#if we want to play who is responsible it can come back to Jocelyn clary jace Valentine | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thebisexualdogdad · 5 years ago

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Malec, Clizzy and Jimon as parents AU

Co written with @inhumanshadows

· So Alec and Magnus have 2 boys (Rafael and Max), Simon and Jace only have 1 child (Stephen) And Clary and Izzy have 3 kids (twins Cora and Iris, Liam)

· Magnus and Alec are the first to start their family so their son's are the oldest, then Clary and Izzy's twin girls and their son is a year younger than Jace and Simon's son

· Malec's sons are personality wise just like their dads

· Very smart, very stubborn and very sassy

· Clary and Izzy's daughters are a force to be reckon with and they can kick the boy's asses any day of the week

· And they protect their little brother.

· Jace and Simon's son is just a little shit who's always playing pranks on people

· He loves pulling pranks.

· All the clizzy kids can cook. (Isabelle finally admitting she’s not best around a kitchen)

· And the Lightwood-Bane boys are so freaking smart, Rafael is already on track to taking over as the head of the Institute from Alec when he's old enough

· Maryse has her hands full with all these grandkids and she spoils all of them

· Oh the sheer amount of spoiling from her alone

· Malec have the strictest household, Clizzy are in the healthy balance and Jimon have literally no rules

· Jimon has rules put in place by Clizzy and Malec

· Stephen is not afraid of Alec at all and Jace is all proud like that's my boy

· Alec has a realization of terror that Stephen is very much like Jace

· And Izzy thinks it's hilarious

· She has a framed picture of Alec’s face

· All the couples switch off taking care of the kids for date night once a week

· Jimon babysitting means sugar crashes.

· Clizzy babysitting ends up with simple cooking lessons or art projects or more likely both.

· Malec babysitting means awesome bedtime stories with added magic cause of Uncle Magnus

· One time Stephen got into a little trouble with some graffiti he did on the subway walls so Clary called in retired cop Grandpa Luke to set him straight

· Clary is stern and responsible on the outside but after she pulls her nephew aside and gushes over the art

· And both Simon and Jace are like oh thank god we don't have to discipline him ourselves

· Clary: “bitch you thought....” and hands them parenting books

· Cora and Iris are fascinated by the mundane world and have snuck out a few times to go dance at clubs

· They end up at pandemonium a lot. And Uncle Magnus has the place spelled to let him know.

· Magnus may be the cool uncle but he does give them the ultimatum to tell their moms themselves before he does

· Liam is 100% like Clary. Covered in paint or chalk pastels.

· The boy is a total artist prodigy

· Izzy is a bit worried when she thinks he hasn’t inherited much from her. But Liam is killer at darts and takes up archery. Uncle Alec sheds a tear

· Cora and Iris also take after Izzy in been highly knowledgeable with weapons which the boys are all terrified of

· They pray for whomever messes with them

· Rafael and Max are more inherently book smart than physically inept but Alec trains with them everyday

· Clizzy’s children all argue over possession of Izzy’s electrum whip.

· The amount of times any of the kids have broken into Magnus' apothecary supplies and accidently blew stuff up or drugged themselves

· He has to put non lethal magic to keep them out of it. Stephen isn’t the bravest but does his best. And Jace is so the overprotective parent

· Everyone is shocked at how protective Jace ended up being, even Simon is more relaxed than he is

· "They're so fragile! Do you know how easy it is to break a kid?"

· Simon tells Stephen to keep an eye on Jace when he babysits and Simon has to work.

· Simon "babe please don't feed them pizza and ice cream again Alec's gonna be so mad"

· Birthday parties are always awesome.

· Even Alec enjoys them as well as family barbecues

· The kids get really spoiled by Grandma Jocelyn and Grandpa luke.

· Luke is the grill master at barbecues and Jocelyn slips every kid some money for candy and junk food

· Jocelyn teaches the kids about the old days of the shadowhunters.

· Rafael and Max speak multiple languages and will speak in another language around Stephens to make him mad

· He gets back at them by making references they don’t get

· Rafael and Max are just as clueless about pop culture as their dad's meanwhile Stephen lives off it

· When the kids are old enough to start dating Clizzy are excited, Malec are worried and Jimon are 50/50

· The twins have a very open relationship with their moms so they can talk about the people they have crushes on

· Alec on the other hand is like oh no i didn't sign up for this

· Alec: “I didn’t sign up for emotions and relationship talk.”

· Magnus: “just wait till the sex talk

· "nope, Jace can handle that"

· "you really want Jace to give our kids the sex talk?"

· "well he gave me the talk when we were they're age"

· Magnus is like 😑 Or *looks into camera* “this boi...”

· there’s conflicts about the kids going to school in the mundane vs the shadow world

· Clary and Simon obviously want them to experience the mundane world like they did, Alec, Izzy and Jace want homeschool like they did and Magnus is like why do they need school again?

· This leads to immense arguing. Until Jocelyn to the rescue: “they go to mundane school and learn about the shadow world at night like Clary”

· You can’t tell me that Clizzy didn’t start their own inclusive fashion label

· The kids of course designed some of the fashion labels clothing and happily promote the label.

· Cora and Iris are some of the most popular kids at school so everyone wants to wear Clizzy's stuff because they are

· Liam is popular in his own circles. He’s one of the top artists at the school.

· Stephen is the “bad influence”

· Rafael and Max get straight A's and are at the top of their classes

· The others have subjects they excel in and ones they help each other in. Although Stephen while a smart kid has some focusing problems

· All the pta mom's have a crush on Jace

· They all end up going to colleges in New York to stay close to the Institute

· They all live in a shared loft which, thanks to magic fits them all. And they have to periodically make sure the other eats

· Of course Rafael make a chore chart which Stephen doesn't follow at all

· Rafael's like: “guys chore wheel!!”

·Stephen: “fuck ya chore wheel!”

· One night the twins come home from class and the boys had stolen their face masks and were having a spa night

· They’re like: “we should be mad... but they’re taking care of themselves...”

· They then take the boys shopping for spa day supplies tailored to each of them. They all get together and relax after stressful weeks

· And all the couples gush about how cute their kids are

· So many baby pictures

· And they all embarrass the kids on social medias

· Sole reason any of the parents have social media

· Clary, Izzy and Simon all leave supportive and loving comments on the kids posts, Magnus leaves historical facts retaining to whatever they posted about, Alec leaves the randomest comments that no one understands and Jace just leave troll comments

· And clary’s Insta is full of candids of the kids and the fam

· Alec posts once every 6 months and it's usually of the kids training

· Magnus has a lot of photos with the kids and the chairman. As well as local visits to cat shelters

· Izzy's Insta has a theme and is organized and model style photos

· Simon posts very artsy hipster pictures of New York and inspirational quotes

· He also has pics of his boys at amusement parks. And the first big family trip to Disney was a sight

· Meanwhile Jace's insta is an actual disaster and doesn't even put captions on most his posts

· Simon and Stephen give Jace a crash course on insta

· One time Alec saw a beer bottle in a story and freaked out, Magnus had to stop him from going to the loft to scold them

· “Alec... they’re grown ups... as much as you don’t want to admit it.”

#shadowhunters imagine #alec lightwood imagine #magnus bane imagine #isabelle lightwood imagine #clary fray imagine #simon lewis imagine #jace wayland imagine #alec lightwood x magnus bane #clary fray x isabelle lightwood #simon lewis x jace wayland #malec #malec fic #clizzy #clizzy fic #jimon #jimon fic #headcanons #co write #co written

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rhosyn-du · 4 years ago

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Title: A Wonderful Institution Artist: @bidnezz Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, various background pairings Word Count: ~53k Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, discrimination against Downworlders, reference to rape, Clave-typical homophobia, implied character death, minor character death Summary: Magnus doesn’t have time for this bullshit. Warlocks are disappearing in New York City—five people in less than three months—and Magnus is determined to find them and protect the rest of his people from whatever took them. He doesn’t have time for politics, and he certainly doesn’t have time for whatever nonsense the Clave is proposing about marrying a Shadowhunter to a Downworlder as part of the new Accords. He doesn’t really have time for a pretty Shadowhunter who’s surprisingly kind to warlock children, either, but, well, he’s always been good at multitasking.

Alec always knew he couldn’t have what he wanted, but he’s spent the nearly four years since the newly-appointed Consul recalled his parents to Idris without explanation making the best of what he can have. When life suddenly offers up almost everything Alec actually wants on a silver platter, he can’t quite bring himself to trust it, especially when it comes with a million caveats and a side of impending disaster. But he knows how to handle disasters, even if the return of the Circle on top of Clave secrets that could destroy the Accords is way beyond the disasters he’s used to fielding. Hope, on the other hand? He doesn’t know what to do with that.

This fic was created for the @malecdiscordserver Mini Bang 2020.

Chapter Seven

It took longer than Magnus would have liked to convince Ragnor to talk to the Shadowhunters. In the end, he had to point out that Ragnor would get to meet Alec (and then presumably tease Magnus mercilessly for the fact that he was still engaged) before he agreed. Still, the several trips Magnus had taken to London to cajole his friend were a great distraction from the wedding planning he and Alec had been trying to do via text, since they were both too busy with other things to meet in person.

One of those other things, in Magnus’s case, being tracking the missing warlocks. With Clary’s vision about the Circle having Dorothea, Magnus had begun to wonder if perhaps the Circle were responsible for the other warlock disappearances, as well. It was hard to know if the MO for Dot’s disappearance were the same, since it was unclear where she’d been taken, exactly, and the Circle had an obvious and clear reason for taking her when they didn’t for the other missing warlocks.

Just like with the other missing warlocks, Magnus could no longer feel Dot’s magic. Which meant that either his friend was dead, or the Circle had found some way of blocking her magic. It was a possibility Magnus had considered with the other missing warlocks, since no bodies had been found, but given that the Circle was involved, it was entirely possible that there were no bodies because those who committed the murders were keeping body parts as trophies. It wouldn’t have been the first time Magnus had seen it happen.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Ragnor complained as they stepped out of a portal in front of the New York Institute. “Do you know how long it’s been since I last set foot in a Shadowhunter Institute? Decades at least. Maybe a century. And now I’m mixed up in Shadowhunter business again, and it’s all because I let you talk me into it.”

“You’re mixed up in Shadowhunter business again because you agreed to brew a potion for Jocelyn Fairchild,” Magnus pointed out. “That was going to come back to bite you in the ass someday with or without my help.”

“I suppose,” Ragnor said with a philosophical shrug. “But she did offer to pay me a great deal of money, and the specifics she wanted for the potion were quite interesting, not something just any warlock could pull off.”

“Ah, so she appealed to your vanity,” Magnus said. “No wonder you couldn’t turn down the job.”

“You’re one to talk about vanity,” Ragnor said. “Do you remember that time in Sicily when—”

“Yes,” Magnus cut him off. “Far more clearly than I want to. Thank you for the reminder. I do not need a play-by-play.”

The one downside to having friends who had known you as long as Ragnor had was that they tended to remember your most embarrassing moments, not to mention bring them up with alarming frequency.

Alexander and Isabelle met the two of them in the entry of the Institute. Magnus hadn’t seen Alec in person since they’d summoned the memory demon, and he was troubled to see that Alec looked even more tired now than he had after the summoning. Magnus wondered if he’d managed to get a single full night of sleep since then.

“Alexander, Isabelle,” Magnus said, “I’d like you to meet my dear friend Ragnor Fell.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Alec said, holding out a hand.

Ragnor shook it, saying, “Indeed. Magnus has told me a great deal about you.”

“You make that sound so ominous,” Izzy said, offering her own hand. “Maybe you and I can swap stories sometime. I can tell you embarrassing things about my brother and you can tell me embarrassing things about Magnus, and we can use them for leverage later.”

Ragnor beamed. “That is quite an offer. You and I should talk.” He leaned toward Magnus and said in a stage whisper, “I think I might get along with this one.”

“Thank you for coming,” Alec said, interrupting Ragnor and Izzy’s plotting. “Clary’s with Jace in the ops center. Still no leads on the Cup or on ways to track Jocelyn, but you said you might have something?”

“I believe so,” Ragnor said, following Alec and Izzy toward the ops center. “The potion I made for Jocelyn is intended to put someone in magically-induced stasis until the spell is removed. I suggested I also make a potion to counteract the one she requested, so she could reverse the effects herself if necessary, but she told me that it was safer not to have something like that on hand and that she or Dorothea would contact me if they ever needed to reverse the effects of the potion.”

“So, you know how to wake my mom up?” asked Clary, who had caught the end of Ragnor’s explanation.

“If Jocelyn is under the effects of the potion I created for her, then yes,” Ragnor said. “Although I never made the counter-potion, as per Jocelyn’s request, I did figure out how it could be done so that I would be able to create it if she ever had the need.”

“That’s great,” Jace said, “but we still need to find Jocelyn and rescue her before we can wake her up.”

“We might be able to help with that, too,” Magnus said.

“Every potion has a magical signature,” Ragnor explained. “A combination of the ingredients used in the potion and the magic provided by the warlock who created it. Most of the time, this isn’t terribly useful, since few potions are truly unique and those of us with enough skill in potion making to actually track a potion's signature tend to brew a great many of them.”

“But the potion Ragnor made for Jocelyn is unique,” Magnus chimed in. “Not only has he never made it before or since, but he developed the formula himself.”

“Which means,” Ragnor said, “that I should be able to track any person who has drunk the potion.”

“We already tried tracking,” Jace said, shaking his head. “It doesn’t work. Wherever the Circle is holding Jocelyn, she’s not trackable.”

“Ah, but this isn’t tracking in the technical sense,” Ragnor said. “When you track, you follow the energy signature of the person you’re tracking. In this case, it’s more of finding the resonance of my own energy signature within another person. You can’t block someone from finding the resonance of their own magic the same way you can block someone from tracking another person’s energy.”

Jace stared at him. “I literally have no idea what you just said.”

“But you’re saying you can find my mother,” Clary said. “Right?”

“With time and some effort, yes,” Ragnor said, “as long as she remains under the potion’s influence.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Clary demanded. “In my vision, they were trying to wake Mom. If they succeed, then we’ll lose our best chance of finding her.”

“What we’re waiting for, Biscuit, is to have an actual plan,” Magnus explained gently. “Finding Jocelyn in this way will take a lot of energy, and as a result, it isn’t something that can be repeated quickly. If the Circle isn't keeping Jocelyn in one place—and they’d be stupid to with as many people as are trying to find the Cup—then we don’t want to try to pinpoint Jocelyn’s location until we have a plan for rescuing her.”

“If rescuing her is even our top priority,” Alec said. “We need to find the Mortal Cup before the Circle does. Jocelyn is one way to do that and keeping the Circle from torturing the information out of her is important, but it would be even better if we could find the Cup ourselves.”

“How can you say that?” Clary demanded, turning on Alec. “We can’t just leave my mother with those people. Who knows what they’ll do to her? And if she knows the location of your Cup, then rescuing her is our best chance of finding it.”

“I don’t think Alexander is suggesting we leave Jocelyn in the Circle’s hands,” Magnus said. “Just that a rescue is dangerous, and if we fail, we might only make things worse, so we should pursue other avenues of finding the Cup at the same time we work on finding a way to rescue your mother.”

“Exactly,” Alec said.

“Biscuit,” Magnus continued, “can you tell me more about this vision you had of your mother? If we can recreate the circumstances, it might give us the information we need to plan a rescue.”

“There wasn’t much,” Clary said. “Just Mom, asleep and surrounded by a sort of greenish glow. Dot was there, but she didn’t look right. Something about her face was off, but it’s all fuzzy, like a dream. And then there was the man. He was standing over my mom, talking to her, but I can’t remember what he was saying. Or maybe I couldn't hear? And then, he turned to look straight at me. I think he knew I was watching.” She shrugged helplessly. “And then I woke up.”

“What can you tell us about the man?” Ragnor asked. “He could be important.”

Magnus looked at him. “You think he could be Valentine?” It was something he’d wondered since Clary had first mentioned a man in her vision, given Jocelyn’s fear that her husband was still alive.

“I think it’s a distinct possibility,” Ragnor said. “Given what we know about Jocelyn’s disappearance and Clarissa’s parentage.”

“I don’t remember much,” Clary admitted. “I didn’t even see his face until right at the end, just the back of his head. He’s taller than Dot, I remember that.”

“This is getting us nowhere,” Alec interjected.

Magnus gave him a sharp look. “Biscuit, do you have any idea what triggered the vision?”

Clary chewed her lip, looking nervous.

“It’s all right,” Jace told her. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.”

“I think it might have to do with my necklace,” Clary said finally. “When Mom gave it to me, she told me that if I needed her, I should hold it and think of her, and when I woke up from the dream, I’m pretty sure I was holding it.”

“You were,” Izzy told her. “It caught my attention, which is why I didn’t manage to move out of the way before you smacked into me.”

“Right,” Clary said, with a nervous smile. “Did I ever apologize for that?”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Izzy said, waving her off. “You can’t help what you do when you’re asleep, and anyway, I should have been paying better attention.”

“Biscuit, may I see your necklace?” Magnus asked.

Clary nodded, pulling the cord over her head and handing it to him.

Magnus could feel the pulse of the deep purple crystal in his hand, a very familiar sort of magic.

“This is a portal shard,” he announced. “These are rare, and this one doesn’t feel...right, exactly. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think it was from another world, but I can’t imagine where Jocelyn would have gotten her hands on such a thing.”

“Another world?” Clary asked, startled.

“There are many worlds, Biscuit,” Magnus answered distractedly, still wrapped up in examining the portal shard. “Some similar to ours, some quite different. It’s possible for some to travel between them.”

“Travel between the worlds is usually a seelie thing,” Izzy explained. “I don’t know much about it—they’re very secretive—but I’ve overheard some things.”

“It’s possible,” Magnus said slowly, “that if Jocelyn holds another shard of the same portal, the two can act as a sort of viewing portal between Clary and Jocelyn.”

“So I really did see my mother,” Clary said.

“Hold on,” Jace said. “If there are two of these things, and it goes both ways, does that mean that Valentine could be using the other shard to spy on Clary?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Magnus said. “But this shard is tied to Clary. I can’t use it on my own, for example. I expect the other shard is similarly tied to Jocelyn.”

“But a powerful enough warlock might be able to change that,” Ragnor said, “and we know that Valentine has Dorothea.”

Magnus shook his head. “Dot couldn’t do it. There are very few warlocks who could, alone. It would require both immense power and a comprehensive working knowledge of portals.”

“So, you’re saying that you’re the only one who could do it,” Ragnor said, grinning. “What was that you were saying earlier about vanity?”

“I did not ask for commentary,” Magnus said, scowling at his friend. He turned back to the Shadowhunters. “I think it might be best if I held onto this for the time being. I can keep it from being used to spy on us, and Clary and I can work together to do some reconnaissance of Jocelyn’s whereabouts using the portal shard.”

“What if Mom wakes up and needs to get a hold of me?” Clary asked. “Shouldn’t I have the portal shard then?”

“If Jocelyn wakes up while she’s still in the Circle’s custody, we don’t want her contacting you,” Alec said bluntly. “If that happens, the Circle is going to be using everything in their power to get Jocelyn to reveal the location of the Cup, and that includes you. It’s too risky.”

He turned to Magnus. “Are you sure it’s safe for you to keep it?”

Magnus gave him a soft smile. “I appreciate the concern, Alexander, but I won’t be in any danger. I intend to keep this highly warded when we aren’t using it.”

“As long as you’re sure it’s safe,” Alec said. “We could keep it here at the Institute, in a locked vault where there wouldn’t be anything for the Circle to spy on even if they did figure out a way to use it.”

“I appreciate the offer, but it’s entirely unnecessary. And I’d like to take a closer look at the portal shard before Clary starts actively working with it, anyway. The better we know how it works, the better our chances of using it to find the information we need.”

“All right,” Alec agreed. “In the meantime, we’ll keep looking for the Mortal Cup.” He looked at Clary. “If you remember anything at all—”

“I’ll tell you immediately,” Clary finished in a manner that made it clear they’d had this exchange many times already.

“While Magnus is working with the shard, I’ll start gathering the things I need to track Jocelyn’s potion,” Ragnor said. “As well as the ingredients for the counter-potion, as I assume we’ll want to wake her once we’ve rescued her.”

“We can do that together,” Magnus said quickly, ignoring Ragnor’s look of surprise. “If we were able to figure out you were the one who made the potion for Jocelyn, then Valentine could, as well, especially if Dorothea knew.” He ignored the stab of pain at the thought of Dot being tortured at the hands of the Circle, and continued, “You could be a target.”

“I’ve managed to keep myself alive this long, old friend,” Ragnor said dismissively. “I don’t think you need to worry about me.”

Need to or not, Magnus did. With warlocks missing and the Circle taking Dot, it was hard not to be protective of his friends.

“Have you found out anything else about the other missing warlocks?” Izzy asked, following his train of thought.

Magnus shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve shared what little I found with Alexander, and he’s returned the favor, but even between the two of us, there’s just been very little to find.”

“I want to take another look at the Clave files on the missing warlocks,” Alec said. “This time with Dot included. If the other warlocks were taken by the Circle, maybe we’ll find a common thread by including her that we missed before.”

“That’s a good thought,” Magnus said. “I’m hoping that perhaps if Clary can use the portal shard to see Jocelyn’s surroundings, she might be able to find out if the Circle is keeping any of the other missing warlocks there. I know it’s a long shot, but she saw Dot before, so there’s a chance the Circle is keeping warlocks close by, whatever they might be using them for.”

“And if the Circle is keeping the other missing warlocks in the same location they’re keeping Jocelyn and Dot,” Ragnor said, “we might be able to include them in our rescue plan. Depending on how Valentine has them restrained.”

Magnus nodded. “That was my thought, too. If we’re very lucky, we might be able to rescue more than just Jocelyn and Dot.”

“All right,” Alec said, “we’ve all got our assignments. Izzy, I’ll meet you in my office in a few minutes to go over those warlock files. Jace, can you take Clary through some more training with a blade? Her defense is still shaky, and if we’re mounting a rescue, it needs to be solid.”

“You got it,” Jace said, holding out a hand for Clary. She took it and followed him out of the ops center.

“Magnus,” Alec said, softer now. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He glanced at Ragnor. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Fell.”

“Not at all, Mr. Lightwood,” Ragnor said, eyes dancing with amusement at the formality. “I actually haven’t had much chance to visit the New York Institute, and I was hoping to get a better look at some of the architecture. I can meet you outside when you’re done,” he told Magnus.

“I won’t be long,” Magnus promised. He managed to refrain from telling Ragnor to be careful, but just barely. Obviously, the man wasn’t going to be abducted right outside an Institute full of Shadowhunters, well within range of their security cameras. Just from where he was standing, Magnus could see half the perimeter of the Institute on the screens that lined the room.

Magnus let Alec pull him into an empty corridor just off the ops room. It wasn’t entirely private, but it wasn’t exactly public either.

“I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing,” Alec told him. “You look tired.”

Magnus chuckled. “Exactly what every man wants to hear from his intended. No,” he held up a hand as Alec opened his mouth, presumably to apologize, “I’m joking, Alexander. I am tired. Between the Circle and trying to track down missing warlocks, not to mention wedding planning, I haven’t had much time to myself lately.”

