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tiredandoptimistic · 1 month ago

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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

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alheria · 2 years ago

Text

The struggles of being in love (one-shot)

Jace couldn't sleep without his parabatai anymore.

It started the night after Alec got seriously injured during eradication of a shockingly large demonic nest that somehow managed to grow to this unbelievable size without anyone noticing. Near the end of the heated fight, a sharp claw pierced the archer's shoulder dangerously close to the heart, although not too deep. But witnessing it from an awkward angle while standing far away, Jace couldn't know it wasn't, in fact, a deadly wound. He felt the intense, mirrored by their bond pain, heard his best friend curse loudly as he slayed the beast, and simply assumed the worst. Raw fear flooded his already adrenaline-high body upon seeing the archer's hopeless attempt to stop the profound bleeding. Despite the pressure, blood kept pouring through his fingers all over the black leather jacket, and onto the concrete floor. They caught very panicked eye contact, and everything that followed became a blur, which faded only when Alec was safely sitting in the infirmary, having his injury properly taken care of.

Apparently, because Jace didn't remember clearly, all the way from the abandoned factory to the Institute, he refused to leave his parabatai's side, tightly held onto the healthy arm and threatened with violence everyone wanting to separate them, even the medic just trying to help.

Somehow, the damage being nicely patched up did not make the Shadowhunter feel any better. Many trusted people, including the victim himself, assured there was nothing to worry about, yet he wouldn't calm down, his heart raced impossibly fast, lungs refused to take in full breaths, foggy mind played the traumatic situation on repeat.

Alec almost died.

That dreadful thought followed him the whole day, preventing from focusing on anything other than the possibility of losing his precious parabatai. Would he even survive that? Their connection has been so strong since the moment they met, it sometimes felt like one's death could easily claim the other. The bond became so deep over years, the edges started to slowly blend as they grew closer. Too close, some might say, if they only dared to speak up, fearing enraging the unhinged warrior.

It wouldn't be a lie though, a few months ago their hearts began to beat a little faster whenever they stood next to each-other, skin burned after every single touch, precious runes ached uncomfortably when apart for a long time. Overwhelmed by strange sensations, a week before the archer’s accident, the two confused Shadowhunters finally sat down in private to have a chat, perhaps figure out what was happening to them, and that's when the line got crossed.

Love has been confessed.

Hearing Alec's voice break as he explained how he cannot hide those unbearable feelings anymore and apologising for having them in the first place, Jace’s heart shattered into pieces. The fact someone he shared a soul with was ashamed of falling in love made him nauseous.

After all, it was unavoidable.

Unable to listen to that horrible, extremely pointless rant, he grabbed the archer's face and kissed him until their lungs ran out of air. Then proceeded to convince his parabatai this is not a one-sided feeling. Which was harder than it should be. Alec couldn't comprehend being an object of Jace's adoration because apparently, he did not deserve to be loved.

In reality, he deserved the world. And Jace was planning on giving him just that.

-You know I can feel you staring? -Alec groaned, cracking open his tired eyes to look at the barely visible intruder lurking in the dark.

They’ve been sleeping together every night since they confessed, however knowing he’s very clingy, the younger Shadowhunter decided to stay in his room to not unconsciously hurt his boyfriend further. It was a terrible idea. For some unknown reason, he was insanely concerned the love of his life could die in his sleep from that not life-threatening injury, which ultimately prevented him from being able to sleep.

-I’m sorry. I just…I had to check. -he admitted, nervously playing with the hem of his oversized hoodie.

-Jace… -the archer sighed heavily. -C’mere babe. -he ordered while pulling the blanket up in a welcoming manner. Hesitating only a little, although unable to refuse, Jace obediently climbed onto the bed and plastered himself to his best friend’s naked chest. His hand instinctively travelled to the wound, fingers gently slid through the bandage before travelling down towards the familiar rune and staying there, seeking comfort through direct touch while he tried to have some rest. -Your overthinking is making me nervous. -Alec added a few minutes later, unable to fall back asleep due to prominent anxiety resonating from their sacred connection. -What’s wrong sweetheart? -he hummed, gently brushing aside those golden strands covering the wide open, two-coloured eyes.

-...this shouldn’t have happened. -Jace whispered, pressing onto the raised scar as he began to trace the symbol in an attempt to calm himself down.

-I agree. I made a mistake. -the archer responded quietly, his heart breaking at the sensation of cold tears dropping onto his warm skin.

