#matthew: I am Declan everything

[seaemberthesecond]

The thing you need to understand about the Lynch Brothers is that Matthew is Declan's right hand arm man. Declan is Matthew's confidante, his best friend. His silly little rabbit even. Ronan is just There.

[kidspawn]

Speaking on this prematurely.

Saw people talking about Declan and how they don’t like him until it gets to a certain point. Honestly, I am one who takes characters with a grain of salt, especially those i don’t often see. Declan is one of those characters I have thought about time to time, mostly because the more I learn about the Lynch’s the more I learn about Declan. Basically, I pity Declan Lynch.

It is said on paper that he is not the parents favorite, despite being the oldest son and being the enforcer of the will. Niall talks about Ronan’s birth as if it was everything to him, so that’s gotta mess with his head a little and make him resent Ronan, right? Then Matthew is Aurora’s favorite, and I know Declan still adored her, but at the end of the day, he isn’t a favorite. His father died, Aurora went to sleep. Suddenly, Declan is the enforcer of the will and the “man of the not so much of a house.” He has a younger brother who is highly defiant and does not listen to him. He has another younger brother who technically isn’t his brother. (I can go on analyzing why he decided not to tell Ronan until many years later about that one).

Declan is viewed as a jerk, and it makes sense why he is. I am sure he will do some not so great actions, but I do want to learn more about the lynch brothers. This is me saying that I’m not quick to judge Declan right now because he’s not seen often, and when he is seen, it’s through the unreliability and biases of Gansey, Adam, and Ronan… and we alll know those three boys are incredibly unreliable.

I knew I could trust you to have a nuanced Declan take. Oh my god. I am not shy about how much I love Declan - he's such an interesting character for me. Obviously, I say the Dreamer Trilogy really hones in on Declan's role in the family, and the interpersonal dynamics, and that's why I always stress that its crucial reading for understanding the Lynch family. (And Adam too, in my opinion) But the base series does plenty to imply Declan is not just this horrid asshole with a stick up his butt and a vendetta against Ronan's joy. He cares, he loves his family, he is in a situation no child should be faced with.

And The Dream Thieves solidified this for me, because the family dynamics really paint Declan out to be the family "unfavourite." And the more you learn about Declan, the more interesting he becomes. I think, besides the prologue (where Niall dismisses Declan blatantly and it's treated as normal), the scene between Declan and the Grey Man was the first where I went "oh, huh there's something up here." Because Declan, beaten and bloody and having just had his and his brother's lives threatened, immediately reaches out and calls Matthew. Calls Ronan. And there's more to the scene meant to establish that the biggest priority for Declan is his brothers. He keeps glancing at Matthew's bed throughout the scene, is obviously more thrown by his brother's being threatened, and the only time we see him legitimately distressed is when his brothers are in danger.

Another point I really need to make is how young Declan is book one? He's eighteen/nineteen book one, I believe. And he's essentially thrust into a caretaking role, navigating the underbelly of Niall's legacy and becomes enforcer of the will. He doesn't get a parent, and I don't think he's felt like he had one for quite some time. (Without spoiling TDT) The parentification of Declan Lynch, anyone? I have sympathy for Ronan and Matthew, but they both have someone who takes care of them. Literally and figuratively, they still have some semblance of a father/familial figure protecting them. And while they are absolutely grieving, and Ronan especially is having such a true-to-form response to loss, Declan is kind of... well, his grief is not discussed as often because it's not his perspective. Ronan and Gansey and Adam and Blue don't know what's in his head.

Which brings me to unreliable narrators. Because Ronan, obviously, won't have much good to say. Gansey is on Ronan's side, in Ronan's corner. Obviously he won't have much good to say. He's only heard Ronan's side of the story. His perspective is skewed to dislike or distrust Declan. A lot of what we hear about Declan is from Ronan or Gansey, who both actively have reasons to hold a grudge against Declan. (And Adam who wants to [redacted] i swear to god that boy needs to calm down) Your point on unreliable narrators is so intriguing, and its why the Declan/Grey Man parallels are so important because they provide so much nuance to Declan as a character. It's the closest we get to a neutral outside perspective of Declan as a character. Declan and Henry-

Anyway, this is as spoiler free as I can get. I am so so so excited for you to read the dreamer trilogy. I am not biased towards either series, but if I was it'd be TDT, because that book series does something to me.

ahhhhHHHH I can always trust you to have a good take on characters and their dynamics. Your brain is so lovely, please know. The yelp I yupt when I saw this.

