#ch: renata

[dxsole]

Smart people knew to take Hollywood's portrayal of casino life with a grain of salt. Savvy people knew that behind the scenes, things could be even darker.

Romeo used to get his hands dirty, in the early days when Las Vegas was bathed in sepia tones and people wore corduroy unironically. Now, the lights are brighter, harsher and they reveal the ugly truth from time to time.

There's a Malinois growling by her side, Renata sitting calmly, stroking at it's fur. It's quiet for a brief moment as she regards their concerns, letting out a polite laugh. "—You watch too much Dateline."

[serenofroses]

just some edits of my ocs and their minor updates.

Kritanta, Jazmyn, Ania.

Elysia, Nico, Tau.

Marr, Vowrawn, Jadis.

[cursed-yoyo]

Beijingjoburg 2099

Rattle big black bones in the danger zone There's a rumblin' groan down below There's a big dark town, it's a place I've found There's a world going on underground

@atimeodyssey

[pinkfey]

if you are still doing these, how abt 🍻🍕 and 🍟 for whoever you want? 💖

ODD OC ASKS ♡

eeeee tysm!! i'll do these for renata the newest oc addition ❤️

🍻 what's your oc's favorite comfort ritual? how do they calm themselves down after a rough day?

though no one would guess it, renata isn't all that fond of alcohol, so though she ritualistically frequents bars and clubs, she doesn't do much drinking, so it doesn't really wind her down that much. she might instead be found doing something physical like boxing or jogging or busying herself with a gun, engine, piece of tech, etc. anything to avoid being left alone with her thoughts.

but if it's been a particularly rough day she won't be herself. she'll disappear, stay home, do something quiet, let the thoughts consume her. maybe call her older brother or one of her other siblings if it's really bad.

🍕 how does an oc spend a lazy day?

she could leave it be, sure, but where's the fun in that? if there's a party, renata is the one proposing beer pong; if there's a club, renata is the one pushing people to the dancefloor; if there's a lazy day, renata is the one making sure it's not. a hike!! dinner out!! bottle shooting!! anything!!

🍟 what does your oc admit to be their guilty pleasure? what actually is their guilty pleasure?

there are a lot of misconceptions about renata and she sort of allows this and even exacerbates it. she claims she keeps up with celebrity gossip for the drama, but it's really so that she has something to talk about with her youngest sister :')

[ofginjxints]

@tooswcctx ctd from (x)

"Babe, you're so hot when you want to protect my honour." She teased, though always grateful to have a girlfriend who always knew exactly what she was talking about. It's why they worked so well together. "We've gotta pay the bills somehow." Renata rested her chin on Pia's shoulder. "Do you want another drink or are you getting tired?"

[aloneintheafterglow]

The man fully understood and could even relate to impulsive draws when his back was against the wall - it wasn't often that he resorted to spontaneous plays, he was normally organized and oriented, something that his older brother often teased him for. But, in a desperate situation, he made the necessary calls.

Her confidence in his purposely humored warning caused a smile to wrinkle the corners of his eyes. "Why does it already feel like I should prepare for one of those rom-com makeovers from you?" In all seriousness, he was down for anything. His confidence stemmed from his experience with past introductions to the families of friends and the many people he had already met in his lifetime.

Besides, putting on this charade with Renata would be a delicious piece of Rosca De Reyes cake - Ezekiel was inevitably taking the bite.

It wasn't hard to see, or lost on him, that they had a natural connection. Whenever they were in the same space, the Mayan could easily find conversation and sometimes playful banter with the young woman. She was assertive and poised, but she never belittled him and always seemed to genuinely enjoy his company, and the bonus was that she laughed at his jokes.

"Lets just say that I've been to Mexico before, just maybe not as conventionally as you would hope for." He wasn't going to bother to feign a lifestyle that wasn't truly his, he'd been involved in transports and missions that went undetected -- for legal reasons.

"I can get a passport though. Just let me know what you need from me, and believe me when I say i've got you." Ezekiel offered with a confident tilt of his head. "And don't leave out the handsy tia that I should watch out for. Everyone has at least one of those."

"Well if they weren't incessantly asking me even the amount of times I told them no...I just blurted out that I was seeing someone so they could simply shut up!" Except now it left Renata with confessing the truth and being honest or having her abuela scowl at her before searching off for some boy from he church to throw Rennie's way. Neither were options at this point and so long as she could have him show face, the narrative of them breaking up wouldn't be questionable after the fact.

"Perfect! – Also, I find it hard to believe that you'd look bad in a suit. If you think you do its because it's not the proper one." Rennie found that most individuals with the proper styling could change anyone's outlook. She personally thought it wouldn't take much to make Ezekial look hot. He was already attractive as is and had the personality to prove it. "You have a passport right?"

[open-hearth-rpg]

Age of Ravens Xmas in July

I meant to do this earlier but between friend stuff and an injury, I got delayed. Anyway, everything from me (edige23) is available at discount on DTRPG. 

Hearts of Wulin: PbtA Wuxia melodrama and romance, with materials for doing all kinds of games including courtly and fantastical xianxia. Designed and co-written by me, with cultural & historical material by Joyce Ch*ng. 

Hearts of Wulin Worlds: A collection of new settings for HoW including a school game, silkpunk, Three Musketeers, Early 20th Century Chinatown, and more. 

Numberless Secrets: An add-on set of rules for running wuxia mysteries, with new mechanics, additional playbook options, and six sample cases.

Girl by Moonlight: Danger Unexploded Spell! An unofficial series playset for GBM. Unacceptable mages drafted by the authorities defend their city from arcane air raids and bombings while trying to survive and create a community.

Veil: Iterations: a sourcebook for The Veil: Cyberpunk PBtA Roleplaying. It offers a 1.5 revision of the system with changes to basic moves, XP, cybernetics, obligation, entanglements, and more.

Apocalypse Keys: All the Bells on Earth: A new mystery for AK. It is set in Las Vegas with a potent ancient tarot deck and reality warping. It gives the players a little chance to cut loose and indulge themselves before settling into the mystery. The team must navigate several counterfactual casino and interact with the archetypes who control them. This mission is inspired by Tim Powers' Last Call, American Gods, Poker Face, and the like.

Apocalypse Keys: Til We Have Faces: Agents travel to Barcelona to figure out the meaning behind these strange, flowery deaths, the secrets of Saint Renata, and the connection to the Returners. The setting is an institution of higher learning which also houses a recovery center. It treats humans kidnapped from this world and taken to a fantastical place who then either escape or are thrown out from it. You’ll see references to CS Lewis’ Till We Have Faces, Peter Pan, Narnia, and isekai.

Age of Ravens: Volume I: Running: This volume presents posts and essays on running ttrpgs from the ENnie Award-winning Age of Ravens. It includes game mechanic talk, ideas for handling campaign types, concrete advice for game facilitation and more. It moves from close up analysis to board view thinking and brings together material from fourteen years of online writing. 

Age of Ravens: Volume II: Tools: This volume presents posts and pieces providing a variety of different ttrpg tools from the ENnie Award-winning Age of Ravens. It includes lists for inspiration, world-building minigames, new system options, and examinations of different games systems.

The Attached and The Crew: Two new playbooks for Masks: A New Generation

[kittyt-hexxed]

Book Two of Hexed - The Fury of Zaun (Vi × POC!Reader) - Ch.22

Act 2: Chapter Twenty-Two: A Happier Time

Warnings:Vi uses a gun, fun before shit hits the fan, hanging with siblings, the fearsome four, Vi’s Birthday

Summary: Vi’s birthday comes around faster than planned so you decide to surprise her with some fun!

Jinx’s birthday passed, and she rambled about all the fun she had with Vi for a week. She even confessed that she didn’t mind her sister calling her Powder and that it felt nice to hear her name after so long. You were relieved they finally got to see each other after so long. You had scolded her for not warning you about her visit to the Kiramman’s home but didn’t hold it against her. After all, you knew that sparkle in her eyes would dull the moment she sequestered herself in her workshop. With their connection restored, Jinx would be thinking about her issue with the shimmer more than ever. It was also plaguing your mind, but you couldn’t focus on it.

