#Jace x Alec

[seaside-storm]

JACE HERONDALE and ALEC LIGHTWOOD Shadowhunters (2016-2019) 1.04

[ginerva-mollyweasley]

“to love is to destroy”

JACE LIGHTWOOD → my top 50 fictional characters [49/50]

[multistanisms]

Shared Souls || Shadowhunters

FANDOM: Shadowhunters

PAIRING: Alec Lightwood x Jace Herondale

WORD COUNT: 2,612

RATING: PG

POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: Mentions of death

SUMMARY: The second shuffle of the Ten Song Challenge series. This challenge’s pairing is Alec and Jace of Shadowhunters. The music player is set on shuffle and the first ten songs that play? You write a quick mini-fic based on it, so it’s basically quick glimpses into the relationship.

TAGLIST: @no1likemybbgcharlie, @spookidema

♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦

1; I’ll Fight - Daughtry

Alec didn’t know when it had started, by the time he realized what was happening, it was way too late to stop. It was in the middle of a mission, and he’d gotten separated from Jace, and he suddenly felt a pain through his shoulder. A scream escaped him as he nearly collapsed, gasping for air briefly before he fought his way back up and began to look. “Jace!” he half-screamed, moving quickly despite the pain in his shoulder. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew his parabatai; the person he loved, was hurt really bad. He turned a corner sharply, finding Jace leaning against a wall, blood soaking through the leather of the blonde’s jacket. “Jace!” he ran over, tossing his bow over his shoulder and kneeling beside where Jace was sitting propped up. “Hold still, I’ve got you.” he said. He could hear Jace’s voice, probably trying to reassure him, but Alec was far more concerned with finding his stele and healing the other male. He breathed a sigh of relief as he tugged the fabric of Jace’s shirt up to activate the iratze, pausing when he noticed Jace’s eyes were closed. “Jace, wake up.” he said softly, reaching up to lay a hand on the blonde’s cheek. “Jace, come on. Don’t you leave me.” he urged, a soft begging to his tone. He leaned forward to kiss Jace’s forehead, eyes closing as he held back tears. “Jace, come on. Wake. Up.” he demanded, relaxing visibly as Jace took a gasping breath, bicolored hues meeting blue and for a moment, nothing existed but the fact that Jace was alive. And then suddenly, there were lips to his, and Alec reached up to cling to Jace as he returned the kiss.

2; Stars - Skillet

Jace had always been the one everyone noticed. He was the one people followed after, the one that caught the tail end of more than one bad rejection. No matter what, he’d also always seemed to orbit Alec. It seemed odd that when he’d been stabbed, the last conscious thing he’d thought was an apology to his parabatai. And then there was a dull voice and he felt as if someone had pushed him. He gasped as he surfaced, eyes locking on Alec’s and his breath caught. Alec had found him; he always did. He couldn’t think for a moment and then he moved to kiss the older male, the arm not hurt reaching to take the dark haired nephilim’s hand and tug him closer once the kiss was returned. Everyone in his life had been a star for as long as he could recall, and it was strange that he just noticed Alec had become a sun among the stars in the sky that was Jace’s life. “You found me.” Alec gave a soft laugh when Jace spoke, leaning to steal another kiss.

“What was I supposed to do, just leave you? Not a chance.” he countered. “Come on, let’s get you home. I won’t go far until you’re healed.”

3; I Miss the Misery - Halestorm

Alec had decided a long time ago that no one would ever know, aside from his sister, that he’d ever cared about Jace. He hid it, never wanting to be found out or cause problems. That didn’t mean he liked the way Jace hung over Clary’s every word. Sometimes he missed the old days, when he’d have to follow Jace and Izzy into some reckless assignment, reminding them to follow rules while watching their backs at every possible moment until they were home at the Institute taking care of wounds and paperwork. Clary had turned everything, and not just in the natural sequence of Alec’s life. He had to put up with the looks Jace gave, looks he wished would be directed at him despite knowing it couldn’t be. He hated the angry jealousy that would spark whenever Jace’s touch lingered on Clary’s skin, turning away and forcing himself to breathe. Jace wasn’t his; he never would be. And the fact was, he’d only had the misery of being in what the mundanes called the “friend zone” in his life, so somehow in the years since discovering how he felt for Jace, he’d learned to accept...and almost enjoy it. It was the only constant thing he still had left from before Clary stumbled into their lives.

4; Baptized - Daughtry

Jace woke up to the quiet sound of a heart monitor, blinking slow as he moved to turn his head, hissing low for a moment. He felt a hand cover his and he looked up to find Alec standing at his bedside. “What happened?”

“Sebastian came at you from behind. We thought…” Alec’s voice got low and he looked down. “It was bad. But I knew you’d come back. You’ve escaped worse.” There was a mix of emotions in his parabatai’s voice and Jace turned his hand over to lace his fingers with the other male’s.

“Why would I leave you, Alec?” he asked, looking at him. “I couldn’t leave you behind.” he managed a smile, closing his eyes when Alec leaned to kiss him. “I’m nothing without you.”

“No, you’re everything.” Alec countered. “Get some rest, you’ve got a bad head injury.”

“If you stay with me.” Jace replied, trying to adjust so that Alec could lay beside him. He stopped when Alec laid on his side, fitting in the room that was between his side and the rail of the bed.

“Why would I go anywhere?” Alec asked, giving a soft smile.

5; Second Chance - Shinedown

Being dead had never been in Jace’s plans; but being brought back was certainly not in them, either. He was sitting on the edge of the roof, looking out over the city, when the door opened. Turning, he laid eyes on the one person who always knew where to find him. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Alec walked over with a quiet smile, leaning forward on his forearms beside Jace. “What was it like?”

“What do you mean?” Jace asked, not looking at his parabatai.

“You know what I mean.” Alec replied. “The other side.”

Jace turned to look at Alec, realizing that the one probably struggling more than he was would be Alec; their bond was gone and then returned now, voided when Jace had drawn his last breath and sparked back to life when he resurfaced. “It wasn’t so bad, really.”

“Why?” Jace watched as Alec’s face stayed in profile, eyes staying out over the city.

“I was there with you.” he replied. That made Alec’s head turn and they locked eyes. “I mean, you weren’t dead, but...you were there.” he replied. “We were just laying in bed. No demons, no Valentine, no Sebastian. Just us.”

“Together?” Alec’s voice was a strange mix that Jace couldn’t identify. That was hard enough considering he knew every single one of Alec’s tones.

“Together.” he replied, nodding. “It was like...a look at where I could be happy forever.”

“And that was with me?” Alec asked, clear shock in his voice now. Jace could almost hear the ‘What about Clary?’ that had to be passing through the dark haired man’s mind.

“Yes, with you.” Jace answered, leaning forward so his lips were a breath from Alec’s. “It’s always been you. And this is our second chance.”

6; Undefeated - Daughtry

Alec had been sitting in the room, staring at nothing as he waited for any news. He couldn’t bear to be near anyone, his body felt wrecked from wounds that weren’t his, weak from screams he hadn’t spoke. He hadn’t moved in hours as he tried to focus. He just wanted the pain to stop, the panic to stop. A knock made him freeze. ‘No.’ he thought. He couldn't make a choice like that, he wouldn’t.

“Alec, it’s Clary.”

Alec chanced to look over his shoulder. He knew, deep down, he couldn't exactly hide away. He was silent as the door opened, but he froze as there was more than just Clary on the opening side of the mahogany door.

“Alec.” His name on full lips was what finally got the catatonic body moving again, and he practically tossed himself at Jace, his weight causing Jace to briefly stumble and spin them, his hold strong and protectively warm; the lion catching his lamb.

“You’re okay.” Alec breathed as he buried his face in the crook of Jace’s neck, laying kisses on the skin.

“Of course I am, I have to keep your back protected, Alec. Nothing will ever be enough to make me leave you, got it? You’re stuck-” Jace’s words were cut off as Alec pulled back to kiss the blonde, arms tightening around the broader shoulders as Alec clung to him.

“Don’t you dare go off on your own like that again. Understood?”

7; Paralyzer - Finger Eleven

Clubs were not his thing. Alec actually never willingly set foot in one unless he was tracking a demon. He wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to go to this club without a mission, if he was being honest. Maybe a part of him wanted to be able to protect Jace and Izzy if something happened. A part of him, that he couldn’t admit out loud, wanted to watch Jace. He would hide in the back and drink water while he watched the way his parabatai’s body moved. Alec was used to being a backdrop to the beauty that was his sister and Jace, and most people noticed the two of them well before Alec, and some never noticed Alec at all. So he was perfectly capable of hiding as he watched. Tonight was the first time in a while he could just observe.