[girl-named-matty]

My last paper - Matty Ambrose

synopsis ✧ Matty is closing in on her final year of Hogwarts. For her last assignment in Professor Weasley's class, she's been asked to write a paper about herself. It can be anything as long as it has something to do with her. So without spilling all the secrets of her diary, she jots down some of the most important things in her life.

word count ✧ 2.5k

a/n ✧ This is my entry for the HL edition of my November writing prompts. Week one "Backstory". Hope you all enjoy!

"Well, this is my last paper I’ll ever write for school.

Three years have gone by all too fast. I’m in my last week of school at Hogwarts. For our last assignment, Professor Weasley asked us to write a paper on ourselves. About things we know, we remember, etc.… So really, just about anything as long as it was about us.

She said it was a good way to reflect on our past before we step into adulthood and the real world. And it’s just for us; we don’t have to show anybody if we don’t want to. I’ll probably have to stop a few times during this paper to go cry my eyes out, but who knows?

Hello, I am Matthew Loraine Ambrose. Yep, my name is Matthew, and I really like the name, to be honest. Although I’ve gone by “Matty” my whole entire life, if you call me Matthew, I’ll probably be terrified of you for a few moments since the only time someone uses my real name is my parents when they’re upset at me—which doesn’t happen often. But just be warned.

I was named after my paternal grandfather. My grandfather Matthew. I never met him, as he died before I was born. But after his death, my Da always swore he’d name his first child after his father.

Well, I’m the first and only child in my family, so I was the one that ended up with the name. I’d get teased for it whenever someone found out it was my real name, but honestly, I don’t care much. I think it’s a good way to honor the family member I never got to meet.

I was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 26th, 1875. I grew up right beside my mother's side of the family—we lived right next to each other as neighbors. So I grew up surrounded by my aunts, uncles, cousins, and my mother's parents. It was the best start to my childhood that I could ever ask for. Near the people I loved the most who I knew loved me.

I often remember visiting my Nana and Granda’s house, sitting around their big stone fireplace with my cousins. I spent every Christmas there.

As for my grandmother, my parents and I tried to visit her as much as we could. She lived a bit away from Dublin, in Carlingford, Ireland. It was only her living in that little old house. I could tell she was lonely since my grandfather passed, but she always had the biggest smile on her face. Eventually, she did actually end up leaving Carlingford to come live with my mum’s side of the family.

My Mum and Da grew up together, so naturally, the families knew each other. Grandfather and Grandmother only left Dublin after my Da was grown and married. So it was no surprise that after she was left alone, she moved back. Both sides of my family are close, so they see each other as family blood related or not. I miss them a lot ever since leaving Ireland.

As for my friends, growing up, I had a really good friend named Declan. His family lived near mine, and he was always obsessed with my Granda’s boat—which is how we met. He wanted to grow up and become a sailor. Almost eighteen years later, I was told he finally did become one, and he’s somewhere out there on the ocean.

Declan and I did almost everything together. He was a bit of a delinquent, to be honest, but he was fun, and my parents thought he was a good kid, just a little misguided. Apparently he liked me at the time, and looking back, I probably liked him too. But we were just too young to understand what that was. I’m sure he’ll meet some wonderful person out there who’s capable of handling his personality, if you understand what I mean, of course.

He had brown hair that was always messy. I don’t think I remember a single time it looked neat. He had freckles all over his face. And for some reason, his appearance said a lot about him.

(At this point in my paper, I had stopped to show it to my best friend Hope. She told me I had a “type” in men, and I think that was just her way of calling Sebastian a delinquent. Should I be offended?)

Anyway, I still consider him to be my first best friend. We had a lot of good times together. I do hope he’s doing well out there.

My Da is a carpenter, and he likes to “invent” (as he calls it) all these little trinkets and things. He’s quite the intelligent man, really, and they are honestly quite useful. But his main job is carpentry. When I was seven, my Da and his business partner, Mr. Athy, wanted to expand their business opportunities. That ended up in them deciding that London would be the best place for them to go.

The business move was sponsored by Mr. Athy’s aunt, Alice Hammond, who lived in London. To be honest, she’s the scariest woman I’ve ever seen in my life. The business was dependent on her for the first two years but eventually broke out of that, and it's very successful now. Mrs. Hammond still seems entitled to our lives though—I don’t think that’s something we’ll ever escape.

