#Or technically... the rest of the legion.....

[taryn40k]

Well... you see, uh........

[sciencebecameouraddiction]

it all fell down

part two: icarus rises

ratings: M (talk of war, rebellion, death and destruction, bleeding, wounds, lots of curse words, etc etc.)

summary: after adam died in the first extermination, lute calls for more frequent exterminations, rallying heaven’s population into believing that hell is a threatening force. once she succeeds, the legion of angels can come down to hell every 6 months, the only difference, charlie and lucifer aren’t safe any more. with their backs against the wall, rebellion is the only option but what happens when heaven pulls their final ace in their sleeve?

part one

previously: i try and smile at him but he smiles back at me, so genuine as if to say don’t worry. his eyes close and charlie screams out. my head falls to his as i press a kiss to his forehead. “goodbye, my love.”

moments later we hear the pants and running of a group of people and i quickly lay lucifer down and get in front of his body and charlie, ready to protect them. when suddenly angel appears, looking at the wreckage and then his eyes widening. 

“no.” he says, as husk is just silent. cherri gasps and holds onto angel as nifty runs up to charlie, holding her arm. angel’s eyes widen as he looks at lucifer closer.

“he’s not dead! he’s still breathing!” angel exclaims, running up and looking at lucifer. i move over to his body and look at angel shaking my head. “give him this!” angel says thrusting the bottle i had given him earlier into my hand. 

“angel, he’s not…” husk starts and is promptly cut off.

“no! he is. check!” angel exclaims pointing at lucifer. i sigh and as i bend down, i’m not sure why i check. i had been so sure a few moments ago that my precious morningstar was dead, gone to the world. maybe it was hope, a fools hope that i still held onto from my time in heaven. maybe it was for charlie, who i wasn’t sure if she could go on after loosing both her parents. one of whom she technically killed. or maybe this was for me, because i didn’t know who i would be or what i would be with him gone.

i reached down and felt his wrist, my eyes widening as i felt a very faint thrumming. i moved my head to his mouth and nose, placing my ear close and i could hear breathing, so faint but there. my eyes widened as i propped him up.

“charlie, help me open his mouth, hurry.” i asked. she froze looking at me like i was deranged. husk stepped in quickly and opened his mouth, i poured the rest of the golden liquid into his mouth, threw the bottle off when the last drop went it and helped lean his head back so that he could swallow it. i watched him with baited breath looking everywhere for any sign it worked. 

it took a few moments but i first saw his cheeks have some color return to them. his pallor generally getting better and i quickly lifted up his shirt, watching the wound start to stitch itself together. i started crying again.

“thank you, angel. oh my god. it worked.” i looked at charlie. “it worked.” she looked at me, disbelief in her eyes.

“he’s going to be okay?” she asked.

“i think so. i think so, charlie.” i cried and she hugged me tight. “but we need to get out of here. do you think rosie would mind us staying in cannibal town?” i asked.

“i-i don’t think so.” she said, shaking her head and clutching vaggie.

“then let’s get over there. husk, grab alastor, he’s over there. do not let him out of the ropes either.” my tone a bit commanding as i picked up lucifer and started to make our way to cannibal town. 

____________

once there, we got lucifer set up on a bed. that was the first thing i asked as rosie took in our battered group. alastor out cold and tied up and the king of hell in my arms, was a sight on her doorstep. from there, i told them alastor needed to be set in a chair and for vaggie to watch him. not to do anything, but to watch him. she nodded as charlie sat with her dad and husk, angel, nifty and cherri went off to get new clothes for all of us. 

after setting lucifer up, and making sure charlie was okay, i walked back down stairs and saw that alastor was awake and quiet. which a part of me was grateful for. i ignored him for the time being and went over to rosie.

“i’ve never seen ‘im this quiet.” rosie quipped looking at him. she pointed to some tea on the table and i quickly drank it, suddenly more thirsty than i thought. 

“thank you for helping us.” i murmur to rosie. “im not sure what deal he had or what he did, but lilith owned his soul, with her gone, he’s in full ownership but i don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing.” rosie nodded and looked at me as i started to open my mouth to apologize, knowing this was her friend.

“don’t you dare start apologizing. you just helped save us all. and whatever alastor did over there, he can handle himself. of course i worry about him, i care about him, but again, he can handle himself.” she said as she gave me a push over to vaggie and alastor. as i walked over both their eyes met mine. i kneeled in front of alastor, looking him in his eyes.

“will you answer my questions?” i ask and watch as he nods. 

“honestly?” i ask again.

“i can make a deal that i will if that’s what you want.” alastor speaks for the first time, his voice a little hoarse and the radio effect no where to be found. 

“okay. i set the terms though.” i say, “you tell me the full, complete truth, not withholding any information, to me and whoever can hear you in this room. in return i owe you nothing.” i say my hand held out, i look to rosie to see if she approves and she nods. he sighs and shakes my hand, green glowing around us and then fading.

“lilith owned your soul?” i ask, starting basic to ensure the deal was at play.

“yes, she owned my soul.” he responded easily.

“why did you make a deal with her?” my inquiry falls after i sit myself on the floor in front of him. 

“i wanted power. she wanted a scapegoat at the hotel.” he sneered.

“scapegoat, what do you mean?” i ask.

“she had plans to take lucifer out seven years ago. originally her plan was to take him out, become the ruler of hell, take the rest of hell out in its entirety, all so she could live her life of paradise in heaven.” vaggie gasped hearing alastor.

“she was going to kill charlie?” she asked, her face contorted in to disgust and shock. alastor didn’t answer her.

“was she going to kill charlie, alastor?” i ask him and he nods. 

“he can only answer my questions right now i think. but i’ll repeat yours.” i say looking at vaggie who nods. rosie looks more distraught than she did before. “why did you enter into this contract?”

“for power. i wanted unimaginable power. i wanted to rule hell, and then take down heaven. i thought that there might’ve been a way to twist the contract i made with her in my favor but it was sealed. the terms too absolute.” he added on, as i nodded.

“why did you come to the hotel? you also said she needed a scapegoat. why?” my head tilting to the side, trying to understand.

“she wanted me to keep an eye on charlie, know the progress of the hotel. she was livid when lucifer came out of hiding and actually started helping charlie with her cause.” he shook his head as if remembering a bad memory. “she needed a scapegoat as she was going to destroy the hotel and lucifer and charlie. she couldn’t come down to rule if all of hell knew she had killed their leaders, especially because of the sins and their relationships with lucifer. so, i was to be the scapegoat to have, supposedly, torn down the hotel, killed them both and then she would kill me.” rosie gasped as her teacup shattered hitting the ground.

“alastor… what?” she cried, her face horrified.

“which in her doing all that, then there would be extra motivation to get rid of hell because it would become ‘look what this wayward sinner did, they’re a threat to us all.’ and she’d look like the savior. but all of hell would trust her as she saved them.” i finished. “is that right?”

“you’re very smart, yes.” alastor nodded and i sighed. 

“did you want to do anything she asked of you?” i asked, trying to understand what to do with the demon in front of me. his eyes widened and he looked confused.

“what do you mean?” he shot back.

“just that, did you want to do anything she asked of you or were you forced. remember, you have to tell the truth. fully and completely.” i reminded him.

“i-“ he stopped him self, almost like he was trying to hold it in, not wanting to say the truth. “no. i didn’t. at first i did.” the man in front of me just looked tired at this point. “i wanted the power she promised, but i soon learned her actual plans and of course i didn’t want to go along with that. i don’t want to die. but then i realized that i had grown to… care for the patrons of the hotel. but there was nothing i could do, and i wasn’t able to speak about it either.” alastor looked sick at his own confession. 

“okay. okay. i won’t have you confess to any more feelings big guy.” i rolled my eyes, relaxing at his explanation. inherent evil, i wasn’t too sure how to deal with, but someone who had found the power of friendship, we could deal with that. i stood up and offered my hand to him again, he went to take it and i withdrew, stopping him. i brought my hand back out and explained.

“i’m making a deal with you. this is a deal for your soul. consider it probation. i’m not restricting your powers, but you may not act, create a deal or any other thing that would harm, hurt, cause danger or possibly kill any of the patrons of the hotel, the staff, charlie, vaggie, lucifer, myself or rosie. you need to stop with the power grabbing shit and be content with trying to be the top dog of the sinners in the pride ring okay? i can restrict, revoke or give you more power at any time i see fit. in addition, i can change the terms of this contract as i see fit at anytime, with or without your approval. you are to continue your work at the hotel, and none of your riff raff little friends like mimzy are allowed unless they are seeking redemption. do we have a deal alastor?” i reach my hand toward him. he growls.

“i’ll be on another leash?” he asks.

“for a while. be a good dog and i might let you off sometime.” i smile and he rolls his eyes, shaking my hand. “good boy.” i say, grinning at him as i wave my hand and the angelic rope falls off him. 

“now i am sure you either want food and some drink or to go to the tailor, you’re free to do as you please, but i would go give rosie a hug because she went through the five stages of grief listening to you tell all of that.” alastor turned to rosie, seeing her look absolutely livid, with tears streaming down her face.

“you’re an idiot.” she says, hitting his arm as he walks up to her.

“so i’ve been told.” he easily responds, going stiff as she hugs him. i make my way upstairs and see charlie reading to her dad as vaggie and i enter. 

“alastor’s all right. he’s taken care of. we can talk later but how about you both go get something to eat and find husk and angel. nifty and cherri are with them. i’ll stay here.” i smile as charlie gets up.

“are you sure.” she asks, looking like she wants a change of clothes, food and a good bath.

“positive. bring me back something that’s not pinky fingers” i joke with her. she smiles and starts to leave but turns back at the last minute and runs up to hug me. i hug her back as she looks at me.

“thank you. for saving us. for saving him.” she says.

