prue84 - Tumblr blog

[prue84]

Definition of anal and dumb?

Anal: Spend (=waste) a good portion of an evening to find a way to fix or lessen the impact of style-related issues I wouldn't have if Tumblr hadn't fucked up html and images rendering with the new text post and dashview mode. This to make sure the final post doesn't look a Picasso painting made of words when viewed on mobile.

Dumb: Doing this for a masterpost and related single chapter posts of a fic series that possibly nobody ever look at, with the 1st fanfic of the series itself that got like 4 views on AO3.

For those curious, I'm speaking about this and this. Now I turned some of the elements into jpgs, but before the odd characters like └ and ┘ were spaced by an obscene amount of, well, spaces so to have ┘ aligned to right. This worked specifically with the width of the dashview on computer but was a disaster on mobile, as all got shrunk and you got the ┘on the next line. It still has issues on app, but I fixed it for mobile browser (site desktop view).

To make the posts decent on mobile I completely broke how they render on my Tumblr, though. I still cannot find the reason why, since the introduction of new text post and dashboard, the images under a certain size on my theme get blown up. The post space in my theme is 500, yet a pic of 540 gets blown up (instead of, you know, scaled down). So the post now, when view from my Tumblr on PC-browser, is awfully empty. =_=

[prue84]

Winter '23/'24 goals review: 👍👍👍/👍👍

SUPER productive on the words side.

In depth analysis under the cut.

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Wordcount on WIPs: 85.000~ ≥ 20.000

Spread across 5 different AUs of the Captains Britain series. Not counting work on other AUs (first drafts mostly).

Developing detailed drafts: 100 ≥ 20 pages

Warren/Betsy Historical AU (100~ pages). °_°

Working on headcanons

Captain Britain's Series, masterpost. Captain Britain's Series, ch 1.

Graphic artworks: 6/3 (7 published)

Hellfire Gala 2021, The beast's lair,

Manga editing: 0 (100 = project complete)

Season 1-per-Month post goal: 4/4

- Do and/or finish one fanwork per month [✔]

December (2nd half): - Written the first AU (Goddesses) of the Captains Britain series. - I count the aforementioned series masterpost as a full graphic work, consider the time it took me to put it up. - Some Warren/Betsy historical AU done.

January: - Very prolific on the Captains Britain series. 2 AU fully finished, few written the first detailed draft - need polishing, translation or expansion. Others created. - Finished a manip for an old IG mock that has been repurposed.

February: - After a writer's block, and focus on the Captain Britain series, I returned to the Warren/Betsy historical AU. Wrote a whopping, absurd amount of pages and chapters in the span of a couple of weeks, making progress and moving the story. - Too many hours spent to fix the Captain Britain/Krakoa css style for AO3. - Finally posted the OMS Wives Kirk and Spock. - Scribscrib mode activated for the Captain Britain series in the last days of the month.

March (1st half): - Still focused on the Captains. Too much production to list. - Finally fixed all the kinks and shared the first chapter! Yay. - Finished the story of another Captain and fixed kinks on another.

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- Finish & post some old graphic WIP [✔] [1, ]

- Post some finished graphic that was held back [✔] [1, 2]

- Write the text part to the Star Wars Prequels/Trek crew AUs. ❌

- Write the text part of the Mirror Universe Edit. ❌

- Work on the Chronicles of Camelot’s (minimum: fix Volume 5). ❌

- Make some progress on the 90% done 2015 Spirk one shot. ❌

- Make some progress on the Royal Eagle fic that’s 90% done ❌

- Make some progress on the Mirror Spirk PWP. ❌

- Translate and share some Merlin AUs ideas ❌

- Write fanfic ❌

- Finish KirkxGaga headcanon series. ❌

- Make progress on the Trek characters headcanon two series (9 left). ❌

- Finish at least one of any other WIP headcanon, any fandom. ❌

- Finish the Warren/Betsy’s From DAS to Krakoa headcanon. ❌

- Finish at least 2 of the X-Men headcanons/AU stories (no matter which). ❌

- Work on the Merlin AUs I left unfinished (Modern Times, Merlin x Star Wars, Merlin the Hawk, Arthur & Aithusa). ❌ - Finish and post the Sea Patrol Trek crew ❌

- Post some other Trek crew AU ❌

[prue84]

More Captains Britain (and their Warren), ch1

Series collecting new ideas for alternate versions of Elizabeth Braddock who are currently serving on the Captain Britain Corps. Some belong to timelines in which canon established a Warren Worthington but no Betsy Braddock was introduced or mentioned.

Style not Tumblr app-friendly, sorry. If you can, switch to Firefox and choose "view site Desktop". PC-friendly on dashboard.

          The Council of Captain Britain [ MASTERPOST ]

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¯ omniverse [REALITIES]  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   [NON]    captain [BRITAIN].  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  [CANON]

      MORE CAPTAINS BRITAIN - CHAPTER 1

 DATAFILE: EARTH-3485

  Title: Northern Butterfly   Name: Eli'jabetha   Origins: Earth-3485   Seat: 3485   Tested: Yes   Choice: Amulet of Right

 REALITY ANNOTATIONS

  Core designation: Universe-3485   Reality designation: The Four Goddesses   Type: Alternate reality

  Reality in which balance is achieved only when four forces are   joined together at the top hierarchy   Previously elder gods and ancient goddess safeguarded the   timeline existence maintaining the balance on the delicate forces   that make the fabric of the reality.   Recently, four mortal women have stepped up to preserve the   reality from Annihilation's return.

 OVERVIEW

  Red Queen, Lady of the Misty Lands. North of the magic circle,   mind powers translated into weapons as sturdy as her strong will.   Acclaimed hero, worshiped as a goddess, as the Purple Butterfly   is ruler and protector on one of the Four Queendoms.

   [abridged [READ] . . . . . . . . . . . . . link_to_fic]    [life story [MORE] . . . . . . . . . . . . . behind_the_cut]

 ABRIDGED BIO (FULL FICLET)

  You can choose between basic html and Krakoa-styled reading   at the links below.   FORMATTED WAY (suggested)   Archive of Our Own.   SquidgeWorld. (there's the option of a simple reading view as well)   BASIC HTML   Dreamwidth.   Livejournal.

                                                                     [More Captains (ch1), page 1 of 1]

[prue84]

OMS wives: Captain T'Pock

Fandom: Star Trek (reboot) Timeline: TOS Genderbend AU Series: Rule 63 Trek Related fanworks: Admiral Jean Kirk — [ Reblogs > Likes | No AI involved ] —

Anjelica Huston as Captain T'Pock, Stardate 2284.

(More genderbend Trek at the links above)

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Still not satisfied but this is the best I could do.

The PSD file is dated May 2016 but it might predate the coping of the files on this new computer, so I might have started this in a previous date. For the sake of anal archiving, I might update this note when/if I turn the old PC on and check the original creation date of the file.

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Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) Who remembers the hurdle of doing this! I can just say it was harder than it looks to change a lieutenant's unifom to the one of an captain (different colors of collar and other details). While it's very hard to find decent pics of young Anjelica Huston to work with, a more recent Anjelica is easier so this wasn't much hard.

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Credits Anjelica Huston from Smash promo pic (a pic with her in green dress). Valeris (Kim Cattrall) promo pic from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Collar from a Spock promo pic, I don't remember where I took the captain insignia. Pin for the arm decoration was taken by a Kirk's prop uniform, pics from Star Trek Prop Authority.

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Crossposted: Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/104160.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/95000.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Captain-T-Pock-1026175107

[prue84]

Admiral Jean Kirk

Fandom: Star Trek (reboot) Timeline: TOS Genderbend AU Series: Rule 63 Trek Related fanworks: Captain T'Pock — [ Reblogs > Likes | No AI involved ] —

Grace Kelly as Admiral Jean Kirk, Stardate 2284.

( Hoping this finds @petimetrek and raises a smile. Anjelica!Spock coming! Just 8 years late! ^^" )

(More genderbend Trek at the links above)

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Just for nerds, apparently. In The Wrath of Khan, the braid was black/gold checks. From The Voyage Home, the braid was changed with a patterned ribbon that had been seen on admiral maroon since then. Despite working from a generic pre-Wrath of Khan timesetting, I decided to stick with the latter.

Final touches given back in July 2022 (7th). It was held back because I had the utopic dream of combine it with Spock's in an OMS Wives manip. Since it's akin to impossible with this specific pics I used...

The PSD file is dated May 2016 but it might predate the coping of the files on this new computer, so I might have started this in a previous date. For the sake of anal archiving, I might update this note when/if I turn the old PC on and check the original creation date of the file.

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Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) Who remembers the hurdle of doing this! I can just say it was definitely harder to change a lieutenant's uniform to the one of an admiral (different colors of collar and other details).

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Credits Grace Kelly during Benefit for Overlook Hospital (June 2, 1981). Saavik (Kirstie Alley) promo pic from Star Trek II: The wrath of Khan. I can't pull up a complete list of the images used because back when I did this piece I didn't keep track of the original pics I used for the pieces I needed to turn Saavik's uniform into Kirk's. Recent changes include a new version of the admiral cross pin on the sleeve and the patterned braid, both taken from Kirk's original prop uniform sold at Heritage 2010 (pic from Propworx).

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Crossposted: Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/103467.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/94330.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Admiral-Jean-Kirk-1025513659

[prue84]

Siblings socials: The beast's lair

Fandom: BBC’s Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU AU: The Pendragon siblings return (sequel: modern magic) Series: Siblings socials — [ Reblogs > Likes | No AI involved ] —

You thought Arthur, being a former king, would always be the master in any couple or pairing? Well, think better. Morgana is more than willing to prove the world that is Merlin the serval who commands between the two.

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Morgana, the famed once Queen of Camelot and socials star, has taken her duties of chronicling her brother Arthur's adjusting to the modern world very seriously. If she has a chance to humiliate him, in face of the legendary epitome of noble warrior built around him during the centuries, she will do it gladly, not even hiding a smirking during the whole time. As socials love cats, who is she to deprive the socials from pics of Merlin the grumpy serval? The fact that Arthur is sleeping in an idiotic pose on the background is just a bonus point.

More about the AU under the cut. (More fanworks from this AU at the links above) (More fanworks about the prequel here)

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About the AU The story is a sequel to the The Pendragon Sibling. Eventually, the druid give the royal couple a serval as gift for their renowned peace between the throne and the magic people. The servan turns out to be a very magical boy. At the same time Morgana acquires a puma, who happens to be the disguise of an High Priestess. I elaborated a bit here. * Not even the union of the Pendragon siblings, as King of Lands and Queen of Avalon and royal couple ruling over Camelot, with Morgause the High Priestesses of the old religion and Emrys the immortal dragonlord as their shadows and mates, is enough to prevent Arthurs tragic end at Camlann at the hands of the traitor Mordred. After Camlann, Merlin withdraws in his own pain, while Queen Morgana rules wisely for the next decades, assuring that the golden age of Camelot continues. When the time to retire from the mortal life comes, Morgana, with her loyal companion Morgause and Merlin, retires on the island at the center of the lake Avalon, taking residence in the tower standing there. Centuries pass, between long sleeps and new lives in the world outside. But magic, for a series or undisclosed circumstances, have been slowly fading in the lands outside of Avalon since the Siblings balance was lost with the death of Arthur. The more they are away from the island, center of the Old Magic, the more the contact is faint, and both Morgause and Merlin feel the need to stay in their animal forms. Until magic is so weak that they are stuck in their animal form even when staying at the tower. In the 21th century Morgana is following an academic career. Every morning, during breakfast, she keeps the tv on to make some background sounds. One morning the BBC's morning program suddenly switches to a live from the town of Avalon, for news about some odd happenings at the lake. The country wonders if this is the day when King Arthur will finally raise. There has been many false alarm. This morning is different, though. Morgana, with her two felines, rushes to the lake through magic and is there to see Arthur emerge from the waters. Merlin, a one-century-and-half ancient serval, attacks everyone present, Arthur included, and Arthur himself is forced to draw Excalibur to suffuse the situation, before his sister is arrested and his feline mate put down as the rabid cat he is. After the necessary time to familiarize with a world that is completely different from the one he remembers, Morgana introduces Arthur to the marvels of the socials and together they become Twitter stars, entertaining people with their commentaries on Arthurian-related productions and their bickering. Between Morgana's interviews and bits shared by Arthur on socials, the world is revealed that the Matter of Britain is mostly made of lies and exaggerations. BBC reaches out to Morgana to collaborate to write a series that would tell the true story of the Pendragons. Morgana launches herself in the project with eagerness. As the search for a proper location to set Camelot is about to start, Morgana hints that she might has the original castle miniaturized and preserved by magic and she would be amenable to make available as set, as long as the production covers the costs of restoration. Thus the Pendragons get their old nest back restored to its golden days free of charge, and Arthur can return to live in his natural habitat. Eventually, the true identity and nature of the felines, believed to be just animals given immortality by magic and relics of the golden age of Camelot, will be revealed, But that's another story for another time.

