Benji Woodside (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blessedseraph) wrote2022-12-05 11:12 pm
blessedseraph) wrote2022-12-05 11:12 pm
Entry tags:
Novel Summary - History
CWs: Transphobia, violence, gore, death, murder, body horror, domestic abuse, religious abuse, self-injury, suicide, emeto
Pre-Book History:
The Angelic movement is founded in 2025 and is self-described as an interdenominational Protestant movement. Critics describe them as a Christian terrorist group.
The Angelic Movement, a cult of religious fanatics believing the world's population needs to repent and be culled, unleashed the Flood virus on the world on the day that would come to be known as Judgment Day (by the Angelic Movement) or That Day (by the ALC). The Flood virus was created by Sister Kipling, one of the cultists. The virus was released onto the world populace by missionaries who allowed themselves to be infected to spread it to everyone else. Those that weren't outright killed by the Flood lived to become Graces (called abominations by those outside of the Angelic Movement), horrible twisted monsters. Billions of people died that day.
Sister Kipling went on to create Seraph, a special strain of the Flood meant to turn its host into a perfect monster, retaining enough sense of self to control the other Graces and turn them on surviving nonbelievers.
The Flood kills or changes people in days or even hours. Seraph's changes take a few weeks.
The Angelic movement formed death squads comprised of Angels, men who took a taste of the Flood at their initiation and had wings tattooed onto their backs. These squads were sent out to slaughter any surviving nonbelievers, using Graces to help them achieve this because Graces can be taught basic commands and 'handled' like wild animals.
Benji's mother took the family to New Nazareth when Benji was eleven, when the High Reverend Father put out the Cloister Order. Benji was pulled out of sixth grade.
Benji became engaged when he was fifteen, after his mother caught him having sex with his boyfriend. It was either get engaged or be disowned and punished horrifically, basically.
Book History:
Benji and his dad attempt to run from New Nazareth (in Acheson, Pennsylvania), prompting a squad of Angels to chase them down. Benji's dad cuts his hair for him and is later killed in front of him by the Angels. Benji's path to freedom is blocked by a Grace. Instead of using his Seraph ability to control the Grace and turn it against the Angels, because his dad told him to both be good and to make the Angels suffer (and Benji is choosing to be good right now), he surrenders and allows himself to be captured.
On the way to Reformation Faith Evangelical Church, the Angel squad is ambushed by what turns out to be a group of young people from Acheson's LGBTQ+ Center, ALC for short. Benji is rescued specifically by a boy named Nick. He knows who and what Benji is, but keeps it a secret between him and Erin. Erin is like- his co-leader. Anyway, Benji passes out on the way to ALC and wakes up in an office room. He has a brief conversation with Salvador, a trans person, who then fetches Nick and Erin to talk to Benji.
Nick shows Benji an official announcement stolen from the Angels declaring Benji (by his deadname) the true Seraph. He and Erin offer to either get Benji out of Acheson and away from the Angels or to let him stay and join them. Benji opts to join them. Nick gives him a pocketknife. Erin shows Benji around the ALC and to his 'room', where Benji passes out again for some hardcore sleep.
Benji is offered coffee, which he's never had before (he doesn't like it).
Nick takes Benji with him to meet the Vanguard, a group of middle-aged folks who can't even wear their facemasks correctly (facemasks are worn to protect against the Flood getting in your mouth or nose). Benji notes, for the second time now, that Nick is attractive and the fact Benji is engaged to a boy named Theo does not stop him from admiring Nick.
Basically, the ALC kills Angels and trades their left ears to the Vanguard because the Vanguard, full grown adults, are too big of cowards to do it themselves. In exchange, the Vanguard gives the ALC supplies like food, water, clothes, and bandages from places like their doomsday prepper basements and shelters/bunkers.
Of note is the fact that throughout the events of the novel, Benji is periodically throwing up literal bits of his insides thanks to Seraph.
