#zachary colored gaze

[wouldyoustayvn]

Oooo on the subject of Colored Gaze what does Virgil think of Zachary and Seth?

Virgil thinks Seth pretty cool! He likes his red eyes and his sharp teeth!

As for Zachary, Virgil thinks he’s absolutely handsome (it’s the closed eyes and glasses, and blue, and somehow has a thing for brunettes (*looks at Riza*) )

[clownboymcchucklefuck]

Colored Gaze whores I need yalls help again-

I have almost everything figured out from colored gaze....EXCEPT FOR ONE THING.

@clrdgaze on twitter for the art ofc guys))

THE TATTOOS.

When I tell you guys I have looked everywhere for the meaning of those tattoos I mean it but I can't seem to find it or figure it out, if any like, tattoo expert has any ideas PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

[cringegobrrr]

Multiple AU like a Barbie…

[clrdgazearchive]

2.

[tiredandoptimistic]

TSC Fandom Survey Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here we go, time for the real shit!

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

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

Make sense?

Alright, let's go!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taglist:

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

[heartnosekid]

my personal favorite stimboards masterlist!

so, as it turns out... i've made a lot of stimboards since 2021 when i made my first favorite stimboards stimboard. i wanted to make another stimboard of the boards, but i quickly found out i had way too many favorites to fit in a stimboard that my computer or phone could handle lol.

so, instead of the stimboard, here is a bunch of links to my favorite stimboards with some descriptors. as far as name stimboards go, i love them all too much so i couldn't decide on a concise list of favorites lol enjoy! comment your favorites if you want to!

concept / music based:

clowncore with bright primary colors | butterflies, spiders, & moths in purple & blue | nature, flowers, & bugs in pink & yellow | aroace sunset flag with nature | lunar rainbow | pansexual with nature | black & neon glowcore | hot pink color board

demeter & young persephone | black arches moth | carnivalcore, kidcore, & kitties | smile - the beach boys album art | pink, elegant, & floral | death's head hawkmoth | virginian tiger moth

night skies, the moon, biblically accurate angels, books, & moths | yule pagan holiday board | rain by sleep token | "i know love is real because i exist and i am full of it" | sidewalk chalk kitty

character / franchise based:

marie (splatoon) based on only her hair colors | dark magic hat creampuff cookie (cookie run: ovenbreak) | seer (apex legends) | floral sacrifice soul weaver (identity v) | super pusheenicorn (pusheen) | haku (spirited away) | skitty (pokemon) | wish bear & love-a-lot bear (care bears) | baby hugs & tugs (care bears)

custom camper (animal crossing: pocket camp) | banette (pokemon) | royal livery bloodhound (apex legends) | caregiver zacharie & small batter (off game) | a gaze eternal revenant (apex legends) | raiden (metal gear rising: revengeance) | fleur fairies (jellycat)

bog witch ad (goatlings) | wicked harvest bloodhound (apex legends) | neon skeleton squishmallows | mirage (apex legends) | k_k (deltarune) | renji & uta with cafe elements & greyscale (tokyo ghoul) | ione (animal crossing) | zucker (animal crossing) | oyster cookie (cookie run: kingdom)

lime cookie (cookie run: ovenbreak) | blue eyes white dragon (yu-gi-oh) | alice in wonderland 1951 film | lobo (puss in boots: the last wish) | miffy kidcore positivity (miffy & friends) | trans calico critters (sylvanian families) | king rauru (the legend of zelda: tears of the kingdom) | catalyst (apex legends)

g1 pony bride (my little pony) | white pearl cookie (cookie run: kingdom) | soft pastel blue dratini (pokemon) | dusk from the hex girls (scooby doo) | frilled jellyfish cookie (cookie run: kingdom) | uboa (yume nikki) | sayaka miki (puella magi madoka magica) | fog canyon (hollow knight)

[autisticrosewilson]

WE HAVENT BROUGHT RENA INTO THE LGCU (loser Grant cinematic universe bc we have like five aus now)

:)

Jason is acting weird. Everyone can see it, even people who don't know him as well as she does. He's jittery, restless in a way he never is in English class. She hasn't seen him act this strange since Mr. Napier made him stay after class, all those months ago.

It's a different kind of strange though. Last time, he pushed people away, monosylable responses where he's usually the most vocal, weeks worth of texts left on seen or delivered. Now he's...

