I said this before and I'll say it again.
Alec and Lily's friendship is underappreciated
Here is the tidbits of their growing friendship throughout the series (mostly happened in short stories, cassie i need more of them)
“One of the Nephilim,” said Lily, bad girl that she was, and she drummed on the table of their booth with shining blue fingernails. “My, my.”
“Hi?” said Alec.
—What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything
“I think I saw you earlier,” said Alec hesitantly. “You were—making out with a faerie girl?”
(...)
“Why, you want to make something of it?” The woman bristled. “How happy I am to see the Nephilim constantly crashing our parties. Were you even invited?”
“I’m a plus-one,” said Alec.
The vampire girl relaxed slightly. “Oh, right, you’re Magnus’s latest disaster,” she said. “That’s what Raphael calls you. I’m Lily.”
(...)
“I’ve decided I detest you,” Lily told Alec.
“It’s mutual,” Alec said dryly.
Unexpectedly, that made the vampire woman smile, before Raphael dragged her away.
****
“Someone dropped a piece of roof on me,” Bat told him, blinking in a way that was more owlish than wolfish. “Inconsiderate.”
Alec realized Bat was not so much on a murderous out-of-control rampage as mildly concussed.
“Easy there,” he said, as Bat tumbled against his chest.
He looked around for the most trustworthy person, for someone to be on his team. He took a gamble and dumped Bat into Lily’s arms.
“Watch him for me, will you?” he asked. “Make sure he gets out all right.”
“Put that werewolf down immediately, Lily,” Raphael ordered.
“It really hurts that you would say that,” Bat muttered, and shut his eyes.
Lily considered Bat’s head, pillowed on her lavender bosom. “I don’t want to put him down,” she announced. “The Shadowhunter gave this DJ to me.”
—The Red Scrolls of Magic
"Don't waste my time, Lily," Alec said. "What do you want?"
"I want you to sit down and help me, I suppose," Lily grumbled.
Alec had sat down.
****
"I like Alec so much," Lily told Magnus at a party months later, slightly drunk and with glitter in her hair. "Especially when he gets snippy with me. He reminds me of Raphael."
"How dare you," Magnus had replied. "You are speaking of the man I love."
****
"LIGHTWOOD!" Lily bellowed, charging in.
"Ah yes, Lily Chen, I believe?" said Robert Lightwood, turning to her with the dignity of the Inquisitor and no sign of surprise. "I remember you were interim representative for the vampires on the Council for a time. Glad to see you again. What can I do for you?"
(...)
Lily did not care. "Not you!" she snapped. "Who even are you?"
"I'm the Inquisitor?" said Robert. "I was the head of the New York Institute for over a decade?"
Lily rolled her dark eyes. "Oh, congratulations, do you want a medal? I need Alexander Lightwood, obviously,"
****
"I do not talk to Nephilim about Downworlder business," Lily said severely.
The Lightwood parents stared at her, and then swung their heads in sync to stare at their son.
Lily waved a dismissive hand in their direction. "Except for Alec, he's a special case. —"
****
"You're sure the werewolves have this in hand?"
"Yes," said Alec. "You didn't need to charge to Idris and spill Downworlder business in front of my whole family."
"If they're your family, they know you can handle a little thing like this," Lily said dismissively.
****
"What?" Lily asked, looking up at Alec and sounding shy suddenly. "I always liked children, when I was alive. People said I was good with them." She laughed, a little self-consciously. "It's been a while."
"That's great," said Alec. "You'll be willing to babysit occasionally, then."
"Ha-ha, I'm the head of the New York vampire clan and I'm much too important," Lily told him. "But I'll see him when I drop by your place."
****
She stood on her tiptoes in high-heeled boots, kissed Alec on the cheek, and sashayed out.
"I do not like that vampire's attitude," said Robert in the silence following Lily's departure.
"Lily's all right," said Alec mildly.
—Born to Endless Night
“I thought I might bring Lily,” he told Magnus. “She can speak Spanish. And I thought it might cheer her up. She likes Jem.”