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Notes Initially, this - the original screencap minus the serval - was supposed to be an Instagram-mock shared by the Merlin of the National Treasure instagram AU, but I didn't have the text ready and was thus stuck since 2018. Some months ago I decided to switch the poster from Merlin to the Morgana of this AU. It made no sense for Morgana to share a pic of her sleeping brother without Merlin the serval around, so the idea of putting a serval on the bed came. Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) A nightmare. I couldn't find a serval pic that fit with the perspective required. And when I did, they came with dark shadows on their legs I couldn't fix. So I had to use the blankets to mask here and there, which came with another challenge on its own. Instagram graphic made all by-hand, with much moving/copy/pasting and, especially, a wearying research to find out which font the website used. No template site. Since I created my own template, it won't reflect any future changes the platform might make (I have no intention of modify my template).

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Crossposted: Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/103011.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/94038.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/The-beast-s-lair-instagram-1015696733 (instagram post), deviantart.com/prue84/art/The-beast-s-lair-photo-1-1015696691 (photo 1), deviantart.com/prue84/art/The-beast-s-lair-photo-2-1015696758 (photo 2)

[prue84]

2023 in review

In depth analysis under the cut.

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Season Goals

❌ Add at least 20.000 words to my current WIPs. Achieved only in Spring.

✔ Write 20 pages or more on my detailed drafts. Each season I at least twice surpassed the minimum goal.

✔ Do at least a graphic artwork. Bonus point if it’s finished and published. Between manips and other graphics (and written works), I achieved this every season.

❌ Retouching old published graphics that have been pulled for many reasons.

❌ Manga editing. No work in the whole year.

✔ Post one fanwork per month. Reached the target every season - although I might have held back a manip to post it the next month.

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Yearly goals

✔ Do and/or finish one fanwork per month If we don't count the mensis horribilis, June, I managed to be productive every month of the year.

✔ Finish & post some old graphic WIP Twice achieved, twice failed In total, 4 fanworks.

✔ Post some finished graphic that was held back Failed only in Summer. Shared 9 fanworks.

❌ Finish Chronicles of Camelot’s retouch Not only I didn’t move forward with this, but added more to the project with 12 new volumes split into two series, each with their own additional Volume.

❌ Finish that 90% done 2015 Spirk one shot Never touched it during the year.

❌ Finish the Royal Eagle fic that’s 90% done Never touched it during the year.

✔❌ Translate and share some Merlin AUs ideas Did a rough first translation of a 28 pages AU. Not shared, but I consider this already an achievement.

❌ Write fanfics.

❌ Finish with all Kirk’s headcanons series. Ah ah ah. I actually went and added X-Men headcanons to worsen the situation.

✔❌ Complete the Trek characters headcanon two series. Finished Gaila - holding it back until I read the four Academy novels.

❌ Finish that Le-matya headcanon.

✔ Finish any other WIP headcanon (Trek and X-Men) I went and added more to the list, but I did complete a couple.

❌ Finish to develop the “Modern Times Merlin” AU and made this AU edit.

❌ Work on some Merlin / Star Wars AU content.

❌ Finish and post the Sea Patrol Trek crew Never touched it during the year.

✔ Post some other Trek crew AU I actually went and added more crews to develop. But I did make two (unrelated).

❌ Write the text part to the Star Wars Prequels/Trek crew AUs.

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Achievements (seasons in review)

Winter ‘22/‘23 review - 👍👍/👍👍

Spring ‘23 review - ❌/👍👍

Summer ‘23 review - ❌/👍👍

Autumn ‘23 review - 👍👍/👍👍

[prue84]

More Captains Britain (and their Warren) - Masterpost

Style not Tumblr app-friendly, sorry. If you can, switch to Firefox and choose "view site Desktop". PC-friendly on dashboard.

¯ omniverse [REALITIES]  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   [NON]    captain [BRITAIN].  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  [CANON]

¯ [created . . [PO] _ _ 28.12.2023]    [updated . . [ST] _ _ 09.03.2024]

     Series collecting new ideas for alternate versions of Elizabeth      Braddock who are currently serving on the Captain Britain      Corps. Some belong to timelines in which canon established a      Warren Worthington but no Betsy Braddock was introduced or      mentioned.

     THE CAPTAIN BRITAIN CORPS (REFORMED)

  As Captain Britain of Seat 616 has discovered, in most of the   timelines in which she's alive and serving as champion, she is or   has been involved with a Warren Worthington. It should come   with a surprise, but it actually doesn't - it seems some paths are   just meant to cross. As two butterflies, souls sister but different   like day and night, are meant to meet.

  PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR   Butterfly of the North - Seat 3485   Cataloging in progress _

  UNTESTED YET   Cataloging in progress _

  REJECTED OR UNFIT   Cataloging in progress _

                                         [SECTION 65448 of 564430: continued on next page]

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    [ANNO. . . . [tations]_1.4]

     DATING AND UPDATE SYSTEM

  Date of post will be updated whenever a new AU goes online.   Seat will be moved in the "Present and accounted for" list.   List in progress reflects the exact number of AU planned.

                                                                            [ANNOTATIONS 1 of 4]

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    [ANNO. . . . [tations]_2.4]

     DISCLAIMER

  REALITIES NUMBER DESIGNATIONS   Unless otherwise stated, the numbers of the seat (aka Reality   Number) has been random generated. I tried my best to not   assign numbers that are already canon given to any alternate   reality, but the Marvel canon is full of realities that still haven't   been given an official designation (listed with temporary   numbers at the Marvel Fandom wikia) that can get their number   at some point.   Also, I would need to often check in case new realities dropped   and took the number I generated. For this reason, I can't   guarantee that the number hasn't been used in Marvel canon   either for any X-Men AU or another AU seen in any non-X title.   Please do not crosscheck on Marvel Fandom.

  REALITIES NAME DESIGNATIONS   In case of canon realities, the Reality Name might be lifted from   Marvel Fandom. I reserve the right to change it, though, should I   find it lacking - as when its named after the point of divergence   (i.e. "Wolverine Never Joined the X-Men") or is just a description   (i.e. "World War II Was Won By Nazis")

  CHARACTERS NAMES   For realities that diverge from the canon at a specific point   ("What If...?" types) but maintain similar history, the characters'   names won't be changed - minor changes might apply, such as   i.e. Elizabeth's diminutive or a different superhero chosen   moniker.   For non-canon realities that are completely unrelated from any   canon AU and modern setting, I will strive to pick different   forms of the canon names, with optional graphic changes to   make them unique and unrelated to a specific real-life language.   The changes might not be reflect in the original fanfiction, if the   AU is related to a fanfiction of mine.

  PICTURES   The pics used are canon or commissioned for rejected pitched   stories.   Nonetheless, I will put links to fanarts I either imagine when I   think about the specific Betsy, or uniform designs I like.

                                                                            [ANNOTATIONS 2 of 4]

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    [ANNO. . . . [tations]_3.4]

     NOTES

  Series born out of a silly habit of mine of eventually put my   favorite pairings in alternate timelines and storylines.   This need grew stronger for this pair in the weeks after the   wake of Dark X-Men #5 and Warren's ending there.

                                                                            [ANNOTATIONS 3 of 4]

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    [ANNO. . . . [tations]_4.4]

     THE GRAPHICS

  Text above inspired by the infopage included in X Of Swords   Destruction and, generally, the text pages of the Krakoa era.   With the limited HTML Tumblr accepts, I couldn't make   anything closer to the actual graphic page. Did my best.   Works better in Dashboard view, on Desktop.   I had to play with images to replace characters to make this mobile-   friendly:make sure to look on browser and choose "view site   Desktop".

                                                                            [ANNOTATIONS 4 of 4]

[prue84]

Hellfire Gala 2021, the carpet (design variant]

Fandom: X-Men (comics) Pairing: Warren/Elizabeth Characters: Elizabeth Braddock, Warren Worthington III Credits: Russell Dauterman --- [ Reblogs > Likes | No AI involved ] ---

Who is escorting who to the Hellfire Gala? Is it Elizabeth Braddock the partner of X-Corp CXO Warren Worthington III, or is Angel the partner of Captain Britain at her first debut to an official event?

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There must be a timeline out there in which Krakoa happened and Warren and Betsy had the chance to heal their relationship after the return from the Age of X-Man, so they went to the first Hellfire Gala together, as the second power couple of Krakoa and mutantdom.

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Other content about the pair and individual characters linked above.

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Notes Since the last time I rambled about them in June 2021, not only Betsy and Warren didn't interact, but Betsy met and alternate!Warren who is engaged with an alternate!Betsy and then ended up in the arms of another, while Warren vanished after X-Corp was cancelled.

Most useless manip ever. But I've been in a very bad mood because of Warren current status in the X-Corner (well, last three years were a prolonged drought but Dark X-Men was the last straw) and I had the urging need to do something for him, since canon doesn't. I'll die on the Warren/Betsy ship.

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Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) Took way more hours than it's worth wasting on an idiocy like this. The work behind the scenes is more than what you'd expect when you have to characters that you have to paste near each other. Betsy's ribbons were cut on one side, so I had to replace them. Also, I changed a bit the pose of her legs, which are open wider in the original art. In the first version, Warren and Betsy weren't this close, so I had to move Warren's right arm because it was seen behind Betsy - now the hand is just floating with no sense (even if you don't see it). General corrections here and there to mask spots that needed to be hidden (on wings and the inner jacket). Also, I had to trace over all the borders. Had fun in adding my and Mr. Dauterman's names in the background, as if we had been sponsors of the event. :D Eventually I made another version in which I heavily modified Warren, but that will debut in the future (when, who knows).

No AI involved. All made with a mouse, not pens involved (that would've have shortened the time). Also not background removal apps or other apps involved. Just Photoshop CS2.

Credits Arts by Russel Dauterman, released as two Design cover variants, respectively Hellions #12 for Angel and S.W.O.R.D. #6 for Captain Britain. X-Force background art released by Marvel as call background - artist and colorist unspecified.

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Crossposted Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/102317.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/92694.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Hellfire-Gala-2021-the-carpet-design-variant-1004657804

[prue84]

Autumn '23 goals review: 👍👍/👍👍

I wasn't as production as I could, there had been full weeks when I literally did nothing. But, but given that is has been a hard trimester, especially the last month with mom spiraling into a sudden depressive mood, I rated this season 2 instead of 1. Besides, I've been very prolific with my X-Men AUs.

In depth analysis under the cut.

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Wordcount on WIPs: 0 /20.000

Developing detailed drafts: 86 ≥ 20 pages

15 chapters of the Warren/Betsy historical AU (some advancement mixed with chapters that had to be added in the part I already wrote)

Working on headcanons

Some small working here and there. Not worth mention.

Graphic artworks: 4/3 (2 published)

Revanche, Royal Husbands edits, Hellfire Gala(x2).

Manga editing: 0 (100 = project complete)

Season 1-per-Month post goal: 3/4

- Do and/or finish one fanwork per month [✔]

September (2nd half): - Some further progress on the X-Men/Star Trek crew.

October: - Working on the X-Men/Star Trek crew. - Returned to the historical Warren/Betsy AU. - Turned a Katie McGrath pic into Revanche. - Finally finished the text part for an old Edit AU. But then decided to change the graphic edit. Was ready to post, then decided to keep it to post after the Halloween week/keep it for the November fanwork. And then the text was expanded into a ficlet, and then the graphic was meant to be expanded as well. Sigh.

November: - Last retouches and aforementioned edit posted. - Worked on the historical Warren/Betsy.

December (1st half): - after some block, found the mojo back on the Warren/Betsy historical AU for some whopping 30 pages(at least, count now made) only in December. Whoa. - Got some new ideas for an X-Men's Captain Britain-related small project. - Added new manips ideas because why not - its not that I don't have enough to last me a lifetime. >_> - Made the Warren/Betsy Hellfire Gala manip (followed by a second version).

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- Finish & post some old graphic WIP ❌

- Post some finished graphic that was held back [✔] [1]

- Finish Chronicles of Camelot’s retouch ❌

- Finish that 90% done 2015 Spirk one shot ❌

- Finish the Royal Eagle fic that’s 90% done ❌

- Translate and share some Merlin AUs ideas Did a rough first translation of a 28 pages AU.

- Write fanfic ❌

- Finish with all Kirk’s headcanons series ❌

- Complete the Trek characters headcanon two series (9 left) ❌

- Finish that Le-matya headcanon ❌

- Finish any other WIP headcanon. (currently 5, Trek and X-Men) ❌

- Finish to develop the “Modern Times Merlin” AU and made this AU edit ❌

- Work on some Merlin / Star Wars AU content. ❌ - Finish and post the Sea Patrol Trek crew ❌

- Post some other Trek crew AU ❌

- Write the text part to the Star Wars Prequels/Trek crew AUs. ❌

[prue84]

(Hakka & Dragoneyes’s) Merlin AUs  |  Royal (dragon) husbands

AU in which a series of canon divergences lead to Arthur surviving the mortal wound inflicted him by Mordred at Camlann and, with the help of Merlin who then becomes his Prince Consort, bringing the golden age foretold by the prophecies.

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Part I, Chapter 01 [1/8]

1st canon divergence, Lancelot du Lac: Lancelot's selfless sacrifice is rewarded.