Grant is with him, again. The Kane boy always seems to be with him these days. Attached at the hip when he used to trail Jason like a shadow. They're sitting at a table by themselves, knees pressed together, faces close as they whisper to each other. At the table behind them sandwiched between Jason's old friends is Eddie, deaf to whatever Zachary is monologuing about, staring at Jason like a kicked puppy. The spot always reserved for Jason is empty. A few tables ahead, Grayson sits across from Donna, but he isn't listening to a word she says, busy as he is glaring down Grant. The older Kane is gripping his arm tightly, clearly willing the sports captain not to storm over there.

Rena has had enough. And because she's such a good friend, she's going to put a stop to this nonsense. She marches over and slams her tray down on the table beside Jason, practically at the same moment a girl she only vaguely knows from rumors and gossip slips silently from the gaggle of people around them to sit next to Grant. They make eye contact, and though Rena doesn't even know her name, they come to an understanding in a fraction of a second. Rena nods and the older girl nods back, and then they get down to business.

"Jason." She keeps her tone even but firm, leaving no wiggle room for Jason to try to escape.

Jason winces, all the indication she needs that he's guilty and he knows it, and swallows thickly. "Rena." He greets, begrudgingly.

"Jade." Grant grunts, impatient and irritated, all traces of Jason's adoring new organ scrubbed clean.

Jade sniffs, eyebrow raised. "Grant." Clipped and somehow dripping with reproach.

It's quiet for a moment, all of them waiting for someone else to speak up, to explain or question or scold or defend.

Rena clears her throat. "You've been acting weird. Why?" She gets straight to the point.

"I-"

"He-"

Jason is cut off with a sharp, warning look. Jade, less forgiving, has slapped her hand over Grant's mouth to stop whatever white knight crusade he was about to embark on.

"Don't insult my intelligence Jason. You're not as good of an actor as you like to think you are." She crosses her arms.

Something blank and a little mean passes over Jason's face, Something that leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. She doesn't like how it makes her doubt her words.

Jason sighs, runs his hands through his already messy curls. "Me and Grant are dating." He says finally.

Rena blinks at him, unamused. "Yes, I gathered that. What else?" She prods him.

"What do you mean what else," he frowns, "I have a boyfriend, my first boyfriend. That's not a reason for a behavior switch?"

Now she double takes, completely caught off guard. "You and Eddie weren't dating?!" She asks, just a little too loud. She's uncomfortably aware of Eddie's gaze on her back.

Jason glances around in a panic, shushing her aggressively. "Will you keep your voice down?" He hisses. "And no, of course not. Why would you think that?" He asks, like it's completely upsurd for him to have been dating the boy he spent every waking moment talking to or about, a boy whose schedule was - until this week - carefully taped on the inner cover of Jason's binder. It was color coded, for God's sake. If she looked, she's almost positive she'd find it replaced with Grant's. The thought makes her nauseous.

"Why wouldn't you guys be dating?" She retorts, feeling distinctly as though the rug has been pulled out from her.

And then, just to punch her in the gut, Jade cuts her off impatiently. "That's nice. Where's Mr. Napier?"

Rena doesn't get it. What the hell does the anatomy/drama teacher have to do with whatever romcom plot Jason is living out? But Jason tenses and Grant's already cold expression becomes arctic.

Grant muffles something behind her hand, still firmly clamped over his mouth, but she stares Jason down without sparing him a glance.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jason tells her, something scared and angry in his eyes.

Rena doesn't believe him. Dread pools in her stomach as she realizes exactly how long Mr. Napier has been missing. She's never liked the look in Grant's eyes, something dark and seething coiled behind his blank stare. She quickly grows to hate how it's reflected in Jason's.

Later, she'll excuse herself for bed early when they hear on the news that Mr. Napier is officially considered a missing person. She'll stare at her phone for hours, wondering if she should call in a tip. Two weeks later when the police come to ask the staff and kids questions, she will have made a decision.

She stays quiet.

[rinriya]

Ohhh that's so amazing! Zachary's gaze is at the same time so gentle and obsessed. Jay will never be able to escape from Zach~

Please play Colored Gaze by Mr_R1tZ_21

[helllords]

@id1eyouth asked: 🎲 from Zach to Asmodeus! / kiss roulette. 23. A kiss influenced by alcohol/other substances.

