#Beati Bellicosi

[shrewind2]

Shadowhunters 3x20: City of Glass  

Free to use.

[shadowhunterstvsource]

SHADOWHUNTERS (3.13) | BEATI BELLICOSI

[x-ceirios-x]

(Part 2) City of Fallen Angels, Chapter 15: Beati Bellicosi

please see the masterlist for notes about this series/collection of works

-

Alec raised his blue eyes. “Who’s Will?”

Magnus exhaled a sort of laugh. “Will. Dear God. That was a long time ago. Will was a Shadowhunter, like you. And yes, he did look like you, but you’re not anything like him. Jace is much more like the way Will was, in personality, at least—and my relationship with you is nothing like the one I had with Will. Is that what’s bothering you?”

“I don’t like thinking you’re only with me because I look like some dead guy you liked.”

“I never said that. Camille implied it. She is a master of implication and manipulation, much like my friend Eleanor you met, though she usually uses such things for good. Camille has a habit of getting into your head and toying with you.”

Alec huffed and rolled his eyes. “Another one of your old friends that doesn’t like me.”

“Eleanor likes you fine, Alexander. She just doesn’t like Shadowhunters.” Magnus sighed. “Camille was wrong. Point blank.”

“You didn’t tell her that.”

“If you let her, she will attack you from every front. Defend one front, she’ll attack another. The only way to deal with her is to pretend she isn’t getting to you.”

“She said pretty boys were your undoing,” Alec said. “Which makes it sound like I’m just one in a long line of toys for you. One dies or goes away, you get another one. I’m nothing. I’m—trivial.”

“Alexander—“

“Which,” Alec went on, staring down at the table again, “is especially unfair, because you are anything but trivial for me. I changed my whole life for you. But nothing ever changes for you, does it? I guess that’s what it means to live forever. Nothing ever really has to matter all that much.”

“I’m telling you that you do matter—“

“The Book of the White,” Alec said, suddenly. “Why did you want it so badly?”

Magnus looked at him, puzzled. “You know why. It’s a very powerful spellbook.”

“But you wanted it for something specific, didn’t you? A spell that was in it?” Alec took a ragged breath. “You don’t have to answer, I can tell by your face that you did. Was it—was it a spell for making me immortal?”

Magnus felt shaken to his core. “Alec,” he whispered. “No. No, I—I wouldn’t do that.”

Alex fixed him with his piercing blue gaze. “Why not? Why through all the years of all the relationships you’ve ever had have you never tried to make any of them immortal like you? If you could have me with you forever, wouldn’t you want to?”

“Of course I would!” Magnus, realizing he was almost shouting, lowered his voice with an effort. “But you don’t understand. You don’t get something for nothing. The price for living forever—“

“Sorry to interrupt, boys.” It was Andromeda Herondale, her phone in one hand and drink in another. “I need to steal Magnus for a moment.”

“Andromeda.” Normally, he liked Jace’s sister well enough, though he didn’t know exactly how well she was considered family by the rest of the institute yet. Rowan hated her and Alec hadn’t been around her long enough to have an opinion. She seemed fine. Not so much at the moment. “Could you please go away? Now is a really bad time.”

Andromeda arched an eyebrow at him, challenging his words with a bored sort of stare. With a dramatic flourish, she downed the rest of her drink and sat the glass down between them. “Then I guess I will just tell Maryse that you were too busy with your relationship issues to come help her find Camille, who I may add, has just broken out of the Sanctuary.”

“Do not tell her that,” Magnus said and sighed. “Why do I have to be present for this?”

Another look, and Magnus understood exactly why. If he didn’t go, the Clave would be suspicious that he had something to do with Camille’s escape, and that was the last thing he needed. Maryse would be furious, complicating his relationship with Alec even further. Andromeda was trying to help him, even if she seemed bitchy about it. And yet—

“She escaped?” Alec said. “No one’s ever escaped the Sanctuary.”

“Well,” she said. “Someone has. I guess tonight is full of firsts, like the first time I’ve had work interrupt me trying to schedule a date with a girl I actually like. I’m not happy about this either and I would like to stake this vampire the next time I see her.”

Alec slunk lower in his seat. “Go,” he said. “It’s an emergency, just go. We can talk later.”

“Fine.” Magnus stood up. “But,” he added, pausing by Alec’s chair and leaning in close to him, “you are not trivial.”

Alec flushed. “If you say so,” he said. 

“I say so,” said Magnus, and he turned to follow Andromeda out of the room. 

