#so i decided to level in legion

[tastycitrus]

i forgot i left my (former) jett inside the jett spaceship map...

[humanjarvis]

lads LIs when you're sensitive to noise

xavier:

since he lives upstairs, he teleports around his apartment on busy days so his footsteps don’t bother you

he is the anonymous noise complaint demon in your complex. if something bothers you, he’s reporting it. and if your landlord doesn't do anything about it, he torments the offending tenants with blinding flashes of light every time they blast music at 1 am until they stop

let’s say your in-unit washer is really loud during the spin cycle. well, he comes over to sit with you until your laundry is finished. lets you use him as a stress ball so you don’t panic

orders you matching fuzzy earmuffs. they have bunny ears 

if you’re eating at a loud restaurant—maybe some guests are celebrating a birthday or a graduation—he asks to be moved to a quieter section

zayne:

lets you hide out in his office when you’re overwhelmed: you lie on the sofa with the lights off while he's seeing patients 

looks up expected noise levels, sensory guides, and accommodations in advance before you visit a new place

scarily mindful of his chewing. if you don’t like chewing sounds he makes his almost imperceptible when you eat together. you wonder if his jaw is even moving

researches your sensitivity and symptoms, consults his specialist colleagues about the details (keeping your identity a secret, of course #HIPAA)

comforts you whenever you feel like an inconvenience, holding you close and reminding you that you are not your condition—“don’t blame yourself for something you can’t control” (you’re one to talk, elsa)

sylus: 

the gun silencer stays ON when he’s around you 

when you arrive at the base one day and open the door, a legion of construction workers comes out. when you inevitably ask “hey sylus? um. wtf?” he leads you down the hallway and boom. soundproof paneling in all your favorite rooms

will put one of his precious vinyls on pause if you come to cuddle with him and get overstimulated from the sound

mephisto taps on your door one day. he is there to drop off 3 different pairs of thousand-dollar noise cancelling headphones 

if his men are working on a loud project while you’re with him, he’ll supervise through his cameras instead of in person. he’ll take you to a different room and hum to you to drown out the noise

rafayel:

i have decided that rafayel uses echolocation at times since his eyesight is bad. when he’s stumbling around his studio at midnight, he’ll make some sharp noises to help him find his way in the dark—a clap or a stomp of his foot. BUT when you’re around he switches to quieter alternatives—a snap of his fingers or a click of the tongue

will Always ask for accommodations at the museums and galleries you visit. might get pissy about it if they’re inadequate 

after seeing how your sensitivity affects you, he sets up a charity so a percentage of the proceeds from his exhibitions go to sensory disorder research and accommodations

won’t hesitate to ditch a showcase if you get overwhelmed and need to leave early 

if you’re at the movies or a play or anything that has an audience he will straight up ask people around you to be quiet. and somehow with this guy’s charm and allure it always works. no issue

caleb:

fixes up your childhood white noise machine and regifts it to you for your birthday

he’s like a bodyguard, ushering you out of loud areas when you’re in public. he’ll even put his hands over your ears to muffle the noise, no matter how silly it looks

when you text him that you’re overwhelmed or have had a bad day, he’ll prep your room so you can collapse in peace when you get home: he turns the lights off, sets out your favorite snacks, puts freshly washed blankets on the bed, and has the white noise machine going near max volume. basically makes your own sensory room for you to hide in until you’re feeling better

thunder’s too loud? he’s there. wraps his strong arms around you like a weighted blanket and distracts you with memories and stories until the storm has passed 

has a notebook solely for keeping track of your trigger sounds

if anyone at work or school mocks or questions your sensitivity, he finds a reason for The Colonel to pay them a visit and scares them out of their wits

[lunarxcity]

The Enemy of my Enemy

Azriel x HewnCity!Assassin!reader

Summary: You're an assassin working for Keir and you are one kill away from buying your freedom. Your last kill? The shadowsinger of the Night Court. What happens when the lines between enemy and lover become blurred and you can't figure out what side you're on?

-

"You will kill the shadowsinger."

Beron's voice was cruel and unyielding, echoing in your head.

You were used to enduring difficult missions, your life has constantly been at risk since Keir took you in as one of his personal assassins. You were born in Hewn to one of the members of Keir's court, it was a cruel and treacherous existence. Your only value to your parents was your potential to be a wife, you were meant to be married off when Amarantha took over.

Amarantha had taken a liking to the Court of Nightmares and your parents used this to get in Amarantha's favor. Your parents thought all was going well until your Father questioned her, unable to put his own ego aside, and she killed him where he stood.

As a result of his indiscretions, your mother and you were thrown into the dungeon. Keir struck a deal with you, be his personal assassin, and he would ensure that you would make it out alive and be given the chance to buy your freedom.

The price was 100 kills.

You were at 99.

Keir wasn't the one who usually assigned you your targets. He would usually lend you out to various political leaders or individuals with power or influence. This time it happened to be the high lord of the Autumn Court.

You had heard all about the infamous shadowsinger. He is one with the shadows and is a force to be reckoned with. You have never failed a mission, but he is a formidable opponent one that you don't know if you can best.

"You want me to kill the most dangerous warrior in all of Prythian? Who not only happens to be a member of the Night Court but also has a legion of mini spies attached to his person at all times?" You ask Beron, half joking and half in disbelief.

Beron looks at you, evil glinting in his eye. "Your keeper tells me this is your last kill, so I had to ensure it was a grand finale."

You shake your head. "Who knew that the big bad high lord of Autumn would be so scared of the shadowsinger. This level of paranoia is unbecoming Beron."

You look at him up and down, as if assessing his downfall for yourself. "Oh how the mighty have fallen."

His face contorts in anger and flames erupt from his finger tips. "Now listen here you-"

"Cool it Beron. You'll have your respite soon." You cut him off.

His face sets in a scowl and you swear if he holds that expression a moment longer his face be stuck like that forever.

"You have 48 hours. Don't disappoint. Should you fail,I will send my men to start hunting you."

He chuckles, it's an evil sound that promises no mercy and a death that will be anything but swift.

"The price of freedom is a steep one. Your time in Hewn must have taught you that surely."

You give him a smile and a mock bow. A mask because although the threat had you shaken, you would not let him see a crack in your resolve.

"It's always a pleasure Beron. Never change." You take your exit as he begins to angrily sputter a response.

You get back to Hewn by sunset and noticed that the night sky was brighter than usual and while you couldn't exactly see it, the small crack in the side of the mountain allowed only enough light to pour in to gauge the brightness from outside. You noticed it was brighter than the previous night, the slight change in brightness told you enough.

You had 48 hours to kill the infamous shadowsinger. 48 hours that will decide the rest of your life. Would you finally get your freedom or will you be hunted down by Beron's men. 48 hours only time will tell.

-

Rhysand's ball is one of the most elaborate displays of wealth you have ever seen in your entire existence. A literal floating ballroom that is marbled after the moonstone palace hovers above the Botanical Garden of Velaris with towering marble pillars adorned with gold and ivy.

Glittering lights dance around the bannisters hanging from the open ceiling, which are the perfect window for the iridescent night sky.

While you have been fighting for your life, barely existing underground in the Court of Nightmares, the residents of the Court of Dreams have been living their lives in an extravagance you could only dream of.

You would give anything to have the view of the night sky that they have been so accustomed to, having to view the starlight from a crack in the mountain you only get the luxury of viewing the night sky when you're on a mission and even then you're so focused on staying alive that stargazing isn't exactly a top priority.

You had heard that Rhysand was throwing a ball through Keir's spies and had decided that this would be the perfect time to ambush the shadowsinger. You just had to focus on your mission, now was not the time for distractions you would have all the time in the world when you had your freedom.

The guests are all laughing, drinking, and dancing, and their revelry shifts something within you. Only one more mission and you can join them in their blissful ignorance of the horrors that those in Hewn endure on the daily.

You see the high lord greeting guests with a welcoming smile. A smile that angers you because how dare he be charming and welcoming while half his court suffers in Hewn.

You move to the other side of the ballroom as though hiding from the high lord will allow you to hide the atrocity you are about to commit. You suddenly become aware of the poison blade that's strapped to your thigh.

You didn't want to kill the shadowsinger, but you couldn't deal with Hewn anymore, no sunshine no happiness only cruelty, it was killing you from the inside out and you knew if you stayed there you wouldn't make it.

You're snapped out of your thoughts by a tendril of darkness wrapping itself around your wrist. The singular shadow apparently brought friends and as gentle as a lover's caress, shadows flanked your form. It seems like the shadowsinger had found you first and fear shot up your spine, afraid that he had already figured you out and set his shadows to finish you off.

You turn to see the most beautiful being you had ever seen in your long immortal life. Hazel eyes contrasting with the darkness of his hair and wings, tall and broad with the build of a warrior. If looking like night incarnate wasn't intimidating enough he had 7 cobalt siphons just to display how much power he is capable of. It was truly a shame that this was the man you were meant to kill.

He meets your eyes and while he was as intimidating as the tales painted him he seems a bit more... frazzled then you were expecting?

"I would like to sincerely apologise, they usually stick close." He glares at his shadows which are visibly resisting from his hold on them.

You give him a smile, "It's alright I don't mind. They're kind of cute, almost like a pet." You reach out for one of them and it happily wraps itself around your hand, like a cat almost.

