#JESSAMINE THORNE.

[ch4nticle]

Her smile is wan, weak - but his affirmation is some comfort and she nods again, turning her face away to watch the movements of the Fade as he spoke. They had enough to contend with, enough worries and vexations. She would not make another. Haven’t you done enough already? The voice that speaks is not entirely her own, but her head doesn’t throb when it speaks. Great. Now even her own thoughts spoke with his voice.

She is pulled from her reverie with his touch. Just the pad of his finger, but it burns against her skin. Dimly, Jessamine realizes she must have a fever. Sparring, it seems, is done for the day. Her smile returns, still thin, as she takes the handkerchief and brings it to her forehead first to dab away some remnants of sweat, then her lips. Turning from him, she spits out what remains of the blood in her mouth and folds it once, twice. She doesn’t hand it back.

“In the Circle, they usually just . . . cut the magic from you.” It’s an incomplete definition. Tranquility was a complete severance, of course, but whatever it was Templars did when they rendered mages useless. She’d had it done to her, before. “It’s rather like having all the air taken from your lungs. Only worse. No need for them to go for the head, then.” Jessamine clears her throat, wincing at the hoarseness of her voice.

“I’ve a mage-blade, yes. I fear it’s seen more use as a letter opener than a real blade.” Happy to give those large, soulful eyes something different to focus on than her, she moves - her shoulder separates from his for a moment - and produces the blade. A thin, unimpressive thing. “Well? How does it rate?”

continued from here

"Between us." Lucanis agrees even though he can smell the tang of iron in the air between them. From the corner of his gaze that he's keeping pinned on @chanticle , he watches Spite lean into her and recoil before speaking in the quietest voice Lucanis had heard in a while:

WHAT'S WRONG WITH ROOK.

It was a demand for the answer, more so than a question. Lucanis focuses on the echo of her laughter from their little session than on what he witnessed. Than on the smell of blood is still in the air.

He sits at her side, keeping his shoulder just the barest pressure against her's:

"You need to get better at protecting your head, by the way." Lucanis jumps into critique, "Templars train mercenary groups now that the Circles are disbanded. A lot of them use their methods when fighting mages." Punching the face was one of the first lessons he'd gotten from his Templar tutor. He taps a knuckle teasingly against her temple before he reaches inside the inner pocket of his armor, and a spare handkerchief is given to her.

"But you are fast, I will give you that." He's balancing treating her like a dead man walking and Miss Thorne in his mind as he speaks now. How long did she have? Would they be without a connection to the Dreadwolf? What happened to Wardens who began to go?

"Maybe we get a blade in your hands... certainly you've used one as a Warden before? Just in case someone does get too close."

[thebellekeys]

cassie is so good at writing male characters who are morally dubious and/or have been assholes and yet are still lovable and sympathetic so it’s a wonder to me she hasn’t written a single convincing female character like that

[rinadragomir]

Already done with character x reader headcanons for Jem and Will. I always put only 3 characters in each part. Which girl do you want to read about first? I'll write about all of them eventually

[themaresnest-dumblr]

Raiders Of The Lost Island Consignment Shop - Part 135

PART ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX TO FOLLOW!

[emilykaldwen]

Merry Christmas Rec List

A listing of some of the stories I read this year and rec'ing them to you! Inspired by this post by @withered-rose-with-thorns

Most of these are completed, some are not.

(All Links are on AO3)

Five Things Plus One (Series) - Galadriel x Sauron by eye_of_a_cat - An AU where Galadriel gets tricked, more or less, into marrying Sauron and them working on rebuilding the Southlands. Hello, yes, super obsessed, especially as Shadow-Bride is framed as them telling the story to each other in the future.

In Case of Defeat, Break Glass - Galadriel x Sauron by eastwynds - yeah I was on a kick this year, LOL. Another monster of a fic that I'm still not done with but still working through! Post S1 of ROP AU. ALSO ANNATAR.

Love Is Not a Victory March - Jaime Lannister x Sansa Stark by Syrenead - I don't know if this story will ever get finished but it's an enjoyable one. Rhaego survives birth (and is a girl!), some AMAZING Jeyne Westerling portrayal that I'm obsessed with and shoving into my mouth. Margaery Tyrell is everything to me and how she plays Tywin Lannister very well (says I who used to have a marg username on this site). Catelyn Stark isn't on her best behavior in this one so it's a little rough in those parts but overall, I do love it and I keep coming to see if the sequel, Hear Me Roar, is finished. But The Mad Kings is and while it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, is a complete story in itself.

The Serkonan Affair - Corvo Attano x Jessamine Kaldwin by acogna - a story about how Corvo ended up as Jessamine's protector, pre DH2 but oh mna this is just so good. SO GOOD.

Like Real People Do - Harwin Strong x Rhea Royce by @alicentive/I'm totally blanking on your other blog babe I'm so sorry - IDK if Killy will ever revisit this but it's definitely an AU that captured my interest! We're always here for Justice for Rhea Royce.