“it was really angel on your dad there, but anytime love. now go. we’re fine here.” i smile as her and vaggie rush off. i collapse on the edge of the bed, grabbing lucifer’s hand as the weight of everything finally hits me. i turn my body and rest my head against his chest, feeling the hot tears in my eyes and the lump in my throat as i clutch him to me. the sobs wrecking my body as i look at him, like he was peacefully sleeping. all i could think was that i almost lost him. i almost lost him. i almost lost him. he nearly died. he died. he was gone… my mind started spiraling as the panic and emotions i had to push aside all welled up. until i felt a hand on my head. my thoughts stopped with a screeching halt. i slowly looked up and saw the black claws i knew so well, resting on the side of my face now. i followed the arm up to his face, his eyes were just barely open and he had a gentle smile on his lips. i cried looking at him, holding his hand in mine and nuzzling my face into his touch. 

“you’re awake.” i croak and he nods. his other hand pats his throat and my eyes widen as i realize he needs water. i look at the end table and see water there with a straw, i help him drink some, very slowly easing into it. “don’t gulp it, i know you want to though.” he clutched my hands as i held the cup. he finally sat back  and sighed.

“how do you feel?” i asked, my hand resting on his thigh and my other hand in his. 

“like i got impaled by my ex-wife.” he said, deadpanning looking at me. i smile and shake my head. “just tired honestly. i think my body has healed most of my injuries.” 

my head nods and as i reach up to his face, caressing his cheek and rubbing gently across his cheek bone.  he rests his head in my hand. 

“what about you? are you okay?” he asks, seeing i still had on what i wore in the battle. 

“i think i’m fine. i haven’t gotten changed or checked any injuries. had some other stuff to take care of. but there’s nothing you need to worry about. everything is all right.” i explain, knowing he was about to ask.

“where’s charlie?” he looked around the room. 

“she and vaggie met up with husk, angel, cherri and nifty. they’re finding clothes and food, since we’re in cannibal town.” he nods and looks around. 

“what about alastor?” a dark shadow crosses his face.

“he’s taken care of. he’s alive and he doesn’t want to hurt the hotel or us.” i explain not wanting to get too far into it as he just woke up.

“where’s lilith?” lucifer asks, looking at me, his eyes swimming with emotion.

“i-she’s… gone.” i try to say. 

“what does that mean?” his eyes narrowing at me.

“she’s dead, lucifer.” i tell him as his eyes widen. 

“who… did you?” he asks and i shake my head. 

“charlie…” i didn’t finish the sentence as lucifer looked at me in shock. 

“no. not charlie.” he cried, tears rolling down his face.

“i was close to you and the minute everything happened she went off in a fit of rage. she’s pretty distraught over it. thinks you’ll be upset. i told her you wouldn’t be angry at her, but i don’t think she believes me.” i explain more as lucifer cries harder. 

“i never wanted this for her. she’s-she’s my duckling. i was supposed to protect her.” he cries, his head hiding in my shoulder. 

“you did though. you fought for her and her dream. you did that.” i clutch him to me. “you’ve done well sunshine.” he cries harder hearing me call him sunshine and i just hold him.

—————————-

hours later feet bound up the stairs, the loud noises were prefaced by a gasp and the sound of glass breaking. lucifer and i, sitting next to each other on the bed, as i was reading the book that charlie was before she left, look up and see charlie in the door way. her clothes changed and hair freshly washed. tears streaming down her face as she launched her self at lucifer. 

“dad!” she cried. i slide off the bed as charlie wrapped herself around lucifer. my smile is soft. 

“oh charlie.” he cried, waterworks opening again. 

“i’m so so sorry dad. i-i-i” charlie started to hyperventilate and lucifer brushed her hair away from her face.

“you have nothing to be sorry about. nothing.” he told her fiercely. “i am so proud of you. it’s all right.” he said as she cried harder and nestled on his chest. i looked at vaggie and then at lucifer, motioning between vaggie and yourself and then to the door, communicating you both would be leaving. he nods and mouths ‘thank you’ as i nod and vaggie and i leave, shutting the door to give them privacy. we get downstairs and the rest of the crew comes up to us.

“i gotchu a change of clothes.” angel says.

“some good food.” husk adds.

“all the things you need to smell good!” nifty exclaims.

“and i was told to give this to you as you like this shit?” cherri asks, handing me some apple wine. i laugh for the first time today.

“thank you so much. all of you. the apple wine is more of a lucifer thing, so i will hide this until he’s given the all clear to drink other fluids.” they all go back to eating, vaggie joining them and actually laughing and joking along with them, in her own way. i walk over to rosie and alastor.

“i just wanted to check that you both were okay.” i say walking up to them.

“right as rain, darling!” alastor says, the radio effect back and a new suit on his frame.

“we’re fine, darling. you go wash up now.” rosie says and i nod, walking off to the bathroom and getting rid of the war torn clothes adorning my body, washing off all the grim on my body and bandaging myself up quickly before padding back out. i see charlie coming down, a smile on her face as she walks up to me and hugs me tightly.

“thank you.” she whispers.

“of course.” i reply easily.

“dad wants to see you, says you should be done washing up by now.” she laughs.

“he somehow always knows.” i shake my head. “he’s like santa clause.” i joke, charlie’s face looking confused. “we can talk about santa later. your friends want you.” i say as the whole crew is looking expectantly at charlie, not wanting to explain santa right now. she nods and dashes off to them, a smile on her face as she hugs vaggie and starts talking to them. i sigh and walk back up stairs and see lucifer waiting.

“did i keep you too long?” i ask sliding into the bed next to him.

“i’d wait an eternity for you and it still wouldn’t be too long, as long as i was promised to hold you again.” lucifer smirks, as i feel my face burn with blush. i shake my head and laugh. “you bandaged yourself up?” he asks.

“the others tended to themselves and they didn’t need another person to tend to. i’m fine.” i respond. he sighs. 

“next time, i’ll be bandaging you up. can’t have you doing that yourself.” he says, shaking his head. i laugh.

“i can’t believe we made it. we made it out the other side luce.” i say, holding his hand in mine. 

“marry me.” he says, his eyes meeting mine. my eyes widen at his request. 

“what?” i ask, my breath gone.

“marry me.” lucifer pleads, his hand coming up to caress my cheek. “almost loosing you and charlie has made me rethink a lot. i don’t want to waste anymore time. marry me, please?” he asks again.

“yes. of course i will!” i cry as i lean in to kiss him. he holds my body to him as i pull away for air.

“mrs. morningstar has a beautiful ring doesn’t it?” lucifer asks. 

“it does, but that doesn’t matter as long as i’m with you.” my head falling to his chest as he chuckled. feeling the vibrations of his laugh and the warmth of his arms, i allowed myself to finally relax. everything had turned out all right and everything would be all right. 

part one

[wispythreads]

The Lair of the Shadowbroker DLC definitely earned its fan praise, in my opinion. This feels like Mass Effect 1 level of artistry and level design, I love it.

There were like, way too many enemies, and I still don't really feel great about how they changed Liara in just a two year time gap between the games, but I appreciate the way this DLC handled it, it made an effort that resulted in her feeling more like how she felt in the first game.

The scene after Tela got revealed as the one who had been trying to murder Liara at the start of all this was rough, Shepard and her slipping off the window ledge, falling together, slowed down only by Tela's biotics until she shoves Shepard the rest of the way to the ground, while she gets to gently float down to make her escape. That impact looked like it HURT, especially with how much effort she had to put into getting back up again.

Shepard honestly sounded so grumpy and dejected as she said "I'm okay, by the way, thanks for asking." before hopping into the car with Liara.

And speaking of the car, I loved the banter between Liara and Shepard the whole way through, but particularly during the car chase, which was really fun! "Head on Collision!" - Liara "I hear that's bad for people." - Shepard. All the little bits of back and forth were so great to listen to, wouldn't mind replaying just for that bit of the DLC alone.

The actual Lair itself was so so so pretty.

The boss fight against the Shadowbroker is probably my favorite across all all of Mass Effect 1 and 2? Especially with the cutscenes where Shepard realizes ah ok ammo won't do anything that's fine I'll just punch him

Really cool alien design too.

Mini thoughts from snooping on my squadmates dossiers below.

Straight up chortling over Mordin and Kirrahe's bickering and how it is preserved in their mission report He really should've realized something was going to be up on Maelon's end... Nice of them to try and shelter him from any repercussions for his outburst, but he needed followed up on much sooner than when Mordin thought he'd been kidnapped. The list of threat analysis against all the other main species holy- not surprising, honestly, based on what is known about Salarians, but still pretty interesting ... So not only is he a musical enthusiast in his spare time but also a Bill Nye the Science Guy type? That's neat. Good for him.

I hope we get to reunite Jack with her mom. That would be nice.

LEGION IS A GAMER I love this little cluster of AI so much. He has so many infractions on that online game that technically are true due to the fact that he's. Not an organic being. But the only one that sticks is him taunting other players- that's so silly aww… he bought the highest (and most likely most expensive) version of a game that was fundraising for the events of Eden Prime, just for the fundraiser. He did not play that game at all. He even tried a dating simulator oh my gosh. I don't think he's hopeless =( what a mean ranking for a dating sim. He's spent so much time on it, too… (not as much as the other games, but still a significant time investment my gosh)

ahhh this is where Grunt's fanon characterization of being Shepard's son starts coming in. I do think the main game version of him and his relationship with Shepard, a paragon!Shepard at that, is interesting, but it wasn't lining up with what I was seeing online. (and by main game version I mean the transition of [Talking about how great it is we've got so many strong enemies to fight against] "I don't plan on living like this forever" "Talk like that and it won't be your choice. I'm sure as hell not quitting with a whimper. Just so you're clear where we stand." [Hyper aggressive and enjoying memories of gruesome kills] "I'm not sure I want to keep coming down for these talks..." "Whatever. Don't have to be friends to be allies." [Still hyper aggressive and enjoying memories of gruesome kills] "Y'know, I kind of thought connecting with your past would bring stability." "Ha! See, now we're having fun. Me remembering good deaths, and you with your... funny human thing you're doing.") I think there is something very sweet about him being enamored with dinosaurs and looking up to Shepard so much that he wants to know about the whole of Humanity's history as warriors :')

The transmission between Samara and her daughters... all the things she had to give up in order to become a Justicar...