The walk back to the Institute wasn't a pleasant one by any means, as he had to deal with the windchill and the million thoughts spinning through his mind about Alexander and how things stood for them at the moment. Andromeda stayed silent for a long time, simply walking in stride with him, holding her arms  and running her hands over them as she tried to warm up. 

“That is what you get for wearing a dress like that in October,” he said, realizing he sounded more judgemental than teasing as he was wrapped in his own thoughts. 

“You’re just bitter because I wear it better than you would,” she said without missing a beat, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a dramatic flourish. He could tell she was simply firing back, testing the waters to see if he was really trying to pick a fight with her. Which, in fact, he wasn’t. After a moment of silence, she spoke up again. “I couldn’t help but hear part of your conversation—“

“You could,” he said flatly. “I know you like to listen in on things you shouldn’t.”

She grinned. “Guilty as charged. But this time, really, I wasn’t. I just wanted to say I see your point about all that.”

“Do you, now?”

She put her hands up in surrender. “I mean that I understand wanting to put your past behind you. It’s not fair for someone to use it to judge you, whether it’s four hundred years or nineteen. Just because you’ve been burned—or even if you weren’t—it shouldn’t be held against you now.”

Magnus sighed. Something about this girl reminded her of Camille in the sense that she was an expert talker and no doubt knew how to coax information out of people, but he didn’t get the malicious intent from her. He’d play along for now. “I’m glad you understand. Getting Alexander to is a different story.”

“I get that, too,” she said, speaking carefully. She was clearly trying not to upset him or get in the middle of anything, but simply trying to share her thoughts. “Unfortunately, I can’t help with that. Not only do I not know Alec, but I really don��t know anyone at the Institute well enough to even try to help.”

“You haven’t exactly made that easy, I heard,” he said before considering it, only thinking of Rowan’s several text messages containing very colorful insults about her since he came back to New York. “Acting better than everyone isn’t an easy way to make friends.”

She chuckled, allowing the statement to roll off her back easily. “I could dial it back, I admit. If it makes you feel any better, I have tried, but Jace keeps shutting me out and Clary is off in her own world of issues. Only other people who seem to even acknowledge my existence is Maryse and Aric, so I befriended them both.”

“I find it very hard to believe anyone can befriend Aric Ashfair these days,” he muttered bitterly. 

His comment amused her, considering how terribly she hid her laugh with a cough. “I lied a little bit. I got Maryse to like me, and I think he just sits in the corner, usually brooding.”

“You don’t say,” he said, rolling his eyes. That sounded incredibly like an Aric thing to do, though he tried to block out the voice in the back of his head that insisted that was bad. He was, justifiably, upset, and wouldn’t continue to be. But part of him felt a little responsible for him, just enough to want to pull him out of whatever hell he put himself in and hope he’d figure out how to be Mollie’s Aric again, not the sad skeleton of a man he faced at the party in Alicante. 

“That sounds like history,” she said, biting back a laugh. He shot her a glare. “Hey, I won’t pry. I don’t want to be involved in anything that makes it harder for me to take Maryse or Aric seriously or like them less. I don’t do hundred year grudges, just petty drama.”

“That’s probably better for you in the long run, actually,” he said, looking over at her. “Why are you so invested in petty drama, anyway? Sometimes it’s entertaining, but most times I just can’t be bothered.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “When you have no skin in the game, what is there to lose?”

For nineteen, he thought it was an oddly sad look to have on life, but he also knew very little about her life. Only that she was Stephen Herondale’s daughter, Luke’s niece, and Jace’s half-sister, which was a recent discovery Alec informed him of when they found out. 

He was going to ask something further when they turned onto the Institute’s street. He let the question hang in the air as Andromeda ascended the stairs and placed her hand on the doorknob. After a few seconds, he heard a click, and the front door swung open. Shadowhunter magic, he thought. A pain in the ass in its own right. 

“After you,” she said, stepping back and gesturing for him to walk past her. He stepped through the threshold and the door swung closed behind them both, clicking locked behind them. He couldn’t think about her, or Alexander and their relationship issues, or even Aric Ashfair whom he had to work amicably with for the next god-knows-how-long. Now, his only choice was to focus on finding Camille and prove his innocence before it was questioned. 

[ladyhindsight]

... did you say biphobia and slut-shaming? Because here you get biphobia and slut-shaming.

Beati Bellicosi, blessed are the warriors. Blessed is my patience with this book.

The party at the Ironworks has begun. Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Maia, Jordan, Magnus, and Alec are all in attendance. Isabelle wasn’t invited, she just tagged along. I don’t know what Magnus and Alec are doing there (Alec is probably Magnus’ plus one?).

