#CALL HIS ASS OUT CLARY

[tiredandoptimistic]

Bad news for the haters of the world: Clary Fray is based as fuck. Literally everything she does is justified, and frankly I would have been worse.

[appleofmyii]

you deserve better than that

now playing: 'eta'- new jeans

Percy Jackson x y/n (platonic) Clarisse la rue x y/n

A/N: whys y/n kinda iris coded in this???

Sypnosis: Percy just cant wrap his head around the fact that you, the sweetest girl in camp, was dating Clarisse la rue, the meanest

you were like Percy's older sister. from the moment he arrived at camp you were sweet on him. you sat with him at the cabin 3 table when he was alone, you baked blue chocolate cookies for him whenever he felt homesick or just missed his mom, and you even helped him pack whenever he had a quest. So when he found out that you were dating Clarisse, his biggest hater, he almost exploded. Clarisse was the complete opposite from you, from even before the moment he arrived from camp, Clarisse hated Percy, she attempted to dunk his head in a toilet, constantly picked on him, and picked him to spar against her just to beat his ass. why on earth would should a sweet girl like you want to date such a horrible girl like her?

"why do you even like her? she's a menace" you and Percy sat at the cabin 3 table, even though Percy has Tyson as his company at the table now, you and him had a lot to catch up on, especially your relationship with Clarisse. "a lot has changed since you left Percy, clary is not a menace, she's just a troubled kid like all half-bloods are, you just seem to be a major outlet for her anger that's all." all Percy paid attention to in your little speech was the nickname you called her, 'clary'. it swim through his brain. the way you said it with ease made him feel sick. the nickname made her seem nice in a way. like he could see her like how you saw her through your eyes. it made him want to gag a little. " i just don't understand how you could like someone who's so mean to me" he pouted a little, seeming genuinely hurt. all these people at camp and you just had to pick her. " oh Percy, it isn't that simple, maybe one day you'll understand" you glanced at Annabeth, but Percy didn't seem to notice. "love!" Tyson suddenly shouted which made Percy jump a bit, as it didn't seem he was listening to your conversation . "yes Tyson, love" you gave him a loving smile and patted his hand

⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚the end⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

[soulofapatrick]

Nightmares and Cuddles - Simon Lewis x female reader

Summary: You have a nightmare and go to find Simon, both of you acting like a couple in front of the others for the first time

Words: 1.8k

Warnings: none; somewhat non-canon Clary

Y/N’s POV

I wake with a sharp intake  of breath, my body jerking upright in bed as a small cry escapes my lips. Mu heart hammers against my ribcage, panic flooding my sense as my hands frantically search the empty space beside me, grasping the comforting weight of Simon’s icy form. But he’s not there. 

Fear tightens its claws around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs as I struggle to control the rising tide of panic. My fingers tremble as they trace the contours of the bed, desperately seeking the familiar warmth of his body, the reassuring beat of his heart. But all I find is emptiness, a void where his presence should be. 

“Si-Simon?” My voice wavers with uncertainty, the sound barely more than a whisper as I call out for him, my heart pounding in my ears. But there’s no response, only the oppressive silence of the room, pressing in on me from all sides. Tears sting at the corners of my eyes as I fight to hold back a sob, the ache of loneliness settling like a heavy weight in the pit of my stomach, “Simon.” I whimper again, the sound barely audible as I cling to the fragile hope that he’ll answer, that he’ll be there to chase away the darkness that threatens to consume me. 

With trembling limbs, I push myself out of bed and stumble towards the closed door, my heart pounding in my chest as I follow the siren call of their laughter. Each step feels like an eternity, the distance between us stretching out impossibly far as I fight to quell the rising panic that threatens to consume me. 

The laughter and yelling voices of Simon and Alec echo through the closed door, a beacon of warmth and familiarity in the cold darkness of the night. Each sound is a lifeline, pulling me closer to the safety and comfort that awaits me on the other side. But with each step, the knot of fear in my stomach tightens, threatening to suffocate me as I struggle to reach them. 

As I finally push open the door shuffle down the hallway and step into the living room, the scene before me is a blur of movement and noise. Magnus and Alec are engrossed in their game, their voices rising in excitement with each turn. Jace is huddled on the couch, Clary is sketching, both of them lost in their own little worlds, Izzy is cackling at the way Simon is kicking Magnus and Alec’s asses at the video game. And then, there's Simon, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the lamp, his laughter ringing out like a bell in the night.

For a moment,  I hesitate, unwilling to interrupt the easy camaraderie of their game. But then, as if sensing my presence, Simon turns his head, his face breaking into a wide grin as he catches sight of me standing in the doorway. 

“Hey, there you are,” Simon says, his voice filled with warmth and affection. But as he takes in my disheveled appearance, his expression shifts to one of concern, worry creasing his brow. Without a word, he pats his lap invitingly, a silent invitation for me to join him. And with trembling limbs, I shuffle over to him, feeling small and vulnerable in one of his oversized graphic t-shirts, my cheeks still puffy from crying in my sleep.

I try to ignore the way Alec and Izzy share curious looks, Magnus and Jace share knowing looks and Clary seems to glare at me over her sketch book when I stop in front of Simon. The daylighter looks up at me, cognac eyes full of love and concern as he reaches for my hips, gently guiding me onto his lap so I’m pressed into him, my feet tucking under Izzy’s thigh who welcomes them, used to me doing it. I rest my head on Simon’s shoulder, shivering slightly and press my forehead into the crook of his neck, breathing in everything Simon. 

I’m grumbling slightly when Simon leans to the side, dislodging my face from the crook of his neck, drawing a soft chuckle from him, his icy lips pressing to my forehead before a warm blanket is being wrapped around me, cocooning me in warmth and safety as he presses another gentle kiss to the top of my head as I burrow back into his chest. I can still see the images of Simon, Alec, Magnus, Jace and Izzy laying there, dead, and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. 

But even as Simon's arms encircle me, pulling me close, the images from my nightmare refuse to fade. They linger at the edges of my consciousness, haunting me with their vividness and cruelty. I can still see them—Simon, Alec, Magnus, Jace, and Izzy—lying there, lifeless and still, their faces frozen in expressions of agony. 

The tears well up anew, blurring my vision as I cling to the fabric of Simon’s shirt with desperate fingers, as if he might slip away from me if I let go. The weight of my fear presses down on me, threatening to suffocate me as I struggle to make sense of the horrors that linger in my mind. 

But Simon is here, his comforting presence unwavering as he holds me close. Though his heart may not beat like a human's, the unneeded but steady rhythm of his breath against my skin serves as a comforting reassurance. I can’t help but smile slightly as I know he’s only breathing so I can match my breath to his and stop panicking. And as he presses another gentle kiss to the top of my head, I feel a flicker of hope ignite within me, pushing back against the shadows that threaten to consume me. 

As I nudge his jaw with my nose, seeking solace in the familiar contours of his face, I’m met with the warmth of his gaze. In his eyes, I see a reflection of my own turmoil, but beneath it all, there's a depth of love and adoration that steals my breath away. I lose myself in the ocean of his gaze, the world around us fading into insignificance as I drown in the depths of his love. My heart swells with emotion, a tidal wave of longing and affection crashing against the walls I've built around myself.

And then, with a tenderness that steals  the very air from my lungs, Simon leans down to meet my lips in a soft, tender kiss. In that moment, everything else fades away—the nightmares, the doubts, the fears—replaced by the overwhelming warmth of his love. I melt into his embrace, savouring the sweetness of his lips against mine, the gentle press of his hand against the small of my back. Time seems to stand still as we lose ourselves in the intimacy of our connection, each touch, each caress, a testament to the depth of our bond. 

In the blissful cocoon of our embrace, time loses all meaning, swept away by the currents of our shared affection. But then, like a sudden clap of thunder shattering the tranquility of a summer's day, Clary's voice cuts through the silence, sharp and jarring. I startle at the sound, my heart pounding in my chest as I reluctantly pull away from Simon's lips, a sense of disorientation clouding my thoughts. Clary stands her expression a mix of surprise and disbelief, her eyes flickering with an emotion I can't quite place.

"How long has this been happening?" Her voice is tight, strained, as if each word is forced through clenched teeth. There's an edge to her tone, a hint of accusation that sends a shiver down my spine.

I glance up at Simon, searching for some sign of reassurance in his expression, but all I find is a mirrored reflection of my own uncertainty. His hand tightens around mine, a silent gesture of support, but the weight of Clary's question hangs heavy in the air between us. I swallow hard, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me as I struggle to find the right words to explain the depth of our connection. But before I can speak, Simon glares at her, his voice calm and steady despite the tension that simmers beneath the surface.

