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alastairstom · 1 year

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back again cause I'm curious as someone who's clued on to the finer details of neurodivergence do you think that james' character changed too weirdly between midnight heir and tlh? like I'm adamant these are just different sides of him brought out by different circumstances (and we see in cog and cot some aspects of the former) but he's always struck me as the 'high masking til he can't anymore then the insecurities about not being kind enough and not being fun enough kinda snap him into the opposite I-really-don't-care-anymore-about-being-responsible-for-everyone-and-everything mode' type and like I don't know if I'd catch that either if I didn't know people (myself included, sometimes) like that. what do you think?

So I have a lot of thoughts on this, and I've seen the posts floating around about how short-story James and TLH James are two different characters.

On a surface level, I'm inclined to agree that they look very different. And yet, on a deeper level, they're clearly the same person. You are correct.

Nothing But Shadows

In the case of NBS, I've always been inclined to believe that this is just James Younger.

It's here that I want to note that NBS James reads, and always has read, as autistic to me (in the same way that Matthew has read as bipolar since that story). He exhibits many autistic traits, including:

Awkwardness in social situations

A desire to avoid situations like this (he literally just wants to find a corner to read in most of the time)

His heavy-handed discomfort with Matthew that definitely stems in part from his extraversion

Difficulty expressing himself (both pre-NBS at Hatchards and during NBS in all of his encounters with the mundane students as well as Alastair + the mean boys)

Special interests in reading and storytelling

NBS James hasn't really grown into himself yet, and he's been consistently sheltered. He doesn't have a close friend group yet, and that develops in NBS. We see him even over the course of the story become bolder as he engages with Matthew (and Thomas and Kit, though I'm inclined to believe that most of his newfound boldness comes from the extravert that adopted him). By the end, he's still insecure and quiet, which is a natural product of what happened to him at school. But he's also a bit more open, at least with the other Thieves.

This could be James opening up, but I definitely do agree that there could be a component of masking here. As someone who masks, I generally eventually drop it when I spend enough time with someone and come to trust them. It seems likely that James would drop the masking after a while of coming to know Matthew. We'll never really know which of these options it is, I don't think. I believe it's both.

Cast Long Shadows & Notes on the Timeline

I want to talk about CLS too and TMH, but the timeline of the bracelet is murky. In NBS, there's a reference to him knowing Grace, loving Grace, and even wearing the bracelet (he touches it once). But in ChoG, the Days Past show him getting the bracelet in 1900.

@layla-carstairs posted earlier about how timelines in TLH make little sense if you think about them for a while, which is a general fact. Charles and Alastair's relationship has a murky beginning date, which I can unpack in a different post, and Thomas is canonically 18 for over a year. THAT BEING SAID, Cassie once said that what's in the books superseded the short stories (which is also why I think Charles and Alastair have been together since at least 1900, probably 1899).

So, I'm going to work under the assumption that James was given the bracelet in 1900.

The James of CLS is bolder, more mature than the James of NBS. Makes sense, considering he now has close friends and is just generally growing up! And yet, he also feels closed off and muted. I think this may simply be the bracelet's handiwork.

The Bracelet and Masking

Since we're talking about neurodivergence here, I think it's also interesting to consider the bracelet as an allegory/metaphor for neurodivergence. I highly doubt that this was Cassie's intention, but I have definitely thought of this in passing before.

Cordelia literally calls James' well-composed face The Mask. She talks about there being two different Jameses, and during the course of her discussing this, he is almost always wearing the bracelet. So, he definitely has some personal masking going on while wearing it as well as its effects of muting his character.

The Midnight Heir & TLH

I think of the bracelet as something of a neutralizer. I don't think it gets rid of James' personality. But I think that it mutes him. It takes his wilder traits and suppresses them, and makes them much calmer and less prominent. We see this in ChoG and ChoT; he's far more passionate and open in these books when the bracelet is removed. He feels more like the James of NBS would feel after growing into himself.

But, on another level, James in ChoT after removing the bracelet feels more neurodivergent. This is very likely because of the trauma of having a) coped with the bracelet, and b) knowing what happened to him (which was literally years-long emotional and sexual abuse. Thanks, Tatiana).

He definitely has some form of cPTSD, as most of the TLH characters do. People with cPTSD (like myself) often exhibit additional ambiguously-neurodivergent traits that are difficult to diagnose and pin down. (Alastair and Grace are amazing examples of this, because I fully believe that their neurodivergent-feeling comes exclusively from PTSD. I don't think this is the case for other characters like Matthew or Thomas or James. Alastair and Grace are special cases).

ANYWAY, re: James, this belief is bolstered for me by the fact that James does not want to be pitied and also feels that he's reliving the bracelet experience whenever he talks about it. He seems agitated in a similar way that he did in TMH; he shoots things again; he's more fiery, more hotheaded, more honest. He's got more Will in him than Jem, which is how he feels in TMH.

This is also the point where I note that James thought Grace had left him in TMH. I think he was still wearing the bracelet, but Grace's telling him it wasn't going to work would surely have short-circuited Bracelet James.

I think that, as time goes on, James is going to embrace these traits more. He's going to be who he really is rather than that muted version of James.

A Small Note on James and TLH

One of the hardest-to-stomach things about TLH is the fact that we do not truly know James. Even at the end of it, we have just met the truth of him. For the vast majority of the trilogy, we have only known this muted version of James that has hidden the brighter, more vibrant brushstrokes underneath him.

This is why I'm hesitant to call James boring. I don't find him an interesting character in TLH, but I also understand that we never meet him, not really.

It's interesting to note how James and Matthew's stories mirror each other a bit here; we're just now getting to know Matthew when he's not under the influence of alcohol. (I'm down to talk about this a bit more, btw - I've always strongly identified with Matthew. I call him myself in a different font, and I also periodically will call him my dark mirror. I probably have more insight into him than I do James because I get him, whether he's drunk of not. His actions always make sense to me even when I disagree with them, and I find him extremely interesting even when drunk. But I digress).

In any case, sorry for the ADHD, but I think that this is one of the hardest things to stomach about TLH. We don't know our main character. We've never seen how vibrant he is outside of ChoT, when he's in an unimaginably awful mental place. We will probably never get a feel for his "true" personality as an adult/adult-adjacent.

I think this is purposeful on Cassie's part, but I also don't necessarily agree that it was a good decision.

In any case, these are my thoughts, and I'm starting to ramble, so I'm closing this post. But thanks for the ask. <3

#tlh #the last hours #tsc deep dives #james herondale #asked and answered #chot #chain of thorns #matthew fairchild #grace blackthorn

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luciehercndale · 11 months

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congrats on your new milestone 🎉🎉 Don't know if you still take requests, but if you do, can I request a free card on Wessa or Jessa or Herongrastairs. you chosse 💖

Thank you very much! 🥹✨😺

And this is for you <3 It isn't set during a specific time. Let's say it's between TID and TLH. It's mainly Wessa, but a lot of the TID characters appear and help solve the plot. I hope you like it! 💖

Read on A03

To Beard, Or Not To Beard

One day, Will decides to grow a beard.

Will Herondale liked to change style every once in a while. He wasn’t the type of person to follow fashion – it moved too fast for his liking – but somehow, thanks to his tailor Lemuel Sykes, he was able to stay updated with the latest trends.

“You know, Mr. Herondale, there’s something missing in your style,” the tailor mused one afternoon, admiring how the black velvet made Will’s eyes pop. “Especially with this outfit you’ve requested. And the coat.” The suit wasn’t finished yet, and it was meant for a masquerade ball that would be in a month away at the London Institute.

“I’m curious, please tell!” Will said enthusiastically, always looking for fashion advice. “Perhaps it’s a hat? A scarf? A bowtie? I will have to attend the ball –”

“A beard,” the werewolf replied bluntly. “You should grow a beard, why haven’t you? With those cheekbones and those eyes…” he sighed. “It’s very fashionable among people your age. Plus, you’ve shown me the photograph of the character you’re impersonating at this ball. The fella has a beard.”

Will didn’t seem too sure. “I’ve never grown a beard, it’s a hassle when you eat. I thought I could still do the costume without,” he frowned. “And I wonder if my wife will like it?”

“Then ask her,” Lemuel turned away, checking some brocade fabric on a chair. “But, if you ask me, I’d say yes,” he chuckled, then disappeared into the adjoining room and Will knew he was dismissed.

He thought about the beard on the way home. Sykes was right. The character he was going to go dressed as at the party had a beard, a medium beard, at that. Would it be the same without the beard? Probably not. He used the disguise the invisibility rune gave him, to stare at the mundanes minding their business in the busy streets of London. He was fascinated with how many different kinds of beards people could wear, and he told himself he could try growing a beard too. After all, what impersonation would be credible without such a signature feature?

First, though, he wanted to hear other people’s opinions about the topic. “What do you think about beards, Tess?”

Tessa sat at the vanity in their bedroom brushing her hair, and she stopped for a moment to glance at him from the mirror in front of her to answer him. “Well, it depends on the beard. Which beard are you talking about? Sideburns? Mustache? Van Dyke?”

“A nice one that won’t make one look like a rascal or like a grandfather,” he replied, checking himself in a small mirror he had on the nightstand. “Something not too excessive.”

“Are you thinking of growing one, Will?” she inquired, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Would you hate it if I did? The tailor suggested it, and I never thought about it until today,” he revealed. “I thought I could grow it in time for the masquerade party.”

Tessa mulled over it as she walked to the bed, after tending to her long brown hair. “I don’t think I would hate it, but it’s your decision to make,” she sat down next to him. “I think you would be handsome with a beard too, but,” she sighed, and drew in a long breath.

“But what? Perhaps I would look ancient?” he wondered. “Maybe I shouldn’t indulge in this. The costume would be good even without the beard.”

“Quite the opposite,” she studied him, tracing his face with her finger, stopping on his chin. “I think you would look even more desirable than you are now. People would covet you even more.”

“Covet? I think that some would mock me, that’s for sure,” he took hold of her hand and kissed it. “I would only rethink this if you found me obnoxious.”

“Then you’re set? You’re getting a beard?” Tessa questioned with interest. “In case you don’t like it anymore, you can still shave it.”

“I hereby declare,” he stated with a firm voice, “that I’m going to grow facial hair. This is my final decision, Your Honor.”

It didn’t take long for friends and family to acknowledge Will’s new style, even when his facial hair was barely a five o’ clock shadow.

“Have you been on a trip recently, Will?” his sister Cecily asked him a few days after he had made his decision. “Or maybe you are sick?”

“The answer for both is no,” he folded his arms on his chest. They were waiting for the tea and the scones to arrive. “Why do you think that?”

His sister glanced at her husband, who sat beside her, and she bit her lip. “Because of the thing on your face, Will,” Cecily answered, stifling a laugh. “Have you lost your shaving set? I didn’t know you fancied this style.”

“Well, what if I did, Cecy?” he peered at Gabriel, noticing that he was smiling too. “If Gabriel got a beard one day, would you kick him out of the house?”

“I would not, under any circumstances, get a beard,” Gabriel declared firmly. “I don’t want to look older yet, nor does it suit me.”

Will opened his mouth in disbelief. “Then it means you tried once! Too bad I wasn’t there to witness,” he said, and Gabriel rolled his eyes, hinting that he was probably right.

“Too bad we are here to witness it,” he echoed, and Cecily couldn’t stop laughing until they left.

Two weeks later, the stubble had grown so much it looked more like a serious beard. “You can barely see my skin underneath,” Will told himself while looking in a mirror in his office.

“Will, we’re here,” Charlotte announced herself and Gideon, who needed to visit the Institute for bureaucratic matters. “By the Angel,” she gasped when Will turned, a hand placed on her chest. “I thought it was Maurice Bridgestock for a second.”

“I can’t believe you’ve just compared me to that sick rat, may he rot in hell,” Will sneered, adjusting some documents on the desk. “I see you’ve noticed my beard, or what is truly beginning to resemble one,” he scratched his chin proudly.

“It’s impossible not to notice, Will,” Gideon commented sourly. “Did you make a bet with someone?”

“Why do you all think I made bets or I am unwell,” he shook his head, trying to find a pen. “Even your brother and my sister believed the same thing. I don’t think I am that predictable.”

“You’re right, you’re not predictable,” Charlotte agreed, “but you’re also someone who keeps his promises, when they lose bets with random people in town.”

“Unlike someone,” he stared directly at Gideon, “I always pay my debts.”

“Who did you pester this time?” Gideon wondered instead.

“I did not pester anybody, Mr. I pretend I don’t owe Will a few pounds,” he glared at his friend, who pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “I chose to grow this because I wanted a change and because of my costume for the masquerade party.”

“Are you going to dress up as Frederick Barbarossa? Because if so, I suggest to use red dye –”

“Please, do not give him ideas, Gideon,” Charlotte frowned, her voice laced with worry. As if there was something to be worried about.

It was just a beard.

Will wondered why everyone wasn’t taking him seriously, but he had expected it. He took a few days to get used to his fresh appearance as well, but after a while, he believed the beard made him look powerful. He thought himself a Roman hero who, stranded in another country, was fighting a war for his Empire and was hoping to survive. A hero from another period, one who couldn’t have possibly shaved because there wasn’t the time. At least, Jem liked it. Or so, he thought. When they met, he stopped in his tracks before he could come closer to Will. He took it as a sign that he was deciding whether or not it suited him.

I see you changed your style, Jem told him. Change is good, but not for good.

“Do you like it?” Will showed him the sides, but Jem didn’t say anything. Cryptic as ever. Perhaps he was just speechless. Either because the beard blinded him, or because it disgusted him.