A funeral is held for the boy who died the day the ALC rescued Benji from the Angel squad. Benji tries to reach out to the dead boy's partner to comfort them, but they get into a fight instead. Benji realizes Seraph is taking control more, altering his brain chemicals and making him more aggressive and angry.
Benji sneaks out of the ALC to try and find a Grace to hone his Seraph ability so he can keep control of himself better and feel more useful. Nick follows him and confronts him; Benji explains his intention. They find a Grace, Benji communicates with it, and Nick allows him to join the Watch, the group that leaves the ALC to keep an eye out for Angels.
It's revealed that Nick is thinking of and referring to Benji as an it because it's easier for him to process that than thinking of Benji as a person (revealed to be because Nick was thinking of turning Benji over to the Vanguard out of desperation for supplies, and he would never betray a friend, so, simply put, Benji couldn't be a friend to him). Yeah, it's pretty shitty.
There's a Watch meeting, some squabbling because one of the members doesn't want to work with Benji after the fight after the funeral the other day.
The Watch heads out to Reformation Faith Evangelical Church, their current target. The church is full of Angels. There are also, unfortunately, children. The Watch attacks on Benji's signal, while Benji keeps the Graces in the church from hurting anyone in the Watch. Theo, Benji's fiancé, ends up being there, avoiding the slaughter, and apologizes to Benji for hurting him a few weeks ago. He wants to get back together and Benji is, uh, not wholly opposed.
Benji has visions/dreams of Seraph. He wakes up in the middle of the night with a Grace-tooth in his mouth, which he attempts to pull out. He pulls out a normal canine instead, because the Flood tricks him into thinking he has the right one.
He steals a few supplies for Theo and returns to the church to meet him. Theo apologizes some more for what he did. Theo also tells Benji the reason he got kicked out of the Angels was because his squad, Calvary, had a traitor in it who killed everyone but him, and asked him to leave with him. When Theo refused and returned the only survivor, the others declared him a failure, cut the wing tattoos from his back, and shamed him.
Nick and Benji and others meet with the Vanguard again for more supplies. A Flood infected little girl wanders towards them and Benji insists on trying to talk to her, to get her to leave before someone kills her. It's too late and she transforms into a Grace in time to be shot.
One of the other watch members tells Benji that Nick's been calling him an it. Benji confronts Nick about this. The conversation doesn't go well. Benji's right cheek splits from his mouth halfway to his ear, thanks to Flood rot. Nick apologizes for calling him an it. Benji absolutely has to wear a facemask around people, now.
Benji goes back to Reformation church to visit Theo again. They have sex, after which Theo begs Benji to stay longer, but Benji refuses.
When he returns to the ALC, it's on fire. Benji does his best to help people out of the fire and turns a Grace on a few Angels in the building. A lot of people are killed, so are all of the Angels who launched the attack.
Nick visits Benji after everyone is situated in a new building, the bank. Thinking Benji is asleep, Nick takes off his jacket and shirt- revealing wings tattooed on his back. He uses his shirt as bandages and wraps up one of Benji's arms where more Flood rot is starting to show. Benji, not asleep, realizes Nick used to be an Angel. They talk about it the next day; Nick refuses to tell Benji what squad he used to be in, just that he was stationed at New Nazareth.
The Vanguard demands 20 ears from the ALC or to wait a month before getting more supplies from them because of the fire/Angel attack. Nick thinks about giving the Vanguard Benji, but decides against it.
Benji realizes that Theo tricked and betrayed him, that he was the one who told the Angels about the ALC. He wanted Benji to stay at the church with him so he wouldn't be caught in the ALC fire and so that everyone there would die.
Benji goes out on a revenge mission, intending to kill Theo. He peels the skin from his own arms and also discovers new teeth in his mouth. His tongue changes and his mouth splits all the way to his ears. He stumbles across a squad of Angels on the way to the church. Nick follows him and helps him kill the Angels, then Benji turns on him. Benji does not rip Nick's throat out and instead comes back to his senses.