"I wouldn't give them too much attention, they might get used to it and keep pestering innocents." The shadowsinger didn't look like someone who would joke much and you could tell. He looked like he was out of his comfort zone, even surprising himself with his words.

If only he knew, he wouldn't have called you an innocent if he knew all that you had done. All the blood you had spilled. All the lives you had taken.

"Well they can feel free to pester me any day." The shadow singer's eyes soften at your remark and he stands up straighter and clears his throat.

He's interrupted by the general who was trying to get his attention with a string of "Az! Azriel! Azzie! Azziepoo! Azuzu! AZZZZZZ!" and by waving his arms rapidly.

The shadowsinger, seemingly named Azriel gave you a bow. "Please excuse me it seems my brother requires my presence" He almost yells the second half of the sentence and sends the general a glare colder than an Illyrian winter. The general just laughed it off, what an odd court.

"Please allow me your final dance as an apology for the indiscretion of my shadows." There was something playful dancing in his eyes and he left to go tend to his general before you could respond.

It wasn't until he was gone that you noticed that your heart was racing and that you were flushed. Mother above this mission is going to be more difficult than you thought.

-

The rest of the ball had gone on and there was no sight of the shadowsinger. You had left the floating ballroom and decided to search the Botanical Gardens below.

Everyone had began to head back to the ballroom for the last few dances and you still didn't have an eye on the shadowsinger.

You walked around the gardens, your search bountiless until you noticed that the shadows around the hedge archway are slightly darker than anywhere else in the gardens.

You walk through the heart-shaped arch made entirely of hedges adorned with white flowers. The color of purity and innocence. You hoped they wouldn't become marred from the crime you were about to commit in front of them.

You walked in to see the shadowsinger facing the sky. You approached him slowly and carefully, hand on the blade at your thigh.

"The sky is beautiful is it not?" Your stealth was no match for his spying skills. He noticed you.

"It really is. Being from Hewn I rarely get the luxury of seeing it." The words meant to be a silent jab at his high lord and what he subjects such a large portion of his court to.

He takes a breath and looks at you eyes filled with understanding and pain, a pain so old that you know he has been through something truly tragic and life-altering.

"I was trapped once." Another breath.

"Sometimes I have to look at the sky just to remind myself that I'm not still there." He puts a hand on your shoulder."

"What happened?" You ask earnestly, looking up at him like he would have all the answers you're looking for.

"The shadows happened. My family happened." He turns to fully face you.

"I don't know what burden you're carrying or what pain you have endured, but it will eventually cease and you will be looking at the sky every night glad that you left that part of your life behind."

His eyes were so kind and you were going to have to be the one to make that light go out.

"Whatever it is, I can help. I know they aren't great to women in Hewn. Rhys has resources." It was like you were doused in cold water at the sound of the high lords name.

Focus. The more you spoke to him, the more you looked into his beautiful eyes and listened to his comforting words the harder completing the mission would become.

He is the one thing standing between you and the night sky. The one thing standing between you and your freedom.

"Thank you." You say, voice trembling, for reasons he doesn't know. You immediately embraced him and he lets you, definitely surprised from this display of affection by a stranger.

You use this moment of blindness to pull out your blade from your thigh and plunge it towards his heart.

You had also underestimated the shadowsingers reflexes. The blade hovered an inch from his heart, his wrist grasping yours and eyes mirroring the kind of lethality directed towards an enemy. You.

You jump back and send a kick towards his stomach, poisoned blade still in your hand. The glove that covered the hand that held your wrist falls to the ground and you see scars, deep and painful, etched into his skin. He counters your attack and you start a dance, very different from the one that the shadowsinger had though you would share.

Punch. Counter. Kick. Counter. No one has been able to get a hit in.

His shadows had refused to strike. He would have used them already. Why had they not assisted him or taken matters into their own hands?

He got a slash on you with his blade, but at a cost. He had left himself open enough to give you a moment to strike and you used this to again go right for his heart.

You heard footsteps rushing towards you guys from the garden. He must have called backup. This was it, it was now or never. If you didn't complete the job right now the high lord would have you put to death or worse Beron would find you and kill you or force you to work for him.

You had the blade against him, a drop of blood already beginning to pool from where the blade was pressed against his heart. The poison was already going through his veins, in a moment he would severely incapacitated and you would be able to take him out once and for all.

His bare hand clasped over yours, your eyes met, and then the world shifted on it's axis. You felt a snap in your chest and felt the presence of a bond that hadn't been there before. An influx of feelings that aren't your own fill your chest and you feel like the intensity of everything has just been amplified.

You look in his eyes to see confusion, fear, and then finally anguish. His hold loosens on your hand and you realise that he is going to allow you to kill him. Your mate.

Oh gods. Why is this happening to you? You can't kill your mate but also you can't let your freedom slip away.

He closes his eyes like not seeing you is going to make the despair in his chest, the despair that you feel, go away. You feel a feeling of acceptance wash over you and that was honestly worse than him killing you on the spot.

He was ready to die at your hands. At the hands of his mate.

Your hands are forced behind your back by tendrils of night and you knew it wasn't the shadows. While they were soft and comforting, whatever held you was dark and cold.

The high lord and the rest of his inner circle rush into the garden, Azriel must have reached out for help once he realised you were trying to kill him.

He was on his knees on the floor in shock, the poison finally setting into his system. The general and his mate rushed to Azriel, wanting to make sure he was okay.

Rhysand had gone straight for you, a menacing look in his eye that promised the most painful death imaginable.

He is every bit the villain that you had imagined, the one you had blamed in the middle of the night while wishing you had been born into a different life. He doesn't get to act all high and mighty when there are so many still suffering in Hewn.

"Do I even give you an opportunity to explain yourself or do I just kill you where you stand." Rhysand's eyes were devoid of any softness, unlike the way the shadowsinger had looked at you.

At this, the shadows had come out of their hiding spot and began to swarm Rhysand like a hive of angry bees.

"What is the matter of this?" He tries to shoo them away, but there's too many and they're too determined. You almost let out a smile at the sight of the high lord of the Night Court being bombarded by a herd of shadows.

This had only made the high lord more upset. His violet eyes lit up in a display of power and he looked like he was about to end you and you were about to send your final prayers out to the mother when Azriel holds a hand out to Rhys telling him to stop.

His movements were slow, and you could tell he was fighting to stay conscious. The poison was circulating through his system and you were honestly surprised he was even capable of this much movement.

His words were scratchy and he struggled to get them past his lips. "Mate."

He pointed to you and then immediately collapsed, leaving you with the shocked high lord, general, and high lady's sister.

They all looked to you and were about to start moving towards you when Azriel's shadows darted to you and immediately formed a protective halo around you. If they didn't believe that you were his mate, they did now.

part ii

-

note: I'm not sure if I want this to stay a one shot, become a series, or have multiple parts. I know I said I would focus on my series Why Me? but I had writer's block and I needed to write something else to break up the flow. I hope you all love it and as always until next time darlings!!

[megsdoodletag]

I too adore you're updated codex series, and I have a question:

On A scale of "Normal Sanguinius" - "Vampiric Mothman" How much of cryptid is Updated Codex Sanguinius? I adore his updated Codex self, he seems very bitey

UC!Sang is Extremely Bitey, but not much of a cryptid about it. Like, you’ll see him coming.

Now. you’ll notice this is a theme in updated codex, but sang is back and he’s done with everyone’s shit, both horus and the imperium’s. He, like Fulgrim, has figured out at some point that trying desperately to become the embodiment of an unrealistic ideal did him no favors: the defects of his legion he was so worried about, that he tried so hard to handle himself, were known all along. emps just didn’t care. His loyalty and sacrifice, all the work he did to make his legion presentable, has been repaid with…nothing. He looks at the remains of his legion and successor chapters and he thinks.

The second thing to know about updated codex sang, is that he’s pissed. sang being back drops the frequency of black rage incidents by a significant amount.

this is because he is stealing it all

that’s a bad explanation. good explanation: black rage caused by echoes of sang’s soul post-mortem sparking against the already volatile nature of his genesons (calmer echoes became sanguinor). now that sang is Back Together, while it’s still possible to get caught in a shockwave/hit a snag genetically and go crazy (keeping in mind all of this is a secondary issue to the Red Thirst, which is entirely separate) most of the black rage vibes are no longer leaking out all over into blood angel psychic channels, making it easier for blangels to snap out of trances or avoid falling into them all together. this is bad because all the bad vibes are now Concentrated in a primarch, which we've learned from various daemon princes is a bit like deciding to add c4 to the backyard bonfire.

While he’s genuine and kind to most people he meets, including serfs and baselines and his babies and his nieces and nephews and brothers-who-aren’t-horus, he is aggressively interested in protection for his geneline and any planets under their control. Though he’ll weather the inevitable hero worship, something he’s dealt with for a long time already, he refuses to continue to present himself as the saint, when he feels that was a sham to those it should have mattered to anyway. He snaps and snarls at emps, and will not aid guilliman’s new imperium with figurehead appearances though the two are on otherwise good terms. (gman doesn’t begrudge him this too much. the imperium Does Kinda Suck). He’s dropped his filter, basically. He’s still undoubtedly one of the nicest of the primarchs on an individual level, and to an inconsequential person he poses no threat, but he isn’t interested in pulling punches anymore, politically or otherwise, and is therefore a relative wildcard for his brothers to deal with. his legion is largely following his lead (sort of. it's complicated)

he is not currently allowed on the field. quite frankly everyone is terrified of what might happen with his mental state being so volatile (his legion doesn’t want to lose their primarch again, everyone else is just plain terrified) He isn’t too bothered by this, preferring to stick to the palace so he can monitor and terrorize horus like a blood-covered victorian spectre. He does occasionally venture out; memorably, he's (re?)made friends with The Silent King, and he can split the sanguinor off for Emergency Sang-Ex-Machinas, though it's debatable how much control he has over the sanguinor while it's separated

[ideas-on-paper]

Lies of P: Overture gameplay footage breakdown

So, some new gameplay footage of Lies of P: Overture just dropped - and holy macaroni, if it doesn’t go hard.