"It's been...a while," he admits, his gaze never wavering from Clary's. "But we wanted to keep it quiet, just until we were sure.” 

There's a flicker of something in Clary's eyes—disbelief, perhaps, or maybe just plain jealousy—but before I can dwell on it, she offers a tight-lipped nod, her expression unreadable. 

"Right," she says, her voice clipped and cold. It has me trying to wriggle out of Simon’s grip but he shushes me lovingly, gaze turned back to me, as if Clary’s disappeared and I can sense just how much it pisses her off but with the way Simon is looking at me I couldn’t care less. 

“I think you should go.” Izzy is speaking up as Simon’s urging me to lay my head back on his shoulder, face buried in the crook of his neck, his gentle hand carding through my hair while the other wraps around my legs and pulls me closer. I can hear Clary left out a sound of annoyance before she turns on her heels and I hear the front door slam before Alec clears his throat and challenges Simon to another round of whatever game they were playing before I joined them. 

And then, like a gentle breeze on a summer's day, Jace moves to sit on our other side, his hand finding mine in a silent gesture of solidarity. I squeeze his hand in silent gratitude, feeling the weight of his support like a lifeline in the darkness. 

As I lay there, surrounded by the comforting presence of my friends, I feel myself drifting off, the steady rhythm of Simon's heartbeat and the soft murmur of their laughter lulling me into a peaceful slumber.

In that moment, as I drift between wakefulness and dreams, I know with certainty that this is where I belong. In the warm embrace of my beloved Simon, surrounded by the laughter and love of our friends, I find a sense of belonging and contentment that I've longed for my entire life. And as sleep claims me once more, I let go of the worries and fears that have plagued me, knowing that as long as I have them by my side, I can face whatever challenges may come my way.

The Shadowhunters Masterlist TAG LIST - updated 21st Dec 2023

[im-out-of-it]

PSA: JUST A STUPID SAPPY POST ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVS MR ALEXANDER LIGHTWOOD-BANE, A NATIONAL TREASURE (sort of long so read at your own risk)

one of my favorite things about show Alec is that he truly does not give a fuck. if you hurt the people he cares about, he will call you out on it. just a short little rant about the difference between book and show Alec. book Alec does not have any autonomy or is allowed any thoughts that don’t include jace. “I wish I could fight like jace, I wish I could act as jace does, or JACE JACE JACE. CC STOP LET ALEC BE HIS OWN PERSON FOR FUCKS SAKE

this is because when CC (just my personal opinion.) started writing about Alec, she thought he didn’t deserve to be his own person. she believed everyone should be obsessed with jace because well, she is and that’s the way it should be, right? and indeed, she planned to kill him off in the first book.

I’ve been having some thoughts since finishing the show because I don’t know who created show Alec and made him who he is (probably Matt, let’s be real) but thank you so much. Alec is his own person with his own feelings and his own thoughts. show Alec is a tremendous fighter and is seen to take on jace extremely well. book Alec for some weird reason isn’t a skilled fighter. which I’ll never understand but whatever lmao

no one in the book is allowed to call out jace for anything and if they do, it’s apparent that they’re “jealous” of jace. if jace is the best shadowhunter alive, then why does his worthless ass need saving every single book? and why is that person always Alec?

Jace treats Alec as a lap dog as wonderful Simon beautifully pointed out in the show. this is also something CC would never have allowed. Alec will call out Jace, the new high warlock of Brooklyn (ugh Lorenzo), clary, aldertree, the inquisitor, his parents, anyone who steps in his way. I think it’s such a big difference with book and show Alec.

I so badly wished to love book Alec (and trust me, I truly did try) but I just can’t. he doesn’t have a mind of his own and if he does, his role is to serve jace or be the funny stereotypical gay. he’s biphobic, hates that his boyfriend has a past, can’t stand up for himself, like he’s not even his own person. he can’t even have his own pov for some of the most important parts of his story. this is a love post for show Alec because that’s the Alec we deserved to read about. one who speaks his own mind, loves and protects those he cares about, and will take no one’s shit.

he’s literally the only one who didn’t trust clary or Sebastian but everyone (except maybe Izzy) who acted as though Alec was the problem. seriously just a big thank you to mending Alec and making him one of the best reasons to watch the show 🫶🏼

I’m in love with Alec and I’m so happy with his growth 🥹 it’s truly the Alec and Magnus show and I’m so here for it 👏🏼

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Semifinals

Propaganda why Clary Frey/Fairchild is insufferable:

"Here we go again: She found out she was part of a race that opresses pretty much every magical being ever and immediately jumped onto being as racist as people that were raised in that cultist lifestyle. She calls a man ""Warlock"" the way people say slurs.

Terrible friend. Poor Simon never gets a break. And she's an even worse girlfriend to him. He is understandably upset when he finds out the person she most wants to kiss isn't him and asks for some space, but no, not on her fucking watch. She won't stay away from his place all of a sudden. Despite never really having time for him prior.

Goes up to a closeted gay man and tells him all smugly she knows about his sexuality and acts like he's the problem for not owning it. He lives in a homophobic society where violent punishment and exile is normal.

Speaking of exile, almost gets a woman that was nice to her exiled so she can break the law.

Demands aforementioned warlock do necromancy and when he tells her about his trauma, she throws a tantrum. She never apologises. That and, she and her friend always go to him for their problems, and are never grateful when he helps.

Has the ability to wish for one thing only once ever, wishes for a shitty man to come back to life.

The incest thing. She wanted to fuck a man while thinking they were fully biologically related. Yeah. And technically they're still adoptive siblings. True love.

Her cringe evil arc.

Apparently she's worse in the books. Great to hear."

"I don’t remember much from the books but she was kind of annoying"

"She finds out about a magical world she's been unaware of her whole life and it takes her five seconds to jump onto the fantasy racism train. Constantly demands people do dangerous stuff for her. Causes so many problems and when someone points out that she's going to hurt someone they're treated like they're an asshole. Walks up to a closeted man like "I know what you are". Is a terrible friend to her childhood 'bestie'. Falls in love with her brother, one the worst men alive."

"Worst case of Main Character Syndrome you'll ever see."

Propaganda why Jimmy is insufferable:

"The most chillingly real depiction of one of those men that think the world owes them everything. He's a rapist, a misogynist, abelist, self-centered, abusive, terrible friend and person that gets everyone killed because he was big mad about being laid off. It shocks me that there are apparently people out there that play the game and like him. He's so evil, but never in a way that makes him cartoonish, and that makes him all the more terrible. The game lays it out itself: he won't take responsibility for anything. He is never the villain in his own eyes. Scumbag."

"Tbh he's not just insufferable. He's disgusting. I can't even list all the horrible things he did because they would need multiple trigger warnings. He thinks that he's so high and mighty to the point where he betrays his own captain so that he can take his place, and then blames his actions and the ship crashing on said captain, who was actually trying to save them. So all of the crew died in one way or another (because of Jimmy's actions) thinking that their captain betrayed them when really if was him. And a quick Google search can tell you all the really nasty shit that he did. So not only is he insufferable, he's also just a horrible human being."

"Listen, I'm not even in the fandom and I know what his ass did. Screw this guy"

"Bro never takes responsibility for anything he did. Assuming he even acknowledges it *vaguely motions at what he did to Anya*"

"SA, causing a ship to crash, murder and elongating his friend's suffering in a cryopod for 20 years"

"He's literally the worst. He's a rapist, he framed his friend for attempted murder-suicide after getting him mutilated, and he either directly or indirectly killed everyone else. He's such an unreliable narrator that it's difficult to tell how the others of the Tulpar crew actually are because he sees everyone as beneath him."

"rape, murder, just generally being an asshole"

"LITERALLY A RAPIST"

[captain-eppe]

Basic decency is stopping someone from calling another person dumpster trash

or Jason iii

Wow guys! That second Leo one went over well! Hopefully today's does well too! Remember to reread and rebaggle old ones as well please...

Oh no, I sound like a YouTuber. "Remember to like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video!"

Let's get to the chapter.

Jason starts off his section using the remainder of the first page to describe the house. The house looks simultaneously like a non threatening retirement home, and hostile to Jason specifically. His molecules tell him that he is on enemy ground. 

What does Jason think of Drew? She smells of Christmas. And in what way does she smell of Christmas, some special perfume? She has pretty brown eyes with eyeliner to make them stand out, and she's distracting.  She also makes him feel uncomfortable. 