Moving to London was quite hard. I spoke English, so that was no problem. But I still had a thick accent and hadn’t yet adapted to the area around me. Not to mention—being from Ireland—I wasn’t exactly sure how people would treat us.

We moved in next to a family of the name McGowan, and they came over to meet us that same day. They had a daughter my age, Hope (who I mentioned earlier). When we first met, she could hardly understand what I was saying because of my accent, yet she took the time to listen to me anyway. From that day on, we were best friends.

Ironically, I ended up finding out my best friend was a witch only because we bumped into each other on the first day of school when I finally attended Hogwarts. I had always found it quite weird how she went off to a school miles away for several months every year, but I never questioned it. Then I found myself at the same school years later. It was surprising, to say the least. Especially because I had no knowledge of the wizarding world until I was fifteen years old.

While in London, I also made friends with two girls named Eugenia and Nora. They are two of my close friends from home. All of these people in my life have helped me shape into the person I am today.

When I was fifteen, a man of the name Eleazar Fig showed up at my doorstep. I was terrified, to say the least. I had found the acceptance letter mere moments before he knocked on the door to my house—I freaked out mentally. I didn’t know how my parents would react. He was already inside by the time I had gathered my senses.

But my parents didn’t freak out; in fact, they were extremely supportive of me. It was surprising, that’s for sure, but truly they wanted me to do what made me happy.

I stayed in London for one more month while Professor Fig mentored me and taught me the basics of the Wizarding World and the magic therein. I love reading, but I don’t think I’ve ever read so many books in one month before then—it was a lot.

Then it came time for me to actually go to Hogwarts. Usually, students go on this train called “The Hogwarts Express,” however, Fig and I—and a friend of his, George Osric—traveled by flying carriage. Now that was an experience for sure. Long story short, I could definitely see Thestrals by the time we made it to the school.

The first day brought a lot of change in my life—most of it I wasn’t expecting, or at least thinking that it’d make that big of an impact on my life. I met many wonderful people, but just to name a few—

I met a boy named Sebastian Sallow, and the first thing I ever did was beat him in a duel. He’s now my boyfriend of almost two years, and we’re planning on getting married whenever the opportunity shows itself. I met a boy named Garreth in my common room. He was a bit silly to me at first, but now he’s dating my best friend. I’m hoping the safe side of his creative genius will rub off on their kids.

I met my dormmates, Nellie and Natty. Those two girls have helped me through more than they think. I could always go to them if I needed. And as I mentioned earlier, I bumped into my best friend that day as well.

Soon after, I met Esme, who has taught me a lot in the three years I’ve known her. Ominis, who has had the hardest life out of us all and yet still cares so much about others. He was a bit intimidating at first—after all, the first time I met him, he was yelling at me, but he was sweet after I got to know him for a bit. And if I remember correctly—Esme was yelling too. But she was yelling at Sebastian for stealing her diary. I suppose those two really are a match made in heaven.

Other friends I met are Leander, Amit, Zerena, Poppy, Cressida, Adelaide, and even a girl named Imelda, who I honestly clashed with for a while, but we’re surprisingly good friends now. She started respecting me only after I became Gryffindor’s Quidditch Captain, and honestly, I’m not even mad for it taking that long. It’s just cool that I’ve earned that.

It’d take all the paper in Hogwarts for me to write down every friend I’ve made and their impact on my life, so I’ll try to keep this brief. But truly, I think coming here has been the best decision ever. My mentor and professor, Eleazar Fig, unfortunately passed away before the end of my starting year here. That hit me harder than anything, but his death encouraged me to keep going even after he was no longer here. He wished for me to do so to make sure that Hogwarts was protected, so I did just that.

Many of the other professors here have taught me many wonderful things and important life lessons. I truly believe each and every one of them cherishes their jobs and their students (well, maybe besides Professor Black, but that’s a different discussion), and that’s what makes the school how it is.

In summary, the past three years were crazy. I went from some random girl in London who didn’t know what she wanted in her life to the “Hero of Hogwarts,” who knew exactly what she wanted to do and pursue.

I fought and defeated Ranrok, Rookwood, and Harlow all in one year—not to mention the countless other things I was doing for other people. My sixth year at Hogwarts consisted of me doing mass research of Isidora Morganach after meeting her last descendant, which was crazy even of itself, and then I was betrayed by that descendant later that same year. What a time to be alive.

This year has arguably been the craziest year of my life. I used to think not much could compete with my fifth year, but I guess the universe decided to take that as a challenge. Because of Apollo opening the repository and trying to kill me—it left me with no choice but to take the magic myself to ensure that it was kept in good hands. I’d do whatever needed to be done in order to keep it safe.