Lancelot is returned by magic, instead of necromancy, to fulfil his destiny at Arthur's side. And what seemed to be the written fate of Camelot is changed.

(Ficlet and links to AO3/SquidgeWorld under the read more) (More Royal Dragon Husbands AU here)

The triangle of love

Through the sacrifice of her sister Morgause, who happily gives up her life in a last gesture of both love and revenge, Morgana tears open the Veil between the worlds, bringing chaos and pain throughout the realm of mortals. To seal the Veil again, another sacrifice has to be made: a sacrifice that Arthur is ready to make and Merlin is set to prevent. Lancelot, the bravest and most noble of them all, to save the lives of his king and his friend Merlin, steps through the Veil instead, thus restoring the equilibrium. The ultimate sacrifice of the knight is greatly mourned by all the people Lancelot's presence has touched during his stay at Camelot, its weight forever heavy on the shoulders of three people who blame themselves for Lancelot's ultimate choice. * Months later happiness has returned to embrace Camelot. Arthur's grief for the tragic loss of his father is fading, and he feels it has finally come the time for the woman he loves to be officially introduced to the court. Trusting his counsel, Arthur confesses his uncle Agravaine that he wishes to marry Guinevere, and plans to soon propose. Caution, suggests Agravaine, wait for the mourning to end. The way must be paved first, for a court to accept a servant as their future queen. Patience, the uncle says. But the treacherous Agravaine, distressed for the worrisome development, is quick to inform the one he pledged his loyalty to, Morgana Pendragon. The Witch shudders, for the dreams that plague her sleep are about to become reality. She will not allow for a servant to sit on her throne, and Morgana knows how to prevent the dreaded images from happen. Morgana was friends to Guinevere, Morgana knew Guinevere's secrets. Morgana will use those secrets to strike at Guinevere, where Guinevere hurts the most. When she laid on the brink of death after her encounter with Emrys, Morgana met her sister Morgause in the Spirit World. In her hand, Morgause had a coin to offer, the price of a soul. Morgana held to the precious artefact, in the hopes to perhaps one day find a way to return her beloved sister to life, to rescue her from the darkness of the existence in the world of the spirits. But Morgana must stop Guinevere from becoming queen of Camelot, and she knows only one way to prevent it. The Dochraid has spoken, revealing the true power of the magical coin, offering the promise of owning the very soul of a mortal, a slave to a mistress. Morgana reaches for the Pool of Nemhain, the Last of The Five Gateways that separate the world of the mortals from the world of the dead, and tosses the coin into the dark waters. But it's not a man who raises from the waters. It's a woman instead, clothed in a black cloak and bearing a staff, the fabric pitch black as the still water of the lake. Not a woman, a deity. A goddess Morgana already knows, for they have met once. The Cailleach, gatekeeper to the Spirit World. She has words to say, and a warning: her most treasured wish will be fulfilled, but the human male will not be the means to achieve it, for the one who has died will not be a Shade to be brought back to the land of the livings. Morgana does not understand, for she has followed the Dochraid instructions, and a coin has been paid for a soul, a soul she now owns. But the Cailleach can not be forced, for not even a High Priestess has such a power as the one the Cailleach wields. If the Cailleach does not want for a dead human to leave her domain, not even the last High Priestess of the Old Religion can force her. Morgana weeps for the coin she lost, for the ownership she has been denied, for a sister she will never rescue, but agrees to leave. The Cailleach has spoken, Morgana trust her wish will be fulfilled. That the Old Religion itself will prevent Guinevere from marrying Arthur and ascend to a throne that isn't hers to own. But the price has been paid, a soul is allowed to leave the Spirit World. Not as a Shade, but in flesh and spirit – whole as when death has claimed them. From the stillness a man emerges. Naked and confused, a kind voice still ringing in his head. Blurred memories but a mission. Return home, return to where his place is. It takes days, weeks, but an extraordinary surprise awaits Camelot: Sir Lancelot, the man who had offered his life to save the kingdom, has returned. Little he knows about the how and why he has been allowed back into the realm of the mortals: he only remembers the warm embrace of waters shining of silver, and a warm voice explaining him that his destiny was not fulfilled, that he wasn't meant to die yet. His noble sacrifice showed the truest nature of his heart, that feminine voice said, and he was granted another chance to live his life as brave and fair man between mortals. And thus he awoke again, and he was laying on the shores of a lake, with the urgency to find his way back to Camelot, the knowledge that his destiny is entwined to the fate of the one he twice left a prince and now finds a king. A return such as his is unprecedented, for nobody can cross the Veil – not in the opposite direction than the only one nature commands. Merlin, suspicious, looks in his books for a way to explain what looks a miracle. Necromancy, is the answer to his search. A way to reveal the true nature of a Shade. Merlin dreads the moment when Lancelot will walk on the mark, dreads to see the painted spiral glow. But the magic symbol doesn't react when Lancelot walks over the circle. The Lancelot leaving Merlin's room is whole – the one and only Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot. The miracle is welcomed by his old friends the knights, who rejoice for the chance to have their group whole again, as is welcomed by the king, who is given the opportunity to properly thank the hero who saved Camelot. As for Merlin, he has been given back the only guardian of his magical secret and is lonely no more. But the unexpected return means the most to Guinevere, who carried on her small but strong shoulders the weight of those last words, that plead she imposed on Lancelot. Arthur would not be alive, for it weren't for Lancelot's sacrifice. But his return also awakens old feelings that were believed forgotten. As days and then weeks pass by, and as Arthur grows the courage to stand against his uncle and share what is now his decision, Gwen grows uncertain of her feelings, torn between the man she promised herself to, and the one she can't forget. Lancelot anguishes in silence over a woman he never deemed himself worthy of, resigned to forever be the silent guardian, devoted to his lady and quiet in his love. Arthur, unsuspecting, is making preparations to propose to Gwen and then introduce her to the court as the woman who shall be their queen. Merlin, the shadow that all sees, watches from afar, unable to stand further as three of his dearest friends struggle, their lives entwined in an rope that threatens to choke them all. Lancelot, noble soul, deserves his chance at happiness, he shouldn't settle for the sidelines, resigned himself once again in a self-imposed sacrifice out of a misplaced sense of loyalty. Gwen, a heart full of love, has the right to choose her own future, to make an informed choice, entitled the freedom of picking her own path without anyone meddling, without anyone making that choice for her. Arthur, the beloved king, should never have to lay awake at night, wondering if the woman sleeping at his side picked him out of a lack of choice, believing that he will forever be the second best, nor he should never doubt his trust for a knight, in fear his best one holds the hearth of his queen. Merlin, the shadow that fights against fate itself, decides it is come the time for Lancelot and Guinevere to confront each other, to bare their hearts. Twice Lancelot fled from an honest talk, twice Gwen was forbidden to face his first love and understand if she was ready to let him go and for Arthur to take his place. Twice Lancelot backed down, for Arthur to pave the way in Guinevere's heart. A miracle has happened, and neither Lancelot nor Guinevere can waste such a precious gift. Arthur is planning to propose to Gwen against his uncle's advice, Merlin knows about it. Merlin will not allow for Guinevere to say yes to then break Arthur's heart, if she isn't the utmost confident in where her feelings lay. Merlin will be subtle, will halt Arthur's hand and delay the romantic date in which Arthur will offer Gwen a ring, but he cannot stop Arthur forever. Lancelot and Guinevere must talk. It is with wisdom that Merlin speaks, and two friends are persuaded into the confrontation they both needed and avoided. Gwen, blessed her pure soul, reveals the bitterness she tried to stifle. Despite the years passed since, she never forgave Lancelot for leaving her without a word after everything they shared at the castle of the outlaw Hengist, she still can't forgive him for their moments of tenderness, the closeness, the love confessions in light of certain death, for making her feel loved, for making her feel conflicted, to then take everything away, leaving her alone and hurting. She can't forgive him for how he returned for Merlin and how he staid for Arthur – never for her. She can't forgive Lancelot for how he treated her like a lady to respect and cherish, she can't forgive him for making her feel like a silly, fool girl, holding on to a love hindered by destiny itself. Her whole life was influenced, changed, by his selfish decisions, pushed toward the dream of marrying a king after she had been brutally rejected a future with a man she had once truly loved. She loves Arthur with her whole being, but she can't seem to just forget what she felt for that man that was brought to her house in dire need of an armour. Lancelot, forced to this confrontation, can't withhold the truth he kept close to his heart since his return for the battle of Camelot: Guinevere is the love of his life, the woman his heart will forever belong to, but every time destiny brought them together, he elected to withdraw and fade in the shadows, so she could find happiness with a better man – at Arthur's side. Gwen is furious. Lancelot's decision deprived her of her own agency, he didn't have any right to choose for her who she wanted to love. For, if Lancelot hadn't left that one time, she might have reconsidered her relationship with Arthur. She would've chosen him – him, not Arthur. This is a reveal for the both of them, but especially for Gwen. And then the hard truth buried within the deepest, darkest corner of her thoughts, is brought to the surface. And it's a relief, after the pain, after the guilt weighting on her heart, after the sense of unworthiness toward a man who had been ready to give up his throne, his crown, his people, his whole world, just for her. She might be a servant harbouring dreams too big for her humble origins, but dumb Guinevere is not. It's easy now for her to admit that what she has with Arthur is a fairy tale that shouldn't be, for a servant can love a king, and a king can love a servant, but a kingdom cannot be ruled by a servant. Torn between the love for a knight – or a man who dreamed to become a knight – and a king – or a prince that was to become a king – she was deprived of a choice, and Lancelot is responsible for what she now knows had been the wrong choice. She's the daughter of a smith, she knows the name for each part of an armour and could help a knight to dress up better than a manservant could, but she knows nothing about politics or what's expected from a ruler. She knows empathy, she does not know how to be harsh. She knows how to wield a sword and even kill to protect an innocent, but she does not think she would ever learn how to harden her hearth and send someone to death for the safety of a kingdom. She loves Arthur with all her life, and she ever will, but they should've never been. Arthur might belong to her, but Arthur also belong to Camelot, Arthur is and will always be married to a land and its people as much as he will be to a woman. Arthur accepts her – and wants her – for everything she is, virtues and flaws, but Camelot will not. Camelot will always come between them, the needs of Camelot will tear them apart. Duty and love cannot coexist, Uther was right, in his brutal honesty. And she could never survive, should Arthur be forced to choose between her and his rightful, best destiny. Not privy to the nature of the feelings Guinevere, her beloved Gwen, still harbours for the noblest of his knights, it is a rude awakening for Arthur when Guinevere sits down with him and talks. Unable to deceive Arthur, she tells him everything, about Lancelot, about the pain she had felt the two times he left her and the happiness that washed over her when he, against all odds, returned. She tells Arthur about how her heart belongs to two men she loves with the same intensity, how she is pulled in two directions and how she fears to be torn in two pieces. She tells him about how, for as much as her heart can beat for two men, only for one she can be a proper wife. She doesn't want to be the reason why Arthur lost the trust of his people, she doesn't want to be the reason why Arthur acted like a tyrant, imposing his own wish on a resentful court, not the reason for why Arthur fought with his most trusted counsellors or found himself alone surrounded by enemies in his own castle. She doesn't want to put Arthur in the position of choosing between love and duty – he was meant to rule, and he will be a good king, she won't come between that. She won't deprive Camelot of a golden age, just to please herself and fulfil her selfish wishes – for she is but a woman, and the well-being of the people of Camelot comes first. It pains her to know they never had a chance, yes, and she is aware that a price will be paid, for feelings cannot be ripped from one's heart without suffering occurring, but with resolution she found an internal peace and she feels her is and will be the rightful choice. For the both of them. She regrets nothing but hurting him, and she'll understand if he'll hate her. She just hopes that, in time, he'll be able to forgive her and, perhaps, remember with fondness their love. Arthur's heart is broken, but he cannot find in himself the will to hate the woman he offered his heart to, nor a man who had been nothing but utmost loyal and generous since the first time they had met – a man Arthur can say he loves as much as Guinevere, though in a different way. There is nothing Arthur can blame on Guinevere: she cannot fault her for the same trait that drew him to her. Her candour is what started it all, the servant who ventured to reprimand a prince's manners, her candour is what now puts an end to it all, the torn lover who bravely confesses her secrets and faces the consequences, when leaving everything as it was would've been the easiest path. Arthur's heart is broken, but Gwen's sincerity and bravery deserves equal bravery from him, thus he agrees to let her go. As friends. It would be unbecoming to act out of spite, and Guinevere does not deserve as such. Arthur's heart is broken, but Arthur thus agrees to amicably break up a relationship that had been the utmost discreet so far, grateful for Guinevere's deep sense of loyalty. Grateful that she approached the subject before he could make the mistake of making their relationship official. Reputations of kings don't do well after a marriage pact is broken by the other party without political reason at play. The reputation of a king would not survive unscathed if the one taking the decision to break up is a fiancée of no-noble origins. Arthur Pendragon the king would survive anyway, though battered in honour and soul, but not Arthur the man. He listened to Merlin's advices, and Arthur is thankful for the way his friend suggested to not rush into the date Arthur had been planning. Grateful that he decided to apply patience for once. His heart would've never recovered, had Guinevere revealed her indecision during his proposal. To respect a man whom she still loves and will be forever dearest to her, Gwen decides to not immediately throw herself in Lancelot's arms, and the knight does his best to be nothing but noble in his feelings for the woman, so much so to ask Arthur permission to date Guinevere. He is willing to leave the kingdom, if the king he has sworn loyalty to won't be able to tolerate his presence. Aware of the toll he would ask them should he show his displeasure, Arthur gives his blessing to the blossoming new relationship between two of his dearest souls, wishing them both to find together the happiness they deserve. They do take things slow, Gwen and Lancelot, they wait a reasonable amount of time before officially becoming a couple. Lancelot understands Gwen's heart, never will use Gwen's love for Arthur against her, for she cannot blame her for a love that he feels as well. He accepts Gwen as her whole, her love for Arthur is part of herself and never he will ask her to stop caring for Arthur. Lancelot too cares for Arthur. Arthur is the prince who gave him a chance to be a knight, that twice believed in him, that made him a knight. In deference for Arthur's feelings, Lancelot keeps to a minimum affectionate gestures when in public and Arthur could see them. He is happy, Lancelot, but he does not want for his happiness to become a knife that cuts through Arthur's heart. And Arthur? Arthur will watch from afar, wishing that he too will be able to find a person to love him and him only. The one person that will put him first. * Days from Camelot, in a hut in the woods, Morgana watches a flame crackle, its warmth fending off the coldness in her body, but not the loneliness in her heart. Agravaine has left, Morgana now knows about the latest developments in the life of the little brother she despises so much. Only now, that the game has played out, the true meaning of the cryptic words of the Cailleach is revealed to her. She has obtained what she desired the most, as Guinevere will never sit on the throne of Camelot, and Lancelot was the mean to achieve such an outcome. But Lancelot wasn't the sword that pierced Arthur's heart, as she planned. Neither Gwen nor Lancelot has been banished. And if Arthur's heart is bleeding, this is a secret that her little brother will keep to himself, a hidden truth held to even the most close to him. Morgana can't find in herself the will for a smile. She has achieved what she had wished to accomplish, but it's not joy that fills her. She thought she would be pleased at the news, pleased for her visions forever adverted, for Arthur's dream of marrying for love mercilessly crushed. Instead, she feels sad. The coldness of the sorrows is what fills an heart that has long since forgot how to beat. She has lost a sister forever, a sacrifice that didn't pay, and has once again used her knowledge of a brother to play a game bigger than each of them, and a once friend was turned a mere paw in the fight between Camelot and the Old Religion. She has left a life behind, burned all bridges behind. What's left of her now is that she has no more family to support her, no true friend to comfort her. No one but a lackey, an annoying dog who yaps at her left, begging for a scrap of affection, a man second only to a king, that kneels like a servant. Only him, Agravaine, and his spare visits. And the loneliness of an empty room. For even a High Priestess, a goddess between mortals, can feel the cutting pain of solitude.

