#fairstairs busted

[literarybutconditional]

I finished Chain of Thorns and in order for this to not be a trash Chain of Thorns blog imma have to take a few days.

[literarybutconditional]

It's going to absolutely destroy Matthew when he finds out James has loved Cordelia.

[literarybutconditional]

Charles is annoying and I almost think that the whole reason Valentine even set his sights on Jocelyn is because he wanted access to the Fairchild's old records or something bc I bet Charles had all sorts of bad political opinions he wrote down somewhere in some diary in the Fairchild manor.

[literarybutconditional]

Me: deadpan stares at Cassie Clare

[literarybutconditional]

A few things about the following snippet.

1.) I want to see Matthew have to forgive Alastair for saying the thing that led to his bad choices with the potion because by his very own words he implies that people shouldn't be given a second chance and yet he is in desperate need of understanding about his secret.

1.a) I actually wanna see a whole confrontation about Alastair's bullying from the Merry Thieves. In defense of Thomas perhaps (he always idolized you!) Or even just one where (in my wildest dreams) he is having to come to terms with Matthew as a brother in law instead of James.

1.b) I honestly want to see how it effects Alastair, to know that what he said is directly linked to Matthew's alcohol problems. To know he caused this in a way. What would that do to him? How would he handle that? How would Thomas handle that?

2.) James has had a second clue now, after noticing the way Matthew watched Cordelia at the club and now how he says her name that Matthew thinks more of her and he just does not pick up on it and instead yeets it right out of his mind.

[literarybutconditional]

I do have to comment here with my single theory that Magnus knows about all the main ships before anyone else does.

He knows Will loves Tessa first. He teleports in on Julian and Emma.

And now he finds Matthew pining away.

I just want the trend to continue is all.

[literarybutconditional]

Is basically

[literarybutconditional]

HOW DID I FORGET THIS HAPPENED.

[literarybutconditional]

Infuriating. Kicking. Screaming. If the opening of BOTH BOOK ONE AND TWO ARE MATTHEW PICKING UP JAMES'S SLACK WITH CORDELIA AND THEY DONT END UP TOGETHER.

Gracious.

Ugh.

[literarybutconditional]

Matthew is conflicted so early on about Jamss and his intentions. I don't think he realizes he actually likes her that much yet and is still stuck on trying to understand why anyone would do something like that and say they were in love with another. He is truly trying to puzzle out a lot of emotions here.

[literarybutconditional]

I will never forgive Lucie Herondale for not just saying Matthew was 👀 at Cordelia.

Fairstairs not happening is all her fault.

[literarybutconditional]

Alrighty. My final calls for the record before I and everyone else reads Chain of Thorns.

-Christopher has purple eyes for a reason and that's important. Maybe a curse mark? Certainly not a demon mark right? Idk. But there's a reason and it's important.

-we meet at least one Morgenstern. Also bc swords are important here maybe we will see the blades Phaesphoros/Heosphoros.

-Lucie/Cordelia version of "blank, blank is that you?"

-Charles or Grace become downworlders.

-Someone moves to the U.S. (my vote is Anna/Ariadne, but I can also see Alastair/Thomas or Matthew)

-bb Carstairs raised by Alastair/Thomas

-Lucie royally pisses off Malcolm, maybe she refuses to raise Annabel from the dead? Idk. But he officially HATES the Blackthorns after this.

-Jem finds out about the Matthew/James/Cordelia thing first. He gives advice to the loser.

-I still think Sona will be the death.

-Blackthorn sword will give some clues about The Wicked Powers.

-Cordelia either gets Lucie as parabatai or Cortana. Not both.

-We get another vague clue about Chruch that tells us NOTHING.

-Magnus is like, "yall (shadowhunters) are the worst."

-Jessamine gets jealous there is another Jesse.

Okay. That's about it. I'll see you on the other side.

[literarybutconditional]

This book is a whole damn torture of tension for me, a fairstairs shipper.

[literarybutconditional]

This moment could be the MOST EPIC FORM of foreshadowing a parallel Great Expectations ending and it is one of the only true bones to reference for the Fairstairs ship.

I'm just really not sure whether Cassie will go there or not.

[literarybutconditional]

A smattering of Fairstairs subtext in the last 20% of Chain of Gold:

James thinking of Cordelia first after recovery from the Belial fight:

Cordelia and Matthew bewildered by James's affection for Grace again, Matthew saying he was glad the Whispering Room was fake:

Matthew being cross about James holding Cordelia:

Cordelia noticing that Matthew no longer has a crush on Lucie:

And of course:

[literarybutconditional]

There is a bit in here that I know I will come back to where Alastair asks Cordelia which one has caught her fancy:

Later, we get this, after Alastair comes in angry that James would see Cordelia alone and then he reveals to Cordelia about their father:

So of course from Alastair's point of view I don't think he will be very welcoming of Matthew's drinking problem. He has seen it from his father. He will be quick to counsel that Matthew won't give up the drink for her, mirroring the repetition of James being in love with Grace, because Elias Carstairs never did for them.

My wish is to see Matthew give up the drinking for Cordelia as she asked him to do at the end of Chain of Iron.

What I dont want to see is a rehash of Elias Carstairs being so drunk he doesn't remember sending people into a vampire den to die. I dont want Matthew in a position to affect something so awful. I want Matthew to be a direct contrast to Elias, not the same story all over again.

Sure, we could have a dramatic relapse, but ultimately I want Matthew to find love and acceptance from his family first, then his friends, and ultimately Cordelia.