Inertia - Kyo Sohma x Tohru Honda by miss_coverly - this was mentioned on the bookbinding server I was on and I ate it up in like three days. It's a FWB AU that I'm utterly obsessed with. It's so true to character, it makes me ache something fierce, it's just fantastic.

Something Old - Buffy Summers x Angel by Ducks - So I read this story over thanksgiving break in 2001. I had just gotten into Buffy and 13 year old me was obsessed (and is still obsessed, tbh) with one ship. This is the story that inspired me to really dive into fanfiction. Ducks used to host her own work, like many writers did back then since we didn't have central archives outside of ff.net, which was still very new. The AU world buidling of this story was fantastic in my eyes, and while it's not groundbreaking by today's standards, it holds a huge place in my heart. An AU like this was what I'd been striving for in writing that I'm only now able to.

Taken - Elena Gilbert x Elijah Mikaelson by wheatear - I read this back on LJ so long ago and have it on PDF. Elijah succeeds in kidnapping Elena. Look, I'm an alt!Elena shipping girly and Elejiah just has me in the chokehold. It's everything I want.

What Do You Want (That You Do Not Have) - Jon Snow x Sansa Stark by thimbleful - I need more jonsa in my life. Anyone have other recs? In the mean time, AU S8 UST with so much pining and slow burn. Yes. Good.

They Say I Killed You (Haunt Me Then) - Aemond Targaryen x OC by @vampire-exgirlfriend/acrossthesestars - will I ever stop rec'ing this story? Absolutely not. It's a Green-centric fic (by nature of being about Aemond) for Team Black fans I think is the easiest way I can explain (so you won't find Rhaenyra bashing in this). Alex knows how to write a complicated asshole of a Male Love Interest and is one of my more favorite portrayals of the menace that is Aemond. And of course, Wylla Karstark owns my heart with her perseverance and imperfections. Shoving this in my mouth.

Sins of the Father - Various OCs by @selfproclaimedunicorn - If you want a Justice for Rhea Royce fic, then this is THE story. It's not just a Rhea and Daemon had kids story. It's a 'We never Get Over Mom's Murder and Our Dad can't get out of the generational trauma cycle but we're determined to get outta it' commentary on how the Targs can't escape the doom but we sure as shit can try and also constantly cyclical parents mistakes and cunty awesome cloaks and headgear. It's OC-centric, but these OCs fit in the world so incredibly well. When watching the show or going back to reading F&B, I find myself confused why Yorick, Ella, and Aemon aren't featured like they should be. Who are these people riding Silverwing and Vermithor! That's not Ella and Aemon!

I'll Be Yours for a Song - Daryl Dixon x Beth Green by dynamicsymmetry - does this use have a tumblr? Anyway, the shining light from back when I used to watch TWD. Daryl and Beth small town AU with no zombies and it's so perfect. It's so aching. It's so good. Also Demi!Daryl is so important to me. Give me more Demi and Ace rep.

Aesthetic Chills - Eddie Munson x Chrissy Cunningham by @sloelimbs - One of the first Stranger Things fics I read. Chrissy Lives AU that goes down a fantastic new path that I cannot recommend enough. Killing Moon plays in my head already on the regular and this even more.

The Darkening Sky - Richard Winters x OC by @mercurygray - so I don't go here but Merc has been working on this amazing story for FOUR DAMN YEARS and she finally finished it this year. Merc knows the ins and out of the time period she writes in and the characters she breathes such wonderful life into. If you want something exciting, women centric, and incredibly well written, check out this Band of Brothers story. Merc also has a whole list of OCs she plays with, including Masters of the Air, House of the Dragon, Lord of the Rings, and many other fandoms!

Fire on the Mountain - Otto Hightower x OC by @ewanmitchellcrumbs - I'm so proud of Ange for stepping out of her comfort zone and starting to craft a whole new story with such a fully realized OC. It's hard and it's scary and she's doing a wonderful job. I hope more people fall in love with Lia like I have.

Be My Savior and I'll Be Your Downfall - Frank Castle x Karen Page by PunkyNemo - Will this story come back from war? I hope so, as Part 3 is still incomplete but there's two more stories in there that are! I just need more Kastle in my life.

A Knight's Watch - Jon Snow x Sansa Stark by DolorousEdditor - I'm STILL working through this monster fic holy hell but it's just so fun, so good, a fantastic AU where Jon never joins the Night's Watch.

