted my life to finding her killer."

I was silent for a second, biting my lip as he looked down at his hands on the desk. "Damon Salvatore."

Alaric nodded solemnly, letting out a shaky sigh. His jaw was clenched as he leaned back in his chair. I could tell he wanted to leave, but didn't make a move to do so. "Before I came to Mystic Falls, I thought you were all monsters."

"That changed?"

"It did. The way you and Stefan protect Elena like you have souls." He shook his head "It's completely different from the man that I saw murder my wife in cold blood."

I scoffed, lifting my chin slightly "Damon Salvatore has little to no soul left. He cares about one thing and that's my sister. He'll do anything to get that journal that Jeremy gave you."

The history teacher turned hunter stood quickly, my eyebrows raising as he walked over to his desk- moving a few papers around frantically. "It was right here," he let out a breath "I swear."

"I believe you." I told him, standing myself. "I think someone else got to it first."

Alaric crossed his arms over his chest, clenching his broad jaw. "Good thing I made copies."

The scent of Italian food hit my stomach like a truck, the smell of marinara sauce making my mouth water as I stood outside of the restaurant. Rain had fallen earlier, the wet asphalt giving off a metallic smell. One that was earthy and reminded me more of the country than a small town.

Cliché music filled my ears, the golden light of the restaurant reflected off of the pavement, a whole new silence overtaking me as I stared down at my watch for a few seconds. I had only spoken to Sammy once on the phone, her voice light and airy.

It almost felt unfair to start a relationship now, or even consider going on a date. I had a purpose here and didn't intend to get distracted. Caroline would never let up if I did any different though. The least I could do was try to go on one date with the girl.

"Oh my god, you must be Rowan." A girl suddenly said, drawing my attention from my phone screen. I glanced up at her, a bit of a smile on my face. She was stunning. I didn't have any doubt that she would be. If Caroline had approved, she wouldn't be anything less.

Her stance was strong and tall, deep golden hair flowing past her shoulders. Sammy's features were sharp and well defined in the dull moonlight. She was sporting a simple black pea coat over a maroon top, her smile lopsided and dorky.

"Sammy?" I lifted my eyebrows

"Of course," She chuckled softly, a sweet sound. "Unless you were expecting someone else."

"No," I cracked a smile "No I wasn't."

Her cheeks were a bit red under the light of the lamp post, her own smile pressing against her lips as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Shall we?"

I nodded and linked arms with her, her touch soft against mine as we walked into the restaurant. The garlic scent was overwhelming, but nice at the same time. It was an older restaurant, the walls lined in aged brick as the hostess looked up with polite expression on her features.

"Do you have a reservation?" She asked, lifting her eyebrows.

"Pierce,"

The woman nodded and glanced at her seating chart as I heard a light scoff behind me. Sammy's eyes darted towards the noise as I turned slightly. A shorter girl stood there, her hair black and lanky as she shoved her hands in her pockets. She had a take-out bag in her hands, the deep fabric of her sweatshirt contrasting with her pale skin.

I could almost feel the color drain from my face, my lips parting slightly as she cracked a smile. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

Sammy's fingers reflexively tightened around my forearm at this. It was almost instinct for her, both of us getting an unsettling vibe off of the girl that stood before us. I had seen her before in Mystic Falls, just not in this century.

"Anna?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Who else?" She smirked, gaze darting to my date for the evening. The same date who was being quiet through all of this. "I don't mean to disturb your evening. We'll catch up later, okay?"

"Sounds good," I said the words like they were foreign to me. Anna and I weren't exactly close, having shared one or two conversations in the past. I didn't even realize she had been turned. It made sense, though. Her mother was a known vampire and friend to Katherine.

Anna nodded as she narrowed her dark rimmed eyes. I could feel Sammy's nails dig into my arm even more as the cold wind from outside once again filled the lobby of the restaurant. I wanted to shrug off the deadened feeling that rushed through my veins at the sight of the girl, but something stopped me.

"I'm sorry," I let out a sigh, "I didn't know she would be here."

"An ex of yours?" The blonde asked playfully, that same smile back on her lips.

"Not even close," I laughed "an old friend, I suppose."

She snorted when she laughed, tears forming in her eyes as that lopsided grin kept showing up. Her touch was light against my elbow as we stood on her highly illuminated porch. A jeep sat in the driveway as our breath mingled nicely in the frigid air.

Her nose was turning red, raw from the temperature, but neither of us seemed to notice. We had a good time, Sammy having enough of a sense of humor to brush off the catastrophes of tonight.

"So I'll definitely be getting a second date right?" I teased, biting the edge of my lip as she lifted an eyebrow.

"Huh," Sammy lifted her chin, studying me. "I don't know, Rowan. You did spill a whole entire cup of coffee."

"Oh, like that's any better than tripping the waiter at that restaurant?"

"That was an accident!" She chuckled, pushing her hair away from her face once more. It seemed to be a nervous habit, a cute one at that. She moved her touch down my arm, it was subtle and delicate, but enough to get me to actually focus. Her fingers squeezed mine slightly as she spoke. "But yes, you can count on a second date."