Alec watched him cautiously. “Well, I apologize for my part in that, for what it’s worth. If there’s anything I can do—”

“If you think you look less tired than I feel, you clearly haven’t stopped to look in a mirror lately,” Magnus told him.

“Oh, so it’s okay for you to comment on my looks, but not for me to comment on yours?” Alec teased.

“You may feel free to comment on my looks as often as you like, providing you limit yourself to compliments.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Alec said drily. “At least you won’t have to worry about the wedding in a few days,” he added hesitantly.

“I suppose I won’t,” Magnus agreed with forced lightness. “I don’t suppose you’ve reconsidered your position on the matter?”

“I’ve reconsidered it a hundred times,” Alec admitted, sagging against the nearest wall, “but I keep coming to the same decision.” He caught Magnus’s eyes, held them in that way only he could. “But I don’t want to force you into anything. If you don’t want to marry me, then just say so.”

Magnus sighed. “You make it sound so easy. Like that wouldn’t cause a million other problems.” He smiled then, despite himself. “I suppose that means we’re getting married in two days.”

Alec relaxed then, for the first time since Magnus had arrived at the Institute. “I suppose we are. At least we’ll have each other to lean on if arguments during the rehearsal tomorrow get too heated.”

“Don’t remind me,” Magnus said. “I genuinely can’t think of anything worse than the prospect of spending an afternoon with a bunch of Clave and Downworld leaders arguing over my wedding.”

“Tell me about it,” Alec agreed. “But, really, you’re all right?” he asked, returning to the original topic of conversation.

“I’m fine, Alexander,” Magnus assured him, and it was almost true. Just knowing that Alec worried about him helped ease some of his stress. “I promise I’ll get some rest after the wedding. And after we find the Mortal Cup and rescue Dorothea and Jocelyn Fairchild,” he added. “And find the other missing warlocks and defeat the Circle.”

“So, you’re not planning to sleep this year, is what you’re saying,” Alec said with a chuckle.

“It feels like that,” Magnus agreed.

Magnus found Ragnor examining the series of flying buttresses on the east side of the Institute.

“Is there something special about these particular buttresses?” Magnus asked. “Or is this just your weird obsession with the things again.”

“They’re slightly uneven on this side,” Ragnor said. “They shouldn’t be, especially since this is a new world building and so can’t be more than a couple centuries old. Sloppy, really.”

“I’m sure the Clave would be happy to receive your critique on their building,” Magnus said drily.

“Just because you’re feeling tetchy doesn’t mean you need to belittle my hobbies,” Ragnor told him. “You’ve been brooding all day. Tell me what’s wrong. Is this about Dorothea?”

“That’s part of it,” Magnus admitted. “And just, everything.” He looked up, trying to find the unevenness in the flying buttresses, but couldn’t. He clearly didn’t have the kind of eye for architecture Ragnor did.

“I’m getting married,” Magnus said finally.

“Oh, are you?” Ragnor asked in mock surprise. “I hadn’t heard.”

“No, I mean I’m actually getting married,” Magnus said. “To Alexander. In two days.”

“There’s still time to get out of it,” Ragnor told him. “I know you. You’ve gotten yourself out of more dire situations with far less time to spare.”

“But I’m not going to,” Magnus said. “Not this time.”

“Ah,” Ragnor said, and really, that summed it up quite nicely didn’t it?

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Magnus admitted. “With any of this. I’m used to being at my best in the middle of a disaster, and here I find myself in the middle of multiple disasters piled on top of each other, and I feel completely off my game.”

Ragnor made a thoughtful noise, then said, “Well I can think of one solution to that.”

“What’s that?” Magnus asked warily.

“Obviously, what you need is a party,” Ragnor said, as though it were a silly thing for Magnus to even ask. “They always cheer you up.”

Magnus frowned. “I’m not sure this is the best time for—”

“No,” Ragnor interrupted. “No arguments. I’m throwing you a bachelor party, and that’s the end of it.”

“A bachelor party? Ragnor, I’m getting married in two days."”

“Then I’ll have to plan quickly,” Ragnor said. “Since I don’t have time to find another venue, we’ll have to use Pandemonium. And I can get Cat to help me send out invitations. She’s so much better at remembering who might currently hate you than I am.”

“I’m really not sure a bachelor party is the best idea,” Magnus said, unconvinced.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not planning it then,” Ragnor told him. “Now, come on. I’ve got too much to do to waste time staring at buttresses all day.”

“That,” Alec said, dropping into the softest chair in his office, “was an actual nightmare.”

“I don’t know,” Magnus said leaning against the closest bookshelf, “at least we managed to keep that seelie knight from coming to blows with your mother over the symbology of flower arrangements.”

Alec looked up at him. He suspected Magnus chose leaning over sitting because the leather pants he was wearing were too tight for sitting to be comfortable. Not that Alec had spent the entirety of their wedding rehearsal trying not to stare or anything.

“Considering how I feel about my mother right now, I’m not sure that goes into the plus column,” Alec said.

“I’m pretty sure having a fight break out at your wedding rehearsal is some sort of terrible omen,” Magnus told him. “It seems like it should be an omen.”

“If we really want to talk about luck,” Alec said, “I think the biggest win here is that I didn’t hit anyone.”

Magnus laughed, head tilted back in a way that emphasized the open neckline of his shirt and the several necklaces that drew attention to his well-defined chest. Now that they weren’t surrounded by dignitaries and his entire family, Alec decided it was okay for him to stare just a little.

“You can see why I had my reservations about a marriage as a means of solidifying the Accords now, though,” Magnus said. “What with the fact that we had to prevent at least three murders just at the rehearsal.”

“That I can understand,” Alec said. “Obviously, not all the dignitaries are going to get along. That’s why the Clave and the Downworld took time to select their representatives so carefully, to avoid that kind of thing between the two people actually getting married. I spent hours talking to Consul Penhallow and the rest of the Council before they chose me. I’m sure you must have gone through a similar vetting process.” He allowed himself a small smile. “And they came up with the two of us, which tells me the selection process was pretty good. I never imagined I’d get matched with someone I get along with as well as I do with you.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Magnus said, staring at something on the bookshelf, although what he could find interesting in a shelf full of books on the history of the Clave’s legal system, Alec couldn’t imagine.

“I have to admit, when I first heard about this idea, I certainly never imagined that I would be marrying someone like you.”

“What did you imagine?” Alec couldn’t help asking. He’d wondered before, of course, but he’d never been brave enough to ask.

“An unmitigated disaster involving people who were not me,” Magnus said with an exhausted smile. “I guess that just goes to show that my imagination can’t be trusted to predict the future.”

“You’re not alone in that,” Alec agreed. Which was a shame, because his imagination was giving him some very lovely ideas about Magnus’s leather-clad thighs just at the moment.

It took Alec a few seconds to realize that Magnus had said something, and he’d missed it entirely. “Sorry, what? My mind was wandering.”

“I can’t blame you after the afternoon we’ve both just had,” Magnus said, but there was a certain sharpness in his smile that made Alec wonder if Magnus suspected exactly where his mind had wandered.

“I was just asking what you had imagined,” Magnus said. “You told me a bit about why you volunteered to be a part of this marriage and you did mention that I wasn’t what you expected, but I’m curious about how exactly I defy your expectations.”

“I imagined a stranger,” Alec told him, deciding honesty was the best way to go. If this marriage was going to work, if there were any possibility that there could be more between the two of them than politics and the beginnings of friendship they already had, then he had to be as honest as possible. “And someone who believed that this union could be a genuine bridge of peace between the Clave and the Downworld. I imagined someone who had as little chance of marrying for love as I did. Someone who wouldn’t care if I could never love her.”

“That’s...quite sad, actually,” Magnus said. “I can understand giving up on love. Obviously, since I did for so long. But to assume you were always destined for a loveless marriage is just... I don’t know.” He smiled wanly. “But perhaps that’s why I’ve never been married, despite living as long as I have.”

“What, never?” Alec asked, surprised.

Magnus shook his head. “Don’t sound so shocked. I know what the Clave thinks of me, but I’m not the sort of man who just gets married on a whim.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Alec said. “It’s just, I haven’t known you long, but I’ve seen you with your friends and with orphan children you barely know and... You have so much love to give, Magnus. I’m just surprised that you’ve never found someone to share your life with.”

“Wait until you know me a little longer, Alexander,” Magnus said, and there was no mistaking the hint of bitterness and hurt under his smile. Alec wanted to find the people who put it there and punch every single one of them in the face. “I’m sure the reason why will become clear to you.”

Alec shook his head. “I don't think so.”

“But weren't we just discussing how none of this has gone the way you imagined?” Magnus countered.

“Yeah, but that's different,” Alec said. “You aren't at all what I imagined because you're more than I could have hoped for in every way.” He felt ridiculous even saying it out loud. Magnus had to know that already.

“Here I was thinking the same thing about you,” Magnus said. This smile, though small, was entirely genuine, and Alec didn't know what to do with it.

“Things will be different after tomorrow,” Magnus said.

“Some will,” Alec agreed. “But we'll still have all of the same problems to face that we do today. Well, minus the wedding planning, but I'm sure there will be disputes between Shadowhunters and Downworlders that will replace them.”

“Do you really think people will come to us with disputes?” Magnus asked in surprise.

“You don't?” Alec said. “I mean, they're supposed to already, with you being High Warlock and me as Head of the Institute. This is the kind of thing that should be falling on our plates already.”

“But it doesn't, for the most part,” Magnus pointed out. “And there's a reason for that. Downworlders don't trust Shadowhunters, and vice versa. Our marriage isn't going to change that.”

“Not immediately, no,” Alec agreed, “but we can work toward building that trust. Now that I'm officially Head of the Institute, I can even be more open about it. I have so many ideas— But those are problems for after the wedding.”

“I look forward to hearing them,” Magnus said. “But you're right. Let's just focus on getting through the wedding for now.”

Alec rose to set the stack of papers he'd be holding from the rehearsal on the desk. “This is all so surreal,” he said. “It's hard to believe that a day from now, we’ll be married.”

“Not just for us, either,” Magnus said. “I'm pretty sure half the Downworlders planning to attend are doing so just because they'd never believe I married a Shadowhunter unless they saw it with their own eyes.”

Alec grinned at him, leaning back against the desk. “I think it's probably the same for a lot of the Clave. And I think a few are coming just so they can be properly offended.”

“Now that gives me something to really look forward to,” Magnus said. “Offending uptight Shadowhunters is practically a hobby. Do you think they’re more offended that you're marrying a man or a warlock? I want to make sure I cause the maximum amount of offense with my existence.”

“I'm sure there are plenty of people who will be offended by both,” Alec assured him. He shook his head. “I can't believe the first time I ever kiss another man, it's going to be in front of half the Clave.”

Magnus went very still in that way that Alec was coming to realize meant he was genuinely surprised.

“But,” Magnus said slowly, “you've kissed women before.” It wasn't a question, although it really should have been.

“I've never had much interest in kissing women,” Alec told him. It was the closest he'd ever gotten to saying the words out loud, even if Izzy had guessed years ago.

“Alexander,” Magnus’s face was serious as he stepped away from the bookcase and into Alec's personal space, “we don't have to do this. There's still time to call off the wedding. I'm willing to take the blame. I can make up an excuse the Spiral Council will believe, and I'm sure the Clave would be more than happy to blame me. You don't have to do this.”

Alec felt like his insides were folding in on themselves. He'd known Magnus had reservations about their marriage. Magnus had been open about it from the beginning. But he'd never thought this was what would make Magnus decide to back out.

“My inexperience bothers you that much?” Alec managed to force out through the tightness that threatened to close his throat entirely. He realized in that moment just how invested he’d let himself become. In this marriage. In Magnus. Because right now he didn't care what any of this meant for the Accords or the future of the Shadow World. He only cared that Magnus didn't want him.

“It bothers me that you're willing to give up so much for the sake of the Clave,” Magnus said. “Alexander, look at me.”

When Alec didn't move, Magnus cupped Alec's jaw in his palm and tilted his face up to meet his eyes.

“I'm sorry,” Alec said, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice, “that I'm not what you expected when you agreed to this marriage. I should've told you sooner, but I didn't think—”

“You are exactly what I expected,” Magnus told him fiercely, “and everything I wanted when I volunteered.” And Alec didn't know how that could possibly be true, but there was no mistaking the absolute sincerity in Magnus's eyes.

“But you deserve better than to give away your first kiss as part of some political spectacle,” Magnus continued. “You’re so ready to give yourself away, for the Clave, for your ideals, for your family. But, Alexander, you deserve to keep some things for yourself.”

It was so close to what Izzy had said to him, but now, with Magnus's hand on his cheek and standing at close in those sinful leather pants, Alec could finally admit what he wanted for himself.

“Okay,” Alec breathed.

“Okay?”

Alec nodded, then leaned forward. He moved slowly, giving Magnus plenty of time to move away if he wanted to, and he saw the instant Magnus realized his intention, Magnus's eyes fluttering closed and lips parting.

Alec let his own eyes fall shut, one hand coming to rest on Magnus's waist as their lips brushed softly. It should have been awkward. Alec was acting entirely on instinct, and he was pretty sure kissing required actual skill, but Magnus's mouth moved against his own in perfect rhythm, like they'd done this a thousand times.

After a few seconds, Alec allowed himself to get bolder, deepening the kiss and flicking his tongue out to trace Magnus's lower lip. Magnus made a noise of approval, and Alec pulled him closer, reveling in the hard planes of Magnus's body against his, the heat of Magnus's skin through the silk beneath his thumb, the curve of Magnus's leather-clad hip beneath his fingers.

It wasn't until Alec realized he'd backed Magnus up against his desk and was about ten seconds from begging to find out if it was possible to remove those leather pants with his teeth that he broke the kiss. They stared at each other for a long moment, both breathing heavily, Alec’s hand curled into the silk of Magnus's shirt, Magnus's fingers tangled in Alec's hair.

“If you kiss me like that tomorrow,” Magnus said breathlessly, “I think we can offend a number of people.”

Alec shook his head. “That’s not for other people.”

Magnus grinned, disentangling his fingers from Alec’s hair and trailing them down his shoulder. “Well, I’m sure we can find another way to properly offend them.”

“I have faith in us,” Alec said with mock solemnity, causing Magnus to chuckle.

“As much as I hate to go,” Magnus said, moving back a step, “Ragnor will kill me if I miss my own bachelor party, and I’m already running late due to the necessity of not killing anyone during the rehearsal. Will you walk me out?”

Alec nodded. “A bachelor party?” he asked as they moved toward the front of the Institute. He supposed that would explain the leather pants. “Aren’t those more of a mundane thing?”

“Parties,” Magnus told him, “are a Downworlder thing. Surely you must have read that in all of those Clave files.”

“Sure,” Alec said, “but I’ve learned those aren’t always trustworthy when it comes to Downworlders. I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he added with mock sincerity, “but the Clave has a few prejudices when it comes to Downworlders.”

“That’s certainly news to me,” Magnus said.

Although he didn’t need to, Alec followed Magnus outside. He didn’t feel quite right saying goodbye with guards standing around listening.

“Have fun at your party,” he said, not quite sure what else to say, or where they even stood after that kiss.

“Oh, I intend to,” Magnus told him. Then he paused, giving Alec a considering look. “Would you like to join me?”

“At your bachelor party? Aren’t those traditionally supposed to be spent away from the person you’re marrying?”

Magnus smiled at him fondly. “I don’t think anything about our marriage could really be called traditional, do you?”

“I guess not.”

Magnus held out a hand. “What do you say?”

Alec stared at the offered hand a long moment. He should stay and make sure everything was ready for the wedding tomorrow, finish going over those patrol reports he hadn’t gotten to before the rehearsal, maybe even do some patrolling himself to clear his mind.

But.

With a shy smile, he took Magnus’s hand. The Institute would be fine without him for a few hours.

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #fanfic

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bytheangell · 5 years ago

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This Is the Coda That Never Ends... Part 15

(Read on AO3) (Read from the start)

This is not at all how Magnus pictured the rest of his night going.

“Great, she wants them back! So, what now?” Simon asks, clapping his hands together in anticipation.

Standing beside him Magnus hears Alec mutter “I’m going to kill him,” under his breath while his hands clench at his sides.

Magnus wonders if Simon truly understands what he’s just done, even if he didn’t exactly dissuade the idea himself.

Magnus meets Clary’s gaze and sees the same girl who came to him to get her memories back just a little over a year ago, fierce and determined, and gives her a small nod. Honestly, he didn’t really expect any other answer from her once the offer was on the table.

“Alexander…” Magnus starts, chancing a glance over at his husband to see the thinly veiled frustration and annoyance there, wondering how much of it is directed at him. “Can we talk privately for a minute?”

Alec actually looks like he might tell him no for a second before his expression softens ever so slightly.

Magnus offers a quick half-smile, half-grimace to the group. “Pardon us. Just going to steal my darling husband for a moment, we won’t be long.”

By the time he’s done speaking Alec is already halfway across the room so Magnus follows Alec out of the front door Simon left open, shutting it behind them.

“What were you thinking, Magnus? You know the whole point of this is to keep her from remembering too much, and now you’re just offering to throw her memories back at her like it’s nothing?” Alec is, rightfully, feeling a little betrayed by Magnus siding with Simon, he can tell. He certainly doesn’t blame him.

“She’s getting her other memories back, Alec. All on her own. But the ones we took from her? SImon’s right, she’ll never have them again unless we get them back. She didn’t choose to give those up, we did that.” Magnus reminds him.

“I know,” Alec admits. “But this wasn’t the plan. I should’ve known better than to let Simon get too close to this…”

“Don’t be too hard on him, Alexander. He only wants his friend back,” Magnus points out. “Tell me you wouldn’t have ruined any plan to do the same for Jace if it were him?”

Alec opens his mouth, hesitates, and closes it again. “That doesn’t make it right,” Alec says finally. “He knew exactly what he was doing. Both of you did. We could’ve talked it over first, but now…”

“Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” Magnus says, and there’s a hint of a question behind the words, asking for a bit of forgiveness of his own. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t look her in the eyes and lie about this. She never wanted the truth hidden from her, not even as a child; Clary fought it every time Jocelyn brought her to me, you know.”

Sometimes Magnus thinks that Alec forgets his history with Clary and her family, with Jocelyn and Luke and Valentine. He watched her grow up, he shaped her childhood by taking those memories and experiences away from her at her mother’s request - Clary’s more than just someone who wandered into his life a year ago.

“Good to know she’s been nothing but trouble her entire life, and not just since Jace bumped into her outside Pandemonium,” Alec says with a roll of his eyes.

Alec is tense. Magnus knows how much he hates things being out of his control. Clary’s memories returning, Simon not blindly following his instructions the way they know Izzy, Jace, and Underhill would (hell, even Magnus was determined to play along for now before Simon broke ranks first), he can sense his husband silently panicking the more variables slip out of his control.

“If we lied to her about this she’d never trust us again. We can’t help her if she won’t come to us. What if she tried to go to the police? What if she ended up turning to someone who’d take advantage of her to help? We’re her best shot,” Magnus points out, standing by the decision he made in the moment.

“I wish I never knew about any of this,” Alec says finally. “If she just got her memories back, and came to us afterward… but you know I can’t let this happen without telling the Clave now. They’re going to want to track her, to monitor everything she does, everywhere she goes. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by not getting involved but she just had to ruin it by showing up at the Institute, didn’t she?”

Magnus knows things haven’t been easy for Alec this past year. Even before he was Head of the Institute, covering for his siblings, for their involvement with Clary from the start, has always been something that left him uncertain. It only got worse as Head of the Institute, and then Consul. ‘The Law is the Law’ holds a lot more weight when you are the Law, but just the fact that Alec’s here, now, shows he’s still willing to follow his heart over the rules, and that’s part of the reason Magnus has grown to love him over the years.

“You could’ve ignored Izzy’s calls,” Magnus points out. “Or said something to the Clave the moment she told you what happened with Jace. You didn’t have to come here today. I didn’t have to buy her art, or offer the loft as a place to take her, or show up tonight when Simon called me. We both know you care too much to just ignore her while this happens, Alec.”

Alec sighs again, but this time the frustration is with himself. “Yeah, well, it’d be a hell of a lot easier if I could.”

Magnus smiles softly and reaches out to place a hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Last I checked, the man I fell in love with never took the easy way out of anything.” He leans in for a kiss, a short, chaste press of lips that has the tension melting out of Alec’s shoulders and arms immediately as he leans into it.

“How about you go do whatever Shadowhunter things you need to do about this, maybe give Luke a heads-up on the ‘returning Clary’s memories of him’ development? Clary didn’t seem to react negatively to seeing me again, so I’ll stay and take care of things here.” Magnus suggests, the words coming slower and with more weight than a casual offer to ‘babysit’ the others. He doesn’t outright say what taking care of things here entails but the way Alec’s eyes narrow shows that his ever-intuitive husband suspects the implications.

“Magnus-” Alec starts, but Magnus shakes his head.

“Just let me take care of this,” Magnus repeats, cutting him off. He doesn’t want Alec to be entirely in the dark - this isn’t the sort of thing he wants to do behind his back. But he wants Alec to have all the plausible deniability in the world in case there’s fallout. He is, after all, the Consul. “We’ll be fine. I promise. I’ll meet you back home.”

“If anything goes wrong-”

“Nothing will, but if it does you’ll be the first person I call. Now go,” Magnus says, giving Alec one last kiss goodbye before making a shoo-ing motion with his hands. Alec hesitates and Magnus wonders if he’ll let this happen without him, but then Alec nods, turning and waiting expectantly for the portal Magnus opens for him back to Alicante before returning inside to the others.

“Where’s Alec?” Izzy asks immediately.

“Alexander had some business to attend to,” Magnus says candidly. “And so do we. Lorenzo, we’re going to need a few things from your workroom.”

Lorenzo considers Magnus for a moment, shooting a questioning glance Clary’s way which earns him a small nod of confirmation from Magnus.

“I suppose dinner can wait, then,” Lorenzo says, waving his hand back towards the kitchen and sending a flow of yellow magic that direction. “Which one is it?” He asks.

“Valak,” Magnus informs him.

“Of course it is. Surprised he even took them after the last time,” Lorenzo comments casually before turning and vanishing down a side hallway.

“What’s going on?” Clary asks, whipping her head back and forth between the two warlocks so fast she may very well give herself whiplash.

“Nothing is going on,” Izzy states, glaring at Magnus and crossing her arms. “Because we are not doing this behind my brother’s back. No way!”

Magnus moves closer to her so he can lower his voice in response. “Isabelle, your brother left me behind to take care of things here,” he explains, hoping she’ll catch his drift without him implicating Alec in more than he should out loud. The more everyone believes this is him acting on his own, the better. “If you’d like to join him, just say the word. We’ll be fine here if you need to go finish some reports.”

He’s giving her the same out he gave Alexander - if she’d rather keep her nose clean of this, go back to the Institute now and claim she had no knowledge of his immediate plans, he wouldn’t blame her. Studying her reaction he knows her answer before she even opens her mouth again: her expression shifts from that immediate stubborn flash of anger to concern the moment she looks over at Simon and Clary who are talking quietly amongst themselves.

She doesn’t want to leave them. He doesn’t blame her for that, either.

“I’ll stay,” she settles.