[pupsmailbox]

NATURE ID PACK

NAMES︰ abelia. acacius. aciano. aini. alder. alfie. almus. amaryllis. ame. antonio. archer. arthur. ashe. ashley. aspen. asper. aster. aveline. aviv. azalea. basil. belle. benedict. berry. bloom. blossom. bluebell. brook. calix. calla. carli. carline. carly. carolina. carrillo. cassia. cassiopeia. cedar. cherie. chun. cider. cira. cirrus. clover. coral. cordelia. crescent. cynthia. cypress. cyrus. dahlia. daisy. daphne. douglas. dune. echo. eilir. elara. elm. elowen. elyana. enon. erica. ester. everest. everett. evergreen. ewan. fauna. fern. finn. finnley. fleur. floor. flora. florian. florise. flower. flynn. forest. forrest. glen. gracie. gunner. haru. haruhime. haruki. hawthorne. heather. hemlock. honey. hyacinth. ianthe. indigo. ione. ipomea. iris. ivy. jaskier. jasmine. jasper. juniper. kalina. kallie. karolina. karoun. kath. kelda. ken. kingsley. lake. lavae. lavender. leilani. lennox. lente. lief. lilac. lily. linnea. lotus. lucinda. lucky. lucy. maayan. madeline. maggie. magnolia. maple. maren. mari. marian. marigold. mars. mary. maud. mauve. meadow. miles. momo. moss. mossie. mossy. moxie. muna. narcisow. nimbus. noi. oak. oasis. oleander. oybahor. pandora. pearl. pebble. pege. petal. plum. poppy. pınar. quanlian. quill. river. rosa. rosalie. rosalind. rose. roswell. rue. rune. saem. sage. sakura. san. sky. sol. star. story. strider. striker. summit. sunny. sylvia. sylvie. tasnim. terra. thistle. thorn. thorne. tree. udaberri. vasanta. verna. violet. waipuna. wells. westley. willow. wisteria. wisty. wren. yuki. zephyr. ziedonis. zinnia.

PRONOUNS︰ amaranth/amaranth. aster/aster. bee/bee. bee/bees. bless/blessed. bloom/bloom. bloss/bloss. bloss/blossomself. bud/bud. camell/camell. camellia/camellia. carnati/carnation. chirp/chirp. ci/cir. cloud/cloud. colum/columbine. columbine/columbine. comfort/comfort. dais/daisy. dawn/dusk. dew/dew. dog/dogwood. dog/wood. ey/em. fe/fer. fer/fern. fern/fern. field/field. fir/fir. fleur/fleur. flor/flor. flor/flora. floral/floral. flori/florid. flow/flower. flower/flower. freesi/freesia. fruit/fruit. fuch/fuchsia. garden/garden. grass/grass. green/green. grow/growth. hawth/hawthorn. hawth/thorn. hi/hits. hib/hibiscus. honey/honey. hy/hys. hya/hyacinth. hyacin/hyacinth. h✦/h✦m. ir/iris. jas/jasmine. jessa/jessamine. jour/ney. laven/lavender. le/leaf. leaf/leaf. leaf/leave. lil/lily. lotu/lotus. lu/luna. mag/magnolia. mar/mar. matcha/matcha. misel/mistletoe. mo/moth. morning/morning. moss/moss. mossy/mossy. narc/narcir. narcissus/narcissus. nature/nature. orch/orchid. pe/peony. peace/peace. peak/peak. per/peri. peri/periwinkle. petal/petal. pi/pix. picnic/picnic. plum/plum. pollen/pollen. pop/poppy. prick/prick. pur/purple. qu/quest. rain/rain. rhod/rhode. ros/rose. rose/rose. sa/sap. sage/sage. sakura/sakura. scent/scent. se/ser. shine/shine. shroom/shroom. sh✦/h✦r. si/strike. smile/smile. soft/soft. sol/solar. spikes/spike. spring/spring. sprout/sprout. star/star. stem/stem. sun/sun. sun/sunrise. sun/sunset. syr/syringa. tea/party. tea/tea. thist/thistle. thorn/thorn. th✦y/th✦m. tul/tulip. vi/vier. vi/viol. wi/wild. win/winkle. wind/wind. wister/wisteria. yucca/yucca. zinni/zinnia. ☀️ . 🌱 . 🌳 . 🌷 . 🌿 . 🍎 . 🍏 . 🍵 . 🐝 . 🐞 . 💐 . 💐.🌷 . 🕷️ . 🦋 . 🦟 .

[landgraabbed]

another day of work. luce tried to earn the support of some people, and then he joined basil for lunch for a review. they bore witness to some sort of shitty spy mission as jessamine and malcolm kept tabs on felix who for some reason was having lunch with thorne.

and it turns out part of the reason luce has been feeling off is that he is having an early midlife crisis. maybe it's just that he hates working for victor feng jfdsjdfsdsj

[inlovewithquotes]

"Have you tried? Have you tried to use it?"

"I have," Lucie said slowly. "Jessamine allowed me to attempt it. But it didn't work, and--I'm glad of it. I am sorry if I cannot help you, but I am not sorry the power is gone. It would not have been a kindness to use it on Annabel. I understand you still grieve for her, but--"

Malcolm glanced at her and then away, so quickly that Lucie was only conscious of the flaring fury in his eyes, the twist of his mouth. He looked as if he would slap her if he could. "You understand nothing," he hissed, "and like all Shadowhunters, when you make a promise to a Downworlder, you will inevitably break it."