Jace was dressed in his usual gear, his weapons of choice those which he could hide without hindering his ability to move fluidly. And Alec indeed enjoyed the fluid movements of Jace’s body. Lithe hips swaying as Jace was pressed against a young girl. Alec really envied the ones who got to press close, to feel the warmth and smell the cologne on Jace’s skin. Alec bit his lower lip, hiding it behind his water glass as blue eyes watched and wandered over Jace’s figure appreciatively. He was startled when a mundane wandering by tripped and spilled drinks all over him. He jumped up, his own glass forgotten as it tumbled to the tabletop beside him. The girl apologized and promised to fetch towels, disappearing into the mass of bodies. Alec stood, soaked with whatever alcohol had been in the glasses, before looking to the dance floor only to have panic overcome him when he realized Jace was gone. He tensed as hands found his hips, reaching instinctively for his seraph blade when there was a warm mouth at his neck and Jace’s voice in his ear.

“Looking for someone?”

Alec startled, pulling away to turn and look at him. “When did you-?”

“It wasn’t hard to figure out.” he replied, moving to pull Alec towards him. “The girl mentioned my boyfriend watching and I noticed the look. So I came to finally have what we’ve both been craving.” he leaned in to kiss Alec, hands sliding along the archer’s hips to hold him close, giving a soft moan as he felt Alec returning the kiss, the two nephilim lost in the kiss as the beat played around them in the darkened club.

8; Lips of an Angel - Hinder

Jace was very mad. Not at anyone in particular, though. Well, if one could count the Clave as a single person, he supposed that would be the one he was mad at. Alec had been gone for over a month, and even though he could tell his parabatai was fine, he hated the distance. To top that off, he missed waking up to kisses, and going to sleep with Alec’s back pressed firmly against his chest, his face buried in Alec’s neck along the deflect rune. He just wanted the raven haired male back. The night had been uneventful and he’d retired to his bathroom to shower, a low music to keep the silence away. As he stepped out, towel wrapped around him, he heard the music turn down. He opened the cabinet door and pulled his small seraph blade, twirling it in his hand and walking to the door in only his towel, rushing out only to pause. Alec was sitting on the bed as if he’d been there when Jace had gone to shower.

“Hey, beautiful.” the elder shadowhunter murmured, standing only to lose his balance as Jace quite literally pounced him onto the bed. He laughed and gave quiet moans as Jace kissed over any part of skin he could find. “I missed you, too.”

“Why were you gone so long?”

“I had some convincing I needed to do.” Alec countered with ease, shrugging a little as he looked up at Jace, smiling. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a little clear box with a golden ring. He watched as emotions crossed Jace’s bicolored eyes. Curiosity, confusion, observation, realization and then pure love before he was kissing Alec again.

“I love you, Alec Lightwood.”

“Pretty soon, I’ll be Alec Herondale.” Alec answered, smiling as he pulled Jace in for a deeper kiss.

9; Angel - Theory of a Deadman

Jace had never thought he could love anyone as much as he did. Let alone that the person he loved would love him back. After all the hell he’d been put through growing up, he finally felt like he had gone through it for a reason. It had all led him to this moment; to have a family that believed in him, loved him. Alec loved him more than most, even if no one really knew. He hadn’t even realized Alec was a literal angel in his life. Alec had saved him on many more levels than he could ever admit to anyone [except his parabatai]. Their love, their souls, were unique in their connection, and Jace was willing to explore everything about it for as long as Alec wanted him at his side.

10; Life After You - Daughtry

It didn’t seem real, to live without the one person you held so close you thought that you would die without them. Jace was finding out first hand that no matter how precious someone was, he could be ripped apart and still live. He held the chilling body close to him, crying into a neck with no pulse. THere was no happy ending, not for him. Not ever. Valentine had seen to that. Jace woke with a gasping breath, a scream forming on his lips as he sat bolt upright, sweat soaked skin making him shiver in the cool air of the bedroom.

“Jace?” The voice is sleepy and confused, a warm body moving as Alec sat up beside him and draped himself over his husband. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Just a nightmare.” Jace replied.

“The one about Valentine killing me?” he asked. It had happened on occasion since before they’d ever been married. And Alec was always there to remind him that Valentine was dead, and they were safe. That Isabelle and Max were alive and well, and Clary was content in her role as godmother to the various children, including the ones she’d been a surrogate for so that Jace and Alec could have children. “It’s just a bad dream. Come on, lay back down.” He carefully coaxed Jace back into their bed, curling into the younger male and giving him a soft kiss. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be here when you get up. I swear.”

[caliberrose]

Fandom: Shadowhunters

Pairing(s): Jace Wayland/ Alec Lightwood, Clary Fray/ Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood/ Jonathan Morgenstern, Clary Fray/ Jonathan Morgenstern

Rating: Explicit

Warning(s): Major Character Death, Graphic Descriptions of Violence

Summary: Alec’s and Jace’s parabatai bond has grown stronger, and it’s getting weird.

[starrieshq]

Jace: Why do you treat us like we're 5 year olds?

Alec, exasperated: WHY?!?

Alec: *points at Isabelle* YOU BURNED WATER THE LAST TIME YOU TRIED TO BOIL PASTA

Alec: *points at Simon* YOU WENT TO ONE PARTY AND GOT TURNED INTO A RAT

Alec: *points at Jace and Clary* AND YOU TWO WERE DUMPED INTO A DEMON REALM AND IMMEDIATELY SNUCK OFF INTO A DARK CAVE TO HAVE SEX

Alec: AND YOU ASK ME WHY?!?

[wikitpowers]

this art always makes me so happy i’m-

artist: @cassandrajean <3

[huacherryblossom]

city of fallen angels in a nutshell

[myfavouriteformofblurting]

My take on the shadowhunters TV show is that if you hadn't read the books you'd have no idea what's going on, but even if you did read the books you also have no idea what's going on

[mrs-kmikaelson]

MASTER LIST

Started: July 7, 2023 Last updated: Oct 14, 2024

I write for:

The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Shadowhunters, the MCU, the Hunger Games series, and Criminal Minds. I may also write for Fate: The Winx Saga, Cobra Kai, Grey's Anatomy, 13rw, Gossip Girl, and Riverdale (even tho I have no idea what's happening in that show anymore). I typically write fem!reader-insert fics, but you might see a ship once in a while. Crossovers may happen. Btw, I add angst to like everything. Straight-up fluff is rare.

a/n: just wanted to let everyone know that requests are open rn, but that might change once summer's over. i update this list every time i post.

Klaus Mikaelson

The Tribrid You're Klaus Mikaelson's long-lost daughter that he has no idea about, yet somehow you still find yourself getting entangled in the New Orleans wars, both with the city and then with your own family. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Should've Known Better After a thousand years of marriage, everything comes crumbling down, taking you with it. But you shouldn't have been so surprised; you knew that Klaus was fire, and you knew that fire burned. You should've known better. 1 2

Stefan Salvatore

Coming soon

Damon Salvatore

Coming soon

Elijah Mikaelson

Coming soon

Katherine Pierce

Coming soon

Kai Parker

Coming soon

Elena Gilbert

idk y'all but i had an idea so we'll see ab this one

Steve Rogers

Coming soon

Bucky Barnes

Coming soon

Natasha Romanoff

Coming soon

Tony Stark

Coming soon

Peter Parker (T.H.)

Coming soon

Alec Lightwood

Coming soon

Jace Herondale

Coming soon

Finnick Odair

Our Song and Dance You'd grown used to dancing the same dance over and over again, the victor's dance, but then you start dancing with Finnick Odair and you feel things you never thought you'd feel. So you let yourself enjoy the dance, even though you knew that every song inevitably came to an end. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Aaron Hotchner

What's in a Name? 5 times you and Agent Hotchner questionably cross paths over the years, just for him to watch you walk away (+1 time you don't). The Grey Area You meet Aaron Hotchner and he makes you see everything in colour; he makes you feel like you're the only girl in the room. But then, as you find out that you're not, you realize the colour he actually makes you see the most is grey. (a/n: very scandal based). Series Masterlist

Derek Morgan

Coming soon

Spencer Reid

Coming soon

Emily Prentiss

Coming soon

[dayque]

Rafa: It's kind of funny that when I was a teenager I had a serious crush on uncle Jace, can you believe it?