“Alright then,” Magnus confirms with a nod, placing a hand on her arm and giving it a light squeeze, a small act of reassurance.

“I don’t suppose there’s any hope this is being relocated elsewhere?” Lorenzo asks upon his return.

“Only if you’re kicking us out,” Magnus states. “It would be the most convenient, however - the warding against anything going wrong is already the strongest in the city, outside the Institute but we’re hardly going there.”

“What could go wrong? Magnus, what are you doing?” Clary asks, still confused.

“Exactly what you wanted, Clarissa,” he says, slipping back into the name she told them to use back at his loft. This is about to become much more stressful for all of them, so the most at ease he can keep her with small considerations like that, the better. “We’re getting your memories back. Well, some of them, like Simon said.”

Clary eyes the supplies in Lorenzo’s arms warily. “And it’s dangerous magic?”

The group shares a look, each one silently asking the others who is going to be the one to break it to Clary that they’re about to summon a demon and hope she doesn’t freak out

“Your memories were given to a memory demon. It’s the safest way to guard them, after all, anything else can be broken or tampered or lost forever. We just have to summon him and get them back,” Lorenzo explains matter-of-factly.

“A what?” Clary replies.

“It’s a very simple summoning. He’ll demand something in return, probably a memory from each of us because he’s terribly dull and predictable, and then you’ll get yours back and we’ll be on our way,” Magnus elaborates.

“No way. Magic is one thing but I’ve seen enough horror movies to know you don’t mess around with summoning demons. I know you said you weren’t some creepy cult but all the signs are stating otherwise right about now.” There’s a panicked edge to Clary’s words and Magnus wonders if, after everything, she simply might not be ready to enter back into the Shadow World.

“What happened to ‘whatever it takes’?” SImon points out.

“Well… yeah, but…” Clary falters, and none of the others push her. They all wait, silent, for her to make her own decision now. “Alright, I guess. I’ll try it.”

“Wonderful!” Magnus exclaims, already moving to push the sofas aside to make space when Lorenzo stops him.

“Oh no you don’t, Bane. You can stay here but we are not summoning anything in my living room. We’re going to the basement where there won’t be any collateral damage done to my Van Gough if things get dicey.”

There’s another moment then where Magnus is half-convinced Clary isn’t going to willingly go with them before she turns and follows Simon and Isabelle, with Magnus bringing up the rear down a set of spiralled stairs and into a mostly empty stone-floored room of Lorenzo’s basement. “This will be perfect. Clarissa, be a dear? Take that black chalk and draw a pentagram on the floor large enough for us to stand around, then go over it with this,” Magnus instructs, taking a glass jar of black sand and handing it to her.

“And I need to make sure everyone here is willing to do their part. The demon will play on any break in concentration, any lack of sincerity in agreeing to whatever his price is. He may only ask me for something, he may ask all of us, but our resolve has to remain strong until the end.” Magnus looks around the group, getting nods and “yes”s from each individual, ending with Clary as she connects the final line within the circle and steps back.

“I’m ready,” she says.

“Everyone take a spot at a point,” Magnus instructs.

Izzy glances down at the simple pentagram on the ground. “Wasn’t the last one much more… elaborate?” She questions.

Magnus thinks back for a moment before giving a slightly surprised chuckle. “Yes, it was. I’m afraid that was a bit of… misdirection on my part. I just needed to buy some time for something before we got started.”

“But all you did was talk to Alec--” Izzy starts before her words trail off into a knowing grin. “Of course you did.” Izzy glances around the circle again. “Don’t you want us to hold hands this time?” Izabelle asks, a sly smirk on her face. “Or is that only a requirement when Alec is around, too?”

At least Magnus has the decency to look a little guilty at being caught, even a full year later. “I plead the fifth.”

“Magnus!” Izzy laughs, shaking her head.

“Can you blame me? Your brother didn’t exactly make things easy for me, I had to take the opportunities as they presented themselves.” Magnus can only shrug at the admission.

“Are you two done discussing Magnus’ horrid courting attempts? In case you forgot, we have a demon to summon, and believe it or not I do have other things to be doing than this,” Lorenzo says.

“Yes. Of course,” Magnus clears his throat. “If everyone’s ready, let’s begin.”

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #clary fray #shadowhunters #isabelle lightwood #simon lewis #lorenzo rey #a short one this week because my family is up until tomorrow so my writing time was suuuuper limited #but it gets posted early because IDK when I'll be around tonight so at least there's that!#join us next week for SUMMONINGS and MEMORY DEMONS!#elle writes a few deadbeat lines #long post

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ketzwrites · 6 years ago

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Rewatch 106: Of Men and Angels

Not a lot of action in this episode aside from the blue flashbacks, but it is still a good one. The focus is on the family dynamics and I dig it.

Teaser

lol Magnus asks what happened to Luke and neither Simon nor Clary gives him the right answer. Luke challenged the alpha. He wasn’t “attacked” and we can see that he needs a warlock’s healing magic. Good thing Magnus arrives at the right conclusion on his own.

I don’t understand if Luke’s hallucination is a figment of his imagination or if it is a magical link to Jocelyn. All I got was that they are dressed as their younger Circle Member selves.

Act One

Sure, the Seelies want to be on the winning side, but this argument doesn’t work when the “winning side” wants them all dead. Also, Maryse was such a bitch.

Clary feeling guilty for doubting Luke is a great moment. So is Magnus hijacking Luke’s healing process to ask for Alec to come and see him. Smooth.

Alec thinks Maryse is on edge, Izzy thinks she’s acting as she usually does. We know Maryse is worried because the Lightwoods might lose the Institute. Supposedly, Alec is right but it’s interesting that Izzy doesn’t perceive a difference in treatment: it speaks a lot to her relationship with Maryse. Same thing with how Robert is affectionate with Izzy but goes straight to business with Alec. These parents clearly have favorites.

This suit and shirt make Max look like the rich kid that thinks he’s better than the other kids at the playground. I know kid-actors aren’t usually great, but this is the wrong fit for Max even physically speaking. Emeraude and Matthew look like siblings and they look like they could’ve been Nicola and Paulino’s children. Blonde, round-faced Jack Fulton? Not so much.

Jace changing “virgin” to “powerful” is hilarious to me.

The issue between Alec and Jace is quite interesting. On one hand, Jace is arguably breaking the rules to do the right thing: he’s helping Clary to get her mother back, he’s interfering in Downworlder business to save Luke’s life. However, Jace has and is able to get away with rogue behavior: in a few episodes we will see Maryse saying that Jace’s methods might be unconventional, but he gets things done. Alec is in a different position. He doesn’t get a pass; in fact, his superiors (who are also his parents) expect and order him to follow the rules. And it is only because Alec follows the rules and bears that responsibility that Jace (and Izzy) get to be the wild younger children. Jace deciding to go rogue is one thing, Alec deciding to go rogue is another.

I really like the uncle/niece dynamic between Magnus and Clary. He praises her a little too much, as previously discussed, but I guess Clary is one of the few people Magnus watched grow up. I’ll resign myself to him doting on her a little.

This macho-dispute between Jace and Simon is making me roll my eyes. You both fancy Clary, get over it. Luke is literally dying, so if you care about her, hurry up and help save Clary’s father-figure.

Simon pseudo-defends Alec while arguing with Jace and that makes me wonder how a friendship between Simon and Alec could’ve been had they bonded even a little in the last episode. That said, Jace freaks out again when Simons rubs salt on the wound: Jace and Alec’s friendship is strained and Jace loses it.

Act Two

I still love this scene between Alec and Maryse so much.

Honestly, the whole dynamic between Magnus and Clary is great. But the still “Bring it, Warlock” ruins it. Clary is about to learn how her beloved mother was a founding member of a blood supremacy group that preyed on warlocks like Magnus. Had Clary realize how racist she sounded and apologized by the end of the explanation, it would’ve been one thing. As is, the line is as tone-deaf as they come.

Kat looks nothing like the actress playing young Jocelyn. That’s a casting mistake because people literally take Clary for Jocelyn when they first see her. They should’ve chosen an actress that resembled Kat or let Kat herself play the part.

And now we get a parallel scene with Izzy and Robert. I dig the Lightwood family so freaking much.

The Clave is doubting the Lightwood command of the New York Institute because of the unauthorized missions Alec sanctioned. Which started after the Clave’s orders to keep Clary in the Institute back in 102. Let’s count those rogue missions, shall we? 1. searching for Dot at Pandemonium; 2. going to the City of Bones; 3. attacking the DuMort; 4. (arguably) meeting with Magnus Bane; 5. searching for J.C.’s box at the Fray’s loft. That’s about five missions (the Magnus Bane one might have been authorized since Hodge knew about it) that Alec sanctioned without the Clave’s approval in the span of about four days. No wonder the Lightwoods are losing the command of the Institute.

Act Three

Okay, Magnus. Sure, if it wasn’t for Jocelyn and Luke, Valentine would’ve taken the Mortal Cup. But if it wasn’t for them, the Circle wouldn’t exist either. One thing doesn’t cancel the other. They have Downworlder blood in their hands and Clary is right to be upset.

Alec’s motivation to go and help Magnus is reaching his breaking point. He’s about to lose the last thing he had, his private life. At this point, he doesn’t care anymore what the consequences of his disobedience will be. He already lost it all.

OMG JACE AND SIMON STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN THE STUFF MAGNUS NEEDS. IT’S BEEN HALF AN EPISODE. THIS IS PISSING ME OFF.

Act Four

Sorry for the outburst. Anyway, how convenient are Simon’s hallucinations? Always when he’s alone.

Gay Love saved Luke.

It’s interesting how medieval the Shadowhunter culture is. More interesting still is how Izzy didn’t seem to understand that until now. She behaved like the wild child her whole life without realizing there would be consequences? Unfair consequences, but still. I guess Izzy is smart, but not wise.

Some Alec and Clary bonding. Noice. Another superficial making up for the Parabatais. Not so noice. I wonder why Alec doesn’t tell Jace about his impending marriage. Still, Jace is so emotionally dysfunctional he can’t even bring himself to articulate an apology to Simon for putting a blade to his neck, so the young men in this show aren’t exactly great communicators among themselves.

Maryse is so close to telling Izzy about her past in the Circle. Well, of course, she won’t, but she does tell Izzy about how she was wrong for thinking that she could “change the world by breaking the rules.” Only, Maryse’s rule-breaking meant killing innocents. Izzy’s rule-breaking means self-expression and sexual autonomy. There is an important distinction to be made there.

Wait. Is Luke implying that experimenting with Downworlder blood is what turned Valentine into a monster?

Act Five

Oh, yes. It’s the blood injections that made Valentine mad. Not his ideologies, not his jealousy, not his twisted principles. The Downworlder blood. This is bullshit.

I want to point out that Luke (and presumably Jocelyn) were still going on rogue missions to kill Downworlders with Valentine up until when Valentine set Luke up and left him to die. It’s important to me to point this out.

Act Six

While Izzy represses herself into the box her mother wants her in, Alec has that drink he postponed with Magnus. I dig this parallel a lot.

At the risk of losing my Malec card: Magnus’ iconic “you’ve unlocked something in me” line comes out of nowhere. He saw Alec twice: one time for a second or two, and another when they exchanged a few sentences and then Magnus proceeded to hit on Alec hard to little-to-none reaction from Alec. Then they talked on the phone. At this point, Magnus could, at most, feel attracted to Alec. Saying that Alec’s mere presence made Magnus think he’s ready for a serious relationship again is a little hard to believe. I prefer the “breakfast” 218 scene where both Alec and Magnus trust each other against their “better” judgment but also don’t want anyone to know they were nice to a shadowhunter/downworlder. There, I said it. Please don’t kick me out of the fandom. I still love them.

Luke is a little bit exalted, isn’t he? Kind of yelling. That’s a weird direction for the character.

Clary’s power of turning things into drawings was inherited from Jocelyn; they are not due to her pure angel blood. I need to remember that.

#ketz rewatches shadowhunters #sh 106 #sh meta

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hiddlesgirl · 6 years ago

Text

SH 318: The Beast Within

I loved this episode; packed with emotion, family and hard decisions. It was a little bit choppy and there was a lot going on but this is understandable because they are getting things in place for the 3B finale (319/320); episodes 8 or 9 are usually a bit packed for this reason. A theme of family runs thought this episodes; Maryse and Magnus bonding; Luke supporting Clary; Becky and Simon; Alec leaning on Izzy; and Clary chooses her brother. The last Malec scene absolutely destroyed me and I literally screamed at the screen when the credits started rolling.

Magnus says that he has slept for 15 hours, this is not just because he had been drinking but also that he probably hasn’t been sleeping well again and just how much he needed to let out all that negative emotion. When you bottle things up finally having that outburst is such a relief and a strain lifts from your body, it also shows that keeping it bottled was a huge task because once he let go he was absolutely exhausted.

I like that Alec really wanted them to discuss what happened and what Magnus said, he is concerned about him and wants to talk about Magnus’ feelings. He needs to have this discussion while Magnus is sober so that he can support him; he is worried about Magnus’ mental health and just how much he is suffering. I hate that it was interrupted by Jace because they were about to have a vital discussion but I understand that for story terms that couldn’t happen so that Alec does what he does later.

I wish that we had seen more of how Magnus was coping and his side of the storyline because a lot of it has been from Alec’s side and how it has impacted their relationship; it would have been nice to have a scene between Magnus and Catarina talking about how Magnus is feeling.

I like that Alec suggests Magnus go help Maryse, not only will it serve as a distraction and help Magnus feel like he is helping someone but then he can talk to Maryse who has experienced something similar. We, and Magnus, know that Alec is hiding something about this meeting he has and while we know just how bad it is I don’t think Magnus thinks too much of it (which is why in his upset later it doesn’t cross his mind to think about Alec’s weird, evasive behaviour).

The scene between Alec and Asmodeus is fantastic; Jack Yang is amazing as Asmodeus and I want to cry when I think about his potential as the main Season 4 villain. I think that their interaction was done perfectly; Asmodeus is disapproving of Alec because he makes Magnus human, he views love as weakness and that Alec is preventing Magnus from reaching the potential he sees for him. Asmodeus has always wanted Magnus by his side, to mould him to his image and to give into dark urges.

He plays on all of Alec’s fears and insecurities by saying that Magnus will come to resent him and that he is the reason for his suffering; Alec already blames himself because Magnus gave up his magic for him and to hear someone else say it just deepens that guilt.

Asmodeus chose their relationship as a price because he knows how vulnerable Magnus is right now and that Alec leaving him will break him, he wants Magnus in this emotionally vulnerable state in order to manipulate him. To present himself as Magnus’ saviour by giving him his magic back because the person he gave it up for abandoned him. I’m not sure how Magnus getting his magic back is going to play out and how Asmodeus is going to come into it, but I am pretty sure that he is going to make the most out of this in order to bring Magnus to his side.

When Izzy tells them that the serum should break the twinning rune you can see that Clary has started to move more towards being sympathetic to Jonathan when she asks what it will do to him. The past couple of episodes you have seen her starting to let doubt creep in and challenge her perception of Jonathan, whether this is just because of the rune or because of their familial connection I don’t know, personally I think it is a bit of both. I like that they have done this gradually, it would not have worked effectively if they had done it too quickly.

Luke is back to support his daughter, I think this also might be our first Clary and Luke hug of 3B is which is ridiculous; we really should have seen their initial reunion after they rescued her from Jonathan. I really love their bond and so many of their scenes are brilliant and beautiful, they have been such a rock for each other after Jocelyn’s death and a source of continuous support and love.

Jonathan continues to try to manipulate Clary by calling her ‘little sister’, no one calls their sibling that, so my only explanation is that he is using it in an attempt to provoke positive emotions in her and use their familial connection to manipulate her. The serum doesn’t work but it’s not really a surprise that one vial of serum created in bulk from one shard of Glorious couldn’t break an ancient demonic bond.

While we have had a lot of scenes between Clary and Jonathan we haven’t seen much of him on his own and what his true intentions are. We know that he desperately wants the Morningstar sword, most likely to open a rift into Hell but why? He hated Edom so why would he want to bring Edom to Earth? I am just still so confused as to where his story is headed, I know that mystery is a part of it but with two episodes of 3B left where is this going and how rushed is it going to be?

I love seeing Alec being confident as the Head of the Institute, he has worked his entire life for this position and to see him finally get it was amazing. Also, we have seen him gain self confidence as the seasons have progressed and to see him stand in front of his peers with such a confident and powerful stance was awesome. But I think they need to research bees a bit more because killing a queen bee definitely does not kill her offspring; I get why they used that analogy but it came off as a little ridiculous because that’s not how bees work at all.

I liked the moment between Alec and Jace, Alec is obviously extremely conflicted about what to do about Asmodeus’ offer and wants Jace’s opinion because Jace is also in love. He is constantly weighing up his options and the pros and cons of the situation, getting an outside perspective might help him. Jace answers that he couldn’t leave Clary because although it’s selfish he couldn’t live without her, Alec understands this emotion and this scene gives you some hope that Alec is going to decline the offer.

Clary is getting closer to the dark edge and it is happening quicker each time; she starts an argument with Izzy about Jonathan not being a monster. She states that Jonathan was abandoned and tortured, he’s a victim; while this is true, and warrants sympathy and understanding, it does not absolve him of his crimes.

I have seen a bit of talk on Twitter about Jonathan, and some people calling him a misunderstood victim who isn’t accountable for his actions. I know that I discussed in my previous review about the complexity if his nature and how that was influenced, that he is not innately evil and had things gone different he may have been a different, better person. But that does not mean I don’t think he’s a monster for lack of better word; he manipulated Izzy to gain access to the Institute, he used his position for his own gains, he attacked a child (most likely in an attempt to kill him), he sided with Valentine when it suited him, he has killed an unknown amount of people, he unleashed Lilith, tried to kill several of our favourite characters and is very emotionally manipulative towards Clary. That’s just what I can think of off the top of my head. Was he abused? Yes. Has he suffered? Yes. But these things do not excuse his actions and behaviour, it has shaped him and can help us understand why he is this way but it does not justify or nullify the atrocities he has committed.

I really like the scene between Magnus and Maryse, he opens up to her about his struggle to adjust to his new life; he knows that she understands what he is going through which is why he feels comfortable talking about these insecurities with her. You can see the he admires and respects her for rebuilding her life, that she has been able to make a new life for herself after being cast out of her community.

Maryse confides in him about her and Luke’s more than friendship, you can see that she is happy and relieved to finally tell someone and talk to them. She knows that she can trust Magnus to not tell anyone until she is ready. It is a really nice bonding moment for both of them, showing their newfound trust in each other and the beginnings of a great friendship.

I love to hate the Seelie Queen, she is one the most dangerous and conniving characters on the show, but she is charismatic, charming and ruthless. I have to laugh when she cannot help taking a dig at Lilith for her ‘small’ apartment; it’s a bit petty so is unexpected from someone who carries herself with so much dignity and maturity.

We find out that it is the Seelie Nymph, Lanaia, who has been hanging around with Jonathan who is responsible for the demons; that it was a ploy to pull them away from the Institute and leave Jonathan unprotected. The Queen is determined to have her revenge on way or the other, and she will get it no matter the consequences even if it means Clary dies too.

Izzy can see that something is wrong with Alec and won’t let him deflect, reminding him to be honest with the people who care about him; you can see him give into her and it shows just how much stress he is under that he gives in so easily. It also shows his growth because in the first season he would never have opened up this much about his personal problems and would have suffered in silence instead.

He tells her everything, from the planned proposal to the offer from Asmodeus; Izzy is distressed that he is seriously considering a deal with a Prince of Hell, she knows how dangerous and cunning greater demons can be. She continuously tries to remind him that Magnus gave up his powers willingly and that he wouldn’t want to lose Alec; she knows that Magnus loves Alec so much and that he wouldn’t want to sacrifice their relationship if given the choice, she knows that their relationship means everything to him.

Alec voices his doubts and his guilt about the situation, Magnus sacrificed everything so that Alec could feel whole and he wants to take the opportunity to do the same for him; he feels responsible and he has a need to fix what he views as what he broke. His insecurities come out as well as he talks about not being the first or last person Magnus has loved; ever since he found Magnus’ mementoes he has been scared of just being one of many for Magnus, Magnus is the only person for him and he is scared that he doesn’t mean the same to Magnus. He doubts his importance to Magnus, even doubting that Magnus loves Alec as much as he loves Magnus; this is also because of the insecurities that began when he was a child of never being enough, he believes that he is not enough. We all know this is not the case, Magnus loves Alec more than anyone but we understand where Alec’s insecurities come from.

Izzy asks if he will recover from the break up, she knows that Alec loves Magnus with everything he is and that Shadowhunters only ever have one great love of their lives and Magnus is it for Alec. She also knows how emotionally vulnerable Alec can be and that losing Magnus is going to destroy him; she is scared for him and that he is going to close himself off again.

I love Becky and Simon’s relationship, she is worried about him because she and their mum moved to Florida; this makes sense that their mum would need a fresh start after falling off the sobriety wagon and thinking that Simon had died. Becky worries that Simon has a support network around him because she is so far away, she wants to make sure that he has people who care about and take care of him when she can’t.

It is nice to hear that Elaine is getting better and Simon is happy but you can see the pain on his face that he cannot be part of her life, that in order for her to get better he had to erase himself. Becky reassures him that he did the right thing because Elaine would have coped with the Shadow World; I think that this is some conciliation but nothing is going to soften the blow of essentially losing his mum.

My heart aches for Magnus when he says that he is going to stop drinking because of his breakdown in front of Alec, he knows that getting drunk is not going to help and wants to deal with his issues in a healthier way; plus he doesn’t want to burden or hurt Alec while he is drunk.

Maryse shows him understanding, she knows how it feels to lose your identity and wants to let Magnus know that how he is feeling and reacting is natural; that there is no right way to react. Magnus expresses his feelings of helplessness and not wanting to be a burden, all his life he has been the one that others lean on and been independent, he is not used to asking for help and being the vulnerable one.

Maryse reassures him that he isn’t a burden and that Alec just wants to help because he loves him, that leaning on someone and taking their support isn’t being a burden on them. She wants to help him understand that he can let Alec be there for him, to share his struggles with him and that Alec would welcome it.

I break when Magnus says that he doesn’t know what he would do without Alec because we know what is coming; through losing everything Alec has been there for him, to support and love him. Alec is his rock. Maryse tells him that he has a larger support network than he thought because he is part of their family and they are all there to help him, they want to help him; I am nearly crying because of the development in Maryse and her relationship with Magnus. To come from calling him ‘warlock’ and ‘downworlder’ to calling him ‘family’; you can see how much it means to Magnus that she accepts him and considers her a part of her family.

Seeing Maryse’s scenes with Magnus you wish that Alec had thought to speak to her before going to Asmodeus to get her perspective, to understand what Magnus is going through right now and that one emotional drunken breakdown does not mean he is completely unhappy. That to make such a huge decision, without Magnus input, based on an emotional low is not a good idea and that they need to have an in-depth conversation about Magnus’ feelings first. Alec is always desperate to ‘fix’ the people he cares about which sometimes leads him into making rash and unwise decisions.

After witnessing Simon and Izzy interacting Becky sees the spark between them, she confronts Simon about it because she knows that deep down he is a romantic and he is very people orientated. I love her line about being friends hasn’t stopped him from developing romantic feelings before. I hurt a little when he says that he isn’t Izzy’s type and that she wouldn’t see him that way, he is still insecure and not very self confident; he doesn’t believe that someone as amazing as Izzy would be interested in him.