You were in the thick of winter and still dealing with the effects of the snow on the city. Thankfully, everyone at least had a thick blanket and proper clothes for the cold. People were huddled up in homes together as there weren’t enough places yet. It was on the list of things to do once the ground unfroze. The citizens had wanted to begin now, but you refused to let them. Neither you nor Sevika wanted anyone getting injured or dying due to the cold slowing their movements down. You were relieved that there was enough space to go for now.

With such a busy time, you couldn’t resume your dates with Vi. You tried not to let it affect you, but it got you a little sad. Your work in the brothel kept you occupied as well, with more people craving the warmth of another’s touch or to shake off the loneliness of the gloomy weather. Some people just wanted a cozy place to curl up for an hour and you were happy to oblige. Running the city was hard work, but you couldn’t be happier.

That also includes your continued business relationship with Renata. The older woman was a breath of fresh air when she treated you like a normal person and not Zaun’s leader. You were lounging in her bed, wrapped up in silk sheets as she ran a hand down your spine. Your body was buzzing from the afterglow that came with being intimate with her. Coming down from that high reminded you why people were so eager to fill up your books.

“Do you have any plans for the day?” Renata questions as she watches you sit up and stretch. The silk blanket fell back onto the bed and grabbed your attention briefly before you looked at her.

“Today is my lover’s birthday.” You say, feeling a little giddy upon saying those words, “I’m planning on taking her out somewhere to relax.”

“You should get going, then.” Renata snaps her fingers and the door opens. Gloria walks in with a bright smile and a change of clothes for you.

“Good morning, Y/n.” Gloria greets you, handing over the clothes you keep at the manor.

“Good morning, Gloria.” You greet her back, standing up to get dressed, “How is your brother? Keeping his hands clean?”

“As clean as they can be. I still catch him with the occasional necklace.” She huffs, earning her a chuckle from Renata.

“He hasn’t caught the Enforcer’s attention yet, and that’s what matters.” You flash her a smile, buttoning up your pants and straightening your shirt out. You promised to meet Ekko and Jinx outside of the Enforcer’s HQ. A risky plan that felt like tempting the beast, but the only person who knew Jinx was Jinx was Caitlyn. Besides, it gave Jinx a thrill to walk around Piltover in plain sight without getting recognized. You said goodbye to the two women with Renata telling you not to pass up a moment alone with Vi. You laughed and told her you’d take the chance if one appeared. Thanks to Renata being aware of your abilities, there was a secret room in the manor that you were able to rift out of. It only took you a few moments before you were emerging on a Piltoven rooftop overlooking the Enforcer’s HQ.

“Hey, sis!” Ekko greets you from above. You look up and see him sitting on his hoverboard, Jinx perched on his lap. You raise an eyebrow at them, earning you identical grins from the duo.

“You two seem cuddly.” You state, watching Jinx hop down so Ekko can land.

“I got bored so I asked him to spin me in circles.” Jinx says, obviously lying.

“Uh, huh.” You nod, pretending to believe her. Although the look they give you shows that they know what you’re doing. Neither of them had yet to admit their feelings for the other but it was painfully obvious. But, you weren’t going to mettle in their business. There was a reason they haven’t come forward and you wanted them to do it on their own time. After all, they gave you and Vi that space when you were younger. The brief memory of them spying on you in the hallways makes you chuckle.

“So, do we know if she’s inside?” You question, moving to the edge of the roof.

“She walked in ten minutes ago and hasn’t left.” Ekko says, looking at his watch, “Caitlyn left two minutes ago so she’s in there without her.”

“And, I’ve got her cake!” Jinx holds up a small eight-inch cake that she had got up early to bake.

“Great! Let’s go.” You grin and make your way down the building with the two. You walk across the street to the building, careful to not run into anyone on the way. With the Treasury being gone, more people were out and about doing other tasks that would have been fulfilled by the workers there. You felt slightly bad about the workers not having their jobs, but it was one step to quality for everyone. Besides, it would keep them safe once the war broke out. The Treasury would have been an obvious target once it started.

The Enforecer’s HQ was a gaudy building meant to stand out from all of the others around it. A few enforcers littered the front steps smoking cigarettes or nursing a cup of coffee while they talked to the ones smoking. It screamed that law enforcement worked there. Once entering the building there was a wave of heat that had you unzipping your coat. The Enforcer at the front desk gave you a firm look as you stopped in front of him. As if he expected you to start causing trouble where you stood. You have to center yourself so you don’t throw a dagger at his face.

“Can I help you kids?” He looks at you with an annoyed expression.

“I have an appointment with Vi. Private information, I’m afraid.” You say sweetly, trying to keep a straight face knowing that the two behind you are trying hard to keep themselves from snickering. The Enforcer’s face morphs from annoyed to nervous and he nods his head.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize she had any appointments.” He clears his throat, leaning down to press something, “Her desk is all the way to the left once you go through those doors. She’s right in front of the Sheriff’s door.”

“Thank you.” You flash him a smile before walking through the door he indicated. You wrinkle your nose at the strong smell of coffee as you do, raising an eyebrow at the sheer mess in front of you. All of the desks were littered with piles of papers, some even on the floors while Enforcers worked at their stations or talked to each other. You head to the left, aware of the Enforcers’ gazes on you as you do. There seemed to be more of them the closer you got to Vi’s area. It wasn’t difficult to spot the woman with her hair being a beacon for those who knew her.

A soft smile made its way onto your lips as you watched her work. A pen twirled in one of her hands as she wrote on a piece of paper with the other. It didn’t take a genius to see that she was bored out of her mind. She didn’t even bother to look up as you stood in front of her desk. Not until Jinx placed the cake onto the desk and over the paper she had been so focused on. Her head jerked up, her gaze landing on her sister first, “Powder?!” Vi gasped and her gaze moved to you and Ekko. He waved at her, a smirk on his face that matched yours.

“Ekko?! Y/n?!” Vi’s eyes looked like they might pop out of her head.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” All three of you shouted at the top of your lungs. Vi was out of her chair so fast that it fell over with a loud thud, but the sound didn’t phase her. She shouted happily as she threw her arms around the three of you. You yelped as she squeezed you together in a tight hug that you knew would leave a bruise.

“Vi!” Ekko wheezes, “My ribs!”

“Shit. Sorry, Little Man.” Vi curses, letting you go but her grin doesn’t falter, “Why are you guys here?”

“It’s your birthday, stupid!” Jinx hits her shoulder, “We’re here to celebrate!”

“What do you have in mind?” Vi tilts her head, “Anywhere is better than here.”

“We set up some stuff in the Undercity.” You hold out a hand to her and she takes it, “All we need is you.” The two of you hold gazes before you lean in and kiss her cheek. You notice a slight shiver from her as you do.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Vi grins, grabbing her coat from the other side of her desk, “Get me the hell out of here.” Jinx cheers and grabs the cake as Ekko glances at his watch.

“Five minutes.” He mutters and you nod. The four of you make your way to the front of the building. The Enforcers pay even more attention to you now that Vi is with you. She lets go of your hand only to grab your waist and pull you into her side. You glance at her in surprise and she gives you a wink. Even though the Enforcers are interested in what’s going on, none of them make a move to ask. You pass by them without issue, at least until you reach the front desk.

“Hey!” The guy shouted in alarm when he saw you, “Vi, you’re not sup-!” Vi reached under the glass and shoved the guy in the chair. He fell over with a loud shout that made you all snicker.

“Later, Greggory!” Vi waves him off, giving your waist a small squeeze in the process. You’re out the front door and making your way across the street as Ekko mutters the countdown under his breath. You reach the alley between the two buildings just as he says zero. Vi watches curiously as you all turn to look at the HQ. Caitlyn is seen making her way through the crowd and up the stairs into the building.

“You timed that?” Vi asks, her eyebrows raised.