You can incorporate this information without breaking the sentence.

→ Werewolf waiters/Waiters, who were also werewolves, moved among the guests, handing out champagne flutes. Simon declined one. The whole event seemed to be staffed by members of Luke’s pack.

Commas before “who” because the relative clause provides additional information that is not essential to know what is happening.

I previously talked about how incessant Jordan becomes when it comes to Maia. It is obnoxious and relentless how he forces his thoughts about her and constantly calls upon the time they dated. Maia has not welcomed his presence yet. We have not gotten any of Maia’s thoughts, how she is dealing with having Jordan around again, how she doesn’t even know the truth about Jordan’s circumstance. Jordan goggling at Maia is intrusive and annoying and disrespectful.

Alec continues to have his arms crossed. He has not uncrossed them since the scene in the Sanctuary.

Staring ferociously → glaring

One thing that constantly happens in this book is characters telling the same information again and again, just from different perspectives. Here Clary is once again described, though we know what she is wearing.

→ She came around the table to greet Simon. She was wearing...

→ I think the writing has made a point over how Clary does not wear heels. I don’t think she has worn heels at all in the series, so pointing this out gives the impression that she has a habit of wearing heels to look taller, and now that she isn’t, she looks noticeably tiny in her natural height. It is also the same as saying Clary looks like she always does: tiny.

Why is Magnus’ finger white again?

I can’t deal with this. Find another way to describe someone’s expressions without even mentioning their eyes or the eye color.

Considering how this will turn out romantic later, I supposed Jordan’s feelings and worry over is supposed to be regarded as favorable.

No, it’s just stalking.

Alec is being a little brat, and Magnus acts like there is absolutely nothing he could possibly do to alleviate Alec’s mood.

...Aaaabsolutely nothing. Withholding information about your life really creates a feeling like they know each other and trust each other, doesn’t it?

Let’s go back to my favorite quote from The Red Scrolls of Magic:

Leon glanced around, then said rapidly, “I mean, we’re both bisexual. Interested in men and women.”

“Oh,” said Alec. “I don’t know a lot about that, but again, good for you.”

Alec knew Magnus was the same way. He had begun to learn that there was a whole world he had been entirely cut off from, words like ‘bisexual’ and ‘pansexual’ he’d never really known.

[…] In the dark small corners of his soul, Alec worried sometimes. Why would Magnus choose him if he could choose a girl, a woman, an easier life? He thought of how terrified he’d been once of how he would be judged.

Clare doesn’t seem to get that phrasing things in a certain way may have offensive implications. Whether they are intended or not, they are still there.  I think Clare even thought about this scene on any deeper level than some lovers’ spat to spur up relationship drama, which in itself is half-witted because Magnus and Alec aren’t given enough room to spit the drama out. No matter how you slice and dice this, it doesn’t paint Alec in a good regarding these biphobic remarks. I’ve said before (rephrased a bit) that it’s pretty obvious that Alec is immature, deeply insecure, but straightforward, which is the reason any of his juvenile jealousy and his insecurity see the light of day at all. He’s also fucking stupid, but that’s another subject entirely. I don’t think it had gone unnoticed by anyone that everything Alec was at that point took great effect on his relationship with Magnus, adding to the fact that Magnus is reluctant to share anything. With all that in mind, it’s easy to point the cause of Alec lashing out.

Because of that, I don’t think that Alec himself is biphobic. The comment totally is. There’s little else in can be interpreted as, but I don’t think it comes from the place of biphobia. I don’t think Magnus’ sexuality was ever the problem (also Clare’s retconning tries to spin it this way rather than any other though none of it fits). Alec is not biphobic before nor is he afterwards, which is why I see the problem more as one concerning slut-shaming more than anything. The issue Alec has, of course, is Magnus’ multiple past relationships, and his nasty comments are directed more toward that. 

Because in the end, characters can say the most outrageously dumb stuff, but it is the consciousness behind the writing that matters in that case. And there is none with this issue. No matter where you consider Alec’s comments laying, there is still the fact that their issues weren’t given enough time or space to be handled properly. No skill nor interest from the author’s part either, and nor was the intricacy of the circumstance taken well into account. No wonder, having read this book again, I really, truly comprehend how Clare has zero capacity for that. 