Jason backs away. Drew assumes he's dating Piper, and calls her dumpster trash. 

Drew, apparently no one ever told you, it is impressive to no one to insult anyone like that. Particularly someone who might be an SO. 

It makes you look like a prejudiced ass, and disrespects his personal choices. People don't tend to want to be friends with you, when you diss their decisions like that, particularly personal ones like Significant Others. He's known her longer than you, who did you think he would side with? You think he's going to reevaluate because you said so and go, "That clarifies everything! I was dating dumpster trash! I should rectify that and cheat on her to make out with you!" Let's be honest, would you really want someone like that? 

Jason is not sure about the thought of dating Piper. He feels he shouldnt date these people (Greek's). He acknowledges that he's a mess, and not in a space for dating, when he can't even figure himself out. He admits that he has some attraction to her. He doesn't do anything about Drews name calling -which- come on dude, at the least you shut down Drew's name-calling. It doesn't take deep emotional feelings to stop someone from calling someone else"Dumpster trash".

Jason didn't speak up, and Drew didn't take the hint. He notices she's looking above his head, waiting for him to be claimed. 

Then the talk of genetics comes up. Along with Drews pledge of devotion. But ignoring that, dating people from your own cabin is incest, beacuse you share a godley parent. 

But other cabins are ok. 

So that raises the question of how related do godley genetics make people? If being Descended from Gods gives you automatic Dyslexia in favor of instant Greek Language, there is a DNA portion of this, OK. No godly genetics my ass. 

So, of the seven children had by Kronos, Hestia and Hera do not have demigod children… I do not think Chiron does either. So are say, Percy (son of Poseidon) and Katie (Daughter of Dementer) considered first cousins, and is that  incest  if they date? Or alternatively, Nico and Thalia? Or any other combination, save Nico and Biancia who would be definitely incest. How do the genetics of the gods play into family DNA structure? Would Thalia dating a son of Ares be considered too closely related, as Ares is Zeus's son? Admitibly, Zeus didnt seem to care too much about the incest issue, as he married and cheated on his sister, but Drew is more everydayman, and seems to have put some thought into this. 

So half siblings are off limits, and every other cabin is fair game, as far as Drew is concerned, but I have to wonder, if someone took a look at Percy and say Claries's DNA structure, what kind of genetic markings they would have in common? Or Percy and Nico's? 

Back to the story, we go back to the ominous house, with its glaring eagle weathervane. Then, Chiron appears. Drew introduces him as awesome, Chiron starts to smile, but pales and announces that Jason should be dead. 

Chiron sends Drew away, and gets into the wheelchair. Jason imagines the soundtrack of a truck backing up to accompany it. Then he is ordered to follow him for lemonade. 

Go ahead. Order someone to follow you, because " We have lemonade." I imagined the terminator giving that order. That sure broke the serious atmosphere of the proclamation that Jason should be dead. 

Jason is surprised that there are plants growing inside during winter. Feels its a bit weird. Jason, have you ever heard of a greenhouse? Been around since at least 16th century Italy. No?

Jason might like Christmas a lot. He has described two people with Christmas adjectives. Leo looks like a Latino Santa's elf, and Drew smells like Christmas. Is this foreshadowing? Was he abducted on Christmas? Or is this just his subconscious reminding him of presents he forgot to buy, for people he has now forgotten? Let's keep an eye out for more festive descriptions. So far I've mentioned three, two about Christmas, one about Halloween. And owls. Let's make a bingo card if we get enough of this.  

Let's go back to Jason. He's busy being weirded out by Seymour the stuffed Leopard. 

Apparently Mr. D got him, and was appalled by his stuffing, so he was granted a half life, and the owner an unmentionable fate. How he exists is not a mystery Chiron is interested in investigating. 

Instead Jason spills his story, and asks what he meant by his cheery "you are supposed to be dead" remark. Apparently Jason is a red shirt. 

Chiron quizzes Jason on his understanding of mythology. Jason reveals he already knows the in-universe explanation of gods, and finds out he knows Latin. 

Chiron reminisces about the past, the original Jason, and realises his hopes for some peace in the future were futile. Apparently Jason's presence in camp is a violation of oaths. Sacred ones. 

Then, dark mist boils from the mouth of Saymore, and takes the form of a woman in a goatskin cloak. Jason assumes he is under attack. Princess Leia- sorry, his patreon, demands he pay back his debt and bust her out of prison. Also, that his father gave him to her, because she was angry at him, and he was named after her favorite hero. Also, she's the reason he's an amnesiac, and he's not getting them back if she dies.

Really compelling reasons to host a rescue mission.

Also he has four days to prevent whatever calamity will happen if she is destroyed. 

Apparently time was paused while he received this message. 

Jason delivers a funny line, and tells Chiron about the goddess in the mist. Apparently it explains a lot to him, but neither Jason nor the audience gets an explanation about that, as Annabeth and Rachel come in with the explanation that Rachel may have killed Piper. 

[flower1622]

What the future can hold?

Chapter 16

Percy and Clarisse stare at each other until someone clears it's throat. Clarisse stands up embarassed. Both look at Sally who was at the bedroom's door holding a pillow and a blanket.

- I hope I'm not interrupting anything - Sally says with a smile

- Mom! - Percy says embarassed

- Nothing, nothing at all Ms. Jackson! - Clarisse says

- Alright.....well, I came here to let a pillow and a blanket for Clarisse to sleep with. Later, help Clarisse to get the bed that is under your bed, Percy? - Sally asks 

- Okay, mom! - Percy says

- I love you! - Sally says to Percy

- I love you too! - Percy says and Sally smiles and closes the door. 

Percy pulls a bed out from under his own for Clarisse to sleep on. 

- Thanks! - Clarisse says and gets the pillow and the blanket Sally got for her. She puts them on the bed and lies down. She takes the blanket to cover herself and Percy turns off the lights. He lies down on his bed and turns to the side to look at Clarisse.

- What? - Clarisse asks

- When we go back to the camp, are we gonna still be friends? - Percy asks

- I accepted your hand, didn't I? - Clarisse says and Percy nods

- Even if your brothers or your father don't agree? - Percy asks

- I'm old enought to decide for myself. If they give you any trouble, you tell me and I'm gonna kick their asses, even if my father is a god. I'm not a little girl anymore that is afraid to face her dad - Clarisse says

- And this is what I most like about you - Percy whispers to himself.

- Did you say something? - Clarisse asks

- Oh! Nothing... - Percy says a little embarassed.

- Alright....so, good night Jackson - Clarisse says 

- Yeah.... good night, Clari! - Percy says and closes his eyes and Clarisse gets shocked and looks at Percy sleeping while she thinks about the nickname he called her before she falls asleep too.

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

tell us more about cordelia! something you love, something you wish we knew more about, something you relate to, something you've discerned that we might not have seen yet, why she doesn't seem to know any neurotypicals yet might be neurotypical herself, etc. just cordelia. i think we should talk about her more

Cordelia, Cordelia, Cordelia!

She is my daughter. She delights me. She confounds me.

Despite being one of my favourite characters in TSC, I find everything she does baffling. Every time she is faced with a choice, any choice at all, she does the exact opposite thing than I would have done. For her, she makes the right choices. If I made her choices, though, I'd rip my own hair out. We are SUCH different people.

I actually really like this. A lot of my favourite characters are important to me because of the ways that I find myself mirrored in them. Matthew, Alastair, and Thomas are all great examples. Cordelia serves a different function to me as a window character. Watching her is like a huge character study in someone Very Unlike Me who's extremely complex, likeable, and ultimately lovely.

Matthew and Cordelia

The sole exception to this "Cordelia-and-I-make-different-choices" rule is when she runs off to Paris with Matthew, which I would have done. It would have been a good decision for me but was actually an awful one for her.

I'm going to be a little rambley here, but I want to talk a little bit about her relationship with my Best Blorbo Matthew. I think that she fundamentally misunderstands him, which is interesting for me to watch as someone who's so similar to Matthew. I might dissect the whole scene one day when I have time, but there's this bit where she's rejecting him where he's going on and on about all the places they can travel to. She says, "we can't always be running away." This was so interesting to me!!! Because it was so obvious to me that Matthew wasn't running away. He's planning his dream future full of unknown adventures, and he's trying to fit her in. She's too settled, she wants to be settled, and that's okay! They're just not compatible. But she so greatly misunderstands what he's trying to do, and I kind of turn my head to that scene to go "huh. That's why I don't understand her."

Daisy, My Daughter

There are so many things I love about Cordelia. I absolutely adore her bravery and her compassion, and I think she feels a lot. I think she's strong and independent.