I unfortunately got the blunt end of it—nightmares, sickness, insomnia, exhaustion, and so much more. And at points in time, I didn’t even have control over my own body, which led to “me” doing some horrible things.

I faced off with a psychopathic escapee from Azkaban whose only mission in life was to kill me—basically, her interesting "lover" second in command who pretended to be my professor, two of Ominis’ older brothers—one who blackmailed me into helping him put the other into prison and the other who was working with Leona (the psychopathic Azkaban escapee) who was also trying to kill me.

So, pretty much everybody had it out for me this year. Yet miraculously, I’m alive.

But regardless of how many things happened this year, good was still present. My relationship with Sebastian has never been stronger. I truly want to spend the rest of my life with this man. He spends every day of his life getting better, making up for his past, and setting up for a good future. My friendship with many others is very strong too, especially those who were by my side all year.

Anne—Sebastian’s sister, who has been cursed for many years now—was finally cured. She’s still recovering, as the cure was only a reversal of the curse, but she’s doing much better. She’s happy now, a smile on her face almost all the time. I never realized just how much she and Sebastian looked alike until recently.

Oh, I—and the both of them—met their aunt. Yes, the one everybody thought was dead. Even through all the crazy things that happened to me this year, I still think that’s the craziest.

I feel like I’m dragging on here, but this paper hardly captures just everything that’s happened in my life—mainly in the past three years. Luckily, I have diaries for that.

But in conclusion, no matter how hard it’s been, coming to Hogwarts has been the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve learned so much, met lifelong friends, met my future husband, and already have my future career set up for me. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, especially since I only got to spend three years here instead of the usual seven, but nonetheless, I’m lucky that I made it.

I’m a better person than I was then. I’ve saved lives, helped others, and now that’s my mission in life. To continue to help others with the gift I have. Professor Fig once told me that this magic just doesn’t come to anybody who wants it and that it's given to those who will do good with it. He pretty much gave me an assignment for life right then and there, and I took it up.

Even if life is hard and sometimes it feels like I want to give up, I know that it was all worth it to keep trying.

And regardless of all the things I’ve gone through, at least my kids will think I’m cool. :)"

[stillaclownlol]

Just putting my thoughts for book 2 since I’ve read more of it (currently on chapter 28) and I gotta say Ronan might actually be my favourite character. His depth and personality is so prominent in this book and I’m just so happy I can learn more about him. Matthew (I actually don’t remember how his name was spelled) might be my second favourite Lynch brother but honestly Declan has not been trying very hard to be anyone’s favourite. I am curious about him though. I do also kind of feel bad for him because he wasn’t any of his parent’s favourites and that just sucks but also he’s a dick and I still don’t like him.

The Gansey-Adam battle is still waging, I still don’t know who tf I want Blue to fall in love with. There is SO MUCH happening in the book right now and I’m not even half-way through. I really wanna know more about how Adam’s being affected by his sacrifice in the previous book and I honestly feel so bad for him?? His POVs feel kind of melancholic? I guess? Like everyone else is having a good time and he’s just sulking because of course he is! Like omg there so much wrong with Adam I wanna hug him.

So I can’t tell if the Gray Man has a thing for Maura or not?? Like he asked her out for dinner and everything but I’m still skeptical. He is interesting though, although his POVs don’t mean much to me (he’s like the one character I don’t look forward to reading 😔) but hey at least Maura isn’t getting sidelined so much??

I actually have nothing to say about Blue because she’s honestly not doing anything worth pointing out. She’s just being a badass and her and Noah have an amazing friendship like I genuinely love them as a duo so much.

okay I just wanted to get my thoughts out there you don’t have to respond to this because it’s just word vomit but I’m REALLY liking the book so far and I can’t wait to have some questions answered and for more chaos to unfold.

(ALSO. RONAN’S MUM IS FROM A DREAM?? GENUINELY SHOCKED ME SO MUCH LIKE HOLY SHIT??? THE BARNS?? THE ANIMALS?? EVERYTHING’S FROM HIS DAD’S DREAMS?? AND DECLAN SUPPOSEDLY ALREADY KNEW????? [this is why I love this book])

AH SORRY I FORGOT TO ANSWER I WAS HAVING A CRISIS BUT IM SO HAPPY WE GOT ANOTHER RONAN STAN >:)

Declan is like...wine, he's an...acquired taste, lol. He really shines in the spin offs tbh, he's one of my faves, genuinely :) I actually love the whole Lynch family kagdkshdldj

HEHE I CANT WAIT FOR YOU TO GET TO THIRD BOOK- the fourth personnnnn~ it's been a while since I read the second one but there should be some hints by now :D

Hhhhh The Gray Man is the gray man idc about him tbh 😭 he's like. Whatever. Idc.