From the storytelling aspect, there’s also the fact that any drama that could be resolved if the characters just would talk is effing idiotic and frustrating. For Magnus there isn’t any concrete reason not to talk about his past, only that the past doesn’t matter. I’m taking he greatest offence for the fact that the execution is overall terrible and thoughtless, and there were these actual issues that needed time and consideration but were sidelined in favour of Clary and Jace dry-humping each other against whatever surface available.

Anyway, let’s continue. Simon and Clary talk after this awkward affair.

Did you know that Simon is a vampire and that we, as readers, need constant reminders of things that relate to him being a vampire?

→ His unbeating heart contracted, and he wondered...

Clary sees Jace and leaves after him, and Maia comes to talk to Simon. Simon spills the beans about Jordan.

At its core, the issue is dishonesty.

Sometimes I wonder in retrospect what the hell did I mean when I took these long excerpts, but this is just unfair to dump this all on Maia at once and pretend it’s a favor.

→ Simon was never a boyfriend, they weren’t dating dating.

Clary has followed Jace to a terrace and they talk.

Not once has anyone done anything for Simon for being Simon have they. Even this Clary gets to spin around to be about her.

How exactly one acts like a Lightwood?

The amount of stuff these characters spend time remembering in this book. This paragraph also pauses unnecessarily many times.

→ She had the open-eye rune now on the back of her hand, the one he’d...

Jace then kidnaps Clary and we return back to the Awkward Table of probably uninvited guests.

It is not. At all. And that you are willing to tell?

Alec tells Magnus he heard the conversation Magnus had with Camille.

→ You should say Will was your friend, like he was, instead of this vague bullshit about the relationships being different.

→ The whole exchange that continue here is incoherent. Alec asks Magnus random things and Magnus barely answers Alec’s questions straightforwardly. Then they get interrupted by Isabelle who does that a lot in this book.

Reassuring. Not.

Simon is standing outside the Ironworks and is greeted by Maureen. Simon is shocked to see Maureen has become a vampire. She has come as a messenger and leads Simon away to closer to the long-awaited climactic point of this story.

[queerstuffonscreen]

Shadowhunters (2016-2019)

Episode length: 39-60 min.

Country: USA

Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Language: English

When Clary Fray's mother has disappeared, Clary joins a band of Shadowhunters; demon killing hunters, and gets caught up in a plan to save the world.

Season 1

Episode 1: The Mortal Cup

Episode 2: The Descent Into Hell Isn't Easy

Episode 3: Dead Man's Party

Episode 4: Raising Hell

Episode 5: Moo Shu to Go

Episode 6: Of Men and Angels

Episode 7: Major Arcana

Episode 8: Bad Blood

Episode 9: Rise Up

Episode 10: This World Inverted

Episode 11: Blood Calls to Blood

Episode 12: Malec

Episode 13: Morning Star

Season 2

Part 1

Episode 1: This Guilty Blood

Episode 2: A Door Into the Dark

Episode 3: Parabatai Lost

Episode 4: Day of Wrath

Episode 5: Dust, and Shadows

Episode 6: Iron Sisters

Episode 7: How Are Thou Fallen

Episode 8: Love is a Devil

Episode 9: Bound by Blood

Episode 10: By the Light of Dawn

Part 2

Episode 11: Mea Maxima Culpa

Episode 12: You Are Not Your Own

Episode 13: Those of Demon Blood

Episode 14: The Fair Folk

Episode 15: A Problem of Memory

Episode 16: Day of Atonement

Episode 17: A Dark Reflection

Episode 18: Awake, Arise, or Be Forever Fallen

Episode 19: Hail and Farewell

Episode 20: Beside Still Water

Season 3

Part 1

Episode 1: On Infernal Ground

Episode 2: The Powers That Be

Episode 3: What Lies Beneath

Episode 4: Thy Soul Instructed

Episode 5: Stronger Than Heaven

Episode 6: A Window Into an Empty Room

Episode 7: Salt in the Wound

Episode 8: A Walk in Darkness

Episode 9: Familia Ante Omnia

Episode 10: Erchomai

Part 2: The Final Hunt

Episode 11: Lost Souls

Episode 12: Original Sin

Episode 13: Beati Bellicosi

Episode 14: A Kiss from a Rose

Episode 15: To the Night Children

Episode 16: Stay With Me

Episode 17: Heavenly Fire

Episode 18: The Beast Within

Episode 19: Aku Cinta Kamu

Episode 20: City of Glass

Episode 21: Alliance

Episode 22: All Good Things...

Watch on Netflix

[tmi-tv-show-news]

Farewell to Shadowhunters: Isaiah Mustafa Talks "Racy" Bloopers with Matthew Daddario

[ladyladuga]

Magnus and his struggle with mundane technology ... I totally understand that and it would probably be adorable if there wouldn’t be a much bigger issue behind it. 😥

[hiddlesgirl]

I miss you.