He hoped people in the London Enclave would fear him more with this new imposing look and not mock him like his friends did. He was aware that people talked behind his back. Either way, the beard had a purpose, he did not care what anyone thought. Nor did he mind what his son and daughter thought. His mustache was growing, but for his costume, he had to grow it a little more.

“Can I write a character who looks like you? A pirate who is earthsick and who is feared among the seven seas,” Lucie studied him, taking notes.

“An earthsick pirate? Does that word even exist?” Jame scrunched his nose. “Papa, I think you look weird,” he confessed. “But you also remind me of someone.”

“Write whatever you want, Lucie,” Will conceded. “Who do I remind you of, Jamie? Let’s listen,” he tilted his head on the side, “a hero? A Romantic poet? I will tell you who I’m going to dress up as at the ball, if you guess correctly.”

James couldn’t recall the face, and why he looked so familiar. Only when his father left, he remembered the picture of the man who resembled Will with the beard. He’d seen it in the newspaper a lot recently. It was the photo of the heir apparent to the British throne.

The day of the masquerade party finally arrived. Will's beard resembled the one of his original inspiration after a month, and he was beyond himself with excitement for the ball because he couldn't wait to show it off.

“The resemblance is close,” Tessa observed, stroking her husband's beard. “And I like facial hair, it’s so soft to the touch. I may grow attached to it.”

“Then perhaps I should keep it for a while,” he stated. He will think about it after the party. “Let’s go get the rest of my costume before it's too late. The party is going to start soon.”

When Will tried the rest of the costume, the tailor couldn’t help but admire his handiwork. Sykes finished the suit a week prior. It already waited in the closet of Will and Tessa’s bedroom at the London Institute, and he couldn’t wait to wearing it.

“I admit, Lemuel, that your work is astounding,” Will commented, moving from left to right to look at the waist-length velvet coat with a row of gilt buttons on the front and gold embroidery on the cuffs. “It is identical to the one he wore in the newspaper.”

“Thanks, Mr. Herondale, but you know that I’m the best,” Sykes offered a smile as he adjusted the coat on Will. “And you’re one of my best clients, and one of the most handsome,” he winked, but Will only wanted to know Tessa’s opinion.

“How do I look?” he asked, but his wife’s grin and her sweet and lovely eyes were already telling him what she thought.

“You are very handsome, indeed,” she said, and moved in front of him to fix the lapels of the coat, but to also steal a caress on his cheek. “I can’t wait to wear my dress so we can match.”

The tailor sent them away because he was running late, and Will and Tessa hopped on their carriage to go back to the Institute.

“My desire for tonight is that our family and friends will like this party,” Will said later, when they were seated in the comfort of the carriage. “And I hope that they come dressed as famous characters as we requested. Otherwise, what kind of masked party is it?”

“They will, I made sure to specify that in the invitations, don’t worry,” Tessa said. “I wrote that they should be dressed as a person from history.”

“Do you think they’ll get the assignment? Sometimes I think that –” The carriage abruptly came to a halt, and the jolt pushed Will and Tessa against the upholstered seats. They glanced at each other, both startled but otherwise unbothered. “Are you okay?” Will asked his wife, his hands on her shoulders protectively.

Tessa nodded. “Yes, I’m fine, simply shaken by whatever blocked our path,” she told him, her heart beating loudly in her chest out of stupor. “Should you check?”

“We’re not moving yet,” he observed, his head tilted toward the window in hopes to hear sounds of whatever ruckus had stopped the carriage. “Maybe it’s just a mouse, Balios is scared of them,” Will mused, “but I should check the horse nonetheless, in case it sprained its leg.”

“It’s better if you do,” she agreed, although she wasn’t sure why she felt a wave of uneasiness crawl down on her spine. A sensation she couldn’t put off after the carriage had halted. “Just,” she cautioned, resting her hand on his shoulder, “be careful. It could be a demon. Evening fell, after all.”

Will’s expression softened. “I will come back before you know it, fy nghariad,” he kissed her lips briefly. “I won’t let any mouse nor demon stop me from attending this party,” he offered her a smile. “Stay here,” he told her at last, before he came out of the vehicle to see if everything was really fine.

Tessa waited sixty seconds. If everything was fine, Will would come back inside before time was up, she told herself. He wasn’t the type of person who would want the people he loved to worry, and he had been excited for days on end for this party. She knew he wouldn’t want to lose time to get ready and for the celebration to start.

She counted silently in her head, but she came out of the carriage before she got to thirty. She should’ve come out of the carriage when he did, she chided herself. If her husband protested, she would say she wanted to make sure everything was okay. She didn’t need any excuses for wanting to check on her husband, when all she heard after he exited the carriage was silence. I didn't hear your voice and came to check, that would be her excuse.

She thought there was an explanation for silence, the carriage was, after all, driven by Balios alone. When she came outside, though, that feeling of agitation crept in her stomach again. The street was peaceful and lonely, a sign that most of the shops had already closed for business for the day.

She would take even the smallest sound as a sign that Will was where he told her he would be, but when she got to the horse, she found it waiting by itself. He grunted when it saw Tessa. “Balios, where is Will?” She asked the horse, knowing that it would understand. It bobbed its head as if bothered by something, which made Tessa notice there was a handkerchief on the muddy cobblestones. It was Will’s, she would recognize it anywhere. It had his initials sewn on the bottom left in dark blue. She wondered where its owner was.

Tessa looked around, her heart beat louder than after the shock of a few minutes ago. Her heart protested that Will wasn’t there, there was no one there but her and the horse. She didn't know what to do, and she didn’t want to lose control. She couldn’t lose control. They had been married for years, it wasn’t the first time they found themselves in such circumstances. It wasn’t the first time they lost sight of each other, and then found each other again.

The first thing, the easiest thing she could do immediately, was screaming his name to the empty street around her. No one answered, but at least she had tried. But she had to try harder, otherwise – she didn’t want to think about it. She would find him, and they would go to the masquerade party together, just like they had planned. She tried not to panic. She needed help.

She knew that the masquerade party would start any moment, and that even without them, Lucie and James would greet their friends and family in their stead. She shook her head and scoffed. It wasn’t the time to think about the party, but the party was probably the only place she should go asking for help. Thus, she got on the front of the carriage with a new resolve and ordered Balios to take her to the London Institute, hoping to get a helping hand or two.

As she suspected, a few carriages were already parked outside of the Institute when she arrived, and a few more were on their way behind her. She spotted her best friend Sophie coming out of one that had just stopped near the steps with her husband, both of them wearing a mask, and she ran to her frantically.

“Tessa,” Sophie acknowledged when she looked up after descending her family carriage. “What happened? You are in distress,” her brows knotted with worry.

“I’m coming from Kensington,” she started, “we were ambushed.”

“What? Who ambushed you? Was it a demon?”

Tessa tried to keep calm, but it was impossible. “I don’t know,” she said desperately, as Sophie held her hands, “we were coming from the tailor when the carriage halted. Will came out to check if the horse was hurt, and then I didn’t find him outside anymore.”

“Wait, what? Did they take Will?” Gideon asked. In the meantime, Gabriel and Cecily also arrived and joined their little group. They also wore masks and fancy dresses. “Who could have done this?”

“He has a lot of haters,” Gabriel said, trying to be funny, but Cecily elbowed him in the stomach and tried to comfort Tessa. “I mean, it’s true.”

“I don’t think it was someone we know,” Tessa replied sullenly, trying to gather her thoughts. “I didn’t hear any sound, and it couldn’t have been a demon. It wouldn’t have vanished just like that.”

“What’s this?” Sophie asked, seeing that Tessa had something in her hand.

Tessa showed them the customized handkerchief she found on the scene. “We can try using a tracking rune, can't we?” she wondered. “That’s why I came here and I didn’t go after him by myself.” I can’t do anything with my powers, she wanted to add, but she didn’t want to sound more desperate than she already was.

“It’s better that you came to us,” Cecily said. “If someone took him, they could’ve taken you too.”

“Cecily is right, it’s better that you alerted us,” Gideon nodded. “This way, we have better chances to safeguard ourselves when we find him, and to get him out of wherever he is. We don’t know who kidnapped him.”

“Do you think they kidnapped him, then?” Gabriel wondered.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Tessa affirmed firmly, offering the white cloth to whoever was willing to draw the rune that could help them find him.

It was Cecily who took the kerchief. “I’m coming with you, that’s for sure,” she glared at Gabriel, who didn’t seem too bothered.

“We’re all coming with you,” Sophie added, squeezing Tessa’s hand.

Cecily finished the true north rune by then, and it started pulsing. She felt an electric current running through her, then she started to move towards the gate, letting the rune lead her where to go. The five of them followed her, and they went back to Kensington, from where Tessa came. She realized they were approaching the exact place when the carriage had halted, and was about to tell her friends, when Cecily stopped as well.

“It led here” she informed the group, glancing at the tall building in front of them. It was a bakery, and Tessa remembered it was already closed for business when she and Will passed.

“How can it be,” Tessa sighed, “this is where they ambushed us. How can he be here?”

“They could have taken him inside of this shop. It would be the perfect decoy,” Sophie commented.

“Maybe the shop has a basement,” Gabriel added, looking closely. “A lot of these shops have them. They have kitchens where they prepare bread and other pastries, so they don’t need to get the product from a seller.”

“How do you know that, Gabriel?” Cecily seemed impressed. “I think we should open the door and get inside, just, you know, to check. It won’t hurt.”

“We can use an open rune,” Gideon agreed. “This way, the owner won’t know that we entered his shop. Even if he discovered us, we shouldn’t care,” he shrugged. “The tracking rune took us here, which means that he should be inside of this building.”

Sophie, who was closer to the door, drew the open rune. Before entering, everyone but Tessa drew a silent rune to avoid being heard. It would be useful to be noiseless, but everyone did what they could, and she was doing her best. They found the door that led to the basement behind the counter, and one after another, they descended the stairs. She hoped that Will was there, otherwise, she would have to find him in other ways.

When Will came to, his head was pounding. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting fast to the darkness of the room, the only source of light coming from a row of windows at the top of the wall he was facing.

He faintly remembered what occurred before he woke up in that place.

He remembered that today was the day of the masquerade party they organized at the Institute. He also recalled that his tailor Lemuel Sykes had made him the perfect costume, and that he and Tessa, his beautiful wife, went to get it before the party would start. Then, he remembered the jolt. The carriage halted in the middle of the road, he got out to check what was wrong, but someone came from behind. Lastly, he remembered the acrid smell of a substance, and darkness following.

Tessa. Where was she? Was she with him?

He scanned the room in search of his wife. He thought whoever took him prisoner might’ve taken her too, but he was alone. He was relieved, at last, but what if they took her somewhere else? He tried to free his hands, but they were tied behind him. Unluckily for the wretches who were holding him hostage, he knew how to free himself from ropes.

“I wonder how much he’ll take to wake up,” he heard someone say behind his back, footsteps approaching.

He started untying himself nonetheless, trying to be as silent as he could. He saw the faint shadow of a person on the wall. They brought a gas lamp or perhaps a candle in the room, and he realized they were indeed in a basement. A kitchen basement, to be precise. There is a bakery store in Kensington, he thought, maybe I am closer to home than I think.

“The effect of the chloroform lasts for half an hour only,” another one replied. “I think.”

“What you goin’ to do when he wakes up, duh? Just threaten the royal family that we got this lad, and they, ugh, give us money?”

“I thought we talked about this,” a female voice said, “yes, we are going to threaten the royal family. We are going to send a letter saying we have his royal highness the Prince of Wales George, and that if they want him back, they need to give us 5,000 pounds.”

“They really gonna give us that, Emy? They would want to see he is the right fella,” the guy huffed. “We sure this lad is this George heir?”

“Of course we are,” the lady, Emy, answered with confidence. “Didn’t you see him trying on that royal costume at the tailor shop? I’m positive it’s him.”

Someone snorted, and he heard footsteps. “I don’t know, I believed his hair was lighter, judging from the photos in the newspapers, y’know.”

“You know nothing, Danny,” Emy spat. Will thought she was the boss here. Interesting. “Let’s see if he wakes up, shan’t we? It’s going to be a long night.”

Will knew they were coming to see him now, and he wasn’t afraid. He was a shadowhunter, and these three – he imagined it was three of them, judging from their voices – were mundanes. Unless they used deathly weapons on him, he was sure he could best them and come out of that basement unscathed. Or so he hoped. He had been hoping too much lately, but it didn’t hurt to hope more. Hope was free, and so he would be, in a few minutes’ time.

He had already untied his hands while they were talking, but he didn’t remove the ropes just yet. When he heard them approaching, he closed his eyes, pretending to be unconscious.

“Still sleeping, I’ma afraid,” one of the men said, kicking one of Will’s feet. “Should we wake him?”

“Suit yourself,” Emy said. Her voice seemed further than her sidekick. “But be quick. I’m starving. Let him confirm that he is who he is.”

“Should I call him your majesty?”

“No, call him jolterhead,” she suggested. “He’s not a majesty yet, you idiot.”

The man cleared his throat. “Yo’, jolterhead! Wake up!”

“Danny!” Emy chided, stomping her feet on the wooden floor. “I didn’t mean it literally, you stupid!”

Will decided that was the time to act. He opened his eyes at once and freed himself of the ropes around his hands, but he did not discard them – they could be useful as he found out that they took all his weapons. Emy and the sidekick were still arguing when they realized he freed himself and got up from the chair.

“Danny, get him!” but Danny was not very fast, and when Will kicked him between his legs, he crumpled to the floor crying, and then ran away from the room altogether when he realized things could get messy. “Useless piece of trash,” Emy said, irritated. “I didn’t know princes of Wales could fight,” she looked left and right for the other sidekick, but he was nowhere in sight.