“Of course.” Ekko says as if it’s obvious, “Can’t have Blue get spotted. Come on, we can leave at the top of the building.” You and Vi let your siblings go up before you and you follow behind them. Vi watches you attentively as you walk up to a wall and press your hand against it. A rift opens and she lets out a soft gasp. You knew she’s seen them before but this would be her first time using one. You couldn’t help but straighten up in pride at her amazement. This was, after all, your magic. Something that you wished you could share with her some more.

“After you.” You motion to it. Jinx grabs her sister’s hand and practically runs through as Vi yelps in surprise. You and Ekko laugh, exchanging a look before he steps through and you follow behind. Now that you’ve retrieved Vi, the excitement you’ve been trying so hard to hold back breaks through. The plan was to bring her to the Rapids. Everyone had already been made aware of the plans and made their own to keep the place clear until nightfall. Sevika was the first one to come up with an excuse as she didn’t want a confrontation with Vi. Not yet. The rest had followed wanting to give your group some privacy.

You walk over to the edge of the cave where the others are standing. You glance at Vi’s face to see her eyes wide with shock. Gently, you nudge her and she shakes her head slightly to clear her thoughts.

“What is this place? Where is this place?” Vi questions.

“I created it. You’re looking at the home for the Furies of Zaun.” You admit, not wanting to hide anything from her, “Everyone’s out currently, so it’s just us.” You grab her hand and she follows you across the bridge. She looks all around as you walk and you feel a little nervous. You created this place. This was your pride and joy and you wanted her to love it as much as you did.

“How long?” Is all Vi can manage in her distracted state.

“This past year.” You say.

“Y/n, I…” Vi looks at you, trailing off as she meets your eyes.

“You…?” You try to prompt her to continue what she was saying but she doesn’t. She continues to gaze at you, her eyes softening the longer she looks.

“We’ll go grab the weapons!” Ekko grabs Jinx as the two of you break eye contact and they sprint for her workshop.

“I think we made him uncomfortable.” You chuckle.

“Weapons?” Vi furrows her brow.

“Think of this as a way to let off steam.” You grin getting a more confused look from her. The two of you sit down together and get comfortable while you ait for your siblings to come back. After being apart you had so much you wanted to say, but you felt content with the silence between you. It was a habit you developed from spending so much time in Piltover together. It was safer to stay quiet than talk about something someone might overhear. Vi ran a hand over your hair, her fingers rubbing the base of your horns and you have to do everything to keep yourself from purring contentedly.

“I missed you.” Vi whispers, leaning over to kiss your temple.

“I missed you, too.” You lift your head to kiss her chin.

“I didn’t expect this, you know.” Vi sighs, “I haven’t celebrated my birthday in over six years. Honestly, I forgot it was today.”

“We’ve never forgotten.” Ekko says as they approach, “We would light candles today.” That was all he needed to say for her to understand. Vi exhales heavily and you can’t help but feel bad for her. You knew the past few years weighed heavily on her chest. You couldn’t imagine missing out on so many birthdays and being reminded that your family is gone at the same time. It’s why Jinx came up with this in the first place. She wanted to celebrate her sister’s birthday but she knew Vi wouldn’t want the traditional way of doing it.

“But, that’s why you’re here!” Jinx chirps, tossing her folded rifle at Vi, “We’re not mourning this time!” Vi catches it and inspects it, her eyes sparkling in a way you knew all too well. You giggle. She and Jinx really are sisters.

“Is this what I think it is?” Vi smirks and Jinx nods enthusiastically. For the next few minutes, Jinx excitedly shows her how to open up the rifle and walks her through all the parts. She wanted to challenge Vi to a competition, so she let her get a few test shots off before Vi handed it off to her. Jinx shot down the crystals you had arranged the night before while Ekko kept track of the points. The prideful look on Vi’s face watching her sister made you smile. She praised Jinx for her shots, asking her to do it again so she could see how far her sister had come. You didn’t mind taking a backseat while the sisters interacted. It warmed your heart to see it in person rather than hear about it. If you closed your eyes, it would be just like when you were kids.

“Alright, Vi. It’s your turn.” Jinx reloads, handing off the gun to her sister.

“Are you sure about this Pow?” Vi questions but takes the gun.

“It’ll be fine. Y/n will make sure we don’t get hit by any stray bullets.” Jnx teases her, making everyone laugh.

“Here I go.” Vi gets into position, her finger off the trigger as she lines up a shot. You sit up in interest, narrowing your eyes at her relaxed posture. She should be nervous, not giving off this much confidence. You’re practically holding your breath as her finger squeezes the trigger. The cracking sound of crystal echos through the air and Vi’s immediately shiting her sights before you can register it. More crystal shatters as your brain starts to catch up. You’re captivated by Vi as she shoots down all of the crystals hanging up with ease. Your jaw drops as she whirls around, shoots at the wall, and the bullet ricochets somewhere before the crystal above Jinx’s head shatters.

“HOLY SHIT!” Jinx screams, ducking as pieces of a shattered crystal rain down. You and Ekko burst into cheers, shocked that Vi managed to snipe that crystal the way she did. Vi lowers the barrel, checking to make sure there’s no more ammo before she puts the safety on and puts it down. Jinx was on her butt, her jaw dropped open as Vi holds a hand out to her with a smirk.

“When did you learn how to use a gun?!” Jinx interrogates her, “How did you learn that?! How did you keep that from me?!”

“Mom.” Vi chuckles, “I grew up with a gun in my hands before mom realized my fists hurt a hell of a lot worse. I kept up with it in secret after Vander took us in. The more ways I knew to protect you, the better. Besides, you can’t fight someone when you don’t know how their weapon works.”

“Why are you so fucking hot?” You blurt out, blushing furiously when everyone looks at you. Vi laughs and kisses your forehead as you hide your face in embarrassment.

“Go again, I don’t believe you at all!” Jinx shouts and yanks her sister away. The real competition began and you and Ekko were roped into it. Ekko failed miserably, not used to a gun like that at all while you did okay but nowhere near the two sisters. From there you moved on to melee weapons where you and Ekko excelled. While Vi and Jinx held their own, they were down before long and you and Ekko duked it out. This was thrilling to you. You couldn’t help but think back to when you were younger and you could tell the others were doing the same. Nicknames you haven’t heard in years were tossed around, and shoving and playing dirty came out as well.

Then it came time for hand-to-hand and Vi swept you off your feet before you could blink. You gaped at her, startled that all of your practice and training failed you so spectacularly. Ekko and Jinx burst out laughing before Vi did the same to them and now you were the one laughing. That turned into another competition to who could land a hit on Vi first. You were the one to succeed when it came to that. Overjoyed that you landed a hit on Vi, you weren’t prepared to be lifted off the ground and thrown over her shoulder.

“VI?!” You scream as she takes off running. Confused, you look around to see where she's going and you recognize the location. “NO! NOT THE LAAAAKE!” You scream as Vi jumps off of the swimming dock and into the water below. You’re plunged into the freezing water and you swim up to the surface as soon as you get your bearings. Vi’s laughter greets you as you break the surface and you whirl around to splash water on her.

“You asshole!” You laugh, feeling your body shake in the cold water.

“LOOK OUT!” Ekko shouts, giving you and Vi enough time to move away as he and Jinx jump in with you. You squeal as you’re splashed with more cold water. Vi swims over to you, wrapping her arms around your waist and pulling you close.

“Is there anything else planned?” Vi asks as the other two surfaces.

“FUCK! THIS IS COLD!” Jinx screams before she starts laughing.

“There was one more thing but that requires us to be warm and dry.” You huff as Vi chuckles. You get out of the water and run for your rooms, dragging Vi along with you. Your room is nice and warm, quickly heating your frozen body from the run up here.

“Clothes off.” You tell her as you unbutton your shirt.

“I like it when you’re demanding.” Vi teases you, pulling her shirt off. You swallow, seeing that her abs are way more defined than the last time you two had sex. Now that she was stripping, you could tell that Vi’s muscles had gotten bigger. The coats you’ve been wearing made it hard for you to notice any changes in her body.