Becky is insistent that there is something between them; she is not going to let him let this slip through his fingers because she wants him to be happy and can see that potential with Izzy. I hope that we get to see some more of Becky.

I admit that I jumped when the demon dropped from the ceiling; Clary gets thrown through a wall and passes out. I really liked the dream sequence. I thought the wings were not only clever in showing the two sides of her, dark and light, but also that Jonathan and Jace are visual representations of that. Also, the wings themselves look beautiful; the entire scene, the lighting, the snow, was so visually stunning.

The queen demon is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen; I love seeing Alec being a badass archer, and using five arrows at once is awesome. I liked seeing the Parabatai fighting together again, even if it was only for a moment.

I don’t really have much to say about the Jordan and Maia scenes, mostly because I don’t like them but I have done all my ranting already. I am a bit frustrated with the storyline because she seems to have forgiven him much too quickly, he came back into her life about two weeks ago and now she is ready to forgive him for everything he did? I’m not saying that at his core he isn’t a good person but he treated her really badly; he started taking out his emotions on her which cause her to break up with him; he then, unable to accept the break up, stalked her for an undetermined amount of time but it must have been at least a couple of weeks because he saw her out on a date; then unable to control his jealousy he turned and attacked her; realising what he had done he abandoned her to deal with it by herself instead of staying, apologising and helping her.

Her saying that she can see he has changed also didn’t makes sense because he has shown he is still a coward, he was going to leave Simon alone after seeing Maia again without a word; he was going to just leave without giving Maia an explanation about their past until she confronted him; he still has anger issues, he attacked the leader of the New York vampire clan which led to the slaughter of Maia’s pack; he was going to abandon the Praetor without a word because he messed up. None of this behaviour shows that he has changed, if he had done some anger management and had approached Maia in order to give her closure then maybe it could have been plausible.

I just think that her forgiveness of him has been rushed; if it had been paced better, his behaviour reflected growth and change then I may have felt differently and would have accepted them being able to become friends. I can understand Maia forgiving Jordan so that she could let go of the resentment and move past it for herself, but this whole situation has been very Jordan centred and sympathetic; and I really do not want it to move into romantic territory (but from the 319 promo it looks like it will and my gut reaction is that I really dislike it).

I really like the Sizzy moment, I think that their development has been paced right; you could see them growing closer and starting to see each other in a different light. It hasn’t moved too quickly and I have enjoyed the growth of it, I was scared at the beginning of 3B that it was going to be rushed into and I am happily surprised.

I admit that I was shocked when Clary hit Jace around the head with a metal pipe because it was just so brutal, but I have to say that I am excited for dark Clary but also slightly disappointed that it looks like we aren’t going to see much of her.

Is everyone ready for the angst and pain that is the final Malec scene? No? Me neither?

Magnus seems to be more at ease and relaxed after his time with Maryse and I love that he starts giving Alec a shoulder massage, giving us another little insight into their domestic routine. My heart starts breaking when Alec says he needs a break because Magnus thinks he means a holiday, he is so completely unprepared for what is about to happen because this situation has never crossed his mind. He never thought that Alec would leave him, especially with everything Alec said after his health scare.

You can see that Alec is trying to keep his emotions in check and is avoiding eye contact so that he can get through this; he knows that if he allows himself to become too emotional or sees Magnus become upset then his resolve will start to crumble. He is reminding himself every second that no matter how much this is hurting he is doing it for Magnus, for Magnus’ happiness.

Realising that Magnus cannot wave away this argument he opens up and admits that he is in pain right now, that he is suffering but he doesn’t understand how breaking up will fix it; he doesn’t understand why Alec is doing this. Alec is his rock, the thing that is keeping him from completely falling apart and he cannot accept that Alec doesn’t want to be with him.

Alec’s ‘There’s no fixing this’ is so honest, while Magnus thinks it is about their relationship we know that Alec is talking about the broader situation; he wants to help Magnus get his magic back but to do that he has to end their relationship; there is no fix that will end with them together and Magnus having his powers. Alec starts to break when reminding Magnus that he said there was nothing Alec could do to make it better; Alec is so used to ‘fixing’ issues that it is killing him that he can’t fix this.

Magnus tells him that it isn’t his job to make it better; he knows that nothing is going to help him right now but just Alec being there is what he needs. He doesn’t need Alec to fix him, he just needs Alec to love him and keep loving him even though he doesn’t quite love himself right now.

Alec’s ‘What am I supposed to do? Watch you suffer for the rest of our lives?’ hurts so much because Alec sees his future with Magnus so completely, and he cannot bear to have Magnus suffer through it; he wants them both to be happy. He cannot stand by and do nothing while Magnus is suffering.

Magnus is confused because he knows that Alec is not a selfish person but this appears like a selfish decision, to cut himself off from Magnus so that he doesn’t have to watch his suffering; Magnus is so blindsided by the entire conversation. Especially because Alec told him that he couldn’t lose him just a couple of days ago, he cannot believe that Alec’s feelings have changed in such a short time but is scared that they have.

Alec’s line ‘I didn’t know that the spark inside you, the one I fell in love with, was out for good’ is so completely painful because it is using Magnus’ insecurities against him. He knows that Magnus thinks his spark is his magic, so in saying this he is trying to inflict pain to cut the argument short, trying to finish the deed as quickly as possible.

My heart breaks for Magnus because he believes that everything amazing about him came from his magic and to hear the man he loves confirm that is destroying; it’s going to reinforce his insecurities and feelings of worthlessness without magic.

Magnus stops Alec from leaving by pulling him towards him and crowding into his space, standing on his tip toes so that he can press their foreheads together getting as much physical contact as possible. It is such as desperate and fear fuelled action that is breaks my heart, he is physically trying to keep Alec with him because he cannot bear to be without him. He has lost so much and he cannot bear to lose Alec too, Alec is the last good thing in his life right now and to lose him would absolutely destroy him.

The little details of intimacy in the scene makes it hurt even more; Magnus being on his tip toes because Alec didn’t lean down; him stroking the nape of Alec’s neck; the little desperate kiss; nuzzling Alec’s face when he doesn’t respond; the two following kisses that increase in desperation and the way Magnus keeps a firm hold of Alec’s face while he mutters ‘Stay with me. Okay. Come on. Stay with me.’ I am full on crying at this point because Magnus is so vulnerable, scared and desperate in this moment.

When Alec begins to pulls back he has to pull Magnus hands away by his wrists, and I am pretty sure that you can see Magnus’ fingers trembling and that really stabs my heart because shaking is such an uncontrollable bodily response to fear. Alec’s whispers ‘I can’t. I’m sorry’ before leaving, all the while avoiding eye contact because he knows that he cannot bear to see the pain in Magnus’ eyes right now because he would never leave.

What crushes my soul is the timing of the editing, the song stops as the door of the bookshop closes, emphasising the feeling of emptiness, sadness and loneliness that Magnus is feeling right now. Plus the way they shot it, with Magnus off centre of the frame implies that there should be another character in the frame, but there isn’t.

Asmodeus manipulates the warlock into bringing him to Earth and then he kills her, remarking ‘my son needs me’. It is chilling because Jack is so amazing and Asmodeus is such an interesting character but you know that his intentions with Magnus are anything but good.

Also, I noticed a parallel between Alec and Asmodeus; we get a shot that is almost identical from both of them, the shadow of Alec when he is entering the warlock’s shop and the shadow of Asmodeus as he leaves it. I thought that this was really interesting because it symbolises Alec walking out of Magnus’ life and Asmodeus walking into it; but also that Alec was the doorway for Asmodeus to get into Magnus’ life. I may be reading too much into it but I thought it was fantastic imagery.

This was a great episode that excited me and broke my heart.

In 319, I am so ready for dark Clary and Team Evil; Alec is going to be hurting; and Magnus wants his memories of Alec erased! Brother Zachariah is going to be our Malec saviour in refusing to erase his memories and I am excited to learn more about his and Magnus’ friendship.

#Shadowhunters Review #The Beast Within #Shadowhunters #SH 318 #SH 3x18 #SH 318 Review #Shadowhunters 318 #SH 3x18 Review #SH318 #SH3x18 #Shadowhunters 3x18

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jcmorgenstern · 7 years ago

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please rant about the second half of COLS and COHF

this ask opened pandora’s box, consume at your own peril

Basically…my biggest problems with the second half of COLS and COHF as a whole is really just…Jonathan as a character really, truly, utterly, and absolutely makes no sense on a very fundamental level. Like I really don’t say this lightly, I spent almost all of last summer trying to piece together a coherent characterization and eventually came to the conclusion that…there wasn’t one, at least that I could see.

(Readmore for length, heavy criticism of the work (obviously), and mention of canonical attempted rape).

So before I jump right in to providing evidence for that uhh slightly bold claim, I do want to acknowledge that Jonathan in COG totally makes sense, even if certain uhh incestuous aspects of his character do make my eyes roll back into my skull. To me, it always seemed a bit evident that the series was meant to end at COG, and the second half of the trilogy was sort of an ad hoc thing that happened after the series kept building popularity and there was demand from the fandom (and the publisher) for content. If taken alone, Jonathan’s character in COG is relatively self-consistent, and I’ve posted before (also at length….lol) about how Jonathan’s character in COG alone is actually a bit tragic, and it’s not until COLS that he truly makes a villainous turn off a cliff. Though the incest is, from the start, #a bit much, we all know that that’s just how CC novels go and, to some extent, ya just gotta roll with it.

The first half of COLS continues to be pretty exciting from a Sebastian Enthusiast perspective–in fact, for me, it’s really what made me fall in love/hate with the character and his portrayal to begin with. And some of the character work in the first half of COLS is actually pretty good!! We have the moral ambiguity of the Jace/Seb bond, Clary being unable to tell to what degree Sebastian in lying, the slightly random, wild, and jumbled snips of his character coming through (vampire threesome, vampire fetish, wearing Jace’s cologne??, fashion whore, messy bitch, shitty poetry writer?? it’s all free real estate) and then he lays out what could have been such an interesting plot!!

All the mentions of the increasing number of demons coming through to Earth is finally being used after being mentioned ad nausea for three whole books!! We’re set up for an interesting, shades of grey antagonist who thinks the ends justify the means and that sometimes a Wee Murder is needed to end an unjust regime (the Clave) without realizing that removing the Clave violently without any real and just alternative will create a power vacuum that invites even worse outcomes!! And the protagonists have to navigate slightly more complex moral issues than “genocide is bad, really!!”

And then…er, no. Like, really no. The entire book does a complete 180 and says no, all that (questionable) character development was a complete lie, all the human motivations you could possibly ascribe to the villain are bunk, he just wants to destroy the world. And not only that, he tries to rape Clary and….yeah no. (I’ll talk more about that later…I have a lot to say).

And for me that was really a massive disappointment. Like, to be clear: it wasn’t that I wanted Jonathan to be a pure uwu soft boi who did nothing wrong ™, or that he would be anything other than an antagonist. But like….a) rape. no. and b) I did sort of want his motivations OR his goal to sort of make sense and follow any sort of reason but honestly…they don’t.

The rationale CC tries to offer is that Jonathan doesn’t understand the meaning of love and wants to bend the world to his will so that it will love him instead. And like….that works to an extent, but then she also very clumsily attempts to make him a psychopath and…

Look.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while you know my feelings on poorly-written psychopath characters but…I’m gonna be real honest with ya here….a true psychopath is, with a very few fine exceptions like the entire population of high-security prisons, super fucking boring. They’re emotionally shallow, both internally and externally, and are usually driven by very grounded and unemotional goals. Winning a promotion. Attaining a position of power. Becoming a neurosurgeon. Having the best lawn in the zip code. “The psychopath next door” isn’t Hannibal Lecter, it’s your shitty boss or that one prick who calls the HOA on you for having your lawn one (1) millimeter over regulation.

And you know what? I’d take a story about Hannibal Lecter, lawn fascist. I’d maybe even take a story about Jonathan Morgenstern, shitty CEO, though honestly that sounds dangerously close to 50SOG so maybe not. Because if written well, the sensational serial-killer psychopath can be genuinely thrilling in fiction.

But honestly in this case?? It doesn’t work. Not even getting into the issue of “are signs and symptoms of psychopathy diagnostic in a child soldier” issue (pro tip: almost definitely not), why does he want to burn down the world? Why does he want to kill downworlders if he is basically one? How does he react to his father’s ideology? Does he even have a consistent ideology? Why doesn’t he stay at home playing Mario Kart?? If you can’t answer any of these questions, psychopath or no, anything he does is literally just not convincing and falls flat.

And now I’m going to segue into my “demon blood as a metaphor for child abuse” rant, which will hopefully segue into my “the demon army and ending of COHF is bullshit” rant, and maybe round it all up with my “you don’t have to have your villain graphically try to rape his sister to convince your audience of teenagers he’s a Bad Dude” rant.

So! Demon blood. So full disclosure, the scene in question is probably my actual favorite scene in COLS and the series at large, god knows why really, but it was actually pretty well-written as a hook for a thread that was totally dropped and never ever ever mentioned again. I’m talking about the scene where Jonathan asks Clary for a strength rune, and he tells her Valentine whipped him as a child with demon metal. His wounds will never heal, and serve as a reminder of the “perils of obedience” which is, quite possibly, the most chilling and interesting turn of phrase in the entire series.

And if you think about it, “wounds that will never heal but hurt constantly” are a pretty canny metaphor for the emotional abuse that shapes Jonathan and his ability (or lack thereof) to relate to others. Valentine never particularly loved or even cared for Jonathan, and used him as a child solider (drop me another ask if you want to know the rationale behind that one, kind of not a lot of space for that here) in his genocidal crusade, complete with brainwashing and pretty obvious physical and emotional abuse. That stays with him, twists the way he views love and truth, and leaves him with a permanently negative view of self and worldview that he doesn’t seem to put much effort into overcoming. To be clear: being abused doesn’t make you evil. But in the absence of love and support and positive role models to help you unlearn things, anger and pain can twist even good motives into bad actions, and lbr, Jonathan doesn’t have an over-abundance of good motives. The real peril of obedience is never questioning what you’re told.

But of course it’s never mentioned again, so like, fuck me or whatever.

The show does a better job of it, and almost directly links Jonathan being Like That to what Valentine, Jocelyn, and Lilith did to him and…does a pretty good job of not woobifying him or dismissing his pain. Him having demon blood is almost completely uncoupled from him being “evil” (or, more accurately, doing evil or cruel things) and is instead his responsibility. What makes him “incapable of love” is that he was never shown love, and what makes him violent and cruel is that he was only ever taught violence and cruelty.

But in the books demon blood is definitely intended a metaphor for psychopathy. “He had the humanity burned out of him because of his demon blood” “he’s incapable of love because of his demon blood”…you get the picture. But considering she honestly doesn’t really hit psychopathy and (to me) pings in more at ASPD (antisocial personality disorder, the DSM-V approved version of psychopathy, with some MAJOR and important differences in diagnostic criteria) or NPD (narcissistic personality disorder), I sort of…don’t like how demon blood is directly used as a metaphor for mental illness. And once the demon blood is gone…poof! so is his “evil” so uhh yall read between the lines with me on that one.

(If you want a rant on why I think book Jonathan fits better with ASPD or NPD than psychopathy, drop me an ask, but god please consider the consequences. Also, I generally don’t feel comfortable “”diagnosing”” villains for the hell of it, but in this case since the canon itself has already Gone There and I’d be operating mostly off the DSM, I’d feel slightly less shitty about it).

Anyway. So what I deeply, passionately, truly hate about COHF is the ending, when the demon blood is burned out of Poor Green-Eyed Jonathan and There Is Not Enough Good In Him So He McFucking Dies. What fucking enrages me about this is like…the ENTIRE series is about how “blood doesn’t equal morality” EXCEPT in the case of this one guy apparently because fuck him and fuck consistency!! Also on a slightly different tack it completely erases all culpability of him as a person and like….what, “the demon blood made me do it” is now a viable excuse?? what the fuck. no. what the fuck. also what does “not enough good in him” even MEAN in the context of someone who LITERALLY DESCENDED HIS MOTHER’S BIRTH CANAL THAT WAY oh my god its??? so fucking stupid and the philosophical implications ENRaGE me especially like.,,,as a geneticist….we kind of had a wee run-in with that kind of thinking….it was called “eugenics” you may have heard of it….G OD !!!

Also that doesn’t even get into the contradictory nature of Jonathan’s actual characterization (I use the term loosely) itself like…sometimes his dialogue reads almost like Jace’s, but by the end of COHF he literally quotes Jesus Christ (render unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s), says “FOOLS!!11!!1!” like….literally once a page, I think at some point dips into vaguely Shakespearean English while violently whiplashing into whatever “ ‘You’re insane,’ said Simon. ‘You’re dead,’ said Sebastian” is?? and is overall an editor’s literal worst nightmare. There is NOTHING driving this character other than pure, unrestrained literary chaos, and absolutely nothing he does or says seems to make a hell of a lot of sense and is designed purely #4 the evulz. It’s just so painfully cartoonish that it physically pains me to read it and yet, here I am, holding the physical (hardback) copy that I own, reading it, and physically shuddering jesus CHRIST

(You did uh, definitely ask for a rant, right?)

OH yeah uhh and to round it all off…the “you don’t have to have your villain graphically try to rape his sister to convince your audience of teenagers he’s a Bad Dude” rant:

Look my friends there’s nothing wrong with Clebastian but there is definitely something wrong with rape and lbr: there’s a lot of it written into this character and his relationship with his SISTER and fuckign thanks!! I absolutely hate it. Apparently, when asked why she chose to include the graphic attempted rape scene in COLS, CC apparently said she “wanted to make sure the audience knew he was beyond saving.”

Look.

When a guy builds a demon army to obliterate the world and everyone in it, I generally get bad vibes. Worse vibes, in fact, than from a guy who tried to rape his sister, though that’s pretty fuCKING bad. The point is, there is absolutely no fucking reason to do that. Seriously, there’s not. And when your entire NYT bestselling fanfic series is based on the incest fetish HP fanfiction, it’s?? proBABly not the best idea to like…include an attempted rape scene between two siblings in a work that already has a lot of UST between presumed or actual siblings because people WILL talk and.,,,can u blame them lol

On a more serious note…female protagonists are so often forced to undergo rape or sexual humiliation as part of a narrative (or worse, for titillation of the viewers–looking at you, GOT and also yeah lbr COLS). Even in the show, which has definitely improved on some weaknesses in the original narrative, Clary is nearly raped by a demon in order to awaken her rune powers. That’s disgusting, honestly, and unnecessary, and you know what? Luke Skywalker didn’t have to face a rape threat to get his powers, and neither should a female counterpart. The show didn’t even ADDRESS this later, or even bring it up at all, and that’s even more upsetting, and part of why I don’t have faith in the WR to bring the concept of a Jonathan-Clary bond in 3b to life in a way that doesn’t make me want to curl up into my epidermis like a chrysalis and never emerge again. (See also: Lilith’s unaddressed sexual assault of Jace, and Camille’s equally unaddressed assault of Simon).

And what bothers me almost more than all this is…it’s not like Jonathan’s creepiness is subtle. He constantly invades Clary’s personal space, makes comments she’s uncomfortable with, puts her in situations she doesn’t like. You could leave it there and I guarantee most of your readership (especially your female/female-aligned readers) will INSTANTLY pick up on the fact that this guy is Bad News and you know what?? Clary isn’t subjected to that bs for….the heck of it?? Not that subtlety is ever the strong point of this series but like…that’s a huge glaring issue and one I can never overlook, and why I’ve honestly chosen to basically Ignore Canon And Do Whatever The Fuck I Want.

In summary: Jonathan was basically shoed in as a) a half-assed foil to Jace and b) a plot device/fix and c) fodder for more incest after Jace and Clary were no longer brother and sister and tbh?? Not entirely here for it.

tldr: jonathan morgenstern is a dumb bitch and no one is valid, more at 9.

#i love a crispy boy #i CANNOT put ths in the tag there is way too much hate #anti tmi #anti cc #like honestly for safety but also bc i do sort of rip into it #YALL ASKED #obvs this is just my personal onion but y e a hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh #anyway!!!! i love how i said hiatus and post a like. 2.5k ask a few hours later #but thats them breaks folks #rape tw #rape mention

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malecsecretsanta · 7 years ago

Text

Merry Christmas, @nandawrites!

Read on AO3

***

Alicante Hall

“There must be some mistake,” Maryse Lightwood said, smiling her blandest smile. “I distinctly recall checking the box on the form to request a single room for Alec.”

“No, Mom, I changed that, remember?” Alec scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “Jace and I were going to room together.”

“Right now your friend Jace is probably having a very similar conversation with my would-be roomie,” Alec’s unexpected roommate said. “Which is probably why he’s not answering your text messages.”

“It’s no big deal, Mom,” Izzy piped up, smiling brightly. “With the freshmen all moving in this weekend, it’ll probably take a week or two for Student Housing to deal with the mixup. So why not let Magnus stay here with Alec for now, Jace can stay…wherever he wound up…and they can switch when the problem is fixed?”

Maryse’s fixed smile never so much as twitched. “But Alicante Hall is the academic dorm,” she said. “Surely, Marcus–”

“Magnus,” Alec muttered.

“–Magnus would be more comfortable among the art and music majors over in Edom Commons.”

Alec winced at his mother’s snobbery. Of course she would assume a guy wearing makeup with spiked, blue-streaked hair couldn’t possibly be what she’d consider ‘a serious student.’

Magnus gave them a smile as stiff and false as Maryse’s own. “Actually, I have a heavy course load this term. As much as I enjoyed Edom last year, I could use someplace quieter to study if I want to keep my shot at graduating summa cum laude.”

Alec clamped his lips together to keep from smirking. Well played, Magnus.

“Be that as it may, as I said before, I really think Alec should have a single–”

“Mom. No,” Alec said firmly. “I’m not going to spend my first year of college alone in my room like a hermit. I won’t neglect my studies, no matter who my roommate is, all right?”

“The boy’s right, Maryse,” Robert Lightwood said generously, clapping Alec on the shoulder in a way that made him want to wince again. “He’s not just here at Idris to study. There are a lot of important families whose children come here. He needs to be out there, making connections that will help him after he graduates. That’s probably even more important than his grades.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Maryse said, some of the tightness leaving her face. “Isn’t Senator Branwell’s eldest a junior here this year? She was lovely when they attended the symphony gala last winter…”

Thankfully, Izzy jumped in. “Hate to disappoint you, Mom, but I heard she’s marrying the heir to Monteverde Imports. Rumor is, their wedding present from his family is going to be their largest olive orchard in Spain.”

Magnus held up a hand. “As much as I’d love to gossip about where Lydia and John are going on their honeymoon, I’m still parked in the loading zone with a car full of computer gear. So, Alexander, are we okay with me crashing here until our little roomie mix-up has been handled?”

“Sure, Magnus, that sounds great.” Alec said quickly, before his mother could manufacture another argument against the idea. “Need help grabbing anything from your car?”