The two of them go back to the bank where Nick helps Benji get cleaned up and bandaged and presentable. Afterward, they work on making a few bead lizards together (Nick is autistic and the lizards are how he deals with over-stimulation).
Benji tells Erin and Nick the whole truth, blaming himself for the Angel attack on the ALC. They're understandably upset, but all agree Theo is behind what happened. Nick comes up with a plan; give Benji over to the Angels and have them take him back to New Nazareth, where Benji will turn the Graces on the people there and the ALC will help break him out again.
Benji turns down an offer of having wine (he's never had any sort of alcohol and doesn't want to start). In exchange for the wine, Nick gives Benji the trans bead lizard he made the other night. Benji admits he likes Nick, Nick is worried about hurting him because he can't tell when he likes someone. They agree they can talk about all of this when the plan is done and over and Benji's back at the ALC/bank.
Benji reveals the truth about him to everyone left from the ALC, exposing his face and telling them about Seraph. It goes surprisingly well, with much support from the others.
Before Benji leaves, Nick gives him a piece of paper but makes him promise not to read it right away.
Benji goes to Reformation church, lying to Theo that the ALC found out about him and cast him out. Theo and the squad of Angels with him take Benji back to New Nazareth. People there treat Benji like a saint, like their savior.
In an agonizing turn of events, Benji is deadnamed by his mother. She also forces him to wear a dress to the church service held in his honor. Benji has a panic attack during the service.
That night, Benji reads the note Nick gave him. It says simply 'Squad Calvary'. Which means Nick was the Angel who went rogue in Theo's squad, who spared only him.
The next day is Benji's absolution, which takes place by the river surrounding New Nazareth. A Reverend cuts Benji's back and face, then, on Benji's mother's encouragement, stabs Benji in the hand. That seems to be the tipping point to Seraph's final transformation starting. People are injured, transformed into Graces, and wings burst from Benji's back.
The plan at its current time fails. Benji is unable to order the Graces to turn on their handlers and the other Angels. Rescue is not coming.
Benji is locked in the lab in New Nazareth, in an observation room. His transformation into the horrible monster that is Seraph continues. Sister Kipling, the woman who created the Flood virus, admits she's a heretic and believes they're all going to Hell for the sins they've committed against humanity. She wants Benji to kill her but he refuses.
Theo and Benji's mother are proud of him. Only now that he's a monster. This is all incredibly fucked up.
Benji gives a little Grace the trans bead lizard and tells Sister Kipling to get it out of New Nazareth so it can reach Nick and let the ALC know Benji is still alive. She complies.
Theo is reinstated as a death squad Angel. The Angelic Movement actually tries to marry Benji and Theo before intending to unleash Benji on Acheson. Benji refuses.
The Watch shows up and starts picking off Angels. Benji turns the Graces against the Angels, as well, and awakens the Flood in the Angels, turning some into Graces and killing others. Theo shoots Sister Kipling, figuring out she was a heretic. He confronts Benji and injects himself with a failed strain of Seraph--Dominion. Dominion is beyond Seraph's control and pulls control of the other Graces away from Benji.
Nick realizes that he adores Benji deeply. Benji and Theo fight. A Grace attacks Nick and deeply wounds his leg. Nick starts to be affected by Dominion pulling the dormant Flood out of people, since he used to be an Angel. He attempts to reach out to Benji with the connection Seraph shares with Graces.
Benji and Theo fight in some sort of vision, as humans. Theo genuinely doesn't think he and the others in the Angelic Movement are the bad guys. Benji realizes he has the knife Nick gave him and uses it against Theo. Conquering Theo in the vision gives Benji an upper hand for real, and he gives Nick the chance he needs for a shot to kill Theo.
The Watch and Benji return to the ALC after Benji deals with the dead at New Nazareth. He creates a new little Grace out of Theo's corpse, gives it his engagement ring, and sets it free. The Grace chooses to stay with him.