I think that she's capable of being crafty and sneaky when she wants to be (see: the wording of the oath she has Lilith repeat to her in ChoT.) She's my daughter, my ridiculously frustrating daughter, who I know has a brain somewhere in there that she never uses.

I also will say that I really like the drive that she has to be a hero. It's refreshing to see a girl character who actively attempts to realize a goal like that rather than someone who's thrust into a world Chosen-One-Style. Both Clary and Tessa were "Chosen One" type characters, which served their genre well for the time. Cordelia, like Emma, was just an ambitious Shadowhunter, and I find her story very interesting as a result. And I like how Cordelia is in part driven by a desire for merciful, compassionate heroism (unlike Emma, who was driven by a desire for revenge). It sets her apart from all the other Emma-type Badass Warrior Girls who want to go out and kick as much ass as possible.

She's such a delightful person and one I would be proud to call a friend IRL. And she's a great character in a lot of ways, though I think there are some narrative issues holding her back.

Cordelia and Cassandra Clare's Narrative

I feel like Cordelia is the one character that I wish I could steal from Cassie and repurpose. I generally really like what Cassie does with most of her characters, and I like a lot of the things she did with Cordelia. If I didn't, I wouldn't love her so much. But I think that with some VERY MINOR tweaking, Cordelia could have been even better.

The issue with Cordelia is that the author gives her very little agency. The narrative serves to protect her and James as the Herongraystairs kids, and I get that, but it feels like Cordelia is often just dragged along for the ride. Like, she is the main character! Why is she given almost no agency or real choices? Why is she just swept along with the narrative as a pawn in this large chess game that is TLH? I was talking with a close mutual @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer a while back who said it would have been great if Cordelia became Lilith's paladin willingly to try to take power from all the awful men who abuse it. I would have loved this! If Cordelia had been allowed to get just a little bit messy, bend the rules of morality, and make some mistakes, she would have been even more incredible than she is.

The Impact of Lacking Agency

This narrative issue manifests as my least favorite Cordelia character trait: her hyper-naivete. She is so naïve in a way that is almost unbelievable to me as a reader. Like, her response to "dad's an alcoholic who's been abusing me since I was 10" is "huh!!!! That's why I found gin bottles everywhere and he was super clunky and they stopped serving wine! Who'd have guessed?" And, she literally swore fealty to this dude who said he was Wayland the Smith because... he said so? Like ??? Girl!!! Other people, especially your brother, have paid a great price for that naïveté. That bothers me.

The thing that's annoying about this is that I've come to the conclusion that Cassie didn't intend for Cordelia to be so naïve. It was a side effect of giving her no agency. If someone is an adult, that means they necessarily have agency; if someone has agency, they lose moral purity. Ergo, Cordelia was necessarily naïve.

Alastair and Cordelia

I also feel like re: the writing, I find Alastair and Cordelia's dynamic to be simultaneously excellent and irritating. Because he sacrificed his whole life for her! It should not have taken her several months and a murder accusation to marginally stand up for him! I'm sorry!

But I also really love their relationship, especially in ChoT. It makes me so happy to see them joking around together like normal siblings, and I feel like Alastair by Beloved Blorbo gets to kind of... be a normal guy with his little sister, if only a little bit. He doesn't need to act in loco parentis anymore, and they're immediately messing around. I love it.

Again, I wish the relationship were written in a more cohesive way. Maybe it's because I don't have a sibling. But it feels like Cordelia DOES acknowledge that Alastair is the constant lifelong protector that she wants to call out to when she's scared. But she also simultaneously says that he's like quicksand unprompted and tells Matthew that he must think she's terrible to love him.

Cassie, why!?

Cordelia and her Neurodivergent BFFs

This is a funny observation you make, that she "doesn't seem to know any neurotypicals yet might be neurotypical herself." And I agree, actually! I don't really have a lot of thoughts on this besides "that's just who she naturally wound up around because of her familial and life circumstances." What do you think of it? I'm curious to know. <3

[savysxwritings]

WEEKLY TASK #10

{Drabble}

Savannah had heard through the grapevine that Noah had been seeing somebody and the fact that he hadn't told her, himself, upset her a little. They were supposed to be best friends -- family, for that matter. Always telling each other everything, and not keeping secrets. She had also heard that Noah was dabbling in the drug game, that really set her off. So she decided to head straight for the place that she knew that he would be the most. Driving through the streets, at top speed, She was on a mission. As the scenery changed once she reached the Southside, She sighed. She rarely ever came to this side of town unless she was coming to see Noah, or having to do business, or even coming to see her other best friend, Clary and her husband Deegan. Parking outside of The Roadhouse, that she frequently visited, She hopped out of her SUV and went straight for the front of the business. "Where the fuck is he!?" She called out, as she looked around, looking for Noah. Clary walked into view and gave her friend a look. "Do I even want to know?" She asked as she smirked. "No, But you're going to lose a Sarg if he doesn't get his ass out here. NOAH JAMES STRICKLAND!" She called out with a raised voice. Clary threw her hands up in surrender when Jaxon walked over. "Hey Red, You might do better going to the back. He's back there hiding from you, obviously." He smirked, and Savannah nodded her head as she made her away towards the back to find him. "Thanks, Jax." She smiled at him. After the two stopped their little fling, due to her meeting Jace, the two hadn't really spoken much. A part of her felt bad that she ended things the way she did with him, but when you meet the man you know you're going to spend the rest of your life with, that fills the void that someone else left, you just have to do things you don't always think are necessary for others. Walking back towards the back of the business, Savannah pushed open the door and spotted Noah, with his feet propped up on the table. "You son of bitch. When I call you, you answer." She smacked his feet off the table and leaned against the table. "What the fuck, Sav?" Noah sat up, as his feet fell to the ground. "Don't you what the hell me, Noah." She glared at him. Her arms crossing over her chest. "What is this I hear about drugs, and a girlfriend!?" She glared at him. Noah looked up at his best friend and tried to keep a straight face. "I don't know what you're talking about..." He trailed off and Savannah smacked his shoulder. "Lie to me again. You forget... I know you better than anyone!" Noah brought his hand to his shoulder and rubbed it. "Lay off." He scoffed. "Lay off? Lay off?" She repeated, glaring at him. "I don't even care about the girl. Because she's only a flavor of the week. We all know that." She continued, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "But the drugs? What would your father say? What would Nathan say is he were still here? Stand down now, or I wont hesitate to go to Dad." She said, referring to Jude. Sometimes Savannah would still slip and call Jude Dad even though she never married Nathan. To her, He was still family, though. "Get it together. You've been warned." She moved off the table and headed for the door again. "Sav, I'm sorry." He said, looking back at his best friend. "As you should be." She scoffed, shaking her head once more and leaving the room and walking out of the business, waving at her friends as she left.

[charlenasaxen]

City of Fallen Angels

“Except this one was. The bell on the diner’s front door rang as the door opened, and Isabelle Lightwood came in.”

“both Isabelle and Maia were invited to the wedding, a prospect Simon found more terrifying than the idea of being chased through the streets of New York by an angry mob of vampire hunters”

“It’s not realistic.”

“What would you prefer? ‘What did the Count eat today, children? One helpless villager, two helpless villagers, three helpless villagers . . .”

“Don’t ‘yech’ me. You’re the one with the magical spit.”

“I don’t feel a burning urge to be with him these days, let me tell you.”

“The human subjugates moved as if they were on wheels”

“Most vampire-repelling weapons seemed to sport crosses, on the assumption, Simon thought, that most vampires were Christian. Who knew that following a minority religion could be so advantageous?”

“I haven’t really seen him since that time I threatened to kill him with a candelabra. He took it well, though. Didn’t flinch.”

“The dagger seemed to leap into Isabelle’s hand; or at least, she barely seemed to move, and yet she was holding it”

“I’m his girlfriend. Which gives me the right to kick your ass if you bother him. That’s how it works.”

“was probably better at what she did than any other Shadowhunter her age, with the exception of her brother Jace”

“there had been Sebastian, Simon thought, who had been better than them both. But he was dead.”

“So you interrupted my date to make fun of me for still living with my parents”

“Simon thought of Jace, and pushed the thought hastily away. Jace was not precisely human.”

“shrug that made him wonder if perhaps her accent was French”

“it does not need to be that way. Eternity is a long time to spend alone, without others of your kind.”