!!! THANE GET THE LUNG TRANSPLANT YOU HAVE A SON YOU NEED TO CONNECT WITH AND I CARE ABOUT YOU SO MUCH DON'T JUST GIVE UP AND DIE IN A YEAR!! LIVE! LIVE AS A PERSON AND NOT A WEAPON!! I love how his kill methods are so elaborate and the alternate methods are equally intricate, with the Krogan's main method understandably being the most involved and calculated. And then you get to their alternate method and it's just one word. It gives this impression of hands to his head exhausted and resigned.

... Garrus's family… his mom…. god that's hitting a little too close to my heart....

[angel-gidget]

Gidge's Guide to Amethyst

I did one of these a while back, but with reeaallly low-quality images. These days, there’s more Amethyst stuff out there, and that’s worth an update in its own right.

Amy’s first appearance was technically in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 which featured a “pull-out preview comic” to entice people into picking up the maxi-series. I’ve yet to get my mitts on it to confirm if it’s just sample art from the maxi-series, or has dialogue/art never seen anywhere else. Regardless, your best starting point is probably gonna be…

I. 1980’s 12-issue Maxi-Series (+ follow-up Annual)

High jump-through-portal fantasy. Fantastic creatures, creepy villains, magical royalty, intricate world building that explains some things and lets your brain fill in the gaps for others, and consistently gorgeous art. Can’t recommend enough.

The annual shown takes place after the maxi-series and sets the stage for the ongoing series that follows.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page DC’s Showcase via Amazon or Abe Books (Note: no color art for showcase, only black & white)

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 💎

II. 1980’s 16-issue Ongoing Series (+ follow-up Annual)

While there is a lot of fantastic stuff going on with the ongoing series, it is more of a mixed bag.

While I am forever in love with cover of issue #11, I remember turning to page 1 and wondering what the heck happened to the inside art. It’s not bad, really. It just doesn’t meet the high bar of the covers (or earlier interiors). Looking back, I realized the art was getting less detailed well before that, but my reading was all over the place as a kid bc I’d just read whatever issues I could find.

This here, at issue #12, is actually a good place to stop. By which I mean, the next 4 issues + special reek of grimdark edge-lord bs that doesn’t even make sense without reading Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, if you wish to proceed…

The final issue of the ongoing is technically a cliffhanger, and the Special grants the writers the extra pages they need to finish wrapping up their whole Lords of Order & Chaos/Dr. Fate tie-in.

After this, someone in DC editorial raised their pencil and went “Hey! What if we made the Gemworld the origin for one of our Legion of Super-Heroes villains?” And thus…

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page DC’s Showcase via Amazon or Abe Books (Note: no color art for showcase, only black & white) (Also note: Showcase contains both Maxi and Ongoing series)

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. ⚔️

III. 1980’s 4-issue Mini-Series

This thing is all kinds of whack, but it is gorgeous. I get the impression that when Kieth Giffen and Mindy Newell were assigned this sucker, they just read a summary of the OG series and winged it.

Probably not, since they technically wrote those final issues of the ongoing, but that’s how it feels. Despite this, it’s grown on me like a fungus, and the mind-blowing art by Esteban Moroto is, like, 98% of the reason why.

Amethyst is always at her weirdest when Dc is trying to tie her in with the rest of the DCU. In this case, the mini is supposed to explain how a Legion of Super-Heroes villain has origins that go back to the Gemworld. Why? Idk. But if I remember correctly, it was even part of the advertising for this series.

Get it by Patron methods: … you can’t. There are no re-prints of any kind and it’s tough to track down. If ye crave this treasure, best ye look to piracy, matey.

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 🔮

IV. 2012’s DC Nation Amethyst Cartoon Shorts

In hindsight, these may have been made as the advent of the Sword of Sorcery series, but they really were a charming sip of water after two decades of nothin’. A cute lil’ standalone series that turns the Gemworld into a video game. Amy is then, of course, sucked into it.

Fun fact: the producer, @briannedrouhard is on tumblr, and often posts art and further ideas she had for the series.

Watch it: Full Series is officially free on Youtube. 👸🏼

IV. 2013’s Sword of Sorcery: Amethyst

This New 52 eight-issue (9 included the ‘0’ issue, oy) series got my hopes up after all those years, but I gotta admit I was a bit disappointed by the completely new supporting cast. Apart from Amy herself, none of the original characters made it into the series.

It feels likely a completely different fantasy series with an “Amethyst” label slapped on it. That said, Aaron Lopresti’s art is beautiful, and this version of Amy—Amaya—eventually joined the New 52’s Justice League Dark and picked up a bit of a cult appreciation over there.

That said, I’ve had some spoilers for her time on JLDark, and the storyline is just a bit… too… dark for my tastes. So I’m quite content to see her nu52 series retconed, even though I did nearly collect all 9 issues.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 💜

V. 2019’s Wonder Comics - Young Justice: Gemworld

Remember how I said Amethyst always gets weird when she collides with the greater DCU? Yeah, forget I said that. Never mind. Most brilliant combo idea since peanut butter and jelly.

No, I’m not biased not at all bc I’m a big Young Justice fan. Nope. Ok. Maybe a lil’ bit. While the continuity here is it’s own thing, there are a lot of nods to the original Gemworld in the world-building.

Does this series fully explore the potential of all the ideas in it? Frankly, no. YJ fans complained a lot about the lack of breathing space in this series for a reason. But I’m still happy with it and happily re-reading it for the fun ideas it slaps together.

If you are reading this for the Amethyst, however, there isn’t much point in reading past issue 6, aka volume 1 of the trade. After that point, Amy stops getting much spotlight, though she remains on the team’s roster until the series’ end.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. ✨

VI. 2020’s Wonder Comics - Amethyst Miniseries

The fact that both this series and the YJ one appear under the “Wonder Comics” label is a bit misleading. They do not share any continuity at all. However, the opening splash page of the first issue references multiple events from original Amethyst continuity!

Later world-building details make it clear that this is a different version of Amy and the Gemworld, but Amy Reeder’s affection for the original series remains apparent.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 👑

VII. 2021’s Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld by Shannon & Dean Hale

This one is actually a kid-oriented graphic novel. Again, with its own continuity and world-building. I think the thing that stands out to me the most about this take is that the Hales give Amy a kid brother and make him quite relevant to the plot.

It’s pretty stand-alone and not really marketed as a comic book per se, but it is charming and the art is quite cute.

Get it by Patron methods: Graphic novel via Amazon or B&N Get it by Peasant methods: Over here.

🏰

In Summary:

“Original” Amethyst Continuity (by Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn and later Kieth Giffen & Mindy Newell ) is contained in Volumes 1-3. This is made of up the Maxi-series, Ongoing, and Mini-series from the 80's.

New52 Sword of Sorcery Continuity (by Christy Marx) is completely separate and self-contained.

Wonder Comics: Young Justice continuity (by Brian Michael-Bendis) is separate and self-contained, but has many nods to original continuity in it.

Wonder Comics: Amethyst mini-series continuity (by Amy Reeder) is mostly separate and self-contained, but implies that it shares events with the Volume 1 maxi-series.

Kid-friendly properties like Brianne Drouhard’s DC Nation shorts or Shannon and Dean Hale’s graphic novel make for fun additions, though they were not marketed as though they might tie in with any comics.

[courfeyracs-swordcane]

Full lineup of the saints! Yippee!!! All of their endings under the cut 😬

Emery, Archer, and Hymn belong to @wildfandom

Vesper and Cardinal belong to @nosongunsung11

Geram: beheaded by Tena (thought he could fix her)

Anje: stabbed by Tena (homoerotic execution style)(she saved her for last)

Beremuntena: well,

Rekah: fucked up her whole life and that of everyone she cares about being Tena’s minion. Lives out to a ripe old age with an image of Tena covered in her own blood permanently burned into the corner of her vision

Pazco: Tena bashed his head in with a rock in a moment of frustration post-executions (and that’s when it hit her that People Die When They Are Killed)

Ely: fucks off to the burned out shell of his hometown to be alone and never talk to anyone ever again after Anje died. Sainted to his city as a Living Martyr

Coranazon: executed second-last by Tena (last surviving member of his marriage)

Miri: executed first by Tena

Petry: left to govern Ely’s city after everyone more qualified died or fucked off, eventually retires to Emery’s city

Umber: having a kind of Demeter-Persephone thing going where they hang out w Nana and Petry in Emery’s city for part of the year but if they stay longer it’ll consume them

Nana: wrote smth between the universe equivalent of the Bible and a history textbook about all of this

Nella: went home and built Beromia’s city in her name

Beromia: misread the visions of her city and drowned herself to prevent them from happening

Emery: travelled up south to build their city after Archer was killed

Archer: executed by Tena

Emy: immortal and invulnerable, has been just kind of travelling around ever since

Legion: killed on the side of the road trying to bring Cardinal’s body somewhere where they could bury it

Vesper: spent the rest of their life standing watch at Cardinal and Legion’s grave. May have also exploded the pope and half the Vatican on accident

Cardinal: killed in some random fight— technically more of a skirmish or a raid than a battle

Hymn: died shortly after the kids and got brought back as the ideal of himself; questionable whether he’s even a person anymore

[moodymisty]

Hello 🌹I hope you are doing well in life. I'm so glad you're accepting requests again. In a way, I've been coming to tumblr for your blog lately✨ Sanguinius/aristocratic reader from Terra. A performance or concert on the next conquered planet. It was a long campaign, it took several primarchs to subjugate the world. And now the event is going on (they are in a separate box), the reader becomes bored and she casually invites Sanguinius to do something more interesting (🤭❤️‍🔥). He says that his brothers or sons may hear. And the reader objects that they are probably busy with something else and will not pay attention. As a result, someone heard it and was very surprised that the reader was capable of such a thing. And she calmly reacts something like “you underestimate my power”))) Something like this, you can change the conditions in any direction❤

[ 𝕸𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖞𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖞'𝖘 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 | 𝕬𝖔3 ]

Author's Note: So sorry for this taking so long first of all! This one got stuck at the bottom of my ask box and I've finally gotten to it. I hope you enjoy and that it's worth the wait!