Benji goes to see Nick. Nick has survived his wounds, but has a wound down his entire face from when Theo tried to awaken the Flood in him. Teeth are growing out of his cheek. Despite what they've been through and what they've both become, they embrace.
Pre-Book History:
The Angelic movement is founded in 2025 and is self-described as an interdenominational Protestant movement. Critics describe them as a Christian terrorist group.
The Angelic Movement, a cult of religious fanatics believing the world's population needs to repent and be culled, unleashed the Flood virus on the world on the day that would come to be known as Judgment Day (by the Angelic Movement) or That Day (by the ALC). The Flood virus was created by Sister Kipling, one of the cultists. The virus was released onto the world populace by missionaries who allowed themselves to be infected to spread it to everyone else. Those that weren't outright killed by the Flood lived to become Graces (called abominations by those outside of the Angelic Movement), horrible twisted monsters. Billions of people died that day.
Sister Kipling went on to create Seraph, a special strain of the Flood meant to turn its host into a perfect monster, retaining enough sense of self to control the other Graces and turn them on surviving nonbelievers.
The Flood kills or changes people in days or even hours. Seraph's changes take a few weeks.
The Angelic movement formed death squads comprised of Angels, men who took a taste of the Flood at their initiation and had wings tattooed onto their backs. These squads were sent out to slaughter any surviving nonbelievers, using Graces to help them achieve this because Graces can be taught basic commands and 'handled' like wild animals.
Benji's mother took the family to New Nazareth when Benji was eleven, when the High Reverend Father put out the Cloister Order. Benji was pulled out of sixth grade.
Benji became engaged when he was fifteen, after his mother caught him having sex with his boyfriend. It was either get engaged or be disowned and punished horrifically, basically.
Book History:
Benji and his dad attempt to run from New Nazareth (in Acheson, Pennsylvania), prompting a squad of Angels to chase them down. Benji's dad cuts his hair for him and is later killed in front of him by the Angels. Benji's path to freedom is blocked by a Grace. Instead of using his Seraph ability to control the Grace and turn it against the Angels, because his dad told him to both be good and to make the Angels suffer (and Benji is choosing to be good right now), he surrenders and allows himself to be captured.
On the way to Reformation Faith Evangelical Church, the Angel squad is ambushed by what turns out to be a group of young people from Acheson's LGBTQ+ Center, ALC for short. Benji is rescued specifically by a boy named Nick. He knows who and what Benji is, but keeps it a secret between him and Erin. Erin is like- his co-leader. Anyway, Benji passes out on the way to ALC and wakes up in an office room. He has a brief conversation with Salvador, a trans person, who then fetches Nick and Erin to talk to Benji.
Nick shows Benji an official announcement stolen from the Angels declaring Benji (by his deadname) the true Seraph. He and Erin offer to either get Benji out of Acheson and away from the Angels or to let him stay and join them. Benji opts to join them. Nick gives him a pocketknife. Erin shows Benji around the ALC and to his 'room', where Benji passes out again for some hardcore sleep.
Benji is offered coffee, which he's never had before (he doesn't like it).
Nick takes Benji with him to meet the Vanguard, a group of middle-aged folks who can't even wear their facemasks correctly (facemasks are worn to protect against the Flood getting in your mouth or nose). Benji notes, for the second time now, that Nick is attractive and the fact Benji is engaged to a boy named Theo does not stop him from admiring Nick.
Basically, the ALC kills Angels and trades their left ears to the Vanguard because the Vanguard, full grown adults, are too big of cowards to do it themselves. In exchange, the Vanguard gives the ALC supplies like food, water, clothes, and bandages from places like their doomsday prepper basements and shelters/bunkers.
Of note is the fact that throughout the events of the novel, Benji is periodically throwing up literal bits of his insides thanks to Seraph.
A funeral is held for the boy who died the day the ALC rescued Benji from the Angel squad. Benji tries to reach out to the dead boy's partner to comfort them, but they get into a fight instead. Benji realizes Seraph is taking control more, altering his brain chemicals and making him more aggressive and angry.