“I appreciate your offer. I really do.” Crap, he thought. There had to be some way to say this without him sounding like he was turning down a date”

“he’d rather look like one of those weird modern vampires with bad manners than risk getting dragged back into the conversation”

“he walked by and wiggled his fingers at them—a gesture somewhere between a friendly wave and a kiss-off”

“collapsing into bed at two in the morning, behavior that hadn’t excited much comment from his mother”

“probably whiskey. He felt a pang. His mom hardly ever drank.”

“Well, there was always complaining to her about his love life; that seemed to amuse her no end”

“peered down into the shadows below her. Where was Jace? He’d gone to get another rope”

“Of course, if he caught her on the phone up here, he’d probably kill her”

“Think about it. That’s like . . . rock-star problems.”

“Having rock-star problems may be the closest I ever get to being an actual rock star.”

“No one told you to call your band Salacious Mold”

“mom’s wedding will be ruined, and she’ll kill you. So you’ll be dead twice. Well, three times, technically . . .”

“Anyway, I have to jump off this beam now and possibly hurtle to my horrible death. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“So, are you planning to stay up there all night?” Jace stepped into the center of the bull’s-eye and looked up at her. He was wearing fighting gear and his fair hair stood out startlingly against the black.”

“It made her absurdly happy that she had now known him long enough to notice small changes in his appearance”

“She’d seen Jace do it, and he looked like a falling angel while he did, flying through the air, whirling and spinning”

“He nodded. “Thankfully no one’s home, or they would have assumed I was murdering you.”

“something flashed in the air. She heard the sound of parting fabric. She fell freely, too surprised to scream—directly into Jace’s arms”

“they sprawled together onto one of the padded floor mats, Clary on top of him. He grinned up at her.”

“Being sprawled on top of Jace, feeling his body against hers, made her hands shake”

“If anything, it had gotten worse the more time she’d spent with him”

“They had agreed never to tell anyone that Jace had actually died, even for a brief time. It was their secret.”

“You’ll get there. You should have seen Alec do flips at first. I think he kicked himself in the head once.”

“I was born amazing.” He stroked her cheek”

“the door opened, and Isabelle came stalking in, the high heels of her boots clicking”

“Catching sight of Jace and Clary sprawled on the floor, she raised her eyebrows. “Canoodling, I see.”

“Jace didn’t move, just turned his head to the side to look at Isabelle with a mixture of annoyance and affection”

“Don’t you love them? Don’t you wish you had a pair?” She wiggled her fingers”

“they don’t know who it is yet. I assume that’s where Mom went.”

“He means,” said Isabelle, “he didn’t want to spoil the romantic mood.”

“had moved on to something Jace apparently found even more horrifying—Isabelle’s date with Simon”

“I,” Clary pointed out, “am one of his nerd friends, thank you.”

Jace grinned at her.”

“I am not you,” Clary had said, struggling to control her anger, “the Shadowhunters aren’t the Circle, and Jace isn’t Valentine.”

“not just, Clary supposed, ogling Jace all day, or whatever she was worried about”

“Boyfriend. It was still a shock, hearing the word.”

“Alec keeps sending me annoying photos. Lots of captions like Wish you were here, except not really.”

“he was wearing a sparkling matador jacket and platform boots, while Alec appeared to be calmly feeding a pigeon in the background”

“retrieving his phone. “Magnus in a sari. Some things you don’t ever forget.”

“he moved toward Clary in the dimness, and drew her close. She put her hands against his chest, feeling the hard muscles under his T-shirt, the beat of his heart beneath”

“Don’t be sorry.” There was a ragged edge to his voice”

“a little bewildered by the bitterness in his voice, “are you all right?”

Instead of answering he kissed her, pulling her hard against him.”

“his hands sliding around her waist, up under her sweater. She always loved the way he held her. Careful, but not too gentle”

“Neither of them could control how they felt about each other, and she liked that”

“It was more than just the tension of desire. He was shaking, his whole body trembling as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.”

“His cheeks were flushed, his eyes fever-bright”

“Clary had never admitted to Jace that her mother worried that he was secretly just like Valentine, knowing that even the suggestion would hurt him badly”

“their gold reflected in his eyes. “More than I ever—” He broke off. “God. More than I probably should. You know that, don’t you?”

“Her voice echoed harshly in the empty room when she spoke. “I love you, too,” she said.”

“next to Clary, who was engrossed in texting someone, probably Jace”

“thought that Maia and Isabelle were two hot girls who had both inexplicably agreed to date Simon”

“you will double your female fan base.”

“Which means we’ll have two female fans”

“cocked his head to the side. “Come on in and let’s get a look at you.”

“Not, like, the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.” Which, Simon imagined, would be Jace, though she was nice enough not to say it.”

“Remember when we killed a bunch of Raum demons here?”

“You and Jace killed some Raum demons. I almost threw up.”

“Her eyes were sad, as they had been that day in the Hall of Accords in Alicante, when she’d cut the oldest curse of the world into his skin”

“then it sheared to the side, as if someone had grabbed his attacker’s arm and yanked. The man screamed as he was jerked up into the air”

“fell, as if the invisible hand had opened, releasing him. He hit the ground and broke apart like glass shattering”

“So this was what sevenfold looked like”

“I don’t even know what to think about this. What’s going on, Simon? Have you joined some kind of cult?”

“He watched as her face changed, from misery and upset to confusion, and then to terror”

“Simon felt sick. “I told you. I’m a vampire.”

“You’re not my son. You’re not Simon.”

“What kind of living thing doesn’t have a pulse? What kind of monster are you? What have you done with my child?”

“She screamed. He had never heard her scream like that”

“Get away from me.” Her voice broke. “Don’t come any closer.” She began to whisper. “Barukh ata Adonai sho’me’a t’fila . . .”

“he could feel it. The name of God tightened his stomach and made his throat ache.”

“Mom, you don’t need to be so upset.” He heard his own voice as if from a distance”

“He reached out and lightly touched her hand.

“I’ll be gone for a few days,” he whispered. “But you won’t worry.”

“She was as small as a child, curled under the blanket, but there were new lines on her face he didn’t remember”

“Not wanting her to wake, he jerked his fingers back and moved soundlessly to the door”

“only half-full now, casting just enough light for him to read by as he sprawled on the bed”

“he had taken to reading a letter or so every night, trying to get a sense for the man who was his biological father”

“He had kept writing to Amatis even after their divorce, something she hadn’t mentioned before”

“yet Jace could not help hating his father a little for it. If he hadn’t cared about Jace’s mother, why marry her?”

“why hadn’t he left it? Valentine had been a madman, but at least he’d stood by his principles.”

“Jace only felt worse for preferring Valentine”

“he got to his feet and went to answer it, expecting Isabelle, wanting to either borrow something or complain about something”

“they needed to be said, for reasons she didn’t even know. And he hoped she never would.”

“I came all the way here. You could at least kiss me good-bye.”

“There were some things you had to do, even if they were a bad idea. She folded into his arms like delicate silk.”

“until her hair fell around her shoulders the way he liked it. He remembered wanting to do this the first time he had seen her”

“And then he had kissed her for the first time, in the greenhouse, and it had almost made him crazy”

“But what he felt had nothing to do with intellect”

“that the way he loved her was somehow cosmically wrong; that what had seemed the most pure and most irreproachable thing in his life had now been defiled”

“He remembered his father saying that when angels fell, they fell in anguish, because once they had seen the face of God, and now they never would again”

“It had not made him want her any less; it had just turned wanting her into torture. Sometimes the shadow of that torture fell across his memories”

“She made a surprised noise but didn’t protest, even when he lifted her up and carried her over to the bed”

“They had never been in bed together like this before, not really”

“I love you,” Clary whispered. She had his shirt off, and her fingertips were tracing the scars on his back”

“the star-shaped scar on his shoulder that was the twin of her own, a relic of the angel”

“blood soaked the front of her white shirt, he thought, Dear God, not again.

Waking up from the nightmare was like crashing through a plate glass window.”

“razored shards of it seemed to slice at Jace even as he pulled free”

“The first few times he’d had the nightmare, he’d woken up and vomited. Now he was careful about not eating for hours before he went to sleep, so instead his body had its revenge on him by racking him with spasms”

“A spasm hit now, and he curled into a ball, gasping and dry-heaving”

“Even during his waking hours, he found it hard to look at Clary. She had always been able to see through him”

“And he saw his own knife go into Jonathan and pull free, and Jonathan’s body tumbling down toward the river”

“But his father had taught him that to kill without mercy was a virtue”

“maybe you could never forget what your parents taught you. No matter how badly you wanted to.

I won’t be like him.

Maybe people could never really change.

I won’t.”