“You look good.” Your soaked panties drop to the ground, “Did you start working out more?” You grab two towels and hand one to her.

“There’s not much I can do in the snow, so I’ve been spending more time in the gym.” Vi drys off her body and your eyes can’t help but follow the towel. You feel the arousal curling through your body but you shake it off. As much as you wanted to have a quickie with her, this was supposed to be a night for all of you. You could set up another time for that.

“It shows.” You tear your eyes away from her to open a drawer. You kept clothes for Vi in your room. It was a little embarrassing secret of yours. You've always held out hope that she would come home and you wanted to be prepared. “These might be a little tight.” You give the clothes to her.

“I can deal with tight clothes.” Vi shrugs and gets dressed. You do the same, making sure to grab two coats since they were soaked. You toss the coat to her and she pulls it on.

“Come here.” You tell her and she does. You grab her shirt in your hands and whirl around, slamming her back into the wall, and kiss her. Vi makes a sound as you do, but grabs your hips and pulls you into her. A shiver goes down your spine as you makeout. You’ll never get used to this woman.

“Well, that was a way to warm up.” Vi breathes out, a smirk making its way onto her lips.

“I love our siblings but I’ve been wanting to do this since we picked you up.” You briefly press your lips to hers, again. “Let’s not miss our next date, yeah?”

“Agreed.” Vi nods and you let her go. “So, where are we going now?”

“Home.” You say, getting a cute, confused look from Vi. She didn’t ask any more questions as you met up with the others. Nor as you take her to the gateway and let Jinx and Ekko walk through first as you cover her eyes. You walk her through and Vi tenses under your grasp as you emerge on the other side. She takes a deep breath, her hands gently grabbing your wrists and pulling them away.

Vi gasps, her eyes becoming watery as she sees her childhood home in front of her. Jinx spent her time fixing the place after Ekko told her what happened. You helped her to repair things so it looked like it was never destroyed in the first place. And, Ekko got the Firelights to clean up the mess that was Silco’s stupid signs. With your efforts, those ravaged by Shimmer had been given a proper place to live so the fissure was back to the way it used to be. Except for a few small things.

“TADA!” Jinx jumps and does jazz hands as the string lights she added to the building light up. Vi walks forward without a word and they step aside so she can go inside. You follow her and smile at the decorations. A table had been fixed up and on it was a small cake along with a few wrapped gifts. Vi stays silent as she looks at the cake and you worriedly share a glance with Jinx.

“Vi?” Jinx says softly. You hear Vi sniffle and when she turns around you can see that she’s crying. She throws her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly as she lets the tears fall.

“Powder. Thank you.” Vi cries and that’s all it takes for Jinx to start crying, too. You smile softly, touched by the emotional scene and Ekko rests his head on your shoulder. Your brother gives you a sideways hug as you wait for their moment.

“Sorry.” Vi chuckles embarassedly, wiping away her tears.

“Don't worry about it.” You and Ekko chorus.

“So uh… who wants cake?” Jinx asks, trying to lighten the mood.

“I do.” Vi grins, “Cut me a slice?”

“Me too!” You tell Jinx, jumping onto Vi’s back and making her laugh.

“I’m never saying no to cake.” Ekko grins, holding up a plate. You get your slices and sit around the small home, talking and listening to Vi tell stories about her childhood. Jinx was too young to remember much about living here, but what she did remember was enough. Laughter filled the air as the cake was eaten and Jinx nearly fell over when she realized it was gone. You had so much fun that Vi ended up falling asleep on the floor of their home, curled up with a smile on her face.

[saiilorstars]

Ch. 15:  Fantasy Land

Current Masterlist // Previous Story

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​​​​ @arrthurpendragon​​​​ @anotherunreadblog​​​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​​ @stareyedplanet​​​​ @foxesandmagic @kmc1989 @caplanbuckybarnes​​​​

[If you would like to be added to this specific OC’s taglist, let me know!]

"Renata? Renata, you've overslept! Wake up!"

Somebody laughed but Renata felt too groggy to make it out right now.

"Renata, I know you're tired but I don't think you would like to fall behind on your schedule. You'd hate it, actually. You're all about routines, after all. Wake up already!"

Renata sat upright on a bed suddenly, her eyes blinking fast to clear up her blurry vision. Soon she found the man who was talking to her and she almost fell out of her bed from shock...and fear.

A tall man with dirty blonde hair, neatly parted, was smiling at her so sweetly...like he always did. "Sometimes I wonder how much time you actually put into these routines of yours…"

"Elek…" Renata said breathlessly. She could feel her hearts pounding in her chest. "How are you...?" This couldn't be possible. He couldn't be here with her.

And yet, Elek chuckled softly at her. "I think you slept pretty hard again. You're so confused. Didn't have another dream did you?"

"Dream?" Renata tilted her head slightly. When she said the word, she got a faint image of a man and a blue box — a TARDIS. As quickly as it came, it left.

"Gala?" Elek called to her gently. His hand cupped the side of her face. "Maybe you should lie back down and rest for a bit more."

"I'm fine…" Renata said slowly, sounding like she wasn't truly sure if that was the case. She started hearing a chirping noise...birds. They were...chirping. "Elek, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I'm not sure, a-a bird…"

"What's a bird?"

Renata blinked and the bird chirping faded away, leaving her in a moment of daze.

~ 0 ~

"Honestly, Asgari, can't you let it go?" The Doctor groaned as he strode down a hallway with a brunette woman hot on his trail.

She was outraged and the fact that the Doctor kept walking away from her only made her angrier. "No!" She shouted so hard that the Doctor winced into a stop. "You just got up and left and I had no idea where you were!"

"I just went out for a bit," he turned to face her and internally sighed. He honestly lost count how many times his wife got angry with him per day. "I was going to come back!"

"With you, I never know!" She huffed. "I never know anything about you and what you're gonna do!"

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled under his breath. Years of marriage had gone by for them and yet Asgari still felt like a stranger to him no matter how hard they tried to make things work. Not even the birth of their first child brought them closer.

Asgari shook her head at her husband. "I just want to know that if I need you, you'll be here."

"Of course I'll be," the Doctor said. He wasn't that terrible that he'd leave her behind to her own luck.

Asgari didn't seem so convinced and the Doctor thought it was fair. He'd just woken up that morning with a need - an urgency - for air. Asgari had been fast asleep and their daughter slept soundly in the next room. As much as the Doctor looked on at their daughter, he couldn't make the suffocation go away. He needed to leave the house for a bit. 'A bit', however, turned into hours. Asgari woke up and freaked, understandably.

"You should be," Asgari told him quietly, the disappointment flooding her simple three words. With one last look between them, she left him.

The Doctor thought it best to follow her to try and work it out but he started hearing a funny noise in the air. If he was correct, and he usually was, it sounded like Earth birds chirping…

He yawned. Maybe he should've stayed in bed…

~ 0 ~

"RORY-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y!" Amy yelled at the top of her lungs, clutching her very pregnant belly. "It's starting!"

Rory had only just arrived home to hear his wife crying out for him. He left his bike to fall on the ground and hurried inside the house. "Ah. OK, OK!" However by the time he found Amy, she was sitting down in the kitchen with a bowl of batter in front of her...not looking like she was in labor as she had said only seconds ago. "False alarm," she shrugged. "What?" Rory blinked at her, confused.

"False alarm!"

"What!?"

Amy let her wooden spoon drop into the bowl as she huffed. "Well, I don't know what it feels like. I've never had a baby before." She couldn't help it if she kept repeating the false labor thing several times. It was her first child; she was clueless.

"So, when's the Doctor and Renata stopping by?" Rory moved on before Amy yelled at him. He came over to peek into the bowl and stuck a finger into the batter, much to Amy's annoyance.