In fact, it got me so hyped that I couldn’t help but sit down and break down all of it.

Note: All time stamps, unless otherwise stated, refer to the video linked above.

Gameplay stuff

- First off, we’ve got notable gameplay updates, the first of which being the option to adjust dash/dodge/jump being on the same button! (Seen at 3:27.)

I’m actually so glad they decided to implement this - you see, Lies of P was my first soulslike, and I couldn’t get to grips with the standard controls at all. On the other hand, I practically grew up with Monster Hunter, so what I did was basically jury-rigging the MH controls in Lies of P. xD

I kinda got used to dodge/dash being on the same button over time, but the jump button being L3 still weirded me out. Whenever I play LoP again, I’ll definitely play around with those options a bit, and see if I find some key bindings that I like better! :-)

- Second, there now is the option to use Held Ergo for level-ups and purchasing in stores. (Seen at 29:17.)

I suppose this means you can use Ergo items in your inventory right from the level up/purchasing screen, which is an awesome QoL improvement.

- The footage also reveals one new status effect and one new buff item: Freeze (seen at 0:22) and the Miraculous Enhancement Ampoule (seen at 29:40), respectively.

Freeze not only continuously drains your HP but also decreases your movement and attack speed, which sounds like a rather nasty effect.

The Miraculous Enhancement Ampoule temporarily increases your max HP, Stamina, and Legion, which I can see coming in handy in boss fights and miniboss fights. (Probably more so miniboss fights as the duration of that effect is probably not too long.)

- The footage also extensively shows a new type of gun blade, which was also briefly featured in the Announcement Trailer (at 1:14 in that trailer).

You can also get a peak at one of the new Legion Arms in the footage, called “Cataclysm”; since the person playing doesn’t use it though, we don’t get to see what it does.

However, I managed to find a second video where you can see that the Cataclysm arm is essentially a three-barreled shotgun (best seen at 9:40). In addition, the aforementioned video also showcases some other weapons, namely a killer wind wheel (at 3:12), a flamethrower lance (at 6:22), a rocket engine lance (at 10:30) which literally has the same charge animation as the lances in Monster Hunter LOL, the bow (at 8:06 and 9:24) and the Wolverine claws (at 8:23) from the Announcement Trailer plus a new Legion Arm named Icarus that can throw spinning blades (as seen at 3:52).

So yeah, the new weapons are wild. xD

Heck yeah, Gemini!

- One thing I’m especially pleased about is that Gemini seems to be a lot more involved in the story this time: He’s actually reacting to the newspaper found at the beginning (at 2:48), you’ve got the option to talk with him at the Stargazer (at 3:07; I wish we could’ve done this more often in the base game), and he chimes in a lot more often to share his thoughts.

Now, it actually feels like Gemini is part of the story - and ngl, I’m enjoying that very much. :-)

Okay, now for the juicy stuff.

Beware that there are spoilers for the main game ahead, as well as spoilers for the setting/location of the DLC, as seen in the footage. I will also speculate about the direction the story of the DLC might potentially take, based on what we saw so far.

Timeline

- Despite the big tease of “You want to know the year?” in the first trailer, the date in the zoo advert found at 2:40 is redacted - again. Well, if we keep going like this, I don’t think there’s much hope they’ll give us an exact date in the DLC. xD

- One slightly more precise date is found on the plaque at the zoo’s entrance (seen at 6:55), stating that the zoo was founded on September 19, 18XX - however, that’s only logical, since one of the dates in Descartes’s Note is 189X. Descartes’s Note was presumably written shortly before everything went to shit in Krat, so the zoo must’ve been founded at an earlier date.

Story theories and speculation

Just to be safe, [CW for mentions of animal cruelty/skinning]

- At 24:52, Gemini voices his suspicion that “the Stargazer sent them back in time”. Since they’re talking about the Stargazer - like a very specific one - could it be the Golden Stargazer near the Malum District? (That past DLC speculation has also revolved around?)

The Stargazers in the DLC are also visually distinct from those in the normal game: The have a few extra rings around them, one of them with Roman numerals. That actually makes the DLC Stargazers look very reminiscent of the big one in the hotel - I wonder if this might imply that they’re in the past/traveled through time?

- According to Gemini, the zoo “burned down a long time ago” (4:02); now, this is interesting because the records of the mental institution that was once Hotel Krat were also destroyed in a large fire.

I already suspected previously that the “mental institution” was just a facade for experiments with Ergo, and the zoo is crawling with mutated people and animals all over, so it’s reasonable to assume the Alchemists had something to do with that as well. (Their involvement is basically confirmed by the dead body found at 36:29.)

If I may be so bold, I would assume that in both cases, the fire was started intentionally by the Alchemists - they did some experimenting and then eventually said “okay, that’s enough, torch the place” to cover their tracks.

- It’s interesting that one of the enemies seen in the footage (from 18:35 to 21:28 and again from 29:50 to 34:38) appears to be a mutated hybrid of an elephant with giraffe hindlegs. 

I wonder if this is because the Alchemists intentionally created “Frankenstein” versions of various animals and then subjected them to the “carcass concoction” to see how they would perform; judging by the polar bear with the encased head at the beginning (0:33), it at least seems like they were running some pretty brutal experiments on them…

Alternatively, it might be because Ergo “assimilates” the souls of different beings (and physical features, too); I’ve had the latter theory for a longer time, and it might further be supported by the elephant-giraffe-hybrid sprouting an additional head in the second fight (at 30:45) that incorporates heads of a variety of animals (a crocodile, a zebra, a hyena, a wolf, a mandrill, and an anteater, from what I can see).

- Although the full text isn’t seen in the video, there’s a note about a missing taxidermist at 17:00.

My genuine live reaction when seeing this: “No. No. NonononoNO! Please don’t tell me it’s true. Please tell me that Geppetto and Simon didn’t kidnap a professional taxidermist to give P real human skin.” (And why do I imagine that we’re actually going to meet said taxidermist, the taxidermist recognizes P and says: “You… You are that special puppet I was tasked with. *touches P’s face* My God, you look marvelous…” And P is just really uncomfortable with the whole situation, recoiling and saying “Don’t touch me like that! I’m not a doll!”)

- So the lady puppeteer from the Announcement Trailer is revealed to be Markiona, the “Puppeteer of Death” (at 13:40) - that means she’s not Camille, as some people have suspected.

However, she definitely seems to have to do something with Camille: In the note found at 36:32, it’s stated that Markiona was the one to discover “the secret of the Sacred Maid Puppet” (interesting that they’re calling Camille “sacred”). Furthermore, the text mentions that Markiona was once a Workshop Technician in the past; so… maybe the theory about her being Camille is not entirely untrue? Perhaps, like Laxasia (who was known as Adriana in the past), she received a new name after her “ascension”? Kinda like a rechristening? (How would Camille’s Ergo come to be in the maid puppet, though? Markiona is not dead… Or is she?)

Markiona is also credited as the creator of the so-called Arche Puppets, “her masterpiece” - I would suspect the angel puppet we saw in the Announcement Trailer is one of those.

The Arche Puppets were also supposed to “spread the elixir” through all of Krat, with Markiona’s army bringing “the joy of evolution” to every citizen in the land. This sounds like the Arche Puppets are responsible for spreading the Petrification Disease/carcass disease in Krat (more likely carcass disease, as it mentions an “elixir”) - a task which would’ve been that much easier for them as they can fly.

- Last but not least, we’ve got Gemini saying “I remember a day like this. A day when snow was falling on the zoo…” (at 25:00). This would mean that Gemini, in whatever way, was present when the catastrophe in the zoo we’re witnessing right now happened. And that means it’s also quite likely that Carlo - and by extension, Romeo - was involved in some way. (As Gemini seems to have been quite familiar with Carlo.)

Anyway, from all we’ve seen now, it seems like the zoo catastrophe was the original outbreak of the carcass disease (with the Alchemists experimenting on animals which got pretty out of hand), and the Monad Charity House incident occurred at some point after that.

[explorer-alba]

Entry 08

I took my time exploring Timberline-Falls. I fear my body starts to hate the cold. Not only does my eye hurt during the day, because of the bright snow. Even more than usual during the day,... My chest also start to hurt from the cold,... breathing is painful here,...

Its such a shame,... I love the smell and how the cold breeze feels. Maybe,... maybe,... yeah I hope it's just one of these phases.

Alright - focus!

Like before I don't have much to report. But I think I slowly get used to the dangers of these areas. It's the first time I'm able to hide in the area without the use of extra gadgets. Still I'm forced into direct confrontation a lot. But at least its a good training. There are Dredge, Svanir, Jotun and grumpy Grawl everywhere.