[nephilimthreads]

Out From Under Lace Halter Bra-$20.00 [Sold Out in Exact Color]

Katherine McNamara wore this exact bralette as Clary Fray for Shadowhunters 3x13, ‘Beati Bellicosi’.

Worn with: Lynn Zip Mid SKinny, Lynn Zip Shirt, James Perse Slub Shirt, Club Monaco Belt. 

[visander]

Magnus Bane didn’t work tirelessly as High Warlock to stop infighting and band the Downworld together just for this shit to happen the second he looks away.

[shrewind2]

Shadowhunters 3x13: Beati Bellicosi

Free to use.

[k1rby-sucks]

So.... I watched the latest episode of Shadowhunters, and I have a lot of things to say.... I know I don’t post a lot about that show anymore but whatever...

1. Ummmm..... Clace. It’s disgusting. I’m serious. Because they are straights, you get a two minute montage of the having sex (I guess...idk it was weird) but just look at the previous episode, and you see Malec getting cut of smexy time, because they are gay.... Like if you support gay and gay rights, support them all the way Freeform. (no wonder the show got cancelled....)

2. Maryse and Luke (Muke? Laryse?) I kinda don’t know what to think of it. On one side, I’m happy to see each of them mourn their losses (Jocelyn for Luke and her shadowhunter status for Maryse) and they are able to get in new relationships, but on the other side, I just think it’s kinda rushed and forced. So yeah, I’ll let myself some time to analyse the ship....

3. I fucking cried and Maia and Simon’s break up scene. I really liked them togheter, but I’m happy to see Maia’s growth, and how she evolves as an adult and a wolf (soon-to-be Alpha, I can’t wait to see her kick more butts!) But then, that kinda means Simon will end up with Izzy, and I don’t really like them togheter... They don’t have that much in common, and I feel like Izzy would just want to be in that relationship for Simon’s venom....

4. It was really fun to see Alec and Izzy interact as sinblings, and how Alec actually cares so much and admires his little sister. I just reallt enjoy their dynamic!

5. Enough about relationships.... Heidi is a psycho and an unessesary plot device. Seriously, is it that hard to put wood through her chest?

6. I don’t know if this is new to 3B or I just never realized it before, but does the Shadow Realm consider the bible to be like historical events. Like, I’m an atheist, but are all Shadowhunters christian? Like Jace reading the story of Lucifer, as if it happened, or Simon talking to Cain... yeah I just find it weird like they force you to think that the things said in the bible arrived for real in their world...

Yeah that’s enough, maybe I’ll upload more next week....or nah....

[x-ceirios-x]

City of Fallen Angels, Chapter 15: Beati Bellicosi

please see the masterlist for notes about this series/collection of works

-

The inside of the building at Ironworks was alive with ropes of shimmering multicolored lights. Quite a few guests were already sitting, but just as many were milling around, carrying champagne glasses full of pale, fizzing liquid. Waiters—who were also werewolves, Simon noted; the whole event was staffed by members of Luke’s pack—moved among the guests, handing out champagne flutes. Simon declined one. Ever since his experience and Magnus’s party, he hadn’t felt safe drinking anything that he hadn’t prepared himself, and besides, he never knew which non-blood liquids were going to stay down and which would make him sick. 

Maia was sitting at the bar at the far side, chatting with none other than Andromeda Herondale. Maia wore a brilliant orange satin sheath dress that set off her dark skin, and her hair was a wild halo of brown gold curls around her face. Andy, in contrast, wore a very tight, very short purple dress. It was a very dark color, but it looked nice next to her curled hair. If he learned anything from Isabelle in the time they were dating, it was the difference between “curly hair” and “curls from a curling iron” and she seemed to do both very well. Then again, Andy seemed to look good in anything, just like Izzy. 

Maia caught sight of Simon and Jordan and deliberately turned away, paying more attention to the girl next to her. She laughed at something she said cheerfully. Simon caught the butterfly tattoo on her low back when she turned, visible due to her dress dropping in such a low V in the back. 

“I don’t think she had that when I knew her,” Jordan said. “That tattoo, I mean.”

Simon looked at Jordan. He was goggling at his ex-girlfriend with the sort of obvious longing that, Simon suspected, was going to get him punched in the face by Isabelle if he wasn’t careful. “Come on,” he said, putting his hand against Jordan’s back and shoving lightly. “Let’s go see where we’re sitting.”