Relationships: Sanguinius/Fem!Reader

Warnings: Some semi-public handsiness, The implication of Sanguinius drinking your blood and enjoying it

Word Count: 1046

"If I'd known this would end up so boring, I would've considered faking being sick."

Sanguinus with an ever so slight turn of his head, looks down at you from the corner of his eye and smiles.

"Then I would've had to rely on Corvus to help me negotiate. Would you not spare me such a fate?"

You jokingly reply that perhaps you would, though it's not as if he often needs it.

Sanguinius; The Great Angel, the son of the Emperor, but foremost a mutant. It hadn't been easy, making so many overlook such a glaring, unmissable detail. Even with as resplendent as he is, it is impossible to ignore the great white wings that cue into his technically mutated being.

Residents of the current Imperium have, but many planets that the Blood Angels come across have less than stellar reactions to Sanguinius on first impression.

Impressions after however, tend to fair far better.

Leaning back into the plush seat you look away from whatever display the planet is putting on- the closest word you can use for it is play- and your head tilts to rest on Sanguinius' bicep. He's no longer dawning his armor, though his sword rests right beside him, and instead is dressed up in ornate woven clothing from Baal.

In red, of course. Part of you wonders if he simply prefers to match his legion's title, or if he enjoys being a cliche.

You attempt to hold back a sigh, and instead let out a yawn and roll your eyes. If you're bored, you can't imagine how his men are feeling, having been on the battlefield not two days ago and are now here chomping at the bit.

"Why can't we return to your quarters on the Red Tear already?"

Sanguinus looks down at you as you lean against him. His smile isn't as wide as it was before, still sitting upright.

"You're lucky my brothers aren't within earshot to misconstrue your words, my love."

Though they are here. You can't find Corvus, but you do see Guilliman in his distinctive blue across the theater; Though his head is hung oddly low.

You elect not to point out to Sanguinius that he's fallen asleep.

"And how do you know that they would be misconstruing it?" You say instead, looking up towards him and failing to completely hold in a devious smirk.

Sanguinus, instead of taking the demure but seductive bait you’ve laid out for him, scolds you instead.

"You should clean that mouth of yours then, with my sons so close."

As if Sanguinius has never before said something a bit lewd. You roll your eyes and look up at him with the sweetest, softest face you can muster, head tilted to one side.

“I highly doubt they are be able to hear us in a room this soundproofed.”

You know that despite your high collared clothes that there's a mark- one of many- he's left on your neck that's still fading, and it's implication might be just the thing you need to bring him closer to you.

When your lips touch finished speaking you watch the way his eyes leave your own for a moment, darting downward.

While you know that in almost every aspect he can overpower you, outsmart you, at the end of the day he is still distinctly human.

"I think that mind of yours will be one of the few things I will never truly understand."

Sanguinus' massive size difference often times makes the simplest of things so difficult, as he presses a hand into the arm of your chair farthest away in order to lean down closer to you.

His eyes are soft, ever so slightly hooded, as his hair tickles your cheek. You had little interest in the spectacle put on for your beloved to begin with, but now that you have his complete attention it’s faded to little more than background noise.

His lips press against yours, warm- trapping your upper lip between his own. You can't help but softly moan into his mouth as you finally get what you wanted, feeling his other hand lay against your thigh.

It dances along your leg, large and covering so much of your thigh; Now it sits tantalizingly close to the apex. Your legs spread slightly to give him room that you desperately hope he'll make use of, not that you've convinced him. Your body is hot, lower stomach tight.

When he pulls away he doesn't leave for long, lips drifting across your cheek before pressing against the pulse point just below the corner of your jaw.

He can feel the way your blood pulses underneath your skin, against his lips, and his desire grows. He likes to torture himself with it, perhaps. With the sound of your heartbeat, and the though of a taste.

Sanguinus has nigh unbeatable restraint when it comes to the curse put upon him and his sons, but it doesn’t mean you haven’t convinced him to give in once or twice.

His lips brush along your neck and your hands weave into his hair, breaths becoming quicker. Sanguinus, once against the idea now presses against you harder, pushing you into the seat, his hesitance forgotten or simply abandoned.

Neither of you hear the sound of the door to the private stall opening until it is almost too late, and two of his sons spot their primarch quickly pulling away from you and leaning back upright. He looks at them, turned in his seat. Sanguinus looks as picturesque as usual apart from a slightly jostling of his hair, but you look out of breath, clothes wrinkled.

The slightly larger of the two Astartes clears his throat.

"Lord Sanguinus," The Blood Angel nearly stumbles over his words in a rare fit of discomfort.

"We should depart now. Corvus wishes to speak to you aboard the Red Tear."

The angel nods to his sons and rises, before offering you one massive hand. You gently take it, and he looks down at you and shakes his head. You know exactly what he’s thinking and you can’t help feel a bit prideful about it, even more so when he leans down just slightly to whisper to you.

"You will be my end, you know."

[lesvegas]

FNV Quest Mods That Don't Suck

I know I've made modlists before but talk of DLC-sized mods made me want to make another. Big, DLC-sized quest mods are nine times outta ten messy, poorly-made and poorly-written, feel like they should've been fo3 mods, or have numerous other qualities that are detestable to normal people with taste. I've played most of the popular ones and hate nearly all of them. Here are the ones I actually can recommend.

Note: I also highly recommend having a proper modding setup before installing any of these. Everyone and their mother has already recommended the Viva New Vegas guide before because it works and it's beginner-friendly.

Allow me to spare your dash by putting this list under a cut.

"DLC-sized" Quest Mods

Boom to the Moon - A quest where you go to the moon (yes, really) to find out what happened to a man's wife. I promise it's way better than I could possibly describe. Honestly I recommend almost all of Jokerine's mods for her attention to detail and all the cool shit she makes. This quest mod doesn't even end with the moon trip, you'll also get the best-written mod companion I've ever seen. Seriously please give this one a try if nothing else on this list.

Autumn Leaves - A murder mystery in an archival library vault inhabited by Protectrons. Story so good Bethesda stole it to make a fo4 DLC. No combat, no need for weapons or companions. WARNING: if you suck at navigating vaults like I do you may have a bad time finding stuff (there's a walkthrough in the files). Also some of the lines are a bit odd because the author's first language isn't English. Also one character is a bigot in every way possible because he's intentionally designed to be as punchable as possible. Despite all of this it's still easily one of the best quest mods I've ever experienced.

Unfortunately, making quest mods DLC-sized in general leaves ample opportunity for shit to get messy fast, so honestly your best bet for quest mods is smaller scale, vanilla-feeling mods. So while I highly recommend the above mods, I'd recommend the following ones even more for a more seamless experience.

"Vanilla-feeling" Quest Mods

The Collector - A quest given by a broker in which you collect debts from gamblers. Similar to the Atomic Wrangler quest Debt Collector.

Caravan Tournament - Do you suck at Caravan? Skill issue. Play this anyway and tell me how it feels to lose because I'm sure it's just as interesting as winning but I'm too good at Caravan to to see it for myself. If you get good you get to see a tiny Robobrain wearing a hat.

Working On The Chain Gang - A Powder Ganger Quest Mod - Okay, technically this makes a second faction of Powder Gangers that aren't affected by your reputation with the vanilla Powder Gangers (so yes, even if they hate you, you can experience this mod). These new Powder Gangers reorganize themselves into a legitimate faction that blends seamlessly into the Mojave NPC ecosystem.

The Moon Comes Over the Tower - This one is technically cut content, but that just means it's peak vanilla-feel. Restores the rest of the quest where Emily Ortal asks you to bug Mr. House's network in which you actually have to travel to places to do it.

Okay, these ones are silly, but trust me

Among Us But It's Fallout - It's a vault with a murder mystery you get to solve! Memes aside it's honestly really well done and you should try it.

The Hollander Hotel and Casino - For a quest involving a haunted hotel (no jumpscares, don't worry), this one feels a little goofy at times, especially with The Shining references and the guy outside selling nothing but 500 bottles of Sunset Sarsaparilla. But you should give it a try anyway.

Legion Quests

Haven't done a Legion run not because you don't like being a bad guy, but because the Legion route feels lacking? Try some of these.

Legion Quests Expanded - Adds more Legion quests and expands several vanilla quests.

A Golden Opportunity - Legion El Dorado Quest - A quest where the Legion goes in and shuts down the NCR's El Dorado station.

Five Card Ante - A Legion Quest Mod - A quest parallel to Three Card Bounty in which you get to eliminate the NCR's First Recon.

Yes I Would Actually - A Legion Quest Mod - You know how Bitter Springs has three quests you can do for the NCR? Well, now you can do them for the Legion instead. You can even recruit help from the Great Khans to fuck the NCR's shit up.

[the-wayward-arc]

In your AU is Pyrrha a Sister of Battle or due to her relationship with Jaune and his sons is she a Mother of Battle?