-Chain Of Thorns

[westeroslive]

petals  flow  through  the  ardent  breeze,  pulled  from  their  source  by  the  swarm  of  aristocrats  that  push  their  way  through  the  gardens  to  be  the  first  to  reach  the  jousting  grounds.  so  meticulously  decorated  for  the  festivities,  the  tyrells  may  not  have  thrown  a  grand  celebration  to  welcome  court  to  their  keep,  yet  they  have  nonetheless  proven  the  wait  was  well  worth  it  with  the  name  day  celebrations.  great  garlands  and  ribbons  pair  with  the  brightest  of  blooms  within  the  stands,  ornate  chalices  each  filled  to  the  brim  on  trays  throughout  the  grounds.  on  the  second  day  of  festivities,  a  jousting  tournament  is  officially  announced  by  the  ruling  lady  of  highgarden  herself  at  dinner,  in  honour,  she  states,  of  maiden  day's  fast  approach.  for  she  could  see  no  other  way  to  praise  the  seven's  gentlest  face  than  in  the  romance  of  a  great  joust  -  and  along  with  it  a  dance.  the  first  day  of  the  tournament  would  be  a  presentation  competed  in  soley  by  squires  and  the  youth  of  highgarden,  so  they  may  amuse  the  crowds  and  find  practice  all  the  while  the  true  competitors  could  prepare. 

she  announced  further  a  great  ball  upon  the  final  evening  of  her  name  day  celebrations,  with  one  simple  rule:  one  could  not,  if  unwed,  dance  with  the  same  partner  more  than  once.  to  ensure  this,  dance  cards  (  incorporating  precious  metals  and  jewels  from  each  region  in  her  majesty's  kingdom  along  with  ribbons  to  tie  round  the  wrist  )  have  been  prepared  for  each  noble  of  the  realm  -  decreeing  the  list  of  dances  for  the  evening  with  blank  spaces  where  one  might  record  the  name  of  their  partner  for  each  dance.

by morning's break, outside  the  arena, surrounded  by  garlands  of  roses  (  piercing  thorns  still  attached  holding  stains  of  red  from  the  poor  soul  who'd  held the responsibility of decorating   )  lies  a  great  listing  of  the  tournament's  great  competitors.  the  listing  reads  as  follows:

daemon  celtigar,  desmond  mallister,  gwayne  florent, jessamine  hightower,  alaric  mormont,  pearse  sunglass,  viserra  targaryen, theon stark, calyx targaryen, elias baratheon, aelyx targaryen, kit moraqos, baris tarth, matthos redwyne, elowyn harlaw, shyra hornwood, dantae dagareon, amos tully, theodore baratheon, antony arryn, daeron targaryen, arya stark, anika moraqos, victarion greyjoy, otto beesbury, jocelyn dondarrion, altan manwoody, pluton serrett.

more information and results of the joust will be announced soon. for now, muses may enjoy the stylings of the training knights. listing of knights in the tournament is public. all posts related can be tagged westeros.joust & westeros.cake

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

im blazed

my top 10 ships in tsc

thomastair

herondaisy

wessa

sophideon

sizzy

arianna

chenry

gracetopher

malec

clace

my top 10 characters ranked, gun to my head, but know that there's like a 3-way tie which I'll denote

matthew

tie alastair

tie thomas

tie cordelia

james

tessa

will

sophie

henry

gideon

the next top 10 after those are

ragnor

raphaei

christopher lightwood

ari

eugenia

charlotte

simon

clary

jessamine

anna

my top 10 tsc books (not including bonus content/individual short stories/ss collections)

chain of thorns

chain of gold

chain of iron

clockwork princess

clockwork prince

clockwork angel

the red scrolls of magic

the lost book of the white

city of lost souls

my top 10 short stories and bonus content

cast long shadows

nothing but shadows

the letter game

every exquisite thing

the penultimate hours

the evil we love

the wicked ones

the midnight heir

the whitechapel fiend

so so so many

my top 10 things i look forward to in seasons

matthew novella

thomastairherondaisy better in black

the other one of the above

wessa short stoy

arianna short story

sizzy short story

thomas's journal

sebastian and sq short story

new flower cards with updated info

clace short story

fire foretold intro novella

my top 10 pieces of tsc merch

a little tessa doll my bestie made me, she has so much heart and love into her and she is adorable.

my matthew pillow plush

my cordelia plush and thomastair knit dolls (tie)

my matthew tapestry, it's so extra, so me, and so matthew

all my funko pops

this is SO HARD, but im going with the clay dolls

my cordelia print with a foil cortana and other foil decorations

the faecrate dust jackets for chot

my little matthew and cordelia bookmarks, i use them all the time

the illumicrate chog teapot

why am i doing this

[ch4nticle]

❝ Do you like being a Mourn Watcher? ❞ The question is abrupt, she knows. She does remember to say Mourn Watcher, though. Not Mortalitasi, as he'd ( with infinite patience, she imagined ) corrected. Her fingers flip a quill over and over in a circle, smearing remnants of ink on a few of her fingers as it continues, and Jessamine looks up from her notes - eyes a little red from strain - to look at him. ❝ Is it something you would have chosen for yourself, I mean. Had there been any other option? ❞

@breathandshadow didn't like or request anything, my brain is just full of thoughts at all times.