Magnus: Of course I can, you are your father's son.

Alec: YOU SWORE NOT TO TELL THEM!

[tiredandoptimistic]

TSC Fandom Survey Results

The time has finally come for me to share my data! For those unaware, I've spent the past week running a survey in which people ranked TSC books, characters, and ships. In the end, 50 people filled out my survey, which is way more than I expected! About 23% of the people who looked at the survey filled it out, and everyone who started finished it.

First off I'll post the simple rankings from each category, and below the cut I'll show the more complex results with explanations for why people voted the way they did.

Best series: 1. The Infernal Devices 2. The Mortal Instruments 3. The Dark Artifices 4. The Last Hours 5. The Eldest Curses 6. The Wicked Powers 7. The Secret Treasons

Best main girl: 1. Tessa Gray 2. Clary Fairchild 3. Emma Carstairs 4. Cordelia Carstairs 5. Dru Blackthorn

Best main couple: 1. Will/Tessa/Jem 2. Will/Tessa 3. Clary/Jace 4. Jem/Tessa 5. Julian/Emma 6. James/Cordelia 7. Dru/Ash

Best side couple: 1. Magnus/Alec 2. Simon/Isabelle 3. Thomas/Alastair 4. Kit/Ty 5. Kieran/Mark/Cristina 6. Charlotte/Henry 7. Sophie/Gideon 8. Gabriel/Cecily 9. Helen/Aline 10. Grace/Christopher 11. Gwyn/Diana 12. Lucie/Jesse 13. Ari/Anna

Best side character: 1. Raphael Santiago 2. Lily Chen 3. Maia Roberts 4. Ragnor Fell 5. George Lovelace 6. Catarina Loss 7. Livvy Blackthorn 8. Jessamine Lovelace 9. Luke Graymark 10. Jocelyn Fairchild 11. Maryse Lightwood 12. Eugenia Lightwood 13. Jordan Kyle 14. Robert Lightwood 15. Jaime Rosales 16. Michael Wayland 17. Amatis Graymark 18. Camille Belcourt 19. Nate Gray 20. Charles Fairchild

Best younger sibling/child: 1. Max Lightwood-Bane 2. Rafael Lightwood-Bane 3. Mina Carstairs 4. Max Lightwood 5. Tavvy Blackthorn 6. Alex Lightwood 7. Zachary Carstairs

Best villain: 1. Sebastian Morgenstern 2. Valentine Morgenstern 3. Annabel Blackthorn 4. Malcolm Fade 5. Axel Mortmain 6. Asmodeus 7. Shinyun Jung 8. Benedict Lightwood 9. Tatiana Blackthorn 10. Belial

Best side book: 1. Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy 2. Ghosts of the Shadow Market 3. The Bane Chronicles 4. Secrets of Blackthorn Hall 5. An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of Downworld 6. The Shadowhunter's Codex 7. Better in Black 8. A Sea Change

Huzzah! Putting this all together has been so much fun for me, and I want to quickly thank everybody who participated! I also want to remind everyone that this was just for fun, and no reason to get mad at anybody. We're obviously never gonna agree on everything, we just need to respect each other's opinions.

If you want to know the nitty gritty of how every character was ranked, how the different series measured up against each other across categories, and why people like or dislike various books and characters, then keep reading below the cut! I made a spreadsheet, please come gaze upon my beautiful spreadsheet.

Here we go, time for the real shit!

Be warned, you will probably read mean things about characters you love and nice things about characters you hate. Angry rants about how you can't believe anyone would think that way belong in DMs to your friends, not the notes of my post. I do welcome discussion, just nothing that's targeted at other people. Also, I will be doing my best to explain people's opinions, that doesn't mean that I agree with them. I'm just trying to document. If I'm sharing my genuine personal opinion on anything, I'll make that clear.

You'll be seeing screenshots from my big spreadsheet throughout this thing. Here's your key: Columns represent characters/ships/series, rows represent a ranking. Each cell shows how many people assigned that rank to that character (for example, the intersection of 3 and Sizzy will be the number of people who voted Sizzy as their second favorite side ship). At the bottom there will be the average rank this character received, which was calculated by the program I used for the survey. I have all the columns color coordinated by which series each character/ship belongs to, and each column will have one box outlined which shows the rank that character received most often (as in, the intersection of Sizzy and 3 is outlined because Sizzy got more #3 votes than #1 #2 #4 or #5). Some columns have multiple boxes outlined, in the case of ties.

Make sense?

Alright, let's go!

First off, it's everyone's favorite series. As you can see, TID was significantly ahead of all the others. TMI and TDA were neck and neck, frequently switching back and forth for that #2 spot. TLH was a bit lower than the other three, and TEC, TWP, and TST all ranked dramatically lower.

To explain why they liked TID, people talked about finding the series nostalgic, enjoying how the characters are woven into the plot, the historical setting, and how it expands the worldbuilding of TSC while still working as a contained story. People also mentioned enjoying specific characters like Will, Jessamine, and Gabriel. By far the most common comment though was just that people love Herongraystairs. The only negative comments came from people who said that they didn't find the concept interesting, and were disappointed by the lack of their favorite modern characters.

Talking about TMI, the most common positive comments were that the series was fun, nostalgic, and had the best cast of characters (specifically Alec, Magnus, and Simon). People also enjoy the modern setting, the interpersonal relationships (especially Malec), and how the world is seen to develop from where it was in the historical era. TMI has the fewest haters, but some people said that they just didn't find it as captivating as later series, or that they were put off by the incest plotline. I also received the criticism that the characters are annoying, and that the story could have been compressed into fewer books.

For TDA, a lot of people mentioned finding the characters relatable, enjoying the plot, and liking the Blackthorn family dynamic. The characters and ships who got specific shout-outs were Blackstairs, Kierarktina, and Mark. People also like the modern setting, found it to be emotional, and think that it effectively juggles a large cast of characters. Plus, people appreciate getting autistic representation from Ty. It has a solid number of detractors too, who say that they don't like Blackstairs (especially Julian), Thule, the Cohort, or the focus on Faerie politics. They also say that it has too many plotlines, takes itself too seriously, and that the last book (Queen of Air and Darkness) made them drop the series.

While TLH was ranked last of the main series, I'd like to point out that it has the same number of #1 votes as TDA, signaling that it has a similar number of intense fans. The difference really comes in with the lack of #2 or #3 votes, showing that people don't tend to be casual fans of the series. By far the most popular thing brought up by TLH enjoyers is the characters, and how they build an interconnected web with lots of fun dynamics (including developed family dynamics). People also like the number of queer and POC characters, the cozy vibe, the historical setting, the drama, and the ships (especially Herondaisy). The most common critiques all come back to the plot; that the main story is weak or even incoherent, and the series is stretched too thin across a number of side plots. People also dislike the lack of communication, and think that the characters don't feel like friends. Another complaint is that the world doesn't feel like a natural extension of TID, especially because the characters are so invested in mundane social structures like balls and reputations.

TEC is our first truly controversial series, and the main divide seems to be between people who think it's unnecessary fan service, and fans who feel serviced. The reasons I was given to like the series are the additional page time for Malec and the TMI gang, and that it fleshed out the TMI timeline. On the negative side, people say that it feels like a cash grab and that LBOTW didn't live up to the expectations set by RSOM. Overall though, the biggest reason that people ranked it so low was just that they hadn't read it.

Here's where we get into the series that were doomed to fail in the rankings because none of us have even read them. While TWP has a solid number of prospective fans ranking it in their top three, most people left it at the bottom because it hasn't come out yet. The people who expect to enjoy the series are the ones who enjoyed Dru, Kit, and Ty in TDA, and the ones who expect to dislike it are the ones who didn't enjoy those three in TDA.

So, TST was probably not fair to include in this list because I got a solid number of respondents who hadn't even heard of it, but I'm convinced that if it were ever to come out it would be in my top two series overall, and I want to see what the people think. While it didn't get anybody voting it #1 based on potential like TWP did, there were still some people saying that they would be excited to read it because of Waywood, the Luke/Jocelyn/Valentine drama, and the morally gray characters. On the other hand, there's the people who just don't care about the Circle and don't want to read about them.

For main girls, Tessa, Clary, and Emma were all pretty close in the average rankings. Cordelia and Dru fell a bit behind, but also had their share of committed fans.