She swatted his hand away and when he refused, she grabbed the wooden spoon to threaten his hand with. "I don't know," she shrugged. "Renata said tomorrow but you know with the Doctor's piloting skills…"

"Noo," Rory sarcastically said. He ended up taking the wooden spoon from Amy to fully taste the batter. "Well, he better get it right if he doesn't want to get on Gabby's bad side. She's coming in today."

Indeed Gabby would be coming to Leadworth for a visit since the Doctor and Renata promised that they would stop by. Gabby showed up a few hours later and, much to their delight, so did their Time Lords. The TARDIS appeared in their cottage's front yard and out popped the alien pair.

"Oh dear," Renata stepped out to see the flowers the TARDIS had ruined. "We've crushed your flowers."

Rory agreed. "Oh, Amy will kill you."

Renata made a face, making Gabby chuckle. "I should stop letting the Doctor land us. He makes messes as soon as we get somewhere."

The Doctor shot her a look for her comment. "Not on purpose!"

Renata playfully rolled her eyes at him and moved on to hug Rory and then Gabby. "It's so nice to see you all."

"I know, nice to see you too," Gabby hugged her back tightly then moved onto the Doctor. "How come you guys don't stop by more often?"

"Gabriella, I thought we went over this: the Doctor's piloting skills!"

"Oi!" the Doctor once again shot Renata a look. "You're getting too carried away!"

"Where's Amy?" Renata asked, looking around curiously. She figured that the TARDIS' loud landing noises would have brought Amy out like a magnet.

"She'll need a bit longer," Rory jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the cottage's entrance.

"Whenever you're ready, Amy," called the Doctor, promptly ignoring Renata's 'Don't be rude' remark. He was much more interested in Amy's new protruding stomach. "Oh, wahey! Wahey. You've swallowed a planet!"

"Doctor!" Renata couldn't believe her ears...actually, she could because it was him. Still, it wouldn't mean that she would stand for it. "She's pregnant!" She beamed at the sight of Amy. "Oh my goodness, you're pregnant!"

Amy laughed and received her hug. "Yup. Pregnant."

"You're huge!" The Doctor exclaimed, either ignoring Renata's scold for it or simply not hearing her in all his awe.

Amy shook her head at both of them. Neither had changed a bit and that was just fine. "Yeah, I'm pregnant!"

It still somehow did not click for the Doctor. "Look at you. When worlds collide!"

"Wow," Gabby was truly amazed how he was regarded as one of the most intelligent beings in the universe and yet...he did this.

"Oh, look at you both. Five years later and you haven't changed a bit!" He went on and hugged Amy. "Apart from age and size."

"Doctor!" Renata huffed. "For the love of God!"

He stared at Amy until they all literally saw a spark in his eyes that came just before he asked, "Are you pregnant?"

Amy shook her head at him and started back for the cottage, prompting Rory to follow.

"You really haven't changed," Gabby laughed as she followed too.

"What?" The Doctor was left asking until Renata turned him towards her. "What I do?"

The Time Lady smiled at him. "You're unbelievable."

When the group was all settled, they decided to take a stroll through Leadworth. Gabby had only been in the town for Amy's and Rory's wedding so she wanted to see what else was around.

"Ah, Leadworth. Vibrant as ever," the Doctor said, clearly a strain due to its significant small size.

"It's Upper Leadworth, actually," Rory smiled proudly, "We've gone slightly upmarket."

"Where is everyone?"

"This is busy," Amy gestured to the very few people in the street. "OK, it's quiet, but it's really restful and healthy. Loads of people here live well into their 90s."

"I like it," Renata said, unsurprisingly for the others. Of course she would love the quaint towns like Leadworth. "I think it's a good place to live in and start a family."

Amy eventually slowed down until she had to take a rest on a bench. "Sorry," she apologized and rubbed her stomach.

"Don't be, it's normal," Renata said and sat down next to her. "Girl or boy?" She asked with as much curiosity as Amy's blood relatives had whenever they got into the same discussion.

"Don't know," Amy shrugged. "It's going to be a surprise."

"Oh, how nice," Renata beamed and looked at the others, specifically at the Doctor. "We are going to be here on time when this child comes." He playfully rolled his eyes at her but agreed he'd like to be there as well.

"I want to be here too," Gabby nodded. "I'm going to be an aunt! Are there names yet?"

"A few, but that's a surprise too," Rory said, sharing a knowing smile with Amy. They clearly had a name in mind.

"Alright," Gabby shrugged and turned away to get a better look at the town. There really were hardly any people on the street. "So, um, what exactly do you do here?"

"A lot," Rory said defensively, as if Gabby was already viewing Leadworth like the Doctor had: a small, boring town.

"Like what?"

"We relax...we live, we listen to the birds."

"Yeah, see, birds. Those are nice," Amy agreed somewhat as they started hearing the faint chirp of a birdsong.

"We didn't get time to listen to birdsong back in the TARDIS days."

The birdsong started getting louder.

"Uh...my head…" Renata rubbed her temples. Maybe she was exaggerating but the chirping sounded way too loud.

"Oh, blimey. My head's a bit, ooh…" The Doctor said with a scrunched face. "No, you're right, there wasn't a lot of time for birdsong back in the good...old... days."

Everyone had drifted into a sleep.

~ 0 ~

Gabby continuously giggled as she and Donna watched the tenth incarnated Renata and the tenth Doctor go back and forth in their little bickering session. They walked behind the pair down a street filled with cheerful celebrating humans.

"Doctor, I cannot believe you are this ridiculous," Renata huffed at the Doctor who had stopped at a stall to try on a classic funny hat.

"What? You don't like it?" He asked, tilting his head.

"No! Stop being a child and get us back to the TARDIS!"

He didn't wince with her scream but he didn't looked pleased to find that she was upset with their destination. "It's a simple celebration, Renée, have some fun."

"I don't like it," Renata shook her head.

"Well, Gabby and Donna sure do!" The Doctor returned the hat to its proper place. "Don't we, ladies?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh sure, bring us into your argument. No thanks!" She promptly grabbed Gabby's arm and walked down a few stalls ahead. "Oh those two will be the death of me!" It was her turn to huff. "You know very well that they argue because they're attracted to each other."

Gabby agreed with a light chuckle. "I know."

"Maybe we should help them. Give 'em little nudges," Donna smirked. "Whaddya say?"

"I say that Renata will kill us but…" Gabby stopped walking and turned to face Donna. "We're the best duo they've got so let's go for it!"

Donna laughed and high-fived Gabby. They really were the best duo together. They returned to the bickering Time Lords to break them apart by suggesting that they go find somewhere to eat. Little did they know that they would be searching for a romantic spot for them.

Gabby was in charge of finding the spot while Donna bided some time for them. She had just turned down the corner when she heard a significantly loud bird chirping somewhere. She stopped and looked up at the sky. It was as normal as any Earth sky.

But then she felt so tired.

She yawned and brought a hand to her mouth to cover it up. Her eyes felt quite heavy suddenly...like she wanted a nap…

~ 0 ~

"I had a terrible nightmare…" the Doctor was saying to Renata when Amy, Rory and Gabby joined them in the console room.

"Me too," Renata was pale as she recalled her own dream. She hadn't dreamt about Elek in years, and that was just before she had met the Doctor again in 1969. Now suddenly she was dreaming that she was back on Gallifrey, married to Elek...

"Yeah, don't ask," the Doctor scrunched his face. He wasn't prepared to talk about Asgari again. He himself didn't like what he dreamt about as it made him beyond guilty remembering that he wasn't the best husband that Asgari deserved.

"You guys had bad dreams too?" Amy was rubbing her flat stomach as if she really was pregnant like she had been in her dream.

"What? Seriously? You guys too?" Gabby looked around and saw everyone, except for Rory, wore similar pale faces. She felt sick to her stomach and it wasn't because of the dream with Donna...but more to the fact that it was another reminder how she had failed recently to keep their endeavors on Renata and the Doctor safe.

"I had a dream but it wasn't a nightmare," Rory shrugged and glanced at Amy. "We were married."