Rowan, who had been keeping an eye on them over their shoulder, said, “probably a good idea. Izzy’s got eyes like a hawk.”

They made their way through the crowd to the area where the tables were, only to find that their table was already half occupied. Clary sat in one of the seats, looking down into a champagne glass full of what was most likely ginger ale. Next to her was an empty chair, then Alec and Magnus, both in the dark suits they’d worn when they came from Vienna. Magnus seemed to be playing with the fringed edges of his long, white scarf. Alec, his arms crossed over his chest, was staring ferociously into the distance. Isabelle, on the other side of Clary, was looking at her brother with a small frown on her face until she saw the three of them. 

Clary, on seeing Simon and Jordan, bounced to her feet, relief evident on her face. She came around the table to greet Simon, and he saw that she was wearing a very plain gold silk dress and low gold sandals. Without heels to give her height, she looked tiny. The Morgenstern ring was around her neck, its silver glinting against the chain that held it. She reached up to hug him and muttered, “I think Alec and Magnus are fighting.”

“No shit,” Rowan said sarcastically as they passed them, shooting Clary a weak, but knowing smile to show they were joking. She rolled her eyes at them as they sat. 

“Where’s your boyfriend?” Simon asked. 

At that, she detached her arms from his neck. “He got held up at the Institute.” She turned. “Hey, Kyle.”

He smiled a little awkwardly. “It’s Jordan, actually.”

“So I’ve heard.” Clary gestured toward the table. “Well, we might as well sit. I think pretty soon there’s going to be toasting and stuff. And then, hopefully, food.”

They all sat. There was a long, awkward silence. 

“So,” Magnus said finally, running a long, white finger around the rim of his champagne glass. “Jordan. I hear you’re in the Praetor Lupus. I see you’re wearing one of their medallions. What does it say on it?”

Jordan nodded. He was flushed, his hazel eyes sparkling. His attention clearly only partly on the conversation. He was following Maia around the room with his eyes, his fingers nervously clenching and unclenching on the edge of the tablecloth. Simon doubted he was even aware of it. “Beati bellicosi: Blessed are the warriors.”

“Good organization,” said Magnus. “I knew the man who founded it, back in the 1800s. Woolsey Scott. Respectable old werewolf family.”

Alec made an ugly sound in the back of his throat. “Did you sleep with him, too?”

Magnus’s cat eyes widened. “Alexander!”

“Well, I don’t know anything about your past, do I?” Alec demanded. “You won’t tell me anything; you just say it doesn’t matter.”

Magnus’s face was expressionless, but there was a dark tinge of anger to his voice. “Does this mean every time I mention anyone I’ve ever met, you’re going to ask me if I had an affair with them?”

Alec’s expression was stubborn, but Simon couldn’t help but having a flash of sympathy; the hurt behind his blue eyes was clear. “Maybe.”

“I met Napoleon once,” said Magnus. “We didn’t have an affair, though. He was shockingly prudish for a Frenchman.”

“You met Napoleon?” Jordan, who appeared to be missing most of the conversation, looked impressed. “So it’s true what they say about warlocks, then?”

Alec gave him a very unpleasant look. “What’s true?”

“Alexander,” said Magnus coldly, and Clary met Simon’s eyes across the table. Hers were wide, green, and full of an expression that said Uh-oh. “You can’t be rude to everyone who talks to me.”

Alec made a wide, sweeping gesture, narrowly missing hitting Rowan in the face. They rolled their eyes. “And why not? Cramping your style, am I? I mean, maybe you were hoping to flirt with the werewolf boy here. He’s pretty attractive, if you like the messy-haired, broad-shouldered, chiseled-good-looks type.”

“Hey, now,” said Jordan mildly. 

Magnus put his head in his hands. 

“Or there are plenty of pretty girls here, since apparently your taste goes both ways. Is there anything you aren’t into?”

Over Alec’s hand, waving wildly as he spoke, Simon noticed Rowan flinch at that. 

“Mermaids,” said Magnus into his fingers. “They always smell like seaweed.”

“It’s not funny,” Alec said savagely, and kicking back his hair, he got up form the table and stalked off into the crowd. 

Magnus still had his head in his hands, the black spikes of his hair sticking out between his fingers. “I just don’t see,” he said to no one in particular, “why the past has to matter.”

“It does,” said Rowan, to his surprise. They didn’t seem the type to get in the middle of this, but they had a point they were going to make. “People’s past actions matter to you, too, Magnus. I think Alec’s taken everything a little out of proportion, but he has a right to be a little ticked.”