The sight that greets him is pathetic at best: he appears leaning against the doorframe of Zachary's room ( all suave, the first three buttons of his shirt opened, its fabric lazily curling around his body; enticing intentions clear ), expecting to be met with the darkened gaze of his favorite golden boy but instead finding him with loose fingers wrapped around a whisky bottle, broad shoulders slumped, an obvious wreck. And briefly does Asmodeus wonder if the other wants him to leave ( he could ) or soothe whatever it is that is tormenting his mind ( he won't ) but before he ever has the chance to open these delicious lips, he is moving in until he comes to rest right in front of him, one hand placed upon his thigh while the other pries the bottle away from his grasp. " Ah, my darling, won't you share your poison with me? " He takes a swing, the honey-colored liquid running down his lips, dripping down his chin as he leans forward, his breath hot against his lips. " Let me distract you from your plight. ", a whisper before he finds him in a heated kiss.

[hopeformankind]

@devoteyrheart sent:

“Welcome to Hell. We’ve been waiting for you.” - from mike. mb during the fall of wall maria?

spec ops: the line starters.

What met Mike at first, after he'd given the recently-appointed Commander such horrific reports, Erwin had stared almost deadpan at the words that cursed his gaze. It was the worst possible scenario, something that happened so suddenly, so-- so out of nowhere, merely a few days after they'd gotten to Wall Rose just before they themselves would've experienced the fall... the sightings of a Colossal Titan, sixty meters tall, taller than the Walls, that took out the Southern gate of Wall Maria at Shiganshina district as another Titan with armored flesh like a knight's had broken through the Northern gate.

It was like some sick, cruel joke. A joke played on him after all of the casualties seen from Commander Sha-- Keith's expeditions, now they'd only double. A leader was needed now, more than ever, but could Erwin truly succeed in such a role? When they'd been met with what could only be described as the worst fucking casualty that could ever befall Humanity?

Perhaps not. But they couldn't go back now. Regretting these decisions would only dull future decisions... all that'd be left for them is to curl up and die. And Erwin would not have that.

" 'Wall Maria's been breached'... " Erwin read aloud as if to cement such a horrific realization in his own mind, yet despite the stress this would all put upon him, there was no doubt about it. The cogs could be seen just turning in his head through those icy eyes, which began to narrow in focus. Erwin suddenly slapped the report down onto his desk, standing up with urgency.

" Seems to be Hell truly has been waiting for me... Everyone else in the Walls, too, by the looks of it. But if we're able to limit civilian casualties, then the better, despite our circumstances. " Instantly, the Commander was in work mode, something often seen from his Section-Commander days of course, but this was something far more calculated than what might've been considered before. The blonde focused on the other before him, lips pursing for a moment. " Send a request for emergency rations, I'll accompany you-- we're preparing for a sudden expedition that will leave us setting out in a few days. I want to make sure we get the refugees of Wall Maria to reach Wall Rose safely. While I trust in our fellow Regiments... " A pause, perhaps realizing his place.

" ... I cannot guarantee their success rate when it comes to battling the Titans. We will get into the Long-Distance Scouting Formation as I'd proposed to Shadis before his resignation and make sure everything is color-coded. "

" If we want this done properly, everyone needs to come together. Not just the Garrison scrambling along the Walls while the Military Police and them are left to clean up the messes. Do you understand? " He knew Mike did. Erwin would trust Mike with his life-- one of the rarer things that Erwin could ever give. He's known Mike since the earlier cadet days. Hange, as well. And yet...

... Some part of him felt ready to falter, deep down. An operation of this magnitude when they'd already lost so many soldiers... Erwin had to turn away and compose himself. Deep breaths.

He'd need to prepare for a gamble, then. Their first expedition with himself as leader... he'd need to find funding, make sure they had enough rations to handle the journey to help escort the refugees across Wall Maria to Wall Rose. It'd take days. Weeks, perhaps... and that was if Premier Zachary had faith in them. After everything with Keith? He was sure it'd be damn near zero faith, but Erwin would still work despite that. Helping refugees and survivors was their top priority.

[alwaysscreamingsiren]

Colored gaze fans, if you see this

NO, YOU DIDN'T.