Waiting for *that* scene between Noah and Blue...I forgot if it was in this book lmao.

(It's okay I like seeing these reactions ;v; )

(UGHHHH I LOVE THE BARNES THE AURA IS SO MAGICAL AND I JUST WANNA BURY MY FACE IN THE GRASS AND PET ALL THE SLEEPY COWS AND HAVE AURORA TOUCH MY FACE AND KISS MY FOREHEAD 😭)

[lizpaige]

your pynch outsider pov fic sounds great!! I wonder if any of the times are immediately after greywaren because i think the comedy (and protective instinct) potential there is great! as far as declan is concerned, all he is aware of is that adam abandoned a comatose nightwash leaking ronan and a few days later is rocking up to the barns with Ronan like nothing happened

hi anon!! thanks for the interest on the outside pov fic i’m writing. 💕 i do LOVE (haha not really) that mstief just sprinted thru the last of gw like haha everythings fine no family drama anymore. like obviously declan is going to have some questions about adam.

to keep things light in the outside pov fic i do not currently have a scene for right after pynch and jordan show up at the barns and declan’s like “huh??? nice to see u again parrish i guess???” i just felt like it was too heavy with the other scenes i was doing but i do address it.

i am writing a 5+1 and 2 of the 6 scenes are post gw. i will post spoilers under the cut of what i have so far but obviously it might change. feel free to ask about them! i like spoiling my own writing lmao

post trk pre epilogue - declan finds out pynch are dating

post trk pre epilogue - holidays at the barns, declan finds out its more serious than he thought

post trk pre epilogue - declan finds out adam knows about matthew

cdth - declan comes to clean up adam’s dorm of the murder crabs

post gw - declan helps ronan and adam move in to their new dc apartment

post gw - adam asks declan for advice about his government job offer

i have stuff written for everything but #6. only 1-3 are “done” i havent edited yet.

[immaterial-pearl]

hii invitation for you to elaborate on what you mean by Gansey and Noah’s deaths haunting td3 too (I agree/have my own thoughts but am curious about yours) if you would like to <33

Okay so- I think one of the major driving forces in td3 is Ronan's grief. His grief for youth, similar to his grief for his childhood that drives him through trc. And his grief for Gansey as well as Noah.

I personally see Ronan as bipolar, as many others do in the fandom. Im bipolar (I actually got diagnosed one day before Ronan's birthday two years ago lol). An important shift in between Call Down The Hawk and Mister Impossible is that he goes from a severe depressive episode into a manic episode (maybe hypomanic, but that's a discussion for another day).

In my experience, depressive episodes are often related to apathy, loss and nostalgia. Basically, falling into depression is easy, when you convince yourself your current state is hopeless, and so comes apathy, a way to dismiss everything in your current life as a worse version of yesterday. Sometimes depressive episodes take a more forward thinking shape- I don't want to get out of bed because I know tomorrow will suck as well, and so forth.

Cause of Ronan's depression in Call Down The Hawk is obvious- Adam left for college, his brothers live in DC, Gansey and Blue left for their trip with Henry and Noah is not there. The specific thinking he falls into is: this place, aka the barns, was a heaven twice, when he was a child and during his "idyllic summer with Adam" (I remember these exact words I always thought it was a nice sentence). There's a single different place he lived at: Monmouth. He can't however return there, because Gansey sold it. And because Monmouth as he knew it doesn't exist anymore.

Noah was a teenager perpetually stuck in his past. Literally. Gansey was a teenager stuck in his teenage years, because he believed he would lose all of it soon. Everyone always points out just how eighteen-year-old their home was (kitchen bathroom). And it really was a teenage heaven wasn't it? Three rich high schoolers, with infinite money, living in an abandon manufacturing centre. Obviously, Ronan was constantly grieving his father and his childhood, basically all of the time he lived there. But as he is in Call Down The Hawk, he idealises this past life once again. He doesn't remember Noah and he doesn't let himself think about Gansey's death, but he lost his two teenage friends. He's no longer eighteen, he's a nineteen year old and he's all alone. If he was back at Monmouth, if high school lasted forever, if Adam was stuck in Henrietta and Blue continued to be a girl in a weird house full of psychics, he believes he would be happy forever. Obviously he wouldn't. He believes that if his father never died, if his brother Declan never became his enemy, if Matthew always stayed a child and Aurora stayed awake, he'd be happy. He wouldn't be.