“head for the Botanical Garden next door, where they could read for hours, sprawled in the grass”

“Jace didn’t like him, and besides, he couldn’t go into the Institute”

“In less generous moments Simon sometimes wondered if he penciled them on”

“No,” Raphael said cheerfully. “There is not.”

“That’s right. Act like I rejected you. It’s not like you tried to kill me or anything.”

“Whatever. Some female in your life has rejected you. It will not be the last time, I can tell you that.”

“He was a vampire. It was stupid to be afraid of a hotel full of other vampires.”

“Which, as I already pointed out, has to do with that time you tried to kill me.”

“The Dumont is not a halfway house for reluctant vampires”

“Raphael looked at him as if he were insane. “Offers of what?”

“Just . . . offers,” Simon said feebly.”

“I suppose you are also going to throw away the birthday present you got me”

“She had drawn Jace dozens of times—she guessed it was her version of most girls��� writing about their boyfriends”

“For one thing, it was almost impossible to get him to stand still, so she’d thought that now, while he was asleep, would be perfect”

“pulled her knees up, looking down at him. She hadn’t expected him to fall asleep”

“Jace hadn’t eaten much, picking through his carton of sesame noodles in a desultory fashion before tossing it aside and flinging himself down onto the blanket”

“Clary had sat looking down at him, at the way the clouds reflected in his clear eyes, the outline of muscles in the arms crossed behind his head, the perfect strip of skin revealed”

“She had wanted to reach out and slide her hand along his hard flat stomach”

“his breathing was soft and even”

“The light was perfect, soft bronze October light that laid a sheen of paler gold over his already golden hair and skin. His closed lids were fringed with gold a shade darker than his hair.”

“His face was relaxed and vulnerable in sleep, softer and less angular than when he was awake”

“He was so rarely relaxed and vulnerable, it was hard to capture the lines”

“he moved. He had begun making little gasping sounds”

“His eyes flew open. For a moment he looked simply dazed; he had gone startlingly pale.”

“he had drawn her toward him with none of his customary gentleness; he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her fiercely”

“drawing back, his lips curving into a smile. “Sorry. You probably weren’t expecting that.”

“It was a nice surprise.” Her voice sounded low”

“You.” He twisted a lock of her hair around his finger. “I always dream about you.”

“delicately running them over the planes of his cheekbones, down to the curve of his mouth”

“Alec and Isabelle knew, from living with him and loving him, that underneath the protective armor of humor and pretended arrogance, the ragged shards of memory and childhood still tore at him”

“But she was the only one he said the words out loud to”

“He caught her hand in his. “Just say it again.”

“I’ll never leave you,” she said.

“No matter what happens, what I do?”

“I’d never give up on you”

“he smiled wistfully and said, “‘L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.’”

“She ran her fingertips over his lips, and he shivered”

“he was watching her through half-lidded eyes. She locked both hands around the back of his neck”

“touched his lips with hers—not a kiss this time, just a brush of lips”

“she felt his pulse speed up, and he leaned forward, trying to capture her mouth”

“she said in a half whisper. “Take a nap. We haven’t slept together in the same bed since—since Idris.”

“she knew he was remembering the same thing she was. The pale light filtering in through the window of Amatis’s small spare bedroom, the desperation in his voice.”

“That whole night, lying side by side, only their hands touching”

“I’m worried that if you get into the habit of making out with your instructors, you’ll wind up making out with him, too.”

“Jace’s eyebrows went up. “Hotter than me?”

“Theoretically the planet could suddenly crack in half, but I’m not worried about that, either.”

“Jace said, with his customary crooked smile, “are just too unlikely to dwell upon.”

He held out his hand; she took it, and together they crossed the meadow”

“trained there fairly often and no one had ever interrupted them there except Isabelle or Maryse”

“It was a beautiful day to take a romantic walk through the park and kiss on one of the stone bridges”

“Normally she would have been excited to learn how to kill things with her bare hands”

“I would never hit a moose,” said Clary. “They’re endangered.”

“it involves killing people with small sticks or something”

“her head came to the bottom of his chin. She rested her hands lightly on his biceps.”

“The back of his neck was warm from the sun, and his soft hair tickled her fingers. Their bodies were pressed up against each other”

“Unless she was imagining it, his voice was a little unsteady”

“the Queen just smiled. She liked Jace, Clary had always thought, in that way that faeries liked pretty things”

“He is beautiful,” she said. “I can see why you love him.”

“Wipe your tears, for he returns. It will do you no good for him to see you cry.”

“That’s right, terrify your mother and then make your best friend cry. A banner day for you, Simon.”

“Sometimes he did wonder what would have happened if there had never been a Jace Wayland”

“Before she started to remember. He was a vampire now. He was supposed to have eternity. But what he had was days.”

“An offer of a community, even if it wasn’t the community he wanted”

“unlike Jace, who seemed to know exactly how good-looking he was”

“Oh, I don’t know. My definition of crazy has become pretty flexible”

“what did it matter if Kyle did turn out to be a serial killer? he thought bitterly. It would turn out worse for Kyle than it would for him”

“Admittedly, Kyle seemed to be growing marijuana plants on the fire escape, but you couldn’t have everything”

“that only worked if there was no one you cared about leaving behind”

“Oh, you know. Wander the earth, causing death and destruction to innocent people. Maybe drink some blood.”

“And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really, really has a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends.”

“Her only jewelry was the Morgenstern ring, worn on a chain around her neck”

“Isabelle, who wore dresses and heels at even the most inappropriate times. (Though since he’d once seen her dispatch a Vermis demon with the stiletto heel of a boot)”

“the party the wolf pack was throwing in honor of their alpha wolf’s marriage”

“Runes of love and commitment. But of course, non-Shadowhunters can’t bear the Angel’s runes”

“Luke and Maia were in the same pack, and werewolf packs were more loyal than street gangs”

“Famously cruel and cunning. She could give the Fair Folk a run for their money.”

“to Simon’s surprise, Jace came in. Clary hadn’t mentioned he was coming.”

“Though Simon imagined that Jace ran the gamut of facial expressions when he was alone with Clary, his default one around other people was a fierce sort of blankness”

“looking at Jace in just jeans and a shirt made him feel chilly”

“Well,” said Jace, “I suppose that ship has sailed.”

Luke choked on his coffee.”

“She broke off as she saw Jace. It was clear from her expression that she hadn’t been expecting him either.”

“Jace, in his turn, was staring at her, and for once in his life Simon could read Jace’s expression like a book”

“as if everything else in the world had fallen away for Jace but himself and Clary, and he was looking at her with an unconcealed yearning and desire”

“Jace cleared his throat. “You look beautiful.”

“He was still looking at Clary, and it was the oddest sort of look—the sort of look you might give someone you loved but could never, ever have”

“without looking at her, and practically flung himself toward the door”

“Going to see Jace? Simon thought, but he didn’t press the point.”

“Luke’s pack, it seemed, felt insulted that they hadn’t been invited to the ceremony and were insisting on holding their own celebration”

“This was one of the most familiar scenes in his life, he thought—a corner booth in a diner, himself and Clary and her family. Luke had always been family”

“She used to take out a box that had his baby things in it and cry over it every year on his birthday.”

“Like, an actual one. Not a murdering psychopath.”

Looking close to tears”

“unlikely that the first mugger had criminal friends who had decided to take revenge”

“But the falling thing, he saw, was a person—falling with direction, purpose, and grace”

“He was disheveled, his clothes and face streaked with dirt and soot. His hair was wet from the rain.

“What the hell was that?” Jace asked.”

“You didn’t have to,” said Jace. His golden eyes burned in his soot-streaked face. “‘For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’”

“The neatness was all very well. She was used to it. It was, she had always thought, Jace’s way of exerting control”

“she could hardly begrudge him the careful alphabetization of his poetry collection”

“handsome, tall and blond, though his eyes were blue, not gold, and his features less angular”

“Jace, she thought immediately, her pulse jumping”

“Clary,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

Clary felt herself flush.”

“she was doing it alone, with Robert Lightwood still in Idris. She had bigger things on her mind than Jace’s love life.”

“So someone is killing not just Shadowhunters but former Circle members? And leaving their bodies in Downworlder territory?”

“It seemed her power had not vanished, after all.

“What if . . . ,” she said slowly, raising her eyes to look at Maryse. “What if they could?”

“Simon couldn’t help but wonder where that whole business about vampires not being able to see themselves in mirrors had come from. He was able to see himself perfectly well”

“wishful thinking. Maybe it was just that you no longer recognized the reflection looking back at you.”