Will grinned devilishly, the rope tight in his hands. “I didn’t know people could be so daft, either,” he commented. “Mistaking random people from Wales to be princes,” he snorted.

“And you’re a good actor, too,” she clapped her hands. “It’s useless to lie, you highness.”

“It’s useless to kidnap innocent people who know how to fight, too,” he echoed. Emy unsheathed a knife from her coat, and she aimed at him, but Will dodged her easily, using the rope as a means to shield himself. “And you also stole my knives, thief!” Will said, trying to get it back, but the woman wasn’t bad at protecting herself.

“I steal whatever I want,” she tried to elbow him, but Will anticipated her moves, swift as an arrow. They kept this dance for a while, until Emy’s knife cut the rope in two, rendering it useless. Will frowned, fuming. He glanced around for a makeshift weapon, but the closest object available on the kitchen counter that he could have gotten was still too far from him. Emy took advantage of Will’s distraction and grabbed his beard, pinning him to the wall, the knife she was holding dangerously close to his throat. “What, now? Cat got your tongue, prince?”

Will grunted. He felt the blade of the knife she stole from him graze his skin. It was a runed knife, but still, it was a knife all the same, and if he wasn’t careful –

Everything happened fast. “Bloody hell!” Emy cried in pain. Will barely registered a knife hitting his captor’s hand. She let go of his beard because of the shock, and the knife she was holding clattered on the wooden floor. He took the chance to stomp on her hand with his foot, he didn’t care she was a mundane. She was still a mundane who tried to murder him. Emy helped, but at least she was sedated. She cried in pain, holding her bruised hand in her other hand.

Will gazed up, trying to see whether the person who threw the knife was a friend or a foe, and he beamed when he realized who was at the bottom of the stairs.

“Tessa!” he called, but it was short lived.

“Will, behind you!” she shouted, and he turned just in time to dodge a blow by the third sidekick, elbowing him in the stomach. The man fell on the floor unceremoniously.

“What a pest!” he exclaimed loudly, hearing Emy cry in the background. “Serves you well, thief. I should call the police, should you kidnap the real prince George. But unfortunately, I have a party to attend.”

Everyone but the kidnappers either rolled their eyes or chuckled.

They got back to the Institute using the Lightwood’s carriage, which was too small for six, but they had to make do. His sister Cecily, along with Gabriel, sat in the driver’s seat, while Sophie and Gideon sat with Will and Tessa inside the carriage.

Will explained what happened after he woke up, after he had fainted because of the chloroform. They tried to be ironic and say that it was the beard who got him into trouble, but Will brushed it off as being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. And having the wrong costume. His friends didn’t seem so sure but it didn’t matter. Then Tessa explained to him how she found his handkerchief and how their friends helped her track him.

“I let it fall when I realized someone was behind me,” Will said. “I knew it would be useful. And it was,” he glanced at Tessa first, then at his friends. “Thank you all for helping Tessa.”

They returned to the Institute, and the party was still in full swing, and it would be for a couple of hours still. The Lightwoods took leave once they got inside, claiming they needed a drink in order to refresh. Will couldn’t blame them. They had, after all, helped Tessa with the True North rune, and it was thanks to that, that they had found him. They deserved anything they wanted, and more.

“Don’t you want to go upstairs and rest, my darling? You’ve had quite the day,” Tessa said, lingering outside of the doors of the ballroom, where everything was quieter. “You must be tired.”

“Shouldn’t we also call Jem to check on my health?” he wondered sarcastically, but Tessa frowned disapprovingly. “I’m sorry, Tess. I didn’t mean to brush off your suggestion, but I think I should stay. I really wanted this party, and the only way for me to distract myself from my misadventure is living the party.”

Tessa wasn’t convinced, and he suspected that was the reason why she kept in the alcove close to the ballroom but making no move to walk over there. “What if they drugged you? Maybe we should call Jem, you know,” she bit her lip nervously, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Tess. Tess. Tessa,” he smoothed her cheek with his forefinger. “My love, don’t cry,” he grabbed her, and she held the back of his vest in her fist as she sobbed quietly.

He let her vent until she had enough, his hand caressed her back to calm her down. “I hate this beard,” she muttered.

Will chuckled softly, holding his wife’s body closer to his. “You know what, I dislike it too.”

“Then why did you grow it?” Tessa asked, gazing up into his blue eyes.

He mused about it for a moment. “First, because Sykes’ suggestion wasn’t bad. I never tried growing one, and I was curious how I would look,” he shrugged. “Second, it was because of this damned prince of Wales costume,” he rolled his eyes. “One thing is for certain, though. I’m never attempting to grow a beard ever again.”

“I concur,” Tessa managed a smile. “Even though, I must admit, I will miss it a little. I liked trailing my hand through it when we kissed,” she beamed.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you can still trail your hand through my hair while we kiss, or when you want. I still have plenty,” he made a crooked smile, and he knew she liked the proposition.

“It is a good consolation prize, indeed,” she nodded. “Thank you very much for the proposition, your royal highness, prince of Wales.”

He shook his head. “Only until the party is over,” he declared gravely. “Then I want it gone. Erased from my face. Can you do it for me, when we retire in our rooms, Tessa? I want to go back to being the old Will Herondale, please.”

“I will do anything you want, Will,” she touched his cheek lightly. “But first, let’s get something to drink and to eat.”

“Whatever you want, my darling. Whatever you want.”

Ending Notes: jolterhead is an authentic insult from the Victorian and Edwardian era, it means "a stupid fellow".

#tweety's celebration #tsc #tsc fanfiction #tlh #will herondale #tessa gray #wessa #gabriel lightwood #cecily herondale #gideon lightwood #sophie lightwood #gabrily #sophideon #the infernal devices #clockwork princess #clockwork prince #clockwork angel #tweety.writes

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faithfromanewperspective · 6 months

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dangit there goes the ask/follow/unfollow thing again! anyway. tell us about your mixed feelings about ragnor.

okay. this one's a juicy one. i'm not going to lie, ragnor pisses me off in a lot of ways. he's hilariously grouchy, he's not a bad guy, he's actually kinda loveable and he's doing what he does from a place of centuries of trauma but there are some things I simply can't overlook and this all put together, he's the perfect realistic example of someone who has been dehumanised and discriminated against by shadowhunters for centuries and yet still winds up interacting with them, and behaves accordingly.

Ragnor is older than Magnus, he was his friend and mentor which I find super sweet. He's rough around the edges but has a caring side to him, and we see that when he takes Magnus under his wing. He makes a great friend group dynamic with Magnus and Caterina and I do love that aspect of him.

Ragnor doesn't have the formative good experience with Shadowhunters that Magnus does, nor did he grow up with the distance from them as Caterina seems to have (imo she has more autonomy in her relations with shadowhunters as she's a healer, she's street smart and knows how to break the law without getting in trouble, she mainly deals with mundanes and so the shadowhunters she does help tend to not be The Clave Inner Group). He has been hurt by Shadowhunters: from the warlock head on the wall they didn't understand why was traumatic in tftsa, to the way he was very shaken after matthew and christopher blew up the academy, to the way we kinda get the vibe that he was there, before the Accords, interacting with them as much as he had to but knowing that he could be killed for pretty much no reason (and we see that taking a toll on him). He's not as reckless as Magnus, and prioritises survival for himself over anyone else--and after living hundreds of years in such a world, who can blame him? For 'haring of to Capri' for 'his nerves' during chain of gold. For working with Shinyun when she Thorned him after imprisoning him for literal years in tlbotw. For the way he talks about and treats the TLH gang, which I will get to.

Rangor and the Victorian Herondales Before I get to that, I want to trace that thread (of the connection between Ragnor and James and Christopher specifically) back to when Charlotte hired Ragnor to watch Will's family for him, when he was 12 and she was only 18-19 or so. In CP1, we see that they seem to get along and work together fairly well: Charlotte respects him, and maybe he finds her less intimidating as though she's an Institute head she's not part of the Bigoted Powerful Group of shadowhunters and she's grown up in a world of the Accords. Clearly he has no problem with her, she pays him well, they get along fine, appropriate boundaries are maintained (what are those, Magnus Bane?) he watches the Herondales for her, all is fine. Things are purely business. They discuss Tessa a little (if I remember correctly) but all is respectful, Ragnor seems to be fine with both Will and Tessa.

Fast forward to the Academy, Ragnor got a job as a professor, the warlock head drama is dealt with, he's doing his job, he's a bit curious about James, the first ever grandchild of a demon, he's willing to be there to educate him, whether about Shadowhunter things or warlock things, he doesn't get weird when James' powers appear like all the Shadowhunters do. He knows he's teaching Christopher who is an inventor and likes to explode things, but Matthew's looking after him even if Matthew is acting like a brat--Ragnor never seemed to have a problem with Henry, now he's teaching Henry's son and his protegee, from what I remember of Nothing But Shadows he seems generally pretty normal about this (correct me if I'm wrong), at least no more hysterical than the regular person. Then the building explodes. Ragnor wasn't in it, Matthew made sure of that, we get the sense he was fairly nearby--but so were literally hundreds of people.

And I don't want to minimise his trauma in any way. It is real, it does make perfect sense when we think of him already being in a vulnerable position as a warlock, even if it didn't make sense it would still be very valid and very real. A building explodes. Of course that is traumatic. Even if Christopher didn't mean for it to happen and it was Matthew, really, who mixed the explosives. Ragnor doesn't have to go and look at it from either of their perspective, to figure out why--he's allowed to just be traumatised. He's got a very realistic portrayal of PTSD from that event actually. But at the same time, he's an adult, and they, even if they are children of an oppressive tribe/cult, are children. And he chose to teach them, knowing what Shadowhunters are like, how their entire job is literally violence. That doesn't negate his right to be traumatised, he doesn't need to parent them or make space for their feelings, but there are a couple of things I just can't sweep under the rug.

Ragnor and the TLH gang There's a reason why I referred back to the Victorian Herondales: Ragnor has been watching out for Cecily and her parents, keeping track of them being alive at least, since she was a child. He teaches her son. He doesn't have to like Christopher, of course he links him to his trauma, but for a 16-year-old to hear 'hide the breakables, hide the whole house, Christopher Lightwood is here' when you're someone who really just wants to help people, is gambling on a dream of being able to use your passion for that (and frequently doubts it) and would feel terrible for when you do accidentally violate OH&S badly because you're a child and someone else set you up to do something you would hate to do (even though you're careless enough that you would inevitably do something like that on your own)--that would be brutal. I wish we were able to explore a bit more about what that was like for Christopher, I wish we were able to see someone (Cecily or Gabriel perhaps) work through that guilt and self-forgiveness with him. But in my opinion Ragnor could have done that much better. He didn't need to talk to Christopher, could have said that from the get-go and Tessa just ushered James and Lucie and Thomas up to talk to him or something. Like yes, his 'nerves [were] in a state' we can see that. It's good of him to know he needed to get to Capri. But I'm a little too protective of Christopher to just let him off the hook for that. Like I'm not super mad--just you know. Mixed feelings.

And then there's James. TMH was a fever dream, yes, but that whole scene 'oh ragnor loves causing trouble' like. There was backstory to that, to James taking bets from him, and Ragnor knowing what to say, like there's some sort of truth or dare going on and they're just causing trouble, having a good time and being little shits about it. Like this clearly wasn't the first time James had gone drinking with Ragnor (and it leaves me with so many questions. Like Ragnor clearly thought James was alright from the Academy days, he's grown up now, enough to have fun, he trusts him not to kill anyone with that gun when we know how self-preservational Ragnor is, and they weren't as protective of teenagers then as people are now--he wasn't necessarily in the wrong). Like he didn't have to realise what state James was in at the time (in fact it was probably good to just be normal and friendly, who wants to be parented anymore at 16). There's definitely a lot of trust there (and I do trust Ragnor with whatever he had against the barmaid that she deserved to be knocked over and have to prise a bullet out of her prosthetic). And he sees James again 6 months later and is like 'oh I wonder what will become of you Herondales [includes Lucie which at least someone does] so be it bye' so like. they're cool enough. But something about that whole thing was extremely irresponsible. How would he have felt if James had drowned in the Serpentine that night, if Ragnor had managed to convince Magnus to hang out with him? I don't know. I am glad none of us had to go through that. There would be quite the ripple of guilt around the cast. Rangor wasn't bad but he wasn't smart: it was Magnus, reckless, caring, weirdly-fascinated-with-the-Herondales Magnus who had never met James before who noticed something was wrong and decided to step up. You can see how I lost a bit of respect for Ragnor there (even though he did also do some things that earned my respect).

And then he talks about the TLH gang as any cynical Downworlder would about some Shadowhunter youths, as if he doesn't know them? He does know James, he doesn't have to like Christopher and Matthew because of the Academy thing, he's decent enough in how he talks about Anna and Thomas, but he's kinda disrespectful of Cordelia (like doesn't that word basically mean 'slut'? or am i mistaken?) when he's got nothing against her (other than her being Alastair's sister I guess, Ragnor did teach Alastair and we never see what he thought of him, they're similar in many ways but Alastair was part of the bully group at school apart from his first year). Like with the history between Shadowhunters and Downworlders I really think Ragnor deserves a serious apology, and restitution; but I also think that the TLH group are the kind of people who would be able to facilitate that: not with the Clave as a whole but just with some Shadowhunters, and sometimes that means just as much. I hope they do, post-canon, I hope that's why Ragnor in the modern series seems better to the shadowhunter youth than he was to James and Christopher and Cordelia (and he doesn't teach at the Academy anymore, good for him). I hope he does realise (and I'm going to mention Christopher's death sorry) that he was a good guy and only a child and manages to separate him from that traumatic experience and let Christopher's friends (for he's already been out drinking with James a few times right and does have that curiosity, plus I'd bet James does want to explore his warlock heritage at some point) be humans to him, as Charlotte was when most Nephilim didn't treat him as human. I hope Ragnor in post-canon(historical) does get to mend the rift between him and the Shadowhunters, if only partially.