-I should’ve protected you.

-I’m my own responsibility.

-Bullshit! -Jace barked, furiously wiping his cheeks whilst his boyfriend tightened the hold around his tense shoulders. -We’re parabatai, we share the responsibility!

-You’re right. We are parabatai. So why on the angel can’t you feel through our bond that everything is alright? -Alec asked, irritation clear in his otherwise soft tone. -I’m alive, Jace. Stop worrying and go to sleep, I can tell you’re exhausted and so am I. -he added, pressing a delicate kiss to the younger man's head before going back to sleep. -I’ll still be here when you wake up. I promise.

Somewhat comforted by this assurance, Jace's brain finally went silent. In a matter of seconds he was gone, at last getting much needed rest, until someone walked in into the room at an unreasonably early hour and a loud, familiar voice sounded:

-Rise and shine, lovebirds! Ever heard of locking the door?

-Fuck off Iz. -Jace mumbled, absolutely refusing to wake up. He was way too comfortable in this tender, loving embrace to face the harsh reality of being awake.

-Good morning to you too, Jace. -Izzy grinned, carefully sitting down next to her brother. -Hey. How are you feeling? -she wondered, gently touching the bandaged shoulder.

-Sore. -Alec responded vaguely, a painful grimace appearing on his face as he pulled himself up revealed it might hurt more than he was willing to admit. Must have, actually. There was no way it didn’t.

-I bet. Having all that extra weight on you surely didn’t help. -his sister snorted, referring to the clingy Shadowhunter holding onto his boyfriend’s waist. -What about you, Jace? You lost your shit a little yesterday. -she observed, playfully ruffling the blond hair of the half-asleep man.

-Better. -he murmured while happily leaning into the hand fondly rubbing his spine.

-Wow, nice talking to you guys, great chat. -Isabelle rolled her eyes. Still, she was thrilled her favourite boys stopped being clueless idiots and finally got together. As they should've years ago. -I’m gonna keep an eye on the Institute today, so you two get some rest.

-Thanks Izzy. -the archer smiled, immensely grateful for having uninterrupted time to spend with his boyfriend and make sure he’s not going crazy from all that unreasonable guilt clearly eating him alive.

-No problem. -the Shadowhunter winked as she got up. -But don’t think you won’t owe me one!

Once Iz left, the couple didn't move for a good half an hour. In complete silence they enjoyed each-other’s presence, soaked into the idyllic softness of their peaceful bond. This was truly an otherworldly experience, loving and being loved by someone whose soul you could actually feel with your own. Like if you were wrapped in a thick, fluffy blanket on a freezing cold night.

-Jace, baby, as much as I love having you so close, I need you to take off that hoodie. -Alec requested, unable to stand the overwhelming warmth anymore. His boyfriend snorted loudly in response and slowly pulled himself up.

-Feeling kinky today? -he teased as he got onto his knees to remove the problematic piece of clothing. -This time it could be your mom walking in here. -pointed out, but the archer didn’t seem to listen, his gaze focused on the muscular abdomen, fingers instinctively migrated towards their shared rune, began to trace the dark lines. Jace froze in place, leaned into the pleasant touch and whined loudly when suddenly, that large palm squeezed his covered penis, causing a strong jolt of arousal to go through his now fully awakened body.

-Sit on my thighs. -Alec ordered and the other Shadowhunter obediently complied, very happy this morning took such a turn. The archer swiftly pulled his parabatai’s sweatpants down, revealing the quickly growing erection. But instead of grabbing that needy penis and giving it some delightful strokes, he took out his own, equally aroused manhood, and said:

-Touch yourself, I'm going to watch.

And just like that, Jace’s heart started to beat like crazy, blood rushed to his cock, hardening it impossibly fast. Clouded with raw desire, he wrapped his fingers around the twitching dick and promptly began the show, pleasured himself while his boyfriend masturbated to the erotic view.

He's never done anything like that before. Sex was always simply fucking or being fucked. Not once the idea of jerking off in someone’s lap came through his mind.

What. A. Shame.

-Fuck, you’re so beautiful. -Alec hummed, looking at that adorably flushed face, those hazy eyes and involuntarily thrusting hips. He wanted to hear those bitten off moans oh, so bad, but since the room wasn’t currently soundproofed, they had to keep it reasonably quiet. Which wasn't easy considering how good this felt. Soon both began to feel orgasm approach, their movements frantic, bodies desperate for release, insanely hungry gazes locked right before the archer gave the last order:

-Make yourself come.