Pyrrha's title is the Matriarch, aka the mother of the legion. Her status, her battle prowess, her willingness to fight alongside the legion and even trained a good amount in her style has earned her not only respect but also loyalty. Granted her being Jaune's wife already had the loyalty but she earned the rest. Her position allows her almost the same power as Jaune, almost. She can't override any of Jaune's orders, she can't alter war plans without the approval of the Primarch, she can't order them to do anything that jeopardizes her safety among other things. But she is technically the 2nd most powerful woman on Remnant. She fights with legion up until an incident That left deeply scarred, she now learns how to properly rule the sector in Jaune's stead from Glynda Goodwitch.

[new-rome-historians-association]

you mentioned camp jupiter doesn't like rogues - how often does camp jupiter have to deal with rogues (besides the resident ambassador of pluto)? how's that go usually? were there any who hung around during Octavian's stint as praetor? have you interviewed any rogues who weren't part of the TA about the war or is that not allowed/do they not usually come close enough to camp for that?

[A recorder beeps]

Arnold: Ehem. Okay good, it didn't break since the last time I used this thing.

Arnold: From a technical point, every new person that joins the legion from outside the city, whether they be first gen demigods or children of retired legionnaires who chose to spend the rest of their lives away from camp, is counted as a rogue.

Arnold: That makes at least one fifth of the legion ex-rogue at any point. Other than that, we do not deal with rogues much, Ambassador Di Angelo not counted. Most of the time, when rogues come it's to join the 12th Legion. During the Titan war, most of the rogues who came were Saturn's soldiers, aiming for destruction. With the new relationship between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, I personally am expecting a considerable amount of Chiron’s ex-campers in the city, such as Annabeth Chase.

Arnold: As you can infer, Camp Jupiter considers anyone not affiliated with itself a rogue, most of the time.

Arnold: Octavian Octavian had brought and bought the loyalties of a lot of rogues, though how many of them had stuck around is unclear. The paperwork from his short time of authority is almost wholly destroyed, I do not know why.

Arnold: About the last question, I...

Arnold: ...I haven’t actually gotten out of the camp that much.

Arnold: I would like to though! I'm trying to set up an interview with Perseus and Annabeth as I've said before, and James will inform me if I can join him in his work trip to Camp Half-Blood once he gets the word! Now if only Chiron was less overprotective...

Arnold: I, uhm, regularly talk with a flower nymph, but that's personal and not for work. Interviewing rogues shouldn't actually cause a problem for me, as long as I don't accidentally commit treason, Minnie is just a worrywart. The only rogue that is close to camp is Mimi, as far as I know though, and I'd rather not subject myself to that smell.

Arnold: Perhaps I should had interviewed Lady Diana's hunters after Tarquin's attack a while prior. But I was occupied with— with– familial matters... And I'm not sure how I feel about the gods knowing I'm searching further information about the Titan army, something in my gut feeling tells me to stay wary and I feel it is a sign from my divine ancestor.

Arnold: Other than that, I have tried to catch Ambassador Di Angelo for an interview. My attempts at trying to get him alone were hilariously futile.

Arnold: Arnold out.

[Recorder makes a shutting sound]

[whencyclopedia]

Battle of Bir Hakeim

The defence by Free French forces of the remote desert watering hole of Bir Hakeim (Hacheim) in Libya, North Africa in May-June 1942 during the Second World War (1939-45) is one of the most heroic episodes in French military history. Although ultimately unsuccessful, the defenders, which included units of the famed French Foreign Legion, held out for 15 days against four German and Italian divisions commanded by no less a figure than General Erwin Rommel (1891-1944).

The Axis forces attacked Bir Hakeim because it was part of the Allied Gazala Line defences, which protected the approach to the vital port of Tobruk. When finally overwhelmed, 2,700 Free French troops from an original garrison of 3,700 still managed to escape Bir Hakeim to fight another day. Meanwhile, Rommel defeated the rest of the Allied forces at the Battle of Gazala and captured Tobruk in June 1942, his greatest victory in North Africa.

French Foreign Legion, Bir Hakeim

Leonard Chetwyn - Imperial War Museums (CC BY-NC-SA)

The Western Desert Campaigns

In the first years of the second year of WWII, the Allies, then principally British and Commonwealth forces, were especially keen to protect the Suez Canal from falling into enemy hands, that is into the control of the Axis powers Germany and Italy. North Africa was also strategically important if either side wished to control and protect vital Mediterranean shipping routes. The island of Malta was crucial in this role, and holding the island fortress (then in British hands) was another reason to control potential airfields in the North African desert. Finally, North Africa was, at this stage of the conflict, the only place where British and French troops could fight a land war against Germany and Italy. After the embarrassing debacle of the Dunkirk Evacuation and the humiliating Fall of France in 1940, any military victories at all would be a vital morale boost to the Allies.

For all of the above reasons, a series of desert battles ensued, which are collectively known as the Western Desert Campaigns (Jun 1940 to Jan 1943). At first, the British Eighth Army faced poorly equipped Italian forces, but these were soon considerably boosted by German troops with superior armour, weapons, and training. From January 1941, the Axis forces in Africa benefitted from the considerable command abilities of General Erwin Rommel, a man who had already gained a reputation as a master of fast armour tactics during the Fall of France in 1940. Rommel first commanded the specialised Deutsche Afrika Korps (DAK) and proved his worth by capturing El Agheila in March 1941 and then Mersa Brega on 1 April. By July, Rommel was in overall practical command of all German and Italian forces in North Africa, although he was still technically under the ultimate authority of the Italian high command. Two victories against Allied offensives in May and June (code-named Brevity and Battleaxe, respectively) were followed by defeat in a third offensive in November, code-named Crusader. Rommel's two persistent problems were insufficient manpower and lack of supplies (especially food, fuel, and ammunition), but by January 1942, this situation improved significantly, and the German general, ignoring his orders to emphasise defence, went on the attack.

The British Eighth Army, which was composed of a range of British, British Empire, and Free French troops, was commanded by Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie (1897-1985). The overall commander of Allied troops in the Middle East was General Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981). Unfortunately, at this stage of the Western Desert Campaigns, the British Army was poorly equipped, poorly trained, and poorly led. In contrast, "Rommel's force was numerically inferior, but his troops were more professional, better led, and thoroughly steeped in the cooperation of all arms" (Dear, 992).

General Rommel on Campaign

Imperial War Museums (CC BY-NC-SA)

Continue reading...

[cousin-quartz-of-house-paradox]

top 5‼️ BUT only dw related stuff >:)

fuck yes >:)

i am assuming that you mean shows/series, in accordance w your previous ask. so!!!

Iris Wildthyme. of course. i am literally her #1 fan. like, it's not just her either!! it's everyone and everything! iris, panda, tom, jenny, capt turner, hell even the side characters!!! the dynamics between them all!!! the vibes, the genres, magrsverse fantastical fairytale (usually seen in her appearances in main dw, such as the scarlet empress, the blue angel, mad dogs and englishmen, verdigris, muse of fire.) or dirty gritty realism where iris just- just shines like anything, outside the narrative and still able to be constrained by it, but her true nature (that of... i guess, something i can compare it to is that naïve old childhood fantasy/dream of running away from home. that- that feeling, of being away from the worst bits of reality, but still there. still on earth, in all its- well, y'know. but happier. iris, iris feels so real yet so not. she feels like a real-life drag queen or even scene queen, that's something i can compare her to as well. it- i guess it's like staying in reality still, but out of it. escape, but we're still there, and everything's gone to shit outside but as long as we're here, in this, say, club or whatever, we're alright. we're happy. that, to me, is iris. that's why it's necessary that there's grit around her, but not enveloping her/taking her over. anyway) showing through all that all the same. it's- it's like all that's given me comfort. it's like how her audio series theme song is just like music playing in fairs that i long for. it's like iris, iris, iris. and it's like Everything To Me. it's iris wildthyme.

Bernice Summerfield!!! i am in love with this fucking trainwreck of a woman<3 everything from vna-era (the doctor!!! ace!!! benny herself!!! chris!!! ROZ!!! the beloveds the fucking stories and adventures and dynamics!!!) to dellah-era (oh so precious, themb before all the horrors. just look at them. they're so sweet. there's shenanigans at st oscars, benny and brax (FAVE!!!!) living their best lives as archeology and theatrology professors respectively, truly the bestest of friends. so soft. and there's jason (my beloved) kane, and clarence who's machine flesh and divine at the same time (though he would really like to be fully machine again) and there's chris cwej and the SIDE CHARACTERS! and jason pointed to KS-159 and the collection's being built and they're all just. so!!!! <3 but, ofc, tragedy strikes. we can never have good things, after all, and thus begins) collection-era, the whole 11 season fucking tragedy (+ bev and adrian and ms jones and mister crofton and hass, all of whom i love dearly (though tbh i favour bev a bit more than the rest) and the SIDE CHARACTERS, again, and new dynamics between benny and brax and jason and the tragedy!!! fear if I go in-depth i will die) and legion-era (again, beloveds, with ruth and spring-heeled jack and peter!!!!) and uhhh well i have yet to get into unbound doc or benny audio new adventures but i will eventually someday. aaaanyway, yeah, benny series has SUCH a hold on me it's crazy. it's truly an epic story.

FACTION PARADOX!!! i don't have this url for nothing!!! unfortunately i am tired after talking about iris and benny for so long, so this is all you'll get. sorry :P

the EDAS and VNAS<3 beloveds<3333 the vnas are already counted for above (but technically only benny era vnas?) so i shall just mention them again here. all of them. mwah.

and so we finally reach tv dw... picking five's era because i LOVE me a good tragedy, though if i were allowed to pick another i would pick ponds-era 11th<3 delicious. OH or or or, seventh doctor era!!! the beloved<3333

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Seeming

Author's Note: More of Claude in Living Waters AU.