Ragnor in the TDA era And then, just when I think 'oh he's alright actually' he shows up with Shinyun and he had something awful happen to him again and his cowardice came through. Which is understandable given his trauma. But surely you think about how destructive this plan is and nope out at some point? I think that's all that needs to be said for tlbotw. Yes he does vow to do better when he gets a second chance at the end, owed to, yet again, Magnus being reckless. So he deals alright with Kit and Ty. He actually takes care of them a little the way he should've at least attempted to with James. He does all he can really for another deranged black-haired autistic teenage boy, even if it does involve lying--necromancy is so much worse than lying. He's a confidant for Kit or at least available to be that, which Kit also desperately needs. So he's alright for that. Overall, yes. Mixed feelings. He's an interesting guy. Can't wait to see his arc in TWP.

#ragnor fell #tmh #nbs #tid #tlh #tda #tlbotw

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heavenwontbethe-same · 10 months

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Hey!! Long follower of yours but I've only recently been back on Tumblr and I just saw a post about Cordelia being the one who should have died in CoT. I was curious about it and read the tags and I'm already disappointed in Cordelia/CC. Because I really like Cordelia but I haven't read CoT yet, so if you're comfortable could you maybe elaborate a little? Just so I can understand if I should be prepared to be disappointed in Cordelia in CoT when I finally read it. (I don't care about spoilers so have at it). I'd really like to know your thoughts<3

hello! i would start off by saying that when you do read chot, to go in with an open mind because of course what i will be saying in this post is my own opinion and my perception of the books will obviously be different to how others see it. this post is going to be long and incoherent at points, i do apologise beforehand.

with that being said, i liked cordelia from the snippets we got before tlh even came out. i liked her in chog, even though there were certain moments that made me pause - her allowing her friends to make whatever assumptions or comments about her brother they liked without her ever blinking an eye, because she was too concerned with fitting in with them. but i still liked the book and still liked her.

choi is where i started to dislike her though, and it literally took me almost 2 years to finish choi because i found cordelia so insufferable.. in the very beginning of the book, alastair is looking out for her and wants her safe and out of trouble and says as much to matthew, but cordelia berates him in favour of her friend (page 17). at this point, cordelia knows the truth; if not in its entirety, then at least a considerable part of it. at the wedding reception, her friends are hostile to her brother despite all his attempts to be cordial. i believe at one point they even suggest that alastair made cordelia uncomfortable? the same alastair that sacrificed most of his life to protect her? and all before you're even a 100 pages into the book (page 96). she says, on page 297 to matthew, "perhaps you think i am terrible, still loving him." of course, she thinks it, she thinks alastair is kind and sweet and vulnerable, but god forbid she ever said any of this to her friends in her brother's defense. this post by @thepictureofsdr on cordelia and her continuous reluctance to defend alastair in any way shape or form is very well said.

and that was all just the sibling aspect of it. she continuously lies to lucie, her supposed best friend and future parabatai, about lilith and james and even matthew, while shunning lucie for keeping secrets of her own. lucie tries to talk to her, apologises for not telling her, but she can't move past it even though she literally did the same.

*chot spoilers*

in chot, during every battle or fight, she was reluctant to lift a weapon in order to not summon lilith. valid, but instead of seeking shelter, she would just stand there and wait for danger and have her friends babysit her while fighting off demons. there's a fight in chot where grace is inside because she can't fight. cordelia also won't fight but she's out there, not helping her friends fight them off, but also just standing there as a sitting duck waiting for them to attack??? and they eventually do attack because why wouldn't they, and three people are distracted from their own fights trying to save her. assuming you already know who dies, they die trying to save her here, all because she wouldn't lift a weapon but has to be in harms way anyway.

she hands off cortana to alastair, who not to mention lives with their heavily pregnant mother, knowing that demons now had a special interest in cortana after she became lilith's paladin. she eavesdropped on her brother and charles, when it was not her place to do so, she eavesdropped on james and grace and caused a whole other problem. she ran away with matthew to paris and led him on even when she knew she'd never get over james. she kissed matthew and ended up comparing him to james but still continued to kiss him anyways. she'd be in james' presence but think about grace even after james' continuous assurance that he felt nothing for her, and then she'd wish she was with matthew instead. every time she was in james' presence, she'd fixate on grace.

she did get more tolerable after she knew the truth, but that was such a small portion of the book and my opinion of her was already negative by then. she then goes on to rehash the lucie and lying thing even though it was resolved earlier in the book. the book ends with the epilogue stating that attitudes to her brother had changed because he had changed. and that was true, alastair wasn't closeted anymore and had changed, but cordelia follows it up with the line that he wouldn't have to worry about fitting in with her friends anymore, and that hit me the wrong way.

the overarching themes of her dynamic with most characters, whether intentionally or not, seemed to give off a holier than thou attitude. she never held herself accountable but was comfortable doing it to everyone else, even if her actions caused the problem in the first place. her relationship with alastair was particularly disappointing, given how much he sacrificed for her and how she was at times disappointed/ashamed to even be related to him. this just reminded me how this applies to edwina's character from the bridgerton show too, but i digress.

she never really had any character development throughout the entire series, so i would've preferred her dying instead of an actually interesting character.

#shoutout to this amazing person #you're amazing ily #thanks for the ask 💙#sunny is back on her bs #anti cordelia carstairs #cordelia carstairs #tlh #the last hours #tsc #the shadowhunter chronicles

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shadowhuntertrash · 3 years

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tlh gang as funny first modern day impressions for @serene-victory-77

alastair - the first time alastair meets christopher he’s confused as to if he likes this kid or if he is annoyed. he meets him in their chemistry class. he goes through school with his head down because honestly he was really only there for good grades. when he was partnered with the infamous christopher herondale (yes his names was well known around school) he was slightly scared. christopher comes up to his table with a smile on his face and his goggles slight askew on his face. alastair is already leaning toward quirkily adorable. from the stories he’d heard christopher had a bit of a mad scientist rep, so he was happily surprised when christopher was less of a mad scientist and more of an evil genius. he did the experiment perfectly and then much to alastair’s horror, continued without any directions, going purely off his knowledge of the chemicals. when christopher was done he’d made a much more complicated version of the solution they were making and alastair was very thoroughly impressed. the teacher on the other hand, was not. they both got in trouble but alastair found he didn’t mind much. from then on out they were lab partners no matter what and it was quickly becoming alastair’s favorite class.

cordelia - the first time cordelia meets eugenia she thinks she is so badass. here’s this girl who could literally not give less of a fuck what anyone things about her. she has long curly hair that is either always down or put up into a messy bun. cordelia is slightly star struck by this girl who has just plopped herself down next to her in her ap calculus class. eugenia seems to bring a storm with her wherever she goes and immediately draws all eyes toward her. when cordelia looks at her eugenia just winks and crosses her ankles before leaning in slightly to ask if she has a spare pencil she could borrow. they became fast friends which surprised cordelia but literally no one else. they are very different but similar at the same time. cordelia is a badass but she is less obvious about it. she’s kind when she can be whereas eugenia doesn’t really stop to give anyone a chance to catch up with her unless she gets a good energy from them.

lucie - the first time lucie meets matthew is when he comes over to their house to hang out with james for the first time. at first he seems incredibly polite. he greets tessa and will with utmost grace and respect but lucie can tell it’s unusual from the way james’s face scrunches up in his tell tale expression of shock. she finds it amusing and decides to follow them for a while, matthew catches on quickly but instead of telling james they had a tag along he simply winks at lucie and pretends to lock his mouth and throw the key. she decides immediately that she likes this one. when they get to the indoor pool the first thing matthew does is push james into the pool. lucie couldn’t help but laugh which gave her away but when james went to tell her off and to get lost matthew pouts at james and said in an obnoxiously whiny voice, “jamie, let her hang out for a bit.” james turned to him and lucie was amazed to find them in a seemingly silent conversation before matthew smiled triumphantly and james groaned throwing himself back into the water as matthew gestured for lucie to come swim with them. lucie decides then and there that matthew by far her favorite of james’s friends he’s had over so far.

matthew - the first time matthew meets james is at detention. it would have been at debate but he had missed the first meeting for the club because his teacher had held him back to redo an activity he’d done completely wrong. he’d gotten detention that same period for disrupting the class (which was completely unnfair, he had just forgotten to take his adhd medicine so he was more restless than normal. when he walked into detention that afternoon there was only two other people there, neither of which he recognized. the teacher that was trapped into watching them was actually one of matthew’s favorite teachers, mr. lightwood (gideon lightwood, not to be confused with his brother gabriel who also taught there). about ten minutes into detention the door opened and one of the most attractive people matthew had ever seen in his entire life strolled through the door with a lopsided smile. mr. lightwood looked up and upon realizing who was there sighed heftily and shook his head. “again, james?” james just smirked wider and shook out his curly black hair, matthew’s stomach was doing a weird flip thing. ‘uncle gid, it really wasn’t my fault. the debate teacher just wasn’t seeing my side of the debate. he said my ideas were ‘crude and unnecessary’ but he was the one who asked what my opinion on dorian gray was. it really wasn’t my fault if she didn’t want a ‘mature’ opinion she shouldn’t have asked about a ‘mature’ topic.” mr. gideon simply shook his head but he was hiding a rather obvious smile. “go sit down, james.” with a confident smile he strolled over to where matthew was seated and turned to him with an outreached hand. up close matthew realized with another jolt to his stomach that james’s eyes were golden. “james, james herondale.” he said when matthew gripped his hand. matthew smiled widely. “matthew, matthew fairchild. i think we’re going to be good friends.”

thomas - the first time thomas meets alastair is his freshman year of high school. thomas will forever remember it vividly because alastair was the first person to really help him around school. he was so lost and he didn’t have anyone he knew so when this junior stepped up to show him around it was pretty cool. he was thoroughly embarrassed though because not only was this guy very very attractive but his friends were laughing at him. well not him, but thomas. alastair had waved them off and told him not to worry about them. he showed thomas to his classes and the main areas such as the library and the cafeteria. it was the first interaction of many but there were a few years until the next one. thomas never forgot his kindness and how he went out of the way to help the new kid, alastair never forgot either but for him it was more of a distant memory, the second time they met was the first meeting that left him with a lasting feeling.

james - the first time james meets jesse is when he comes to pick lucie up for a date. his immediate reaction is to evaluate if he is a good person and if he was good enough for his little sister. he held himself with an odd mixture of confidence and uncertainty. james had stood in the study with jesse for a while waiting for lucie to come down. jesse was fidgeting a lot which james recognized as anxiety which he himself had. he was slightly reassured by the fact that jesse was nervous. they were never really close nor did they ever become very close, seeing as james was practically always waiting for jesse to mess up or hurt his sister in some way. it lessened as time passed and jesse proved himself worthy in james’s eyes.

jesse - the first time jesse meets lucie it’s right in the middle of an epiphany in a story she’s writing. she’s been in a slump with really bad writers block for about a week so she can’t help her excitement when she finally has a breakthrough. jesse was sent by a professor (well professor herondale aka tessa the english professor aka lucie’s mom) to find her in the library to pass on a message and when he stumbles across a girl furiously tapping away on a laptop with a mad smile on her face and two pencils holding her hair up he is immediately enraptured. he goes to let her know her mom is looking for her but she simply tsks him and informs him that she simply cannot be disturbed and when he asks why she launches into a complicated plotline and jesse is so mesmerized that he can’t help but sit down and listen to an hour long rant about her novel and the characters. he misses his next to classes but if you ask him it was so so worth it. he soon becomes her person to rant to about intricately woven story lines and he can’t argue one bit. he was smitten from the first tsk.

christopher - the first time christopher meets cordelia he blows her up. well, nearly. he was experimenting and she happened to walk in right as his solution went awry. she had screamed loudly, more so from being startled than from injury but christopher had still rushed over to her and made sure she was unharmed. when he made sure that she was truly okay he apologized profusely and explained what he was doing and what he did wrong. she seemed genuinely interested which christopher immediately appreciated and he found he quite liked this girl. she was kind and smiled and asked questions when she was curious. there was no better way to get to his heart than by asking about his experiments (well, besides lemon tarts). every time they ended up staying for science after school he never failed to update her on his latest invention or experiment and she never failed to be attentive and curious. they worked surprisingly well together.

kamala - the first time kamala meets thomas is when she meets eugenia (her girlfriends) family. thomas was kind and the longer they talked the more he smiled and looked at her with an approving look. she had taken a liking to him almost immediately and had spent most of their time talking until eugenia interrupted claiming thomas was stealing her girlfriend to which thomas scoffed and rolled his eyes saying that there was no chance of that happening. kamala hadn’t understood the actual meaning of that until later to which she laughed until tears sprang to her eyes. eugenia’s entire family was kind and accepting but she knew she’d always have a soft spot for thomas and she did. she was always there for him and he, her. he became a brother she had always wanted and never gotten to truly have. eugenia complained but she couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

eugenia - the first time eugenia meets grace she thinks she’s cold. she always has a careless and intimidating resting face and very rarely speaks to anyone as if they’re worth her time. eugenia’s blind reaction to having her on the cheerleading squad was not a good one and she worked her pretty hard until they finally talked and eugenia learned why she had so many walls up and why she was so cold. it took a while to unravel the mystery of grace blackthorn but they ended up being surprisingly good friends, especially considering they were both close to kamala. kamala being one of grace’s closest friends and eugenia's girlfriend.

grace - the first time grace met kamala she was in the locker room the cheerleaders shared with the dance team. grace had just gotten off a particularly cruel phone call with her mother and was trying her best to keep her composure but it was quickly slipping through her fingers. her throat was hurting from the strain of not crying and her eyes were burning suspiciously. she cleared her throat a few times in the empty locker room and almost jumped out of her skin when a girl poked her head around the corner with a concerned tilt to her lips. she had a kind face and it barely took a quiet, “are you okay?” for grace to break down completely. the girl had walked over quietly and bent down to grace’s level. grace wasn’t sure why but she felt like she had known this girl for a long time, it was a feeling of pure trust she had never felt before. there was something so calming about kamala, as she had introduced herself, that she found herself spilling things she’d never told anyone else. there was a lot left unsaid but enough was said for kamala to comfort her enough to get her to calm down. there was something so trust worthy about her that she found herself in the same situation a few more times in the weeks to come until they started to talk with no tears. it was definitely an odd friendship but they both valued it a lot.