When talking about Tessa, people brought up her intelligence, maturity, and their nostalgia for her character. They also like that she's a book lover, has cool powers, isn't annoying, starts out messy before maturing, and is strong-willed. By far though, the most common comment was that they found her relatable. The downside to this relatability is that her detractors say she feels like an obvious reader insert, and is overshadowed by more interesting characters like Will, Jem, and Jessamine.

Clary had the most positive comments, and people love that she's funny, creative, blunt, fearless, iconic, and handles all the bullshit the world throws at her. (My personal favorite comment was the person who called her "my beautiful unhinged princess"). More than anything though, people love Clary for her development. She starts out as a relatable 15-year-old, but over the course of six TMI books and all her later appearances, she grows into a hero. She's also of course incredibly nostalgic, since most TSC fans were introduced to the world by either her or Tessa. On the downside, people say that she works better as a side character than a protagonist, and that she's overshadowed by the rest of TMI. They also think that she made bad choices throughout the series, and find her annoying.

What people love about Emma is that she's strong, funny, complex, badass, and a bit of an asshole. They like that she's allowed to have an attitude and still be treated as a cool and compelling woman by the narrative and the other characters. Plus, she comes across as having a clear voice that makes her feel like somebody they could be friends with in real life. Most of the people with specific complaints about her either didn't like TDA overall, or thought she was treated as an extension of Julian who never fulfilled her individual potential. Some people also found her badass bad bitch persona to be more exhausting than endearing.

Cordelia is probably the most controversial character in this category, with long lists of both positive and negative traits given by the fandom. On the bright side, she's fierce, badass, kind, and relatable. People also like to see a woman of color thriving in 1903 London, and how she embodies the concept of a warrior. Looking to the negative, people largely just don't find her particularly engaging. They say that she's inconsistant, flat, and had no development after Chain of Gold. They also complained about her making bad decisions and having a weak relationship with Lucie.

Everybody had the least to say about Dru, and most people said that they ranked her last just because they don't know enough about her to like her more than the established characters. What her fans do enjoy is that she's relatable, blunt, sassy, and a fat goth girl who's giving 2015 tumblr emo. The only real complaint people had was that they found her annoying in TDA, but everyone who left comments like that also acknowledged that she was 13 in TDA and will probably be more engaging once TWP gives her time in the spotlight.

Moving into the main couples, TID continues to sweep as Herongraystairs takes the top spot (and came incredibly close to taking the entirety of the top three). After that, the couples are spaced out pretty equally and follow the same pattern established by the previous two categories.

Now, Herongraystairs received arguably the most bonkers majority in this entire survey. Nearly half of respondents ranked it as their #1, and only a couple outliers put it in their bottom three. What everybody loves about this ship is the angst, how willing they were to sacrifice for each other, the raw emotions, how perfectly the three balance each other, and the ideas about fate. They also like how all three of them are compelling characters on their own, have unique relationships in pairs (Wessa, Jessa, Heronstairs), and work even better as a complete unit. Will and Jem already loved each other, but they could only fully develop once they had Tessa; creating this tragic yet beautiful cloud of possibility. People also like the polyamorous aspect, and wish that they were a canon three way relationship. More than anything else though, what was commented again and again was simply "they loved each other so much." What else can you say? Well, I can say why a couple of people dislike the ship. The only reasons I was given was that the person didn't like TID overall, and that they prefer Jem and Will with a purely platonic parabatai bond.

Moving on to Wessa, people like their banter, the crazy build up to their relationship, and how they bonded over books. They also love how gutwrenching the relationship is, especially once you get to the epilogue of Clockwork Princess. The only complaint anybody had was that they aren't Herongraystairs, and the relationship is incomplete without Jem.

People of course love Clace for the nostalgia factor and how it's the relationship that introduced them to TSC, but most importantly people like how the two of them are just so horribly down bad for each other. They're cute, fun, and have good chemistry; forming the heart of the TMI gang and of the Shadowhunters world. What people don't like is that they're basic, getting overshadowed by other couples in their own series. The upside is that they get better in their appearances that came after TMI. There are of course also the people who don't like the incest plotline and felt uncomfortable reading about that era of their relationship.

Jessa was solidly in third for most of this survey, but Clace pulled ahead of them in the last day. Though they came in behind the other TID ships, they're still beloved by the fandom. People like their dynamic and enjoy Jem as a character. The downside is that the ship makes them sad because of the tragedy of their situation, doesn't include Will, and gets overused in the modern series.

As for Blackstairs, people see their relationship as beautiful, a good example of friends to lovers/forbidden romance, and worked in well with the plot of TDA. People also like the soulmate aspect. Their haters sure had a lot to say to counterbalance that though, and complained about how the relationship is melodramatic, overly intense, toxic, and codependant. I also got a few respondants who said that they just dislike Emma and Julian as individuals, and that Julian's behavior towards Emma is alarming.

Herondaisy is continuing TLH's grand tradition of coming in near the end while still maintaining a dedicated team of fans. The good stuff is how much James loved Cordelia, and that he spent so long unable to say anything, but once he was free from the Gracelet he never let her forget his devotion. Their love was powerful enough to break a hellish enchantment, but still felt like a friendship built on a shared interests like books and stories. The most common complaint about this relationship was miscommunication, dislike of James or Cordelia as characters, and not understanding why the two like each other (other than mutual attraction). There's also people who just don't like TLH and generally aren't invested in their story. The other main complaint was that the James/Grace and Cordelia/Matthew subplots felt unnecessary and overly drawn out (which of course connects back to the miscommunication issue).

Morgenthorn suffers from the same issue as the other TWP representatives, and largely got low marks because their books aren't out yet. Some people think they're shaping up to be iconic though, while others still aren't sold on the premise.

The side ships are where things start to really heat up. Based on their average rank, the pairs form a couple distinct tiers. First, is Malec, Sizzy, Thomastair, and Kitty (the fan favorites), next is Kierarktina, Chenry, Sophideon, and Gabrily making up the middle of the pack, then we have the less popular Haline, Gracetopher, Gwynburn, and Ghostwriter, and in dead last with by far the lowest score there's Arianna. (Sorry to the u-haul lesbians). I think it's quite interesting how most of the ships are clumped together with other ships from the same series.

I'm guessing we all knew that Malec was gonna come in first. People love the nostalgia factor, of course, and they also love how the ship is queer, iconic, and just generally sweet. It's a case of opposites attract where the two of them help each other grow and reach for things they never thought possible. Both Alec and Magnus believed that they'd never be truly loved for who they were, and yet together they were able to create a life and family. Not a single person had a bad thing to say about these two.

Continuing the popularity of the TMI gang, Sizzy came shockingly close to beating Malec for first. They didn't get as many #1 votes as the other top ships, but they were still voted highly by more or less everyone. On the surface this couple is cute and funny, but what people really love is how perfectly they match each other. While they look like opposites at first, they're actually incredibly well-balanced. Everyone expected Isabelle to break Simon's heart, but he's able to stand up to her without being a dick and he sees her for who she really is under all her defensiveness. Plus, they're great individual characters and encourage each other to grow. They only negative comment they got was one person who finds them annoying.

Next up, Thomastair comes in to prove that there are at least some parts of TLH that are pretty universally adored. People like how Thomas saw the good in Alastair from the start, and watching his schoolboy crush develop into a mature romance. They like how Thomas helped Alastair accept love into his life, and Alastair encouraged Thomas to become confident in himself. The two of them were able to create their own world in Paris, which allowed them to escape the roles they felt trapped in. The characters are of course loved as individuals, and people got especially attached to Alastair and think that he deserves good things. People also like their communication skills, in contrast with other TLH couples. The only real complains people had with the ship was that it's connected to a series they dislike overall, and falls into the bully x victim trope.

Kitty is another ship that anybody who spends any length of time in the fandom will not be surprised to see in the top quarter of this list. They're beloved as characters, and even people who dislike TDA say that they were some of the best stuff in it. Fans enjoy how Kit understood Ty from the start and Ty felt truly comfortable with Kit. They also like how Kit can't make amends with Ty but still keeps his secret (shout-out to the person who described them as being in "doomed yaoi purgatory"). People also say that they have great chemistry and a lot of potential. What people dislike is really just that they haven't had time to fully develop, since TWP hasn't actually come out yet.

The next top ship is Kierarktina, which is where we exit the "pure adoration" tier of this list. People like the characters and all their different dynamics, and think that there's a lot of potential for growth with them. They also like the fact that they're a canonically polyamorous ship. The complaints I got were that the relationship feels rushed, and that Cristina seems to fetishize Kieran and Mark's relationship.