Summary: Claude talks to his fellow Primaris Marines about him knowing his gene-line heritage. It goes better than he'd worried it would.

Warnings: Painful conversations. Let me know if I need to update this.

Past =-= Next

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams,

Tagged continued: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k, @ms--lobotomy @bispecsual @thevoidscreams

Tagged continued: @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

"Thank you for meeting with me," Claude starts, and pauses.

The conversation that he had with mama Lenora helping to bolster his confidence. Also, that Cedric is already in the know about the secret that he's been keeping from the rest of the squad also helps.

He had warned Cedric that he was going to try to tell the rest of the squad today that he knows his chimeric gene-seed and what it is fully.

As well as show them what it is. Cedric had given him a soft look, full of tenderness and had merely asked if he was sure if that was what he wanted to do.

He'd taken a deep, sharp breath, but nodded. He wanted to tell them, better to let them know the truth from his lips, rather than find out through some way that could end up having it be a nasty shock that could make a potential fraught situation worse.

"You wanted to talk to us about something?" Ramiel says, noticing the nervous way Claude was shifting.

"Ah- yes," Claude says, "So- we've had conversations about how we wonder about what our gene-lines are, yeah?"

"Yes," Ramiel and the others say, nodding or humming in agreement.

"And how Jophi knows his other part of his gene-line because Erriox told him, yeah?" Claude continues.

"Yeah?" Jophiel says, "where are you going with this Claude?"

"Well I," Claude says squirming a little, "I do have Raven guard gene-seed, but that's not all I have. I... know what the other two parts of my gene-line are."

"Oh? Did an older brother-cousin tell you?" Catius asks, tilting his head a little, curious.

"No- I figured it out myself, after... soon after I arrived on Ancient Terra," Claude replies, licking his lips a little, as his eyes dart around as he looks from brother to brother. "So- it's easier to show you, and please believe me, I am still me."

"Show us?" Ramiel repeats tilting his head a little.

Claude nods and closes his eyes for a moment and then, relaxes, undoing the illusion-shape shift thing. And his tail splits into tentacles, the black and grey of the raven guard getting silver and teal spots, with strips of navy blue. His hands gaining jagged claws and his eyes open, teal on black sclera.

"I have Raven Guard, Night Lord, and Alpha Legion gene-seed," Claude says, his voice is different, slightly lower, and oddly lyrical.

"Huh," Jophiel says tilting his head a little.

A look of comprehension flashing across Ramiel's face, "You avoid and evade the squad of Alpha legionaries courting Miss Lana- because they'd be able to figure out the Alpha legion in you."

"Yes and I... worry about what they might do, if they find out that I am... could technically be considered an Alpha Legion Scout." Claude says with a grimace.

"You are still you," Catius says, after a few moments of quiet, "Thank you for trusting us with yourself."

Claude gives them a watery smile, "thanks for reacting so well to this."

Jophiel swims forward and gives him a hug, "it must have been scary, to hide this, and to decide to tell us. Thanks for trusting us Claude."

"It was, to both," Claude admits, feeling a great weight come off his chest.

The rest of the squad coming over to give him a hug. Once they let go, Ramiel turns to Cedric, a keen look in his eyes, "Cedric- you don't seem surprised. Did you know already?"

"Yes- I found out one time when Claude was badly injured and couldn't hold the shifted form up," Cedric says. "Apothecary's Oath- I couldn't say anything."

"Understandable, but I'm glad that he had someone who knew, that he could confide in." Ramiel says, trying to explain that he wasn't upset that Cedric kept the secret, merely glad that someone knew.

[deltadream]

If Akivili has kids, do the other Aeons?

IM ALIVEEEEEE!!! Fontaine has gripped me by the arm and is refusing to let go

Anyway this is just something that has been rotting in my head for a while. Even though is technically takes place in the Akivili Never Dies AU, (first thought of by @ryn-halo26​, extended by the both of us), I’d imagine it could take place in canon as well.

Enjoy!

BTW, if you’re confused about the title, Akivili’s kids are the Express crew

The Main Seven

Nanook

The closest I can see for this guy is maybe their emanators, or even pathstriders. But frankly, they’re so dead set on the destruction of the universe that anything remotely positive they cannot comprehend. Perhaps the briefest thought of elation at a victory by their Antimatter Legion, but that’s it. If Nanook was capable of more emotion, they would have a soft spot for their emanators, who had followed them for a very long time. These Lord Ravagers would be subject to the softer side of their Aeon, who praised them with their victory, and mourned should the Lord Ravager pass, then rage at the ones who ended their life. Because to gain The Destruction’s favour means to be wrapped in their embrace till the very end, and should you be ripped away the ones who tore you away will feel the wrath of an angered god, or a grieving parent

Qlipoth

They don’t have the time for ‘kids’, since they’re so busy building their wall. Supposedly, Qlipoth isn’t aware of the biggest faction that follows them, which is the IPC. They also pay no mind to who exactly they glance at, as such Qlipoth is known for their indifference. The ongoings of the living worlds are not important nor relevant to them, only The Wall. But should Qlipoth be more inclined to care, more inclined to watch the galaxy go by, then the love they give is a distant one, yet warm and encompassing. Think of a grandfather who watches distantly yet fondly over their children. And when they encounter a child who's ideals align with their own? The child rewarded and gifted with their blessing, as The Preservation lends others their power to protect just as they do to the universe

Xipe

Everyone. That’s it really. They have their levels of favourites, such as their emanators and their Family to their Pathstriders and the rest of the universe. Although, to Xipe they consider the many beings of the family to be their brothers, sisters and siblings, rather than their children. As such, should one of their ‘siblings’ be in danger, they will trust that their sibling can handle themselves. Rarely they will interfere, but The Harmony will, since all they wish is for unity and peace

IX

No one. If Qlipoth doesn’t have many kids because they’re so busy, IX doesn’t have any because they don’t care. To them it is far too much effort, more then they would want to put in, and why bother? After all, they are mortals, and they will die. Why put such enormous effort into beings so ephemeral? It’s pointless. Even if they had more capability, the most they would do is interact with the other Aeons, nothing more and everything less. The Nhility cares for nothing except the end of the universe, and so they will await it with all their being

Nous

Even in canon one could say Nous already has kids, or perhaps they would be students consider in that an astral computer wouldn't have much room for emotion in their software. Their Society, full of those who were capable of understanding the wider universe and all its answers, who opened the doors Nous unlocked millennia ago, learnt under them, taught by them. Even if emotion was a factor in their system, they would not overstep the line of a teacher to a parent. Nous does not answer those who seek validation, or those who demand answers however in the eyes of The Erudition, the ones who listen and ask questions but ultimately make their own way in the Universe, are the ones their call their own

Yaoshi

Everyone. Their are like Xipe, opening their arms wide for all thsoe who yearn their gift of life and dare nit shy away from their embrace. But whereas Xipe saw all as siblings, all of the Universe is their child, young and earnest in their lives. Perhaps the only one they have no love for is their mortal enemy Lan, yet does love not translate to hate in the expanse of the Stellar Sea. There is only so long before enemies fall into each other arms after all. But regardless of universe, regardless of origin, should one wish for the freedom from their mortal body, for the gift of eternity, The Abundance has much to give and more

Lan

The Xianzhou Alliance. It was their home once upon a time, and those who came after will be watched over by Lan, who hades from afar. Sometimes, a mortal would be exceptional, and their would gift them a spirit, and friend for them to fight alongside. Perhaps they even come down to walk alongside the unsuspecting mortals, within the streets they too once roamed. Of course their all depends if they have the time, for no one would catch Yaoshi but themselves. But Lan would watch, and even speak to some rare few should they feel like it. Even if they had more time, more love to share, The Hunt would not truly interfere, as they trust the Xianzhou to guide it's own way into the future

[starsaparilla]

you said you wanted asks so i must ask

1) do you have a courier oc? like, an actual character.

2) thoughts about christine and veronica (and Christine staying in Sierra Madre)?

3) what's one character you wish had been a companion but wasn't? and why and how would their quests go idk im shy despite asking on anon 😔💔

1) yes!! i have a couple.. i make new ones depending on the run i’m doing or the faction im siding with etc but for my current playthrough (neutral karma independent vegas) i have cherry!! she’s super cool… i like her lots. nepo baby that wants to run vegas herself as a way to get back at her family for disowning her (long story) + learns about love and friendship and kindness and also backstabbing along the way! i can’t draw so i mostly make pinterest boards for characters but yeah… i love my ocs. trying to flesh out the rest of her family at the minute too bc they were (to me) pretty prominent figures in the wasteland until around 50 or so years before the events of new vegas!!

2) christine and veronica are so dear to me!!! canon lesbians in a video game… i do wish they didn’t fall into the trappings of gays with unhappy endings but yk. 2010 so i suppose it was par for the course. as for christine staying in the sierra madre i have mixed feelings- ultimately i like it narratively, i think christine becoming a guardian is very fitting. the sierra madre houses vera keyes, a woman who had her life derailed and destroyed by the greed, cruelty, rivalry and jealousy of two men. in a similar vein, christine royce had her own life- and her love- uprooted and snuffe out by a cruel and greedy man too. it makes poetic sense to me that christine would stay to guard the sierra madre. christine/vera parallels are so srs to me and i would definitely go into way more detail at another point but im trying to keep this concise because you didn’t ask to be blasted with my dead money brainrot. anyway also i find it oddly beautiful that a place with such a dark past can perhaps become a safe haven like it should always have been now that christine is there. my one issue is that there’s no option to inform veronica of where christine is or anything but i know this was due to technical limitations and nothing else so i don’t harp on the devs too much for this.