Benji sneaks out of the ALC to try and find a Grace to hone his Seraph ability so he can keep control of himself better and feel more useful. Nick follows him and confronts him; Benji explains his intention. They find a Grace, Benji communicates with it, and Nick allows him to join the Watch, the group that leaves the ALC to keep an eye out for Angels.
It's revealed that Nick is thinking of and referring to Benji as an it because it's easier for him to process that than thinking of Benji as a person (revealed to be because Nick was thinking of turning Benji over to the Vanguard out of desperation for supplies, and he would never betray a friend, so, simply put, Benji couldn't be a friend to him). Yeah, it's pretty shitty.
There's a Watch meeting, some squabbling because one of the members doesn't want to work with Benji after the fight after the funeral the other day.
The Watch heads out to Reformation Faith Evangelical Church, their current target. The church is full of Angels. There are also, unfortunately, children. The Watch attacks on Benji's signal, while Benji keeps the Graces in the church from hurting anyone in the Watch. Theo, Benji's fiancé, ends up being there, avoiding the slaughter, and apologizes to Benji for hurting him a few weeks ago. He wants to get back together and Benji is, uh, not wholly opposed.
Benji has visions/dreams of Seraph. He wakes up in the middle of the night with a Grace-tooth in his mouth, which he attempts to pull out. He pulls out a normal canine instead, because the Flood tricks him into thinking he has the right one.
He steals a few supplies for Theo and returns to the church to meet him. Theo apologizes some more for what he did. Theo also tells Benji the reason he got kicked out of the Angels was because his squad, Calvary, had a traitor in it who killed everyone but him, and asked him to leave with him. When Theo refused and returned the only survivor, the others declared him a failure, cut the wing tattoos from his back, and shamed him.
Nick and Benji and others meet with the Vanguard again for more supplies. A Flood infected little girl wanders towards them and Benji insists on trying to talk to her, to get her to leave before someone kills her. It's too late and she transforms into a Grace in time to be shot.
One of the other watch members tells Benji that Nick's been calling him an it. Benji confronts Nick about this. The conversation doesn't go well. Benji's right cheek splits from his mouth halfway to his ear, thanks to Flood rot. Nick apologizes for calling him an it. Benji absolutely has to wear a facemask around people, now.
Benji goes back to Reformation church to visit Theo again. They have sex, after which Theo begs Benji to stay longer, but Benji refuses.
When he returns to the ALC, it's on fire. Benji does his best to help people out of the fire and turns a Grace on a few Angels in the building. A lot of people are killed, so are all of the Angels who launched the attack.
Nick visits Benji after everyone is situated in a new building, the bank. Thinking Benji is asleep, Nick takes off his jacket and shirt- revealing wings tattooed on his back. He uses his shirt as bandages and wraps up one of Benji's arms where more Flood rot is starting to show. Benji, not asleep, realizes Nick used to be an Angel. They talk about it the next day; Nick refuses to tell Benji what squad he used to be in, just that he was stationed at New Nazareth.
The Vanguard demands 20 ears from the ALC or to wait a month before getting more supplies from them because of the fire/Angel attack. Nick thinks about giving the Vanguard Benji, but decides against it.
Benji realizes that Theo tricked and betrayed him, that he was the one who told the Angels about the ALC. He wanted Benji to stay at the church with him so he wouldn't be caught in the ALC fire and so that everyone there would die.
Benji goes out on a revenge mission, intending to kill Theo. He peels the skin from his own arms and also discovers new teeth in his mouth. His tongue changes and his mouth splits all the way to his ears. He stumbles across a squad of Angels on the way to the church. Nick follows him and helps him kill the Angels, then Benji turns on him. Benji does not rip Nick's throat out and instead comes back to his senses.
The two of them go back to the bank where Nick helps Benji get cleaned up and bandaged and presentable. Afterward, they work on making a few bead lizards together (Nick is autistic and the lizards are how he deals with over-stimulation).