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melanielocke · 3 years

Text

Lost in the Shadows - Epilogue

AO3

Taglist: @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @foxglove-airmid @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @justanormaldemon @styxdrawings @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised

Previous Chapter: Chapter 35

This is the epilogue and final chapter. While there are some loose ends and I might write a sequel one day, I have currently have no plans for one so it would take some time. As it is I'm working on a Frozen TLH story (chapter 1-3 are currently published), and one post CoI story titled "We bury the sunlight" so look out for those.

Alastair decided to move in with Jem at the end of the summer. He had managed to finish decorating his bedroom just in time for the first week of university, which he was excited about starting. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d expected Jem to be overbearing and constantly worrying about his mental health. He’d always thought that was what a psychiatrist did, he guessed, just like his father had always feared Jem would know about his alcoholism from just looking at him.

He’d learnt that wasn’t the case. Jem was a doctor, he couldn’t read minds, and although he was there for Alastair when he needed him, he was family and not his doctor, which was an important distinction. Jem gave him lots of space, and the ground rules were mainly about keeping everything clean, which was no problem. Jem also preferred it to know if someone he didn’t know was visiting, but that rarely happened since Alastair only had a few friends and the only one who hadn’t known Jem before was Kamala.

It was nice, having so much space to himself. Jem had changed a lot about the house, it didn’t look like an exact copy of the house he’d lived in when he was very young. Cordelia and his mother still lived with Risa, with him gone it fit a bit better, but they were in the process of getting the house back.

He saw Thomas regularly, and they had sleep overs once a week. Alastair had bought a new double bed for his room mainly so they could share the bed. Thomas was currently adapting to student life, but had vowed to Alastair that he would not drink any alcohol. Alastair worried that would severely limit Thomas’ social life, but secretly he was very happy Thomas would do that for him. Lucie had also decided they would all start playing DnD with her, and although Alastair still didn’t understand much of the game, they had fun. Thomas, who had been in Lucie’s previous campaign as well, had helped him with his character. Right now, the group consisted of Lucie as the story teller, or dungeon master as the game called it, and Thomas, Cordelia, Kamala, Eugenia and him as the players. Alastair played a warlock, which he felt suited him. Warlocks also got nightmares they never asked for all the time and were constantly exhausted, not to mention they made deals with otherworldly beings. Perhaps it fit a little too well.

He’d also decided to take lessons in ballroom dancing, with Kamala as his dance partner at the student dance association. He almost had something that resembled a social life, which was both very new and very weird. As it was, they both were quite good at dancing. Kamala had taken two years of dance classes too, although it had been years, and together they could figure out what they remembered and how to do it. Both had been forced by their father at the time and it was much more enjoyable now that they’d chosen to pick it up again, not to mention it was nice having a dance partner he matched well with.

Thomas was still considering starting dancing, but finding a partner who was tall enough for him would be a struggle. Alastair could follow decently and dance with Thomas, although he still noticed the height difference, but with the lack of men in dancing most teachers would rather pair Thomas with the tallest girl available.

He felt like for the first time in years, he was sort of happy? Happier than he used to be at least. He still had nightmares, flashbacks, all that, and didn’t think it was going away anytime soon. If anything, EMDR made it harder, but that was to be expected. He’d known that during EMDR he’d have to talk about everything, and although in time that would make it better, at first it just brought everything to the surface. He’d learnt not to plan anything else on days he had EMDR, except maybe cuddling with Thomas.

Although relationships were still new to him, any relationships really, he was getting more accustomed to having people around who cared about him. Not just Thomas, but Lucie and Cordelia, who had just started their last year of school and came to him for help with their math homework, Kamala and Eugenia, who he’d been spending time with at the dance studio. He often visited the Lightwoods too, and he felt welcome there. Gideon and Sophie had made a habit out of inviting him along with any family outings. He’d never felt so welcome before, it had taken some time to work through that.

‘You’re going to love my gift, I promise.’

Tomorrow was Alastair’s nineteenth birthday, and Thomas was sleeping over the night before.

‘What is it?’ Alastair asked.

‘A surprise.’

‘It was worth a try,’ Alastair said. ‘How was your visit at Matthew today?’

Alastair had spoken to Matthew once. He didn’t think the two of them would ever be good friends, but they could move past school and tolerate each other’s presence. Thomas had spent the day with him today, shopping. Matthew apparently loved clothes even more than Alastair did, and had an unusual and extravagant taste.

‘Awkward,’ Thomas said.

Alastair frowned. ‘Why was it awkward?’

‘Well, he’s the only other man I know who is interested in men and has previous, uh, experience. So I figured I’d ask what to expect and what to do. It was a very uncomfortable conversation.’

Alastair started laughing. ‘You could have just asked me.’

‘I know, but I thought it would be nicer for you if I had some idea of what I’m supposed to be doing,’ Thomas said.

Alastair put his hand in Thomas’ hair. ‘That’s sweet.’

‘From now on I’ll be asking you my questions,’ Thomas said. ‘Of course, the internet has also been helpful.’

‘As long as you know where to get your information,’ Alastair said. ‘Porn isn’t real and not a good source. But I don’t mind if there’s things you don’t know yet, because I know enough.’

They had sex for the first time that night. Alastair felt it was the right time. Of course, having sex the night before his birthday wasn’t new to him. The previous years he’d spend with Charles ever since he’d turned sixteen. It was far better with Thomas. Not because of experience or anything like that, but because Alastair felt comfortable, because he was absolutely sure he wanted it and felt like he could ask Thomas to stop if he wasn’t comfortable anymore. Thomas was a little clumsy, but Alastair didn’t mind. He would get better at it with some practice.

The next morning, they went to the Victoria and Albert museum. It was early on a week day and neither of them had classes today. Thomas had been surprised at first by how empty his schedule was but had ultimately discovered much of his free time was spent on assignments and preparing for lectures and classes. Fortunately, it did mean they could easily plan such trips on times it wouldn’t be crowded. Alastair still didn’t like crowds and didn’t think he ever would. Thomas had grown over his fear of them, but he also preferred the quiet. It was much nicer this way, taking his time to let a piece of art wash over him, undisturbed by other visitors. Thomas made the occasional comment. He’d taken art history in school and could name the different styles and put works in the context of the time period. Alastair didn’t say much in response, just nodded. He felt he didn’t have to.

Thomas had promised him his gift after coming back from the museum, and Alastair was starting to get curious. Thomas had hidden the gift somewhere in Jem’s house, so Alastair wouldn’t even be able to guess from the shape. He hadn’t bothered to look for it, but had been tempted. As much as he liked the small smile on Thomas’ lips as he said ‘not yet, mi Cielo,’ Alastair was not fond of surprises. He liked to know what to expect with a three to five workdays advance notice for anything out of the usual.

‘You’d think no one has ever given you a birthday gift before,’ Thomas said. He paused. ‘Wait, is that it? Did you not usually receive gifts?’

‘No, I did, from my mother and sometimes Cordelia.’

Charles too, Charles had had a habit of giving him expensive gifts. Or gifts he’d found among his mother’s things, he guessed. Alastair had not seen him again now that he was back in London, for which he was grateful. Gideon had spoken with Charles and told him he knew what he’d done and wasn’t welcome at his house anymore. Apparently Charles had been very angry about that, but Gideon had told Alastair he was welcome anytime and it was his responsibility to guarantee his safety. Alastair appreciated that.

‘Have you been asking them about it all this time too?’ Thomas asked.

‘No just you. But you made a big deal out of it by hiding it someplace here,’ Alastair said.

‘Alright, I guess you can open it,’ Thomas said, who left and came back to the living room carrying a very big box.

Alastair carefully opened the wrapping paper, making sure nothing tore. He wasn’t sure why exactly, but he’d always opened gifts this way, as if he intended to reuse the paper, something he’d never done.

‘I thought, with how impatient you were, you’d rip it all apart,’ Thomas said.

‘No,’ Alastair said.

‘You can rip it, it’s no problem,’ Thomas said as Alastair was struggling to get a piece of sticky tape off without damaging anything.

‘No,’ Alastair said, even more determined to get everything off properly.

Once he’d gotten it open and folded away the colorful wrapping paper, Alastair revealed something that resembled a hamster cage, but bigger. There were two floors, the top open and the bottom offering a little more darkness with a little home in there an animal could hide in. There was a wheel, several balls, and a little hedgehog plushie.

‘I know you were planning to get a pet hedgehog, so I researched what it needs. This has most things it needs to live in, you just might need to add a heat lamp because hedgehogs need a warm environment.’

‘I’d been looking into what I’d need too,’ Alastair said. ‘Jem is alright with me getting a hedgehog as long as I make sure to keep Church away from him. That shouldn’t be a problem, as I would put the hedgehog in my bedroom and Church doesn’t go there.’

‘How is Church?’ Thomas asked.

‘Usually, he is wherever I’m not. He doesn’t come into my bedroom. In the living room it can be a bit more of a struggle, as he likes to claim his space, and no matter where I sit, he gets upset because that’s the spot he wanted for himself. The only moment he tolerates me is when I’m accompanying Jem on the piano.’

Alastair had picked up playing music again after years and he tried to practice for half an hour daily. Sometimes with Thomas, singing his songs and playing more modern music. But he also played classical music with Jem, who was exceptional at the violin. Jem could probably have been a concert violinist if he hadn’t chosen to become a doctor instead.

‘Sounds like Church,’ Thomas said. ‘He won’t be a danger to your hedgehog, will he?’

‘I will keep my hedgehog in my bedroom,’ Alastair said. ‘If I make sure to keep the door closed when I’m not there, I think it’s unlikely Church will even go there. Even then there’s a cover for this hedgehog home and a little house for him to hide, and of course a hedgehog can roll into a little ball of quills. I think it’ll be fine. And my therapist thought it might be good for me to get a pet, as long as I am confident I can care for it of course. Now, can you help me think of a name? I’m not great with names.’

‘You and Cordelia have been arguing about baby names for weeks now,’ Thomas pointed out.

‘Yes, the baby should have a beautiful Persian name,’ Alastair said. ‘For pets it’s different.’

‘Or dnd characters,’ Thomas added.

‘So what if my character has my middle name?’

‘No, I like it,’ Thomas said. ‘Esfandiyar. It’s a beautiful name. For a pet I think a shorter name is better. I think your plushie hedgehog is called Mr. Prickly?’

‘I named him when I was a child,’ Alastair said. ‘I’m not naming my pet something stupid.’

‘No little pipsqueak?’ Thomas said with a grin.

Alastair rolled his eyes. ‘Absolutely not.’

***

‘You mean to say you forgot to buy Alastair a gift for his birthday?’ Lucie asked.

‘I didn’t forget,’ Cordelia said. ‘I planned to do it today, after school. How was I supposed to know I was going to get detention?’

They entered the bookstore, certain she could find something Alastair would like here.

‘Sorry I couldn’t get you out,’ Lucie said. ‘Even my dad can’t do that, but he knows it was completely unfair.’

Cordelia shrugged. ‘I finished my homework. But I’m still pissed.’

She knew teachers tended to be harsher on her, Alastair had always had the same problem, and she usually made a point to behave but she also wasn’t going to let people just walk over her girlfriend. So what if she’d gotten into a fight with a bully? He’d started it, but that’s not how the teacher who’d broken them apart saw it.

‘Alastair will understand,’ Cordelia added. ‘He was often sent to detention unfairly too. Now, which of these books do you think he’ll like?’

‘Both seem pretty good,’ Lucie said. ‘What are they about?’

‘This one’s called Malice, and is a Sleeping Beauty retelling focused on Alyce, the dark grace with powers similar to the original evil witch who cursed the princesses, and she might be the villain but she might also fall in love with Aurora. I haven’t read it, but it sounds awesome. The other is Girl, Serpent, Thorn.’

‘Oh, didn’t I lend you that one last year?’

‘Yes,’ Cordelia said. ‘It was awesome and the cover is so beautiful I wanted my own copy. I think Alastair will like it too, the world is inspired by Persian culture and the Shahnameh, which he loves, and the story is very good too.’

Girl, Serpent, Thorn was probably one of her favorite books, and Cordelia ultimately decided to buy it for herself while buying Malice for Alastair. He could always borrow the other book from her, she just wanted to reread it several times and have the gorgeous cover on display.

‘I doubt Alastair minds we’re late,’ Cordelia said. ‘He’s been spending the day with Thomas.’