“I’ll manage, thanks. Though, if a feisty redhead happens to drop by looking for me, tell her I’ll call Housing first thing Monday and try to get this all worked out.” Magnus waved to them all and disappeared out into the hallway, where hundreds of other students were all shuttling their belongings from their cars to their rooms.

“‘Feisty redhead?’” Alec sighed. “Oh, no.”

Izzy smirked. “That settles it. Jace is lost to us forever.”

Maryse huffed. “Well, I intend to call the Dean of Student Affairs personally on Monday and–”

“I’ll call, Mom.” Alec met her eyes evenly. “Remember what we talked about? You need to back off. I’m an adult now. I can handle ironing out a housing snafu. Honestly, this isn’t a big deal. Even if it takes the whole first term, Magnus will probably end up being a less disruptive roommate than Jace anyway. You know how he gets.”

“Possibly. But I’d be careful if I were you, Alec.” His father’s brows drew down and he leaned in close. “As much as university is about making connections and building your network, you want to be careful to avoid the wrong sort of connections. Do you understand?”

“Sure, Dad. I hear you loud and clear.” Alec forced his lips up into some semblance of a smile. It was no useless to ask what Robert found objectionable about Magnus. His skin color? His hair and makeup? The jewelry that glittered at his hands, neck, and ears? His slightly outrageous sense of fashion? The fact that “Bane” wasn’t a name well-known in politics or somewhere near the top of the Fortune 500?

He resisted the urge to sigh. If pressed, Maryse would cop to disliking any or all of the above, though she would consider it uncouth to put it so bluntly. Alec wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than his father’s attempts at maintaining a facade of liberalism, cloaking his bigotry with vague insinuations.

“Good man.” Robert clapped him on the back again. “Now, your mother and I need to get to the alumni luncheon. You and your sister will be fine bringing the rest of your things up from the car?”

“We’ll be great, Dad,” Izzy promised, kissing their father’s cheek. Then she dropped down into the chair at Alec’s desk and kicked her legs out as she crossed them. “Alec will haul the boxes and I’ll supervise.”

Robert smiled indulgently. “Management material from the day you were born. We’ll check in with you later.”

Alec murmured goodbye and accepted his mother’s peck on the cheek, then let his shoulders drop and his head fall back the moment the door closed behind them. “Oh, thank God. They’re finally gone.”

“Ready to begin college, big brother?” Izzy asked, smiling fondly.

“Let’s just say I am beyond ready for a little less parenting in my life.”

“Well, then this is a great opportunity. Not only will you be out from under Mom and Dad’s thumb, but you won’t have to worry about parenting Jace.”

Alec frowned and scoffed. “I don’t parent Jace.”

“You really do,” she said bluntly. “But with him rooming elsewhere, you can stand down and just be a college kid.”

“This isn’t about me,” Alec protested. “I agreed to this for Jace’s sake.”

The door opened and Magnus shouldered his way inside with an armful of boxes. “Is the coast clear?”

Alec ignored the way just the sight of Magnus drove the breath from his lungs. It felt like when he’d been kicked in the chest by Izzy’s horse when he was twelve, but without the trip to the emergency room. “Yeah, they’re gone.”

“Excellent.” Magnus beamed and set down his computer equipment, then extended his hand. “Let’s do this for real, then. I’m Magnus. You must be Alexander.”

Alec found himself smiling widely as his face heated up. He couldn’t even say why he was grinning, except that the sight of Magnus’s saucy wink made his cheeks need to tug the corners up his mouth up in response

“Yeah. I’m, uh, Alec. Of course. Sorry about my parents. They can be, um. A little, er–challenging.”

“Pfft. That was nothing. I didn’t even get a sneer from your mother. I’m sure I can do better.”

“Good luck. Mom’s far too well-bred to actually sneer. She’ll radiate icy disapproval until you literally freeze to death but her polite smile will never even flicker.” Izzy thrust out her hand. “I’m Alec’s sister, Isabelle. I’ve got enough credits to graduate early, so I’ll be starting here next term. We’ll see lots of each other then.”

Magnus made a theatrical bow and kissed the air a breath away from making contact with her knuckles. “And I’m sure we’ll be the best of besties when you finally crash-land on campus.”

“Oh, you’re good. I think this scheme of Jace and Clary’s is going to work out just fine for everyone.” She looked at Alec and grinned. “I’m gonna go call Simon and grab some more boxes from the car. You stay here and get to know your new roomie.”

Alec shook his head desperately, pleading with her with his eyes, until Magnus glanced up at him, forcing him to try to play it off by transitioning to a maniacal nod and a huge, fake smile. “Sure, Iz, that’ll be just…fine.”

Magnus pursed his lips as Izzy sauntered out of the room, then gave Alec a questioning look. “Am I reading this wrong? Clary told me you were on board with this plan.”

On board might be a significant exaggeration. The truth was, Alec had hated the plan when Jace had first proposed it. Rooming with Jace had been the only part of college he was actually looking forward to. Then he’d found out that Clary had decided to attend Idris U, and that she and Jace were hatching a scheme to swap roommates.

Jace’s father was exactly the sort of wrong connections Alec’s dad should be worried about, but wasn’t. Jace had been staying with Alec’s family for nearly ten years, since Morgenstern Capital–formerly a division of Fairchild-Morgenstern Investments–had been caught up in a predatory lending scandal that had bankrupted tens of thousands of families and precipitated a global recession. Jocelyn Fairchild had been his partner, but she had reported him once she discovered what was going on. If Valentine Morgenstern ever set foot on American soil again, Jocelyn would be the star witness at his trial.

Needless to say, she didn’t want her daughter anywhere near Valentine’s son. Hence the rooming scheme, which, if it worked, pretty much spelled doom for Alec’s fruitless crush on his best friend. A crush that was never going to go anywhere, anyway, but their friendship offered safe cover. And that yearning was at least familiar. The absence of it was decidedly not, and Alec wasn’t sure what he was going to do without it.

Where would he hide now? Especially with Magnus looking…the way Magnus looked. Alec had barely glanced at the picture of Magnus when Jace had shown him on his phone, because he hadn’t thought it would matter.

Clearly he’d been mistaken. Because Magnus was breathtakingly, stupefyingly gorgeous.

Dangerously gorgeous.

This. This was what Alec had been afraid would happen if he finally let go of his infatuation with Jace. That all those feelings might refocus on another guy, one for whom it wouldn’t be so easy to pretend it was just friendship he felt.

Alec raked his fingers through his hair again as he realized Magnus was still staring, waiting patiently for an answer. “No, no, I’m on board. I’m just–this is all gonna blow up in our faces. Clary gets that even if Jace doesn’t, right?”

“What’s the worst that can happen if it does?” Magnus asked, turning to unpack boxes of what looked like brand new computer gear still in the manufacturer’s packaging. Aside from a sleek laptop, he also had a desktop rig that hadn’t been purchased from any retail chain. “In a few weeks or months, Clary’s mom’ll realize that Clary’s an adult and forbidding her to see Jace is pointless. She and Jace’ll get over the whole star-crossed-lovers riff and live happily ever after, or at least as close to it as a straight couple can manage when they decide they’re soulmates before they’re even in college.”

Alec gave him a dubious look. “And you don’t think there’s any chance we’ll be caught up in the fallout?”

“Even if Jocelyn finds out we aided and abetted, what’s she going to do, spank us? Not my kink.” Magnus eyed Alec up and down and smirked. “Though for you, I’d reconsider.”

Alec’s face flamed and he had a resist the urge to smile back again. “I’m serious. What about my parents?”

“I can be sweet and diplomatic when it suits me.” Magnus shrugged and muttered something that sounded like, “It never pays to antagonize the future in-laws.”

“Wait, what?” Alec blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, did I say that out loud?” Magnus grinned and dropped him another wink before he began unwinding cables. He dropped down to his hands and knees under the desk to connected them, and Alec was not going to stare at his butt, he was not going to stare at his butt, he was not…

…Okay, Alec was totally staring at his butt.

The sight of it managed to drive any other protests Alec was formulating right out of his head. None of them seemed like they’d get any more traction than the ones he’d already offered, anyway. Instead, he watched silently as Magnus finished putting together his computer and started it. Then a poster sticking out of one of the boxes on Magnus’s bed caught his eye.

“Shadows of the Downworld? My little brother Max loves that game.”

“Does he now?” Magnus smiled in delight. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Yeah. Izzy’s on-off boyfriend Simon wrote the story for it, and I think Clary did some of the graphic design. Simon gave Izzy a download code and she let Max have it, since she’s not a gamer. He plays it every minute Mom will let him, which isn’t much since she’s death on video games.” Alec took a step closer to the desk as Magnus settled in the chair and opened up what he could recognize as code, though it might as well have been gibberish for all the sense he could make of it. “What is this?”

“Work on the new SoD expansion.” Magnus gave him a self-satisfied smile. “Simon wrote the story, Clary did the graphic design, and I was the code guy. Then we sold the distribution rights for an ungodly amount of money and that’s how a penniless foster kid like me ended up at this highly overpriced–and frankly overrated–institution.”

“Oh, God.” Alec covered his face with his hands and groaned. “My mother really is going to despise you.”

Magnus laughed and just the sound of it made something inside Alec feel warm. He let his hands fall away from his face, unable to help himself from smiling in response.

“Don’t worry, Alexander. She doesn’t have to know her youngest is hooked on a game I created.” Magnus tossed him a playful leer. “As far as she’s concerned, my corrupting influence won’t spread any further than her eldest.”

For about the tenth time since Magnus had showed up, Alec’s face burned. “Magnus, I don’t think– I can’t– I’m not really–”

Alec hung his head, falling miserably silent. The shuffle of Magnus rising from his chair made his heartbeat stutter, especially when his footsteps drew closer and the toes of his shoes appeared in Alec’s line of sight.

“Why are you here?” Magnus asked, his voice so close that Alec could practically feel his breath.

He lifted his gaze, blinking. “At Idris U?”

Magnus scoffed. “You’re legacy. No mystery there. I mean, why agree to room with me?”

“To–to help Jace, a-and Clary–”

“You could have done that and still gotten the single dorm room your mother’s convinced you need.”

Which was precisely why he hadn’t gotten a single. Because bucking his mother and father’s expectations was what he needed to do. If he’d decided to begin six months earlier, he’d probably even be at a state university somewhere now, but he’d already been pushed through the chute into his parents’ alma mater before he’d realized he needed to stop doing everything they told him to do.

If he didn’t start choosing his own course now, before he knew it he was going to be a depressed, middle-aged, closeted investment banker with a trophy wife he never touched and a couple kids who walked all over him because he was too apathetic to care what they did. He’d be living only for the moments when he could play sugar daddy to some hustler who secretly–and correctly–thought he was a loser.

Magnus whistled softly, which was Alec’s first clue that he’d actually spoken. “Whew. That’s some vision of the future there.”

Alec closed his eyes and groaned. “I didn’t mean to say all that. Please forget I said all that.”

“Oh, not a chance.” Magnus grinned and crossed to his bed, unzipped a pocket of his backpack and drew out a silver flask. He uncapped it and tipped it back, then held it out to Alec. “Drink?”

Alec meant to wave it away, but somehow ended up with it in his hand instead. “Thanks,” he murmured, taking a sip. He winced and shuddered, even though the whiskey was probably excellent. It hit his stomach like a small, warm explosion. “It’s, um, good.”

“Clearly,” Magnus deadpanned, taking it back. “Look, Alec, as a sage old sophomore here at stuffy Idris U, let me impart some wisdom. It’s your first year of college, and everything’s going to change. Your whole worldview. It’s a cliché, but it’s totally true. All this stuff you’ve got eating at you? All these things you’re scared of? In a year, you’re not going to remember why you ever thought ninety percent of them mattered.”

Alec sighed and flopped down on his bed, nearly toppling the box that still sat at the foot of it. “That sounds terrific. Get back to me in a year and I’ll let you know how it’s going. For now, I need to survive the next few weeks.”

“Ah, but that’s why you have me.” Magnus smirked and took another sip from his flask as he perched on the edge of his own bed. His rings clinked as he held the flask between his hands and drummed his fingers on it thoughtfully. “You seem to think you can just ease your way out from under your parents’ thumbs and they’ll let you go.” It shouldn’t have been a big deal that he drew out the e in ease, but for some reason it was suddenly the most appealing word Alec had ever heard. This was getting truly ridiculous. “Nuh-uh. Maybe you could pull it off with less overbearing parents, but not yours. I’ve seen their type before. They’ll only tighten their grip.”

“Great.” Alec groaned, tempted to press a pillow over his own face. “So…what? You have a solution?”

“Just let me be your guide this term. Except to go to class, Jace and Clary aren’t going to come up for air until nearly finals week, so you’ll be on your own anyway. Until then, I’ll be your…surrogate troublemaking sidekick. At least to begin with. I’ve been here for a year already, so I know which frats throw the wildest parties, who sells the best weed, and who can hook you up with the most convincing fake ID.”

“I’m not interested in any of that stuff,” Alec protested.

“Yes, but your parents don’t need to know that.” Magnus grinned wickedly. “You don’t have to rebel…much. You just need to make them afraid that you’ll rebel. By this time next term, they’ll be thanking their lucky stars if the decisions you want to make for yourself involve nothing more self-destructive than choosing your own major or dating a male coding prodigy with a less-than-impeccable pedigree but a devastating sense of style.”

Alec laughed despite himself. “You’re that confident I’ll end up dating you?”

“Guess we’ll see. Check back with me next term.” Magnus’s eyes twinkled as he gave Alec a rakish leer. “What do you say? Want to get into just the right amount of trouble with me?”

Alec should have refused. He should have told Magnus he’d just stick with his studies and find another way out from under the crushing weight of his parents’ expectations. Certainly it would be safer, because that look Magnus was giving him made his heart race a little too fast and his palms sweat a little too much.

He should have refused.

Instead, he held out his hand. “Gimme that flask.”

Magnus passed it over willingly. “Limit yourself to small sips. We want you a little bright-eyed and smelling faintly of booze when your mom gets back from the alumni luncheon, not completely blotto or reeking like a distillery. You sure you’re up for this?”

Alec’s eyes caught on the peek of skin exposed by the open buttons of Magnus’s collar then dropped to the way his jeans clung his thighs like they were in love with his legs.

“Yeah,” he breathed, and took another drink. “I’m ready.”

#nandawrites #malecsanta17 #*fic17 #*gifts17

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dominicaharris · 8 years ago

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Shadowhunters 2x11 Advanced Spoiler-Free Review: "Mea Maxima Culpa."

https://www.basicshadowhuntersstuff.com/reviews/2017/5/26/shadowhunters-2x11-advanced-spoiler-free-review-mea-maxima-culpa EXCLUSIVESWHAT WE DOREVIEWSFANDOM Shadowhunters 2x11 Advanced Spoiler-Free Review: "Mea Maxima Culpa." After the catastrophic events of 2A’s winter finale, many are anticipating the show’s return. 2B’s premiere is a quality hour of television that continues the show’s upward trajectory. It’s a casual weaving of the right moves and an essential time out following the insane pace of recent events - a breather episode that allows a closer look at it’s players and the relationships they have, while serving as a wind up for what comes next. Shadowhunters picks up not long after the events of ‘By The Light Of Dawn’, where both the residents of the New York Institute and the city’s Downworlders are trying to deal with the aftermath of Valentine’s deadly attack. Valentine himself is being held for interrogation in the Institute’s basement level, and with Aldertree being reprimanded back in Idris for his leadership failures, Alec has absorbed the responsibility of overseeing the Institute’s day to day activities. Everyone is dealing with the joys and fallouts of their own personal lives, but time isn’t on their side when they discover a greater demon is making its way through the city. ‘Mea Maxima Culpa’ is an episode that finally showcases the full influence of it’s new showrunners. Where the season’s premiere was, for all intents and purposes, an impressive tonal reboot of its first 13 episodes, 2x11 makes 2A seem like a transition period. Looking back on it now, the first half of the season appears to have played it safe in its makeover; a quick fix-all while they tested what they really wanted to do with the show. If this episode is indeed the Shadowhunters they intend to make from here on out, then we’re in for a real treat. The characters and their relationships are even more settled now, and that has a lot to do with the cast. Each performer appears more certain of their own footsteps, and their portrayals feel snuggly with greater authenticity. It makes all the difference between watching actors act and seeing the characters we’ve come to love alive and breathing on our screens. Katherine McNamara’s Clary is surefooted and determined in this Shadowhunter role she’s been thrown into, believably confident and blissfully optimistic of her path in life, and especially love. Simon is much the same, his sunny disposition a reflection of his new sun-tolerance. Alberto Rosende has an ease and flow in the way he moves, a charming middle ground between finesse and clumsiness that gives his scenes heart. A failed, one-sided attempt at hugging Jace, his new savior, will have fans laughing. Dom Sherwood’s Jace, on the other hand, is struggling deeply beneath the surface, riddled with guilt for the part he played in the massacre of the New York Institute. He absolutely shines this hour, nailing every single one of Jace’s nuances in a way only Jace Wayland himself could. One particular scene opposite Matthew Daddario will greatly satisfy Parabatai fans - another, also opposite Matthew, will hit you where it hurts. Matt Daddario’s Alec is a gigantic softie and a pillar of strength who is trying to hold together the pieces of those he loves most. His chemistry with Dominic and Emeraude is off the charts, portraying best friend, confidante and big brother as one seamless entity. Isabelle is in bad shape, stuck firmly between fight or flight, unable to reconcile what she needs with what she wants. Emeraude Toubia locks in her best performance of the series in a way that is unglamourous, undignified and yet still founded on Isabelle’s beautiful vulnerability. On the receiving end of her questionable behaviour, David Castro’s Raphael displays a sincerity and care that now appears to come from a real place, and the way he makes amends works, in some small part, to redeem his recent poor choices. Magnus Bane is still the best dressed character on the show - his black, rhinestone coat in particular deserves its own runway. Harry Shum Jr makes a rather restricted appearance, but it doesn’t make his part any less enjoyable and it certainly isn’t for nought. This hour sets some big plays in motion, particularly for Magnus in ways you can't even imagine. The 'Malec' relationship is also there, and while they are certainly not the focal point, the episode firmly establishes them as a couple; a team. It’s now comfy and familiar, casually intimate in a way that has been lacking. Isaiah Mustafa’s portrayal of Luke is steady as always, though we get to see some much needed smiles after all he’s been through. Maia proves to be a surprising source of strength for him when the chips are down, and the makings of a coupleof storylines are also on the horizon, involving both his path as Alpha and his new partner-in-training, Ollie. We don’t know much about her yet, but rest assured she’s not a replacement for Jocelyn (Ollie contributes to the LGBTQ spectrum of the show). Besides Ollie, there are a couple of new faces we meet this outing, namely the hotly anticipated introduction of mysterious Shadowhunter, Sebastian. He is everything I expected: affable, sympathetic, a hint of a dark past - the lovable, super hot, bad boy cousin. Will Tudor fits seamlessly into the story and plays him with an understated charisma that is dangerously disarming (it’s not just the swoon worthy british accent), and the way he infiltrates our Shadowhunters squad and develops with the ongoing plot will surely be a thing of intrigue. Alan Van Sprang’s latest turn as Valentine is impressive and fascinating to watch. He delights in manipulation as always, and his untouchable facade is still very much in place, but Alan allows us to see Valentine’s mind ticking away behind it as he tries to find openings and exploits in those around him. He’s a little less controlled, which makes him even more unpredictable - though the new villain in town makes him look like an abandoned puppy. Azazel, a greater demon and Prince of Hell is topside and making waves. Brett Donahue is a welcome guest to an already stellar cast, wallowing deliciously in Azazel’s bored, elitist swagger. His voice is commanding, powerful and spine tingling, unnerving in the way it will both raise the little hairs on your neck and melt you into a puddle of goo. The episode’s weakest point was it’s first handful of dialogue. Writing exposition can be difficult, especially when you’re trying to establish to an audience what has and hasn’t happened since they last tuned in. But what followed was a Parabatai scene I’ve been personally hanging out for all series long - books included - and it was a fitting way to kickstart the second half of the season, if the slack-jaw grin on my face was anything to measure by. One particular stunt later in the episode didn’t look any better on second viewing, but I chose to ignore it in favor of the brilliant, diabolical twist that unravels over the episode’s final minutes. It’s going to give fans a great deal of anxiety, but if you’re a sucker for emotional stakes like me, there will be much satisfaction when the plot pays off. Michael Reisz turns in a script that ticks a lot of boxes. It’s a little heavy-handed on the exposition in places, but that is easily overshadowed by the plot building and myriad of fantastic character moments. Book fans are possibly going to throw fits at some of the new bends in the mythology, but as someone who is against a plot-for-plot adaption, I am thoroughly living for it. Matt Hastings is clearly experimenting and playing with the Shadow World in ways he hasn’t previously. The camerawork has gotten more creative, complementing situations and characters like a beating pulse. The hardware itself seems different with it’s sharper, cleaner film quality. There is a whole spectrum of colour in almost every single shot. The show’s lighting seems to have found a happy middle ground. Everything, somehow, gets grittier without sacrificing anything. Visually, it’s the most stunning episode of Shadowhunters yet. Besides the aesthetic, the performances are some of the strongest. The emotions conveyed are honest, raw. The characters are finally real. It feels like the ‘click’ we’ve all been waiting for, and that’s pretty damn satisfying. Shadowhunters is proving itself one of Freeform's greatest assets, and if you've been keeping up with the slew of new shows announced at this year’s upfronts, it is also a show that has paved the way for wider demographics. 2B looks to be paving a thrilling new path in its storytelling - both visual and written - and the results are good. Really good. We may be 23 chapters into the story, but if ‘Mea Maxima Culpa’ is anything to go by, Shadowhuntersis only just getting started. Shadowhunters returns Monday June 5th 8/7c on Freeform, and Tuesday June 6th internationally on Netflix.

#shadowhunters #shadowhuntersseason2 #clace #malec #jace wayland #alec lightwood #isabelle lightwood #clary fairchild #simon lewis

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snarktheater · 8 years ago

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Shadowhunters S2 — Episode 2

Today on Shadowhunters: Jace has a working brain for at least five seconds!

"You set me up to kill that vampire!"

No shit. But no, Valentine keeps spouting anti-Downworlder bullshit about how "soon, dens like that will be on every corner" that totally do not resonate with real-life racism, no sir, there is no connection between Shadowhunter hatred of Downworlders and real-life racism, Cassandra Clare's fans told me so!

"Deep down inside, you know that I'm right."

Yeah, there is the fact that Jace saved him. Hence why I said "at least five seconds".

But what weirds me out here is that Valentine used Jocelyn trying to kill Jace as an argument, which…feels like it would work a lot better if he hadn't told Jace about his demon blood experiment. So now I have to say: maybe you jumped the gun a little too fast with that reveal, show.

Meanwhile at the Institute, Aldertree acts condescending to Lydia because she's "responsible for the actions of the Institute", which…no? You took over from her? That means it's now your responsibility? So much for the reasonable leader act, I guess. Besides, he can't be mean to Lydia and keep my respect.

Jocelyn tries to explain to Clary why she shot Jace, but Clary doesn't want to hear any of it. And by "explain" I mean remain ominously vague, which is weird, since…again, we already know the answer.

"Because your brother, he's not who you think he is! Honey, there's still so much you don't know."