As instructed, the younger man sped up the strokes and soon came all over his chiselled abs while the other finished a moment later, pushed over the edge by that delicious, mind-blowing sight.

-Jace sweetheart, you okay? -asked the older Shadowhunter after he recovered, slightly concerned by his boyfriend’s spaced out expression.

-Yeah, I just…never been ordered around in bed before. -Jace whispered, still shaken up by what just happened.

-Shit. I’m so sorry if I crossed a line. -Alec cursed, realising he didn't ask for any consent. So far they've had sex only a few times, thus were yet to learn how to properly approach the intimacy part. -I got carried away.

-No! Don’t be sorry, that was fucking amazing! -the blonde eagerly shook his head. -I’m gonna need more of that in the future. -murmured, leaning down to steal a long, breathtaking kiss from his overjoyed man’s flushed face. -And here I thought I knew everything about you. -he grinned once they parted.

Knowing his parabatai had zero previous experience, it was fascinating to watch him discover what works for him best. So full of that overpowering joy, he let himself get dragged to the shower for a much-needed clean up and a spontaneous second round.

Unfortunately, from that point, the initial bliss of a brand-new relationship began to fade, and things started to change.

They’ve met Clary.

She was nice, full of Jace-like energy, and completely alone. Which made him relate to her so much. The two of them quickly became friends, and he felt somewhat obliged to help her find her mother. It felt like the right thing to do. At least he thought so, because Alec was openly against it. According to him, this was reckless, dangerous and should come to an immediate stop. This caused a rather nasty argument ending with the younger, pissed off Shadowhunter shedding angry tears until utterly exhausted he fell asleep in his boyfriend’s arms because, despite being on the opposite side, the archer was essentially the only person who could calm him down.

Upon learning why Jace was so adamant about helping Clary, Alec backed off, however the bitterness stayed, creating this uncomfortable tension between everyone in the team. Whenever asked about it by his parabatai, he insisted everything is fine. So irritated with that lack of clarity, the Shadowhunter decided to seek insight from someone who might have known the reason behind his best friend’s strange behaviour.

-Hey, Iz, do you know what’s been going on with Alec recently? He seems angry, but keeps saying it’s nothing. -Jace inquired as he entered the armoury where Izzy had been sharpening a sword.

-Are you stupid or something, Jace? -she responded, shooting him a rather disappointed look. -He’s obviously jealous.

-...of what? -the Shadowhunter frowned, honestly surprised by such a strange assumption.

-Thanks for answering my question. -Isabelle snorted, returning to the interrupted task. -Dunno, maybe that new, pretty girl you’ve been hanging out with all the time lately? -she suggested. -Is that fancy bond of yours actually working? How can you be so clueless?

Oh.

OH!

Him and Clary.

Yeah.

That made a lot of sense.

Whilst there was absolutely nothing between them but friendship, from the outside it surely could look like a closer relationship, based on the amount of time the two of them had been spending together, and them being very comfortable around each-other. Nevertheless, Jace was absolutely not interested in anyone who wasn’t his current boyfriend. Alec was the love of his life, no one else existed.

Suspecting the archer might need to be told this directly, he immediately went to look for his parabatai to at last resolve their newfound issue. The older Shadowhunter was, as expected, in the training room, throwing punches into a bag like every single time something was troubling him. The furious look in his eyes only confirmed the suspicions.

-Babe, are you jealous of Clary? -Jace asked blatantly, aware that being straightforward with his best friend always brought best results.

-N-no?! -Alec exclaimed, trying to look shocked, although the prompt appearance of a blush on his cheeks instantly gave the truth away. What the Shadowhunter decided to ignore. He didn't care that Alec was jealous, he just wanted him to feel comfortable communicating such feelings instead of bottling them up.

-Okay. -the blonde nodded understandingly before adding:

-You know I love you, right?

Hearing that, the archer’s nervous expression brightened up.

-Yeah, I know. -he smiled, in such an adorable, loving way, it made Jace’s heart flutter.

-Good. Keep that in mind, alright?

-I will. -Alec agreed. -Jace, wait. -he then sighed when his parabatai turned around to leave. -I was jealous. I’m sorry.

-Don’t apologise. -the blonde shook his head as he started to walk towards the older man. -It’s actually pretty hot to think you love me so much, you cannot stand seeing me being a little too friendly with other people.