The Doctor took note of the silent, but flashy, red lights on the console. That was unusual. "What's wrong with the console?"

Amy arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, in a little village."

"A sweet little village, and you were pregnant…" Rory trailed off when he realized that Amy knew exactly what he was talking about...as if she had the same dream.

"Yeah, I was huge. I was a boat!"

"You guys had the same dream?" Gabby quickly looked at the Doctor and Renata. "What did you dream about?"

The question kept them both silent.

"Okay…" Gabby cleared her throat, figuring she might as well go first. "I dreamt with you guys, but the previous you guys...and Donna." She looked down momentarily. Even if the dream had been a short one, it made her miss Donna like crazy again.

"You guys were there too," Amy suddenly remembered and pointed at the Time Lords. "But these current versions, not the last ones like Gabby's dream."

"Were we in any of your dreams?" Rory curiously wondered since it seemed like they were crossing dreams.

"No," Renata said quickly, and the Doctor agreed a few seconds later. "I was on Gallifrey...with my late husband." She waited to hear the Doctor's reaction but instead he admitted that his dream involved his own late wife.

"I haven't dreamed about Asgari in centuries," he confessed. "But it felt real."

"So did mine," Renata confessed. Everything about Elek had been accurate down the same way he used to laugh.

"I don't understand what's going on but I know that something's going on," Gabby declared and blew out some air. "Did you all hear the birds chirping in the end?" There was a collective nod amongst them. "Oh yeah, something's going on!"

"Look, it doesn't matter. We all had some kind of psychic episode. We probably jumped a time track…" the Doctor tried to say but even he didn't look convinced of his own words. "Forget it, we're back to reality now."

Amy stiffened. "Doctor, if we're back to reality how come I can still hear birds?"

"She's right," Renata whispered and turned to him, eyes filled with fear. "I hear it too."

They even felt the same tiredness as the first time just before everything went dark.

~ 0 ~

Renata blinked and she was back with Elek, having a calm breakfast together. She swallowed hard. "Elek…"

~ 0 ~

The Doctor blinked to find himself watching his young daughter fast asleep in her room. There was a terrible pit in his stomach now…

~ 0 ~

"Rory," Amy reached for Rory's hand and grabbed it tightly, "I'm scared."

"I know," he nodded in agreement.

While they had woken up from the chirping noise, their versions of the Doctor, Renata and Gabby acted like nothing had happened.

~ 0 ~

When they had been all pulled back into the same world in the TARDIS, they did a quick relay of what their world had done in the few minutes they'd been apart.

"We're looking at the park again," Amy and Rory had told them together.

"But there's ducks this time," Rory pointed out for the sake of adding more details to that world. He wanted to believe that maybe that other world really was theirs. Why wouldn't it be? It was lovely, calm and he and Amy were together and starting a family. It was just...amazing.

Gabby was slightly less hopeful. "Donna and I...we're planning again," she said quietly. "You and the Doctor...we're trying to push you together."

"Oh," Renata scratched the side of her head. "That, uh, that sounds right."

"Mhm," Gabby nodded. "That's what we used to do," she whispered. Was it wrong to hope - just a tiny bit - that the other world was the real one? The other world had Donna with all her memories. They were still friends and travelling together with the Doctor and Renata - their small space family. It was all so great...like it used to be once.

"What about you two?" Amy asked the silent Time Lords. She noticed that there was some reluctance from both of them to describe their worlds. "What are you doing right now?"

Renata swallowed hard. "Elek and I had breakfast together. He's going to work...I'm going to my foundation." Whether or not she wanted to, her gaze landed on the Doctor.

Knowing all eyes were on him to share, he did so, albeit quietly. "Just...just watching my daughter sleep."

Renata's hand flew to her stomach then. She had to swallow another thick lump in her throat.

A warm smile spread across the Doctor's face. Whether or not that world was real, that was his daughter. His firstborn. "It's like we're living the life we would've had if the war never happened."

"Yeah," Renata agreed with her gaze anywhere but him. She still saw, from the corner of her eye, that the Doctor had moved away from her, trying to work the controls again but if he was being honest, he was doing it to put some distance between them again. She felt it and she...may have agreed. Everything was fuzzy, reality wasn't clear. She, like him, had the guilty suspicion that maybe, just maybe, this reality wasn't theirs and they were truly meant to be on Gallifrey with their respective spouses.

They shouldn't be acting like anything beyond friends.

"So what do we do?" Amy once again pushed for some answers. "You said the TARDIS was dead, what do we do to get it back?"

"I don't know," the Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I don't - I have no idea what's going on. Everything's off, sensors, core power. We're drifting. The scanner's down so we can't even see out. We could be anywhere. Someone, something, is overriding my controls."

"What could be so powerful to do that?" Gabby was wide-eyed with the news. In her long time travelling with them, she had never known anything to be able to do that. The Daleks in the Crucible were a different story. Plus, the only Daleks in the universe were mere scavengers right now. They couldn't be behind all this.

"Well, that took a while!" A new man's voice startled the group. They all quickly got in the same spot and turned to see the short man standing across them. He was rather familiar but no one could pinpoint how yet. It could be the similar clothing. "Honestly, I'd heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm. Him in the bow tie." His eyes flickered then to Renata, his smile stretching widely. "Oh, and the Vortex Butterfly. Who could forget about you? Certainly not that one." He jerked a thumb at the Doctor, and for the briefest moments his eyes had shifted over to Amy.

"How did you get into my TARDIS?" The Doctor stepped in front of the group, eyes narrowing on the stranger. "What are you?"

"What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord."

"I prefer intruder," Renata moved up to stand beside the Doctor, though she still couldn't bring herself to look at him. "You're trespassing."

"One could say so have you," he grinned. "But in other ways."

Renata's face paled. "What are you—?"

"Don't play stupid, Butterfly. I am in the past, the present - I am in everyone's head," the man made sure to look at every single one of them. "All of you carry secrets and guilt that you're too afraid to confess to."

"That's called being a human," Gabby tried to say but the man scoffed harshly, making her wince.

"No, that's what we call a terrible being."

The Doctor had reached for something inside his pocket and chucked it at the Dream Lord. Unlike everyone else who was surprised to see the thing go through the man, the Doctor wasn't. "Interesting…"

"I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord - it's in the name, isn't it? Spooky, not quite there." The Dream Lord disappeared and reappeared behind them, making them spin around to face him again. "And yet, very much here."

"You said in our heads," Rory pointed out. He was messing with them in their minds?

"Anyone want to take a guess what that is?" The Doctor made a gesture for anyone to try it out.

Amy was eager to answer first. "Um. Dream Lord. He creates dreams."

"Dreams, delusions, cheap tricks."

"And what about the gooseberry here, does he get a guess?" The Dream Lord nodded over to Rory who immediately jumped at the insult.

"Listen, mate, if anyone's the gooseberry around here, it's the Doctor."

The Dream Lord snorted. "There's a delusion I'm not responsible for."

"No, he is," Rory insisted, ignoring the Doctor's offended expression. "Isn't he, Amy?"

"Oh, Amy, have to sort your men out. Choose, even. That's one guilt," the Dream Lord grinned at the ginger.

Amy was now the center of attention and how she wished she wasn't. "I have chosen," she argued.

"Right," the Dream Lord said before glancing at Renata. "She would know though. After all, she was in the same position once upon a time. Got any tips on how not to screw it up?"

Renata breathed rather quickly in that moment. "Stop." Her voice had been a whisper. She felt her stomach twisting when she got to wondering how deeply this man knew her, of the Doctor, and their friends.

"None of you can fool me," the Dream Lord began, his voice cold as he once again gave each of the travelers a sharp look. "I see your minds, I see your thoughts. Oh...and I do see dreams. My dear Amy, when I say that you need to choose it's because I know you need to choose. I've seen your dreams. Some of them twice, Amy. Blimey, I'd blush if I had a blood supply or a real face."

"Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?" The Doctor cut him off before he went any further.

"Me? Oh, you're on shaky ground."

