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ohnotoomanyfandoms · 3 years

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Do you have any ideas on why the last hours is called the last hours?

Yes! It’s part of a speech made by Pip, the protagonist of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, to the girl he was made to fall in love with, Estella.

The story of TLH greatly resembles Dickens’ and is fully based on it when it comes to the dynamic between James and Grace. Great Expectations is the story of Pip and the girl he loves, Estella — who finds her counterpart in Grace Blackthorn — the ward of Miss Havisham, our Tatiana Blackthorn, a sick and twisted woman who lives in bitterness over a long passed scorn, over the happiness she was unjustly deprived of. Miss Havisham adopts Estella and makes her into her own weapon to take revenge on men (just like Tatiana wants revenge on the London Shadowhunters and used Grace to achieve her goal and destroy the Herondales).

Her mother makes Estella play with Pip — the basis for the character of our James Herondale — who is no more than a toy for her to practice on. I’m not going to tell you how the story goes, but it’s a masterpiece of the English literature that I suggest everyone read! If the genre doesn’t float your boat, you can try watching one of the recent screen adaptations, although the book deserves a try.

There are so many parallelisms and even direct quotes in TLH. I haven’t re-read Great Expectations in many years, but the most striking ones that I noticed immediately and remember now are: Grace repeats Estella’s very words “I am my mother’s blade” at one point in Chain of Gold and then also paraphrases Estella’s quote on not possessing a heart or feelings. In The Midnight Heir we get the repetitive litany of Grace’s aura screaming “love her, love her, love her” that Miss Havisham repeats to Pip around Estella. The scene in ChOG where Grace breaks off the engagement with James is eerily similar to what Estella says to Pip at one point in the novel too. One day I will reread GE and write a full post of the parallelisms!

The quote that The Last Hours takes its name from is:

“Estella, to the last hour of my life, you cannot choose but remain part of my character, part of the little good in me, part of the evil. But, in this separation I associate you only with the good, and I will faithfully hold you to that always, for you must have done me far more good than harm, let me feel now what sharp distress I may. O God bless you, God forgive you!”

Even the names of each book in the series come from a passage in Great Expectations:

“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.”

There you go! This is probably more than you wanted to know. Sorry. If you can’t tell, I’m a literature nerd.

#the last hours #great expectations #james Herondale #grace blackthorn #tatiana blackthorn #cassandra clare #charles dickens #tlh #the shadowhunter chronicles #tsc #chain of gold #chain of iron #chain of thorns #chog

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mysticalmuddle · 3 years

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Sorry if this has been asked before, but what got into asoiaf? Also, did you like Arya and Jonrya from the first read or did that come later? What do you think of Jon as a character? What are your top 10 favourite characters and moments? I aplologise for this avalanche of questions but I just couldn't help wanting to know more of my favourite asoiaf writer. PS: I adore your aesthetic, your blog and writing gives me an otherworldly feeling.

Hey no worries! Ask away <333

but what got you into asoiaf? I’ve always been into quasi-medieval fantasy, and picked up asoiaf a looooooooong time ago, when I was in middle school. It was so engagingly written that it never really left my brain since? That’s like, ten whole years rent free I’ve been thinking about these characters. What recently spurred me into like, engaging with the fandom/writing/etc was the lack of action in the Jonrya tag, and more specifically, the lack of stories updating that I was interested in, so I decided to make my own 😅

Also, did you like Arya and Jonrya from the first read or did that come later? Re: liking Jon and Arya right off the bat--Okay, so when I first read the series, I was Going Through It IRL, and identified a lot with Jon and his storyline? But I was also so not past the age of “girls going on insane dangerous adventures and being brave despite that” being massively appealing and all the Arya chapters were a satisfyingly more adult version of that genre. I’ll say I liked them both from the get-go, and it’s never really died down since, and I just learned over the years and rereads to appreciate more of the characters. (If I’d been a little older on that first read, I probably would have glommed onto Tyrion instead, and my fandom interactions now would be...vastly different 😂😂😂)

I guess I sort of shipped it from the moment I read ADWD. Like, I was super into Jon&Arya before then--that level of devotion is one of my fictional relationship draws--but ADWD really got me into it. There was just something so compelling about how often they think of each other, and how badly they want to be reunited again, in Arya’s chapters especially. But the whole passage with the Pink Letter just Fucked Me Up emotionally, and suddenly I was like, “They should reunite and kiss”. Over the years, my enthusiasm for the ship has increased, as my very old slushpile of unpublished fics can attest.