-I just got you. The idea of losing you is driving me crazy. -the archer revealed, angry tears clouding his sight. It was painful to watch the person he loved be so insecure about their relationship that was supposedly rock solid.

-Don’t worry babe, I’m all yours. -Jace assured, firmly squeezing the sweaty palm. -Soul and body. -he added, suggestively pressing his boyfriend’s hand to his already growing erection. The Shadowhunter’s glossy eyes instantly darkened upon feeling the sizable bulge form under his light touch.

-Someone could seriously walk in on us. -he pointed out, however didn't let go, rather put more pressure on the covered penis, causing the younger man to moan quietly.

-Not if we lock the door. -the blonde grinned, and Alec seemed to like this simple solution. He joined their lips in a heated kiss and quickly walked them backwards, towards the entrance he locked when Jace’s back hit the door.

Their starved lips didn’t part for a while, hands greedily explored the skin while hips rubbed their hard dicks together. They haven’t had sex for a while, not solely due to their issues, the mission turned out to be more physically demanding than anyone imagined. So most nights the two of them would pass out in a loose embrace, too tired for anything intimate.

-Get on your knees, now. -Alec ordered as he abruptly pulled away, and oh, Jace did not hesitate for a second. He dropped onto the floor, although despite itching all over, refrained from doing anything else until explicitly told so. The archer seemed to like that obedient behaviour. His palm promptly disappeared inside the sweatpants, began to stroke the hard cock while slowly taking it out.

-Open up. -he demanded, free hand firmly grabbing the younger man’s chin and tilting it up before sliding his penis deep inside his boyfriend’s throat. The blonde instantly swallowed, causing his parabatai to groan a little too loudly. Clearly satisfied with that unexpected occurrence, Alec immediately entangled his long fingers into those soft, golden strands and began to fuck into Jace’s flushed face like if he was a sex toy, not a person who needs to breathe.

Nevertheless, the kneeling Shadowhunter did not mind at all. Being treated as a tool serving a sole purpose of delivering pleasure to someone he loved was actually really fucking hot. The fact the archer looked like a fucking snack only added to the erotic experience. His head was tilted backwards, dark, glossy eyes half-open, sweaty muscles covered in runes flexed as he thrust. That view itself could make Jace come if he only dared to reach inside his own pants. He knew too well if he behaves, his parabatai will reward him in the most divine way.

-Fuck! -Alec cursed when the younger man’s throat contracted on his tip particularly tight. -Fuck, baby, I’m going to come. -he growled, his movements speeding up, choking the kneeling Shadowhunter with their roughness. Soon enough, those hips pushed far forward, pressing deep inside as the intense release came. -Your turn. -the satisfied archer smirked upon withdrawing. He then dropped to the ground, pushed his heavily breathing boyfriend to the door and kissed him while his hands quickly worked the strained zipper open.

Jace’s mind nearly blanked at the euphoric sensation of those long, slim fingers touching his throbbing erection, failed, however, to stop a particularly loud whine when they began to gently spread pre-cum on the sensitive tip. With a grin on his flushed face, Alec parted their lips and backed away to get better access to the rock hard cock he leaned towards and swallowed whole without any warning, forcing his parabatai to spill a sea of curses whilst his hands entangled in those sweaty, dark strands. He kept pulling them as his penis slid on the warm, wet tongue into the contracting throat. It felt so good there was no way he was lasting long. Within seconds the orgasm started building, and shortly after went through his body like an electric shock, blinding his eyes and blocking lungs the entire time he spilled in his boyfriend’s mouth.

-Damn, babe, you’re going to kill me one day. -Jace laughed, trying to catch a breath as his boyfriend shifted to sit beside him.

-Says who? -the archer smiled, resting his head on the shorter Shadowhunter’s shoulder. -Thank you for being so patient with me. -he whispered, grabbing his parabatai’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

-You’re my world, Alec. I’ll never give up on you. -the younger man assured, pressing a fond kiss to his best friend’s head. He loved him way too much to let some minor obstacles break them apart.

Way. Too. Much.

And as it turned out, having regular sex, no matter how quick and messy, was essential to keeping their relationship drama-free. Since the hardship passed, with every single day their feelings resumed growth, bond began to strengthen further. They shortly started to discover changes in shared abilities, like suddenly being able to activate each-other runes. Being unable to seek any information on the subject, all the couple could do was to explore those skills and hope nothing bad happens. But as it might’ve been expected, soon enough they ran out of luck.