Cordelia sometimes envied the amount of free time Alastair had compared to her. She hoped it would be the same once she went to university. Of course, Alastair had his memory, he only had to read everything once and he would remember forever. He could save so much time that way.

It still struck her as odd how they didn’t understand Alastair’s memory. Lucie was the way she was because her grandfather was the thief of souls. Same for Tessa, who’d gotten some of her power back after his death. Thomas had the sight because his mother did, and Kamala had healing powers because a fairy had given them to her. But no one knew why Alastair was the way he was. Cordelia knew it still frustrated him, not understanding.

‘I can’t wait until I can go to university,’ Lucie said. ‘I am so done with physics.’

‘Why did you take physics?’ Cordelia asked.

‘No clue,’ Lucie said. ‘I’ll survive another year. Then it’s English literature and creative writing.’

Cordelia wished she knew what she was going to study. Half her biology class was already working on their med school applications, but Cordelia had no clue yet. At least she couldn’t really picture herself as a doctor. Part of her still wanted to be a hero, but what if like Jem she decided to retire early? Being a hero didn’t exactly pay, and it was good to have some education. She just didn’t know what. She knew, of course, it was fine to choose wrong at first. Alastair had realized being a politician wasn’t for him, and was again starting in his first year.

‘At least Alastair promised to help me with my math homework,’ Cordelia said.

Cordelia and Lucie took the metro and arrived at Jem’s house. She’d been here frequently since the summer, and it already felt like Alastair’s house. She’d considered moving in herself too, but felt like she was still too young to move away from her mother and would rather stay for now.

Alastair and Thomas were in the living room, where an animal home was standing on the table next to a bit of neatly folded wrapping paper, not a tear in sight. Alastair had always been a little obsessive in the way he opened gifts. The wrapping paper would be thrown away, yet he always opened it with such a care and he never ripped anything.

‘Happy birthday,’ she said, hugging her brother.

He’d grown more comfortable with physical affection lately, and for Cordelia it felt like it had become easier to reach him. She’d had to get used to not living in the same house as him at first, but Alastair seemed happier here.

‘Thank you,’ Alastair said. ‘I’m officially on the waiting list for a pet hedgehog. It might take some time, but I have some of the supplies I need now. I am open to name suggestions as I have not thought of anything yet.’

‘Pipsqueak!’ Lucie called out.

‘Oddly, you’re not the first person to suggest that,’ Alastair said. ‘No, I am not naming my pet Pipsqueak.’

‘That’s because I already call Alastair that,’ Thomas said.

Alastair rolled his eyes. ‘My hedgehog will have a serious name, not something a toddler would have chosen.’

They didn’t settle on a name yet that evening. Lucie kept suggesting the kind of names Alastair meant to avoid as a joke, and Eugenia did the same when she and Kamala arrived. Kamala had a few good suggestions, and Alastair decided to look into Persian pet names.

Cordelia started feeling like things would be alright again, like things would be normal. Of course, she could never be sure. Tatiana had not turned up again, Gideon had reported her missing and so far the police had no leads. Cordelia didn’t think they’d find her, and she wondered if Tatiana would come back. There was no chance she could bring back her son, not anymore, but Cordelia feared she might want revenge. Right now, she tried not to worry. She would be prepared, yes, but she would also continue to live her life, go to school, worry about things normal girls her age should be worried about. Alastair seemed to be doing a little better as well, although she knew his EMDR days were hard. He was playing music again, and Cordelia loved to listen to him play the piano while she was here.

‘Do you want to play something?’ Cordelia asked at some point, gesturing to the piano.

‘Of course,’ Alastair said. ‘Thomas, I need your help.’

‘I didn’t bring my guitar,’ Thomas said nervously.

‘I don’t need you to play, I need you to turn the page of the sheet music. One of these days I’m going to make a copy and tape this piece together, but it’s 5 pages long.’

Cordelia would always be impressed at how fast Alastair could move his fingers over the keys. He’d tried to teach her when she was younger and she could play some simple melodies with her right hand only, but she’d never gotten the hang of playing with two hands.

‘I recognize this,’ Lucie said when Alastair was finished. ‘I think it’s in Pride and Prejudice. The one with Colin Firth.’

‘That’s possible, it’s well known. The Turkish March by Mozart,’ Alastair said. ‘I’ve been practicing this for the past week.’

‘It’s lovely,’ Cordelia said. ‘I missed hearing you play.’

‘And now you only get to listen when you’re here,’ Alastair said apologetically.

‘I’m here several days a week anyway,’ Cordelia said. ‘I’m glad you’re playing again.’

‘I forgot how much I loved it,’ Alastair said. ‘But I’m happy too. Even Church likes it when I play.’

Cordelia noticed the cat was sitting up from his spot on the couch, listening intently as Alastair started playing something else. Church might hate everyone and everything, but he loved Jem and he loved music.

Thomas continued to do his job as page turner and Cordelia could see the adoration in his eyes as he watched Alastair play. She was glad they’d been able to work it out and were still together, Alastair deserved that.

When Alastair was finished, Lucie decided to present her gift, which was a story she’d written herself in an insanely short time. Cordelia had read it and helped her edit, but the premise was that it was Frozen but with Alastair and Cordelia as the main characters.

‘I’m going to read it as soon as I have the time,’ Alastair promised. ‘This sounds brilliant.’

#Alastair Carstairs #Thomas Lightwood #Cordelia Carstairs #Lucie Herondale #Thomastair #Lucelia #the last hours #tlh #fanfiction #epilogue

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immortal-enemies · 3 years

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Hi!! So I want to say I totally respect all your opinions but I had just wanted to add my two cents. Y’know, just another perspective, cause your discussions gave me interesting stuff to think about!! Hope y’all are having a good day!!

First, about Livvy- I don’t think I completely agree that she couldn’t stand on her own as a character. I do see where you’re coming from, though.

I think one of the underlying facets of her that was explored in TDA was a subtle struggle with individuality. Her brother and family means a lot to her, and for the Blackthorns especially their family was a lifeboat. Traumatized kids left orphaned and abandoned by the adults of their world logically come to depend on each other and influence one another in a perhaps more intense way than kids in normal situations do.

For example, let’s take James and Lucie at the start of TLH (not twins but are quite close in age). they’ve been able to “be their own person” in the way that we define that condition, because they exist in a time of unusual peace and freedom/security to leave one another. They can explore themselves outside of their immediate family and still have the generally guaranteed security of their loved ones.

Livvy and Ty, meanwhile, have from their childhood known separation and death. The way that their bond manifests is not just because of the stripped-down facts that they are twins and that they understand each other better.

Now, in TDA the focus was on Emma, Julian, Cristina, Mark more than it was on Livvy and Ty. That and the sheer size of the cast (a situation which has undeniably impacted a lot of CC’s writing, especially in TLH and TDA) means that we didn’t get to spend as much time with her alone. We don’t have a Livvy POV except in a short story where she’s a ghost, and for all those who will accurately say that POV is not the only way to get to deeply know a character, we just didn’t get much out of her alone except in Thule. So it’s easy to understand why she might have just been seen as disposable. And I do wish she had been developed more.

But don’t forget that Livvy was just as complex as any character- firstly because of her inherent worth as a human being, but also because:

she wanted to run an Institute one day (it doesn’t really matter that this isn’t a concrete personality trait, it was an important dream of hers that points to other aspects of her life). she wanted the bond of parabatai. she was a romantic at heart and she was scheming about Julian’s love life and talking about hot celebrities from the beginning. She loved love and weddings and celebration. She was curious about and wanted to include Kit as much as Ty was. She wanted to know what a kiss felt like. She smelled like orange blossoms. After she died and was brought back we see her reflect on the strange stasis she exists in and we see the danger of that condition.

The point is, from the exterior it’s easy to say that she revolves completely around Ty but... a lot of factors impact that perception. As to her death being considered more for its impact on the other characters: well, no one looked at the situation and thought primarily, “this sucks because we’re going to be so sad.” They grieved for her loss and all the things she would never get to see or do because they cared about her as a person, because of her and not because of anyone else. Livia’s Watch wasn’t established for Julian to feel sorry for himself or to make Ty feel better- grief doesn’t work that way. It was to try and honor Livvy, to put her name and character and associated feelings on something larger in order to make up a little for what she lost.

One last thing- are we forgetting Thule Livvy :(

I understand “it’s not the same Livvy.” Let’s worry less about the technicalities of how much their souls match up and think more about the actual character. The whole alternate universe construction is meant to evoke one main idea: POTENTIAL. what could have happened. It asks, what if. Now the irony is that Livvy died in the main world and in Thule she was the only true and known survivor. Outside of this, though, didn’t Livvy have the capacity to fall in love? To grieve? To stand alone as a character and save lives, protect others, make awful decisions as the leader of a weakened people? Didn’t she become even more of a key player by the time Julian and Emma left?

Just stuff to think about! Obviously no one has to agree with me lol

Hiiiii!!! Don't worry! You're good!!

I always viewed Dru as the Blackthorn who was fighting to stand out 🤔

Yes! James and Lucie are very sperate characters! But, that's because they, along with Cordelia, are both the main characters in the series. (CC said herself that it was each of their stories)

Livvy, in the other hand, exists purely because of Ty. She's not a main character, she's somewhere between a secondary character and a tertiary character. To me it feels like she existed to make us like her and then she was killed so Ty and Kit could resurrect her, which would go wrong, and that leads into TWP.

CC obviously knew Livvy was going to die from the start. She didn't just write the end of LoS and think "ya know what would be CRAZY lol?" She knew Livvy was going to die. So there wasn't much need to really grow her character into one that could stand on its own. Especially since once she was a ghost, she was tied to Ty and really couldn't develop because she has to be apart of Ty. She's not even really her own character anymore.

Yes, I did take Thule Livvy into consideration. I think she was more so put in there for the same reason all of Thule was; to set up TWP.

Yes, she was important in Thule. I mean, I don't think anyone could honestly say that Thule Shadowhunters would even exist without her.

But the story doesn't take place in Thule. She is Livvy, but she's not Livvy, so I think comparing them to the standard of "can they stand by themselves" is a little unfair.

Jdbdjsjsjs yes! All of these reasons are completely valid!! And thank you for sharing them!!

#ndmsndss 💙🧡❤️#asks #anon #livvy blackthorn

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alastairstom · 2 months

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Okay!! Been meaning to ask for a long time. Why do you like TLH so much more than TID?? I love both, they are my 2 favorite series, too. I like TID better, though. I'm just curious what draws you to TLH over TID.

You're going to make me THINK and ARTICULATE? UGH. (Jk jk thank you for the ask this is a valid question)

The main thing is that I'm more attached to all the TLH characters than the TID ones. In TID I love Wessa and like the rest; in TLH I'm feral for/in love with like half the main set (Cordelia, James, Matthew, Alastair, Thomas, and Grace) and fascinated by many others (Christopher, Ari, Anna, Eugenia, Charles).

The romances in TLH (specifically Thomastair and Herondaisy) hit me harder than the TID romances.

The friendships are also far more compelling to me because the ways that they fit together are fascinating. The TID characters feel more like isolated occurences while the TLH cast is a unit.

I prefer the light academia vibes that TLH has going on to the dark academia vibes of TID.

I love the Belle Époque London story as well. Setting is key.

TID also brings the frustration that Jessa causes to the forefront of my mind. I like Jessa well enough in TID and always respect Herongraystairs as the best canon outcome, but Jessa never hit and reading about them reminds me of the parts of modern canon that annoy me.

I waited for TLH for many years and Matthew has specifically been my fighter. I looked forward to him since his portrait went up on Cassie's website in 2014, and he didn't disappoint in NBS in 2015. A lot of anticipation went into TLH and it's defined a lot of my life.

Belial is a far more threatening and interesting villain than Mortmain.

The structure of the series as being character-driven and having a large ensemble cast really appeals to me.

Unlike most of the fandom I love the miscommunication trope in these books. It really shows what makes the characters tick and how their respective neurodivergences interact.

I also adore the James-Cordelia-Matthew storyline because I understand that it isn't a love triangle and is instead 2 intersecting plotlines. Basically, if the fandom hates a TLH plotline, I probably love it.

I like the hopeful and open ending of TLH better than the chilling reminder of my own mortality that is the CP2 epilogue.

#tlh positivity

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luciehercndale · 4 years

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James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs: 1001 Nights and Layla and Majnun

Yet another essay/analysis about James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs and the references of their story with classic Middle East literature books such as “1001 Nights” and “Layla and Majnun” and how those books might have inspired some TLH storylines.

Similarities between “1001 Nights” characters and James and Cordelia

The Layla references by James and Alastair

The Scheherezade storyteller

The metaphor of James and Cordelia’s relationship

Cordelia as James’s link to this world

In the Classic Reimagined with Shadowhunters characters book, Cordelia and James are pictured as Scheherazade and sultan Shahryar from “1001 Nights”, and she is probably telling him a story in that art. This book is a collection of folk tales and it is often referred to as “Arabian Nights” and has elements of different Middle East cultures. In short, the sultan Shahryar marries virgin women and then he kills them after the night they spend together. After some time, there aren’t virgins anymore, so the vizier's daughter, Scheherazade, offers herself as the next wife/queen and survives because for 1000 nights she tells the sultan a story, which she never finishes, to keep him curious. The sultan spares her life because he wants to know how the stories end, and after 3 years (1,001 days) she finishes the stories but the sultan has fallen in love with her and he doesn’t kill her.

Like Scheherazade, Cordelia likes books and likes to tell stories. Cordelia is Persian and this collection of tales also contains Persian elements, and the name Scheherazade means “of noble lineage” from Middle Persian. Cordelia also offered herself to marry James to save him from facing judgement from the Clave.