What do you think of Jon as a character? I think he’s an incredibly complex character, which is my favorite type of character! His struggles in the series against his own desires versus his sense of duty, especially framed in the narrative by popular thoughts about bastards, and how that affected his self esteem--he has to be more honorable, more clever, more dedicated just to make up for a facet of his own existence that he didn’t control and can’t change!--is something I just find so compelling. And, of course, his deeply intense love for Arya always gets me like 😍😍😍😍 I don’t have any huge takes on him though--I’m not a very thinky type person and everything I think about characters seems so hard to articulate unless I’m pouring it out into a fic (so I’m sorry if you wanted Takes! This Bitch Empty!)

What are your top 10 favourite characters?

Arya

Jon

Daenerys

Brienne

Tyrion

Missandei

Oberyn

Bran

Asha

Sansa

What are your top 10 favourite moments? Alright, these are in no particular order of preference, just listened as I remembered/googled exactly what books they took place in

1. When Brienne rescues Willow from the Bloody mummers, despite knowing that they’ll kill her for the attempt, AFFC-Brienne VII. No chance and no choice gives me chills every fucking time

2. When Arya kills Dareon and walks off with his boots, AFFC-Cat of the Canals. This moment has implications and speaks to Arya’s inability to let go of herself, even when all that being a Stark means in that moment is the gruesome work of justice, but I’ll be honest--I just like it because of how nonchalant and almost sassy she is when taking the boots afterwards, and how it speaks to her practicality.

3. When Jon reads the Pink Letter and loses his shit, ADWD-Jon XIII. I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back …"I think we had best change the plan," Jon Snow said. Ohohohohhhoo!!! Juuuuust fuck me up GRRM!!

4. When Daenerys has breakfast with Missandei in Mereen and Missandei chides her into eating more, saying Daenerys is very small, ADWD-Daenerys VII. But also every Daenerys & Missandei interaction ever. Every time they speak to each other, you can just tell the level of care they have, and how they see each other as family over time!!!

5. When Arya travels with the Brotherhood Without Banners and gives water to the northern prisoners before watching as Anguy mercy-kills them, ASoS-Arya V. It’s a facet of Arya’s personality that imo, I think is ignored in metas and fics. She considers them her pack, and despite her disappointment in them, and her disgust at their crimes, still gives them water and finds them a quick, merciful death.

6. The dinner with the men of the Nightswatch and the discussion Bran and Robb have afterwards, about riding to the Wall to see Jon, and about whether their family will come back, AGoT-Bran IV This moment, I think, speaks to Robb’s characterization in a way that Catelyn’s POV chapters don’t touch very well. He’s so very young, despite everything, and trying his hardest, and well aware of the dangers his family is in, and how he’s falling short of saving them and there’s nothing he can do about that.

7. Oberyn during Tyrion’s trail by combat, and his arrogance and his rage, ASoS-Tyrion X. His demand that the Mountain say Elia’s name got me tearing up the first time I read it, not realizing what the cost of that justice would be for Oberyn himself. So much of ASoIaF deals with grief, and the consequences of obsessive grief, and this fit into the series so impeccably fucking well

8. Every single thing about Daenerys freeing the slaves at Astapor, ASoS-Daenerys III. One of the things I really didn’t appreciate in the show is how they changed the tone of that scene, very much altering it from Daenerys and her joy that she can do this thing, a balm after the horror she felt seeing the slaves and learning about the brutal training the Unsullied go through, into a moment that was just her being badass and powerful.