It started with the crew getting ready to head out to scout a suspected demon nest. Alec and Jace like usual were drawing their runes in seclusion when the door flew wide open, revealing a very not amused Maryse Lightwood.

-I need to see you both in my office. Immediately. -she informed coldly before promptly disappearing from sight, leaving the two half-naked Shadowhunters absolutely horrified.

They had no idea what to expect. It could be anything from a simple warning to getting forcefully separated or even executed. Nevertheless, the pair got dressed, shared their possibly last kiss and promptly went to face the unknown.

-Sit and listen. -Maryse ordered, and the duo obediently complied. -It's my understanding that the two of you have developed romantic feelings for each-other and refuse to ignore them. -she observed, briefly stopping the Shadowhunters’ nervously beating hearts. -I won’t oppose something you have no control over, but I need you to keep it a secret. You know the rules and dire consequences of breaking them. Maybe we do not have the best relationship these days, but you’re my children, and I cannot imagine losing either of you. So please, low profile, don’t make anyone question the closeness of your relation. You’re parabatai, you’re family, you’re certainly not a couple. Is that clear?

The boys only nodded in response, slightly shocked with what their mother just said. They expected the worst case scenario, certainly not an…approval?

-I’m sorry it has to be this way. -Maryse whispered, resignation clear in her eyes. There was nothing she could’ve done but make sure their forbidden relationship stays hidden in order to keep them safe.

-Yeah, we're sorry too. -Alec agreed as they began to get up. -Thanks mom, for you know…not freaking out. -he added, making her smile.

-Go before I change my mind.

Incredibly confused by this non-hostile conversation, although pleased with the outcome, the two Shadowhunters left the office and happily returned to their interrupted mission preparations.

-I still can’t believe Maryse was so chill about finding out. -Jace shook his head, struggling to grasp the concept of them not getting instantly murdered or at least disowned.

-She probably knew longer than we have. -the archer pointed out. -But can we like also not talk about my mother while I’m balls-deep in your cute ass? -he sighed, nudging the side of his parabatai’s neck while his hips pressed forward, making them both moan from the immense pleasure this movement caused.

-Sorry, I’m just still in shock. -the blonde chuckled, melting under the gentle kisses being peppered along his upper spine.

-Mhm, let me distract you then. -Alec suggested, and without any warning, bit hard into his boyfriend’s shoulder, breaking the skin and forcing out a delightful whine.

Jace’s mind quickly began to get fuzzy, limbs went numb. All he could feel was the comforting weight of the archer’s muscular body as he penetrated him impossibly deep, his movements painfully slow and extremely precise, mercilessly hitting those sweet spots that made the younger Shadowhunter whimper in ecstasy.

-Alec…faster…please. -he muttered into the pillow, too horny for them taking their sweet time. The fact they didn’t die today pumped him up full of sexual energy he needed to get rid of ASAP.

-Nope. -Alec disagreed. -We’re gonna take it veeeeery slowly. -he whispered into his parabatai’s ear while demonstrating the new, infuriating pace.

Nevertheless, it felt so fucking good, Jace didn't express any disapproval, willingly allowed his partner to overstimulate him with unrushed tenderness so contradictory to their preferred hasty roughness. Every single thrust deep into his tight insides made his leaking, trapped between his stomach and the mattress cock slide through the silky sheets, an utmost euphoric sensation that quickly brought him to the edge.

-Babe! -he whimpered through the tears of frustrations clouding his eyes. He was unbelievably close, yet not exactly there, in dire need of just a little more stimuli to cross the line and fall right into orgasm’s blissful embrace.

Luckily, the archer understood the assignment perfectly, without changing positions began to fuck his boyfriend so hard and deep he nearly choked when the release hit him unexpectedly and with such force he would’ve screamed in pleasure if his poor throat didn’t close shut. Truly, a mind-fucking-blowing experience.

-Oh man, I think I’m in love with you. -the blonde exhaled heavily after rolling onto his back, his limbs tingling from the prolonged lack of movement.

-Think? You so are. -Alec chuckled, plastering himself to his lover’s sweaty chest, happily leaning into the warm hand fondly rubbing his spine. It was very healing, just them two sharing a silent moment following an earth-shattering sex. At those rare times nothing existed but their forbidden love they could never take outside a closed room.

-I want us to redo our runes. -Jace informed out of nowhere, surprising them both with this proposition.