3) benny maybe… i think doing an independent run with benny as the companion makes soooo much sense and i do think an ending where you both take vegas is super fun. but i have the benny companion mod so i don’t think he counts as an answer here for me personally. in terms of what would be best for gameplay id say a legion companion would be interesting as while i dont play legion nor do i like them, i think its a shame they’re underdeveloped. victor as a companion could be rlly fun! good for a house run and id love a securitron companion anyway :) id also love to port ulysses to the main game as a companion 💔💔💔 and then obvious popular answer sunny smiles my angel <3

i forgot to add quests!!! god actually i’m gonna have to think abt this one but i think for benny an interesting quest would be anything to do with the boot riders… will nvr forgive the lack of backstory we get for him in the game. legion companion could potentially involve visiting old settlements and learning about their history? it would be interesting for a legion companion to be someone disheartened with the legion’s methods, kind of like veronica (BUT NOT LIKE VERONICA) , and you can ultimately talk them into leaving (good karma) or convince them to stay with you and the legion (bad karma). i’m not sure on specifics for victor but given that he’s a cowboy likely inspired by old world western movies it could be so fun to have a quest that follows the plot of some famous western movie… big dramatic shootout at high noon. fun times. ulysses i’m split on bc i think it’s entirely contingent on how you interact with him in lonesome road and which faction you’re aligned with as there’s a lotttt of ways he can feel about you due to all of these factors that might make creating one Definitive companion quest hard. as for sunny idk. something that lets us go back to goodsprings ^_^ very last minute but i also think a great khan companion would be nice mostly bc i like the khans and the narrative is so awful to them

[pluckyredhead]

I want to get into DC comics, but there's so any of them that I have no idea where to start. Specifically I want to read about Kon (from origin and then dying and then how that affected YJ). Do you have any recommendations on what to read?

Absolutely! So you're in luck with Kon because he got his own series almost immediately after his debut, Superboy (1994), so his story is pretty easy to follow. I would recommend starting there rather than his very first appearances. Kon debuted during the Death of Superman storyline and that was a big storyline that ran across multiple books so it's hard to follow, but his solo series will catch you up on the important information pretty quickly.

Overall I would say Kon's series is a solid B; it's fun to read but not great. But he's very lovable in it and it's a great introduction to who he is as a person. Also, it's like the 90s threw up all over everything and I love that for him.

When you finish Superboy or get sick of it, whichever comes first, I recommend reading Young Justice (1998). You could even start here, honestly, but Kon had already been around for five years at that point so he's not quite a baby anymore. YJ is a better comic than Superboy, a solid A, and obviously showcases his relationships with the rest of the team.

(Just to be clear, I am giving you a lot of homework here: Superboy is 100 issues long and Young Justice is 55. You don't have to read all of either series if you aren't enjoying them, but I didn't want you to be surprised when you saw how many issues there were!)

In 2003, Kon (and Tim, Bart, and Cassie) joined the Teen Titans. Teen Titans (2003) is a pretty OOC and bland portrayal of Kon and the others, but if you're interested in his death and the aftermath (or if you're a TimKon shipper and want to see Tim grieving), you should read it. Kon is only in it up to #33, because he's dead after that. His actual death is in Infinite Crisis which is an incredibly stupid comic but, like. It's there if you absolutely must put yourself through it.

Kon came back to life in Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds which I've never read so I can't vouch for it. He rejoined the Titans with Teen Titans #81 and stayed with the team through the end of the series, but like...those comics are really bad. If you want to read post-resurrection Kon, I recommend Adventure Comics (2009) instead. Kon stars in the first 10 issues or so and they're lovely. He also had another very short lived Superboy series in 2010 which I've read but remember nothing about.

Do not read anything from the New 52 (September 2011-June 2016); that Kon is technically a different character and all of the books he appears in are unreadably bad.

Our Kon returned in Young Justice (2019), which is...fine? It's fine. Superboy: Man of Tomorrow is a recent 6-issue miniseries and it's also fine.

Don't read Superboy and the Ravers, it is 10000% not worth it.

The TL;DR for recommended/key reads:

Read Superboy 1994

Then Young Justice 1998 (or the other way around if you don't care about going in order)

If you are really committed, you can go back and read Reign of the Superman to see Kon's debut and very early appearances, but you don't have to

Then Teen Titans 2003; you can stop after #33 unless you want to see Tim having a mental breakdown

Read Infinite Crisis if you want to read Kon's death, and honestly you can just skim everything that isn't his death scene

Adventure Comics 2009 until it becomes a Legion book

YJ 2018 and Superboy: Man of Tomorrow

I will end with my usual caveat that if you are very new to comics, you will occasionally be confused by what you're reading. There will be references to comics you haven't read and occasional crossovers with other books that will cause unavoidable gaps in your reading. Please just try to roll with it, or look at those moments as interesting new paths to wander down. It's okay if you don't know everything right away. That's what makes it fun!

[adolins-heart]

Building Tensions

Fairy Tail Fanfic 2,932 Words Introduction One-Shot of Jillexan Dreyar Jillexan Dreyar has grown up in Fairy Tail, she'll stand up for it no matter what, but tensions are building, particularly between her and her big brother, Laxus.

Lucy was finally having a peaceful day at the guild hall. She'd just gotten back from a job with Natsu and Happy, so they each had enough money to take a couple days off and just relax. She was letting Cana read her tarot when a shiver ran down her spine. It was a giant magic aura, the sort of oppressive levels of power she felt when Erza went all out in a fight. "Woah, what's that?"

Cana pauses, "Oh, right," she smirks a little, "You haven't met Jillexan yet, she's got a lot of magic."

Lucy gulps, another scary powerful wizard? She'd heard of Jillexan at some point when reading about the Fairy Tail guild, but she couldn't remember any details. Unlike when she first met Erza, no one seemed particularly scared or intimidated, most people continuing business as usual. 

"Ah don't worry, Lex is chill, way more chill than her big brother."

Lucy turns back to Cana, "Who's her big brother?"

"Laxus." Cana says easily, "She's the master's other grandkid."

"I didn't even know he had more than one!" 

Cana laughs, "Don't worry, you'll see the resemblance when she walks in."

The doors push open, sunlight streaming in behind the figure in the door, casting a shadow across the floor. As the doors closed behind her and Lucy got a good look, she knew exactly what Cana meant. 

Jillexan had shaggy blonde hair that hung in layers, bits and pieces wanting to spike up like Laxus and the Master's hair tend to. She's got a fitted sleeveless black shirt, the neckline just shy of a turtleneck. Jillexan wears baggy green pants and a purple jacket hanging around her shoulders, and a pouch hangs at her waist, heavy with coins. 

Cana waves, "Hey, Lex, over here, you gotta meet Lucy!" 

Jillexan turns, raising her brows and grinning as she walks over, "Hey Cana!" She hums as she reaches their table, leaning against it, "Lucy, huh? The new celestial wizard?" 

"Uh, yeah, that's me!" Lucy says, more than a little intimidated. 

"Nice to meet you, then," She says with a bright smile, leaning over to nudge Cana, "How are you guys doing?"

"We're doin’ great," Cana says, grinning. 

"You're a lot less scary than I expected when I heard you were Laxus' little sister." 

"Ah, so you've met that sourpuss, huh? Sorry to hear."

"You haven't been with him or the Thunder Legion lately, have you?" Cana asks.

Jillexan shakes her head, "Not recently, I've been doing my own jobs the last few months. Laxus has been way too cocky lately for me to deal with." She explains, waving a hand, "I will absolutely chat more later, but I've gotta check in with Gramps about my job."

"Right, catch you later, Lex," Cana grins, letting her go.

"She's really... chill." Lucy says as the wizard walks away.

"Yeah that's Lex for you, as crazy as the rest of us, don't get me wrong, but she and Laxus are like night and day." 

"Totally different magic powers, too," Wakaba comments, removing his pipe from his teeth long enough to place it back at a better angle, "Laxus is all lightning and shock, she uses papermake magic and ink spells."

"She uses two types of magic?" Lucy asks, eyes wide. 

"They're not that different, honestly, paper and ink go together well, like Levy's script magic."

Lucy nods, "I suppose that makes sense, I didn't realize families could use such different magic, though. I mean, every family I've met usually uses the same type of magic." 

"It's common," Macao nods, "Usually your family is more attuned to certain types of magic, so then you end up with family members using the same magic. But it's not a requirement, technically people can learn any sort of magic."

"Yeah," Cana nods, "I taught myself card magic, it was natural to me but I chose it."

"Off of some very good advice from us elder guild members." Wakaba says with a grin, and Cana rolls her eyes. 

"Huh..." Lucy mumbles, looking over to where Jillexan is leaning up against the bar, in conversation with Master Makarov.

Jillexan was halfway across the country when she heard of Phantom Lord's attack on her guild, too far away to make it back in time. Unlike Fairy Tail, which had one central guild hall and its members travelled for work, Phantom Lord had multiple small branches spread out across the country. Jillexan wouldn't be able to make it in time to help with the main battle, she'd have to entrust that to the guild members who were in Magnolia. She didn't have to be helpless, though, and set off for the closest Phantom Lord branch hall. 

"Your guild has declared war on Fairy Tail." She says as she enters the first branch, "Consider this our response."

Wizards leap to their feet, weapons being unsheathed and summoned, hands lighting with magic. 

"It's just one girl!" 

"They think this is a threat?"

"We can handle one girl, some war this is."

Jillexan rolls her shoulders, raising her hands, "Paper make, knives." She points, and a slew of tiny paper knives fly into the guild hall, slicing and stabbing. The wounds are superficial enough that they'll heal with time, but they will hurt in the meantime, and weaken her opponents. 

There's shouts and then the wizards are leaping at her. Jillexan smirks, raising a hand, and with it comes a wave of ink, absorbing magical attacks as she dodges the physical ones. This branch clearly had no one strong opponent, merely numbers, and she could win a numbers game.