She goes on to call Jocelyn a monster, because of course. I mean, Clary and Jocelyn's relationship was one of the things I'd liked about season one, it only stands to reason they'd break it down as soon as possible, right?

Jocelyn actually ends up telling her about Valentine's experiments, and shows Clary one of her own memories as evidence. Which is just…the most hilarious thing. He's so evil, he kills flowers by touching them, you guys.

I'm sorry, I'm having an extremely hard time taking that seriously. Jocelyn adds that Ragnor Fell told her Jonathan "would only leave death and destruction in his wake", and…okay. Simon points out to Clary once they're alone that they have no reason not to believe her, especially with the whole vampire-killing incident of the last episode, before being called away by Aldertree to be interrogated about that exact incident.

And by that, I mean Aldertree asks Simon to spy on vampires for him and find other vampire dens like this, threatening to ban all vampire/Shadowhunter fraternizing if he gets no results. Because if you can't get reliable intel…cutting any connection with vampires that could lead to genuine information is a good idea?

…Yeah, no. Needless to say, Aldertree has officially veered off into "Adults Are Useless Territory". You didn't even last the equivalent of a whole episode, congratulations!

Meanwhile, Clary comes talk to Alec, who's still subbing in for Jace in the angst zone. Specifically he's angry right now because Jocelyn shot Jace.

"Since you've arrived, you've caused nothing but problems."

I mean, you're not wrong, but that's correlation, not causation. On the plus side, Isabelle shows up to defend Clary, so at least we're not dealing with girl-on-girl hate? Because forcing the token gay character to be unsympathetic to the protagonist is so much better, right? Eh, knowing Clare's fans, they probably side with Alec against Clary rather than the other way around.

Cut to a dojo, where a bunch of guys get abducted by Valentine, including one of them while he's fighting, by virtue of flashing lights and "eh, why bother". You can guess why, but it raises a few questions. I mean, if Valentine wants to make an army, wouldn't he…pick people based on ideology first? Or at least pick people whose loyalty is assured, rather than coerced? You'd think so, but the show doesn't care.

The Institute is quickly aware of it, since we cut straight to Lydia briefing Shadowhunters about it.

[Clary:] "When did the briefing start? Nobody told me." [Isabelle:] "That wasn't an accident."

Well, duh. You were taken out of the investigation because of your conflicts of interests, which, again, is a perfectly normal thing to do. But no, the Lightwoods and Clary decide they should try to find Jace first. Did Alec forget he was angry at Clary? But then, Lydia insists to keep the Lightwoods in the investigation after all, because they're the best they've got, and Aldertree just accepts it? Because he trusts Lydia and the Lightwoods now? Can we get some consistency in here?

I guess we just needed Clary to be alone for some reason. And by "alone" I mean she goes to her room to sulk and look at her drawings from when she wanted to attend art school, while sad piano music plays. No, really.

Isabelle does come in to cheer her up…which kind of backfires when she replied to Clary's "I just want to be normal" with "You have a target on your back." I mean…it's true, but it's not very comforting.

"You have a new life now. You have me. That's not gonna change."

I'd ask if the show was going to get Clary and Isabelle together, which would be an awesome change, but I don't have that kind of faith in Hollywood.

Anyway. I said something about being tired of the PoV switches, right? So let's try to sort things out a little. Although, just to be clear: this episode is pretty hard to divide into neat plot lines, so I'm doing my best here. As in, aside from Simon's subplot, they're all woven into a single story. Which is nice, but I'm still annoyed by the constant switches between so many different PoVs, especially when they merge only at the end.

Simon's plot line

A.K.A. the plotline I'm still trying to figure out why I should care about.

Luke's investigating the missing people, and Alaric wants to know why he's still sheltering Simon. Because…"he's my sort-of-stepdaughter's best friend and has nowhere to live" isn't good enough, apparently. And just at the same time, the rest of Luke's pack is once again being assholes to Simon. They don't do anything, because Luke gave orders and they're apparently not willing to ignore those yet, they're just…kind of mean.

"You're an embarrassment to your own kind."

Isn't that a good thing, since you hate vampires?

Oh, also, Raphael shows up in Simon's container, because Simon more or less implied he was responsible for the vampire dens during his chat with Aldertree. Since the den was actually led by one of Camille's creations, and Clary's crew is the one who set her loose, Raphael tells Simon it's his responsibility to help find her now.

"Use your connection to her or die trying."

Well, instead, he does what everyone in a Shadowhunter story does when in need for help: he goes to ask Magnus for help.

"You're the only one who knows her as well as Raphael."

Yeah. So why isn't Raphael tracking her down himself, hmm? Oh right, because heaven forbid someone other than our protagonists actually do something.

Magnus agrees, and they Portal to one of Camille's many homes. This one is in India, but aside from the decor and a vague shot of the Taj Mahal, you wouldn't know. Also, Magnus is immediately useless since he decides to get back all of his stuff from this place.

"Find me when you're ready to leave. Preferably after you dealt with Camille." "Right. Because why would you need a powerful warlock when you got a scrappy nerd from Brooklyn?"

So Simon searches the ridiculously large residence of Camille alone. Nobody's there, but he does stumble upon a secret hiding place by complete chance. Because, you know, why wouldn't you put a secret hiding place in a giant snake statue in the middle of a room, and have it open by just touching the statue?

Also, a random snake shows up as booby trap, and it spits fire, too! But who cares, Simon suddenly can use encanto to get rid of it. Hurray for convenient new powers!

Magnus arrives conveniently late, and he offers to help Simon until he does find Camille, because…something about how Magnus's hard time getting acclimated to Downworld means he doesn't want anyone to go through that as well. Sure. Also, Simon now has a magically sealed box and Magnus has a bunch of "important" things from Camille's place, which I'm sure will be completely irrelevant in the future.

The Lightwoods' plot line

A.K.A. "Why even bother."

Alec and Isabelle go to a fighting ring, because that's where you find "the best fighters in the city". Sure. Cue instant sexual harassment.

"You've got some moves." "Yeah? How about I take you home to show you some of those moves, up close and personal."

I've gotta say, Isabelle kicking his ass it pretty cathartic, if completely pointless. I mean…aren't you supposed to lay low and wait for Valentine to show up? Way to make yourself unnoticed.

But no, the trap does work, and a Circle guy shows up to kidnap the man Isabelle beat up. Alec and Isabelle catch him, but he kills himself because he's just so devoted. And after that (and loads and loads of angst), they immediately ditch that plan because all Circle members will kill themselves rather than be caught. And I guess staying at the Institute is just that much more productive.

Clary and Jocelyn's plot line

Guess who sneaked off again! Yeah, I don't know why they even bother to say Clary can't go out if they're not going to actually…you know, enforce that.

She goes to the art school she'd applied to in episode one of the show, and just…starts drawing like she owns the place. Even if you say she's using runes to hide from mundanes, you'd still have to tell me why no one notices that a canvas is drawing itself. Or, rather, why a classroom is empty in the middle of the day. This school does not look very large, you know.

But Luke and Jocelyn find her before anyone else does, because Clary didn't activate her "anti-tracking rune". Which…they have those now? That seems like the kind of thing that would only be useful when you want to go rogue. It's pretty odd, basically.

Clary angsts about how no one trusts her and she can't live a normal life.

"I'm not a mundane. I'm not a Shadowhunter. I'm not anything."

And then she storms off, with neither Jocelyn nor Luke stopping her, and runs straight into Dot.

"I thought you were dead!"

Dot, naturally, kidnaps Clary. Because what else does anyone do to Clary in this show? It can basically be summed up as "people take Clary places or hold her in places and she escapes; also pretty boys angst".

But it's okay! Luke has just the thing for this: an adamas…magic gizmo that he got from his mother, who's an Iron Sister. I feel like I already knew this, but I don't remember if it was from season one or from reading news about the show, so…okay. But they need help to use it.

And by "help" I mean they need Jace's parabatai, because they instantly know that Dot kidnapped Clary on Valentine's behalf. And…Dot does have some scars from his experiments, but in my opinion, Jocelyn and Luke were a little too far to see them. But okay. Alec is, unsurprisingly, not thrilled about working with the woman who tried to kill Jace, but since he's struck out and run out of options (…well, you know, according to the show), he decides to give it a go, even if it might potentially kill him. Which, fair enough, it's like the third time he makes the same decision now. Also, he's shirtless again? Why does he have to be shirtless every time he does this?

Valentine's fun cruise

A.K.A. Jace and Clary's plot line, but I couldn't resist. Jace meets one of Valentine's recruits, named Jeremy, and tries to tell him that hunting Downworlders isn't all it's cracked up to be. It does not work out all that well.

"Screw glory. I want justice. I lost my father because of these monsters."

So…there are mortals who know about Downworlders? And they just…don't do anything about it? You do realize this is the Internet age and it's really not so difficult to share stuff, right?

Jace refuses to come on a hunt with Jeremy, because principles. Cue more of Valentine's bullshit.

"You were trained to see Downworlders as your allies, and that I'm your worst enemy."

First: have you actually talked to a Shadowhunter lately, Valentine? Second: maybe that wouldn't be an issue if you hadn't randomly given him up. I mean, not that I particularly want Jace to be a perfectly brainwashed little boy, but…come on. Valentine's plan with Jace was not a very well-conceived one, was it?

Oh, but Valentine knows who can change Jace's mind. Gee, I wonder who that is. Yep, it's Clary, because of course Jocelyn is right to think Dot kidnapped her on his behalf. Come on, guys. Mary Sue Guessing Powers for everyone!

Dot seems pretty pro-Valentine considering he wants her and her kind dead.

"He's misunderstood."

Right.

She shows Clary a series of random, gruesome images, because…sure. And then we cut to Clary going to see Jace. He doesn't believe that it's her at first, but she tells him about that magic bike ride they had in season one, and so he does believe her. She then goes on to say that she can see the future, and that Downworlders will slaughter every human, and only Jace can stop them.

And…really, no one is questioning this? One, this sounds out of character for Clary. Two, those powers seem extremely convenient. Three, they could just be an illusion.

…Or, you know, Jace could decide to go hunting for the werewolf who killed Jeremy's dad based on this overwhelming evidence. Good choice, Jace.

Clary wakes up in a cage later. Turns out, she can't see the future! Which…honestly, with a Shadowhunter story, would it really have surprised you if she could? But no, it was just good old mind control. Dot is about to reapply the spell, because it wears off on Shadowhunters, but Clary manages to appeal to their shared past to get Dot to help her instead. Complete with offering Dot shelter with Magnus, because there is no Shadowhunter continuity where Clary does not see Magnus as a lap dog.

Cut to Valentine's recruits bringing back the werewolf in question. It's actually one of Luke's pack who was mean to Simon earlier, which…I don't really know why this is relevant, honestly, but sure. She denies having killed Jeremy's dad, Valentine doesn't believe her and/or doesn't care, but Jace hesitates. Clary shows up, tells him about the spell she was under, and this convinces him to run away with her. Dot opens a breach in the wards around Valentine's ship…I think…and Clary and Jace jump overboard. Also, the werewolf girl (whose name I don't think was ever given to us) is killed anyway, and Dot is taken back. But hey, our protagonists are out!

Oh, also, remember that tracking thing Alec was attempting in the other plot line? Yeah, all it did was that Alec saw Jace and Clary escape, and Jace sensed his presence. Also, Alec passed out bleeding and possibly dying. But aside from that, the whole endeavor was entirely pointless. And really, are you surprised? No, no you're not.

And that concludes episode 2. Which took a dramatic nosedive towards the stupid. I guess it's a lot of setup, but do we really need Simon's subplot? Or Alec to be almost dead? Or Isabelle to be a strong independent woman who kicks sexist guys? I mean, as fun as that scene is, it doesn't really dismantle sexism, you know.

Ugh. Let's just move on. There are still plenty of episodes to go, and I fear plenty more padding to go through as well.

#A Door Into the Dark #Y. Shireen Razack #Andy Wolk #shadowhunters #Todd Slavkin #Darren Swimmer #mcg #series #TV series #review #reviews #series review #series reviews #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #st: shadowhunters s2

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alwaysalir · 8 years ago

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Before anyone asks I am not opening prompts. This is just going to be a few parts of what could happen in the first have of 2b wiith clace. Hope you enjoy. Comments are welcome <3

"Hello Son" Valentine said with a smirk as Jace appeared in front of his cell. "I am not your son." "Maybe not my blood but I raised you & loved you for ten years. That must count for something." "You lost Valentine. Just tell me where the Mortal Instruments are." He laughed, "The only reason I am alive is because the clave wants the cup & the sword. The longer they stay missing the more valuable I become. Do you really think I am just going to tell you? Besides you've may have me but the circle is still in tact & they will make sure you never find either object. I always have a back up. You should know that." "Yea I guess I should considering I was your back up plan. You screwed up your son by giving him demon blood so you went a different route with me."

Valentine smiled wickedly, "Look at you putting the pieces together. I’m so proud." "Is the real Jonathan Morgenstern still alive? The demonic Morgernstern. I mean the way Jocelyn described him & what he could do.....someone is clave would have seen him by now." Jace asked crossing his arms. "I told have the soul sword in my hands so you aren't going to get anymore truths out of me. But I have to wonder what Clarissa thinks about this. Its been a week since I told you the truth and she hasn't come to see me yet. The daughter I know would be demanding to know what became of her brother."

"I will make sure Clary stays far away from you." "So you haven't told her." he says with a smile, "I would have you would have ran to tell her. I mean you're in with love her that's obvious but as always you are being noble so she can be happy with her vampire boyfriend." "You and I both know I am no good for her. You made sure of that. To love is to destroy right. Well I am going to make sure that no one ever destroys her." "Oh Jonathan. You are still that little boy afraid that no one will love you. That's the beauty of you." "Jace" Alec said appearing with a silent brother by his side, "You shouldn't be down her. Let's go."Jace turned away from Valentine. "Do come and see me again, Jonathan." Valentine called out as Jace followed Alec out of the City of Bones. Once they were out Alec turned to Jace, "What are you thinking coming to see him. He's not going to tell you anything." "I don't know. I need to do something. We've been searching for 7 days but we were right about one thing. The circle is still active. He confirmed that much. We just have to figure out who is in charge now." Jace said as he started walking again. "Did you notice anyone that stood out when you were on the ship?"

"Their was this one guy, Jeremy he seemed to be taking under his wing but he was really new and lacked the experience to actually run the circle." "We will figure it out." Alec says placing a hand on Jace' shoulder as his phone beeped. Jace pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a text from Clary. He deleted it without reading and shoved his phone back in his pocket. "When are you going to tell her?" Alec asked as Jace walked ahead. "Eventually." "She deserves to know." "I know that. I just need to get my hand wrapped around the idea that its not going to matter to her."