Yes, the playlists are about the lyrics AND the sounds. But also.

Seth's playlist is so chill and mainstream and. Unassuming. Like. He really is a basic ass bitch normie.

Of course just because he starts out as a green flag doesn't mean he isn't secretly red. But.

He sounds like white bread or saltine crackers to me.

Honestly it's about time I fell for a normal(ish) character but I digress...

Unfortunately, I vibe with Zachary's playlist more, and I hate that blue eyed lil shit. His tunes are unassuming at times, happy even, and a little unhinged once you look deeper.

In unrelated news, neighborhood Zachary fucker (you know who you are) was right.

He sounds like bananas to me, okay at first, but I've had them go bad too quickly too many times. I can't stand them anymore. Even fresh.

[clownboymcchucklefuck]

What do we think of this song being a Zachary vibe

[cringegobrrr]

Random comic after watching helluva boss ep.6

Theme : Prosthetic leg🦿but in ancient fantasy

[mapstone]

Jack Sparrow Meets Amber Hillander

I do not own Disney characters or Green rider characters - only Amber Hillander.

After a strange looking storm with even stranger colors caught the attention of the crew on the Black Pearl, the storm abated and leaves a ship in its place, the crew and Captain Sparrow begin an investigation.

Captain Jack Sparrow Looking thru his spyglass on deck suddenly calls out to the crew.

“Ahoy there!” Mates I think we have a rescue mission.” Gazing intently thru the glass he sees two people aboard a bedraggled ship.

“A Lady “ he half whispers . A Masked Man aboard as well. …. Where are the rest of the crew?”

“What do you see Cap’n ?” A gnarled Davy Jones inquires.

“Naught but an empty ship. ‘Tis Strange indeed.” Sparrow hands him the glass.

Davy peers thru.

“Blasted , A pirate, in velvet nonetheless…a masked pirate as well.”

And a young Lady … doesn’t look like Elizabeth .. where’d these two and this forsaken ship come from.?”

“We’d better find out.” Sparrow answers

“Arm yourselves Lads.” Davy orders the men. We’ve a masked man about to come aboard , and a Lady , so mind yer tounges.”

Questioning the two separately after bringing them aboard. Sparrow has even more questions. Amberhill being first to be interrogated.

“Where did you come from, With no crew ?” Sparrow asked Amberhill.

“Where in fact are we ? The Trade Islands ? I can’t recognize anything since we got here.” Amberhill answered with a question.

“Trade Islands … there are no such islands in all this world sir.” Sparrow took a breath then continued. “ And what of the Crew? Did you not have one at all?” There were colors in the sky then your ship appeared. Who is the Lady? Not your wife , I can tell when a man is lying so don’t try anything funny.” Sparrow paced round Amberhill.

“Who is your King Sir? “ Amberhill asked another question.

“King? Who needs one ? I and my crew Certainly don’t , we don’t live by any of the royal commands.”

Amberhill is not sure they are in any realm related to his seeking. He must find out who the king is. Before he can ask another question. Sparrow throws some artifacts from the ship in front of him.

“WHAT is this ? KAUV?” He shows Amberhill the sack with the few beans left in it.

“It’s a fabulous expensive drink from the islands I’ve mentioned. You must Know of it.”

“Coffee … COFFEE.” Sparrow pronounces loudly as if Amberhill were deaf.

“That’s not what WE call it.” Amberhill is unrattled.

Sparrow throws the Jeweled box down in front of him. What of this? What’s the missing jewel ?”

“ my mothers pearls … I keep them close since she’s passed on..”

Sparrow doesn’t buy the lie.

“ you are a LIAR !” You carry an item, magical, that brought you here from another time.” Sparrow Spat it out.

“What is it ?” Sparrow points the tip of his knife into Amberhill’s shoulder.

“I won’t Speak further , till I know my Niece is safe. where are you Holding her?”

Amber Hillander is brought to Jack Sparrows Cabin for questioning by Davy Jones.

“ Your uh .. Uncle … erm Claims to be lost and is not sure he and you have landed in the right realm.”

“Please sir, bring us to the King and we shall be of no problem to you.”

“I don’t work for the king , I don’t trust them.”