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Notes This edit dates back to 2018/2019 but was hold back because, buckle up... I couldn't work out the text part. Yes. Embarrassing, isn't it? How hard could it be write a lengthy summary/synopsis, right? Four years. Four fucking years. In the year of the lord 2022, with the yearly goal to publish as much wips and finished-but-held-back works as I can, I sat down and forced myself to give a sense to the years-old draft. But still, it took me another year to finish this. This series consists of 6 planned parts. The first one, of which this post is part of, is made of 8 chapters that cover all the canon divergences that lead to Arthur healing from his battle wound. The other five parts follow his (and Merlin's) life, the coming of the Golden Age, the birth of the new Pendragon generation, Arthur's rest and what Merlin will build during his husband's long sleep.

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Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) No manip nor modification required on this one, so nothing to report. Besides the fact that, when the edit was almost posted, I decided to add further scenes to better fit with the ficlet that was expanded.

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Crossposted: Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/101924.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/92428.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Merlin-AUs-Royal-husbands-I-Ch01-994195209 AO3: archiveofourown.org/works/51559840/chapters/130316755 SquidgeWorld: squidgeworld.org/works/46714/chapters/97824

[prue84]

Kwannon as Revanche in X-Men #21

Fandom: X-Men (comics) Characters: Kwannon (in Elizabeth Braddock's body) — [ Reblogs > Likes | No AI involved ] —

Katie McGrath as Revanche, as the character appeared in X-Men #21

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In X-Men #21 for some reasons Revanche was drawn with curly hairs instead of the usual luscious wavy. When I stumbled upon this Katie McGrath's pic, this specific Revanche immediately came to my mind and I did this colorize.

Katie McGrath is my (dream) fancasting for Betsy. There'll never be any chance for her to ever play Betsy, not even for a photoshoot (sadly, she'd be considered too old by now), but she'll remain my "face" for British Betsy. Still looking for the perfect Kwannon face.

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Turn black hair in a specific vivid (and unnatural) colour such as Betsy Braddock's purples is... a test. Besides the hair dye, I applied some lipstick in the shade of the colour Revanche's lips were painted in the comic issue. Also, purple eyes, off course. Alas, it took me half of the time of what it took me to do the signature. No AI involved, just Photoshop CS2.

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Crossposted Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/100609.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/92093.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Kwannon-as-Revanche-in-X-Men-21-989947101

[prue84]

Summer '23 review: --/👍👍

I can’t brave myself to put a rating to this season, as it would feeling like rating (for stupid things) the worst month in my life so far. Rating should resume next season (hoping that, since my dad died three days before the anniversary of my grandad, mom won’t imitate grandma who died in October of the same year. I don’t think I’ll fully breath until 2023 is ended). 😬 In depth analysis under the cut.

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Wordcount on WIPs: >1300/20.000

Warren and his Women (1,2~/6,5k).

Developing detailed drafts: 19 ≥ 20 pages

Estimated count.

Working on headcanons

Star Trek’s Gaila (4k added).

Graphic artworks: 2/3 (5 published)

Merlin the merlin, Dragon photobombing(x4).

Manga editing: 0 (100 = project complete)

Season 1-per-Month post goal: 3 / 4

- Do and/or finish one fanwork per month ❌

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June: Mensis horribilis, with dad’s health failing in June 2nd, and leaving us after three weeks in three different places (hospital 1, nurse home/Bellagio, hospital 2/Lecco - he missed Como else he staid at all the best places on the Como Lake...) in June 22nd. Barely held myself together until the day his ashes came back home.

July: - Sat down and finally trapped my will to write. - Finished an old Instagram mock.

August: - Finished the last bits and polished up the Warren’s women ficlet that had been on the works since months. - Wrapped up an old Instagram mock and also added a second pic to it. - Made some progress on another Instagram home mock on the Trek side. - Not much on the writing side, but did write quite a few pages on the Warren/Betsy AU. - Come up with a new X-Men crossover I didn’t need. It’s easy to make on paper. But... meh.

September (1st half): - Hit a block on the writing side. - Attempted to trick my lazy ass into doing a translation. Done a rough English translation for a full Merlin post 5x13/Return AU storyboard. 28 pages. It’s needs heavy polishing now. - New X-Men AU developed. Full storyboard ready. - Developed further the Star Trek x X-Men. - Managed to land a goal by finally finishing the Gaila headcanon. - New idea for a canon short ficlet for Warren/Betsy. - After a whole year (date of draft post is 25/10/’22) I managed to completed the Warren/Betsy headcanons. - Caught back with the Warren/Betsy AU after a long block.

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- Finish & post some old graphic WIP [✔] [1,2]

- Post some finished graphic that was held back ❌

- Finish Chronicles of Camelot’s retouch ❌

- Finish that 90% done 2015 Spirk one shot ❌

- Finish the Royal Eagle fic that’s 90% done ❌

- Translate and share some Merlin AUs ideas ❌

- Write fanfic ❌

- Finish with all Kirk’s headcanons series ❌

- Complete the Trek characters headcanon two series (9 left) ❌ (Finished Gaila - now onto polishing it a bit)

- Finish that Le-matya headcanon ❌

- Finish any other WIP headcanon.(currently 5, Trek and X-Men) ❌

- Finish to develop the “Modern Times Merlin” AU and made this AU edit ❌

- Work on some Merlin / Star Wars AU content. ❌

- Finish and post the Sea Patrol Trek crew ❌

- Post some other Trek crew AU ❌❌ (I actually went and added more crews to develop!)

- NEW: Write the text part to the Star Wars Prequels/Trek crew AUs. ❌

[prue84]

Warren/Betsy headcanons

Headcanons about the romantic and sexual life of the rich white (former) powercouple of the X-Men - namely Warren Worthington III, aka the Angel(or Archangel) and Elizabeth Braddock, aka Psylocke (now Captain Britain). Also, headcanons about Betsy as a lover, what she likes and what she expects in a relationship. Warren’s romantic/sexual headcanons have been already compiled here.

Romantic & sexual life | Status from Post-Dark Angel saga to Krakoa

Under the read more so I can add more if they come to my mind. (It goes without saying, mature and text-explicit content below) [Updated 28/09/2023]

Elizabeth Braddock

She likes to exert power in bed. Betsy might love it when she actively exerts control over her bed partner, part of it is in her strong nature, and part of it is born out of a need to reassert control when she’s been manipulated too many times in her life.

She’s not much into being submitted or give control. For an healthy stable relationship, she needs her partner to be willing to be the one to give up control, or at least not need to be the more dominant in the couple. She can do with a partner who is at her same level, but not with someone who is heavily dominant in nature - they clash and can’t last longer than few weeks.

Betsy is an high-sexual woman. Especially since the body change, she indulged her sensuality in ways she didn’t before. As the choice to wear for years a revealing leotard can prove. (Either influenced by Kwannon or not, up to you and your views on the body swap and Kraoka’s era that established Kwannon was alive in Betsy)

Betsy is flirtatious. When she’s committed in a relationship, she’s faithful, but she likes to play and flirt a bit with other people nonetheless. Just for the thrill of it.

She’s bi. She mostly likes and is drawn to the male spectrum, but she had lesbian experiences back in her teenage years, when she came to New York for her modelling career.

She’s not poly. She accepted and thrown herself in a three-way relationship with Fantomex and Cluster because both were part of the Fantomex she had fallen for. But she’s not interested in polyamory nor looking for an open relationship. It’s just not her thing, although she’s got an open mind and can’t promise she won’t change her mind if the right people happened.

Different sizes for two different bodies. Her Caucasian body and Kwannon's body have different sizes. She had to start her wardrobe from scratch when she returned home after the body-swap, and she had to start again once she got her original body back in Madripoor. It was an hassle, if you ask her, and the second time it happened it pained her a bit for many of her dresses were high-fashion and tailored on Kwannon's body. But it gave her an excuse for more shopping, which wasn't too bad. Canon. In Excalibur #20 Betsy tries out old dresses but they don't fit, while they are said to fit Kwannon. Meaning that they have different sizes.

Different sizes for two different bodies, part 2. Kwannon's is barely 1.70cm while Elizabeth is a whopping 1.80cm. Betsy was spared the need to relearn her balance the first time because she still was brainwashed, but she wasn't spared the second time - when she rebuilt her original body. This is purely headcanon, as it clashes with canon. Canon is contradictory on this, though. 1. During Kwannon's return as Revanche in 1993 Uncanny/X-Men titles, up to her vanishing from the books, while they don't have much scenes in which they are properly standing next to each other, they look like the same height. 2. Not much later, Betsy starts to date Warren. Since then, Betsy has been drawn only way shorter that Warren. Warren, on paper, is only 3 centimeters taller than guides assign to Betsy. 3. Marvel Guides state that Betsy is 1.80m in both her bodies. 4. In Excalibur #20, the first time we can see Betsy and Kwannon together, they don't have many scenes in which to gauge their height, but from a scene where they're walking off the Council, they look the same height. 4. Same issue, Betsy points out that her old dresses don't fit her because they weren't made for her legs (but Kwannon's). Hinting that they are of different heights. 5. Same issue. Malice's memory. Inconsistent. Alternatively Betsy or Kwannon is taller. Anyway. I reject the very idea that Betsy and Kwannon are taller the same because, while I can see the choice to have them mirror of each other, it does sound ludicrous that Kwannon is that much tall. First, such a height, while still not common in Caucasians, it's even more rare in Japanese people. Second, I don't see a woman of such a height being a proficient ninja. My opinion. Besides, it makes for a more interesting hurdle for Betsy - need to learn how to move and live after suddenly loosing inches (or, when she's back in her original body, regaining them). A way to work around this could be that Kwannon's original body is indeed shorter than Betsy's Caucasian. When she was returned from death by her brother Jamie, the body has been modified - neither Caucasian, but neither Kwannon's. It kept all the skills that came with Kwannon's original body, but with a more imposing height. This way Kwannon, when she awakes in Madripor, is as tall as Caucasian Betsy is, and they now are of the same height. Still doesn't agree with canon, as on Utopia and in Uncanny X-Force Betsy is drawn shorter than Warren. In X-Men: Disassembled, back in her original body, is finally shoulder to shoulder to Warren.