[bolyde]

❝ was this not what you expected? ❞ jessamine for lucanis?

ROOK IS HERE.

"Ah-" he looks over to @chanticle joining him out in the courtyard, he's gathered a small pile of stones beside him, "No, but you look me in the eye and tell me you expected a-" Lucanis waves the stone a bit through the air in frustration trying to get the word, "Merida. An ancient elvhen rebellion compound? Did I get all that right?" Lucanis inquires, the absurdity not entirely lost on him.

He skips the stone across the courtyard stonework, and it seems to find purchase on something invisible past the edge for another two skips before it plummets into the unknown haze.

He heard noises in the water beneath the room with the Travelling Mirror. It sounded larger than anything he's seen before.

"Bellara assured me that it will get weirder," he shrugs one shoulder up, "I look forward to see where you drag me around to, Jessamine." It beats being prisoner for... several months? A year? Longer? He still doesn't know, actually.

"When we get a chance, I'll drag you around Treviso for a proper tour. I plan to go shopping soon." He informs her, trying not to show too much disappointment for the state of the pantry, "After I know what everyone likes. Do you have any requests, Miss Thorne?"

[crcwninferncs]

“Oh, Princess Rheyna,” Jessamine called, catching the younger woman as she strolled through the gardens. Her tone, unusually soft for someone known for sharp wit and sharper remarks, carried a warmth that contrasted her usual edge. “It’s lovely to see you out here this afternoon.” Jessamine’s callousness wavered for once, replaced by something gentler. She’d spent enough years navigating court to see how the girl was treated—like a thorn among roses, tolerated but never embraced. It infuriated her. Bastards were hardly a rarity in the realm, yet Visenya keeping her own so close but yet so far, struck Jessamine as nothing short of calculated cruelty. She stepped closer, her smile shifting from polite to sincere, her voice low enough to feel personal. “Every time I see you, you’ve grown prettier,” she said, meaning every word. For all her bluntness, Jessamine had a way of offering kindness when it mattered most. @ancientblud

[themaresnest-dumblr]

Raiders Of The Lost Island Consignment Shop – Part 136

PART ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN TO FOLLOW!

[purplebass]

Congratulation on your follower count!!

Would you be up for writing some Will, Jem and Jessamine (and maybe Sophie) interaction, set pre-Clockwork Angel? I'd love to see more of their teenage dynamic explored. Thank you!

Thank you <3 I finally made it after a few months. I hope you like this. I tried to include everyone and put a little Charlotte too. This is set pre-TID as you asked, mostly around the time Jem and Will are investigating and they find the girl's body, so close to when CA starts. 🙂

Read on A03 💜

We Hunt Demons, Not Monkeys

“On the count of three,” Will whispered. “One, two, t–” and he jumped from the window onto the alley below. 

Jem shook his head, and followed after him. “You should’ve said three,” he admonished him, but Will just shrugged. “Did you get it?”

“I got it,” he replied bitterly, glancing at the box in his hand, something hissing inside it. “Shut up, you!”

“Leave the poor thing alone,” Jem chided, but Will just scoffed. 

“Will! Jem! By the Angel, do not hurry!” Jessamine said behind them. She had barely managed to leap from the window unscathed, and was trying to keep up the pace. 

Will snorted, glancing at the blonde girl. “Whatever,” he rolled his eyes, and kept marching towards Fleet Street, unbothered, his black coat blowing after him as if he was in a hurry. 

Jem offered Jessamine a sympathetic look and slowed down until she reached him. “Thanks, James,” she squeezed his arm lightly, and clutched her gloved hand under his arm as if they were a couple enjoying a night stroll. Which was weird, because she barely spoke to Jem, seeing his illness as a weakness. But he was too kind and didn’t say anything. She glared at Will’s back, wishing to burn a hole there, cursing that she could not. “I wish we had taken a cab to go back,” she lamented with a sigh. “I only like strolling when there are people around and shops are open and I can look at all the pretty things.”

“We are not strolling, though,” Jem objected. “And carriages don’t work at night, unfortunately.”

“What a pity!” she said quietly. “I wished I had stayed at the Institute. I could’ve slept. I’m going to have bags under my eyes come morning.”

“It’s already morning,” Will answered her, the effects of the amplification rune still hadn’t worn off. “And you could have stayed back, Jessamine. We could’ve finished this hours ago but we had to look out for you because you decided, of all things, to wear that hideous dress for a mission,” he spat without turning, his anger evident in his voice.