“he headed back into the living room, where Jace was sprawled out”

“Simon gave Jace a hard look. Up close, under the bright light of the unshaded overhead bulb, Jace looked—ill.”

“his skin seemed tight over the bones of his face. His hand shook a little as he pushed his hair away from his forehead”

“Since when did he know Jace well enough to be able to identify which gestures of his were characteristic?”

“Jace blinked. “Seems an odd time to start an insult contest, but if you insist”

“I realize you may be jealous that the good Lord didn’t deal you the same chiseled hand he dealt me”

“You ate something yesterday. You’re sure?”

Jace shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t swear on a stack of Bibles. I think it was yesterday, though.”

“Fine,” he said, in the tone of someone who didn’t much care where they went or what they did”

“Jace examined the list of names”

“is it just an amazing coincidence that you happened to be on the roof of a building I was walking by”

“There’s no such thing as vampire mojo,” said Jace, rather eerily echoing Clary’s earlier comment”

“And I was following Clary, but then she got into a cab, and I can’t follow a cab. So I doubled back and followed you instead. Mostly for something to do.”

“Manhattan was a good place to be a vampire. You could do all your shopping at midnight and no one would think it was weird.”

“I guess it’s a biblical thing. Pillars of salt. Like Lot’s wife.”

“Exactly,” said Jace, and grinned. For a moment he almost looked like himself again.”

“Look, do you know what you want to eat, or do you just want me to keep pushing this cart up and down aisles because it amuses you?”

“picked up a piece of fruit at random. “What’s this?”

“That’s a mango.” Simon stared at Jace.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those that wasn’t already cut up,” Jace mused. “I like mangoes.”

“Tomato soup? You want tomato soup and a mango for dinner?”

“soldiers, with their rigid self-discipline and constant training. Maybe it was easier for them, going through life with blinders on”

“helped you keep your focus on the big picture—which, when your job was basically keeping the world safe from evil, was a pretty big picture indeed”

“he couldn’t get closer, either, because two teenage girls were blocking his way, standing in the middle of the aisle giggling”

“They were talking about Jace, how hot he was, each daring the other to go up and talk to him. There was a great deal of discussion of his hair and also his abs, although how they could really see his abs though his T-shirt, Simon wasn’t sure.”

“Jace looked up as she approached him, his eyes wary”

“I think,” Jace said, “that she asked if she could touch my mango.”

“This sort of thing happens to you all the time, doesn’t it? Girls just coming up to you?”

“You’re a public menace. You shouldn’t be allowed out on your own.”

“Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, Lewis.” Jace grinned a crooked grin”

“He had just realized what it was that Jace had been playing with, turning over and over in his fingers as if it were something precious or dangerous or both. It was Clary’s phone.”

“Here you are,” she said, as if Clary and Luke weren’t exactly where she’d left them”

“Clary wondered if Isabelle’s propensity for unsuitable footwear was genetic”

“The dead man’s eyes had been bound with white silk, as per Shadowhunter custom”

“the implement were confused, skittering over the surface of the dead skin, seeking the living spirit”

“with a terrible suddenness, the dead Shadowhunter’s eyes flicked open. They were blue, the whites flecked red with blood.”

“A rattling breath came from the dead man, the sound of someone trying to breathe through a cut throat.

“It hurts.”

“His hands rose and fell convulsively. “The pain . . . Make the pain stop.”

“Shadowhunter.” Maryse’s tone was imperious. “Who did this to you?”

“Please . . .”

“Downworlder . . . vampire . . .”

“Which vampire?” Maryse demanded.

[im-out-of-it]

making a complete list of my thoughts of the show vs books since I finished it and will probably leave some stuff out since I’m super forgetful, sorry 💀

1. once again love that they upped the ages. glad we didn’t have centuries year old Magnus chasing teenager Alec or all the other inappropriate relationships in the books

2. Malec is fucking perfect on the show and it really showed that if anybody actually cares about them, they can make the characters much better and give the characters a better shot than the author ever did. I seriously love all the details Matt, Harry, and whoever wrote their episodes did. only one I cannot stand is when Alec doesn’t realize right away that Magnus and valentine switched bodies. but alec handled the immortality thing wayyyyyy better than book Alec ever could. book Alec (and pretty much TMI content and etc) barely exists let’s be real

3. Izzy and Simon are way too rushed in the series but at least they have more of a friendship and there’s no cheating storyline. but I kinda like Maia and Simon together. I feel that Maia understood Simon.

adding: I don’t mind Simon and clary in the show dating and the way they end things is not as harsh as it is in the books. maybe clary (I’m being kind lmao) actually cares about Simon in the show but still kinda uses him at times

4. might be the only thing I’ll say about the books that’s nice but it would’ve been cute to see the vacation storyline (eldest curses) in the show. would’ve been cute to see a Malec holiday and moving towards them having children 🥹

5. Maia doesn’t get enough credit. she’s one of the few sensible people on the show and gets more attention than book Maia ever did

6. speaking of Maia, I’m glad they didn’t go too extreme with the Jordan plot. in the books, I think she was made to feel to get over how Jordan treated her. but man, why does the actor have to be attractive 😭

7. I really like Maryse and Luke together. they fit each other quite well. Maryse has some of the best development in the show and I loved seeing her grow

8. glad Jocelyn was killed off. she was more insufferable in the books so glad the show decided they didn’t need that energy

9. Jace and clary are both clearly insufferable but it’s worse in the books. I feel like in the show they’re still pretty bad but it’s a little tamed

10. Alec deserved better than jace. dude had the audacity to act as though Alec is a fling, expected Alec at his beck and call to do whatever he wanted while not understanding or caring about Alec’s feelings and his needs, practically invites himself at Magnus’s place while being the worst roommate, and then taking for granted all the people who sacrificed (MAGNUS AND HIS MAGIC LITERALLY THIS LOVELY MAN LOSES HIS MAGIC AND HIS HOME AND HIS MIND) once again to help his worthless ass

11. wish they wouldn’t have killed ragnor off. we got to see a lot of vampires and wolves but not a lot of warlocks. would’ve been great to see more of Magnus’s friends. you could seriously make a whole show based off on Magnus and his life

12. kinda wish they kept camille around. I know she was drama for malec in the beginning but she’s still a very fascinating character

13. I’m 100% thankful for the show not following the books and creating their own world

14. I would’ve loved to see more of the alternate universe episodes. one of the best episodes

15. ALL THE MALEC PARALLELS. these two beautiful and desperately, devoted, in love with one another men are seriously the best part of the show 😭 the fact that there are no cheating stories (when Alec is all drunk, underhill is flirting and all Alec can talk about is Magnus. Magnus defies bisexual stereotypes when dot tries to kiss him.), no taking away immortality or throwing fits or bierasure, or any toxic storylines is one of my fav things about Malec. they’re just two beings who are so in love with one another, who communicate, and are just completely devoted to each other. and it’s one of the reasons why everyone was so hooked on Malec. they’re healthy but you’re also excitedly rooting for them 🫶🏼

16. Clary deserved to lose her ability with runes. the angels message was to not use her rune ability for whatever she pleased but she took advantage of it. but I will say, some helped but I feel that the rest she just used because she didn’t care

17. season three breakup wrecked me and I’ll not emotionally recover from that. it breaks my heart seeing Alec break his own heart and Magnus’s all so Magnus can have his magic and be whole again. I’m so glad they got married in the end 💓

18. I’m glad the twinning rune went to clary instead of jace because how many times does this worthless fucker need saved????? SERIOUSLY HOW MANY

19. I think Magnus recognizing what Alec needs at the beginning when they meet is beautiful. I don’t think it’s creepy (as some book fans state.) and it shows that Magnus understands that Alec is not ready to be out. I’m glad Magnus doesn’t get shitty with Alec on not being out like he does in the books

20. also book vs show thing. I actually like the whole marrying Lydia plot. I get the whole grand gesture of kissing in wherever they were- sanctuary???? (y’all cannot pay me enough to read TMI again, I will not go through that torture again) but I really hate that it’s not even in Alec or Magnus’s pov. CC makes a point of giving characters she chooses to have unnecessary pov

21. I probably forgot something but I mainly skipped all the clace content that didn’t involve Alec or Magnus but otherwise, messy show but so amazing for the Malec content. Izzy, Maia, Raphael, and Simon are a bonus as well. I’m just saying that the show could’ve been a whole lot worse lmao

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Round 2

Propaganda why Clary Frey/Fairchild is insufferable:

"Here we go again: She found out she was part of a race that opresses pretty much every magical being ever and immediately jumped onto being as racist as people that were raised in that cultist lifestyle. She calls a man ""Warlock"" the way people say slurs.