"Jace." Alec says grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop. "Of course it matters to her." "I know it does but.....It matters to her because its her family and now her brother is still missing. I guess that I thought for a split second that it was possible for us to go back to before Valentine ruined everything but when I saw her with Simon it became clear to me that telling her isn't going to change anything. Clary is with Simon. It doesn't matter what I feel and I don't want her to pity me or think I expect something. Once I am in that head space. I will tell her." "Fine." Alec says taking a deep breathe, "Fine. I get it but when this backfires on you and that little redhead knocks on your ass. I am going to be the one says I told so." "Whatever." Jace says as he rolls his eyes.

~~~~~~~

"Ugh" Clary says throwing down her phone as it gets no response from Jace. Its annoying. Its been a week since Valentine was captured and Jace was still refusing to talk to her. He could barely manage to look at her. He made sure every mission he went on was a two shadowhunter job so it would only ever be him and Alec. Isabelle tried to reassure her that he was just shaken up by his confrontation with Valentine but she just wanted to know he was okay. "Clary you okay?" Simon asked taking her hand. He walking her back to the institute after after lunch together at Central Park. Simon was enjoying being in the sun as much as possible. He was still a little scared that the whole thing would aware off but Magnus assured him that it seemed permit. Whatever affect Jace's blood had on him it was here to stay. "Yea." she said with a smile, "Its just Jace. He refuses to talk to anyone but Alec & Izzy. I'm his family too. Why doesn't he think I will understand too. I get that he he feels awful about what happened to those downworlders but I agonized over the thought of doing that for weeks. I understand him."

"Maybe that's the issue. Jace doesn't wantto be understood. He wants to punish himself for he did and you telling him its okay definitely isn't going to accomplish that." Simon smiled as they stopped at the front of the steps, "Thank you for having lunch with." "Anytime." Clary smiled back at him and she pulled Simon in for a kiss. His lips were soft and the kiss was gentle and light as all his kisses were. "I'll call you later." she promised before walking back into her home. She took a deep breathe as she walked into the war room which was somewhat empty & approached Alec & Aldertree.

"Any news?" "No" Alec says shaking his head. "We are taking a break from the search. Jace was able to get Valentine to admit that the Circle is still active so we are working to locate their members in an attempt to figure out who the new leader maybe. So for now he are laying low. We

will let you know if we need you." "Great." Clary says directing her attention at Alec, "Have you seen Jace?" "Earlier." "And where is he now?" "I don't know, Fray. I am his parabatai. Not his keeper." "Sarcasm. Wonderful." she says walking around the tall boy. "Clary." Alec called out, "Give him so time. He'll come around." "I've given him plenty of time." This was stupid. He was avoiding her and it was going to end right now. She was walking towards his room but was stopped by the sound of music. A piano to be exact being played beautifully behind a closed door. It was a room she had never been in. The institute was a huge place & with some much going on her had barely explored the play. She slowly opened the door to what looked like a massive library. So many books and in the center was a grand piano and Jace was sitting on the bench playing with this eyes closed. He was a master at it that much was clear. It was in this moment she realized that their was still so much that they did not know about each other. Jace, an musical artist? She never would have guess.

"So this is where you've been hiding all week?" she asked and he the music stopped as he looked up at her. "Yes. The music.....it helps me clear my mind." "Right. Well you could have told me that it one of the many texts I sent you." she said softly approaching him. "Sorry." Jace says looking down. "So how did you get into music?" she asked sitting beside him on the bench. "Valentine actually. When he was training me as a kid it wasn't enough for me to just be a warrior. He wanted me to be well rounded. I spent hours in a library just like this at the Wayland Manor in Idris studying and learning piano. He said piano helped me focus and it did." "I know you feel terrible about those downworlders that died but its not you fault. Valentine did this. He lied."

"All he does is lie, Clary. But he set a trap and I walked right into it. He's really great at making me feel stupid." he says standing up. "No.Don't do that. Don't let him have power over you." She said following him and grabbing his hand, "We will find away to beat him together." "Why do you have so much faith in me?" he asked his mismatched eyes looking down at her. "Because I know you." she smiled and she saw a look flash in his eyes. A look that she had not seen in weeks.....not since Renwicks. He smiled back at her and touched her face softly. She froze as her body tingled in ways that only happened when Jace touched her."Thank you." he whispered pulling away and walking out the door leaving her more confused then ever.

#shadowhunters #clace #clace fanfiction #claceforever #clary x jace

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pumpkinpetals · 8 years ago

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I Caught You

Summary: Basically it's an alternate end to S2 Episode 8. All the same events occur only after Magnus saves Alec, he passes out and forgets everything that happened at the party. So Magnus has to explain it all and we get a bunch of feels and cuteness and Alec generally appreciating his own existence which is always nice.

Quote: “Alec walked with bare feet across the floor of Magnus’ loft. It was a combination of cold wood and expensive rugs that had probably been in the presence of countless Kings and Queens. Knowing Magnus, he had probably been sleeping with the King or Queen, or both, but Alec had grown tired of letting such trivial things bother him.”

Warnings: Mention of attempted suicide (but it was done under a spell #problemswithlivinginamagicalworld). Also mentions of past suicidal thoughts. There’s also amnesia if anyone is affected by that?

Stay safe guys <3

Read on AO3 here.

Alec opened his eyes to the familiar sheen of Magnus’ silk bedsheets. A warm glow bubbled up inside of him at the idea of doing this every day and he rolled over, expecting Magnus to be sprawled out beside him. But the other side of the bed was empty and cold and, upon inspecting the rest of the room, Magnus was nowhere to found. Alec sat up, a dull pulsing trailed down his spine from the back of his neck. Had he been in a fight with a demon and forgotten about it? In fact, the last thing Alec remembered was walking into the party Magnus had thrown for Max.

Frowning, he slid out of the bed, taking a few small steps to make sure he wasn’t going to fall over, and then he walked across to the door that had been left slightly ajar. Alec pushed the door open and was instantly met with a frigid breeze. The entire apartment was cold and it was only then that Alec realised his entire outfit had changed. Rather than the suit Izzy had picked out for him, he was wearing a pair of pyjama bottoms he swore were on the bottom shelf of his closet at the Institute and a black t-shirt that was probably his, but who knew? There were no visible holes in it so really, it could have come from just about anywhere.

Alec walked with bare feet across the floor of Magnus’ loft. It was a combination of cold wood and expensive rugs that had probably been in the presence of countless Kings and Queens. Knowing Magnus, he had probably been sleeping with the King or Queen, or both, but Alec had grown tired of letting such trivial things bother him. So, he continued pacing through Magnus’ apartment, checking first his study and then the kitchen, only to find the balcony doors wide open.

Magnus was sitting in a low, wide chair that didn’t seem to match the rest of the décor. Alec considered watching him for a moment, but he wanted answers as to why he couldn’t remember anything and cleared his throat as he walked around the side of the chair. He didn’t think he had ever seen Magnus look more exhausted. There were dark shadows under his golden eyes and his mouth was drawn down at the sides. A deep crease was decorating Magnus’ forehead and Alec thought it hid the weight of a century.

“Oh, you’re up! I was listening out but I’m afraid I kept getting distracted.” Magnus looked out over the Brooklyn skyline and sighed, tilting his head to rest on the back of the chair.

“Are you okay?” Alec wanted to ask more but he didn’t think that Magnus was capable of having a serious conversation. After a long moment, Alec was about to repeat his question when suddenly, several fat tears fell from Magnus’ half-closed eyes. Despite the cold, Alec was on his knees in an instant, taking Magnus’ face between his hands and forcing his unglamoured eyes to meet his.

“Magnus. What’s wrong?” Magnus let out a shaky breath and messily wiped away his tears, ruining his already smudged eyeliner.

“Sit with me, dearest.” He murmured. Alec hesitated only a second, wondering whether the cold would be any good for Magnus. But he had a rune that could warm them both up in the arctic ocean; a cold night would be no problem. So, Alec shifted Magnus to the side and squeezed into the chair beside him. Magnus shuffled and stretched until he was half sitting on Alec’s lap, his head against the Shadowhunter’s chest and his hands playing with the hem of Alec’s shirt.

“Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong now?” Alec whispered, doubt about whether he had done something wrong that he just couldn’t remember swimming at the front of his mind.

“Don’t you know?” Alec froze, going over everything he had ever done with Magnus. “I mean,” The Warlock continued, “you’re probably having a worse time than I am. Are you alright?”

“Me? I’m fine. You’re the one who’s sitting out here in the freezing cold acting all weird. Did that band you like split up? What are they called? The Imaginary Dragons?” Magnus sat up, looking thoughtfully at Alec’s face, almost as if he wasn’t sure the words coming out of the Nephilim’s mouth were his own.

“Don’t you remember anything that happened at Max’s party?” Alec’s mind was blank.

“His party? When? Yesterday? How long was I out of it? I don’t-” But then Magnus was kissing Alec and Alec melted into it faster than he thought he ever would. And for a few brief moments, things were simple again.

Panting slightly, Magnus pulled away and rested his forehead against Alec’s.

“I thought you would wake up and still have those terrible thoughts in your head.” Alec was confused

“What terrible thoughts? The only terrible thoughts I have are…well, they’re mostly about people who annoy me but I’m getting off topic. What happened yesterday? Why don’t I remember any of it?” Magnus sighed and leant back against the chair, still half-perched on Alec’s lap.

“Everyone was acting strange. It was like their worst fears were coming true and at first I thought it was a demon but I needed time to figure it out. Then people started saying things they didn’t mean and doing things they had no control over.” Magnus’ voice quietened and he closed his eyes and took a steadying breath.

“Like what?” Alec was frustrated that he couldn’t remember and he felt guilty for making Magnus recount the obviously distressing events.

“Well, Maryse attacked Jace, physically and emotionally. She said she wished she’d never taken him in and other dreadful things along those lines. And then she tried to kill him but he managed to subdue her.”

“Mom would never say that to Jace. She’s been a little on edge lately but-” Magnus lifted a finger to Alec’s lips.

“It wasn’t real, Alec. It was a spell cast by another Warlock. On behalf of Valentine. She stole something of mine and I need to get it back but that can wait until I’ve recharged at least some of my energy.

“What else happened? Why did you need to use so much magic?” Magnus shivered and Alec looped an arm around his waist, pulling Magnus closer and resting his other hand on his knee.

“You were talking to Clary in the hallway and you thought she was saying things that weren’t true. Things she didn’t believe, things no one believes.”

“Like what?” Magnus hesitated.

“I don’t think-”

“Magnus, just tell me. Please.” The Warlock sighed and pressed a soft kiss to Alec’s jawline.

“You thought that she was blaming you for her mother’s death. You believed that you were responsible for the wretched ordeal with Jocelyn. And you…you went up to the roof and you stood on the ledge and you…” Magnus swallowed thickly and wiped away the tears that were brimming over his eyelids. “You were going to jump. You did jump. I…I only just got there in time and I managed to catch you but if I, if…if I hadn’t I wouldn’t, I don’t know what I would have done. I just…” Magnus looked up at Alec’s face, worried that he was going to see the same tortured expression he had seen on the roof. But Alec’s face was blank and void of any emotion.

“Your back might hurt a bit but that’s just a side effect of the magic. It will go away after a day or so.”

Neither of them spoke for a long while. Magnus rested his head against Alec’s shoulder and Alec stayed still, holding onto to Magnus tightly.

The moon had moved in the sky when Alec cleared his throat.

“I used to think that. Back when it all happened. I used to wish that I was the one who was dead instead of her, or that Jocelyn had been the one who was possessed by that demon.” Magnus shook his head.

“Alec-” But the Shadowhunter cut him off.

“I used to think that. But then I realised that it wasn’t my fault and that if I couldn’t change the past I would change the future and make it better. I promised myself I would spend every possible second with the people I love and who love me. And that way, if something did happen unexpectedly, to me or to someone else, I wouldn’t regret a thing.” Alec kissed the top of Magnus’ head where his hair was messy and textured from product.

“Well, I’m more than content with staying here and watching the sun rise.” Magnus said sleepily and Chairman Meow emerged from a window and padded along the railing, jumping artfully into the space between Magnus’ thigh and Alec’s stomach.

#malec #shadowhunters #shadowhunters s2 #maguns bane #alec lightwood #my comeback #ao3 #episode 8 #s2 ep8 #magnus' party for max #all kinds of problems

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zephyr-fantasy · 8 years ago

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SH 2.02 A Door Into The Dark

That was a wonderful twist with Dot! And I'm guessing that Dot got moved to the ship, which being shielded would be the reason Magnus couldn't feel her magic anymore? Like how Alec can't feel Jace when he's on the ship either. It was good to see Dot being the reason they could jump off the ship with the forcefield. Also, it doesn't seem that Valentine is killing Dot atm? Although it could probably go either way. But if he still feels that he can (mostly) control her than I can see how her abilities would continue to be useful to him.

Well, we now know who Jace finds washed up on the beach -- Gretel. I don't know how to feel about neither Clary or Jace even taking a seconds hesitation to maybe try to get her too? Eh, I guess I really don't know what I would do in that situation either, so... Idk. But hey, it appears that that will have lasting consequences too, with the preview to next weeks episode -- that and the fact that Jace was the one that brought her on the ship in the first place. In the books, Gretel was Luke's 2nd (with Alaric being his 3rd), I wonder if she was here too and what, if anything, that has to do with how pissed off the pack is at Jace.

I guess we now know why Alec is all unconscious in the next episode. I always figured it had to do with the Parabatai bond but couldn't figure out why he was more impacted? Makes a bit of sense now -- that and we know that Jace was impacted, even if only to a smaller degree. Wonder how much the aftereffects will impact Jace with the werewolves tracking him down. As much as I want Shadowhunters to continue showing how important the Parabatai bond is, let's hope that they stop with the "Alec is tracking Jace down when Jace is in the middle of a fight and it messes Jace up" aspect, shall we? At least, have Jace be the one doing the tracking next time, Idgaf! Although I'd prefer the idea (trope?) to go away for a season or two altogether.

I love that Luke called Jocelyn out on some things, that was really nice. Like, just because she had her reasons for doing things doesn't mean that she shouldn't be criticized for the decisions she's made. I remember bts stuff with the actress playing Luke's mom -- will that be next episode or later? I'm just curious if they try to get in contact with her to help Alec, it makes sense that they'd try every avenue.

I adored the scenes with Magnus and Simon! Not only did those scenes brighten up the mood a little but they really showed a lot about the both of them. Like how easy it is for Magnus to portal ANYWHERE. When the rumors that Magnus would be taking Alec all around the world for dates surfaced I thought it made a lot of sense -- why only have dates in New York when Magnus can literally take them anywhere and back with a snap of his fingers?

(Also why the whole months-long vacation that was in the books didn't make sense to me. While it's important to take a few days off together to relax and recharge it makes more sense for them to take long weekends off together and just portal to a different place each time. Why travel similarly to how mundanes do --even if they did portal from place to place-- instead of using that magic to one's advantage? Especially in regards to the tv show, they BOTH have a lot of responsibilities that the can't go away for months from.)

The whole Magnus giving a pep talk but not holding Simon's hand part was well done. I imagine that Raphael or some of the New York Clan's vampires already told Simon how these abilities work --we did see Raphael chiding him for not learning how to speed and sneak around in s1-- but it's up to Simon to actually put the time and effort into learning them. It's good to see him do so, even if it was on a fire-breathing cobra, lol. I love that Magnus was behind that cobra too! I also think that with Harry being allergic to cats that Magnus SHOULD have some type of pet. Something that he could probably still cuddle a little bit but can take care of itself mostly -- like a cat, so not a dog.

I LOVED THE KRIS! The fact that Magnus found it and was shown to be so breathtaking significant to him! Since it appears that they are giving him a new back story --no mention of the Silent Brothers when he was telling Simon of when he was a child learning his abilities-- it's possible that it's a family heirloom from either his mother's or even stepfather's sides of the family! Wouldn't that be awesome? Not so awesome that Camille had it, ofc, but at least he found it! I did kind of want to hit Simon over the head when he carelessly took it out of the box to try and open the puzzle box though! Jeez, Simon, oblivious much? Like, I get that he's focused on his own issues here, but how could he not see how delicately Magnus was putting the Kris into that box?! it's not just any old knife! No wonder Magnus knows he's not going to have a lot of patience for Simon already, haha.

Last but certainly not least, I so much love Alec and Izzy's relationship. I actually really was glad that Izzy followed after Alec each time he finished confronting Clary, even if she did go find her later to talk. As much as I'm glad that Izzy and Clary have a good relationship and Izzy will continue to be in Clary's corner, Izzy's relationship with Alec is more important and he's probably going to always be a big priority to her, and her to him! And yeah, maybe Alec wasn't all right when he confronted Clary at the punching bag but he wasn't all wrong either (kind of like it's silly to dismiss each time he tried to rein in Jace and Clary in s1 as simply jealousy. Like yeah, maybe he was a bit harsh about it because he was jealous, but he wasn't wrong about there being consequences either). I think Izzy at least sees where he's coming from and even if she doesn't agree with him get why he's acting the way he is atm.

I did love the scene between Izzy and Clary -- I'll be surprised if we don't see a couple extra Clizzy fanfic on Ao3 this week! I also loved the Clary and Dot scenes as well, and the part where Clary was glamoured from sight in the Art Academy. I wonder if a mundane w/o the sight saw a charcoal drawing create itself? lol

#sh spoilers #shadowhunters #magnus bane #alec lightwood #izzy lightwood #simon lewis #jace wayland #luke garroway #clary fray #sh: season 2

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angelavengedinspo-blog · 6 years ago

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“Well, then, you should be all right with what I’m about to tell you.” Magnus turned his head slightly to the side. “Isabelle?”

Out of nowhere, a girl appeared. Maybe the most beautiful girl Simon had ever seen. She had long black hair that spilled over a silver dress and made him want to write bad songs about starry nights. She also had tattoos: the same ones the other girl had sported, black and swirling, covering her arms and bare legs.

“Hello, Simon,” she said. Simon just stared. It was entirely out of the realm of anything he had ever imagined that a girl who looked like this would ever say his name like that. Like it was the only name that mattered. His brain sputtered to a stop like an old car. “Mgh?” he said. Magnus held out a long-fingered hand, and the girl placed something into it. A book, bound in white leather with the title stamped on it in gold. Simon couldn’t quite see the words, but they were etched in an elegant calligraphic hand. “This,” Magnus said, “is a book of spells.” There didn’t seem to be a response for that, so Simon didn’t try for one. “The world is full of magic,” said Magnus, and his eyes were sparkling. “Demons and angels, werewolves and faeries and vampires. You knew all this, once. You had magic, but it was taken from you. The idea was that you would live out the rest of your life without it, without remembering it. That you would forget the people you loved, if they knew about magic. That you would spend the rest of your life ordinary.” He turned the book over in his slim fingers, and Simon caught sight of a title in Latin. Something about the sight sent a zing of energy through his body. “And there’s something to be said for that, for being relieved of the burden of greatness. Because you were great, Simon. You were a Daylighter, a warrior. You saved lives and slew demons, and the blood of angels rocketed through your veins like sunlight.” Magnus was grinning now, a little manically. “And I don’t know, it just strikes me as a little fascist to take all that away.”

Isabelle tossed her dark hair back. Something glittered at the hollow of her throat. A red ruby. Simon felt the same zing of energy, stronger this time, as if his body were yearning toward something his mind couldn’t recall. “Fascist?” she echoed.

“Yes,” Magnus said. “Clary was born special. Simon here had specialness thrust upon him. He adapted. Because the world isn’t divided into the special and the ordinary. Everyone has the potential to be extraordinary. As long as you have a soul and free will, you can be anything, do anything, choose anything. Simon should get to choose.” Simon swallowed against his dry throat. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But what are you talking about?” Magnus tapped the book in his hand. “I’ve been searching for a way out of this spell, this curse on you,” he said, and Simon almost protested that he wasn’t cursed, but subsided. “This thing that made you forget. Then I figured it out. I ought to have figured it out a lot sooner, but they’ve always been so strict about Ascensions. So particular. But then Alec mentioned to me: They’re desperate for new Shadowhunters now. They lost so many in the Dark War, it would be easy. You’ve got so many people to vouch for you. You could be a Shadowhunter, Simon. Like Isabelle. I can do a little with this book; I can’t fix it completely, and I can’t make you what you were before, but I can prepare you to be able to Ascend, and once you do, you may recover some of your memories. Once you’re a Shadowhunter, he can’t touch you. You’ll have the Clave’s protection, and the rules about not telling you about the Shadow World, those will be gone.”

Simon looked at Isabelle. It was a little like looking at the sun, but the way she was looking back at him made it easier. She was looking at him as if she had missed him, though he knew that wasn’t possible. “There’s really magic?” he asked. “Vampires and werewolves and wizards—”

“Warlocks,” Magnus corrected. “And all of that? It exists?”

“It exists,” Isabelle said. Her voice was sweet, a little husky and—familiar. He remembered the smell of sunlight and flowers suddenly, a taste like copper in his mouth. He saw desert landscapes stretching out under a demon sun, and a city with towers that shimmered as if they were made of ice and glass. “It’s not a fairy tale, Simon. Being a Shadowhunter means being a warrior. It’s dangerous, but if it’s right for you, it’s amazing. I wouldn’t ever want to be anything else.”

“It’s your decision, Simon Lewis,” said Magnus. “Remain in the existence you have, go to college, study music, get married. Live your life. Or—you can have an uncertain life of shadows and dangers. You can have the joy of reading the stories of incredible happenings, or you can be part of the story.” He leaned closer, and Simon saw the light spark off his eyes, and realized why he’d thought they were odd. They were gold-green and slit-pupilled like a cat’s. Not human eyes at all. “The choice is up to you.”

-------------------------

He was standing with Isabelle and Alec; Isabelle looked stunning with her hair swept up in a loose knot. Clary knew she’d never be able to pull off that sort of elegance in a million years, and she didn’t care. Isabelle was Isabelle, and Clary was grateful she existed, making the world a little fiercer with every one of her smiles. Isabelle whistled now, shooting a look across the tent. “Look at that.” Clary looked—and looked again. She saw a girl who seemed about nineteen years old; she had loose brown hair and a sweet face. She wore a green dress, a little old-fashioned in its style, and a jade necklace around her throat. Clary had seen her before, in Alicante, talking to Magnus at the Clave’s party in Angel Square. She was holding the hand of a very familiar, very handsome boy with mussed dark hair; he looked tall and rangy in an elegant black suit and white shirt that set off his high-cheekboned face. As Clary watched, he leaned over to whisper something into her ear, and she smiled, her face lighting up. “Brother Zachariah,” Isabelle said. “Months January through December of the Hot Silent Brothers Calendar. What’s he doing here?” “There’s a Hot Silent Brothers Calendar?” said Alec. “Do they sell it?” “Quit that.” Isabelle elbowed him. “Magnus will be here any minute.” “Where is Magnus?” Clary asked. Isabelle smiled into her champagne. “He had an errand.” Clary looked back over toward Zachariah and the girl, but they had melted back into the crowd. She wished they hadn’t—there was something about the girl that fascinated her...

-----------------------

“Aaaand that’s our cue to leave,” Isabelle said, seizing Alec by the elbow and hauling him off into the crowd. Jace grinned after her. “Sentimentality gives Isabelle hives,” said Clary. “But, seriously, we can’t dance with no music. Everyone will stare at us—”

------------------------

Music was coming from the tent. Bat was lounging up at the DJ station, but someone was playing jazz piano. She could see Alec standing with his father, talking intently, and then the crowd parted and she saw a blur of other familiar faces: Maia and Aline chatting, and Isabelle standing near Simon, looking awkward— Simon. Clary came up short. Her heart skipped a beat, and then another; she felt hot and cold all over, as if she were about to faint. It couldn’t be Simon; it had to be someone else. Some other skinny boy with messy brown hair and glasses, but he was wearing the same faded shirt she’d seen him in that morning, and his hair was still too long and in his face, and he was smiling at her a little uncertainly across the crowd and it was Simon and it was Simon and it was Simon. She didn’t even remember starting to run, but suddenly Magnus’s hand was on her shoulder, a grip like iron holding her back. “Be careful,” he said. “He doesn’t remember everything. I could give him a few memories, not much. The rest will have to wait, but, Clary—remember that he doesn’t remember. Don’t expect everything.” She must have nodded, because he let her go, and then she was tearing across the lawn and into the tent, hurling herself at Simon so hard that he staggered back, almost falling over. He doesn’t have vampire strength anymore; go easy, go easy, her mind said, but the rest of her didn’t want to listen. She had her arms around him, and she was half-hugging him and half-sobbing into the front of his coat. She was aware of Isabelle and Jace and Maia standing near them, and Jocelyn, too, hurrying over. Clary pulled back from Simon just enough to look up into his face. And it was definitely Simon. This close up she could see the freckles on his left cheekbone, the tiny scar on his lip from a soccer accident in eighth grade. “Simon,” she whispered, and then, “Do—you know me? Do you know who I am?” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His hand was shaking slightly. “I . . .” He looked around. “It’s like a family reunion where I barely know anyone but everyone knows me,” he said. “It’s . . .” “Overwhelming?” Clary asked. She tried to hide the chime of disappointment, deep down in her chest, that he didn’t recognize her. “It’s all right if you don’t know me. There’s time.” He looked down at her. There was uncertainty and hope in his expression, and a slightly dazed look, as if he’d just woken up from a dream and wasn’t entirely sure where he was. Then he smiled. “I don’t remember everything,” he said. “Not yet. But I remember you.” He brought her hand up, touched the gold ring on her right index finger, the Fair Folk metal warm to the touch. “Clary,” he said. “You’re Clary. You’re my best friend.”

-----------------------------

Alec made his way up the hill to where Magnus stood on the pathway overlooking the tent. He was leaning against a tree, hands in his pockets, and Alec joined him to watch as Simon, looking as bewildered as a newborn duckling, was swarmed by friends: Jace and Maia and Luke, and even Jocelyn, crying with happiness as she hugged him, smearing her makeup. Only Isabelle stood apart from the group, her hands clasped in front of her, her face almost expressionless. “You’d almost think she didn’t care,” said Alec as Magnus reached out to straighten his tie. Magnus had helped him pick out the suit he was wearing, and was very proud of the fact that it had a slender stripe of blue that brought out Alec’s eyes. “But I’m pretty sure she does.”

“You’re correct,” Magnus said. “She cares too much; that’s why she’s standing apart.”

“I would ask you what you did, but I’m not sure I want to know,” Alec said, leaning his back against Magnus, taking comfort in the solid warmth of the body behind him. Magnus put his chin down on Alec’s shoulder, and for a moment they stood motionless together, looking dow....

-----------

“Isabelle.”

She looked up; she had been leaning against the side of the piano, letting Jace’s playing (and the faint sound of Church gnawing wood) lull her. It was music that reminded her of her childhood, of Jace spending hours in the music room, filling the halls of the Institute with a cascade of notes.

It was Simon. He had unbuttoned his denim jacket in the warmth of the tent, and she could see the flush of heat and awkwardness across his cheekbones. There was something alien about it, a Simon who blushed and was cold and hot and grew up and grew away—from her. His dark eyes were curious as they rested on her; she saw some recognition in them, but it wasn’t total. It wasn’t the way Simon had looked at her before, longing and that sweet ache and sense that here was someone who saw her, saw Isabelle, the Isabelle she presented to the world and the Isabelle she hid away, tucked into the shadows where only a very few could see her. Simon had been one of those few. Now he was—something else. “Isabelle,” he said again, and she sensed Jace looking over at her, his eyes curious as his hands darted over the piano keys. “Would you dance with me?”

She sighed and nodded. “All right,” she said, and let him draw her onto the dance floor. In her heels she was as tall as he was; their eyes were on a level. Behind the glasses his were the same dark coffee brown.