Sex

Different bodies, different needs. Not only because of the different size, but the two bodies react differently to sensual and sexual stimulation. What she may like in her original body don’t agree with the Asian body. Things she discovered to like in the Asian body suddenly weren’t giving her anything (or, worst, made her uncomfortable) when she was back in the Caucasian body. Positions she enjoyed in one, dislikes in the other.

She squirts (when Caucasian). In her English body, when precisely stimulated, she squirts. The first time it happens, it’s both a surprise and a shock. She shivers for a solid minute, blinking stupid.

She had/regained sensitive boobs. In Kwannon’s body, she liked her boobs to be heavily played; once she regained her original body, she discovered that she doesn’t want her boobies to be played too much.

The Asian body is more flexible, even in bed. When back in her original body, Betsy discovers she can’t bend or do things that came more natural in the Asian body. Her considerable taller height doesn’t help.

Betsy likes to be on top. Her favorite position is any that allows her to set the pace or get control of the intercourse. She might have a preference for the Kneeling Amazon position because it’s empowering for her.

She isn’t shy of using her powers in bed. If her partner consents, she can (and will) make use of her powers to enhance the sexual experience. With her telepathy she can better gauge reactions and modify her actions accordingly, and even stimulate pleasure center.

She had made a man orgasm by using her psyonic powers. At the same way, she can deny a man the orgasm.

She isn’t shy of using her powers outside the bed. She’s the kind of woman who would use telepathy as the enhanced version of sexting and sex calls. If her partner is willing, and they’ve set boundaries comfortable for each, Betsy likes to tease her partner by sending through “dirty” thoughts or plant images into her partner’s mind to arouse them.

She made sex on the astral plane once. To this day she still maintains it was a mistake, but a glorious one and an experience she’s doesn’t disavows. She’s not one of the biggest fan of Emma Frost but she was the only telepath in Utopia when she was brought back by the Goblin Queen. Emma offered herself if Betsy wanted to talk about her experience, acting as a telepathic counselor. Might be an itch that Betsy felt the need to scratch, or perhaps the wine, but it happened. Betsy discovered that pleasure - and orgasm - on the astral plane are a lot more powerful and shaking that the ones in the physical plane. Perhaps too much, to not risk becoming addicted. Unfortunately, the numbers of telepaths able to project themselves on the astral plane and strong enough to maintain the projection up to reaching an orgasm can be counted on one hand - and none of which she would want to sex up in the astral plane, so the experience is doomed to never be repeated. (I’m not a fan of her relationship with Rachel, and their current characterization is too vanilla for me: I don’t get the feeling they’re “kinky” enough to be comfortable in thinking something like this could be done or to actually try.)

Warren Worthington III (abridged list - full bulleted list here)

He is a convinced strictly hetero, but he tried getting and giving a blowjob/handjob.

He doesn’t have specific sexual positions preferences. As long as he’s comfortable and his wings not constrained, any position is fine for him. He has some he likes more than others, like everyone, but not so much to stop him from enjoying sex in others.

He’s more than willing to let his woman pick the position.

He's not distressed by being dependent from Betsy. It might be scaring, to need Betsy's presence in his life to stay balanced, but he doesn't feel emasculated. Besides, it all leads to fantastic sex. Canon. Fantomex jabs at Warren for this in Uncanny X-Force #8.

He's not scared by Betsy's power levels. It's not easy to feel balanced when loving a gifted mutant. Even harder when you are dating the third most powerful telepath of earth. But he never feels inferior. Nor he feels emasculated in the least. Canon. Fantomex jabs at Warren for this in Uncanny X-Force #8.

He likes it when his women top him. He isn’t that insecure to feel emasculated if his lover asserts some command - in bed or outside.

He’s not fan of restrains in bed. His experience with being cuffed (and almost raped) left him an unresolved trauma that makes him uncomfortable at the idea of having a partner cuff him. Betsy helped him to work out this trauma and he has partially overcome it since. But he tried only with Betsy, and he never made an attempt with any other partner he might have had after her - nor he isn’t interested in trying.

Together (romance)

They practice D/s as a form of therapy. With Archangel always looming in the darkness of his mind, Warren has to exert strong control of himself during all of his wake hours and that drains him, especially in hard days such as when fights and tense situations arise. When that happens, Betsy takes him down gently. Warren entrust himself to Betsy, knowing he’s in good hands and that he knows she’ll take care of him. While other men in is same position (rich, powerful, high-pressure jobs) search for a strong hand to handle them to release from the tension, Warren actually needs it to keep Archangel in check.

Betsy is the only telepath Warren ever allowed to see his (broken) memories of the painful transformation at the hands of Apocalypse.

Betsy never shared with Warren what she remembers about her time as Lady Mandarin, nothing about the pains to get to accept a different body as her own or to understand she suddenly was two halves of two different people but not whole, nothing about the memories of Kwannon, nor anything about her death experiences. She tends to either be jealous or unwilling to share, with her manipulation or forced changes experiences.

Candy Southern and Thomas Lennox. For the sake of honesty, they share memories of each biggest past(lost) love. Warren shared his memories about Candy, including the painful moment of her death and the even more painful of her return as a tool for Cameron Hodge’s war against him. Betsy has showed Warren about Tom, and made Warren feel but a shadow of what she felt when Tom was killed while they had been in telepathic contact.

Warren’s mind is always open for Betsy. They have set boundaries for Betsy’s telepathy, as it is healthy for a relationship in which one has psyonic powers and the other is a psy-null. Betsy strove to respect Warren’s privacy, even when the situation called for the easier solution to read Warren’s grief straight from his mind or to get answers when Warren’s reticence to speak had him meet Betsy’s question with silence. Warren, in kind, as learned that he can trust Betsy with his mind, so Betsy has open access to it. Warren had been taught by Xavier how to shield his mind from intrusions, and how to shield memories and thoughts he wants to keep safe from telepathic fingers, but he gradually lowered those shields.

They might join minds during sleep. It’s Betsy’s mind that reaches out for Warren, and it happened more than once that Betsy found herself slipping into Warren dreams, either as a spectator or with an active involvement - her mere presence having a changing effect on the whole scenario.

Warren is the more reserved of the two. Both in gestures and nature. He’s not shy or insufferably introverted - quite the contrary. But he’s more protective of his relationships and doesn’t feel like showing too much affectionate in public. He doesn’t shy away from kisses and the likes, but he wouldn’t go much over than that. Betsy on the other side might have a little exhibitionist strike in her. Not as to make sex in public, but she might be more willing to have some PDA were people can see them.

The weight quarrel. Once she regained her original body, Betsy took offense with Warren’s body. One day they were comparing physical data to pass time, and she discovered that, despite being heavily built on the shoulders and equipped with sixteen feet spanned wings, Warren weights 5 lbs less than her, the former top model wearing the 8 UK. She still hasn’t accepted this. She has nothing against her own body, and loves Warren’s every muscle, but it’s unnatural that a man built like Warren and with those assets, weights only 150 lbs - hollow bones and genetically unable to store excess fat be dammed.

They’re almost the same height. After years in which Betsy had to stand on her toes to kiss Warren, is a welcome (and disorienting at the same) change to stand at Warren’s same height - she’s one inch shorter than him. Luckily for her, Warren isn’t one of those men who feels threatened or put off by a woman tall like him.

Together (sex)

Warren allows Betsy to do him things he would never allow any other woman. Warren trust completely Betsy, not only because he loves her and knows her, but because, thanks to her telepathy, Betsy knows exactly when to push and when to stop. At times before even Warren can acknowledge.

Erotic massages. As both lovers of massages, it was natural for them to bring the practice in their intimate life. Betsy might have it easier, with her telepathy aiding her, but they both learn first and then master the techniques of both relaxing massages and then the art of erotic massage. They might never become professionals masseurs, but they know each other too well and that’s all that matters. Yes, those massages when both are naked and the masseur gently brings the other to orgasm.

Nuru massage It’s the natural evolution of their passion for erotic massage so they eagerly embrace this technique as well. A Nuru Massage is a Japanese erotic massage technique where a masseuse rubs her body against the client's body while both of them are naked and covered with massage oil.

Besty is the wilder beast in bed. Betsy, as a former British woman of aristocratic ties, is believed to be more reserved. Warren, on the other side, has the fame of a womanizer. People tend to believe that Warren is the more kinkier. Quite the opposite. Despite his fame, Warren is pretty much chill on sex and is less experienced that people - including those closer to him like the Original Five - think he is. Betsy, on the other hand, has tried more things since she first masturbated herself as a teen, and is always ready to try and experience new things to see if they might turn out to be a new kink of hers.

They practice pegging. The first time it’s just Betsy suggesting and Warren going for it - out of curiosity, to spice up a bit their sex life. Betsy does some research and properly prepares Warren - who does trust Betsy enough to entrust himself in her hands, but still is a bit tense about his first penetration. Warren didn't dislike it, he got some pleasing endorphin buzz, Betsy went crazy on the power surge of being on the penetrative side, and came just for the new perspective of pounding Warren (and his very nice ass) in a doggy position - and came another couple of times for the stimulation of the mechanical act of thrusting. The first orgasm is quite intense, and Betsy has to drape herself on Warren’s back to regain some breath while trembling and panting. Warren started to relax and found some pleasure too late - Betsy by then had already come like three times and was about to drop, exhausted and wrecked. Warren didn’t come until Betsy slipped a hand under him and pumped him a whole minute. Warren, who is one besotted birdman who would do almost anything to make sure Betsy is satisfied and sexually sated, agreed on doing it again. The second time they get a better hang around it. Perhaps he was more relaxed, perhaps because he knew what to expect, but Warren definitely enjoys the ride this time and doesn’t need to be masturbated all the time to come. A bit of stimulation is welcome, but not necessary. Since then, pegging is part of their sexual life (not to say they do it every time or it’s a set date, it depends on the mood). Betsy might have the time of her life in selecting new dildo to play with Warren. (she might indulge her own fantasies with some Bad Dragon as well). She eventually learns how to construct her own penis with tk. It’s a whole different feeling - for the both of them.

Dildo, FeelDoe, Bad Dragons, vibrators and more. There’s an healthy use of devices in their sexual life.

Dominance and submissiveness. Neither of them are into BDSM but they don’t dislike consensual power exchange, most of the times with Betsy on the dominant role.

They use restraints - but only of the telekinetic kind. Warren doesn’t accept cuffs of straps, they still feel too close to what Callisto put on him. Betsy has discovered that Warren responds quite differently, and in a good way, if the restraints are made of her tk. They have a different feel than leather one, and don’t trigger Warren’s trauma.

They regularly make sex through telepathy. Given their hectic lives, between being part of various X-Teams, managing a multi-billion conglomerate and personal relationships to nurture, it’s not uncommon that they find themselves separated for long periods of times - either Warren in New York for his business obligations and Betsy in UK with her brother’s family, or both serving in two different teams. Betsy’s powerful telepathy helps keep them connected, replacing the need for a phone, but also comes handy when they miss more than each other’s voice. It’s always Betsy to start with the flirting and teasing. With time Betsy has managed to chip away at Warren’s more private nature, teaching him the perks of telepathic sex. Which is akin to the glorified version of videocall sex. They cannot make sex on the astral plane, because Warren can’t project himself. Telepathic sex has the perk that it that cannot be hacked and pics/text cannot be given to gossip magazines. Other powerful telepaths could get a peek, though, if Betsy was distracted and her shields failed her. (or through Warren’s more unprotected mind).

They had mid-air sex at least once. In Colorado in the surroundings of the Aerie, where nobody can see them - or, like, shot a photo or film a video of them fucking to post on socials or porn sites.

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Crossposted Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/90413.html Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/99193.html

[prue84]

National Treasure instagram: Dragon photobombing

Fandom: BBC’s Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU AU: National Treasure Series: National Treasure instagram — [ Reblogs > Likes | No AI involved ] —

Have you thought your children were the most stressful creatures on Earth? You never tried to be dad to a dragon.

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It didn't take Aithusa, the albino dragonling good omen for Albion's future, much time outside of her egg before deciding that Arthur is just a different race of dragons - no scales, no wings, no fire, and ignorant in dragon language, but definitely still a dragon. After all, he's named Pendragon, so it means he is a dragon, right? And, since Arthur named himself "Chief of dragons" and she is the "Light of the Sun" that will bring forth a new age for dragons, it comes without saying that he's her father. Right right? The Aithusa-logic is flawless. So this knee-high to a grasshopper dragonling has the power to impose her own vision on the mighty Once and Future King, forcing him to accept that he's meant to be the dragon daddy of an annoying creature that is a ferret software running on dragon hardware (well, Arthur isn't that much well versed in technology, but he saw a similar use of computer terms to describe foxes and thought it applied for Aithusa as well). The legendary warking has begrudgingly submitted himself to the responsibility of raising the dragonling as his own, but the task at times feels more draining that leading a war against the Saxons: the dragonling has too much energy for her own good! Merlin had some errands to take care to, and left (dragon)dad and dragon daughter alone at the castle. This is what he found when he returned home.