Magnus looked up and held their gaze for a moment. Something unspoken was said between them, and some of the tenseness dropped from Magnus’s voice when he spoke again. “Always so clever, aren’t you, peanut?” he asked, a fond smile gracing his face. 

A similar smile grew on Rowan’s face, though they tried desperately to hide it. “I told you not to call me that.”

Simon wondered where this unexpected friendship came from but he didn’t ask questions about it. He turned to share a glance with Clary, but she was staring off toward the front door, her face gone suddenly bone white. Dropping her napkin onto the table, she murmured, “Excuse me,” and got to her feet, practically fleeing from the table. 

Magnus threw his hands up. “Well, if there’s going to be a mass exodus…,” he said, and got up gracefully, flinging his scarf around his neck. 

“Don’t leave me,” Rowan said in a childish, whiny voice, sticking their hand out for him. 

He smirked. “But I must go save my relationship with poor Alexander,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “I will find you later, my dear. You did promise me a dance.”

“It will be a cold day in hell before I dance, Magnus.”

“We’ll see about that.” With that, he vanished into the crowd, presumably looking for Alec. 

“That’s new,” Isabelle said, shooting Rowan a look that Simon couldn’t decipher. “What’s all that about?”

Rowan chuckled, looking a little lighter than they had been when they first sat down. “Eh, nothing important. We’ve just been talking more.” They received another wide eyed, questioning look from Isabelle, which prompted a very quick, “nothing like that!” They sighed and rolled their eyes at Isabelle. “God, I’m not touching any romance drama with a ten foot pole, Iz. He’s just got some good advice sometimes. And is away from—” they gestured to the table that sat mostly empty— “all this.”

“Amen to that,” Jordan said under his breath, taking a drink of his champagne.

Simon couldn’t be less interested in the situation at hand, as he was worried for Clary. She’d taken off quick and he needed to make sure she was okay. He looked to Jordan, who was now looking at Maia again. She had her back turned to them and was now talking to Luke and Jocelyn, laughing, flinging her curly hair back. “Don’t even think about it,” Simon said, and got up. He pointed at Jordan. “You stay here.”

“And do what?” Jordan demanded. 

“Whatever Praetor Lupus do in this situation. Meditate. Contemplate your Jedi powers. Whatever. I’ll be back in five minutes and you’d better still be here.”

Jordan leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest in a clearly mutinous manner, but Simon had already stopped paying attention. He turned and moved into the crowd, following Clary. 

[ladyhindsight]

Two Shadowhunters are dead and a tracksuit gang is intent on taking Simon somewhere, but otherwise the plot refuses to appear. It isn’t important, even quarter into the story. These people have wedding to plan and relationship troubles to attend to, for god’s sake.

Simon is now bunking with “Kyle” and is introduced to his rather ascetic room. And oh, boy, this also isn’t the last time we get to read about “Kyle’s” hazel eyes.

The only reason I can give for the need to have that “honestly” there is because Simon has been nothing short of a sourpuss the whole book so far and his tone, without the adverb, would be snide. But let’s not pretend for a moment it couldn’t be replaced with

→ Simon replied with a relieved sigh.

→ Simon replied and gave Kyle a small smile.

Yes, very ordinary. He seems just like normal person. No Ulterior Motives detected here. He’s a normal guy.

Because this compound sentence has two subjects, both having male pronouns, “his room” is ambiguous and could be interpreted as either one of theirs. I read it like Simon went into Jordan’s room.

→ Simon went to his own room.

The feeling of tightening in one’s chest could be a physiological manifestation of emotion. It doesn’t necessarily have to do anything with breathing itself. Having to explain (i.e. justify) every emotional response Simon feels in his body and always note that he is, in fact, a vampire who despite (insert a reason) can still feel things physiologically gets tiresome and redundant quickly. It already has. 

Simon falls asleep after more lamenting on his current life. He wakes up and goes to the kitchen where Jordan is cooking.

Clare’s writing, as usual, is filled with filter words. There should be a tally on how many times someone “could see” something in this book. Anyway:

→ The gold medal at his throat had a pattern of leaves and the words Beati Bellicosi on it. “Beati” had something to do with saints...”

And I don’t know if he must be. Didn’t Jordan just yesterday show Simon his tattoos that are mantras from the Upanishads? That didn’t warrant any interpretation on Jordan’s religious leanings, so why does this?

Maia then calls Simon and asks if he was still attending the  dress fitting at Karyn’s Bridal Shop at three o’clock.