He actually thought about this before, deepening their already strong bond by carving it into each-other's bodies with blades. This wasn't by any means a recognized technique, rarely even mentioned in old scrolls, but there was no harm, other than physical, in trying. They've already broken all the rules, might as well do something utterly outrageous for the sake of their happiness.

-What? -the archer frowned, glancing up at the younger man in slight confusion. -You mean…the parabatai runes?

-Yup. -the blonde confirmed confidently. -I wanna do it properly, old school blood exchange.

-Okay. Let’s do it. -the older Shadowhunter’s face instantly brightened up as he was clearly overjoyed with this unconventional, but utterly romantic idea. He then swiftly pulled himself up and joined their lips in a tender, affectionate kiss before adding:

-Let’s renew our vows.

That didn't happen right away of course. Helping Clary find her mother turned out to be more complicated and demanding than any of them anticipated. Weeks went by before the couple managed to get some free, alone time to proceed with this symbolic ceremony.

-I can't believe we're doing this. -Alec shook his head as they kneeled down in front of each-other in some long forgotten basement room, away from interruptions and unwanted witnesses. -In a good way. -he clarified, seeing a flash of uncertainty in his best friend’s eyes.

-Me too. -Jace whispered, his heart overflowing with warm emotions. He was so happy this was finally happening, them becoming even more than they already were. -I love you, Alexander Gideon Lightwood. -he smiled, his eyes tearing up already.

-I love you too, Jonathan Christopher Lightwood. -the archer grinned, gently wiping away a single tear flowing down his life-partner’s face.

-I don't recall us getting married. -the blonde frowned playfully, his cheeks instantly turning bright red. The sole thought of them becoming husbands was too much for him. But if they only could, he would’ve married him in a heartbeat. No doubts, no hesitations. They were destined to be together, marriage at this point would be a pure formality.

-What do you think this is then? -Alec chuckled, gently poking his boyfriend’s parabatai rune with the tip of the knife. -I can’t wait for our connection to get even stronger. -he whispered, slowly pressing the sharp blade harder, puncturing the thick skin on top of the dark scarring, making the younger man gasp at the painful, but certainly pleasant sensation.

In amazement, he watched the archer skillfully carve the familiar shape onto the existing pattern, line by line bringing them closer. Jace could sense their connection deepen with every drop of blood shed. His whole body was burning, spirit vibrating, brain crashing from this overpowering, intoxicating feeling. It was impossible to describe the emotions going through him at that moment. Truly, a heavenly experience.

He was so overwhelmed by it, he didn't even notice when Alec finished carving the rune, completed the first half of their sacred ritual.

-You okay my love? -the archer asked quietly, gently pulling the trembling, sobbing Shadowhunter into an affectionate hug in an attempt to calm him down before they proceed any further.

-Better than ever. -the blonde murmured, resting his pounding head on the archer's shoulder. For some reason, he couldn’t stop crying, the amount of love pouring into his chest was messing him up in the best way possible. -I don't wanna wait. -he whispered shortly after, firmly pushing himself away and confidently grabbing the bloody knife. -Your turn.

The second he pressed the blade to that chiselled abdomen, his wide open soul began to merge with the one of his beloved parabatai, instantly hazing his sight and numbing his nerves. By sole muscle memory he traced the rune, wrapping them in blissful warmth and divine ecstasy the closer he was to its end. And when he finally got there, an explosion occurred in their racing hearts. They blindly dropped into each-other's arms, holding on for dear lives whilst the euphoric wave flooded their spinning minds and shaking bodies.

It wasn’t anything like their official ceremony. The strength of those confessed emotions raised the intensity through the roof, shattering their world and building it anew. Everything they felt didn’t belong only to them anymore, as if the bond evolved, melting two separate spirits into one. It made both no sense and perfect sense.

-We share a soul, there is nothing that can separate us. -Alec murmured, withdrawing from the hug to pull his partner into his arms. -Not even death. -he added, pressing a featherlight kiss to those bright strands.

Jace didn’t say a word. There was no need to. He melted into the touch, silently enjoyed the soft affection resonating through his boyfriend’s skin and allowed himself to forget, just for a moment, that their beautiful feelings are a sin, one they will eventually have to pay for.

But not today.

And when that time comes, there will be no regrets.

Because this short love story was definitely worth a tragic ending.

#alec x jace #shadowhunters fanfiction #m/m smut #m/m #ao3fic

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