Benji tells Erin and Nick the whole truth, blaming himself for the Angel attack on the ALC. They're understandably upset, but all agree Theo is behind what happened. Nick comes up with a plan; give Benji over to the Angels and have them take him back to New Nazareth, where Benji will turn the Graces on the people there and the ALC will help break him out again.
Benji turns down an offer of having wine (he's never had any sort of alcohol and doesn't want to start). In exchange for the wine, Nick gives Benji the trans bead lizard he made the other night. Benji admits he likes Nick, Nick is worried about hurting him because he can't tell when he likes someone. They agree they can talk about all of this when the plan is done and over and Benji's back at the ALC/bank.
Benji reveals the truth about him to everyone left from the ALC, exposing his face and telling them about Seraph. It goes surprisingly well, with much support from the others.
Before Benji leaves, Nick gives him a piece of paper but makes him promise not to read it right away.
Benji goes to Reformation church, lying to Theo that the ALC found out about him and cast him out. Theo and the squad of Angels with him take Benji back to New Nazareth. People there treat Benji like a saint, like their savior.
In an agonizing turn of events, Benji is deadnamed by his mother. She also forces him to wear a dress to the church service held in his honor. Benji has a panic attack during the service.
That night, Benji reads the note Nick gave him. It says simply 'Squad Calvary'. Which means Nick was the Angel who went rogue in Theo's squad, who spared only him.
The next day is Benji's absolution, which takes place by the river surrounding New Nazareth. A Reverend cuts Benji's back and face, then, on Benji's mother's encouragement, stabs Benji in the hand. That seems to be the tipping point to Seraph's final transformation starting. People are injured, transformed into Graces, and wings burst from Benji's back.
The plan at its current time fails. Benji is unable to order the Graces to turn on their handlers and the other Angels. Rescue is not coming.
Benji is locked in the lab in New Nazareth, in an observation room. His transformation into the horrible monster that is Seraph continues. Sister Kipling, the woman who created the Flood virus, admits she's a heretic and believes they're all going to Hell for the sins they've committed against humanity. She wants Benji to kill her but he refuses.
Theo and Benji's mother are proud of him. Only now that he's a monster. This is all incredibly fucked up.
Benji gives a little Grace the trans bead lizard and tells Sister Kipling to get it out of New Nazareth so it can reach Nick and let the ALC know Benji is still alive. She complies.
Theo is reinstated as a death squad Angel. The Angelic Movement actually tries to marry Benji and Theo before intending to unleash Benji on Acheson. Benji refuses.
The Watch shows up and starts picking off Angels. Benji turns the Graces against the Angels, as well, and awakens the Flood in the Angels, turning some into Graces and killing others. Theo shoots Sister Kipling, figuring out she was a heretic. He confronts Benji and injects himself with a failed strain of Seraph--Dominion. Dominion is beyond Seraph's control and pulls control of the other Graces away from Benji.
Nick realizes that he adores Benji deeply. Benji and Theo fight. A Grace attacks Nick and deeply wounds his leg. Nick starts to be affected by Dominion pulling the dormant Flood out of people, since he used to be an Angel. He attempts to reach out to Benji with the connection Seraph shares with Graces.
Benji and Theo fight in some sort of vision, as humans. Theo genuinely doesn't think he and the others in the Angelic Movement are the bad guys. Benji realizes he has the knife Nick gave him and uses it against Theo. Conquering Theo in the vision gives Benji an upper hand for real, and he gives Nick the chance he needs for a shot to kill Theo.
The Watch and Benji return to the ALC after Benji deals with the dead at New Nazareth. He creates a new little Grace out of Theo's corpse, gives it his engagement ring, and sets it free. The Grace chooses to stay with him.
Benji goes to see Nick. Nick has survived his wounds, but has a wound down his entire face from when Theo tried to awaken the Flood in him. Teeth are growing out of his cheek. Despite what they've been through and what they've both become, they embrace.