“Nobody asked you to, I can handle myself,” Jessamine frowned and looked at Jem, who could only shrug. “I hate patrol gear, so unladylike!” she seethed. “Just like your nasty manners, Will. You will never find a woman if you behave like this, and I hope no one marries you!”

Will just laughed. “The hell you know,” he said under his breath. It was a bitter laugh, one of those you make when you try to hide your true feelings. Jessamine only knew Will as the opposite of a gentleman, but she didn’t know how he was forced to behave like this. To answer like this. “Likewise, miss Lovelace. You pretend to be such a refined lady coming from a wealthy family when, in truth, you’re deluding yourself,” he stopped only to say the last part in her face. “ Coming to patrol with a dress? That’s foolish. Any person in their right mind would be turned off by your thoughtless behavior,” he snapped. “On top of that, you are also poor and mannerless. You better realize that before you delude yourself more.” 

Jessamine squeezed Jem’s arm. Hard. Hard for her, at least. He glanced at Will and shook his head. He told him several times that he shouldn’t rile Jessamine up. She was quaint like a bouquet of flowers could be, but even roses had thorns. And even though they didn’t know much about her past, he knew enough to be aware that Jessamine couldn’t get over not being wealthy anymore and unable to afford her fashion items like she used to. Will knew that as well, but he seemed to enjoy bringing that up to enrage the girl. He would talk to him later, he would –

“You are disgusting, Will Herondale,” Jessamine let go of Jem’s arm, and tightened her grip around her parasol. “Even your name makes my blood boil,” she recoiled. “If I weren’t against physical violence, I would hit you with my parasol this instant.”

“I dare you to even try,” Will provoked her, and Jem saw Jessamine exhale deeply. She didn’t want to do that. “See if you can even hold a fight with a regular human being.”

“There is nothing regular about you,” she held her head high and seemed to prepare to strike. “You are a monster. A demon just like the creatures you so adore to crush to dust.” And then she advanced and tried to hit Will on the head. But he expected it. Jem didn’t. 

Will dodged the blow with ease, moving on the side with the heavy box he was holding. Jessamine tried again, and this time, Jem stopped her by holding her wrist before she could continue. “Would you please end this? Both of you.”

“But he started it!” Jessamine complained with a scowl, while Will just stuck his tongue out and giggled like a school boy. 

“I know, but you could have decided not to respond, Jessamine,” Jem said. “Do not lower yourself at the same level as him,” he looked at his parabatai, who was acting oblivious and was mocking someone wiping their tears. 

“Like you?” she inquired, squaring her shoulders. “Do not act like you’re better than us, James Carstairs,” she replied coldly, and started walking away. 

Their quarrel died down, and even Will stayed silent for the reminder of the trip back. It was dawn, and they were exhausted from spending the whole night in the heart of London looking for clues. Instead, they found – “A monkey, of all things,” Will snorted, tightening his grip on the iron cage he was carrying. “I wonder what it was doing in that basement.”

“Charlotte said some members of the Pandemonium Club brought them from India to experiment on them,” his parabatai explained. “Do you want me to hold that? It looks heavy.”

“We are shadowhunters, by the Angel,” Will rolled his eyes for good measure. “Why do we have to save monkeys? We must be on the lookout for demons!” he said with annoyance. “And no, Jem. I’ve got it.”

Jem didn’t want to argue. He knew that Will would carry it anyway, insisting that he had to look after his poor health. “We couldn’t leave it there,” he added, but Will was already entering the Institute and he quickened his pace. 

“They should’ve put Will in a cage, see how fun it is,” Jessamine rebuked after them, but Will either didn’t catch it as he was far from them, or decided to ignore the girl. Better. 

“I will deliver this precious package in Charlotte’s study,” Will informed his parabatai when they reached the first floor landing. “So I can finally rest my bones after a night of hard work,” he rolled his eyes, underlining the last two words. 

“What do us, shadowhunters, have to do with these lowly apes? I risked being bitten thrice by that ruthless creature!” Will said, outraged. 

“Don’t forget that you also told us we supposedly descend from them,” Charlotte replied, reminding Will of a prior discussion about some work by a scientist called Charles Darwin who claimed people evolved from primates, which had Will criticizing the man for the whole day because he couldn’t believe it. For now. “Moreover, they are not ordinary. They are magical. Enchanted. They must not fall into the hands of people who don’t just want to torture them, but force them to perform magic.”

“How are they, though? I mean, who enchanted the monkeys?” asked Jem. “And monkeys, plural?”

“We have no clue,” Charlotte answered sullenly with a sigh. “Maybe it was a warlock who wanted to have fun. From the Pandemonium Club. We must find them and try to make them reason. We need to investigate further.”

Will giggled. “Then let them have it instead of bothering us with such trivial matters,” he huffed. “We hunt demons, not monkeys that belong somewhere else.”