More about the AU under the cut. (More fanworks from this AU at the links above)

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About the AU It’s the 21th century and the existence of magic has been widely known since Guinevere, the last queen of Camelot, lifted the ban and had made Merlin her own advisor. With the centuries the myth of the Once and Future King has grown unchecked: Arthur Pendragon belongs to the category of the great people of history who the most have influenced the world, with the only difference that he will one day return. Magic, for a number of circumstances never verified (possibly a mix of abuse and industrialization), seems like having been drained, leaving only the passive one: charms applied to old houses or objects still works, but new charms cannot be cast and are ineffective. Immortality is a rare gift unavailable to most, but few people belonging to the world Before The Drain still live, the oldest of them born in the Late Renaissance age. Merlin, former wizard and oldest man of the world as the only one alive since the Middle Ages, is considered the world’s grumpy uncle, that one parent who is a font of knowledge and tells funny stories about an otherwise serious topic like History but isn’t willing to sit down and socialize with the youngsters (which means basically anyone, to him). Told to be always traveling, he imparts his knowledge almost exclusively through his blog, “Merlin’s Cave”. Unknown to all, though, Merlin has also a second identity under which he lives an almost ordinary life: Gaius de Bois, young professor of Medieval History at the University of Avalon, down-to-heart person, a professor much loved by his students, and, especially “nephew” of the Great Merlin. Arthur Pendragon emerges from the secluded Lake of Avalon and his return is made official by Merlin with a post on his Instagram, a photo about the two halves of a broken coin (with Merlin’s and Arthur’s profile) reunited. Arthur leads a quiet life, residing in Merlin’s cottage on the shores of the lake, with his grumpy (not-so) former servant to protect him from meddlers and fanatics. To preserve and allocate the necessary resources to restore a conducive environment for him and his needs of Middle Ages man, he is given the title of National Treasure that grants him a monthly revenue, total coverage of expenditures and funds to restore the castle of Camelot – castle that Merlin has preserved by magically miniaturizing it and placing it in a snow-less globe. Merlin, through his social media and website, shares with the world the chronicles of how his king is adjusting to the modern times. Arthur is initially followed by paps and generally by the curiosity of the people: it’s just Merlin’s angry presence (and an endless stream of ordinances) that shelters Arthur from the frenzy although soon it becomes an ordinary sight to see the king going around wearing his armor and sunglasses. When Camelot is restored, it gets the status of Principality within the United Kingdom, a kind of enclave named New Camelot on which Arthur is granted absolute power: initially a city-state enclosed within the strong walls of the citadel, it grows when further lands and pastures are assigned to the principality to assure Camelot’s self-sufficiency. Life in New Camelot, per Arthur’s choice, doesn’t reflect the innovations happened after the king’s death, and the citadel will become a haven for people who wish to live a simpler life or simply unplug a bit from the modern times. With time Arthur will fully embrace the perks of modernity, thanks to Merlin (and his money) who spoils him, and he’ll even get a driving license (against Merlin’s will). But that’s another story for another time.

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Notes Manip started in 2020. For some reason it was held back. I don't remember why. Also, I was stuck with the text for the post. Which might be the reason of the whole holding back thing. The most challenging part of this was to fit my signature.

Originally, the post was meant to feature only one picture. The decision of making three was made in late August, when I wrapped up the Instagram portion of the project and decided that I didn't like how the full picture (now #2) looked.

Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) Instagram graphic made all by-hand, with much moving/copy/pasting and, especially, a wearying research to find out which font the website used. No template site. Since I created my own template, it won't reflect any future changes the platform might make (I have no intention of modify my template).

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Crossposted Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/98953.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/90241.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Dragon-photobombing-instagram-981846867 (instagram post), deviantart.com/prue84/art/Dragon-photobombing-981846885 (photo 1), deviantart.com/prue84/art/Dragon-photobombing-photo-2-981846913 (photo 2), deviantart.com/prue84/art/Dragon-photobombing-photo-3-981846924 (photo 3)

[prue84]

Out of boredom (=I’m that kind of anal), I went and removed all <hr> elements and underline tags (<u>) from the posts, since Tumblr no longer supports them (don’t ask...)

[prue84]

Warren Worthingon III headcanons – The women

Further headcanons. In this part, a reflection of Warren’s most significant loves in a 5+1 parts format ficlet. Krakoa-canon compliant, up to the date of the posting.

Part I | Part II: romantic life | Part III: more powers | Part IV: his women

Under the read more so I can easily make small fixes or add anything. I don’t plan to update it, should Marvel remember that Warren is an A-character and (gods save us!) pair Warren with someone new, but never say never. (Posted also on AO3 and SquidgeWorld if you prefer that format - links under the read more)

1. Jean Grey, the what if

Jean is his first everything. The first girl he felt mature love for. The first to not fall for him. The first to like - and hate - him for what he is (was), behind the looks or wealth. The first to offer him pure, disinterested friendship. She is the reason why he strove to become a better person, why he learned to be less self-centered. She’s the drive that made him grow up.

Jean is... Jean. How can someone describe the complexity and paradox that is Jean Grey? Fire and water, life and death, weakness and strength, omega powers and humbleness. Far from perfection and yet elected as the role model from a whole community, painted as a saint, but fierce as a demon. The soul of the X-Men, the star that lit their path even from dead. The woman who was offered the cosmos, who held galaxies in her hand and nursed timelines back to life, but chose to stay earthbound. The woman who was offered ascension to more than mere godhood but chose to stay mortal. The woman who said no to a force older than the universe itself that wished to be one with her. But Warren met Jean when she was none of this, when she still was a girl trying to find her place in the world and eager to prove that she could be a power to reckon with.

Jean is his first love. He had his flings before a pair of wings sprouted from his back and changed his life forever. He never lacked flocks of girls who threw themselves his way. He could name a few, but he would eventually forget some. His looks, his status, his success in any sport he decided to apply himself - girls were eager to be with him. He was a self-centered teenager who knew he was beautiful - he felt it natural, it felt it was his right, to have beautiful girls fight for his attention. And he may have liked them, but with none of them he pretended there was more than mere attraction. Again, teenage flings. Never he had applied to himself the term lovestruck until Jean Grey came into his life.

Sure, when she arrived at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the only girl in a class of four boys, it wasn’t love. She was beautiful, she was smart, she was witty. An eye-catcher that hid a brilliant mind under a head full of red hair. Unbothered by her being the only girl, amused by the way they all flocked around her in a race to impress her. Love was the last thing that buzzed in his mind, back then.

But then somehow it happened. Sexual attraction softened, morphed into genuine interest and then more. As they went from teens to adults, as he grew from boy to man, his feelings for Jean changed as well. The easier years. Before the Phoenix, before Apocalypse. When the very idea of a second class at the school was distant. When they still felt but a tight group of five adults who had known each other since forever, when the idea of splitting up was unbearable, when they still felt nothing could break them up, that they would never go separate ways - that somehow they would all find their place in the world but find themselves together at night, and eventually grow old but always together.

Jean has always been a woman who made her interest known. She didn’t play hard to catch. She didn’t wait for a man to court her - she didn’t want it either. When Scott tip-toed around her, she reached out, making her own feelings clear but, at the same time, waiting for him to come at his own pace. And Warren stood on the sideline. Aware that he would always be the third wheel. It was hard for him, to back down - it was the first time for him, a lesson to be learned.

For years he felt the second best. The one Jean would chose, should Scott be unavailable - the one she would turn to, should Scott would loose his mind and turn her down. The one she would've picked had Scott never tried so hard to hide his interest. The man she would marry, had Scott backed down. Perhaps something did happen between them, when Jean returned, when Scott was torn between the love for the woman he always wanted and duty toward the wife he built a family with, when Jean felt rejected by the man she expected to marry. There was an underlying current. And if only Candy wasn’t there, if only Scott... Many ifs.

Now he knows better, though, Now he knows that spot in Jean’s heart belongs to Logan. There is no need to to see them share intimacy to understand that Logan has a place in Jean’s life that he’ll never have. Too different from Scott to appeal to her when they were barely adults thrown in a world that would spit them out, too similar to appeal the her wilder side, the one that burns with fiery and feral passion.

He doesn’t care. He accepted long time ago that Jean was never meant to be at his side as lover. Jean was meant to be at his side as a friend. Jean is his best friend. One of the few Warren ever allowed in his discreet life. One of the few privy to his secrets, one of the few that he shares his thoughts with. Together they are two fifth of the First Class, the originals. And each of them has a special place in each other’s life. But Jean will always come first. He likes to think he’s her best friend too. She’s full of friends to rely on, fellow X-Women she searches for a comforting hug or ask out for a date if she needs to take her mind off things, but he’s her oldest, the one she’ll find whenever she feels to share her mind about some private matter. If she needs to vent about Scott, he’s the first she goes to. Bittersweet. But Warren feels himself honored to be that person for Jean.

And yes, he might’ve been happy with Jean at his side. And he would’ve made sure to make her happy. He would’ve never made the same mistakes Scott did - he would’ve never jumped into a relationship with a Jean look-alike after burying her, he would’ve never jumped into Emma Frost’s arms with Jean sleeping every night beside him, breathing and gloriously alive. But the ship is long sailed - or, to be more accurate, never existed to start with.

He wouldn’t trade their friendship for any timeline in which they eventually got together. If one of the eternal beings that rule the Omniverse came to him with an offer to live a life where Jean chose him over Scott, he wouldn’t accept. Sure, he’d be tempted, but in the end he would refuse. Loyal friends, especially the kind like Jean’s, are harder to come by than potential lovers or wives. But he can’t deny at, at times, he wonders how different his life could’ve been, had Jean that faithful first day picked him instead of Scott.

*

2. Candace Southern, the wife that’ll never be

Candy was his real first love. They’d been childhood friends, they dated, on and off while he tried to juggle between his vapid, rich disguise and his secret identity as X-Man. Her unintentional involvement during the first tragedy of his life, the murder of his father, had him cast her out of his life, her presence and closeness during the second tragedy, the death of his mother, cemented her place at his side. Outside of the X-Men, she’s the first, since he debuted in the public as the Avenging Angel, to discover his secret mutation, the first to accept whom he really is without the need to have a mutant gene herself. Not only she accepted it, but embraced his uniqueness. Brave and reckless, she’s the first human ally the X-Men earn - unbothered by the secret, immediately ready to throw herself in the fray to protect them.

She was there when they all believed Charles Xavier had died, and they were left to face the world alone, deprived of the guidance of their patron. She was there when he met the new recruits, mutants who could fly on top of having other abilities, and he suddenly felt outdated, when he felt he could be discarded. She was there when the two classes tried to accommodate each other in the school, and Warren felt redundant. She was there when the first class disbanded to let the second class step in, and Warren felt adrift. She was there when, without the X-Men to take up his life, he found himself with too much time to fill. She was there when, with the first class scattered around, he had to relearn what privacy meant, with no shared bathrooms or nosy roommates. She was there when he suddenly found himself richer than he ever though he could be, with no idea how to manage such a scary inheritance all by himself.

Theirs have been a strong relationship, friends, partners. She was her right-man(right-woman), the brilliant business leader whom he could entrust his own fortune while he soared high, tailing any villain that threatened the world. Same background, same approach to life, both willing to enjoy life at its fullest and never shy about embracing the perks of their upbringing. Candy not only accepted his mutant status but embraced it, with everything it entailed - dangers included. Eager to be part of his world, she plunged headlong in his adventures, never backing down, never asking him to stop. No matter the dangers they both faced, she never requested he choose between her or his lifestyle. Despite everything that happened to him (Heather’s mental manipulations, his blindness, the tragedies), her time as team leader for the Defenders it’s perhaps the best time in which Warren managed to have his private and mutant life to coexist. If only he hadn’t been too young, too self-absorbed, too busy being the high-flying angel to consider to keep his feet on the ground... if he hadn’t been turned upside-down by Jean’s return and the conflicting feelings such miracle brought in his heart, he would’ve asked her to marry him. Candy would’ve been the perfect woman to be forever at his side. In a world where being the lover of a mutant doesn’t make you a target, in which non-mutants aren’t doomed to die between the arms of their mutant partner, Candy would’ve been the right woman to grow old with.

Too much went wrong with her, his life went downhill since that day she walked out of him. A part of him at times wonders how his life would've been if he had been given the chance to explain, to reassure Candy that there was no reason to be jealous of Jean, that his heart, for how disoriented and conflicted, in the end belonged to Candy. If only he sat down with Candy and explained her his heart tribulations, if only he had been honest with her since the beginning of the X-Factor project... If Candy had been there, she would've noticed Hodge's machinations before it was too late. She was always the more perceptive of the two. Who can say how different things would unfold, with her alive and at his side.

Her loss is a scar. The wound has healed, he can think back to her and not cry. He isn’t scared anymore by the photos of her he stashed away when it felt too hard for him to see them. But the scar will never vanish, and her name is forever branded on his heart. A part of him will forever belong to Candy. His innocence, the carefree Warren Worthington III who felt entitled to own the whole world in his hand, is gone with her and forever belongs to her. It feels just right that he fell from the skies the same day he lost her, that he fell into Hell the day she stormed out of his life forever.