"Am I?"

"If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student... I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are. Where was I?"

"Being a pain in the ass," Gabby was quick to answer. "What the hell are you? Because right now, you're looking like a parasite."

"Did Donna tell you that?" The Dream Lord sent her a big ole smile as she paled. "Oh, right, she can't anymore...because of you…"

"Leave her alone!" Renata snapped, but the man laughed.

"And here comes Mama Butterfly to save you. It's ironic, isn't it, Gabriella?" The man set his hands on his hips. "She's helped so much and yet..what did you do in return?"

Gabby's fell silent with her terrible guilt gnawing at her. She failed Renata, and Donna; that's what she had done. Renata always helped her, always looked after her as if she really was like a daughter to her and when the time came...she wasn't able to help Renata. In the Crucible, instead of helping Renata put an end to the Daleks, she got all weak and needy. When Donna had been so close to that severed hand, she wasn't able to stop her. She let the meta-crisis happen and lost Donna.

"Here's your challenge," the Dream Lord made a dramatic, long pause. "Each of you have been placed in a different world, only problem is I can't remember which one's the real one...can you?" He shot them a smirk. "Could be this one, where you're all together…" His eyes met the Doctor's and Renata's. "Or could it be one of the other worlds? On Gallifrey? Maybe the humans aren't real. Or perhaps it's still 2009 and Donna Noble is still travelling with you. Decide."

"And if we don't play along?" asked Renata defiantly.

"Then you're stuck forever going between different worlds. Each time you jump, though, you'll get weaker. Oh, and I might have thrown in a bit of a danger in some worlds."

"This time I wasn't the one to ask," the Doctor mumbled to her and earned a whack on the side.

The chirping noise alerted them that they would be jumping worlds again.

"Doctor, what do we do?" Amy covered her ears but then realized she wouldn't be able to hear the Doctor's answer. "Doctor!"

"Try to keep your eyes open for something that doesn't make sense!"

"Uh, that's going to be hard!" Rory gestured to the Doctor first in his long list of things that didn't make sense. "We're in a spaceship that's bigger on the inside than the outside, with a bow tie-wearing alien, a woman who sprouts butterfly wings, a girl who does the same thing…"

"Right, we get it, thanks," Renata muttered. "Just simple things! Sometimes we just…" She trailed off when the chirping became too loud for her. "...simple...just...simple things…"

"Ren? Ren!" The Doctor caught her slumping body and met her gaze one last time before her world went dark.

~ 0 ~

"Renata, you have to be more careful," Elek was holding the Time Lady in his arms. It took Renata a few minutes to realize they were right in front of the door; Elek was leaving for work but not anymore. "I love that being clumsy is an endearing part of your personality but right now it is the utmost importance that you take it easy."

"Clumsy?" Renata tried pulling herself away from him but he had such a firm grip around her that it was futile to try. "I'm not...I've never been clumsy."

That didn't make sense. "Try to keep your eyes open for something that doesn't make sense!"

At the Doctor's voice, Renata felt a series of chills run through her body. The Doctor. She loved im - had once loved him. That was in her past...wasn't it?

"Renata, I think you should go lay down again," Elek resolved that this was the best, and safest, option for Renata. "You're starting to worry me. The pregnancy is taking a toll on you."

Renata's hands came to rest on her stomach. She hadn't noticed it straightaway but she'd learned soon enough from Elek that she was pregnant. With no war, she was able to keep her pregnancy going. Her unborn child once again lived inside her.

"Oh God…" Her voice was shaky enough without her body deciding to join her in trembles. She was pregnant? Or she wasn't? She was with the Doctor, in the TARDIS - their TARDIS — as he once told her...if he had ever told her.

~ 0 ~

"You can't just keep watching your daughter and pretend like nothing's wrong," Asgari was beside the Doctor, keeping her tone quiet so their daughter, who remained asleep, wouldn't wake.

"Believe me, I'm not pretending," the Doctor took in a deep breath. He couldn't tear his eyes off his child no matter how much he tried. If this was all fake, then the illusions were so real...and if it was fake, then it was cruel.

Asgari shook her head. "You know, sometimes I wish we hadn't gotten married at all. I feel like we got along better before we were forced to marry."

The Doctor kept quiet but he silently agreed on that. Asgari was a lovely woman, when she had been his friend. She was a bit snarky, but it made her challenging personality all the more fun. They had bickering rounds when they were 'engaged' and those were fun, but that was it. It never compared to what he felt when he bickered with Renata, when he was so close to her ginger, freckled face. Asgari was beautiful but Renata was simply breathtaking.

But had their story truly ended the night before his wedding?

Did he never meet her again?

His hearts ached with both love and guilt. Love for his Renée, and guilt for Asgari and their children.

~ 0 ~

"I don't like being near to them," Amy whispered to Rory as they watched their versions of the Doctor, Renata and Gabby try a swingset. "They might not be real."

Rory couldn't help the scoff that escaped his lips. "Why would you think that? Why would you think that this world isn't real?"

"C'mon Rory," Amy turned to him, "Is this...is this really what we want our future to be like?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"I just feel like we could have more than…"

"A family?"

Amy fell silent. It only made Rory feel worse. How come he always ended up on this side of the path and Amy was stuck on the other one? He didn't feel like he demanded much, but it always seemed that way for Amy.

"Do you not want this?" He asked her, quieter as if anyone was listening in. "I thought you'd chosen me, not him."

Amy smiled at him. "You are always so insecure!"

Her nonchalant attitude wouldn't change the topic this time. "You ran off with another man!" He huffed.

"Not in that way! And Renata was there too, and Gabby!"

"Yet it didn't make much of a difference in the end, did it?" Rory's snap was a hard blow but one that he felt had to be made. It wasn't fair that Amy kept acting as if nothing happened because it did happen.

Amy looked down guiltily. "I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, but did you mean it?" Rory waited for her to answer but as it seemed, Amy was more troubled than previously thought.

~ 0 ~

"Oh this place is amazing!" Donna beamed at the lovely restaurant Gabby had found for them. It was like an old fashioned place with red brick walls, wooden tables and a pretty loud band playing in the corner.

Gabby only nodded as she kept looking at Donna and then the Doctor and then Renata. She couldn't get over the fact that this might all be fake, a plain farce.

The Doctor sure seemed to love the place. "It's great!"

Renata, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. "Does it have to be so loud?"

"They're just playing a gig," Donna shrugged. "They'll be off soon enough, you'll see. Go find us a table, hmm?" She glanced at the Time Lords with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah, alright. C'mon, Renée!" The Doctor offered her his arm and though Renata still didn't seem to like the place, she linked her arm with his.

"Let's see what we can do to push them together," Donna immediately told Gabby when they were gone. She pulled the girl towards the counter and called for the first employee that passed by.

Gabby watched and listened as Donna explained the situation to the employee. She smiled at Donna's determination to make things as romantic as possible for their friends. It was truly like nothing had changed. No doubt they would get into so much trouble from Renata if they were caught but it never mattered to them. They were the duo, the wing women, of the Time Lords and they had to do whatever they could to make them open their eyes.

[teeresaresa]

Unh uh 😩 Riki and his lil bid for a boy cousin 😩 why is kids really like this ?

Awwww 🥹 when Njadaka told Tchalla bout Jobu. They were really his babies. Ugh! He probably smilin’ from ear to ear bout Toussaint and at how well the two of them are working together.

Oh lord Steve callin w the beginning of the end 🙄 I hated watchin’ that big nigga collect them stones. This damn snap 🤦🏾‍♀️ got me nervous af !

Chile I am nt shocked by the sexual activities that went down back in the days mmkay ! What I am shocked about is Queen N’Isiqithi Tha Firs considering the sharin’ of thee royal dick ! Cause miss girl was havin’ a damn hissy fit when he asked her to share w Disa bt oh yo lil friends can have a piece ? By all means let’s get it nice and wet together ! YANI !

Cuz like I’m sorry what tf 😀 ?!