“I’m well aware of that, William,” she said. “But we must do what we can, especially since this matter concerns us as a group. Who knows what would’ve happened if the monkeys ended up being used for entertainment? Aside from the brutality that is using animals and holding them captive, we still don’t know what the monkeys are capable of.”

Charlotte could barely finish her sentence that they all heard a scream and glanced suspiciously at each other.

“Should we go and check?” Jem offered, and Charlotte nodded and rose from her chair along with him. Will and Jessamine stayed put in their places. She hadn’t spoken a word and had been sitting in an armchair by the window by herself, which meant she either didn’t want to mingle with them because she often repeated that she hated them all, or she was up to something.

“I believe it was Sophie,” Charlotte said, going for the exit with Jem. “Well? What are you waiting for?” she raised an eyebrow at the other two, who hadn’t moved an inch. Will had even picked up a book from the inside of his jacket and started to read.

“Why should I care?” Will demanded bluntly. “I’m in good company here,” he showed her the book in his hands, so they would know it meant that and not Jessamine. 

Charlotte exhaled in exasperation and looked at Jem for help. “Come on, Will. What if it’s an intruder? You can beat him up,” he suggested, but Charlotte shook her head. “Or do what you want.”

Will rolled his eyes and closed the book with a thud. “Fine, Jem,” he stood up. “This book wasn’t getting anywhere,” he explained, which was partially the truth. He was curious to see what the ruckus was about.

“What about you, Jessamine?” 

“Pretend that I don’t exist,” she muttered, and Will swore he saw her smirk.

Sophie was in the bedroom quarters when they found her. She turned to the group once she heard the steps, and everyone could tell that she was angry. 

“Sophie, what happened?” Charlotte asked, worried, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“I have been patient, Charlotte, and you know it,” she began. “But this,” she clenched her fists, her hands turning white. “This is absolute horror and it should not go unpunished. I may be the maid around here, but this doesn’t mean I have to be subjected to such treatment.”

“Wait, what should not go unpunished? Sophie, you’re being cryptic!” Charlotte said. “Are you hurt?”

Sophie shook her head and freed herself from Charlotte’s hand and retrieved a box from a room, which was her own. At once, everyone pinched their nose because of the revolting smell that came from there. 

“What in the Angel’s name is a box full of fecal matter doing in your room?” Charlotte wondered, baffled, one hand trying to cover the hellish odor and failing. It was too strong. 

“I think this belongs to you,” Sophie ignored her and looked up at Will, who was wearing a disgusted expression on his face and was trying not too hard to hold in his laughs. She thrusted the box full of the foul mess in his hands, and he barely didn’t drop it on his shoes or the carpet.

“What the Dickens do you think you’re doing?” Will spat, trying not to be triggered by the awful smell right under his nose. 

“I am just returning it to the sender,” Sophie spat back with venom, her brown eyes would incinerate Will if they could. “Without my regards.”

“And I’m giving it back because I am not responsible for this, whatever it is,” he pushed it back in the maid’s hands with a glare, and this time she was about to drop it. “I don’t know why you are under the impression I put a box full of poop in your room, Sophie.”

“Because that is exactly what you would do,” she tilted her head and stared at him with contempt. “But you will not get away this time. I’ll make you clean with your own tongue until every surface shines and I can see my reflection in it.”

“Sophie, calm down,” Jem came to her, and when she glanced at him, her expression changed completely. “I know you are upset, but can you explain what happened before accusing Will?”

“I better show you,” she sighed, and put the heavy box on the floor after giving Will, the one she believed to be the culprit, one last death glare. She showed everyone to her small room, which was mostly covered with the same filthy material otherwise known as crap. 

Will, who couldn’t help himself, started to laugh. “This is so out of my league.”

“By the Angel,” Charlotte said with exasperation, looking at the mess. “I believe I know who it must’ve been,” she declared to the group. 

They went to her office where Will had deposited the monkey several hours ago, and they found the animal still there, locked in the box. “If the monkey is still here, how did it escape and cause that mess?”

“The horses,” Jem suggested. “It must’ve been theirs. A small monkey can’t do all of that in such a short amount of time, unless they have a colic, which is highly unlikely. Even an enchanted monkey.”

“By this point, Jemmy, I don’t care what it is as long as we find who did this to poor Sophie,” Charlotte said. “Right?” she looked at Will as she did so, and he pursed his lips together. “Let’s go check the stables, shall we?”

And there they went. It was Charlotte who checked the boxes where the feces were put before they would be discarded elsewhere. “One of the boxes is missing,” she announced. “So it’s not the fault of our little primate in my office. It’s definitely from the horses.”

“I found this in Xanthos’ stall,” Sophie told the group proudly, showing her prize. It was a dagger, and everyone recognized it at once, with its design of herons on the blade. “I think this is yours,” she said for the second time that night, thrusting the dagger into Will’s hand. 

“Will,” Charlotte said gently. “I believe it is time you confess.”