"Unsullied!" Dany galloped before them, her silver-gold braid flying behind her, her bell chiming with every stride. "Slay the Good Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who wears a tokar or holds a whip, but harm no child under twelve, and strike the chains off every slave you see." She raised the harpy's fingers in the air . . . and then she flung the scourge aside. "Freedom!" she sang out. "Dracarys! Dracarys!" "Dracarys!" they shouted back, the sweetest word she'd ever heard. "Dracarys! Dracarys!" And all around them slavers ran and sobbed and begged and died, and the dusty air was filled with spears and fire. "Dracarys!" they shouted back, the sweetest word she'd ever heard. "Dracarys! Dracarys!" And all around them slavers ran and sobbed and begged and died, and the dusty air was filled with spears and fire."Dracarys!" they shouted back, the sweetest word she'd ever heard. "Dracarys! Dracarys!" And all around them slavers ran and sobbed and begged and died, and the dusty air was filled with spears and fire. [Bold mine] The moment on the show was momentous, but this was-----vastly superior and far more indicative of her character.

9. Catelyn stopping the catspaw from killing Bran, AGoT-Catelyn III. Watching Catelyn emerge from the haze of her grief only to go full fucking ham feral and brutal protecting her child was like *chef’s kiss* There’s just such a cool contrast between her losing her shit talking with Robb a moment before, and then the actual fight, and then her busting out with: "The circumstances did not allow me to examine it closely, but I can vouch for its edge," Catelyn replied with a dry smile. "Why do you ask?"

10. This exchange: Alliser Thorne overheard him. "Lord Snow wants to take my place now." He sneered. "I'd have an easier time teaching a wolf to juggle than you will training this aurochs.""I'll take that wager, Ser Alliser," Jon said. "I'd love to see Ghost juggle." AGoT-Jon III. That’s the moment I knew I stanned Jon Snow irreparably, forever.

PS: I adore your aesthetic, your blog and writing gives me an otherworldly feeling. No u! For real, anon, that’s so fucking sweet of you to say 🥰🥰🥰 Hope I answered everything to your satisfaction, and feel free to come back and chat if the mood strikes ya!

#asks #Anonymous #read more because rip this got long

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scribomaniac · 7 years

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Man of Ash and Thorns: Chapter 7

The rattle of a face being smashed against a chain linked fence could be heard all throughout the stadium. The fight had only just began a few moments ago and both Weres were still in their human form. Jared and Will ensured their seats were the best in the house by camping out in the stadium for several hours before the fight even began. Liam was all too ecstatic to be sitting in the first row and was cheering with the best of them. Reyna, though enjoying the fights, didn't love the fact that flecks of blood, spit, and sweat now speckled her shirt. Grimacing, Reyna took a tiny step away from the fence and checked her phone. No new messages. Putting her phone away, Reyna looked over to see her hoard of sweaty men.

Will and Jared at least came prepared and dressed appropriately for the late May heat in shorts and sleeveless shirts. Liam was wearing a t-shirt, and already sweat stains were appearing in its arm pits. The worst of them, though, was Max. He made Reyna's skin crawl with second hand heat waves. He wore a button down business shirt with matching slacks. At least he'd taken off his jacket, but Reyna didn't understand how he wasn't suffering from heat stroke. He looked like he should be with how much he was sweating. Reaching out with her magic, Reyna checked his vitals to make sure he wasn't actually going to collapse from heat stroke. Her magic couldn't detect anything wrong, so she shrugged and turned her attention to his face.

It'd been three weeks since Henry King's death. Only three weeks, and yet Max looked like he'd aged three years. Stress lines that hadn't existed the last time she saw him were now etched deep into his forehead and between his brows and even parts of his hair were turning silver. He was beginning to look so much older than his actual age of twenty five.

His face was alive with excitement and adrenaline, though, as he watched the fight progress. He looked dynamic and invigorated and his actual age. Looking at him, seeing him have fun, made Reyna immensely happy that she invited him. She hadn't been avoiding him since her run in with Clochette—not exactly, but she definitely hadn't been seeking him out. So seeing him tonight, with his haggard face and wrinkled clothes, made her feel so guilty she thought she'd cry. Luckily, she didn't. That would have been so terribly awkward she wouldn't have known what to do with herself.