The curtains near the front door shifted, distorting the patch of light that the two of us had been standing in. Sammy's hazel gaze moved towards the disturbance before darting back to me. "I'll call you,"

Before I could say anything else she pressed her lips softly against mine. It was a quick kiss, her scent a mix of citrus and vanilla. The girl pulled open her door and stepped inside, a shocked smile still lingering as I shook my head and started walking towards my car.

This had been the first time in a long time that I had actually been out on a date. I almost felt guilty, that rough sensation pulling at the pit of my stomach and the back of my mind. It was just one date, though- a hopeful second one on the way.

I settled into my car, pushing the keys in the ignition as I waited a few seconds for the engine to warm up and roar to life. The windshield clouded up quickly, pale moonlight making it look more like frost than condensation.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, something I was thankful enough to avoid during the date. It's blue glow filled the cab of the car as I checked the notifications. There had been a few missed calls, and one or two unopened messages.

Stefan: SOS, ELENA GONE. ANNA IN TOWN.

"Shit," I mumbled, my stare moving to the rearview mirror just in time to make eye contact with the dark rimmed devil herself. She was in the backseat, a sly smile on her face as she lunged forward.

A rough burn filled my neck as I let out a gasp, her one arm wrapping around the bulk of my neck while the other pushed the pointed tip of a butterfly needle into my closest vein. The warmth the coated my veins soon turned to a sharp burn, vision blurring and fading.

"Sorry, sweetie." I heard Anna snarl "it's just business."

[A/N: Wow, can Rowan ever catch a break? Nope, the answer is no.]

#tvd #vampire Diaries #gxg

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tialovestelevision · 7 years

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That Old Gang of Mine

Please, Angel season 3… get better. Please…

1. Angel says he’s ashamed how he treated someone, used them, took what he needed, cast them aside. It’s Merl he’s talking to. Merl is upset that he’s reading from notes. Merl is stomping out. Merl spent three months in therapy. Angel is offering Merl a shot. Merl says Angel is goading. Merl tried to hit Angel. Caritas’s magic kicked in. Huh… Caritas only stops demon violence. Merl never wants to see any of them ever again. But he needs a ride home. Gunn is dropping him off. Merl is in his house. “What the? No no no no no!” Then he gets beaten up by armed assailants. Opening credits.

2. I’m already not enjoying this one.

3. Gunn is remembering his sister getting turned. And staking her. It’s a nightmare. His pager goes off.

4. They’re at Merl’s. There’s bits of Merl everywhere. Wes found some of Merl’s personal papers. Gunn didn’t notice anything odd when he dropped Merl off last night. Gunn wants to know what they’re doing. Gunn doesn’t understand why they’re investigating a demon’s murder. Wes says that if this isn’t something Gunn can get behind, he understands, ad Gunn can go home if he doesn’t want to be involved. Gunn is going home.Angel calls Merl a creep.

5. Gunn pulls up at a place with pike and razor wire fencing. He goes in to where his people hang out, and someone attacks him. Someone else pulls a crossbow on him. The crew is working well. They’re bringing people in from out of town. They’re asking him about Angel. Gio’s being sent out back to keep watch. Gio thinks Gunn might be a vampire.

6. Cordy and Angel are talking about Fred. Angel wants her to get out in the world. Cordy doesn’t think that’s a good idea. Cordy also thinks Fred is crazy, but in a way that it makes sense for her to be. She’ll talk to Fred. Cordy gives Angel a list of Merl’s enemies. Angel is the first name. They’ll work backward. Angel wouldn’t have brought donuts to a murder.

7. Gunn’s with his people. They haven’t seen him in months. Rondell says Gunn was gone since Alonna died. But Rondell also says Gunn started all of this. They hug.

8. Angel and Wes are looking into Sam Larch, a bookie. Angel breaks into his house… and Larch is on everything. Bits of Larch. Angel thinks they’ll need Gunn to fight whatever’s killing the demons.

9. Sewers. We see something trudging through drinking a Big Gulp. Then a bunch of people charge the something and kill it and it doesn’t even get to finish its Big Gulp. The killers are Gunn’s people.

10. Wes and Angel are still investigating at Larch’s. They find a broadhead arrow like the ones Gunn’s people use. Gunn wants to know what they’re going to do when they find the killer. The victim here was no threat. Some of the victims are, though. It’s random killings. Gunn pockets some evidence. The new victim was a nonviolent demon species. Angel watches Gunn go. I think Wes knows what’s going on.

11. Gunn is confronting his people with the broadhead arrow. The whole crew killed the demon bookie. They’re also using guns now. Rondell asks if Gunn wants to go to a nest Gio found. Gio confronts Gunn and says he’s not a hero, contrary to what Gunn believes.

12. They’re going through the evidence. Bag 11 is missing. Cordy is going to talk to Fred. Angel and Wes are figuring out who the killer is - apparently Wes doesn’t know - while Cordy and Fred talk. It’s awkward. Cordy says the wrong thing… makes Fred think that Angel is kicking her out. Cordy fixes the misinterpretation. She offers to go out with Fred. Fred thinks nobody would look at her twice with Cordy around. I think Cordy is taking her to Caritas.