And of course Mr Freak Nasty gon be all for it since she already havin feelins bout it. And he prob already know cause the nigga sense everything !

I know this they marriage and errthang Bt how is this any different from the poly shit ? Cause he ain’t in love wit em? Njadaka has grown very mature since becoming king bt at the end of the day he still a nigga. Yu cnt give ‘em too much ! Ijs Yani gurl press on that gas SLLOOWWW aight? 😂

And see this make me think she wasn’t mad all them ch back she jus wanted his sole attention. She just wanted to make sure he still loved her like he said he did! Sis had all of us goin thru it ch after ch ! Him! Disa! Even tha chullen ! Chile anyway. If she like it y’all kno the rest 😌

…had me thinkin she wanted monogamy. Is it really 🥴 Chiiii ! Nt she worried she can’t handle tht Jaguar dick herself ! Gurllllll ! Disa woulda been all the help yu needed Bt let’s move on ! 😭😭😭😭😭 Alright now dnt start tht shit Yani ! Nt when yu frm the island ! Mount that big bicycle n ride bih !

When Queen Mary came to her omg ! I always feel emotions when I read scenes like this because it’s so important to know where you come from, and how you came to be, and who stands behind you because it’s a motivation like no other! Especially as a black woman honey! So beautiful! I wish I could meet an ancestor like that. I woulda been sced as hell at first too tho !

We love a royal entrance! Had Big Nigga too stunned to speak ! On bended knee ! No Boyz II Men ! Purr !

Unt uhhhh ! Not the lil princess gf Vivienne ! Chileeee the world cannot be that small ! And just like boys do, these niggas up here laughin ! Chile I thought he’d run into Renata before he’d run into Viv ! Bt it does make more sense ! I loved her talk w them and her supporting Yani. She won me over for sure.

QUEEN KILLMONGER ! Whew chile he deflee got him a lil weapon as a queen honey ! Mububu was actual scum. Bt she was a great distraction and handled herself very well. She said yu wanna die in front of all these people? Dnt play w HER ! W THE VINTAGE CLAWS !? YAS !

DON’T THINK SHE JUST HIS LITTLE WIFEEE ! BOW DOWN BITCH or wateva Beyonce be sayin ! Lisssennn he nt playin bout her and she ain’t playin bout him okey ! Bt his reaction in the elevator was hilarious cause he was like wait nah …Bt I like that 😂

We love a family man wanting to come home to his kids and his queen 🥰 it’s cute I must say

And like I said ! Miss Yani was second guessin’ that royal dck shit when it was happenin’ bt of course he got it out of her ! I really dnt see that lady in waiting shit happenin as a regular thing. I think she just like the idea of it because her ass been sittin up watchin’ videos of his ass w randoms and now he like her personal porn star 😭 IJS THE SHIT MIGHT BACKFIRE ON HER

“Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 4, Chapter 73″

Masterlist HERE. 

“They say she get it from her Mama…

I put that on my own mama, on my hood I look fly, I look good You can’t touch my bag, wish you could I look fly, I look too good Put that on my own mama, on my hood…”

Victoria Monet – “On My Mama”

T'Challa lifted his newborn son from his fluffy pram blanket and gently burped him near the wall-sized window of the Sun Room. Nakia fed the baby constantly and after only a week of being alive, Toussaint was fatter and his belly became a round ball that his father liked to tickle.

The deep rich melanin had evened out across his son’s body and looking down at the tiny face, T'Challa witnessed a mirror, a version of himself that depended on a family to raise him up the right way. He kissed Toussaint’s forehead, then rocked him quietly.

Keep reading

[dxsole]

🃏 PUH-PUH-PUH-POKERFACE! | @violeteyedkiller

She's shuffling cards with ease; they've both been dealing cards for their father since they were toddlers— Renata always says she does it better though.

"We playing?" It's not so much that the Delvecchio's cheat— they wouldn't dare cheat on the casino floor, even in a low-stakes game. But they were certainly the biggest sore losers. Rico was probably somewhere by the bar, moping about his loss.

"I don't have a ton of time before my next appointment," Helping Rico brutalize someone who owed their father money. "But one game should be alright." Besides, part of her job was ensuring everyone had a good time, right? And lose their money as quickly as possible. "All in good fun, yeah?"

[serenofroses]

Tumblr Games: Nine Lines.

Was tagged by @bardic-tales. thank you.

The Rules: Share Nine lines and tag nine people.

this is from the current wip oneshot I got for my swtor polytriad but I try to limit it because I don't want to spoil/reveal too much.

--

"For the record," Marr wanted to change the subject to erase the same scene that was replaying on loop from their head, "I do not regret what I did."

Jadis stared at the zabrak, "You never regretted a lot of things in your position, Lord Marr. Interference or not, you did the Empire a fucking favour."

"Maybe. The Empire still needs to change now Tenebrae's gone." Marr shrugged, leaning back into the armchair, desperately wishing they could have a smoke right now, "But, I had my own reasons for the distraction I caused to lure Ania away from her task."

"You had a motive reason to arrange these private sessions with her other than to sabotage her mission," Jadis was deeply curious, "She wasn't really in the best of your interest."

"That's where you are wrong because you did see me in that vision. Where I saw her too. So I took this chance to meet her." They explained, "I can see the appeal within that young woman."

They did want to meet her, get closer, to understand her. They saw her attractive-looking, a bit feisty who stood her ground, enjoying her pleasant company while her quietness had not bothered them. Over those weeks, Marr realised that Ania had started to grow on them.

Jadis noticed the far away glint in their eyes, reminiscing the nights they had spent with Ania in their thoughts, reaching through the Force to sense the zabrak's emotions as their heart pulsed rapidly.

"Lord Marr, are you actually... smitten with my Ania?"

--

tagging whoever read this and do the tumblr game. I want to tag few writer mutuals I know but I'm afraid of annoying them. :(

[cursed-yoyo]

Something wicked this way comes And as I set to face it, I'm unsure Should I embrace it, should I run? What motivates me? Hatred?

Brutus, Brutus...

@atimeodyssey

[projectdiscadence]

PROJECT DISCADENCE // SONG 2 // DEATH REPORT Elke, the former songwriter for ZUSAMMEN, attends one of their concerts to gather intel on the band’s reactivation, but ends up making an unexpected discovery along the way.

link to the story (google docs) // link to the audio (soundcloud) // link to the off-vocal

[zeleniafic]

for the problematic oc ask - renata or ryon cassel?

Ahh tysm!! I’ll do both bc why not :)

Renata:

P E T T Y ass bitch like... you spilled coffee on her favorite book once and it’s been thirty years and you bought her a first edition replacement for it but she STILL won’t loan you a book ever again

impulsive as hell, reacts FIRST stops to think SECOND. no thoughts head empty!!!

gets prickly and rude when someone pokes at sensitive subjects even though she’s never EXPLAINED that they’re sensitive and would rather drink straight bleach than ever do so

ping pongs wildly back and forth between being goofy and immature as hell and being defensive and closed off bc You Brought Up The Wrong Bad Memory but will she ever verbalize that? nope! :)

Ryon:

pre-red wedding: passive aggressive mf. would never verbalize his dislike for someone but WOULD give them theeeee shittiest practice sword in all of winterfell for sparring. it’s off balance and poorly made and just unwieldy af but he’ll never say that. just... “guess you’re just having an off day today theon” with a completely straight face

too passive in general tbh like sometimes he could have stopped some bullshit from going down if he just stepped up a little more but he’s too rigid about his place in society to ever do that

POST red wedding??? ZERO FUCKS GIVEN like slow down sir let’s think things throu- oh you’re already setting the place on fire???? well okay then

single minded to a fault sometimes... sometimes admirable in this dedication but it also makes him blind to the faults of those he's loyal to, or to weaknesses in his plans. he loses the details in favor of the bigger picture

[roguescarlett]

savouring the moments within her lovers' embrace. ~ Renata x Amelia x Sevika. (a purely self indulgent edit of my poly otp so, shhh)