Nobody at any Market would question Lily’s presence. Everybody had heard of the Downworlder and Shadowhunter Alliance by now, and it was well known that members of the Alliance helped each other out.
Magnus raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I know Lily likes Jem. I’ve heard the nicknames.”
****
“Do you . . .” Alec coughed. “Do you want to talk?”
Lily tipped her head back to stare all the way up at him. “About feelings? Do we do that?”
“Preferably not,” said Alec, which made her smile. “But we could.”
****
There had been a time when Alec was unsettled by vampires, but Lily had always so clearly needed someone, and Alec had wanted to be there for her. They’d been teammates running the Alliance with Maia for long enough now that Lily felt like Aline Penhallow, a friend close enough to be family.
****
“So you’re Alec Lightwood,” said the head of the Buenos Aires Institute slowly. “Then this must be your Downworlder whore.”
There was a terrible silence.
It was broken by Lily, who blinked and said: “Excuse me? Have you been living in a hole? Are you not aware Alec is dating famous warlock Magnus Bane and is not interested in ladies of any persuasion?”
There was a rush of whispers. Alec didn’t think everyone was stunned by this information. They were stunned that Lily would say it, as if they expected him to be ashamed.
“Let’s be clear on this matter. This is my friend Lily, the head of the New York vampire clan.” Alec put his hand on his seraph blade, and the whispers hushed. “Think very carefully,” said Alec, “about how you wish to speak of her. Or of Magnus Bane.”
****
“You can stay here,” he agreed grudgingly. “The Downworlder cannot.”
“Like I want to,” Lily sneered. “I don’t stay in places where the décor isn’t ten out of ten, and this place is a minus fourteen thousand. OK, Alec, let’s make a plan for where we will meet up after I find a nice windowless hotel room. Do you want to—”
“What are you talking about?” Alec demanded. “If they won’t have you, I won’t stay here. The hell with this place. I’m going with you.”
****
“Leaving aside your destined honey lamb and all, I know there was Jace. Is it just guys with golden eyes?” asked Lily. “That is a very particular taste you have there, friend. It really narrows the playing field. So no other crushes besides Jace? Even a teeny tiny one when you were young?”
“Why are you leering like you know something I don’t?” Alec asked warily.
Lily giggled.
****
Lily was sitting cross-legged on the ground, one elbow propped on Alec’s knee, to be near the child. She tilted her head toward Rafael and asked him if he would please get on with it, because the sun was rising and she’d have to go to bed soon.
****
“Lily’s vulnerable during the day,” Alec said. “I’d rather stay with her. Will you be all right in the windowless room, Rafael?”
****
Alec rose and guided her, a hand on her trembling shoulder, to the bed. He pulled a sheet over her as if she were Rafael. Then he positioned the chair between Lily and Rafael and the entrance, and took his place there.
“Sleep, Lily,” Alec said, gently. “I’ll watch the doors.”
****
“Are we going to smuggle our way into the house in laundry carts?” Lily asked Alec excitedly.
Alec blinked at her. “No, we’re not. What laundry carts? I’m a straightforward person. I’m going to knock on the door.”
(...)
“I know Rafe stole your phone,” said Lily, “but who stole your sense of adventure?”
****
Alec bundled the woman into Lily’s arms. Lily was small enough that it was difficult, but she was strong enough to bear her weight.
“Take her. I have to get the others.”
“I don’t want to go!” Lily shouted over the crackling fire. “I don’t ever want to abandon anybody again!”
“You won’t. Lily, go.”
****
“Ah, there’s that smile,” said Lily. “It’s been two days, and I missed it.”
Alec stopped smiling and made a face at her, but when he looked at her properly, she was fiddling with the zip of her leather jacket. There was something about the set of her mouth, as if she’d set it determinedly so it wouldn’t tremble.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Alec said. “Also, you’re the worst.”
That made her smile. Lily wiggled her fingers in farewell. “Don’t you forget it.”
—The Land I Lost
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Favorite to least favorite schools?