Speaking of the Grawl,... I found this structure that looked like a massive Idol. The Grawl seem to whore ship it - or hate it?

I took a closer look and found out its an experiment of one Asura. Well at least I assume its from an Asura, looking at the tech. Haven't met the owner and I think they won't be happy seeing me sniffing around,...

Oh what is this,... oh dear. I should destroy this photo. If the Legions sees this, they think I'm fooling around, than working.

Looks like one of the Norn from this camp caught me drinking - or more like spilling my drink. I might had a a few drinks that day,... they where so friendly and invited me. And their beer tasted amazing,... mhm

Still,... I guess I better destroy this photo. ... ah burn me - I keep it.

The Legion will still say I'm inefficient, when they see my paintings. The nature here is beautiful. I started a few more drawings, but these two are my favorites.

Next step will be Frostgorge Sound. The locals already warned me about this area. Its not only dangerous there,... also more cold than usual. I should fetch some warmer clothe before I head there.

~ Alba

Sidenote from OP: With exploring this Map, Alba reached level 80 <3

I decided to stick to my plan only giving them armor I find during the exploration or can get from Hearts Vendors. Main reason I wanted to use my legendary, was me being too lazy changing the skin of the armor over and over again. But I got enough transmutation-Charges to do so. And maybe I've already put too much thought into her build with runes and stuff…

Its more interesting this way - when Alba survives all maps, they get the legendary stuff /just me thinking loudly

[remembrancer-of-heresy]

You know, I love power imbalances. It’s always interesting to write about serfs. But since I value art (Serve the 3rd Legion), I prefer the remembrancers. And I decided to think about which particular remembrancers would be most interesting to write about relationships with the primarchs. Here is the list:

Documentarist (Journalist): Horus Lupercal, Roboute Guilliman.

For the first, it is important to feel his importance and self-centeredness. Write down his story as vividly as possible so that everyone understands how wonderful he is and how hard he tries. How much people should appreciate him and respect the title of Warmaster. Well, over time, you will truly become a personal documentarist when he decides to reveal to you the personal aspects of his life. So this time you have appreciate how wonderful he is.

The second needs a documentarist to record the history of the Imperium. He respects your order. And your personality. Because you are not a sycophant and write everything as it is. In 40k he needs a documentarist so that everyone will start seeing him again as a man and not a god. Alas, you will have to write down even the strangest things, such as “In such year, Guilliman could not lift a piece of paper because his armor was in the way. He joked. Cato didn’t laugh.”

Imagist: Alpharius/Omegon, Corvus Corax, Lion El'Jonson.

Simple and functional. You stay out of the way and photograph important events that can be studied later. And considering your profession, you have quite a high level of insight. And this attracts such hidden and suspicious individuals as these primarchs.

Historiographer (Historian): Magnus the Red, Jaghatai Khan, Leman Russ

The thirst for knowledge and the desire to understand the past will definitely bring you and Magnus together. You will literally be on the same page, discussing many events from different angles.

Well, given the fact that you are a historian, everything is interesting to you. Including a foreign culture that you respect and try to understand. At this moment, Jaghatai Khan is already taking you away on a bike.

And since you know that history can write one-sided personalities, you understand that something deep may be hiding behind the barbarian. You know it's a façade. At this moment, Leman is already throwing you over his shoulder.

Musician: Angron, Mortarion, Konrad Curze.

The way your fingers gently touch the instrument, the compositions you create. But the most important thing is your voice. Reminiscent of the rustling of leaves or the murmur of a river. Feels like fog. The best reassurance for unstable primarchs like these trio.

Painter: Fulgrim, Sanguinius.

These art lovers will love all the remembrancers. But I am sure that they will give preference to painters. Because they paint the real world as they see it. Because they would like to see the world like that and so on. A real space for imagination that knocks primarchs off their feet. And if, in addition to your talent, you also have your own different opinion about art (+ perfection), then at that very second you will have a very artistic admirers.

Sculptor: Perturabo, Dorn, Ferrus Manus.

Well, there’s no need to rant too much here. The first two primarchs regularly play with large-sized Lego. So it will be much easier for them to communicate with a sculptor who will understand them at least a little. But yes, praise from them is also like a stone. Ferrus Manus loves art, but not to the same extent as Fulgrim. A sculptor would be much more suited to Manus's aesthetic views than a painter or musician.

Wordsmith (author): Lorgar Aurelian.

Lorgar is a preacher, so he will be fascinated by a remembrancer with oratory skills. Or more precisely, someone who can turn words into something beautiful. What thousands of people will re-read or listen to.

Vulkan…no idea really. But let's say Wordsmith, because the word has “smith” :)

[moodymisty]

[ 𝕸𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖞𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖞'𝖘 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 | 𝕬𝖔3 ]

Author's Note: @commodoreprocrastinator this is your fault, now deal with the repercussions of your actions. Part 1 of 2. I hope it's romantic enough even though it's the cardboard cutout primarch and only my second time writing him. ¯\_( ❛︠ ⍙ ︡❛)_/¯

Summary: Your knight returns after what has felt like ages apart, and decides to take part in a secret moment alone.

Relationship: Lion'el Jonson/Gn!Reader (no pronouns are used in this, but it does have a very princess/knight vibe so fair warning)

Warnings: None that I can think of

Word Count: 1305

Lion El'Jonson strides down the halls of the Invincible Reason with purpose.

The ceramite boots of his armor hit the ground louder than that of an astartes, and any one he passes by stops their task and gives a respectful bow of their head. He doesn’t demand them to bow and kiss the floor, but he expects a level of decorum from his legion. They are expected to as sons of The First; As Dark Angels.

As he walks, rain pattering down against any surface exposed to it, Lion'el sighs.

Belath had proven more than timely with his updates as to the legion’s current effectiveness, which the Primarch appreciated. He will always find one of the astarte's finer qualities to be his lack of verbose speech- his ability to get to the point. But even in it's simplicity, it had still proven irritating when he had something else on the mind.

Travel to the Fortress Monastery had proven both as unexciting and lackluster as his drawing and discussion of strategic plans had been.

He arrived during the night, the moonlight spilling through the massive glass windows and mullions forming patterns along the stone floors. The Lion breaks their design as he walks through them, a hand resting on the pommel of his shortsword. His greatsword rests on his back, overtop of the dark emerald green cape that flows behind him just brushing against the floor.

He goes higher, traveling up flights of stairs made of solid stone. Some have runners of ornate, hand woven cloth, the design in a dark emerald green embellished with golden thread. All of it- every tapestry and mural, bears the symbol or at least the color scheme of his Legion.

Higher again, until he’s far beyond where most astartes and serfs typically tread. The rug that runs down the hall is much more worn, having taken an unknown number of years worth the footfall without being replaced. There aren’t many souls who come up here, for there isn't much reason for them to. The Lion's personal quarters reside in these halls, and unless he calls them they have no need to ever step foot here.

He turns one corner, and at the end of the hall lies his destination. 

He can see two Astartes guarding the door, as he had placed them. He had placed trust in the elder of them to choose another marine to serve as his parallel in guard along with two others to rotate with. A young astartes is beside him, clear by the different regalia and symbolism he wears that gives it away to only one familiar to their legion.

Lion stands between them, his hand adjusting once more on the pommel of his sword.

“Take your leave.”

He speaks plainly to both, and they nod their ceramite helms before walking past. Once the Lion can no longer hear their heavy power armor trudging down stairs that even made of full stone complain as men so heavy walk on them, he places a hand on the door’s handle.

He pulls it open; Winged helm in his opposite hand. Not moments later does he hear a voice call his name sounding both surprised and excited.

“Lion?”

At the call of his name he looks forward, seeing you leaning away from the window. Your hands had been leaning against the sill, watching whatever had been of interest below. More than likely the sea of Dark Angels all returning, a sea of dark green. You've always had this odd sort of of fascination with it all. He steps closer, and you turn to fully watch him come to stand right in front of you. 

After a moment’s waiting, the massive Primarch slowly lowers to a knee. He sighs as he does so, as if irritated by a request you hadn’t even made. You take the invitation to come closer, as you gently press a chaste kiss against his lips. You feel his beard brush against your skin, the top half of his blonde hair pulled back. He doesn't sigh in discontent that time.

“I missed you. Are you ok?” 

The Lion finds your overt concern pointless, but somewhat endearing. He’s never had someone so overt in caring about his wellbeing. Though even if it’s pointless, he can’t expect you to shed the emotions you’ve shown for so long. He can and has as a Primarch, to a mortal they are interwoven into your very being.

“Yes.” 

He glances over to a massive table filled with stacks of books. They’re scattered about, some open and some stacked in piles of an unknown organizational system. He’s not surprised you took interest in the massive collection. 

Your hands have stayed hovering in front of your chest most of this time, though now they move forward and hesitantly reach for him. He allows you to touch his jawline as you come closer. The rough scruff of his beard tickles your palms, and you'd laugh if you didn't think he'd be almost childishly insulted by it.

“How long are you going to stay this time?” 

Lion knows that you aren’t expecting any actual answer; He cannot give you one, nor will he. The moment an uncontacted world is discovered, he will leave. It is his duty and his purpose. No matter even if he has other thoughts on his mind, thoughts of you, they cannot impede his goal. 

“Long enough for the legion to rest.” He pauses. “What do you want?” 