“Where we’re from, My other Uncle is also the King . Zachary Hillander , only my Uncle who you’ve met , Wants to be King and Sought time travel to be able to thwart Uncle Zachary’s Rein. If you give Uncle Xandis a dragon , he’ll likely tell you more.”

We have no Dragons in this world dear lady …. They’ve passed into myth.”

Sparrow laughed.

He shows her the jeweled Box.

“Tell me of the missing Magical Item here and I shall be kind to you.”

Sparrow sets it down in front of her.

“It’s ….. uh …. A mirror shard , from a magical looking mask, it allows us to see the future or past … other possibilities and it allows us to travel….” Amber Hillander is exasperated.

“Where Is It?” Sparrow demands

“When the ship landed … we could not find it .”

Sparrow. Calls to Davy Jones.

“Davy !! We need a complete search of the ugly ship.” Get all men to the bedraggled!”

After a few hours the mirror shard doesn’t turn up. Sparrow realizes the need to visit An old friend, Tia , to have some extra help in finding the shard.

That night he is plagued by nightmares where the young lady is attacking him

And he sees himself being hanged and tortured and in courthouses and stoned by throngs of people on dry land.

Waking up unrested, he seeks Turner out , Luckily still in his bed.

Will turner was not quite awake when he heard the Captain whispering.

“Oy … Turner .. I need you to keep watch on the Hillander … I Fear for my Safety … something tells me I cannot be left alone with her EVER. “

“I understand Captain… how about the rest of us , how dangerous is the she devil?”

“I fear , she is very dangerous.” He sighs “Please , keep watch , always be by my side or hers - especially when I’m near her.” Turner nods in agreement.

The next day questioning brought them no further than it had the day before.

Turner standing by his captain while the woman Amber Hillander was questioned again.

“Where is the missing magical piece ?”

Sparrow inquired

“I told you we didn’t find it after our ship came here” she answered meekly

“Well we shall search for it soon, we have powerful friends who can help us find it and return you immediately to your time!”

Turning to the door he calls out to Davy “Jones! all hands !All hands! , we sail to Tia !”

“But if you give uncle Xandis a dragon BEFORE we depart for our timeline uncle Xandis and I would be forever in your debt.” Hillander exclaims

sparrow sneers

“Ridiculous Woman” looking at Will Turner he said “Keep Her QUIET!”

Sparrow turns and leaves his cabin.

“I could give them a kraken but no they wouldn’t like that now would they?”

Sparrow paced before Jones on deck,

“What do you think of these two strangers.” he asked.

“Peculiar” Jones muttered.

LATER…..

Tia stares at the box in Sparrows hands

“Empty box” she pronounces

“I KNOW Tia “

“Why did ya bring it ? An empty box?”

She repeats

“We need to find the missing piece and send the two strangers back to their own timeline.”

Tias eyes gloss over “ Dey be askin bout a dragon do Dey ?”

“Yes”

“ it is not wise to give der demands but send dem back wit or witout the missing magical piece I can”

“Wonderful news” sparrow says

“But I can search wit my mind for it …

Glass I see a looking glass in shatters …and many worlds be made in each piece … many worlds… possibilities …

Sparrow hand me the box.”

Tia reaches toward sparrow holding the box.

“Evil is planned by dis man and woman …”

“Yes the tried to thwart the King of their world.”

Tia moans “ Sparrow the glass is on the other side of the ocean.”

“Eeergh!” Sparrow groans out loud Damn , I was hoping this would be easier!”

The other side of the ocean meant the bottom and the bottom meant the whole ship and crew must descend to get at the shard.

To be continued

[dcviated]

It’s unbecoming. He knows this. Leave immature reactions to the minor devils. Over countless units of time he’s known professional acumen is tantamount to facilitating deals. And yet scenes like this Zeyrfial simply cannot help but smile. Perhaps those fiends that fed off the suffering of emotions were on to something. Well, be that as it may. A memory like this, lifted off a page searing with suffering and anguish, would taste delicious on his twisted tongue.

“If you’re quite finished.” His words punctuated the simmering of her boiling anger, mirth dissipated like steam off the heat of the moment. Once again the archfiend had himself returned to a more businesslike manner. The show was over. The deal could go on. “We can return to the point of business. However, you’re an intelligent woman and now that you are grasping the weight and nature of the situation at hand. You know what I’m going to ask you for, don’t you?” The pregnant pause is filled with the clamor of the club, and the clattering of ice in the man’s cup.