OOOOOO A QUESTION so okay this is an interesting one for me because not only are my faves tied for first place BUT I have such a limited knowledge on the schools I don't play as often so the list is gonna be super wonky HSLABDIRKE BUT HERE, LET'S PUT IT INTO WORDS:
Most favorite school(s): Storm/Death
So we all know I love Storm and it's for No Reason. Like I can't even say it's because of the game mechanics or whatever I just love Storm and there's no reason why. Even as a kid I immediately knew that I wanted to be the Purple Lightning Bolt School before I even took the book of secrets test. Like I swear I kin Storm but like. Kin-lite if that makes sense. Like I'm NOT Storm itself but IDKKKK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT I love everything about Storm; the aesthetics and the color scheme and the lore behind it, it all just SPEAKS TO ME so yeah I never grew up. Sjsldjdi
But like narratively? Lore-wise Death has to be my favorite because not only is there so much that goes into the Magic itself but like so many important and well-lived characters are Necromancers. And in my PERSONAL opinion some of the most compelling tales come from Necromancers alone because OF WHAT THEY GO THROUGH SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NECROMANCERS. Like yeah I relate to that shit and honestly? The game says that the three Primordial forces are the most powerful magic but I feel like Death (along with Life and Balance of the main schools) is one of, if not the most powerful. Also because dead stuff and goth girls are my two most favorite things in the world so
Next Favorite School: Myth
Actually if I, myself, was the young wizard instead of my homunculus puppet I think I prooobably would be Myth. Like I think that's just literally who I am and even though I don't think my aesthetic lines up with Trolls and Cyclopes that much I just literally feel in my heart I'm just so...... (gestures towards myself) that I'm quite fit to be a Myth wizard. Lore reasons only. Like the "imaginative" Wizards is so mecore. I like Myth a lot but it's definitely below Storm and Death
The school after that: Balance
This time it's a mix between aesthetic and lore a lil bit. I like the fact that Balance doesn't even really seem to be a unique Magic that it's its own thing but rather a bit of each and every existing school (including the Astrals and Shadow) that it just became something entirely new and on its own???? Like it's familiar in the sense that you can see it in other Magic schools but there's still something in the core of Balance that makes it Balance. If that.... even begins to make any sense (I'm sorry my vocabulary is fucking shit. I know no words to describe things well). Also this is just my personal headcanon that Balance is one of the hardest Magic schools to master because it's so complicated. Like Balance in the Spiral is like Physics or Chemistry in our world
So this is where I start to fall out of groove with the other magic schools because I don't know shit about them so I'm gonna have to just rank them off vibes alone at this point:
The next favorite school: Fire
I was a fire wizard like years and years and years ago before I listened to my autism and went with Storm and honestly Fire fucks!!!! It's a cool school and idk how popular it is in terms of game mechanics (I think Ice and Life and Balance is most popular I think? idk I don't play the game) but I've always thought Fire was just super pretty to look at during battle. The color scheme may be a bit basic (red and orange for fire mhm) but it still works and honestly???? Personal headcanons that Fire wizards are actually one of the most mellow-headed wizards out of all the schools (commonly mistaken with Ice wizards; remember kids "Calm" doesn't equal "Aloofness") and that Pyromancers are typically daycare teachers or people who are normally in charge of/care for the youth
Some of y'all are gonna hate me for this but I can't really put Life or Ice above or below each other because I just don't really think about either of them that much HALSEHRKSH: LISTEN I DONT HATE EITHER OF THESE SCHOOLS, they just don't really....... stand out to me that much and my life and ice wizards aren't that far enough along yet where I can spot a significant difference between those schools and the ones I actually do play. Aesthetically wise yeah they're pretty!!! And then that's it DUDJSJSO I APOLOGIZE TO MY LIFE AND ICE MUTUALS/FOLLOWERS
(I assume anon meant like, the schools you start out with and not the schools you learn about later so I left out Shadow and the Astrals but if I had to put them somewhere on this list Shadow would definitely be right under Storm and Death, Moon would be below that, Star would be after Fire and Sun would be just kinda hanging out on the outside somewhere)
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION ANON I HOPE MY ANSWERS WEREN'T A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT 💖💖💖
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