-----

It took a couple of Phantom Lord branches before she came across an actual challenge. A wizard who used wood make magic, much like Fairy Tail's Laki. This wizard's style was drastically different from Laki's, however, far more aggressive and sturdy. It broke through Jillexan's paper defenses that usually stood up to swords, forcing her to actually focus her attention on the fight with him. 

The Phantom Lord guild members had no sense of respect, not hesitating to try and attack her from behind while the woodmake wizard held her attention. She'd simply have to lean into an all out offensive attack. 

-----

The branches fell, one after another, and Jillexan was beginning to feel tired, but not weak. She knew her strength and her magic, these wizards did not know her weaknesses. Part of her magic reserves were locked up against her will, inaccessible thanks to a bad job with Laxus and the Thunder Legion several years back. Even so, her magic power was higher than the average wizard, and her skill was beyond most of the wizard guild members she fought. She also suspected their main force, and strongest members, were in Magnolia wreaking havoc. 

It was a surprise when, as she approached the next Phantom Lord branch, she witnessed a cloaked man with staffs on his back walking away from the lightly smoking guild hall. 

Jillexan blinks, walking a little faster to reach the man. She's never actually seen his full face, but she has interacted with him on a couple other rare occasions outside of his sleep spells at the guild hall. 

"Mystogan?"

"Jillexan," he greets with a slight nod. His eyes were all of him that was visible beneath his cloak and cap,  and they were shadowed, "I presume you were the presence I felt at some of the other branches I passed?"

He had passed by? She hadn't even been aware of him. She nods, "Yes, I see we had the same idea. Do you know how many are left, then?" 

-----

Jillexan returned to the guild hall a few days after the battle had concluded, having to double back to handle some loose ends from her job prior to the Phantom Lord threat before she could return. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't be in the actual battle," Jillexan tells Mira honestly, holding her hands, "Between me and Mystogan, though, I believe we wiped out all of the other Phantom Lord branches, so no one will be able to come seeking revenge."

"Did I hear that right?" Grey asks from where he was sitting, drawing the attention of Lucy, Happy, Natsu, and Erza near him, "You and Mystogan took out the Phantom Lord branches?"

"Yeah," she nods, "Seemed me and him had the same idea when we heard the word. We were both on the other side of the country, and neither of our magic types are particularly useful for getting anywhere that fast. So while we couldn't help in the main battle, we did what we could where we were."

"Jeez..." Lucy mutters, "I know your Laxus’ sister and all but you're scary."

Jillexan laughs, shaking her head fondly, "I try my best not to be."

"Yeah," Grey nudges Lucy, "She's not scary, Jillexan wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I don't think that phrase quite applies here," Lucy says, giving him a face, "I mean, she hurt a ton of Phantom Lord goons."

Jillexan snorts, "Just glad I could help. I assume Laxus...?" Her smile dims as she looks at Mira, who shakes her head.

"Right, well, it's to be expected with how he's been, lately."

-----

Jillexan stays in town to help rebuild the Guild Hall and get things in order. While Phantom Lord didn't pay to be destroyed, her other job had paid, and she didn't have any rush to take another job. Makeshift tables were spread out in the work yard that would soon become the guild hall, and most people were taking a break for lunch, Jillexan included. She sits with Cana at one of the tables, Cana filling her in on more of the details of the battle. Jillexan shifts a little when she feels a familiar electric presence, spotting her brother seated on a bench, leaning back at a table and talking to Erza. His smirk alone tells her there's trouble coming, and she's proven right a moment later when Erza throws a barrel across the road to let out her anger, her voice raised, "Why don't you tell the others how you feel!"

Laxus' smirk only grows, "I have no problem telling 'em what I think of 'em. This guild's full of nothing but losers and weaklings," he turns, scoffing at Jet and Droy, "Especially the two of you morons, you were Phantom's personal punching bags. You know, I'm glad I never bothered to learn your names."

Jillexan finds herself getting to her feet, only pausing when Cana's hand finds her arm.

Laxus turns to motion to Lucy, where she's sat at the bar with Mira. "Which brings me to the worst of them all, the rich little princess wanna-be wizard. This was your fault."

"Laxus!" Mira shouts, a rare raising of her voice, "Would you shut up? The master said no one in the guild was to be held accountable for what happened, not even you," Mira is intentional in her words, showing a bravery people outside the guild may not expect from her, "Despite the fact that I begged you to come help and you turned your back on us."

"Oh stop your whining," Laxus shouts, "That fight had nothing to do with me, but if I had been there, you wouldn't be drowning your sorrows in this pile of rubble right now." He says, motioning broadly. 

"Why you-" Erza starts, shaking with rage, but she cuts off when Natsu bursts forward with a fist of fire, "Natsu-!"

"I've heard enough out of you!" Natsu shouts, lunging forward, but the hit doesn't land, in a burst of electricity, Laxus disappears and reappears behind Natsu, arms crossed. 

Natsu spins around, "Come on, Laxus! Fight me like a man! You gutless coward!"

Laxus laughs, "How do you expect to fight me when you can't even touch me, you dimwit? I can't wait to inherit this place and kick all you weaklings to the curb. Your days at Fairy Tail are numbered, kids! Things are gonna be a whole lot different around here, so I guess you losers will have to find a new place to hang out."

Jillexan pulls away from Cana, moving towards her brother as he disappears into a burst of electricity again, out of the guild hall's rubble and into Magnolia. She gives chase.

"Laxus!" Jillexan spots her brother's fur-lined coat down the street, and runs after him. She reaches out to grab him, but he turns just before she can, facing her with a hard glare. 

"Lex," he drawls, raising an eyebrow, "I thought you weren't talking to me."

"Don't do this, I know what you want to do. Don't. I have just as much right to inherit the guild as you do."

Laxus barks out a laugh, "I'm the older and more powerful sibling, that automatically gives me more right." 

Jillexan clenches her fists, "Grandpa won't retire until you're worthy of being guild master."

Laxus' face hardens, and electricity crackles across his form, "You better watch your mouth, Jillexan, or you'll be in a world of hurt."

She narrows her eyes, "Is that a threat, big brother?"

"If you pick them over me, it will be." 

"The fact that you want to make me choose already makes you the worse choice."

Laxus scoffs, "So much for family loyalty."

"Fairy Tail is our family!" 

"Those weaklings? Come on, Lex, you're better than that."

Ink drips from Jillexan's fingertips, her magic energy growing more intense, but Laxus just crackles with lightning in response, his own magic energy pressing against hers. 

They stand there for several tense moments, daring the other to make a move. Suddenly, both siblings become very aware of the whispering crowd of Magnolia citizens around them, and the moment breaks. Laxus dissolves into a burst of electricity, making his way across the city. 

Jillexan unclenches her fists with a heavy sigh, staring at the stones beneath her feet. He was getting more unstable, and there was little doubt that he'd continue planning that coup. 

Jillexan finds her grandpa seated atop one of the half-finished brick walls of the guild hall that evening. She climbs up and sits beside him with a heavy sigh, "Laxus is impossible."

Makarov hums, looking at her, "We're all stubborn, he just needs to work through some things."

She sighs again, rubbing her face, "Yeah, it's just... I think him working through it may do some serious damage to the guild."

"We can handle it, I'm sure."

"Grandpa, you're not hearing me." Jillexan says, turning so she's facing him, and waiting for him to face her, "If you don't pass on the guild willingly soon, he's going to try to force your hand."

He considers his granddaughter, her words, "If he does I'll be sure to remind him why I am still master." He says finally, "He's family, which is all the more reason why it's my responsibility to help him." He tilts his head a little, "Is this why you've been doing jobs on your own lately?"

She nods, "We had a fight about it, the Thunder Legion... They didn't pitch in in the fight, but they didn't leave with me, either." 

"Those three can be loyal to a fault," Makarov nods. 

"Tell me about it." 

"Why don't you try to take a break from worrying about your brother, hm? Team up with some guildmates for jobs and just enjoy your other friends here."

"Yeah..." She nods slowly, "Yeah, I think maybe that would be a nice distraction." She stands up on the wall, stretching. "Thanks, Grandpa, love you."

"Love you too, Jillexan." He nods, and she climbs back down and heads off into the night. 

The guild hall took a bit to rebuild, even with all the wizards jumping in. Jillexan had picked up a couple jobs with some other guild members, namely Cana. 

Jillexan and Cana are on their way back, working their way through the streets of Magnolia. 

"You've been working on changing your body to ink? Like how Juvia is water?"

"Kind of, I don't hold quite as much form as Juvia does, more like a.... a blob? But I can move?" 

Cana chuckles, "Right, yeah, cute."

Jillexan huffs, "Not cute! I've been working on it for ages, it's complicated stuff."

"Uh huh, what's it for, though?"

"Defense, can't hurt me if I don't have a body. Comes at the cost of offence, though. I can't cast spells while I'm made of ink, but I can cast a magic circle before I dissolve, if I'm fast enough." 

"Just, a pool of ink?" Cana asks, glancing over at her. 

"What, you want a demonstration?"

"Yeah," Cana nods, sipping from a beer bottle, "Go on, show me what you can do, girl."

Jillexan huffs, a rare bout of anxiety crops up, and she takes a deep breath before performing the spell. Awareness becomes odd, she knows what's around her, she can "see", but it's not like when sees with eyes. She slips along the stones for a few feet before willing herself back into her natural form. 

"Nice," Cana hums, "I really thought you were bluffing me, but that could be handy." 

"Why in the world would this be the thing I choose to bluff?"

Cana waves off her question with a snicker, "Ah don't get all worked up."

Jillexan rolls her eyes, looking up as they turn down the road to the guild hall, "They finished it?" Jillexan asks in surprise, "It didn't have a roof this morning." 

Cana giggles, looping an arm through Jillexan's, "They work fast." 

She hums, "We're Fairy Tail."