“I’ve been told,” he said, and cleared his throat, “or at least, I get the sense, that you and I—”

“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t talk about it. If you don’t remember, then I don’t want to hear it.”

One of his hands was on her shoulder, the other on her waist. His skin was warm against hers, not cool as she remembered it. He seemed incredibly human, and fragile. “But I want to remember it,” he said, and she remembered how argumentative he’d always been; that, at least, hadn’t changed. “I remember some of it—it’s not like I don’t know who you are, Isabelle.”

“You would call me Izzy,” she said, suddenly feeling very tired. “Izzy, not Isabelle.”

He leaned in, and she felt his breath against her hair. “Izzy,” he said. “I remember kissing you.” She shivered. “No, you don’t.” “Yes, I do,” he said. His hands slid to her back, fingers brushing the space just below her shoulder blade that always made her squirm. “It’s been months now,” he said, in a low voice. “And nothing’s felt quite right. I’ve always felt like something was missing. And now I know it was this, all of this, but it was also you. I didn’t remember during the day. But I dreamed at night about you, Isabelle.” “You dreamed about us?” “Just you. The girl with the dark, dark eyes.” He touched the edge of her hair with light fingers. “Magnus tells me I was a hero,” he said. “And I see on your face when you’re looking at me that you’re searching for that guy. The guy you knew who was a hero, who did great things. I don’t remember doing those things. I don’t know if that makes me not a hero anymore. But I’d like to try to be that guy again. That guy who gets to kiss you because he earned it. If you’ll be patient enough to let me try.”

It was such a Simon thing to say. She looked up at him, and for the first time felt a swell of hope in her chest and didn’t immediately move to crush it down. “I might let you,” she said. “Try, that is. I can’t promise anything.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.” His face lit up, and she saw the shadow of a memory move behind his eyes. “You’re a heartbreaker, Isabelle Lightwood,” he said. “I remember that much, at least.”

#IM CRYING SO HARD #re: simon.#book six.#izzy pov.#quotes about isabelle.#quotes by isabelle.#re: magnus.

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ketzwrites · 6 years ago

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Rewatch 104: Raising Hell

We’re out of the introduction section of season one. By now, the audience (and Clary) should be used to the Shadow World being a thing and have some notion of how the mechanics work. All the basic background has been explained, so now we dive into the plot.

Also, Magnus Bane.

Teaser

Once again, Clary’s worry and love for Simon are used in benefit of exploring male characters and not her. This time, it’s Jace who overhears Clary talking to her best friend and feels jealous. Then, it’s Simon who is bitter over being soft rejected again. Can’t we focus on Clary when talking about her feelings?

Anyway, Simon doesn’t trust Jace, but Clary does. After all, Jace saved their lives. He also put Clary at the mercy of a creepy vampire without her consent or knowledge. But, hey, if Simon can think Camille is hot after she sexually assaulted him, Clary can have the hots for Jace. Equal opportunity.

Clary wants to exchange the Mortal Cup for her mother. She says this after days of everyone she met telling her that Valentine cannot, in any way, shape, or form, put his hands on the Mortal Cup or everyone will suffer. Why am I supposed to root for her? I’m actively rooting against Clary getting the Cup. Very against it if her goal is to give it to Valentine.

That said, Clary and Simon brainstorming works well. Smart kids are smart.

Also, Simon’s hallucinations are creepy by the right amount.

Act One

These little Clace moments are funny to watch. I like that it’s the girl walking into the semi-naked guy and not the other way around.

Oh, yes. Magnus Bane is very powerful. He’s also the High Warlock. Why didn’t you go straight to him again? Also, Jace, being a bitch about Clary’s best friend won’t make her warm up to you, no matter how jealous of Simon you are.

I have some questions: does Jace know that Clary wants to exchange the Mortal Cup for her mother? Does he care? Would he let her do it? Is he using her quest to save her mother to get to the Cup?

“Considering I’m the guy with the weapons, I pretty much get to say what I want.” Jace really has the most atrocious lines.

Too bad nobody asks Simon what freaked him out so much. He was fine just minutes before and now he’s acting like that out of fear. If only someone – okay, he’d only respond to Clary – if Clary had asked him why the sudden attitude change, he might have explained about the hallucination and Jace could’ve explained it’s a side-effect of the blood he drunk.

Magnus is over 300yo (I’m tagging all references on Magnus’ age). He also gets his own introduction – for the benefit of the audience, of course, because nothing justifies the Lightwoods knowing nothing about the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

Just like with the vamps, the show takes this opportunity to talk about warlocks in general: they take payment for services rendered, they are immortal, they- that’s it. All one needs to know. We will get a hint at Warlock Marks in Act Three, though.

Funny how Alec is the only one that ignores Magnus’ bad reputation and treats Magnus as a person, not an irresponsible slut. Izzy thinks Magnus would care more about a party than his people’s safety, Jace is quick to make remarks about Magnus’ love life for Clary’s amusement, and Hodge outright calls Magnus a greedy hedonist. Alec, however, doesn’t think Magnus would go to a party with Valentine out there. He is right: Magnus goes to meet with Clary, someone he cares about.

I’m still not over how ridiculous it is that Valentine’s base is in Chernobyl. Or how bad these two Seelies are at scouting. They just stood in the middle of the room. I know they are invisible, but come on!

Act Two

Valentine is a blood supremacist. I wanted to make it clear because maybe this on the nose dialogue wasn’t on the nose enough.

Some tension between Luke and Alaric and a reminder that Luke is under surveillance from the mundane police. Cool? I guess we’re dropping the mystery on whether Luke is a good or bad guy then.

This “girls getting dressed” scene is making me wonder: if Jocelyn burned down Clary’s bedroom, where did Clary get the clothes she’s been wearing in the last couple of episodes? Well, at least there is less slut-shaming Izzy’s clothes: Clary actually compliments them.

Again, I don’t understand why Jace acts like Clary will inevitably find a way out of the Institute if he tries to keep her inside. But, alas, Clary gets her first dagger!

Magnus feeds his reputation by acting carelessly but underneath it, he’s not kidding. Too bad he sends Elias out of the protection of the lair; that will lead to the attack on the warlocks when Elias is intercepted and rats them out.

Izzy is finally acting like a real person. No alluring tone, no flimsy little giggles. Just a normal tone of voice and her real personality. Good. Also good is the complicity between Izzy and Alec: how Alec can vent to her and how Izzy cares about him.

Maureen is the cutest. Too bad Simon will break her heart, but at least she gets to live a normal life far away from the Shadow World. Which is the opposite of Simon’s own fate.

Act Three

Clary and Izzy’s friendship is still the gayest. It’s so good to see Clary making an uncomplicated friendship with someone that has her best interest in mind. This is different than her relationship with Jace, which is colored with their attraction to one another, and her antagonist relationship with Alec.

I know it’s easy to dislike Clary for treating Magnus rudely in their first meeting but, as far as she knows, he’s a hedonist asshole who took money in exchange for wiping out her memories. Not exactly someone you’d hug hello. That said, she needs Magnus’ help, so treating him like the dirt she found in her shoes isn’t exactly going to rally him to her side.

Magnus is 100% done with Jace and they’ve been in each other’s presence for ten seconds. That’s the whole relationship in a nutshell at least until half of season 2a.

This Clary/Magnus exchange should’ve been about Clary being the Hero™ and trying to convince Magnus to face Valentine instead of running away from him. She’s supposed to be inspiring Magnus to fight. But it doesn’t work: Magnus and Clary are not in similar positions. He has people under his responsibility, she does not. He has something to lose, she already lost it all.

The Lightwoods are shown as competent fighters again. Well, Alec is. He finishes off the Circle Member with one arrow. Magnus is impressed and aroused.

Another fall out between Alec and Jace. Did venting earlier made Alec stop holding his tongue? Also, once again Clary gives zero fucks about anything that doesn’t concern her. I’ve watched the episode four times now and I still hope Alec will tell Clary “The world doesn’t revolve around you and what you want.” But, instead, he keeps going along with the rogue mission.

Some action! Clary saves the warlock girl. This is going to be important because that’s the reason why Magnus agrees to help Clary later. The bar is really that low.

The Circle Member that Magnus has taken Elias’ Warlock Mark in his collection: that is the same practice that Raphael will tell Izzy about in 213.

This episode is the first time we see Alec smile: first a shy smile with Izzy and now a full grin with Magnus. Alec also shows some vulnerability by stammering and looking confused. Magnus likes it.

Act Four

The use of the little Zoe to show Magnus’ soft side is great because it contrasts with everything we’ve heard about him. His honest worry for her clashes against the depiction we got in Act One. However, it gets overboard when Magnus is highly impressed by Clary saving Zoe. Izzy and Jace were there too. Why does Magnus say Clary is “not like the others” when he has no such praise for them?

This undeserving praise escalates even further when Magnus extends it to Jocelyn: the same woman that founded the Circle and only left it once it hurt the man she was in love with, the same woman that had Clary’s memories stolen, and the same woman that continues to act selfishly her whole life.

I’m having a great time watching Simon this season. It’s good to remember why I used to like him. Once the panic has passed, he tries to get help with the person he trusts: Clary. He’s doing what he can.

Magnus’ attempts at flirting with Alec are hilarious – and Izzy agrees. But don’t look away or you’ll lose Magnus proving once again that he is nothing like his reputation says. He immediately gives Izzy the necklace he risked his life for. Greedy, hm?

Act Five

Magnus using his praise to Clary to make sure Alec knows he’s into guys is priceless.

I’m sorry, Clary not knowing where in a pentagram she should stand is just stupid. There are five of them. The creepy whispers in the background are cool, though.

Curious that the order of the memory-giving goes from Izzy to Clary to Alec, skipping Jace. I wonder who Magnus’ memory would be about. Catarina? Ragnor? Raphael? I think Jace’s would be about Alec but the show might have gone with “nothing” because lol Jace only learns what love is with Clary like that’s not worrisome at all.

While the scene plays as Alec’s crush on Jace being revealed and Alec understandably reacting badly to being outed, the way it was done is confusing. Clary’s memory is about her mother, Izzy’s is about her brother. The audience has no reason to believe Alec’s memory isn’t about his brother and Parabatai, but it is actually about the guy he likes. Even Jace’s reaction can be read as surprise that someone loves him: we know by now Jace doesn’t believe in love and sees himself as a stray the Lightwoods took in. We need Alec’s reaction to go back and re-read the scene as what it was intended to be. That’s not great writing.

Another thing that doesn’t work is Clary’s twirl and stab. If it is that easy to kill the Memory Demon, either Alec or Izzy should’ve gone for it instead of pathetically grabbing Jace’s arms. Hell, Jace’s arms were free. He could’ve stabbed the Demon himself. In the next act, Jace is going to praise Clary for this as if it was a hard move. It was not and overestimating Clary’s actions makes her unlikable.

But at least this scene has Clary sacrificing her self-interest (her memories) for someone else’s well-being (Jace’s). Personally, I think this would be more interesting if Alec had been the one taken by the demon. We know Clary will save her Love Interest but will she save the guy antagonizing her in every step?

Act Six

A nonny once said Magnus outed Alec by saying that there was nothing to be ashamed of in front of everyone. They are literally in a different room from everybody else when this conversation happens.

Clary constantly wearing makeup is pissing me off. She’s supposed to be getting ready for bed. Why does she have gloss on?

How does the shredded portal work again? Clary can see where Valentine is and he knows it? He can talk to her through it, in fact. So, he could use to see Jocelyn’s house, correct? After all, it was there all along.

#ketz rewatches shadowhunters #sh 104 #sh meta #the amount of bending over backwards this episode do to elevate Clary is absurd #and it's not even her fault #she's just doing the bare minimum #and yet the other characters are kissing her ass all around #while simon suffers in a parallel plot

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hiddlesgirl · 8 years ago

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SH 112: Malec

I love this episode! I like a lot of the character interactions in this episode, there are some really good scenes and that amazing kiss. The actors are doing brilliant work, as usual, and the outfits are gorgeous; everyone is looking beautiful.

We begin with Izzy in her element planning Alec and Lydia’s wedding which is to take place the next evening, advising on the flower placement and choosing beautiful cobalt blue curtains. Jace storms though determined to do everything possible to find out how to wake up Jocelyn and find Valentine; he considers it a failure on his part that he didn’t kill Valentine. Izzy asks if he has spoken to Alec, Jace says that he doesn’t need to talk to anyone and wants to stick to the mission. Izzy can see how fractured the bond between Alec and Jace is right now and she is trying to help in any way possible because she knows that they need each other, especially now. Jace is set on his missions to try to rectify his failing and to keep his mind off the fact that Clary is his sister.

I like the scene between Clary and Alec, they don’t see eye to eye and have had this animosity between them because they both have feelings for Jace and the whole situation they found themselves thrown into after Clary arrived. Clary thanks him for everything he has done to help her get her mother back; she knows what a struggle it has been for him to bend the rules for her and the upset the effects of her actions have caused. Alec thanks her for coming back and handing over the Mortal Cup which saved Izzy from exile, he acknowledges that everything Clary has done has been to get her family back and he can identify with that. I don’t think they are quite ready for friendship yet but there is potential there now that the tension is dwindling.

Alec goes to Magnus’ to see if he has any information about the warlock who made the spell for Jocelyn, but Magnus wants to continue their previous conversation. Alec insists that there is nothing to discuss, he has made his decision; for him marriage is about family, tradition and honour. Magnus asks where is the honour in living a lie, he knows that Alec doesn’t want to marry a woman and that he doesn’t love her; their whole marriage would be a lie. He asks Alec what about love, even Shadowhunters fall in love; he asks Alec to tell him that he is in love with Lydia, if he does he will stop questioning him. After a pause Alec replies that he doesn’t know and Magnus is confusing him; Alec feels something for Magnus but he feels that he needs to follow his duty to his family, the two emotions are confusing and frustrating him. Magnus goes on to explain that confusion is part of discovering your feelings, that they are more like symptoms; you lose your breath every time they enter a room; your heart beats faster when they walk by; your skin tingles when they stand close enough to feel their breath. Some people didn’t like that Magnus was using his magic to cause Alec to feel to affects he was talking about but I think he did it as a demonstration; the only romantic feelings Alec has ever had have been towards Jace. He might not recognise or acknowledge the symptoms Magnus points out; it’s like when someone describes a feeling you to you then gives it a name and you’re like ‘oh, that’s what that is’.

Alec turns to face away from Magnus as he comes full circle; he closes his eyes as if to collect himself before facing Magnus again. Magnus says ‘I know you feel what I feel, Alec’; Magnus knows that there has been a connection between them since they met; he wants Alec to be able to acknowledge those feelings instead of repressing them. Alec replies with ‘You don’t have any clue what I feel, so back off.’; Magnus’s face falls, yet again Magnus has been putting himself out there for Alec and had it thrown back at him, another rejection.

Alec accuses Magnus of just playing a game using magic and flirting, that he risks nothing; Alec doesn’t think Magnus has anything to risk because of who he is, he is out and powerful. Alec says that even if he did feel something for Magnus he has to do what’s right for him, he could lose his family, career, everything; and he feels that Magnus doesn’t understand that. For his whole life he has suppressed who he is and his emotions because he perceives that he would lose everything should anyone find out and until now nothing was worth that risk.

Magnus says that Alec has a choice to make and he won’t ask again, Alec turns away and when he turns back Magnus is gone. Magnus knows that ultimately it is Alec’s choice but he wants Alec to make the decision based on what will make him happy, not what will make his parents happy. Magnus keeps pushing not just because of their feelings and any potential relationship they could have but also because he wants Alec to be happy and right now Alec isn’t happy; and he will never truly be happy if he keeps repressing himself. Magnus knows that this was his last chance to lay his heart on the line, to try to convince Alec that love and happiness are worth more than honour; and when it turn sour he couldn’t bear to be there anymore.

The next morning Magnus is at the institute to help Clary and Jace determine who made the potion for Jocelyn. I think that they played the awkward conversation between Clary and Jace well, they don’t know how to act around each other now. I love Magnus’ line ‘Why couldn’t we do this at my place, at least there we’d have cocktails’; Clary replies ‘It’s nine in the morning’; Magnus quips ‘Well, it’s happy hour somewhere my dear’. I love this little exchange and I have since used the opportunity to quote this in a conversation, then laughed hysterically at myself (it was awesome).

We are introduced to Ragnor Fell, a warlock friend of Magnus’ who they determine must have been the one who created the potion for Jocelyn, as they move to leave Magnus turn around to be greeted by the two people he wanted to avoid; Alec and Lydia. Alec is annoyed that he wasn’t informed of the meeting and I love Magnus’ response ‘you don’t want to tarnish your family’s perfectly crafted image now do you’. Magnus is trying to make Alec feel as uncomfortable as he does. Magnus knows a lot more about Maryse and Robert’s past in the circle so he knows that this marriage is not going to fix the damage Alec’s parents caused to the Lightwood reputation. He is upset with Alec for choosing duty over his feelings, also his own feelings are hurt from Alec’s rejection, and he is mad at the situation because Maryse is putting pressure on Alec to fix damaged caused by her and Robert’s mistakes.

I like the scene where Magnus, Clary and Jace are walking towards Ragnor’s house; Clary wants to address the issue, Jace wants to ignore it and Magnus tries to help with some fun facts about attraction between siblings. Magnus then comments that maybe waking Jocelyn would help, Jace refuses to acknowledge Jocelyn as his mother and he believes she abandoned him; Clary immediately defends her mother. I think it is interesting because Clary has been talking about how wonderful her mother is the whole season and now Jace has to deal with the fact that this woman is his mother too, and he was left to be raised by Valentine.

Magnus cuts in with ‘I’m sorry I asked. I came with you to escape my relationship drama, not to get a front row seat to yours.’ I know some people didn’t like that Magnus seemed to be implying that he and Alec were involved in a romantic relationship, but I don’t think he meant that at all. He wants to have a romantic relationship with Alec and they seemed to be one the cusp of one until all the drama with Alec’s parents happened. I think that he was referring to the fact that the relationship (defined as a connection or association) between himself and Alec at the moment was tense and uncertain, not that he thought they were engaged in a romantic relationship.

Shortly after meeting Ragnor he gets attacked by a demon and dies in Magnus’ arm; I was disappointed that the character died so quickly but I am in awe of Harry’s acting in that scene. The raw emotion of his face is amazing, the devastation and anger, the way he gently kisses Ragnor’s hand and strokes his face; I cannot take my eyes off him in that scene.

Izzy, Clary and Jace discuss that there must be a traitor in the institute and Jace points the finger at Lydia because she is a new person and overheard their conversation about going to see Ragnor (at this point I am sat just repeating ‘Hodge’ at the TV). Clary offers to talk to Lydia, to see if she will slip up. Lydia immediately shuts down Clary’s suspicions by saying that if she was working for Valentine she would have given him the Mortal Cup already; Clary makes the point that these people are her family now and she will protect them. Lydia says she cares for them too, that she is marrying Alec even though she knows about Alec’s feelings for Magnus because she has been moved by Alec’s commitment to his family. Clary asks about Alec’s happiness, Lydia replies that for Shadowhunters duty to their family comes first. I love Clary in this moment because she says that Alec shouldn’t have to give up his chance at happiness and figuring out his feelings just to make his family happy. I really love that this can translate over to real life situations and that it is a message to people that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your happiness to make other people happy.

While looking at an old photograph Magnus starts seeing Ragnor (I presume it is a hallucination or like a Jiminy Cricket type deal). Magnus talks about his previous relationship with Camille, she never loved him the way he loved her; Camille thinks that immortals aren’t supposed to feel true love. I think he is lingering on this memory because after Camille he shut himself off, until Alec; he let himself be vulnerable with Alec and is probably thinking that he may not be destined for true love as Camille had once said.

I love the scene between Jace and Alec, they clear the air and acknowledge that they weren’t trying to hurt each other but do what they thought was the right thing. They are both in a place of confusion right now and it helps them to reconcile, they can identify with one another again. Jace is confused because of his romantic feelings towards Clary but she is his sister and he is having trouble with his identity, he doesn’t know who he is anymore after all of these revelations. Alec is confused because he wants to do right by his family but he has feelings for Magnus who returns his feelings and he isn’t sure which the right decision for him is. I love Alec’s little speech about someone pushing you off the path of your life; they both have experienced that, Jace with Clary and Alec with Magnus. Alec is determined to get his life back on track for what his parents expect of him, Jace says that he must be true to himself; Alec says that he is being true to himself by fulfilling his duty. Jace tells Alec that he will always be there for him and Alec returns the sentiment; after everything they both needed to clear the air and the reassurance that they are still there for each other no matter what else happens.

Ragnor and Magnus discuss more of Magnus’ romantic background; Magnus muses that maybe Camile was right. Ragnor says that he isn’t Camille and that one day someone will tear down the wall around his heart and when that love comes back to him he must fight for it (I adore this speech by the way). Magnus’ face lights up with realisation; if he doesn’t make one last effort with Alec he knows he will regret it. After so long he has found someone who makes he feels something that could grow into love if Alec would give it a chance and Magnus isn’t prepared to let go of that; especially if the only reason Alec was resisting was to please his parents. He has waited so long for another chance at love that he needs to fight for it.

I think the wedding looks gorgeous; also Alec, Izzy and Lydia all look beautiful (all these beautiful people are gonna kill me). I love the music, I think the lyrics really fit and it builds up anticipation. Then Magnus walks in and steals my breath, he looks so beautiful and the look between himself and Alec makes my breath hitch in my throat. Jace asks Izzy if Alec invited him, and Izzy reveals that she did but didn’t think he would show up; I love this because Izzy supported Alec’s decision but she also helped provide him with the opportunity to change his mind because she knows where his true feelings lie.

I love that Alec and Magnus cannot take their eyes off the other, even when Magnus dismisses Maryse he only breaks eye contact with Alec for a moment. I also love the line ‘this is between me and your son; I’ll leave if he asks me to.’ Magnus needs to make this last effort for Alec but is fully prepared to walk away if Alec asks him to, I love it because it proves that Magnus’ wants Alec to be happy more than he wants to be in a relationship with him. When Alec says ‘I can’t breathe’ it is like he is realising that he is experiencing what Magnus was demonstrating the previous day, it hits him when Magnus walks in and he can’t ignore it. He tells Lydia that he can’t do this; he thought he was doing the right thing but getting married isn’t it. He is realising that getting married isn’t the right thing for him, everything he felt when Magnus walked in the room proved that he wouldn’t be happy in a marriage to Lydia, and it wouldn’t be fair to any of them. My love and respect for Lydia grows when she tells Alec he deserves to be happy, even though she has started to care for him she knows he can’t love her and it wouldn’t be right to keep him from finding happiness with someone else.

This is when I start welling up with happy tears. I adore how the lyrics start as Alec steps down from the alter and the lyrics match so well, he has tried to deny his feelings for Magnus for so long and he can’t deny them anymore. Alec is nervous but you can see the determination, he knows now that this is who he is and he wants the man who is standing in front of him; he is finally ready to admit his feelings to himself and everyone else. I adore the spark of surprise in Magnus’ eyes as Alec starts walking towards him, he hoped Alec would choose him but he certainly didn’t expect it. Harry and Matt are seriously amazing in this scene, their expressions are conveyed in barely there micro movements but you feel it. I love that Alec dismisses Maryse with a simple ‘Enough’ because I think that it has a broader meaning that just stop talking right now; it’s enough of living my life for you, enough sacrificing my happiness. Jace, Izzy, Clary and Simon are all so pleased for both Alec and Magnus; they have seen their feelings building and are glad that Alec can finally admit who he is and what he wants. It is more than just choosing Magnus over Lydia, it is Alec choosing himself. It is Alec choosing his happiness over what his parents want for him; its Alec finally admitting to himself and everyone else who he is.

Okay, the actual kiss; oh my gosh. It is so passionate, and I really admire Harry and Matt for their dedication to playing these two characters. It feels like a kiss that two people who have feelings for each other would kiss, a passionate, almost desperate ‘finally I can kiss you’. They way they both keep their eyes closed for few seconds after they pull apart just to savour the moment, it’s so beautiful. There is a wonderful analysis I found of the way they kiss which I have posted separately. I have to say that their kiss is one of the most beautiful, believable kisses I have ever seen on screen.

I love that Izzy comes over to tell Alec she is proud of him, she knows how difficult it has been for him and the courage it took to do what he just did. I also love Simon having his fan boy moment (we are all Simon right now) referencing The Graduate. I love the identical looks of confusion on Alec and Magnus’ faces as they listen to him; and Alec’s deadpan ‘who invited the vampire.’ I love this whole interaction and despite Alec’s annoyance at Simon I think it helps put his at easy a little that at least his friends are accepting him, not matter what his parents think.

I like the little moment between Lydia and Jace; he thanks her for what she did for Alec, it means a lot to all of them that she let Alec choose his happiness. Lydia says, and knows, that if was the right thing to do for all of them; if she and Alec had gotten married anyway it would have made Alec and Magnus miserable, and she would feel the same because of it. Jace lets her know that no matter what she has a place with them for letting Alec out of their engagement.

I like the scene where Clary gives Jace the box of baby things that their mother kept; she wanted to prove to Jace that their mother thought he was gone but never forgot him. Clary is trying to offer him comfort with the knowledge that their mother did love him and didn’t leave him willingly or knowingly. It will be interesting to watch their interactions with Jocelyn once she’s awake. Jace opens up that he is having problems with his sense of self, that he thinks there is darkness in him and that he felt tempted to go with Valentine. Jace is struggling with these new facts, the father that he thought he knew is someone who murders innocents, the woman he was falling for is his sister and these two things make him think there is something wrong with him.

We get a sweet moment with Alec and Magnus, I adore the matching happy smiles on their faces; before Maryse and Robert walk in; I love that Magnus takes a few steps away because he knows that this is between Alec and his parents, he cannot and should not interfere. Maryse accuses Alec of being selfish and humiliating them, that she doesn’t recognise him; he tells her he is the same person, everything is just in the open now. Maryse shows her prejudice by saying ‘and all for a Downworlder’ before leaving; she doesn’t understand that Alec chose Magnus, chose not to marry Lydia, because it is what is best for him. He wasn’t doing it out of spite; he did it because he needed to be true to himself. I like that even though Robert doesn’t understand he doesn’t judge, he gives Alec a reassuring pat and tell him to give Maryse time. I adore Magnus, he sees that Alec is upset by his mother’s reaction and you can see him thinking of a way to distract him; so he brings up that they haven’t been on a date yet. He is successful in distracting Alec and making him smile, Alec then asks Magnus to go for drinks sometime; Magnus replies that he’d love that. I love the smiles, I think it is the most we have seen Alec smile; and we definitely see him smile the most when he is around Magnus.

In the last scene it is confirmed that Hodge is the traitor. He makes contact with Valentine using a ring, he then bargains with Valentine; the Mortal Cup in exchange for breaking his punishment rune. This didn’t surprise me because I suspected him from the beginning of the episode and you understand his reasoning to an extent.

I really love this episode, there are some great interactions of Clary with other characters and the wedding was amazing. I am so happy with the first malec kiss and I cannot compliment Harry and Matt enough for the work they have done and continue to do.

#SHRewatch #SH112 #SH 112 Review #Malec #Shadowhunters #SH 112 #Shadowhunters Review #Shadowhunters 112 #Shadowhunters Rewatch #Shadowhunters 1x12

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