Getting into the TID ships all nicely chunked together in the middle of this list, people like Chenry for their arranged marriage setup, where both of them love each other but saw their feelings as unrequited for years. They also like Charlotte and Henry's combined autistic swag. What makes people hesitate is their lack of pagetime.

For Sophideon, people of course love the individual characters, and especially appreciate how Gideon adores everything about Sophie. The only downside is how little of them we get on the page.

Gabrily came in lower than Sophideon but did receive more #1 votes and fewer #13 votes, proving that they have a higher number of committed fans despite being less popular overall. Those fans like how the two of them loved each other for what they were and always had each other's backs. Nobody had any negative comments about them.

Haline is another mid-tier ship that didn't get many comments. What I did hear is that people like how their struggles were worth it because they had each other, and ranked them low because of their lack of page time.

Gracetopher is probably the most controversial ship on this list. If we were just going off of who received the most #1 votes, they would be fifth overall (that order would be Malec, Kitty, Thomastair, Sizzy, Gracetopher). Unfortunately for them though, we are also factoring in all the people who ranked them dead last. As this form received more and more submissions, I watched this couple gradually climb from second-to-last to the dizzying height of fourth-to-last in the overall rankings. First off, what people like is how they truly see each other. Christopher was overlooked by his friends for his intensity and Grace was only ever treated as a weapon and a seductress, but they genuinely respect each other and bond over their shared enthusiasm for science. Looking at the negatives though, most people saw their dynamic as underdeveloped and unnecessary. Lots of people dislike Grace and don't believe that she should have received any redemption, and even people who are sympathetic towards Grace still dislike that Christopher was so quick to forgive her after how she treated one of his best friends. A few people also said that they like Grace and Christopher's dynamic when it's platonic, but ranked it low as a romance. People were also upset by Christopher's death, and feel that it ruins the relationship for them.

For Gwynburn, the only positive comment I got was a couple people saying they're cute, and the only negative one came from somebody who didn't like Diana because they felt she was an irresponsible guardian to the Blackthorn kids. Most people ranked them higher than the other ships at the bottom of this list, but unfortunately they just didn't have enough extremely high votes to pull them ahead.

Ghostwriter didn't get any specific positive propaganda, though some people clearly do enjoy them. Most of the negative sentiments came from people who just found them uninteresting and generally didn't enjoy TLH. They also see the pairing as having wasted potential, and felt frustrated by the lack of consequences for Jesse's resurrection. They saw Lucie as boring and dislike Jesse for his mistreatment of Grace.

Despite being ranked last, Arianna fans still came in to share what they liked about the couple. They enjoy the characters and Anna's butch swag, and some people who don't like them together still enjoy the concept. What people largely dislike about the two is Anna as a character, and how she treated Ari and all the other women she had flings with. While not everyone was ready to give up on them because of Anna's flaws, they were frustrated by how she didn't resolve her issues or try to be better by the end of the trilogy. There were also people who thought that the ship didn't get enough page time, or who didn't connect with Ari as a character. People were also disappointed in how Ari was punished by the narrative and by Anna for not being ready to come out of the closet when she was seventeen and dependent on her bigoted parents.

Oh boy, time to dig into the biggest category (which still feels incredibly cut down, my original list was over 50 characters). Side characters are obviously a point of hot debate, since everybody has their favorite guy who the narrative forgot about. The most popular overall characters were all old favorites introduced in TMI, then there's George, Catarina, Livvy, and Jessamine (who all swapped around a fair bit), before we get into a large chunk of characters who either inspire mixed feelings or get forgotten entirely, and bringing up the rear is two of the most hated characters in TSC.

First up, we have what I think is the biggest sweep of the whole survey; Raphael Santiago. He got about a third of the #1 votes, which isn't quite as dramatic a majority as Herongraystairs in their bracket, but far more impressive when you consider the sheer number of characters competing against Raphael for the top spot in this section. People think he's funny, iconic, and relatable. They love his sarcastic and grumpy sense of humor and his begrudging responsibility for the people around him. They also like his relationship with Magnus, as explored in "Saving Raphael Santiago" in The Bane Chronicles. The most common comment I got though was that people appreciate him being canonically aroace, and they remember him as their first experience seeing an aspec character in media. He received no negative comments (and few people left him out of their top ten).

Our second place goes to Lily, who got points for her iconic sense of humor, haunting backstory, and compelling relationships with both Alec and Raphael. She received no negative comments.

People like Maia but apparently don't have much to say about her. The only comments I got were that she's hot and a bad bitch, plus she overcame her difficult past.

Ragnor is appreciated how grouchy and melodramatic he is, and how he fits into the warlock friend group with Magnus and Catarina. I'd also like to shout-out his friendship with Raphael, since I love seeing them bond over their haterism. He received no negative comments.

George also didn't get many comments, but people grew attached to him very quickly and felt strongly affected by the tragedy of his death in TFSA, except for the person who said he felt like he got killed off for shock value.

People like Catarina's relationships with the other warlocks. I also want to point out her incredible selflessness and how she's even committed to helping people who hate her. She received no negative comments.

Livvy got the second most #1 votes after Raphael, and yet she's only #7 overall (ranked choice voting strikes again), and it looks to me like people either love her or don't care about her. What they love about her is the tragedy of her death and her relatable sense of responsibility towards her siblings, plus the continuation of her story in TWP. The only negative comment I got about her was from someone who didn't feel sad when she died.

Jessamine is seen as a fascinating and tragic character with a lot of potential depth who deserves more love. She got some low marks from her lack of page time though, and from people who found her attitude annoying.

Moving into some TST characters, Luke is noticeably higher than all the rest of his high school/fascist cult buddies. People like him for his dad vibes, and dislike him for his holier than thou attitude towards other members of the Circle. (Shout-out to my IRL friend who called him a DILF this morning).

Jocelyn didn't get many comments, and none that were positive. I'll chip in to say that I like how fierce and strong-willed she was when she decided to betray her abusive husband and raise Clary alone in NYC, and appreciate that she always tried to do what she thought would protect her daughter (even if it often wasn't actually what Clary wanted or needed). The people of the survey think she's a bad person and don't think that Clary should have forgiven her so easily for the way she lied to her. She moved up pretty far in the last day of this survey, but that was mostly due to other characters dropping in the rankings.

Maryse was behind Robert for most of the time this survey was gathering data, but her fans came in at the end to bump up her score. They like her relationships with her children, especially Jace and Alec, and are curious about her life before TMI when she had to deal with a loveless marriage and losing her brother to the mundane world. The only negative comment I received for her was someone who disliked how she treated Jace while he was being unfairly accused of working with Valentine.

While Eugenia is generally liked by TLH fans because she's funny, feisty, badass, and has a compelling relationship with Thomas; she scored fairly low overall because most people don't feel super attached to her due to her lack of page time.

The only positive comment I received about Jordan was that it was funny when he spent time with Jace and Simon. Mostly, people think that he was a toxic boyfriend to Maia and an awful person overall. They especially disliked that he and Maia got back together, even though he'd previously assaulted her after their breakup. Despite that, he's managed to make his way up from the bottom five of this list.

Robert is more controversial than his ex-wife, receiving more negative and more positive votes than her. People like his relationship with Michael as explored in "The Evil We Love," and how his personal issues with queerness bled into his relationship with his son. They enjoy both the angst of his difficult relationship with Alec, and the hopefulness that comes from his ability to grow as a person and try to be better for the sake of his kids. Folks who are less compelled by the angst just flat dislike him for his bad parenting. His ranking dropped dramatically in the last twelve hours, since I guess the people who can't forgive shitty parenting all showed up at the end.

People who like Jaime enjoy his attitude and see him as complex, and all the negative comments were about the age gap between him and Dru.

Michael is a character who seems to suffer from being nobody's favorite. No one had anything negative to say about him, but the only positive comments were in regards to his relationship with Robert, and the highest anybody ranked him was #4.

Amatis is somebody else who I believe suffered from not having any real fans. The only comment I got about her was that they ranked her low because they don't know much about her. The highest anybody ranked her was #6, and only one other character on this list has a highest rank that's lower than that. Nobody got mad at her like they did with Jordan or Jaime or Camille, but no one loves her like they love those three, so she ended up lower than them overall.

Camille got a fair number of high votes from people who enjoy her dramatic diva energy, and a lot of low ones from people who think she's just an awful person.