Looking out to the fight, Reyna saw that the Weres had both shifted, and both had gotten in good hits, but that neither was giving in to the other. She winced. She normally enjoyed the Were fights, but when they got to be this vicious it would sometimes make her stomach sour. Turning to Max, she yelled into his ear, “I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Do you want me to make a stop at the concession stand?” He passed the message down to the others and the answer was a firm yes. So Reyna left her seat and made her way up to the restrooms while repeating the list of snacks in her head over and over again.

The line to the bathroom was long—as it always was for women—and the line for concessions was even longer. Reyna crossed her arms over her chest while she stood patiently in line. She wondered how many fights she'd missed and contemplated texting Liam or Will to see what was happening, but then frowned at the unlikelihood of them hearing their phones. Sighing, she steps closer to the counter as the line moves forward. A warm, fabric covered arm brushed her own and Reyna looks up to see Max looking down at her with a soft smile. “Hey,” he greets.

“Hey, what are you doing up here?”

“You were taking a while so I thought I'd come up and check on you—help you carry some of our snacks.”

Reyna smiled up at him in thanks, “I'm surprised you even noticed I was still gone. You were watching the fights pretty intensely.”

“I always notice when you're gone,” he admits, then his eyes widen as he realized what he said. He turns his head towards the counter, but doesn't retract his statement. Reyna stared up at him with a small frown on her lips. Max knew he didn't have a chance with her. No one did. She was aromantic, and would never feel the way about him and he did her. Sometimes, though, like now, she kind of wished her heart would flutter like a butterfly's wings in her chest and that her breath would catch and her cheeks flush like his. None of that did happen, though, and none of that ever would.

Shaking away those thoughts and the small pang of sadness that accompanied it, Reyna cleared her throat and decided now was as good a time as any to talk to him about what she'd discovered. “I'm glad you're here,” she said, then quickly continued when his eyes widened and his blush deepened. “I wanted to talk to you about your father—and the Fairies.” Max's eyes turned from wide eyed and hopeful to narrowed and focused. “I was able to speak to one. She was a member of the Unseelie Court.”

“What did she tell you?” He turned his body fully towards her now, giving her his utmost attention.

Grimacing, Reyna told him, “Not much, to be honest. Neither Queen ordered your father's death.”

“But,” he prompted.

But,” she nodded, “they wanted it, and allowed it. They're working with . . . someone,” she almost said Dunstan, but cut herself off last second. She had no evidence that Dunstan was back, that he was working with the Fae, but . . . something in her gut told her he had a hand to play in all of this. Somehow. Clochette's questions that night had been too specific. Someone wanted intel on her life and there was no way that person was one of the Fairy Queens. Not telling Max her theory, though, Reyna wasn't sure if she did so because she had no tangible evidence he was behind the attack or for another reason she refused to acknowledge. “Someone who's giving them the confidence and arrogance to kill the mayor of New York City. I don't know what's going on, Max, but I want you to be careful, okay?”

He nodded slowly, his jaw clenched tight. He turned back to the counter and they stayed quiet until they had their goodies and made their way back down to their seats. “Is there any way—” Max began to ask, but it was too loud so close to the ring, so instead he pulled out his phone and began to type, “Is there any way to find out which Fairy killed my father?”

Reyna took his phone in her hands and contemplated her answer. “Yes,” she paused, then continued typing, “it might take me a while, but I could do it. But there'd be no point . . . the Fae don't adhere to human government so nothing would be done unless . . .” she trailed off. She knew he was reading over her shoulder and when he finished because he looked at her, waiting for her to finish. “Unless you want me to kill them.” she finally finished and looked him in the eyes. She'd never killed a Fairy before. She wasn't even sure if she could, depending on how powerful the particular Fae was. And if Max asked her to . . . she thought she knew the answer to the unasked question and wondered if it made her a bad person. Made her as bad as Dunstan.