He always asks this, only able to show how he feels about you in these silent gestures. You don’t say anything nor blame him, as despite him being far older than yourself, you can clearly tell this sort of thing is entirely uncharted.

It's been a bit odd; He's many years your senior, but it often feels like you're the one showing him things.

You can't avoid smiling this time, though it's abit more guilty that perhaps Lion was expecting.

“I would love to watch your men spar again, but they've only just stepped foot on Caliban." Lion gives you an unimpressed look.

"You would ask something of my Legion instead of myself?" Your hands are still on his chest armor, and your fingers brush across the giant aquilla in a slightly flustered gesture.

"But, you’ve said your men aren't strong enough for you to duel them.”

He remains one of if not the best duelist that the Imperium has ever seen, and despite how diligently and strictly he has trained his Dark Angels, none of them have the natural prowess he has to be a true fight. It's simply in his nature as a Primarch.

Lion, in an extremely rare moment, softens his face with a hint of amusement. He raises and armored hand to gently hold your jaw, and brush a small bit of a hair away from your face. His massive hand overtakes much of you, but he's surprising gentle despite it. He uses a small bit of his strength however to pull you just close enough to give you a gentle kiss to the forehead.

“When we arrive to Terra, perhaps I can proposition one of my brothers for a duel then. I am sure at least one of them will be eager to accept.” 

A fight between Primarchs? You had never considered yourself bloodthirsty or violent, but something about it makes your heart race- eager to watch. Perhaps it’s what his men feel shortly before a battle, or when they begin their training each and every day.

You smile at him, and grasp at his gauntlet. It's the closest you can get to any sort of intimate gesture, with his armor still on. He looks at you with the most relaxed face you've seen on him in awhile, as you speak.

"I would love to see that."

[rei-ismyname]

Which alternate reality of the X-Men did you like the most?

Good question!

I'm neutral on Age of Apocalypse, probably in part because of how much it's been reused. I should probably reread it. I also find Apocalypse himself to be a ridiculous villain - he's not really someone you can relate to at all, at least until House of X. Bringing him back/cloning him/replacing him/Apocalypse Twinsing got old for me really quickly, but it kept happening and will keep happening. It's worth mentioning for being the original alt X-Men setup that many of the others are named after, inspired by, or both. I love the alternate character trajectories in general for their own sakes as well as what they reveal about the 616 versions.

I did love Xavier revisiting it during Krakoa's infinity comics. Entirely character driven.

Age of X felt bleak and had a lot of mystery motivations that weren't that interesting, but was better than the sum of its parts. All the mutants together in a stronghold constantly fighting wasn't the most imaginative setting - it's not far from Utopia for instance. I like Legion, Mags and Scott a lot though so I enjoy it.

Lol, the irony of the FF arrested for protecting mutants

I love Age of X-Man conceptually but the execution and briefness made it feel undercooked. I think there's a lot of potential there that didn't get explored. Some wonderful moments, but everyone is brainwashed for 95% of it. The climax was over so quickly with not enough discussion for my liking. Still, Fred Dukes getting 6 years of growth out of it was lovely, and I'm disgusted that he's been tortured and reverted to misery plus made 4 times fatter. I really hope he gets out of Graymalkin and isn't regressed.

Some dishonourable mentions

- House of M can go fuck itself for so many reasons. We didn't even get to see all that much of it before it was torn down along with Wanda's character and 99% of mutants. The Academy X tie in was pretty fun though.

- Prodigy's supervillain nightmare doesn't really count but the concept has legs. IDK why they keep making mutants disaster presidents, but at least they committed with him and went full war crimes.

- Most What Ifs can fuck right off too. Phoenix, Logan, and Magneto continually remixed in samey ways. Boring! President Cyclops with nothing to say? Snooze. Killing Emma repeatedly? That's just mean.

- The original Ultimate Universe. 👎👎 Genocidal lunatic Magneto has been done - turning it up to eleven just didn't have anything to say. Cynical, edgy for edginess' sake, and it's all a joke in the end. It wouldn't bloody stay contained either, with unoriginal bozos like Jimmy Hudson migrating to 616 and heavily influencing the movies. I'll stop there.

- Age of Revelation. We have only seen glimpses of it so far, but Doug as Apocalypse? Boooring. I hope I'm wrong, because the concept of the golden idiot has so much potential.. Him deciding to kill everyone is unimaginative. I know including it is curmudgeonly cheating, but I see you Marvel and I know your ways.

This one has actually started being explored and Ultimate X-Men (2024) itself is moving slowly, but Earth 6160's mutant situation is as interesting as the rest of the universe. Very! Maybe it's recency bias and faith in the quality of the project so far, but Earth 6160 is the answer my heart gives. Everything is turned on its head, designed intentionally by the Maker to be his version of a perfect society.

Sentinels have existed at one point, but the Maker went with a different strategy - forced relocation and reservation. These are genocidal tactics but it doesn't seem to be his goal at all. The Rasputins and Sunfire rule over territories with most of the world's mutants in them (The Eurasian Republic and The Land of Fire/Hi No Kuni respectively) and they are on the Illuminati council. We've seen the characters themselves remixed and reimagined a lot, but changing their environment on the geopolitical level avoids a homogeneous approach. Storm is a freedom fighter in Africa, the X-Men are Japanese schoolgirls tangling with a teenage Shadow King Logan is the Winter Soldier, and plenty of more well known X-Men are on either side of an insurrection.

All (most?) of the other alt universes are alt Americas, either explicitly or implicitly. Changing that alone would interest me, but the thoughtful bottom up design of 6160 just works. There's nothing even approaching mutant culture that we've seen and the Eurasian resistance is made up of anti authoritarians of all stripes opposing the Rasputins because they're tyrants - not because they're mutants. There's reactionary mutantphobia in Ultimate X-Men, but it's in response to a spooky mutant cult sacrificing people etc.

Mutants are just people, for the most part - viewed the same as anyone else with superpowers. The mutant metaphor is there, but it's not so ham-handed with mobs and pitchforks etc. The public doesn't understand mutants because their existence has been mostly suppressed, so in a very radical way the mutant paradigm has been rebuilt without the decades of endless escalation of 616.

That's my favourite.

[ok-sims]

Things in Good Omens 2 I still find weird after maaaaany rewatches

Yep, brace yourselves, it's exactly what's in the title:

Maggie making the spelling mistake ("urgrency") in one of the very first scenes of S2.

It is in the very first scene set in the present day. It is the first time we are presented to Maggie. And the spelling mistakes being very much connected to demons all through the season (specially in The Ball episode, with the note about the "angles" and Shax spelling "T-O-S-T-E", not to mention Furfur mispelling Aziraphale's name in 1941).

It is stands out so much because Maggie's mispelling is never brought up again, but the demons' is. And again, it was the audience's first contact with Maggie (even if she is offscreen). It might be just a callback joke (which does not make much sense to me, to be honest), it might be just red herring, or it might be to reinforce the "Maggie is a mirror to Crowley" theory (which does not make much sense to me either, because while Crowley is/was demon, we never see him making spelling mistakes himself).

I'm honestly at loss about what was the intention here. Seens to specific to be just random, given the demons do it many times. My best guess is that it is pure and intentional red herring, to mess with us. But then again, what for?

Miss Cheng (specially in E5S2, "The Ball")

Since my first watch, the brief scene when Miss Cheng is entering the Bookshop for Aziraphale's thinly disguised excuse to have a Jane Austen ball, she has a very... particular look in her face. It is when the weather is getting darkier e gloomier, resembling Michael Jackson's "Thriller" videoclip, because Shax and her "legion" of demons are arriving. The thing is, Miss Cheng does not look afraid at all, or even like she is suspecting something is going on. Miss Cheng looks suspicious herself! I feel like this scene is off in so many levels. First of all, it did not need to be included at all. So why add this scene to the final cut? Miss Cheng does not have a very clear role in the narrative, while all the other shopkeepers have at least something that not only sets them apart from everyone else, but adds something to the narrative and/or callbacks something else in the series.

Beside the obvious Nina and Maggie, Ms Sandwich brings to the table the comical relief, Mr Brown is there to set the excuse for the Jane Austen ball, Mr Arnold provides the fancy classical music for the ball AND the Doctor Who jokes, Justine is an excuse to bring up Aziraphale's bad French again, and give us a callback to the Bastille scene in S1, and Mutt is a callback to the magic shop shown in the zombie minisode.

But Miss Cheng on the other hand brings none of those things. We don't even get to see what is her bussiness. Of course, her scene discussing Ms Sandwich's work is a delight, but honestly, it could have been any other character asking about Ms Sandwich's job. And opportunity to have Ms Sandwich ask what Miss Cheng's work was there, but it was not taken.

Now, the only other scene Miss Cheng is in focus is in the very end of E6S2, when Maggie and Nina decide to sit down with Crowley to have The Talk. Nina asks Miss Cheng to look after the coffeeshop for a few minutes. Again, seens kinda random to have Miss Cheng there, and I really think this specific scene, by itself, might not have any further meaning. But when viewed along her other scenes (and specific lack of better fleshing out, which was given to all other shopkeepers), it just seens weird. Again, might just be a red herring to mess with us, but Miss Cheng is presented in a very sus way.