And here we have the first of the two most hated characters in this list. While he was dead last for almost an entire week, Nate finally managed to claw his way up to 19th place. Nobody had anything nice to say about him, and nobody ranked him higher than #7. I'll say that I find him interesting as an extension of Tessa's character and arc. People didn't have particularly complicated complaints, they just think that he's selfish, mean, awful, a traitor, a liar, an asshole, and completely irredeemable. Oof.

Even though he ended up in last place, Charles is distinct from the rest of the characters ranked this low because he actually does have a handful of fans who put him at #2 or #3. They think that he's an interesting character to study, even if he's an awful person. They also find his relationships with Alastair and Matthew to be compelling (though unhealthy) and relate to his place as an older sibling burdened by high expectations. As for the negatives, there's a whole laundry list. People see him as gross, annoying, selfish, awful, and boring. They hate his predatory relationship with Alastair in-universe, and which he was handled better by the author out of universe. I got one comment that said he felt like he was written by a straight woman, and in general people don't like how his arc was written.

Now that we're through with two of the largest and most controversial categories, let's move onto the one nobody cares about. I will admit that I included the children in this survey purely out of an interest in hearing if anybody had reasoning for preferring one small child over another.

Also, since we have two Max Lightwoods, I differentiated them using their middle inititals; Max M for Max Michael Lightwood-Bane, and Max J for Max Joseph Lightwood.

Okay, so what I have in the positive column for every single kid on this list is more or less just their association with their parents. People like the Lightwood-Bane siblings because they like Malec, they like Mina because of Jessa, Tavvy because of the TDA Blackthorns, Max J because of the TMI Lightwoods, Alex because of Gabrily, and Zachary because of Cordelia and Thomastair. Negative comments were also often linked to parents, like ranking Mina low because they dislike Jessa, or disliking the Lightwood-Banes because their existence feels like fanservice and they don't believe Alec would be a good father at age 20. Rafe did get the positive comment that his story in GotSM made the respondant cry.

Positive comments for Tavvy focused on people feeling like they know him better than other kids on this list, and being excited to see more of him and his relationship with Dru in TWP.

Max J got comments talking about how much more character he has compared to the babies, and how the tragic end to his story strongly affeced people. People got attached to him from his love of manga, and appreciate how he symbolized the innocence that Alec, Isabelle, and Jace needed to fight for.

Alex and Zachary were ranked last by almost everyone, though they all made it clear that they bear no ill will towards these kids. Zachary did get one committed fan who loves the way he brings Alastair's arc to a close, and is excited to see more of him on Thomastair's BiB story. I think it's noteworthy that they have the same number of #1 votes, Zachary got more #2 and #3 votes, and Alex got more #4 and #5 votes; showing that once you discount the people placing them in the bottom two, Zachary is in fact more popular. (I'm assuming that most people who put them in the bottom two don't actually prefer one over the other).

The villain category was particulary interesting to me, because reading everyone's comments made it clear that many of us are working off of different definitions of what makes a good villain. The biggest question was whether a character being sympathetic made people see them as a great villain or a terrible one. The other cool thing about this category is you can see that almost all the villains from the same series stayed next to each other in the ranking.

For as high as Sebastian ranked, he got relatively few comments. What people do like about him is that he was more relatable and redeemable than other villains because of how Valentine raised him, and yet he still went on to do unjustifiable things. They also think he was funny. The main complaint he got from several people was that the demon blood storyline made him a boring and badly constructed villain, since he had no free will in his own evilness. Also, y'know, the incest thing.

Valentine may not be ranked as highly as his son, but he did get far more specific compliments from people. They love to hate how logical, strategic, and pure evil he could be; as well as the way the story built up to him by showing the impact he had on the world. He was a skilled manipulator who convinced people to sacrifice everything in the name of his twisted values, and worked as a chillingly accurate representation of fascism. He also served the greater themes of TMI by allowing the leads to deny the violence and hatred passed down by their parents. Some people also just enjoy the Circle era characters. The only bad thing anyone said about him was that he's generic, one of a million bigoted middle aged white men in fiction.

Annabel and Malcom switched back and forth in the rankings a couple times while data was being gathered, since most people voted for the two of them as a unit. People like how tragic their storyline was, and how they served as foiled to Blackstairs because they too were people who loved each other enough to burn down the world. Ultimately, it was their sympathetic anti-Clave motivation that got most people to love them. The two points people held against them was that they're too sympathetic and thus not really villains, and that Annabel's potential was wasted in Queen of Air and Darkness. The folks who dislike TDA also dislike them on account of their association with the series.

Mortmain is our solidly mid tier villain. People across the board saw him as a simple pure evil force that the heroes had to win against, and the main question was whether people loved him or hated him for that simplicity.

The only reason anybody gave for enjoying Asmodeus was his association with Alec. The few negative comments he got were all about either his lack of page time or how his motivation being centered on his inherent evil made him uninteresting.

Shinyun is a more complicated character, and her reception was complicated as well. People like that she's associated with Alec through TEC, and that she showed how evil she was by rejecting redemption when it was offered to her. There were also some mixed feelings expressed about her place as a cult survivor, since that's a very human trauma that was not given enough dignity by the narrative. Negative opinions all came down to her lack of page time, and people who either never read or actively disliked TEC.

Benedict Lightwood might be the lowest anything from TID scored in this entire survey. People who enjoy him mentioned how he created realistic angst for Gideon and Gabriel, as a manipulative father they needed to learn to rebel against. What people think makes him a bad villain is that he's not a villain at all, just a generic shitty dad. Also, multiple people commented "worm" with no explanation.

Sadly for the villains of TLH, this isn't the way they were supposed to be the worst of the worst. While some people enjoyed Tatiana for her chaos and irredeemability, especially the way she abused her own daughter for years, overall she was seen as a boring letdown who could have been interesting if the narrative didn't treat her as pure evil. Maybe she could have had potential if she was allowed to be the main villain or if the story acknowledged the ways in which she felt abanoned by the Clave, but that's not the story we got.

As for Belial, nobody had anything positive to say about him. They thought that his plan was stupid (especially for a Prince of Hell), and that he was boring, annoying, and just generally underwhelming. He also received the same complaints as Asmodeus about how demons are uniniteresting villains because their only motive is their own inherent evil.

And here was have our final category: the side books! It's no surprise to me that the short story collections came in first, and that the unreleased books don't have a lot of fans yet.

Our most popular pick was Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy, which people love because of how it followed up on TMI storylines while also expanding upon the world. It gave readers a look into characters they enjoy like Alec, Mark, and James, and of course the most popular comment I got was people gushing about getting time with Simon. They love the Sizzy moments too, as well as Simon's friendship with Clary and the rest of the TMI gang. It also got points for George's heartbreaking death, and for how much fun it was to read when it was serialized in 2015. The two stories people mentioned as their favorites were "The Evil We Love" and "Nothing But Shadows," showing how people enjoyed getting to look at points in the TSC timeline that aren't explored by other series. The only negative comment it got was from a person who finds Simon and Isabelle annoying.

Coming in at a close second, Ghosts of the Shadow Market is beloved mainly for its connection to Jem and Jessa. People enjoy that it served a purpose in the overall TSC plot, and showed how love can be born of tragedy. The stories people brought up were "Every Exquisite Thing," "The Land I Lost," and especially "Cast Long Shadows." It received no negative comments.

While The Bane Chronicles was the least favorite of the anthologies, it still clearly won the love of the people. They enjoy it mainly on account of Magnus, especially for his friendship with the other warlocks and his romance with Alec. They like how funny it is, and feel like it has the same charm as the early TMI books. The only negative comment I got about it was that it's boring.

Secrets of Blackthorn Hall got points for the wholesome and iconic vibes, and the interesting format of being published through tumblr. Someone also described it as a home renovation show in a haunted house, and people brought up being glad to see characters like Mark and Mina and ships like Kitty and Blackstairs. Some people just didn't find it interesting though, and others disliked it because it had so much Julian and Blackstairs.

An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of Downworld probably got the fewest comments in this category. The people who love it appreciate the stunning art and interesting details about the characters, and all the low votes came from people who haven't read it.

The Shadowhunter's Codex is the oldest companion book on this list, and clearly didn't hit like the later additions to the canon. The only positive comments I got were from people who enjoyed Simon, Clary, and Jace's comments written into the margins. Generally people just didn't find it interesting, and saw it as a textbook that didn't even provide new information about the the world of Shadowhunters. There were also people who either didn't read it or couldn't finish it.

Better in Black of course hasn't been released, but people are excited to see their favorite couples back in action. In this survey, I got specific comments from people talking about Herondaisy and Thomastair. It still ranked pretty low overall, mainly because none of us have read it yet.