Does he hate that death doesn’t work on criminals, that death can’t keep Hodge, but Candy will never return? Yes. Does he hate that killers and mass-murderers can be brought back to life thanks to the resurrection protocols while Candy will never be able to return? Yes. That he was regenerated and kept alive even when he was killed and meant to die? Yes. But Candy was no mutant, and for humans death is final - she’s forever gone. And perhaps it’s best she stays that way. It’s best that she rests in peace, with no one ever having the ability to twist and manipulate her like it happens to them mutants, who can’t achieve peace even in death. She was returned to him once, a pawn to strike him, a weapon to hurt him. It was enough. Besides, she wouldn’t like the Warren he has become. She would never accept the brutality, the violence he employs. She would never find in herself any reason to stay with him, after seeing - knowing - Archangel and what he entails. She would be disgusted, horrified, by the things he did, by the blood on his wings. Better she rests, never to be condemned to the knowledge that the man she loved has fallen from heaven, that he’s become a bringer of death.

Somewhere, in the thousands of timelines out there, there must be an alternate Earth in which Candy never doubted of his love, Jean’s presence didn’t come between them, and Hodge never betrayed them. Or an Earth in which he never jumped on the X-Factor project, where he didn’t listen to Hodge’s idea. Where Jean never met the Phoenix and died, or survived and retired in marriage with Scott, or Hodge died in a car accident before plotting his betrayal. Somewhere, there must be a Warren Worthington who had the chance to live his life with Candy to the very end. At times he finds himself wishing to search for it, to explore all the realities out there, to become an Exile and jump from timeline to timeline, just to know that there’s a Warren out there who is truly happy.

*

3. Charlotte Jones, the regret

Charlotte is a stain, something he's ashamed for and will forever be ashamed for. Not for her, never for her - but for him, because everything was his fault. He was in a bad place back then and not really himself, Charlotte was a life jacket, an hand held out, an offer. Someone who saw the angel behind the monster. Someone who was willing to accept that new Warren, unlike all his friends who just wanted the old Warren back.

She helped. Scraps, morsel of a real life. A woman different from Candy. Gruff, not born of rich, used to work hard to get by, an everyday warrior. A punch from reality for the wealthy privileged white boy who never got to know the hardship of the everyday life for those who can’t fly high and see everything from the sky. Her closeness allowed him to find back the man he thought Apocalypse killed, her patience to work out his mood issues. She saved him - more than she could ever think.

He had come to love little Timmy. Seeing him fight against his own condition was an example for him to fight back Apocalypse’s manipulations, an example to learn to accept his new self - the blue skin, the metallic wings that felt estranged to him like an artificial limb he rejected.

But, in the end, Charlotte was just a police officer. And he needed more. The high flying Archangel soared between goddesses and omega mutants, how could he stay earthbound? She had her own issues, and couldn’t hold his own burdens as well. His depression, his moods. It was too much.

She was never asked if she wanted to take that burden, though - he just drifted away, closing himself off, facing his own inner demons and forgetting everyone else. She tried. She reached out for as long as she could. But at some point she gave up, unwilling to forever yap at his leg for a morsel of attention from the man she though was her boyfriend. A relationship can work only if both the parties care and fight for it, and Warren soon lost the will to fight. Ghosting Charlotte was the easiest way, for an angel that felt too blue to embrace happiness.

He still feels bad for how it ended, for how he vanished on her instead of manning up and break up vis-a-vis. He would like to cling to excuses, to blame the hectic life of an X-Men, to hide behind Magneto and the Phalanx and every other thing that happened, every danger that fell on them. But the truth is that he wasn’t in the right mind to care for his romantic life, he was just tired of everything and he barely held himself together as an X-Men. He still feels bad. But he can't change his past. They met a couple of times. She was closed off and annoyed they happened in the same place. She has every right to clam up and get rude to him. He was an asshole, he deserved to be treated as one. He will never fault Charlotte for not forgiving him.

He wonders how Timmy is doing. He wished he could help him, be the silent patron that tends to his needs, to pay for his tuition. But Charlotte would never allow him. When he vanished, he vanished on Timmy too after all. He had been tempted, though. To fly to the block where she lives, find a good spot on a near roof and wait for Timmy to walk on the street below, to make sure he’s fine and he still has that bright smile on his face. But he doesn’t feel like handling that rejection, the risk of Timmy raising his head and see the man perched like a hawk to check on him. He likes to think back to Timmy as the boy he left the last time he opened his wings and took flight from Charlotte’s window. Besides, Charlotte would come to have his ass, should he show up to Timmy out of the blue.

He learned from that mistake though: he broke up with Betsy as soon as he understood their relationship was stagnating, before they would eventually drift apart.

*

4. Paige Guthrie, the mistake

Paige is... Well. Let's say he was hurting and confused. Very very confused. He's not one to repudiate the past, for everything that happened to him - good or bad - is what made him the man he is. For all the things he would erase, there are worse things than a wrong relationship that was started on the wrong premises. They fell for each other and so be it. Although, nowadays, he can't understand how that even happened. They really were too much different. In any other moment of his life it would've never happened. But he was mourning Betsy, in a time when death was forever. And Paige was there, reaching out, willing to help him and ready to stomp her feet on the ground and force-pull him out of the self-pity mood he was wallowing in. And Paige too, she was in no good place. Rebounding off her failed romance with Starsmore, perhaps she thought that with someone older than her things would be different, that she wouldn’t be forced to be with someone who kept self-sabotaging his love life. She took a look at him and thought he was different, that the only Original who was public and proud about his mutation would be the farthest from a Gen-X whose mutation took out half of his face and chest.

Not to say they didn’t have a good time, while it lasted. But, why. He didn’t act like himself, or perhaps not like the himself he had been since that moment. In a way, with Paige he was back to be the first Warren, the teenager - the Warren before the tragedies that forever marred his sunny nature. The Warren of the First Class - before Candy, before his uncle, before everything. He acted immature, he didn’t act like the responsible adult one would expect from someone who is a founder of the X-Men and a businessman who sits on a multi-bilionaire fortune, runs a Fortune 100 company and is stockholder in too many places for him to even remember.

Only when he was at his lowest, memory-less and naive, he had stopped as low. Sex in the sky right above Lucinda Guthrie’s nose? What the hell was he thinking? This is something sixteen-years-old Warren would do, what the pre-mutant socialite would do - not [twenty/third-something-I-hate-you-timescale] Worthington!

He got much flack from Bobby because of this, but even someone who knew him as much as Bobby admitted he was different with Paige, younger - an attitude that had been stripped out of him by Apocalypse. Perhaps this is why nobody stepped in, why none of his oldest friends planned an intervention to save him from embarrassing himself. Why, other than Bobby’s jabs, he was left alone.

Paige did make him feel younger and carefree, in a way that he had forgotten. And for that, he should be grateful to her. But he was no more a teenager, and he should’ve been more mature than that. More mature than giving in. He should’ve stuck to his role of First Class and team leader to Paige’s Generation X, two different generations, too much age difference. With hindsight, he should’ve listened to Stacy X. He owes Miranda an apology: she said those things because she wanted to get into his pants, sure - still, she was right. All in all, it was a phase that didn't last much and he won't talk about it.

He might be embarrassed about how he acted, but Paige doesn’t deserve ill feelings. She was there when he unknowingly needed someone like her, after all, and never shied away. Fought for what she wanted, when he was playing hard to catch and clinging to what he felt was ethically right to do (which was not make a move on Paige) - and he must give it to her, the girl is a warrior.

When they eventually drifted apart, they did so in good ways. There’s no avoided glances and stunned silences if they are assigned to the same team, there is the right amount of closeness and camaraderie one would expect from fellow X-Men. They don’t greet each other with kisses nor they hug after a tragedy, but he is a private person and he isn’t big on gestures - but, should she need a hug, he wouldn’t shy away, and she would do the same for him. He couldn’t ask no more, for a relationship that had been an error from his part.

*

5. Elizabeth Braddock, the other half

Elizabeth is and will always be his soulmate. He might feel silly to say it aloud, and he likely will never admit it even in the privacy of his mind, but deep inside he knows it.

Both born privileged, both proud of their mutation, both magazine material, both striking handsome. If someone had to come up with a more perfect pair, they couldn’t draw one better assorted than them. White or blue, Asian or English, it doesn’t matter. They would be the pet of gossip, guest to the best glamorous events, they could be the king and queen of New York if only they wanted. If only they weren’t mutants, actually. Or, at least, if their affiliation to the X-Men and mutants weren’t public - or if people were enamored with mutants as they are with the Avengers and the Fantastic Four or anyone else on the side of angels who has superpowers and isn’t named Spider-Man.

Both manipulated by others.

But Betsy has always been the strongest of the two. Where he reacted to what Apocalypse did with gloom, by turning depressed and introverted, by wallowing in self-pity or venting his rage on himself, she reacted to each manipulation by getting more determined and hard, by not letting the pain drag her down, by focusing that rage in her moves, using it to strengthen her tk knife. For months, after he returned into the X-Factor fold, he fought his metal wings, he rejected their power, he avoided mirrors for the fear of meeting his own blue reflection, he pretended that Warren Worthington was no more, dead like his wings. She, after regaining control of her mind and back to the X-Men, immediately made use of her acquired ninja abilities and adapted her mutant powers to efficiently use them in conjunction with the new fighting skills, turning an already deadly body into an even more deadly warrior. And she accepted the differences in her body, she focused on what good it came with, she didn’t clung to what she lost. Unlike him, who had to break one heart, watch her dead girlfriend die again between his arms and be kicked in the face by his best friend, before understanding that he had to reclaim his whole life and accept that it didn’t matter the hue of his skin or the metal protruding out of his shoulders where feathers once had been - that Warren Worthington III, the High Flying Angel, was still down there, even if he now soared on metal wings.

Together they faced everything. They endured and survived, they died and resurrected. Always bouncing back to each other. As if some uncanny force bound them together. They hurt each other, every time. Unwilling. Forced by the events, forced by others. They aren't good for each other, because they indulge and worsen each other's addictions. They're good for each other, because they are the other’s rock. Forces like death, time, mystical powers and Apocalypse didn’t manage to keep them apart; stress, different attitudes, different goals and stagnation did.

Betsy isn’t a woman to settle down. She constantly needs excitement, she needs to live life at its fullest. She craves for the adrenaline that fights pump in her vein, she needs to always be at the center of the field. Ninja or mutant, she doesn’t bode well with monotony. He’d sign any contract that granted him a quiet life in which to enjoy his money, soar the sky and retire in the night to sleep near the woman he loves. He always returns to the X-Men, no matter how many times he promises himself that this is the last time, that this is the final retirement. But she can’t stay away from adventure - if the X-Men disbanded and mutants suddenly had no more enemies, she would find other ways, other teams, other allies and foes. She would hop literally to other worlds and times. Not even death managed to force her to stay put and rest. Not even Krakoa managed to make her stop and rest.

And then Archangel, the dark shadow he carries within himself came. He, the one who rejects and fights Betsy, the only one who stands between them. The reason why she twice returned to him, the reason why she leaves everything to fight his own battle, to protect the Angel from the Archangel in Archangel’s never-ending battle for supremacy over the man Warren Worthingon. And eventually he won. He didn’t manage to break them apart the first time, he drew them closer. He didn’t manage to break them apart the second time, when Betsy lied with the enemy in order to get to him. He didn’t manage to break them apart the third time, when it were His wings that saved her from being consumed by the darkness of the Shadow King. But He got his revenge, Archangel won the very moment Warren found a way to get rid of Him. And Betsy had to call forth Archangel to save Angel from himself - and the whole world with him.

They have drifted apart now. They didn’t break up, not like other people do. One day they were besotted with each other, happier than ever, an English woman finally back in her own original body and a smitten bird eager to get to know a woman finally complete. The next Nate Grey came and turned their own little world upside down. And then, Krakoa. As he said, he eventually bounces back to the X-Men and she can’t stay away from the field. If only they’d staid in Colorado, if they haven’t returned to the fold... would their history be different, then? Would they be part of the few that Nate left behind, to pick up the pieces in a world where suddenly all mutants where considered dead and gone? Who knows. But they didn’t. They were on the front line. He switched sides. She used her tk knife to force him back to her. He shouted to her, he reluctantly helped the X-Men. And then. Then, they both got sucked in that twisted utopia, and they never recovered from that. And now they’re strangers. They barely exchange glances when they’re in the same place, they barely nod each other in greeting before parting ways again, each headed to their own way. They never stop and talk to each other - there's never the chance. They don't know how. Too much was done to them, too many changes. It’s like a wall has been build between them while they were too busy to notice, and they both don’t seem interested in tearing it down. Or perhaps it’s just that they don’t know. Or perhaps they are scared to see what awaits on the other side.