Aziraphale not having a replacement

Odd phrasing, I know, but I could not find better words to describe it. We are presented very early on to Shax, who is replacing Crowley in his former job in Hell. Shax is an important character all through the season, yet we never get a hint at who is replacing Aziraphale's job vacancy. We don't even get a hint if there is a replacement, or if it was decided Heaven would not be replacing him. We just get radio silence about who is Heaven's representative in London now, or if something happed to that position and why. Maybe if Shax simply did not exist, it wouldn't have bothered me. But since she does, and it is made clear many times that she has Crowley's former job, it stands out to me that nothing is ever said or even alluded about Aziraphale's former job position.

There are some other things that stand out to me, but these are the more obvious ones to me. I would be delighted to hear other people's takes on these matters, as I might have missed something. Oh well, I guess here is my first piece of Good Omens meta.

[moodcrab]

The Skyrim Opening Makes No Sense!

YouTube has recently been recommending a lot of people playing Skyrim for the first time, mostly from channels by young people exploring very old games... BETHESDA! This means for the first time in a decade I've watched the Skyrim vanilla opening over and over and... Well I guess I never really thought about it in detail. Before I started modding it was just something tedious to get past... But watching it retrospectively along with commentary from a fresh point of view I've noticed that the Skyrim Intro Makes No Sense!

So we wake up on the cart next to Ulfric, a man who is gagged because he can literally murder people with his voice... But all our hands are bound in front of us... Just like, take the gag off dude. Like it sucks that apparently that bit of cloth is more powerful than the Thu'um, but you could just reach up and take it out of your mouth, fuck we'll help you if it's at an awkward angle or whatever, this is literally all our lives and your whole rebellion at stake, that's all.

General Tulius is here, meeting up with the Thalmor that he totally trusts, that's totally not sus that they knew to be here at all... Makes you wonder why he didn't just execute Ulfric on the spot as soon as he was caught doesn't it? It's not like he's giving Ulfric a trial or anything, as far as the Empire is concerned Ulfric is guilty. Tulius for some reason just decided to bring Ulfric to a town to execute him, not even the nearest town to where he was caught either. Did he want witnesses? Ok just leave a handful of Stormcloaks alive, they aren't going to lie about seeing Ulfric beheaded.

Nevermind we're here now, quickly, kill Ulfric and bring a swift end to this mess... After I make a little speech. And after this priestess makes a little speech. And after we execute this nobody Stormcloak. And after we execute the random in the rags who we aren't even sure is guilty of anything. Why are we here again?

Oh yeah, we were "caught crossing the border" right? Take a deep breath before we delve into this hole that Bethesda dug for itself for literally no reason; baring in mind that in all previous games where you begin as a prisoner they never explicitly say why you are a prisoner. What crime are you accused of, are you guilty or innocent, that was all your headcannon and Skyrim needn't have been any different. So... Exactly what border were we caught illegally crossing?

Well, there are numerous examples of the game implying or outright stating that the player character is not from Skyrim, even if you choose to play a Nord. Every race specific response from Hadvar, for example, or when Galmar asks why an outsider would want to join the Stormcloaks. So you definitely crossed a national border... The only problem is, as Ralof confirms, the Imperial ambush happened at Darkwater Crossing, a location that is nowhere near a national border. Helgan is in fact closer to the border than Darkwater Crossing, but that doesn't matter because, as Tulius and the Fort Nugart Note confirmes, the border to Cyrodiil is snowed in, hence his recruiting locally and not relying on Imperial reinforcements.

The only border that Ralof could possibly be talking about is the Eastmarch-Rift border, both Holds that are Stormcloak territory, so why the Imperial Legion would care about someone random crossing it I don't know. And even if they weren't Stormcloak Holds, as we all know from actually playing the rest of the game, crossing Hold borders isn't illegal. In fact it actually erases your wanted level.

Again, nobody forced Bethesda to make it cannon that The Last Dragonborn was caught crossing a border they physically couldn't have crossed, illegally, despite the fact it isn't illegal. It's literally one line of dialogue, this was entirely avoidable.

What's that bone chilling roar? IT'S NOTHING! Hurry up and kill this obviously not a rebel (before Ulfric, the actual terrorist). It's fair to say they couldn't have guessed that that noise was coming from a dragon, but to assert that it's nothing!? With those oh so trustworthy Thalmor just down the street? Yeah probably nothing, keep Ulfric at the bottom of the list. Gods I fucking love damn lists!

Well it turns out that the terrifying roar didn't just come from absolutely nothing. It in fact came from absolutely something. Nobody could have foreseen this. The something it absolutely was, is a dragon, and in the chaos Ulfric somehow got away. Again, nobody could have foreseen this, in fact it's pretty much the opposite of what Tulius was going for here.

In our desperate escape we run straight past two giant city gates because Tulius ordered us to use the unnecessarily labyrinthian, giant-spider infested escape route through the keep that's literally collapsing on us instead.

We get a choice, go with Ralof, a fellow prisoner who has risked his life to save ours, or Hadvar, someone who was perfectly willing to kill us knowing full well we were innocent, but he feews weelly bawd abowd id 🥺. Fuck off Hadvar, you "just following orders, I'll pay your corpse more respect than your life, torture is a necessary evil" bitch! And fuck this opening for not letting me skip anything! I may not be a big fancy "great American novel" writer like Emil Pagliarulo, but still I think this could have used a second draft.

[nesiacha]

The Ambiguous Political Relationship Between Lazare Carnot and Félix Le Peletier

On the surface, and even at a deeper ideological level, a lot divides these two men. Félix Le Peletier became one of the most well-known republican opponents of the Directoire period (among the famous opponents of this period are Bernard Metge, Xavier Audouin, Antonelle, Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Gracchus Babeuf, Victor Bach, although some of them were not aligned on the same ideals—for example, Metge was a liberal follower of the Constitution of Year III and anti-Babouvist), whereas Lazare Carnot was one of the most important members of the Directoire. Carnot was much more conservative on many points compared to Félix Le Peletier. However, their relationship is far more complex than simply being sworn enemies.

Here is an excerpt from their complex relationship: "In early November 1795, upon Carnot's recommendation, Félix Le Peletier was offered a position as a commissioner of the Directoire in the department of Seine-et-Oise. He rejected it with surprising virulence, informing Carnot that he regarded him as a tyrant and would continue to work to overthrow him. Carnot-Feulins, in his Histoire du Directoire, asserts, however, that Félix Le Peletier and his brother had close relations and frequently conversed. In 1796, when the Conjuration des Égaux was suppressed, Carnot led the operation. Yet, Félix Le Peletier escaped the police. Was this with Carnot's complicity? It seems hard to believe, especially since an archival document suggests that he narrowly escaped a police dragnet because he was detained in a café on Rue des Deux-Écus with a soldier. However, when in May 1796, he dared to publish his Second Reflections on the Present Moment, a strong indictment in favor of equality and common happiness, it is certain that he benefited from effective protection. At the same time, an arrest warrant signed by Carnot was issued for Félix Le Peletier, 'accused of conspiracy against the internal and external security of the Republic.' Despite this, Félix Le Peletier acted quite freely in Paris and Versailles. Was Carnot playing a double game? One might assume so. There is testimony to support this. A passage from the Mémoires sur Carnot by his son claims that during the Grenelle uprising, Carnot warned Félix Le Peletier the very morning that the police were about to intervene. Félix Le Peletier supposedly shared this warning with several others. Finally, the close ties between Carnot and Félix Le Peletier are evident during the Hundred Days. Carnot was appointed Minister of the Interior. On his recommendation, Félix Le Peletier was appointed commissioner of the Empire in the department of Seine-Inférieure, where he lived. Elected to the Chamber of Representatives after the May 1815 legislative elections, he went to Paris and was offered the Legion of Honor by Carnot, which he refused."

What is strange is that Félix Le Peletier never forgot that Carnot was responsible for the death of his friend Gracchus Babeuf (whom he was very close to). I believe that while Félix Le Peletier was a staunch activist, he did not believe in the death of a republican martyr and was prepared to continue living and fighting without abandoning his friends. After all, Félix Le Peletier accepted help from his childhood friend Saint-Jean d’Angely when he was persecuted by Bonaparte and nearly deported. So, he might have accepted help from Carnot as well, even though his friend Gracchus Babeuf had been condemned to death, for in any case, Félix could have done nothing.

What I personally find intriguing is Carnot's attitude. I mean, he clearly saw that Félix was not a real threat and decided to protect him. That is to his credit. Yet, he led a repression against the Babouvists, including Félix Le Peletier's friends. I get the impression that Carnot overestimated the "danger" posed by Gracchus and his Babouvist associates compared to other elements under the Directoire regime, and that’s why Carnot acted this way.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Gracchus (and Buonarotti) spared Carnot from most of the criticism, while he was virulent against Cochon, the Minister of Police, and Grisel, despite the terrible ordeals Gracchus endured, such as being transported in a metal cage from Paris to Vendôme. The reason may be that Carnot at least protected some of his friends, in addition to other reasons I’ve mentioned here. Indeed, in the last letter Gracchus sent to his friend Félix, he told him that he knew Félix would be spared, even though Gracchus was to be executed, as you can see here.