13. Gunn’s in his truck looking at the arrowhead. He comes into the hotel, and sees all the books laid out. Hears some rustling. It’s Angel. Nobody else is there. Angel says the crimes aren’t random. He’s seen some patterns like this before. There’s a larger purpose behind every move. To have fun. They’re attacks by a sadist. Gunn wants to see Wes.

14. Fred is singing at Caritas. She’s terrible and adorable. She’s singing “Crazy,” which she picked out herself. Gunn comes in and smiles, then sees Wes and Cordy there. Gunn tells the Host not to read him, but Lorne says he’s a billboard. Even without him singing, Lorne can’t help it. Gunn doesn’t want to talk to his friends. Oh god… Gunn’s gang just came in and are firing automatic weapons. They’re pretty well wrecked the club. Wes goes to get Fred from the stage. It’s a massacre. Gio is calling for Gunn. Gunn comes from behind the counter. Gunn tries to tell Rondell to go. Wes stands up and asks for answers. One of the gang tries to take the Host hostage. Wes knows who killed Merl and the others. He also now knows that Gunn knew. Gunn says that Rondell lost the mission. Now Cordy’s in the open. Wes points out that the last time he and Rondell met, Wes was badly wounded trying to protect Rondell. Gunn tosses the keys to his truck to Wes. Rondell says only one of them can leave. One of his guys just grabbed Fred, but Wes got her back. Rondell sends Cordy to get Angel. A demon is praying.

15. Angel and Cordy are at the Hyperion. She thinks his plan is a bad plan. It’s their plan. He says it’ll be okay. He sends Cordy to get the sanctuary spell lifted. The witches who cast it know him.

16. Caritas. Still a hostage situation. Gio’s singing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Gunn says that the gang is going to make him kill Angel. Gio shoots the karaoke machine. The Host says, “Miami.” He asks if 3000 miles is really far enough. He knows why Gio left. Why he ran. He says that “she” trusted Gio, right up until the end. They hit the Host, and he just grins. One of the demons tries to run, but the gang attacks him. Gunn uses the distraction to take Gio’s gun. Gunn says there’s a lot of monsters to choose from. Gio says Gunn is one of the monsters, or that he wants to be. Now Gio’s accusing Gunn of wanting to have sex with Alonna. The demon is talking about eating babies. Gunn shoots the demon. Angel just arrived and asked Gunn if he’s next.

17. Rondell gives Gunn a stake. Wes says Angel is better than them. Angel puts his game face on and tells Gunn to make a choice.

18. Cordy is talking to the witches. They get all oooh about Angel. They finish each other’s sentences. Cordy tells them that if they don’t lift the spell, Angel will die. “Mmm. Angel.”

19. “You think I won’t kill him because he’s my friend?” Gunn asks as he drops the stake. “That ain’t why. Truth is, he can never be my friend. It’s on account of what he is. Not his fault, really. Just the way it worked out.” Rondell asks if Gunn is going to choose Angel, who is not his friend, over Rondell, who is. “Looks like. It’s about the mission, bro. He’s got it, and you don’t.” Gio pulls out his crossbow. He’s threatening Gunn with it. Gio says anyone who kills Angel can leave the club. Anyone else can stay and burn with the rest of them. Fred gets up. “I’m sorry. I just… I don’t want to die.” Gio gives her his crossbow. The witches are saying that Angel is the only one equipped to make good on the debt. They want to have sex with him.

20. Fred takes the crossbow and points it at Angel. Gio tells her to get the bolt in the heart, or it’s no good. Then she turns the crossbow on Gio, and threatens him. With physiology. And hydrodynamics. God, she’s terrifying. Gio takes the crossbow back. Then the spell goes down, and Angel charges Gio. Gio’s running out of the room. And… wow. The demon who was praying turns into a giant bug and eats Gio’s head.

21. Gunn is lecturing the gang. Wes loads Fred in a cab. Wes comes over to talk to him. He says he will fire Gunn if he withholds information again. Then he joins Fred in the cab. Angel comes out of the club. Angel knows Gunn meant what he said. This is oddly heartwarming. Angel has time. Gunn calls out to him. “I think I proved that you can trust me when I could have killed you and I didn’t.” “No. You’ll prove that I can trust you when the day comes that you have to kill me, and you do.” Then Angel walks away. Gunn, with Gio’s crossbow, starts his own walk home.

Overall: Better than it looked at the start, but still not something I either particularly enjoyed or want to talk about at any length.

“You lost the mission” is a great phrase for what the gang was doing, though. And Fred’s crossbow scene was a great moment that was sadly undermined by her not being terribly useful in the following moments.

I think the core problem of the episode is this: White writers and producers probably shouldn’t be doing stories about racism with young, poor black men as the antagonists for mass consumption. There’s something there that just doesn’t at all work.

#angel #that old gang of mine #angel season 3 #season 3 #season 6

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