It’s like a lifetime has passed by since the last time they were close, and now they’ve become two different people - gone are the X-Woman who fought with tk weapons and the X-Man who patrolled the skies. He traded his uniform for high-fashion suits, and she traded her trademark pinks for the Union Jack colors. He put aside his mutant abilities to use what is in his blood instead, she stripped of her very mutant name to build herself another identity. He left the aerial fights for the equally brutal economic battlefields, she this Earth for the Omniverse. They have become strangers now - the CXO and the Captain Britain, the man with the duty to keep X-Corp floating and Monet in check, and the woman in charge with the security of Otherworld saddled with the overbearing presence of the less fashionable, more annoying lost sister of Emma Frost.

And now Betsy apparently found love again with someone else. Warren is void and tired. He feels like he failed yet another woman. That it just isn’t it in him to keep a woman. That he’s doomed to eventually be alone, that anyone he falls for eventually will leave him for greener pastures. He’s bitter. But is also happy for her. He’s not cruel, he’s not heartless. He’s not that kind of asshole who wishes ill or failure to the woman who had once been his out of spite. Nor he is annoyed that his former girlfriend now swings for the other spectrum. They all have met and fallen for aliens, gods or cosmic forces - what’s gender, compared to this?

Of all the people he knows, Betsy is the one who deserves peace and happiness the most. After all she endured, she’s entitled to. So, if she’s found the right person to find peace with, then so be it. If Rachel is the person who can bring out the good in Betsy, or even just give her a slice of happy married life, then so be it. He knows Rachel - she’s not one he would call friend, they don’t share a close bond and is little more than a fellow X-Men to him, but he knows her enough to know she’s good inside. Perhaps a bit troubled, a dark past that at time resurfaces - but who, between them X-Men, can call himself truly innocent and clean? Rachel is strong and stands for what she considers right. She’s not scared to take sides, even against her own friends - he would know, she was one of the few who sided with them time-displaced five, when everyone (Betsy included) were hunting them, unwilling to listen to what they had to say. Rachel will be a good partner for Betsy. With Rachel, Betsy won’t fall in her old habits. There won’t be an Archangel lusting for blood who will drag her back into black-ops missions and killing sprees. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t feel a pang of pain whenever she sees records of them together, fighting or making a guest apparition to some gala. That he doesn’t feel the need to avoid his eyes whenever they show up together in Krakoa and his keen sight spots a flaming head or familiar purple hair in the crowd. Eagle eyes are both a blessing and a curse, at times. He remembers himself that the past must stay in the past, that it’s time to look at the future ahead. That he moved on from Candy, and he can move on from Betsy as well.

But within, he feels that they aren't done. That somehow they’ll eventually fall back in their old paths. As if they were somehow doomed, struck in a loop they can’t escape, no matter how hard they run or fly. They are connected and forever be. That is nothing neither Archangel, nor Otherworld, can change.

*

+1. Laura Kinney, once forgotten

Laura is what was never meant to be. If Hank hadn’t plucked their younger selves from their time to throw them in a dark future, nothing with Laura would’ve happened. Laura has always been a child to his eyes. A child born out of pain, created to be nothing but a killing machine. Warren had known her as such, the feral female, younger counterpart to Logan - silent and cold, troubled and obedient. A reliable partner, for a black-ops squad made of killing machines. Wrong place for her, right for everyone else involved. They never clicked but they didn’t disagree either. Both too reserved, too stuck in their own killing machine mind, both prisoners to their own darkness. They worked well together, they protected each other’s back, they even supported each other. Yet, they barely exchanged few words. No matter that she lived in his house, hanged around in his kitchen - or saved his life on the field. He didn’t spare a thought to her, when they reshuffled the team and Logan put his foot down on her being out of the team - they lost a killing machine, but they were getting Betsy out of the exchange, and that was all that mattered at the time. And then everything went to hell.

To this day, he can’t explain how they fell together.

He doesn’t know what Laura saw in him. How Laura could see the teenager Warren and separate him from the adult Archangel of Death Laura had worked with. Perhaps she understood that they were as different as they could come, that the teenager Angel had nothing in common with that Warren Worthington but the genetic makeup. Perhaps he had changed in the meantime and he hadn’t known. She was one of the few young mutants they hanged out with in their future. He’s always been a socialite, back then - always a flirt. He was young and still foolish. Perhaps he unconsciously searched for someone different from him to ground him. Perhaps for once he wanted to help a broken person. Or perhaps it was the meeting the first girl to not fall for his charms - Jean Grey all over again.

They were sun and moon, carefree and troubled, light and dark. Yet, for some time it worked. Against all odds Laura returned his feeble feelings and they spent quality time together, like only a pair of teens involved with the X-Men can. He managed to make her smile. And he liked it. With him, she was less gloomy, at times he could see her eyes shine with some of the lightheartedness she was robbed her whole life. Twice he even managed to stole her a laugh. She compensated for his hot-headedness and his impulsivity.

But then he ruined it all. In his desperate attempts to escape his fixed destiny, he put a wedge between them. But how could she understand? To know that you have your fate presented to you, to see whom you will become, the horrors... Nobody ever had the galls to look him in the eye and explain how he ended up to be a Warren who believed himself an angel. Why he would gain metallic wings. Why he would drastically change in body and mind. Why he would loose himself. Everybody glossed over, everybody avoided his questions. He was left with what the cold files told him, and his mind to fill the gaps. He didn't share his fears with her, and Laura didn't reach out. To be fair, she didn't know how to. And he didn't give her any chance. His choice to keep the Black Vortex modifications was the start of the ending.

And then secrets built up. With hindsight she could've helped him, had she trusted in her. She had known the Warren who had been (the Warren he was doomed to become), and she knew too well the burdens of fury and a drive to commit violence. But he didn't trust her. And she was right to give up on them. They drifted apart. And in such a sour way that, by the time them five were about to return to the past, he and Laura didn't even exchange a word - not a farewell, not a goodbye. But theirs had always been a hopeless thing, something with an already written expiration date. A relationship he forgot, until the block on his memories fell.

He took the time to thank her for putting up with his younger self. For not telling him what she knew about his future. He asked her permission for a hug. Not as paternal figure, not as a brother, but not a distant lover either. He recalls with melancholic affection that brief time in which they were happy, when he felt that with Laura he could fix all the wrongs in the world - when he got a respite from the X-Men and returned to be the Avenging Angel, not alone but standing alongside a Wolverine.

Laura has Logan. But he promised he would be there for her if she ever needed help. As a friend. As a fellow X-Men who every day has to fight the darkness within.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes

Jean I see the potential for this pair in early Silver Age X-Men and later X-Factor, and I could see a (better) evolution of Scott's character in which he overcomes Jean's death, and - even if he's understandably conflicted with Jean's return - eventually stays with Maddie because he might've fallen for Maddie out of her likeness with Jean, but he's come to genuinely love her; the pain of seeing her die has forced him to mature and their love belongs to the past, as the "high-school" romances. In this case, Jean and Warren get closer. But this would mean Warren breaking up with Candy for Jean, which... no. It's disappointing that in the only What If...? in which we see Jean picking Warren during the First Class era, everything is portrayed as a bad fanfiction, with Scott leaving the X-Men and becoming evil.

Candy Candy is... Candy. My endgame is Warren/Betsy, but Candy is almost there. Wherever Warren goes, Candy goes to (I have two Warren/Betsy AUs - a medieval fantasy and an 1800s historical - and Candy gets her part in Warren’s life in both, shaping him and leaving a hole that Betsy has to struggle to fill. In the fantasy Candy is the reason why Warren doesn’t give Betsy a chance and rebuffs Betsy’s every attempt at building a bridge between them). If Marvel really wants to stick to Betsy/Rachel even after Howard leaves and Betsy ends up in other hands, then my dream would be to have Candy return - she’s not a mutant, but a retcon is behind the corner, should an author want to head that route (as proven with Moira McTaggart), and it’s not that in Marvel universe non-powered people never return from dead anyway.

Charlotte I liked them. But they really were too different to work on the long run. When X-Factor folded back into X-Men, authors had Warren act like a dick toward Charlotte. I think Warren would be the guy who went and broke up, instead of ghosting a girl. But he was in a bad shape, so it works. I personally know how it feels to let things drift and avoid confrontation and then wake up one day and realize too much time has passed and the train has left and you can’t get back and fix things (or, really, just close them as they should). Still, a dick. I would’ve loved it any authors hinted that Warren paid a scholarship, founded his medical cures or even invited Timmy to fly on mechanics wings in that X-Men Unlimited story. I was one of those who hoped the Archangel-wannabe Cherub of Children of the Atom was Timmy. Sadly, I was disappointed. Part of me is tempted to ignore that the guy is actually called Gabe and has nothing to do with Timmy.

Paige I think what I feel about her is heavily reflected in her chapter. I’m not a rabid hater (the “sex in the air right above momma Guthrie’s head” scene notwithstanding) but I feel we could remove that portion of his romantic life from Warren’s history and not miss/loose anything (although this pairing deprived us of more flirting and panel presence of Stacy X who was unceremoniously scraped off). They were attracted to each other out of the blue (especially him; Paige had every reason to be JUST physically attracted but he? They probably never shared a panel before since Gen X debuted), then together one moment, and the next they had fallen out and their relationship never be mentioned or hinted at again. For the best, I think. It was so poorly executed that it’s hard to salvage anything of that ship. I tried my best.

Betsy As a hard Warren/Betsy shipper, it’s very difficult for me to accept Betsy/Rachel. How it came to be, and especially with how the Betsy/Warren remains unresolved (the confrontation with alternate!Warren is too little and too ambiguous to satisfy anyone who ever cared for the ship) doesn’t help, but it’s how it’s portrayed (in every issue they have to be shown holding hands, kiss, exchange love confessions or flirt) that irks me. I can’t speak for other hetero ships, but Betsy/Warren didn’t need this amount of “in the face” to work - and Wildstorm/DC Apollo/Midnighter neither. It’s as if the author doesn’t trust her writing and/or has to make sure the readers don’t forget that “these two queer women are a couple” - or wants to be sure the readers don’t have any way to ignore their queer status. It’s not that I have something intrinsic against Betsy and Rachel per se, but I just know that - now that she’s been paired with a woman - Betsy will be forever stuck on the “lesbian” side of the mutants. No matter that she has been straight for most of her comic tenure (with the bi-ness ambiguous at best with her thing with Phatomex/Cluster). I am one for bi!Betsy, actually. But the majority of Rachel/Betsy fans (or at least the more vocal, the ones who seek queer representation in any form no matter the characters involved and if their previous canon history allows for this, some who staid with Howard only because of the promise of the queer couple, some who barely knew who Betsy was or never liked the character and jumped on for the pair only, some who gush on butch!Rachel despite Rachel never being buff - or tall like English!amazon!Betsy either) seem at times to forget that Betsy isn’t lesbian but bisex: if in the future an author decided to stray from this narrative, the backlash would be massive. Marvel wouldn’t want to the accused of queer erasure because Betsy left her (butch) Askani for a man. That’s why I fear Howard put a tombstone on Warren/Betsy. Nowadays, there’s no turning back once a character is portrayed as queer, bi-erasure is still strong. Tiny Howard, by making Rachel jealous of Saturnyne but not of Peter or any other man Betsy has to do with (including recently Tony Stark, who is a womanizer and the kind of man Betsy used to dig), doesn’t help. Objectively, one could think Rachel is only jealous of women because it’s her first lesbian relationship and she’s insecure. But the message the reader gets is that Rachel is only jealous of women because she doesn’t perceive men as a “threat” - as in, Betsy doesn’t care for men (like Warren was jealous of Betsy close to Neal Sharra but not of any X-Women Betsy hang out with). I have this feeling that Howard did this move to establish Betsy as different from Kwannon - she was given a character that was mostly blank, since everything we had come to know of Betsy was given to Kwannon (name, butterfly, powers, looks, attitude, roles within the X-Men - Kwannon got everything in the divorce!), and in hindsight the choice to make alternate!Warren married and divorced from Kwannon further strengthen this (Warren, and Neal and all the men she flirted, fucked or kissed, are Kwannon’s Betsy - Betsy’s Betsy is Rachel). At this point I resigned to the fact that Betsy will never return with Warren. But accept the reality doesn’t make it easier to swallow it. All in all, I tried to respect the new pair nonetheless and paint Warren as an understanding, decent man who still loves dearly Betsy and knows he has to let her go (she’s already gone - she has to let his feelings for her go, that’s what I mean).

Laura I’m in the minority that didn’t dislike Warren/Laura. I maintain that they had potential but it was a)poorly executed and b)at some point the authors weren’t interested and gave up. As with everything from the time-displaced!O5, canon never referenced to them again. I like to think Laura has put her thing with Warren in the list of fallen relationships of her life, but has understood that they were never meant to be in the first place and, with time, learned to appreciate the small goods things she got from that time. Warren, on the other hand, might be conflicted. He got to know Laura as an adult but then had a romance with her as a teen. But he might be conflicted on everything that happened during that time - the infodump of memories, once Jean’s block fell, must have been insane and, of all, the ones of his thing with Laura were far from the worst.

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Crossposted Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/90008.html Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/98314.html AO3: archiveofourown.org/works/49184803 SquidgeWorld: squidgeworld.org/works/46670