Terrible friend. Poor Simon never gets a break. And she's an even worse girlfriend to him. He is understandably upset when he finds out the person she most wants to kiss isn't him and asks for some space, but no, not on her fucking watch. She won't stay away from his place all of a sudden. Despite never really having time for him prior.

Goes up to a closeted gay man and tells him all smugly she knows about his sexuality and acts like he's the problem for not owning it. He lives in a homophobic society where violent punishment and exile is normal.

Speaking of exile, almost gets a woman that was nice to her exiled so she can break the law.

Demands aforementioned warlock do necromancy and when he tells her about his trauma, she throws a tantrum. She never apologises. That and, she and her friend always go to him for their problems, and are never grateful when he helps.

Has the ability to wish for one thing only once ever, wishes for a shitty man to come back to life.

The incest thing. She wanted to fuck a man while thinking they were fully biologically related. Yeah. And technically they're still adoptive siblings. True love.

Her cringe evil arc.

Apparently she's worse in the books. Great to hear."

"I don’t remember much from the books but she was kind of annoying"

"She finds out about a magical world she's been unaware of her whole life and it takes her five seconds to jump onto the fantasy racism train. Constantly demands people do dangerous stuff for her. Causes so many problems and when someone points out that she's going to hurt someone they're treated like they're an asshole. Walks up to a closeted man like "I know what you are". Is a terrible friend to her childhood 'bestie'. Falls in love with her brother, one the worst men alive."

"Worst case of Main Character Syndrome you'll ever see."

Propagande why Kirito is insufferable:

"Edgy boy, but also very bland personality"

""Yeah, i was a beta tester. Yeah im better than you. This is something that is normal to assume because of the first fact” theres more but that shit is so wild to me it instantly made me hate his ass"

"Absolute nothing of a protagonist. Just plain annoying and unlike most shounens there never seems to be any challenge for him. He's just always the best at everything."

"He’s Kirito"

[deviantartdramahub]

5 notes

It's so weird how DBS feels the need to kiss Mod-S's ass and clarify, in fact dedicate a whole ass paragraph to do so, that they don't at all support Club. Just weird smh -_-

Speaking of the first paragraph..."and he can also go jump off the highest of cliffs for all I care but…" Ooh, encouraging suicide! These are SUCH good people!!! ^v^

/s 7n7

Anyways I'm pretty damn sure they continued making fun of Club for not having a job yet even after this post soooo uh 😬

7 notes

No, never in my life have I seen Club speak bad about any minorities. All he wants is autistic people to get more awareness and representation. Trust me, I myself am bi, so if he was queerphobic in anyway, I WOULD NOT DEAL WITH THAT. But he's not, and actually a very good person, so we're still friends to this day, suck it. And we already know he's not a pedo and you're the real ableists here, so need to repeat the same fucking shit over and over again :3

JK I know you dumbasses will die on that hill, but whatever.

2 notes

"remember to include a recording or im not taking it" Lmaaooo bullshit Mod-S, even if it was just a screenshot you'd take it XD

 4 notes

Got any proof of that big accusation? No? You're just accusing an innocent person of something that didn't happen, ey? Aight fuck off.

 1 note

Ah yes, the ol' "someone gives you something automatically means they're grooming you." Wdym that's not actual advice?? Hm...

3 notes

I'm pretty sure I said this before, but the reason he feels the need to seek validation like that in the first place is bc you sickos attacked and harassed him. You guys are the terrible people here.

4 notes

Mhmmm, kinda suspicious you remember a scene like that so well.🤨

4 notes

Yeah no, his RPs are about special needs awareness, and you're the weirdos fetishizing it.

2 notes

Yeah Mens and Clari are bad people but the fact DBS called themself "actually a decent person" like that is so cringe lmaoo. Also bringing Club out of nowhere in this post that has nothing to do with him is so weird. DBS sure is one of the most deranged people in that blog smh.

 1 note

Who the fuck cares, it's harmless fun, you people were just straight up losing ways to make fun of Club or to "call him out" lol.

 1 note

Nuh-uh-uh! Screenshots can be easily manipulated and don't qualify as actual proof, sweetie! :)

2 notes

Uhh if you actually cared about those kids I don't think you'd refer to them like that but whatever 7-7

Annyyywayyysss I'm once again done for the night, see ya!

I feel like they're confusing him with other people half the time. Even amongst their so-called evidence, I've never seen RP's of his outside the family formula, so when they mention Sailor Moon RP's for example it strikes me as a set-up.

[thebumblingbookbee]

Maybe Julian noticed Jace was a mess 😂 everyone out here calling Jace a war hero but Clary saved his ass every time ��

Julian every time Jace tried to tell him what to do in qoaad

[wcrstarter]

@masterwcrk

"I want you to take Valentine's daughter, across the country. You're the only person I can trust to get her there safely, and I owe her mother. I'm calling in the favour you owe me, and I'll pay you well for the gig."

Sonja should have turned him down, should have told Magnus to shove his favour owed so far up his ass that it never came out again. Instead she had agreed, even if the gold band on her finger felt like it burned when she did. The huntress wanted revenge on Valentine, but she wasn't the type to kill a kid. Magnus knew it, and it was why he'd hired her. No other would smuggle the kid out knowing who her father was, and Sonja knew it wasn't fair to blame the child for who their parents were. Many would kill her to get at Viktor, if they found out they were related.

Sonja looked at the girl, pursing her lips and thinking over whether or notshe should just walk out the door and tell Magnus he'd need more than a prayer to get the kid to the fireflies, he'd need magic.

"Get your gear girl, and a spare pair of shoes. We're going to be walking most of the way, and I don't want to hear a peep out of you about that, am I clear? You want to get to the fireflies safely and in one peace? You do as I say. We're going outside the walls of the quarantine zone, infected aren't the only things out there that want you dead. You want to live? Keep close, keep quiet, keep your head down." The huntress instructed, folding her arms over her chest and waiting for the girl, Clary, to grab her things. The leather jacket Sonja wore was hiding various weapons, guns, knives, shivs strapped to her. her backpack held other scavenged gear and weapons. Her hair had blades hidden in the braided locks, making her look wilder than she actually was.

The huntress was known for the leather armour that she wore, after all, it was hard for someone to bite through leather. It gave her good protection against the infected and stopped most blades. Bullets would get through and did, she'd stitch the holes in her armour with whatever she could. In daytime, it made her stick out, but at night, she was very hard to spot. They'd cross as much of the populated areas at night as Sonja could arrange.

"Get a brush, and come here when you're done. That ponytail might keep your hair out of your eyes but its a liability if someone grabs you. Just don't grab your hair when I'm done, or you're going to stitch your own hand back together, and there's not a chance I could find you a tetanus shot in this day and age." She sincerely hoped that it wouldn't be a mistake to do this, she'd be civil to the kid....it was about as much as she could do. Sonja knew the sooner they set out, the sooner that they could slip out past the soldiers and get on their way. If they were lucky, it would only take a season to get from one side of the country to the other.

[seer-cressida]

"Yeah, right now, you are singularly being really fucking depressing," Bramble waited until he was settled before stretching her legs back out. It was big enough for that. Everything in the Capitol was: lavish, outlandish, large enough to swallow her whole. She picked up a bar of soap labelled molten black pepper and clary sage. Bram sniffed it, pleasantly surprised, though it did make her sneeze.

"You only feel that way because they beat the rest out of you." Bramble didn't know what had happened after his arrest, but she'd seen enough in Free Eleven to surmise. You didn't just get disappeared by the Capitol for a good time. But, then again, you usually didn't reappear at all. "And, to be clear, that's what you look like." Like he'd gotten his ass handed to him. Like he'd been wasting away in some government backroom. "Not that you...contain the fuckin' stars and the moon." That sounded like something Nettle would've said to her. She made a mental note to try it out later, see if it didn't anything good.

"Alright, Just Slate. Let's get re-acquainted, then." Bram straightened, leaning forward and sticking her hand out. "Bramble Berrybush. My friends call me Bram." She cocked her head, studying him. "Is Just Slate still my friend?"

"Well I'm just one thing," Slate replied, kicking off his shoes and doing as she'd said, climbing into the tub if only because he had the desire to be enveloped by something. To be made small inside of a large porcelain container. To be with someone good and kind who reminded him of Free Eleven. He reached for one of the soaps. "That's the trick. I look like I've got multitudes but it's all just... lies." It had all been exposed. His guts poured out for everyone to see and examine. And they had deemed him unworthy.