Clary’s characters is the only one making a fuss about looking like girly-girls or anything remote feminine, though later in the story she wears red stockings and a hot pink dress.

Simon then falls into narrating how on earth he ended up finding himself in this grievous predicament of dating two girls.

There wasn’t a chance because you never took one. Inexcusable.

Jordan inquires whether it was one of Simon’s girlfriends that called. Simon then explains his dating life in painfully dull detail. Jordan isn’t happy to hear about it:

Because he is just A Normal Guy. Nothing to see here, right Simon? Jordan then leaves for work and Simon skips off to the dress fitting. Clary is showing off a dress and Simon thinks it’s nice but it is not enough for Clary. Clary turns to Maia in this dire crisis:

Maia’s words are authentic because that is what is shown throughout the books. Clary, on the other hand, is wrapped up in the Not Like Other Girls narrative that outright had her acting hostile to any other girl, had her outright dissing femininity.

Clary doesn’t write in a diary about Jace, she draws and paints him. She needs to buy comic books not to feel “frilled up girly girl.” Maia wears a dress and then goes back to her jeans. She does her own thing whereas Clary’s character is all over the place with this shit.

Jocelyn and Luke arrive at the bridal shop and are disgustingly in love.

It’s Simon’s point of view, but he doesn’t need to be there to constantly remind that hey, these are his thoughts.

→ Clary had told him they were disgustingly in love. He didn’t find it disgusting, though that was probably because they weren’t his parents. They both seemed happy, and it was actually rather nice.

They then discuss how they will be wed in a mundane ceremony and how the Nephilim do not recognize unions between them and Downworlders.

But nothing in the story indicate this. Whenever Simon makes a note of the Shadowhunters’ attitude towards him, it’s always, in some way, negative. 

Maia then prepares to leave and Simon smells her.

Which begs the question, why doesn’t Simon smell Jordan?

Maia calls Simon “baby” and Clary demands Simon to make up his mind before the next Saturday.

Because it is brought to such an attention, it’s supposedly important for Clare that the readers take note and be amused with Simon. Nothing about Clary’s chosen footwear is this interesting or amusing if Clare didn’t think to point such mundane and boring thing out if she didn’t find it so. Look how Clary, despite in her girly-girl dress, wears sneakers! Isn’t she not like any other?

→ She was wearing green sneakers underneath them.

Then Jace arrives and we get this:

And I am so tired already. And the whole book is filled with this bullshit. But this is especially bullshit because it’s Simon who narrates their now troubled love. And I couldn’t care for less, but apparently Clary and Jace’s relationship is right in the front center of everyone else’s.

People discuss the current events of Shadowhunters dying. Jace takes his jacket back from Clary and is suddenly distant. Jace flings himself out of the bridal shop because nothing can be done discreetly during deep emotional turmoil. Later the others leave for dinner:

They are walking down the street. They talk about Simon staying at Jordan’s, and Simon asks Clary to maybe come over. When they arrive at the diner:

So Luke and Jocelyn just pranced in without holding a door open for them?? Not cool.

Oh, for fuck’s sake, it’s just people working out. Stop being so dramatic.

Polite parents don’t sit hours on end supporting your hobbies just to be polite so maybe, just maybe, Jocelyn actually cares? A wild idea, I know.

Simon then talks about Jordan and his pot plants that are not pot. They are first mentioned in the beginning of the chapter:

And then, Simon tells about these weird plants when they have been unmentioned since the initial introduction to Jordan’s hobbies in horticulture.

Just a pet peeve, again. Though the only time Simon could’ve checked the plants out was after Jordan left for work after the breakfast and before Simon’s appointment at the bridal shop, a mention of it would’ve been nice. Now it comes out of nowhere.

Then the only plot relevant thing we get from the diner scene are the abandoned demon babies. After the Not So Fantastic dinner, Simon walks home when the tracksuit gang ambushes him again.

→ Simon leaped back with a force that surprised him; his vampire strength was still so new.

Clearly.

Jace then swoops in, saves half of the day but not really, sees the Mark of Cain in action, throws a bible quote at Simon, and boom. We’re done. What a fucking awful and boring chapter.

[emandkatstyle]

Shadowhunters 3x13 - “Beati Bellicosi.”

Isabelle Lightwood wears the Elizabeth & James ‘Railey Cut Out Dress’ (Sold Out) in Shadowhunters 3x13 “Beati Bellicosi.”

[tmi-tv-show-news]

Shadowhunters | Season 3, Episode 13 Promo | Is Maia Alpha Material?