The name of the Sultan, Shaharyar, means “holder of the realm” as king/prince, because the “shah” was the crown king/prince/emperor in Persia/Iran. James loves to read as well and he has expressed several times in CoG2 that he wants to hear Cordelia’s stories.

“Night” in Arabic is “Layla”, which is not only the title of “1001 Nights” in Arabic (“Alf Laylah wa-Laylah”), but it also refers to “Layla and Majnun”. The only time James calls Cordelia “Layla” is when he has the scalding fever and is in and out of consciousness. Alastair also calls Cordelia “Layla”, which is not just super cute but also a reference to their Persian heritage and it also refers to the aesthetic behind Cordelia and James. Cordelia is the night and James the day, but Cordelia is also the fire and James is the shadow. Cordelia is also a heroine like Scheherazade, of course. In literature, the Scheherazade storyteller is also someone who tells a story and is fighting with death, which means that they are telling their story to the reader but they know that they don’t have much time because death is around the corner. If you consider the trouble happening in CoG2, every character of TLH risks to die, especially since we have different POVs and each character tells their own story from their perspective. The only character writer in TLH is Lucie, who also notices how life is terrible and unpredictable, while she only wanted to put joy into her stories:

She felt somewhere in the core of her heart the truth of what her mother had just said. And one should put truth in books, she thought, but this would never be the sort of thing she put in the pages of The Beautiful Cordelia. Books were about experiencing joy. This was the raw and awful stuff of life.

It was much too terrible.

When James has the scalding fever, Cordelia reads him poems and tells him about “Layla and Majnun” by Nizami. From Days Past: Cirenworth Hall, 1900:

She read him the poems of Nizami, and especially the story of Layla and Majnun, one she clearly loved and had known since she was very small. Her cheeks grew unexpectedly red at the more romantic parts: the poor boy falling in love with the beautiful Layla on first sight, wandering mad in the desert when they were separated.

If we were to analyze this, we could say that it reflects James and Cordelia’s story to some degree. James didn’t fall for Cordelia at first sight because he had the gracelet in most of the times they met through the years, but when the gracelet is off and especially after this moment with Cordelia tending to him while he was sick, James is not able to keep her out of his mind even when he later meets Grace again in Idris. Now I don’t know what will happen, but until the gracelet is off, James will act as doesn’t love Cordelia unless their bond breaks the spell of the gracelet. Or Cortana could destroy the gracelet? The last part of this section I reported above “wandering mad in the desert when they were separated” made me think about the shadow’s realm. The realm is like a desert because there is nobody around, and when James goes there before he finally meets Belial, it’s deserted as there is no one there (even if I guess there are demons, but it’s mostly a lonely place). Cordelia is the only one who went to the shadow realm with James and seems to be a threat to Belial in that dimension, because of Cortana. Will James go back to the shadow realm and will Cordelia have to look for him again like at the end of CoG2? That could have been a foreshadowing for the ending and of James and Cordelia finally meeting Belial, but who knows if that won’t come into play again in the future. James could be unable to go back to the normal world and he could be stuck in the realm. Just a thought.

Even when James has the scalding fever and travels to the shadow realm, Cordelia is the only one who is able to bring him back and to their world, which means that there is a link between them, something in Cordelia and James both, a pull. Perhaps it’s the affection they feel for each other, the fiery passion that they could unleash after the gracelet is finally off. Like we saw in the whispering room. That was raw and unrelenting passion, the metaphor of Cordelia and James as a couple: fire and shadow. Cordelia is the fire/match that lit James on fire. Here’s more quotes from Chapter 3, Days Past: Cirenworth Hall, 1900 to support this idea:

He reached for her, and the shadow that was his hand caught hers, darkness against flesh. He wondered how his touch felt to her. His whole body was tensed, like a horse shying from thunder. The room smelled of lightning.

“James, you must hold on. You must. Don’t go anywhere,” Cordelia said. “Stay with me.”

“ ‘ I sought not fire, yet is my heart all flame. Layla, this love is not of earth.’ ”

He shuddered and felt himself come back to this world fully, felt his body return to the space he occupied.

Note: There is also a parallel scene where it’s Alastair who tells Cordelia to stay with him, which could be a hint that Alastair might be the link for Cordelia to stay in this world if she ever falls into the shadow realm with James, perhaps (like Lucie could also be another link for James as his sister). In the flashback from Chapter 20, Days Past: Cirenworth Hall, 1898:

When he looked suspicious, she said, “I could use some help, Alastair. You see how careless my form is.” Alastair came and took the knife from her. “Very careless,” he agreed. “I know swordplay comes naturally to you, but not everything will. You must slow down. Pay attention to your feet. Now, follow my gestures. That’s it, Layla. Stay with me.” And she would.

To reinforce the parallelism between famous Middle East literature and English literature, we also have “The Beautiful Cordelia”, which is not a real book but a story in the making, since Lucie started writing it when she was 12 and she still hasn’t finished it. It’s also a story-within-the-story like the narrative in “1001 Nights”. Lucie is also telling her own story to the readers, and in CoG2 she is writing about Cordelia who is a beautiful red haired woman. Cruel Prince James, inspired by her brother James, is one of the characters of her book even though we don’t know if he is the Lord Hawke who adored Cordelia and supposedly is her main love interest.

One thing that differs in “1001 Nights” and “Layla and Majnun” is the ending. The first has a happy ending because Scheherazade and Shahryar fall in love and she doesn’t die because she becomes queen. In the other book, however, which is sort of a “Romeo and Juliet” love story, the ending is not happy. Layla’s father doesn’t want her to be with Majnun, because he considers the man mentally unstable (Majnun means “crazy”). In the end Layla marries someone else and Majnun roams in the desert because he can’t accept to live in a world without her. They die without seeing each other again, both heartbroken because they can’t be with the other person.

Now don’t take the books word for word. They are inspirations for the main story for sure, but the good thing of inspirations is that they never have the same ending of the original.

Thanks for reading! I know it’s quite long, but I don’t have the gift of brevity, I’m sorry. 🤣

#Cordelia Carstairs #james herondale #James and Cordelia #cordelia and james #jordelia #1001 nights #layla and majnun #alastair carstairs #lucie herondale #scheherazade #the last hours #Chain of Gold #chain of thorns #chain of iron #the shadowhunter chronicles #tlh #tsc #tlh theories #my edits

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cassandraclare · 5 years

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Hello! Tatiana Blackthorn-Lightwood is a character that interests me a lot. I think she is a woman with a sad history & I managed to empathize with her. In some scenarios I even see her as a victim. & I'm very curious about how her brothers just let her go. They didn’t try to bring her back to "home". Gideon never stopped fighting for Gabriel. But they, in my way of 👀it, didn’t even try to fight for her. My question is, will we see in TLH any explanation? she’s not a saint, i know that lmao

Well, that was probably because in Clockwork Princess, Tatiana lied and claimed that Gideon and Gabriel had “murdered” their father (apparently while he was having tea or something.)

“Well, you are grieving your father, are you not?” said the Consul. “Grief shared is grief lessened, they say.”

“Consul—” Gideon began, shooting a worried look at his brother.

“Though perhaps it might be rather awkward to lodge with your sister, considering that she has brought a complaint against you for murder.”

Gabriel made a noise as if someone had spilled boiling water over him. Gideon threw his napkin down and stood up.

“Tatiana did what?” he demanded.

“You heard me,” the Consul said.

She crusaded against them and also against Charlotte, claiming Charlotte and Will were murderers too (CP2.) In the years since she fought for the Clave to punish them until they gave up their inheritances to her so she would leave them alone. You may feel they did not fight for her, but she certainly did all she could to push them away. I don’t think of Tatiana as inhumanly evil, but quite a bit like the Miss Havisham character she’s based on, her bitterness and desire for revenge has made much of her life very difficult.

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kit-herondale-blackthorn · 5 years

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RSOM theories

This is a theory compilation that was requested by @slytherclaw713 as part of my 500 followers celebration.

We know so little about RSOM that it was impossible to make any definite theories, but I still tried to make some guesses and jotted my thoughts down below.

1. Crimson Hand formation

First of all, the biggest mystery of all - how did it happen that Magnus founded the Crimson Hand but didn’t realise? Because I totally don’t believe it was a “drunken joke”.

We know the Crimson Hand worships Asmodeus. This could be related to the one time Magnus summoned Asmodeus which he mentions in CoLS - “summoned my father once and it went badly, will never do it again” or something like that. It could be that either:

a) Magnus agreed to something unknowingly while making some sort of a bargain with Asmodeus that he didn’t fully understand, which is how the cult was started - indirectly by Magnus, directly by Asmodeus

or b) Asmodeus took away those memories from Magnus, which he likes doing - his entry in the History of Notable Shadowhunters says that “his addiction to the emotions and memories of humans would be his undoing, but he remains unconcerned” so why not take away the memory from Magnus just for fun?

2. Crimson Hand current leader

Then we have the drawings Tessa shows Magnus, of the new leader of the Crimson Hand, who is thought to be the original leader too - which is why people think it’s him. But it couldn’t be him, he couldn’t be an active leader of a cult without realising. Which is why I think those pictures actually depict Asmodeus in his human form, in which his identifying traits are also those of Magnus - cat-like golden eyes, dark hair, sharp cheekbones. So I think those pictures actually show Asmodeus - the cult succeeded in summoning him.

3. New demons

We also know that “Alec, Helen and Aline are going to mount a major rescue mission and will go up against a new kind of demon” which makes me think that something happens to Magnus and they have to save him. Maybe he is kidnapped by the cult because of his resemblance to Asmodeus? Those demons are also likely to be asmodei, demons mentioned in CoHF, demonic children of Asmodeus.

4. Magnus’ secrets

Then we have a question whether Alec finds out about Asmodeus being Magnus’ father in this book and the answer is no - in CoLS he is still looking for an answer to this burning question, and even asks Camille about it. He might start to suspect something though.

5. Alec as a Downworlder supporter

I also remember reading that the events of this book were a catalyst for Alec’s work with the Downworlders and his position in forming the Alliance - which is why I think he will play a large part in taking down the cult, saving faeries that are being killed, etc. However, I can’t find that information now, so this might have been just a figment of my imagination.

6. Red Scrolls

Then we have the biggest mystery of all: what part does the actual book, Red Scrolls of Magic, play in all this? I feel like some spells in that book will be vital to stopping the cult. We know Johnny Rook had the book in LA in 2012. And we know Magnus met Johnny in Paris. Maybe Johnny Rook lent him the Red Scrolls in exchange for something? Or Magnus has the Red Scrolls at the beginning of this installment and then offers to give the book to Johnny in exchange for help? Or, is the copy Johnny Rook owns a real copy? Or maybe it’s fake?

7. Lily Chen’s love life

A bonus theory about Lily Chen: the names of 3 characters who Lily had crushes on will be revealed in this book. It would be too easy if these were Raphael, Jem, and Cordelia - because we know about those already. Also, she loved Raphael, he wasn’t merely a crush. Maybe the third person would be Anna Lightwood? We will see Alec’s and Lily first ever meeting and we will see how she reacts to him - and we know he looks exactly like Will, therefore he looks like Anna too.

8. TEC vs TLH

I am also wondering who the hot blonde Lily made out in Venice is... Somehow I would like to think that our good friend Matthew Fairchild is living an extravagant vampire life in Italy, attending masquerade balls and making out with hot vampires called Lily Chen ;) I have a feeling we could be getting a TMI Brother Zachariach/TID Jem parallel going on here - that we will meet a character in TEC who will turn out to be someone from the TLH crew - Cassie already hinted at someone becoming a Downworlder and who would be a better candidate than Matthew Fairchild?

Also, I am so curious to see what Magnus thinks when he meets Helen for the first time. Would she remind him of Grace? (I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t try to link it all to my TLH theories)

#marty celebrates 500 followers #tlh theories #tec theories #tec #trsom #rsom #red scrolls of magic #the eldest curses #the last hours #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #lily chen

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acelezz · 6 years

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“L is For Luna” (Part 1): A Saluna Fanfic

A/N: ok, so I got this idea for an episode for The Loud House a few nights ago when I couldn’t fall asleep from drinking too much Dr. Pepper (I’m very sensitive to sugar) and thought it would make an excellent Saluna short story. I had so much energy that I wrote the whole entire thing out in my head but that was a few nights ago and I don’t remember the exact dialogue so this is slightly altered from the original (and probably better since I had more time to think it out), but the concept remains the same. I hope that you guys enjoy my first TLH fanfic!

...

Title: L is For Luna

Summary: When Luna finds a love letter in her locker, she hopes that it is her crush Sam, but is doubtful. With the help of her ten siblings, Luna will find out whether her dreams of being with Sam will ever be a reality or not.

Part: 1

Author: L-is-For-Loud-House

Fandom: The Loud House

Ship: Saluna (Luna Loud and Sam Sharp)

Timeline: A few months after “L is For Love”

Genre: Fanfiction/Romance

Word Count: 1,425

...

“Ugh, it’s just another manic Monday,” 15 year old Luna Loud sighed as she walked to her locker.

Her morning so far had been disastrous. She had almost been late to school because her family van, Vanzilla, had broke down on the side of the road. This was a common thing for the Loud family since the vehicle is older than their own father. Luckily, Luna’s little 6 year old sister, Lana, who is highly educated in mechanics, was able to repair the alternator, which had been completely fried.

“What an awful way to start off the day and the school week!” She stated as she had finally reached her locker, “What good can this day possibly be?”

Luna soon realized that she had spoke too soon. As soon as the rocker had opened up her locker, a white envelope fluttered out and danced its way down to the floor. Luna noticed that the words “L. Loud” had been written on it with red marker and were surrounded by a bunch of hearts.