A Sea Change was most people's bottom pick, just because it isn't out yet. (My theory is that it ranked lower than BiB because BiB got everyone hyped through fandom engagement when we all debated which couples would be included, and that BiB appeals to fans of ten different ships while ASC only has fuel for Matthew fans). Predictably, the people who expect to love ASC are the ones excited to see the next chapter of Matthew's journey.

And with that, we're done! I'd like to once again thank everybody who participated, especially the folks who gave long or detailed comments. I had to simplify and summarize a lot in this post, but I truly enjoyed reading everything you all had to say.

I also want to take some time at the end here to address some questions I got about why stuff in this poll was set up the way it was. First, I got a lot of people saying that Kitty should have been considered a main couple, either in addition to Morgenthorn or instead of them. I get that we (so far) have a lot more Kitty material and that most of the fanbase is far more invested in them, but I'm counting the "main couple" as the one that includes the main girl. I also got some people confused by my choice to include unpublished works like TWP and Seasons of Shadowhunters, and while I understand that perspective I still stand by my decision. I know it's not fair to the series and that people can't accurately rate things they haven't read, but I wasn't trying for that kind of accuracy; I was curious about how much people love or hate things that aren't out yet. I'd love to see how TWP and SoS factor into these rankings once we've all read them, but for now I'm happy just hearing what people expect to think about them.

Also, everyone who left random silly comments or told me their favorite characters and scenes, y'all are the real ones. I did this whole project out of my love for this series and my interest in learning why people think the way they do, and I've been amazed by the positive response. This series and world is so incredibly expansive, and I love that all of us are able to find the different niches of TSC that make us happy.

If you actually read through all this, you're awesome and thanks for supporting my passion for turning emotions into numbers. If anybody has any additional questions, I am here to chat!

Taglist:

@edwinspaynes @helenofblackthorns @whaliensdream @iovelaces @darcyolsson @sankta-wraith @magnus-the-maqnificent @blue-silver-hammer @ineedmoremalec @kingslayerzzzz @thevagabondexpress @cara0765 @uncertified-shadowhunter-14 @elytrianemrald @thomasslightwood @starrieshq @blackthornobsessed @alastaircarstairsismybff @angeldaisies @dissapointmentsrus @bananacakepie

[mikaherondale]

why did i just now realize that Jesse is suggesting to shorten it to The Wicked Powers 😭

[ginerva-mollyweasley]

"heavy is the head that wears the crown"

ALEXANDER 'ALEC' LIGHTWOOD → my top 50 fictional characters [2/50]

[multistanisms]

Shared Souls | Shadowhunters

FANDOM: Shadowhunters

PAIRING: Alec Lightwood x Jace Heronadale

WORD COUNT: 2618

RATING: PG-13

POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: Mentions of blood, violence and death

SUMMARY: The second shuffle of the Ten Song Challenge series. This challenge’s pairing is Alec and Jace of Shadowhunters. The music player is set on shuffle and the first ten songs that play? You write a quick mini-fic based on it, so it’s basically quick glimpses into the relationship.

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1; I’ll Fight - Daughtry

Alec didn’t know when it had started, by the time he realized what was happening, it was way too late to stop. It was in the middle of a mission, and he’d gotten separated from Jace, and he suddenly felt a pain through his shoulder. A scream escaped him as he nearly collapsed, gasping for air briefly before he fought his way back up and began to look. “Jace!” he half-screamed, moving quickly despite the pain in his shoulder. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew his parabatai; the person he loved, was hurt really bad. He turned a corner sharply, finding Jace leaning against a wall, blood soaking through the leather of the blonde’s jacket. “Jace!” he ran over, tossing his bow over his shoulder and kneeling beside where Jace was sitting propped up. “Hold still, I’ve got you.” he said. He could hear Jace’s voice, probably trying to reassure him, but Alec was far more concerned with finding his stele and healing the other male. He breathed a sigh of relief as he tugged the fabric of Jace’s shirt up to activate the iratze, pausing when he noticed Jace’s eyes were closed. “Jace, wake up.” he said softly, reaching up to lay a hand on the blonde’s cheek. “Jace, come on. Don’t you leave me.” he urged, a soft begging to his tone. He leaned forward to kiss Jace’s forehead, eyes closing as he held back tears. “Jace, come on. Wake. Up.” he demanded, relaxing visibly as Jace took a gasping breath, bicolored hues meeting blue. For a moment, nothing existed but the fact that Jace was alive. And then suddenly, there were lips to his, and Alec reached up to cling to Jace as he returned the kiss.

2; Stars - Skillet

Jace had always been the one everyone noticed. He was the one people followed after, the one that caught the tail end of more than one bad rejection. No matter what, he’d also always seemed to orbit Alec. It seemed odd that when he’d been stabbed, the last conscious thing he’d thought was an apology to his parabatai. And then there was a dull voice and he felt as if someone had pushed him. He gasped as he surfaced, eyes locking on Alec’s and his breath caught. Alec had found him; he always did. He couldn’t think for a moment and then he moved to kiss the older male, the arm not hurt reaching to take the dark haired nephilim’s hand and tug him closer once the kiss was returned. Everyone in his life had been a star for as long as he could recall, and it was strange that he just noticed Alec had become a sun among the stars in the sky that was Jace's life. “You found me.” Alec gave a soft laugh when Jace spoke, leaning to steal another kiss. 

“What was I supposed to do, just leave you? Not a chance.” he countered. “Come on, let’s get you home. I won’t go far until you’re healed.”

3; I Miss the Misery - HAlestorm

Alec had decided a long time ago that no one would ever know, aside from his sister, that he’d ever cared about Jace. He hid it, never wanting to be found out or cause problems. That didn’t mean he liked the way Jace hung over Clary’s every word. Sometimes he missed the old days, when he’d have to follow Jace and Izzy into some reckless assignment, reminding them to follow rules while watching their backs at every possible moment until they were home at the Institute taking care of wounds and paperwork. Clary had turned everything, and not just in the natural sequence of Alec’s life. He had to put up with the looks Jace gave, looks he wished would be directed at him despite knowing it couldn’t be. He hated the angry jealousy that would spark whenever Jace’s touch lingered on Clary’s skin, turning away and forcing himself to breathe. Jace wasn’t his; he never would be. And the fact was, he’d only had the misery of being in what the mundanes called the “friend zone” in his life, so somehow in the years since discovering how he felt for Jace, he’d learned to accept...and almost enjoy it. It was the only constant thing he still had left from before Clary stumbled into their lives.

4; Baptized - Daughtry

Jace woke up to the quiet sound of a heart monitor, blinking slow as he moved to turn his head, hissing low for a moment. He felt a hand cover his and he looked up to find Alec standing at his bedside. “What happened?” 

“Sebastian came at you from behind. We thought…” Alec’s voice got low and he looked down. “It was bad. But I knew you’d come back. You’ve escaped worse.” There was a mix of emotions in his parabatai’s voice and Jace turned his hand over to lace his fingers with the other male’s. 

“Why would I leave you, Alec?” he asked, looking at him. “I couldn’t leave you behind.” he managed a smile, closing his eyes when Alec leaned to kiss him. “I’m nothing without you.” 

“No, you’re everything.” Alec countered. “Get some rest, you’ve got a bad head injury.” 

“If you stay with me.” Jace replied, trying to adjust so that Alec could lay beside him. He stopped when Alec laid on his side, fitting in the room that was between his side and the rail of the bed. 

“Why would I go anywhere?” Alec asked, giving a soft smile.

5; Second Chance - Shinedown

Being dead had never been in Jace’s plans; but being brought back was certainly not in them, either. He was sitting on the edge of the roof, looking out over the city, when the door opened. Turning, he laid eyes on the one person who always knew where to find him. “Hey.” 

“Hey.” Alec walked over with a quiet smile, leaning forward on his forearms beside Jace. “What was it like?” 

“What do you mean?” Jace asked, not looking at his parabatai. 

“You know what I mean.” Alec replied. “The other side.” 

Jace turned to look at Alec, realizing that the one probably struggling more than he was would be Alec; their bond was gone and then returned now, voided when Jace had drawn his last breath and sparked back to life when he resurfaced. “It wasn’t so bad, really.” 

“Why?” Jace watched as Alec’s face stayed in profile, eyes staying out over the city. 

“I was there with you.” he replied. That made Alec’s head turn and they locked eyes. “I mean, you weren’t dead, but...you were there.” he replied. “We were just laying in bed. No demons, no Valentine, no Sebastian. Just us.” 