Max took the phone back and read and reread her words several times as he contemplated the unspoken offer. Eventually he shook his head and erased her text. “No, you're right. There'd be no point finding out if we can't bring them to justice.” Reyna nodded her head, glad that he didn't want revenge. Max put his phone away and they returned to watching the fights.

After three more fights, it was obvious to Reyna that Max wasn't paying any attention to what was in front of him. He didn't even so much as blink when Cosimo Borgia—Max's favorite fighter—took the stage and decimated his opponent in barely five moves. Tugging on his hand, Reyna caught his attention and nodded for him to follow her out of the stands and away from the ruckus and noise of the fights. “I'm sorry,” she said when they were able to hear each other. “I shouldn't have told you. It ruined your night.” And he was having such a good time, she thought as her stomach twisted itself into knots.

“No, no,” he shook his head earnestly. “Thank you for telling me. It's helped me . . . clear my head, I think. It's definitely helped me make up my mind.”

Tilting her head to the side, Reyna hesitated to ask, “Make up your mind about what?”

“My father was . . .” he sighed, “he was a strong man. He had strong principles and values and he stuck with them. But he was also very stubborn. Sometimes that worked in his favor, like when he needed to get laws passed or persuading city council members, but it was also his downfall in a way. He was so adamant against Supernaturals—against magic. I think, though, I think there can be peace between the species. Between humans and the Fae and Vampires and everything else that goes bump in the night.” He chucked to himself, then shook his head, as if chasing away a thought. “I believe we can have peace. Real peace. If we strive for it. And I want to help bridge the gap between the human race and all the others. Even if I don't live long enough to see the day when all the species live together in harmony . . . I'll die happy enough knowing that I helped build that bridge.”

Max's eyes glistened with unshed tears and Reyna's brows furrowed as worry began to grow in her belly. Hadn't she just asked him to stay safe? This did not sound like it would end safely. “Reyna, thank you really, for helping me with my decision.” He smiled gently at her. She didn't reciprocate the action, but he didn't seem to notice. “I've been battling with it for a while, but it's decided. I'm going to run for mayor.” His smile turns cheeky as he continued, “I'm going to take my father's throne.”

Reyna's jaw dropped. She hadn't anticipated this. This was not good. He was walking head long into danger if he ran for office! Max, taking her shocked silence as a good thing smiled wider and wrapped and arm around her shoulders. “It's all thanks to you, Reyna!” Reyna continued to stare at him, completely frozen, while he continued to prattle on about how much good he'd be able to do in office, and how he knew it'd be difficult, being so young and all, but so long as he got the proper amount of signatures no one could stop him, and on and on and on.

All Reyna could think about was the last King campaign office she'd been in and how close Dunstan had gotten to killing Henry King then. How close he'd gotten to killing everyone in that building. She wanted to shout at him, tell him to stop his thinking, but knew he wouldn't hear her. He might be different than is father in some ways, but they had the same stubborn streak. Reyna could only hope that his wouldn't also get him killed. The seven tattoos on her forearm burned at the thought. She would never let that happen. He stopped his jabbering and looked down at her waist, “Is that your phone?”

Blinking, Reyna grabbed her phone from her back pocket and was surprised to find that yes, it was her phone Max had heard. Those were some good ears he had. Seeing that it was a call from Lilith, Reyna answered the call. “Lilith?”

“Reyna! Where have you been? I've called you twenty seven times!” The Vampire Queen shouted in her ear, making sure Reyna had no difficulty hearing her at all.

In no mood to deal with Lilith's dramatics after Max's terribly optimistic speech, Reyna growled back, “Well I'm answering now so what is it?”

“It's Sophie,” Lilith said slowly, letting her words sink in. Reyna turned away from Max and waved a hand around her, cutting off all the noise around her. Her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she waited for Lilith to continue. A chill overcame her fingertips. Numbness crawled its way up her arms. Finally, Lilith continued, “She's missing.”