“Whoa, a love letter!” Luna exclaimed as she bent down to pick the letter up. “Rockin’!”

Luna excitedly opened up the envelope and took the letter out to see that it read:

“Dear L. Loud,

You will always be able to stand out to me even in the largest crowd. You have always been able to catch my eye due the fact that you have never been afraid to be your unique self. Sorry for the wait, but I realized that if I never told the girl that I have a crush on how rad I think she is, I would never be able to live with myself.

From,

Your Secret Admirer”

“Secret Admirer?” Luna questioned. “Bogus! Now I gotta spend who knows how long figuring out who wrote this lovely letter!”

Luna started to gather the books that she needed for her first few classes when she had made a realization. “Well, maybe I shouldn’t have said that because getting frustrated over the fact that my admirer chose to remain anonymous would make me nothing but a hypocrite.”

Luna then thought back to when she had first started to write love letters to her crush and good friend, Samantha Sharp. She had been crushing on the girl ever since she had moved to Royal Woods when they were both in 8th grade. Luna had been meaning to confess her feelings for awhile but never had the guts to do it. However, one day a few months ago, Luna’s 11 year old brother, Lincoln, found a love letter in their mailbox that had been addressed to “L. Loud”. Luna and her ten siblings were all excited and since they are all “L. Loud”, they were all curious to find out who the letter was for. Luna’s 8 year old sister, Lucy, had the excellent idea for everyone to give their crushes tokens of affection so that more letters would be sent so that the Loud siblings could narrow down who it was for. Luckily, Lucy’s idea worked as the family received more letters. Eventually, the Loud siblings had narrowed down that all of the letters were meant for Luna due to the fact that the secret admirer spoke of someone who had brown hair, who loves all things British, and who loves music. Luna was confused with how the letter could be meant for her since she never sent any tokens or signals to Sam because she was afraid that she would react negatively if she was not into girls or if she did not feel the same way. Yet, the letter described Luna perfectly so she decided to go to Bangers and Mash, where her secret admirer told her to meet up for a date.

Upon initially not being able to find Sam but her own parents instead, Luna and her ten siblings soon learned that all of the love letters were actually from their own mother and that they were for their own father. Luna was a bit bummed out that she was not going on a date with Sam, but her mother’s story of being too nervous to talk to the man of her dreams but eventually winning him over with her love letters totally inspired her. It was that in that moment, Luna realized that she needs to stop waiting around for Sam and that she needs to stop being a chicken and finally talk to her about her feelings. So of course, like her mother, she began to do this through love letters. Luna is too nervous to let Sam know that she is the one who has been sending her love letters so until Sam figures out that it’s her or until Luna feels confident enough to finally sign her name on a letter or tell Sam that it’s her, she will remain anonymous.

“Hey, Lunes, are you ready to rock it today in band?” That voice that Luna always found to sweet and cool asked, interrupting Luna’s daydreaming.

“Oh, hey, dude!” Luna cooly replied as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and slammed her locker shut, “Yep, I’m totally ready, mate! I’m so excited for Ms. B to give us a new piece today! I really wish that we had band first period instead of second period.”

Since Luna and Sam have been classmates and good friends since 8th grade, Luna has mastered the skill of remaining cool around her crush. However, every once in awhile, her cool does slip from her when she’s around Sam.

“Yeah, it’s totally bogus that I have to sit through a whole period of chemistry before band!” Sam complained.

“Yeah and you have Mr. Carter too, don’t ya?” Luna asked.

Sam nodded.

“Man, that really bites.”

“Yeah, he’s totally insane! I swear he can’t even teach! All he ever does is goes on rants about the most bizarre things and expects us to ace every test despite of that! Dude, you have no idea how lucky you are to have Dr. William and not Mr. Carter for chem!”

“Man, that’s rough. And yeah, Dr. William is a really cool dude. I wish that you were in my class.”

“Me too, dude.”

Then all of the sudden, the bell rang. Sam and Luna started to make their way towards their first period classes. Luna has Algebra 2 first period and lucky for her, that’s on the way to Sam’s chemistry class, allowing for the two to walk to class together.

“But anyways, you looked totally spaced out when I walked up to you,” Sam pointed out. “What were you thinking about?”

“Should I tell her about the letter?” Luna thought to herself. “I really want for her to be my secret admirer so if she’s not, I’m going to be really bummed.”

“I-I u-umm...” Luna managed to stutter out as the two began to climb up the stairs that lead to the second level where both of their classrooms were.

“I totally understand if you don’t want to share,” Sam told Luna, realizing how uncomfortable her question made her friend.

Suddenly, a sense of confidence came over Luna. “Well, if it was her, if I don’t speak up now, I may never find out.”

“Well, I did find a love letter in my locker today,” Luna finally said as she revealed the envelope and letter that she had folded up in her hand.

They then reached the second floor and Sam suddenly began to twist her blonde hair with her fingers as she and Luna continued to walk to class. It was a cute little habit of hers that always drives Luna wild. “Wow, that’s awesome, Luna! Do you have any idea who it’s from?”

“No unfortunately. Whoever wrote the letter signed it as “Your Secret Admirer”. I just found it a few minutes ago so I haven’t had the time to try and figure out who it’s from.”

“Man, that’s sure is a bummer!”

“Yeah, I know right? Well, I mean the last time someone told me that they liked me was all the way back in 4th grade so it’s still really rad that someone’s even crushin’ on me.”

“Well, anyways, I gotta get to chem unfortunately.”

“Ok, see y-”

Luna had been cut off by the sudden embrace of her crush and good friend. Sam normally was not much of a hugger so it completely surprised her. However, the hug was quick so Luna did not have time to react and hug Sam back.

“You know, I really am excited for you, dudette,” Sam admitted as she let go of Luna and started to walk towards her Chemistry class. “See ya in band, Lunes!”

“O-ok, s-see y-ya l-later!” Luna managed to reply as she stood there, confused for a few seconds.

...

(Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

...

Check out “Lincoln’s Concert Catastrophe”!

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)

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cassandraclare · 6 years

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q&a prejudice and Shadowhunters

nevergonnagiveyouuporletyoudown said: Hi Ms. Clare! I was just curious as to why the kids at the Academy were mean to Alastair. Shouldn't Shadowhunters be less racist? They travel and see people of all different backgrounds, and if Idris is a center for Shadowhunters then shouldn't there be people of color there too? They have to work together so why wouldn't they accept each other?

katy-krazy-xoxo said: Hi Cassie! I want to ask about Alastair and Jem. Alastair was treated poorly in the Shadowhunter Academy due to his Persian heritage. So how was that Jem, with his Chinese heritage, wasn't being discriminated against in TID?

galbinuscarnation said: I was wondering, why was Alistair made fun of for being of Persian descent? I was under the impression that he was a Shadowhunter first, although as we've seen many Shadowhunters adopt their local customs from whence they came. It could be a product of the times, or maybe related to his parents, but I have been wondering this for quite a while. Thank you!

I see this question is on people's minds! Yes, Jem’s experience was different than Alastair’s — because there is no one monolithic experience for people of color in any situation, and we’re talking about an entire spectrum of behavior. Shadowhunters are generally less racist than mundanes, because their prejudice against mundanes and Downworlders trumps their prejudice against other Shadowhunters. They’re already banded into a subgroup — Shadowhunters — by which they identify themselves. That doesn’t mean there’s never any prejudice within the subgroup: that’s sadly not usually how these things work.

As we’ve seen, Idris is indeed full of people from all over the world, but so is New York, and that hasn’t erased racism from existing there. And while being a Shadowhunter is the most important thing to them--the first, essential thing--it isn't the only thing. Since we’re looking at 1903 — Shadowhunter society would have involved somewhat less of the systemic and structural racism of the time, because racism wasn’t encoded into their Laws the way it was into the laws of the US and England: what we see is more of a pattern of microaggressions and offensive assumptions and beliefs.

To look at another issue: Shadowhunters in 1903 were also generally less sexist than mundanes — women had a vote in the Council in 1878 when they didn’t have a vote in mundane government. But that doesn’t mean they’re not sexist at all.

“I never meant to hurt Charlotte.”

“Charlotte is very sensitive about the way the Institute is run. As a woman, she must fight to be heard, and even then her decisions are second-guessed. You heard Benedict Lightwood at the Enclave meeting. She feels she has no freedom to make a mistake.” — Clockwork Angel

Shadowhunter society is folded into ours, never entirely independent of ours--though invisible to us, they walk among us, and are necessarily influenced by our world. Portals are a new invention in TID, and still recent in TLH, and so before that it was easier for Shadowhunters--as it was for everybody in the past--to think of the world as just the people immediately around them, who often looked and acted like them, because travel and seeing different places and people was immeasurably more difficult. (In part, the whole idea of the “travel year” was meant to ameliorate that, and we can see that in some cases it did help, but it wasn’t enough on its own!)

Moreover, Shadowhunter Academy, as we saw in 1899, was populated overwhelmingly by white boys--who were also presumed to be straight--being brought up in what was thought of as Shadowhunter Tradition, capital letters. The Victorian Era was a time of travel and an expanded world, but also a time when the British Empire —which stretched over vast portions of the globe — uplifted white men as the default, the natural ones to have power, and the Clave is influenced by that as they are always influenced by the bleed of mundane culture into theirs. Boys at the Academy make connections that turn into them being comrades with political influence later in life, in the same way old boys' networks of politicians exist now. Josiah Wayland, Consul during TID, was a white guy. and Victor Whitelaw, Inquisitor during TID, was a white guy--and that wasn't an accident. Inquisitor Bridgestock in TLH is a white guy, and very powerful because conservative Shadowhunters are edging away from their female Consul, and that isn't an accident either. There are people of color, there are women of color, who would've been amazing Consuls and Inquisitors in the 1870s, but they didn't get the chance. Women were rarely sent to the Academy; we know this from Nothing But Shadows. Charlotte was the first female Consul, and she didn’t have an easy time of it: women in the next generation were still less likely to be warriors or politicians. Most, though not all, of the Consuls have been white. Also, PoC Shadowhunters just weren't sent to the Academy as often, because the Shadowhunters are aware of how the world works and the parents of those children didn’t want to do that to their kids. James with his Downworlder heritage went because he wanted to go, because he wanted to find friends his own age (which he did) and look how that turned out.

Racism is varied in different times and places and situations, and all circumstances and experiences or racism are not monolithic. I think it's fairly clear that Alastair attended the Academy at a time when there was a pretty rotten bunch of kids in his class. That sucks. It happens, in real life and in fiction: in the Narnia series, one brother (Edmund) has a horrible character-altering time of it at school, and his older brother Peter is just fine. Alastair was sent by his father Elias, who is white, and thus being white was able to tell himself that racism doesn't exist among Shadowhunters, that there are no microaggressions (I mean, none of them would know that word, but microaggressions still exist in TLH: we see Mrs Bridgestock call Alastair “that Persian boy” and Mrs Bridgestock, who loves her PoC daughter, thinks of herself as just describing Alastair, but Alastair and Cordelia both know what's up, and react accordingly.). Elias had the privilege of not really thinking about it. Alastair paid the price.

Jem didn't go to Shadowhunter Academy--neither he nor Will ever went, and neither of them knew what the Academy was like: Jem lived in London with the very accepting Charlotte and Henry. And Jem was the son of two well-respected Shadowhunters who died hero's deaths, and so he got some slack. Alastair, the son of a suspected murderess and a disgraced and despised Shadowhunter (we'll see what's up with Elias in TLH!), does not. These things are never simple! But Jem did have to deal with racism. Benedict Lightwood and Tatiana and--I'm sorry to say--Gideon and Gabriel's attitude to Jem is definitely informed by racism. Will has behaved badly to the Lightwoods (for understandable curse reasons) but Jem has done nothing to them, and Gabriel definitely prefers Jem to Will, but Gabriel isn't exactly a peach to Jem either. In Clockwork Angel Gabriel references Jem's “disability”—which Will understandably takes extreme issue with!--and equates Jem being tortured by yin fen with an opium addiction--the fact Jem is half Chinese, and that Gabriel's mind jumped to opium addiction, is no mistake, and Will understands and is insulted on Jem's behalf. Even though Gabriel, like Mrs Bridgestock, doesn't intend to be racist, microaggressions are often unintentional.

(From Wikipedia: “There was much prejudice against the East End Chinese community, with much of it initiated by the writings of Thomas Burke and Sax Rohmer. Both of these men wrote about the Chinese community. Burke and Rohmer exaggerated the Chinese community's true size and made much mention of gambling, opium dens, and "unholy things" in the shadows.”)

I don't say this to be down on Gabriel. Benedict raised his kids horribly, in bad harmful beliefs! They needed space to learn, and grow away from him — and they did! Gideon and Gabriel changed for the better. I don't want to portray a perfect society, or perfect characters, but complicated ones, with complicated attitudes that can hopefully change. Jem didn't have the same experience as Alastair; he had his own experience and both are valid. So has Magnus, and Lily, and Jia, and Aline, and Raphael, and Diego, and Cristina, and Jaime, all in their different ways. Shadowhunters are urban fantasy books, not high fantasy books: they do take place in part in our real world, and though prejudice in the Shadowhunter culture is complicated by prejudices we don’t have (Downworlder prejudice, prejudice against folks with demon blood!) they also experience the prejudices we do have.

“They have to work together, so why wouldn't they accept each other” is really true, but also applies to the real world. We all have to work together, so why don't we accept each other? I wish we would. The world would be better, and work better, if we did. But we don't. I hope someday we will.

#tlh #alastair carstairs #jem carstairs

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