But the fact that Carnot wanted to recruit Félix Le Peletier offers a plausible explanation for why Émile Babeuf might have worked for Carnot, specifically on a mission during the Hundred Days, as shown here. Indeed, Émile Babeuf, like Félix Le Peletier, aligned with Bonaparte during the Hundred Days. Now, we know that Félix Le Peletier was a protector of the Babeuf family and very close to them (he considered them as a family, and vice versa, not to mention their shared political views on several points). So it’s likely that if Carnot wanted Félix Le Peletier to work for him, Félix could have served as an intermediary for Émile Babeuf to send a letter to Lazare Carnot. This now makes more sense to me, considering what happened between Carnot and Gracchus Babeuf.

Sources (about the excerpt) :

[evilasiangenius]

“I said that I think we should have a child together,” Asmodeus said reasonably. “I had always wanted a child with Crowley, but I wouldn’t dare try with Crowley first. Not with something that could harm my darling one. As I said, an ordinary Angel doesn’t have the resilience for such high level biological experimentation. But a Principality does, and how convenient it is that you are a Principality, Aziraphale.”

“How...how could you do such a thing?! Lord Asmodeus, this goes against all the rules-”

“No one cares about those anymore, not after the failed Apocalypse. The Great Plan has been shattered and torn, and so we are left to our own devices. God neither cares nor listens; Satan does not either. I have decided I shall do what I want from now on, without worrying about the consequences. Besides, perhaps this will give us an edge in that final war with Heaven. A fallen Angel and a former Angel, that child would count toward Hell’s legions, wouldn’t it?”

The Prince and the Principality

[merymoonbeam]

people call elriel cliche because of 3x3. I mean where are all the sisters ending up with brothers books I am seem to be missing???. anyways... but if elriel is endgame it means sarah wrote the books that well that they are all fated.

like from this first acotar quote:

“May the Immortal Light shine upon thee, sisters,” said the pale-robed young woman directlyin our path. (acotar)

to these:

“My father,” Rhys said, swirling his wine once—twice, “saw that his son had not only started to rival him for power, but had allied himself with perhaps the two deadliest Illyrians in history. He got it into his head that if we were given a legion in the War, we might very well turn it against him when we returned.” (acomaf)

He gave her that grin I realized likely meant trouble was coming, but said to me, “No. I don’t—not beyond a heaping pile of the killing power. Bastard-born nobody, through and through.” Rhys sat forward like he’d object, but Cassian forged ahead, “Even so, the other males knew that we were different. And not because we were two bastards and a halfbreed. We were stronger, faster—like the Cauldron knew we’d been set apart and wanted us to find each other. Rhys’s mother saw it, too. Especially as we reached the age of maturity, and all we wanted to do was fuck and fight.” (acomaf)

Amren shook her head, hair swaying. “Nothing is a fluke. The Cauldron’s power flows through Nesta, and could use her as a puppet without her knowledge. It wanted those weapons Made, and thus they were Made. It wanted Rhysand to have them and thus the blacksmith brought them to you. To you, Rhysand, not to Nesta. And do not forget that Nesta herself—and Elain, with whatever powers she has—is here. Feyre is here. All three sisters blessed by fate and gifted with powers to match your own. Feyre alone doubles your strength. Nesta makes you unstoppable. Especially if she were to march into battle wearing the Mask. No enemy could stand against her. She’d slay Beron’s soldiers, then raise them from the dead and turn them on him.” (acosf)

especially to this:

Azriel stiffened. Let his cold rage rise to the surface, the rage he only ever let Rhysand see, because he knew his brother could match it. "What if the Cauldron was wrong?" Rhysand blinked. "What of Mor, Az?" Azriel ignored the question. "The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another." He had never before dared speak the words aloud.

which this quote directly parallels to Feyre questioning in acowar, questioning who decides it.

“Why not make them mates?” I mused. “Why Lucien?” “I’d keep that question from Lucien.” “I’m serious.” I turned toward him and crossed my arms. “What decides it? Who decides it?” Rhys straightened his lapels before plucking an invisible piece of lint from them. “Fate, the Mother, the Cauldron’s swirling eddies …” (acowar)

all these quotes hinting that it is all "not a fluke" . Maybe it is all for a reason you know.

also if you don't get it...being mates is not even the question here. it is not even about that. it is about who is fated to be together when we all know sometimes mate pairings are wrong:

“A mating bond can be rejected,” Rhys said mildly, eyes flickering in the mirror as he drank in every inch of bare skin I had on display. “There is choice. And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly. Sometimes, the bond is nothing more than some … preordained guesswork at who will provide the strongest offspring. At its basest level, it’s perhaps only that. Some natural function, not an indication of true, paired souls.”

[zeynepalreadytaken]

I'm searching for a Co-Writer for my Fairy Tail Fanfic/AU (Timeline 100YQ)

(There are gonna be spoilers for everyone who isn't caught up to Chapter 187 of the 100YQ Manga!)

So, my fanfic concept "Tales of the Phoenix Dragon" is Jellal centric and I had the idea for the plot YEARS AGO (when my writing was still on the level of a 7th grader) but I just recently completely revamped and refined it with 100YQ coming out lol. So, I guess you could say the fanfic is canon-divergent? Canon-adjacent?

In this fanfic, Jellal is a long-term member of Fairy Tail (at least since GMG or maybe even before that, haven't decided yet) and part of Laxus' Thunder Legion (I like Jellal and Laxus' Interactions, so I thought it would be fitting.)

Also fun fact: His guild mark is on his shoulder in the same place Erza's is, only that it's red and not blue. His guild mark is the same color as her hair bc Erza has hers in his haircolor and I found that cute. At least I see it that way. No idea if this was actually the intention lol.

Not only that but he's one of the five Dragon Gods. The Phoenix Dragon Azuron. (hence the name of the fic) Azuron is considered "The 2nd Fire Dragon God" amongst the five and officially acknowledged as the 7th.

He's the strongest of them all. At least it has been like that in the past. The other dragon gods know about his existence because they have been friends, well, maybe more respected allies/rivals than really "friends". If they had been enemies, Azuron would have had no problem to eliminate the other Dragons because he cannot die and is, contrary to them, immortal.

400 years ago during the war between Humans and Dragons, Azuron transformed to a human, took on the name Jellal and then bound his very dragon soul to a sword that he created, which was later shattered by him into three pieces and scattered across the 3 continents each land has one piece of the sword hidden. Bound by a very strong sealing spell, which should prevent the pieces from ever pulling towards and completing each other, or towards Jellal himself, the fragments remained intact far away from each other. But over the centuries, the sealing spells begun to loosen themselves and the only one who could have strengthen them would have been Jellal but that meant getting close to the pieces one by one, which he couldn't do otherwise the sword pieces would be drawn to him and he'd regain parts of his powers back, which he didn't want.

In his human form with the sword pieces shattered, he is very much mortal tho. His entire existence makes him a walking paradox. Because, as long as the sword is broken, he can die. And the seals are weakening. But in order to reinforce the seals he has to get close to them, which would mean that the fragments could restore his dragon soul. Now, to break the sword, he has to restore it first because only with his full power he is able to destroy it. So, either he lets the seals break on their own and regain his soul this way or he actively looks for the sword pieces to restore them and then break the sword. Either way, his fate is inevitable.

Now, Ignia is obsessed with Azuron, eager for battle and does everything within his own powers to speed up the process of reawakening him. Because he wants to test his own Fire against Azuron’s Phoenix Fire. Ignia convinces the other Dragon Gods (excluding Selene) to support this plan, believing Azuron's rebirth would finally settle who the true Fire Dragon God is. (Since he lay dormant for 400+ years and Ignia had gotten stronger in that time).

"The Children of the Phoenix" is a secretive, fanatical cult scattered across all the three continents, formed centuries ago, whorshipping Azuron. They believe in the prophecy of the Blue Flame Rebirth and see Azuron’s return as the rise of a perfect, immortal world under divine fire. Ignia manipulates the guilt members for his own benefits and they believe Azuron will grant eternal life.

The Sealed Sword of Azuron, also known as The Phoenix Blade Seiryū gōka (which translates to Azure Dragon Hellfire) contains his entire dragon soul and heart, split into three shards, each one hidden in Ishgar, Guiltina and Alakitasia.

Jellal's fire is blue, not searing hot like other flames, but warm, deceptively gentle until it scorches through armor, soul, and memory. Its unique traits are:

He can heal others and himself with his flames. (When fully reborn, his mere breath could restore entire forests and landscapes or raze them to ashes.) Azuron cannot die. When slain, his body crumbles to ash and reforms elsewhere over time. However, so long as the sword remains broken, Jellal remains mortal. Those burned by the Phoenix Flame feel comfort in their final moments, many never realize they’re dying. Jellal refuses to use this magic, fearing any spark could accelerate the pull of the fragments.

Azuron, during the binding of his dragon soul to the sword, used his last bits of magic power to turn himself into a child again and reincarnate himself. His "tattoo" over his left eye is a branding as a Dragon God.

That's why he has it even at such a young age, even seen in the manga during flashbacks with his mother, the tattoo/marking is just there without any explanation as to what it is or where he got it from.

Because it's from a time where he was still a dragon but Jellal forgot about his past life.

Every Dragon God has some kind of marking on their body. Now it's currently still unclear if Selene has any bc I don't think it has been shown but from what I can conduct it is most likely. And we never saw Aldoron's human form if he did have one. But Mercphobia even has an almost identical kind of marking on his left eye, too.

Despite the strength of these seals, proximity to Jellal weakens them.