“Together?” Alec’s voice was a strange mix that Jace couldn’t identify. That was hard enough considering he knew every single one of Alec’s tones. 

“Together.” he replied, nodding. “It was like...a look at where I could be happy forever.” 

“And that was with me?” Alec asked, clear shock in his voice now. Jace could almost hear the ‘What about Clary?’ that had to be passing through the dark haired man’s mind. 

“Yes, with you.” Jace answered, leaning forward so his lips were a breath from Alec’s. “It’s always been you. And this is our second chance.”

6; Undefeated - Daughtry

Alec had been sitting in the room, staring at nothing as he waited for any news. He couldn’t bear to be near anyone, his body felt wrecked from wounds that weren’t his, weak from screams he hadn’t spoke. He hadn’t moved in hours as he tried to focus. He just wanted the pain to stop, the panic to stop. A knock made him freeze. ‘No.’ he thought. He couldn't make a choice like that, he wouldn’t. 

“Alec, it’s Clary.” 

Alec chanced to look over his shoulder. He knew, deep down, he couldn't exactly hide away. He was silent as the door opened, but he froze as there was more than just Clary on the opening side of the mahogany door. 

“Alec.” His name on full lips was what finally got the catatonic body moving again, and he practically tossed himself at Jace, his weight causing Jace to briefly stumble and spin them, his hold strong and protectively warm; the lion catching his lamb. 

“You’re okay.” Alec breathed as he buried his face in the crook of Jace’s neck, laying kisses on the skin. 

“Of course I am, I have to keep your back protected, Alec. Nothing will ever be enough to make me leave you, got it? You’re stuck-” Jace’s words were cut off as Alec pulled back to kiss the blonde, arms tightening around the broader shoulders as Alec clung to him. 

“Don’t you dare go off on your own like that again. Understood?”

7; Paralyzer - Finger Eleven

Clubs were not his thing. Alec actually never willingly set foot in one unless he was tracking a demon. He wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to go to this club without a mission, if he was being honest. Maybe a part of him wanted to be able to protect Jace and Izzy if something happened. A part of him, that he couldn’t admit out loud, wanted to watch Jace. He would hide in the back and drink water while he watched the way his parabatai’s body moved. Alec was used to being a backdrop to the beauty that was his sister and Jace, because most people noticed the two of them well before Alec, and some never noticed Alec at all. So he was perfectly capable of hiding as he watched. Tonight was the first time in a while he could just observe. 

Jace was dressed in his usual gear, his weapons of choice those which he could hide without hindering his ability to move fluidly. And Alec indeed enjoyed the fluid movements of Jace’s body. Lithe hips swaying as Jace was pressed against a young girl. Alec really envied the ones who got to press close, to feel the warmth and smell the cologne on Jace’s skin. Alec bit his lower lip, hiding it behind his water glass as blue eyes watched and wandered over Jace’s figure appreciatively. He was startled when a mundane wandering by tripped and spilled drinks all over him. He jumped up, his own glass forgotten as it tumbled to the tabletop beside him. The girl apologized and promised to fetch towels, disappearing into the mass of bodies. Alec stood, soaked with whatever alcohol had been in the glasses, before looking to the dance floor only to have panic overcome him when he realized Jace was gone. He tensed as hands found his hips, reaching instinctively for his seraph blade when there was a warm mouth at his neck and Jace’s voice in his ear. 

“Looking for someone?” 

Alec startled, pulling away to turn and look at him. “When did you ?” 

“It wasn’t hard to figure out.” he replied, moving to pull Alec towards him. “The girl mentioned my boyfriend watching and I noticed the look. So I came to finally have what we’ve both been craving.” he leaned in to kiss Alec, hands sliding along the archer’s hips to hold him close, giving a soft moan as he felt Alec returning the kiss, the two nephilim lost in the kiss as the beat played around them in the darkened club.

8; Lips of an Angel - Hinder

Jace was very mad. Not at anyone in particular, though. Well, if one could count the Clave as a single person, he supposed that would be the one he was mad at. Alec had been gone for over a month, and even though he could tell his parabatai was fine, he hated the distance. To top that off, he missed waking up to kisses, and going to sleep with Alec’s back pressed firmly against his chest, his face buried in Alec’s neck along the deflect rune. He just wanted the raven haired male back. The night had been uneventful and he’d retired to his bathroom to shower, a low music to keep the silence away. As he stepped out, towel wrapped around him, he heard the music turn down. He opened the cabinet door and pulled his small seraph blade, twirling it in his hand and walking to the door in only his towel, rushing out only to pause. Alec was sitting on the bed as if he’d been there when Jace had gone to shower. 

“Hey, beautiful.” the elder shadowhunter murmured, standing only to lose his balance as Jace quite literally pounced him onto the bed. He laughed and gave quiet moans as JAce kissed over any part of skin he could find. “I missed you, too.” 

“Why were you gone so long?” 

“I had some convincing I needed to do.” ALec countered with ease, shrugging a little as he looked up at Jace, smiling. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a little clear box with a golden ring. He watched as emotions crossed Jace’s bicolored eyes. Curiosity, confusion, observation, realization and then pure love before he was kissing Alec again. 

“I love you, Alec Lightwood.” 

“Pretty soon, I’ll be Alec Herondale.” Alec answered, smiling as he pulled Jace in for a deeper kiss.

9; Angel - Theory of a Deadman

Jace had never thought he could love anyone as much as he did. Let alone that the person he loved would love him back. After all the hell he’d been put through growing up, he finally felt like he had gone through it for a reason. It had all led him to this moment; to have a family that believed in him, loved him. Alec loved him more than most, even if no one really knew. He hadn’t even realized Alec was a literal angel in his life. Alec had saved him on many more levels than he could ever admit to anyone [except his parabatai]. Their love, their souls, were unique in their connection, and Jace was willing to explore everything about it for as long as Alec wanted him at his side.

10; Life After You - Daughtry

It didn’t seem real, to live without the one person you held so close you thought that you would die without them. Jace was finding out first hand that no matter how precious someone was, he could be ripped apart and still live. He held the chilling body close to him, crying into a neck with no pulse. There was no happy ending, not for him. Not ever. Valentine had seen to that. Jace woke with a gasping breath, a scream forming on his lips as he sat bolt upright, sweat soaked skin making him shiver in the cool air of the bedroom. 

“Jace?” The voice is sleepy and confused, a warm body moving as Alec sat up beside him and draped himself over his husband. “What’s wrong, baby?” 

“Just a nightmare.” Jace replied. 

“The one about Valentine killing me?” he asked. It had happened on occasion since before they’d ever been married. And Alec was always there to remind him that Valentine was dead, and they were safe. That Isabelle and Max were alive and well, and Clary was content in her role as godmother to the various children, including the ones she’d been a surrogate for so that Jace and Alec could have children. “It’s just a bad dream. Come on, lay back down.” He carefully coaxed Jace back into their bed, curling into the younger male and giving him a soft kiss. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be here when you get up. I swear.”

[1indigoisles]

"Love means you see someone. That's all." - Julian Blackthorn, Lady Midnight

Alec was very still for a moment, barely breathing. Then, to Jace’s surprise, he reached out and ruffled Jace’s hair, the way an older brother might ruffle his younger sibling’s hair. His smile was cautious, but it was full of real affection. “Thanks for seeing me,” he said, and walked off down the tunnel.

Jace and Alec, City of Heavenly Fire.

"I didn't see you—you were this boy, following me around at school, and then I met you in Paris and you'd grown up and turned into Michelangelo's David. I thought you were beautiful."

Alastair and Thomas, Chain of Iron

“I never thought it would matter,” he said. “I thought by the time you were old enough to ask questions and demand answers, you wouldn’t be able to see me anymore.” Lucie felt as if a cold hand had been placed on her back. “Why wouldn’t I be able to see you?”

Lucie and Jesse, Chain of Gold (also, Idk if this is actually symbolic; it just feels like it)

Time is not fast or slow where I am. And yet it was long enough for me to feel like the whole world was disappearing, like there was nothing else in it except Kit and Ty looking at each other.

Livvy about Kit and Ty, Secrets of Blackthorn Hall

There may be more, but I went through a lot of TSC books just to get these few parallels, so tell me what I've missed.

Tagging @wikitpowers just because I like her name.

[starrieshq]

Clary: I'm in love with Jace

Alec:

Clary: Thoughts?

Alec: And prayers.