“I will give you an introduction once again, Miss Nara Branth. I am Zeyrfial. Some call me the Weaver of Memories. Others, the Lord of the Mental Tapestry. But above all else. I am… a fiend that deals in the business of souls. And the soul I am seeking today. Is yours. Painted in the litany of colors of emotion. You’ve felt suffering, struggles, and the heights and lows expected of a businesswoman who’s reached the heights of success you have. You feature… quite prominently in the memories of his soul. I was afforded a sample of it before, you see.”

Tongue glides patronizingly across his lips. The satisfaction of past experience reading plainly on his mien as gaze remains locked on the suffering lady. The sample was delicious, but the true fermentation and concoction of agony was here before him.

“He lived an interestingly foolish childhood. Ah, not that I need repeat such things for you. I’m sure you remember those rainy nights. Yes. So. Nara Branth. What I want from you… is everything. I will have to pay a steep price to free that man’s soul, as the high offices were quite eager to cast him below. If you wish to free him, you will have to balance that… debt I incur. So to speak. The agreement is thus.”

A tablet appears before the woman, manifesting from a silent puff of mist next to her glass. So modern, but the text spills forward much like her tears. A damning document, affording her absolutely no recourse or rights in the face of what she would be surrendering: the unconditional surrender of her soul and all rights to its use at the time of her next mortal death.

“Should you accept. Sign. There are no matters of interest. Your soul will be indebted. And Zachary Reis’s will be freed. The remainder of your mortal life is yours to do with as you like.”

If she wasn’t intimidated before, she was now. Nara had always been good at reading the room when it came to matters more transactional. And this room, right now, was sinister. Menacing. The booming voice in her mind, the glowing eyes on her. Nara’s still got her focus on Zeyrfial. There’s nothing that can break her concentration once she’s dead set on something.

And then she hears his voice.

She hasn’t heard it in two years. No. Wait. That’s a lie. How many times had she listened to the saved voicemails he’d left her? She often fell asleep to them. Dreaming of him.

This was a nightmare.

Nara’s out of her seat, turning to the source of the screaming. And what she finds is more grotesque than she could ever have fathomed. Yes. She’d seen Wylan bloody and bruised. She’d even patched him up on numerous occasions, holding ice packs to bruised limbs and kissing new scars. But this? This was-

“WYLAN!” Nara’s scream was blood curdling, only proving to provoke more raucous behavior from the crowd. She’s running now, heels slamming into the floor. One snaps, and she falls to her knees, hissing as they throb from the impact. That doesn’t stop her from scrambling back to her feet, slipping her shoes off in a blink. Almost there. She reaches out, nearing the stage. The smell is horrid. “WYLAN. IT’S NARA. DON’T WORRY. I’M HERE. I’LL-” She’ll what? Clawed hands wrap around her outstretched arms, roughly yanking her back, threatening to rip the arms from the sockets. It doesn’t matter. She’s thrashing, still trying to get to him. Nara was a fighter after all. “Let. Me. GO. WYLAN! I-” One of the demons twists her arm in an awkward way, the pain, the smell, the sight, the wicked laughter consuming her and the adrenaline causing her to crumple. Doubled over, she vomits.

How pitiful.

Her body goes limp as she’s carried back to the table Zeyrfial occupied, eyes trained on Wylan’s burning soul until it’s gone. Nara is numb, body slumped in the chair, demons still close by in case she tried anything. Not that one measly human could do anything against this other worldly being. Perhaps they were just basking in her misery. Feeding off of it.

“You’re a MONSTER,” she spits, voice hoarse. So much for this not being an emotional endeavor. “Why are you doing this to us? What the hell are you?” Nara can’t understand. It’s not within her capacity to understand all of this. How was she supposed to make deals with a man who could snap his fingers and raise a man from the dead? If she was a star, then Zeyrfial was a blackhole, sucking away all of her light and crushing her until there was nothing left. This hadn’t been what she wanted. This was worse than Wylan being dead. So much worse…

But there was still a way to save him.

“You still haven’t told me what you want yet.” Glassy sapphires meet his gaze once again. “Tell me.” Ever the fighter. If only she knew when to quit.

[maddymoreau]