So during the Tower of Heavens Arc, when Jellal goes insane through Ultears possession and he believes he resurrects Zeref, it's not solely bc of Ultears manipulation but because the Tower was originally built over the Ishgar sword fragment. That's why it "amplifies" Jellal's madness. Ultear's possession + fragment proximity awakened Azuron’s rage. And his obsession with resurrecting Zeref was not only magical corruption. It was a misguided instinct to return the shattered soul sealed beneath his feet.

Each shard reacts differently towards Jellal. Ishgar: Rage and madness (Located at Tower of Heaven). Alakitasia: Awakens his memories. (Location unknown). Guiltina: Gives him his full powers back. (Location unknown).

During the final battle in the Tower of Heaven against Natsu, when Jellal unleashes immense magic, hints of blue flames briefly spark around him. Natsu misinterprets it as Etherion's feedback and doesn't give it any real thought. Natsu, at the time, wouldn’t know what Phoenix Flame even is, so it works.

After that, when Jellal loses his memories and regains them later on, he not only regains the memories from this lifetime but he gains awareness of being Azuron.

It's also gonna have Jerza in it (and, just to spice things up cuz we love drama) Selene and Azuron were past/ex-lovers and this creates, obvious tension between Selene, Erza and Jellal.

Which mostly means that, wereas she doesn't want him back bc he "just left her", Selene also doesn't like the thought of Jellal being with Erza cuz she's the jealous crazy ex girlfriend type. Aka, Selene might kill Erza and Jellal revives her and then proceeds to go ape shit crazy on Selene :D

And Zeref and Jellal would get along in this AU. Cuz everything Zeref destroys with his curse, Jellal could revive it. Jellal would never die at the hands of Zeref's curse either. Their powers cancel each other out.

In chapter 161 (100 YQ) Ignia talks about the "true Dragon King Festival" with Natsu. Now, in my AU I took this conversation and thought, that Ignia in truth wanted to resurrect Azuron, since the Dragon King Festival was always meant to be for Azuron's rebirth, in Ignia's plans. (Lets be honest, Ignia is just a fanboy in this AU and I'm all here for it xD)

Which brings me to chapter 186 in 100YQ when Ignia senses some power signature and flies off, ignoring both Faris and Natsu. Now, I again, am gonna take that and turn it into Ignia sensing Azuron's powers.

Now, if anyone likes this AU enough to want to write it with me, hmu! :D

I'd like to chat with ya!

My Ao3 Account is Zeynepistaken (that's where I'm gonna post it, once it's finished. But I haven't started writing it yet tho but enough ideas)

My Discord user is zeynepistaken Add me there if you wanna talk more privately about it. Or we can move it to Tumblrs DM's.

And if you just have any questions about this AU, but don't feel like co-writing, that's okay too! Ask anyways.

[moodymisty]

How do you think various legions would react to a primarch's lover? Especially if they're mostly a regular mortal. We got a hint of it with your Guilliman piece, so I'm biased and wonder what other headcanons you have for how the Ultramarines reacting to Guilliman's lover. Any ideas you have for Angron, Perturabo, and Dorn would be great to read too! 💙❤️💛

[ 𝕸𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖞𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖞'𝖘 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 | 𝕬𝖔3 ]

[ Part 2, Part 3 ]

Author's Note: So, I might've gotten carried away. I decided to just do the ones you mentioned, but I have drafts for the other legions so if anyone is interested in seeing those as well, feel free to say. I hope this is what you were looking for, and that you enjoy :3

Relationships: Implied Perturabo/Gn!Reader, Angron/Gn!Reader, Roboute Guilliman/Fem!Reader (because of the term 'lady'), Rogal Dorn/Fem!Reader (because of the term 'lady')

Warnings: None really apart from the toxicity that's expected of romancing a Primarch, Typical 40kness

➧ Iron Warriors:

Absolutely not lmao. Haul ass if you see these guys look at you funny.

The legion of brutal industrialism isn't going to tolerate their Primarch thinking of anything beyond the scope of their ambitions for war. Part of you swears it's something that's just hard wired into them.

So while you might love Perturabo, his legion does not love you. Asking for respect would be a joke. Perturabo might be able to beat them into not saying anything, but they have to hold their tongues quite hard between their teeth.

Needless to say, your first introduction hadn't gone well. It's not a scene you want to remember.

It's all sort of a cruel irony; Given Perturabo has always had desires beyond being just a war machine, but his legion treats his foray into love with the same horrible attitude that Perturabo has come to viciously hate about them.

It all makes you feel like you're wedged between two massive walls. Perturabo is borderline obsessive over you, but his Legion treats you as if you're a plague upon their Primarch. Neither is willing to budge on the matter. The walls keep squeezing closer and closer together, and you're trapped right in the middle. You sometimes wonder who is going to snap first.

Most of them just actively ignore you, which you won't complain about. You give most of them- apart from a few of the more amicable Iron Warriors- quite a wide berth. The less time around them the better.

Just let Perty be happy, man.

➧ Imperial Fists:

The way Dorn's legion treats you- you would call it suffocatingly overprotective, but Dorn and his legion call it otherwise. This legion takes everything stupidly seriously. If you leave, you are expected to leave with a retinue of guards, and return by a set time. You will be dragged back if you don't. Your location is known at all times, and while it's reassuring at times to feel safe, at time it feels, stifling.

Though, you knew what you were getting into; So you suppose you can't really complain. You can appreciate that they seem to not think too poorly of you, considering your stature. Being a baseline human amongst Astartes and Primarchs isn't easy, but at least they act somewhat blasé about it. Though it might just be their general dispositions.

They speak to you with the level of formality Dorn orders of them, no more no less. Some of them are a bit confused why The Praetorian even indulges in something like romance, but they don't ask questions. As long as it doesn't interfere with Dorn's ability to do his duty. Any doubts are kept firmly to themselves unless they feel it needs to be brought to attention.

They still treat the Lady of the Imperial Fists with decorum, and some, dare say, even enjoy your company. Communicating with them is certainly interesting however given their stalwart nature. Getting one to crack their neutral expression at a joke is a popular pasttime of yours.

You don't mind it all... Too much. To be respected and protected by them, to even have some you would consider friends- or some odd blending of the term, given some of them have begun referring to you as mother- is something that makes you happy and so unbelievably lucky in this galaxy.

So while it's rigid, it at least makes sense. Dorn makes it up to you by building you your own library room. Don't ask why there isn't any windows.

➧ World Eaters:

Babe, your Primarch has a legion named the 'World Eaters', what do you think is gonna happen?

But to be serious, it probably isn't the worst Legion to be pulled into- but not by much. The World Eater Astartes are desperate to gain the eye and approval of their genesire, so if scorning you squanders that, then they will accept your existence and bite their tongues. Somewhat.

Khârn specifically doesn't enjoy that his Primarch is distracted by such pursuits.

However he's not going to say he isn't somewhat impressed that you are able to stand ground against Angron as he towers near double your height. You would be nothing but a bug beneath his boot if Angron lost control of the nails for even a moment, but Khârn won't scoff at your ability to hold your expression and not completely crumble whenever he turns your way. You seem to understand the Nucerian Primarch well. Not many within his legion can even claim that honor.

Beyond that however, he wants little more to do with Angron's temporary pursuit, same as his battle brothers. Overtime perhaps he might warm a tad, but don't expect it.

You don't spend much time around them at all. You make them angry for shifting the priorities of their Primarch to things as frivolous as love and lust, and they make you sad as you watch them slowly destroy themselves for little more than bloodlust.

A tragedy, Angron and his legion is. You try not to think about it all too much.

➧ Ultramarines:

The Ultramarines have a distinct attitude for you, as Guilliman choosing a beloved wasn't a decision that was taken lightly. It takes time, and while they respect you at first, overtime they'll grow to trust you and even grow fond of you. Titles like Lady of the Ultramarines and Lady Guilliman weight heavy on you, but at least your shock wears off over time. They are still hilariously formal even if they call you titles like 'Legion Mother', and encouragement for them to not act so stiff falls on deaf ears.

They do have their moments where they stop being such terrible sticks in the mud and joke around, and you've noticed they get weirdly prideful if they're the one to make you laugh.

You remember once when Guilliman had left you with one of his lieutenants, you were watching some men getting used to their new Terminator armor. The lieutenant had muttered in disappointment under his breath that one man looked like he had a metal support beam firmly lodged from ass to helm, and you'd snorted into a full laugh. When Guilliman returned, he asked what you'd said when he was gone; Remarking that the lieutenant looked as if he was about to lead a military parade with how puffed he seemed.

There's no time now where there isn't a set of transhuman eyes on you, and part of you wonders the things Guilliman has seen that makes him so willing to splurge such valuable resources.

That's not to say the Ultramarines don't have their doubts about their Primarch's relationship however, at least in a logistical sense. It's mostly thoughts kept to themselves, or spoken by a Captain or Commander to Guilliman in private.

It's not as if they're angry their Primarch is happy, but a normal un-augmented human, one that under the lens of a massive crusade- you are effectively nothing more than a defenseless tool to be used against their Primarch. This behavior and thought process gets dialed up and stays for longer if you're dealing with 41st Millennium Ultramarines, given their zealotry towards their gene-sire's supposed divinity.

The Ultramarines are by far one of the better Legions to 'marry' into so to speak. They are organized, respectful, and many even slowly come to treat you as a sort of respected figure. Many will defend you with everything they have without hesitation. They have their doubts, but you'll admit they are reasonable doubts for them to have.