Everyone glanced at him. Sophie was fuming, her hands still clenched in fists by her sides and she was probably imagining crushing Will’s neck with her fingers, or worse. Charlotte was shaking her head and looked defeated. But he didn’t care for either. They could threaten him with a sword for all he cared. What hurt him the most, although he tried to keep his composure, was Jem’s reaction. He was disappointed in him. It was a hard blow to take, but he must bear with the consequences of his choices.

Seeing that Will wasn’t answering, he said: “I thought you said you lost it when we saved the monkey.” He didn’t add that he had dreaded having lost the dagger, the only thing that he brought back from home in Wales. They all knew how much that dagger meant to him.

“And I did,” Will admitted. “I thought I did. Does it matter now? You all believe me to be someone who would vandalize a woman’s room with horse waste, I better plead guilty and make you all happy, shan’t I?”

“Nobody said you did it,” Jem said. 

“Nobody said it, but I can see it on your faces,” he said bitterly with a sigh. “And you know what? I don’t give a damn about this.” 

“Will, let’s talk –”

“What is there to talk about, Charlotte? He was caught red-handed!” Sophie insisted, but Charlotte shook her head. 

He turned his back and started walking away from the stables, Charlotte’s voice calling after him. But Will didn't listen anymore, and pretended in his heart that being accused of something he didn’t do wasn’t hurting him deeply in his soul. If he wanted everyone to believe he was heartless, he had to act like he had no heart.

“Finally,” Jem said. He sat on the steps of the stairs that faced the entrance to the London Institute. “Where have you been?”

Will blinked, passed a hand through his hair, and shrugged. “Depends who's asking.”

“Come on,” he told him. “I was worried about you. We all were. You can’t just disappear like this.”

“I didn’t disappear,” Will argued. “I just took a long walk, that is all.”

“A walk which lasted an entire day?” He raised an eyebrow at his parabatai. “Come on, let’s go to Charlotte,” Jem put a hand behind his back to guide him, but Will stopped on the landing before they could take the long corridor that led to her office.

“I am not in the mood to see her, let alone talk to her,” Will protested. “I need to be alone. Can I at least be alone in this forsaken building or not? Are you afraid I’m going to smear the walls with something else this time?” he turned left, directed to his bedroom.

“Don’t be a fool.”

“William.” It was Charlotte, just as he’d dreaded. He heaved a deep sigh, and felt better that she couldn’t see his face. “I’m glad you returned. I was worried.”

“Ah, yes, the prodigal son returns,” he mocked with a lopsided smile. “Too bad I never had any fortune to spend recklessly,” he shrugged. “Just primal, smelly, crap. All in all, Shakespeare believed that feces brought luck and pushed spectators to defecate in a bucket before his plays. Maybe it will bring me luck.”

“Stop saying nonsense and come here,” Charlotte ordered, and he didn’t know why, but he listened this time. “I know it wasn’t you.”

“Good for you,” he sneered. “Do the others believe you?”

“It was Jessamine,” Jem intervened. “She confessed to it. She said she wanted to prank you because she wanted to teach you a lesson.”

Will started laughing. “She’s getting dirtier, I see. That little witch. She will pay for this.”

“No one is going to pay for anything,” Jem said quickly. “And she is also going to apologize to you. Sophie will apologize for accusing you too.”

“I don’t need their apologies, nor I want them,” he said sternly. “I’d rather thrive on their dislike for me,” he added, “than have them kiss my backside with fake apologies.” 

“At least he came back, right?” Charlotte offered, but Jem just shrugged, helpless.

[dancing-in-the-rain-1104]

share unpopular opinions you have of tsc

Ooo, okay, had to think this one through a bit. I think it’ll be more fun to try not to explain why I think the way I think, and to just say what I think. Then I can leave people reeling LOL.

I love Grace’s character, I think she’s one of the best/most complex TSC antagonists.

I wish Lucie and Jesse’s relationship was treated with more care because they felt rushed and I find their scenes together really boring.

Jessamine is an extremely misunderstood character, and represents an ugly, dark side to life as a shadowhunter, and given her trauma I can completely understand why she despised living at the Institute and being a shadowhunter in general. That being said, I don’t particularly LIKE what she did to the people who cared about her, but I can fully understand her mindset.

Not really an “unpopular opinion”, but back before Chain of Thorns was released, I remember everybody being scared that Cassie was going to kill off Matthew or turn him into a downworlder. But I genuinely hated those theories because why the heck would Cassie create a character like him, spend that much time emphasizing his alcoholism, to just kill him off?? His character has always been to represent healing and overcoming addiction, a beautiful and inspiring story. Those theories never made sense to me and I think they were just borne out of fear more than anything rational. No hate to anybody who believed that though, I get that there was evidence that pointed to it and it’s always nerve wracking when you’re not sure who’s going to die and who’s going to live.

Sorry, I don’t have much brain power right now, that’s all I got. Enjoy, though