The manic episode that starts somewhere at the end of Call Down The Hawk, that we see in Mister Impossible, is him rejecting past heavens, in a way (a quite unhealthy way actually lol). He doesn't really acknowledge what he actually misses. He talks about Adam, or his father, or sometimes Blue and Gansey, but his grief is about everything, all the time, actually. He grieves for a life he never had, one where he was free and happy. What he wants to get is a way to be a dreamer and a human, and a fulfilled adult. But he's grieving, forever.

[woeohtherot]

“the brothers lynch” i will literally scream and cry

[ronseyz]

and with that i’m done reading for the night bc there are about 30+ non ronan centric pages ahead and i’m frustrateddd

[i-hate-mayo]

what does it say about me that i am the middle child of three but declan is my favorite lynch brother? then again, i am the eldest and only daughter so...

[seaemberthesecond]

PLEASE tell me all about your textual support for Aurora/Declan, i am LISTENING 👀🙏🏻

This is heinously late and I'm so sorry for that 😭 but this is one of my FAVOURITE things to think about.

Aurora is such an interesting character to me, particularly in relation to Declan. For all that Ronan spends all of TRC furious that Declan has denied Aurora personhood ("She's nothing without Dad") and trying to keep her awake, it's actually through Declan's eyes that she really comes alive. Ronan's version of his mother is more one-dimensional than Declan's, ironically enough, even though he's the one who supposedly 'loves her more.' It's Declan who's spent his life grappling with the philosophical implications of her dreamt-ness and her replacement of his actual mother (which, in a stunning parenting move by Niall, only he seems to remember) and as a result, his feelings toward her are considerably more complicated than his brothers' and he's the only one who really seems to think deeply about her.

The mystery Aurora is shrouded in for Declan turns her into almost this... sinister figure in his mind. It's like - Niall is this known entity for Declan right? He doesn't think of him in nearly the same lionizing light Ronan does, because he actually knew Niall. He doesn't need to create a mythology around him the way Ronan has. His "hatred" for Niall is not only comparitively straightforward, it's self-aware. He knows exactly what his grievances with his father are and he knows that he doesn't even really hate him.

But with Aurora, he skirts around the thought of her. He can't even look his complicated feelings for her head-on. She's inscrutable to him, and that's kind of terrifying in a psych-thriller kind of way.

There's this unease that he associates with her in the text, that's just not there when he thinks about Niall. He's constantly second-guessing himself when it comes to Aurora re: how much did she know, how real she was etc. In Greywaren, there's this part where he's thinking about when he was sick as a child. And it's fascinating to me because there's this implication there that he didn't feel safe in the house with Aurora until Niall came back. He only relaxes and goes to sleep when Niall comes home. And it adds to this general malaise that Declan associates with Aurora.

I've talked before about how the secrets Declan is forced to keep are an allegory of sexual abuse, and in that light it's kind of damning when you consider that in the Lynch household, the arbiter of secrets is Aurora, not Niall. Throughout the Declan Christmas short, it's Aurora who's reinforcing the importance of secrets, who makes him help her hide them. She's the one who tells Declan that he has to keep Matthew's origin a secret. And in MI, it's Aurora who first tells Ronan that he needs to hide his dreaming and never show his dreams to anyone. So if we're looking at the text through the lens of allegory-for-csa, Aurora's position in the household becomes much more sinister because a lot of the harm that's been done to the kids and particularly Declan is attributable directly to her.

And then there's the fact that all the Ashleys' looked like her - there's something Freudian going on there for sure.

tl;dr while the textual evidence is slim lol it is there if you wanna see it and I am looking with a magnifying glass. Was any of this done with authorial intent? Probably not, but who cares?

And this is where stuff diverts from the text itself and veers more into my spin on things, but everything about Aurora/Declan becomes insanely compelling to me when you think about it in relation to Mor. Mor is the hole inside Aurora. Imagine you're a young woman who was molested her whole life by a family member and now you're out-of-touch with your own emotions and you have this kid and you think you love him with this man and you think you love him too. But you know you're fucking them up, so you and your husband dream a version of you that's perfect. She's the perfect wife and the perfect mother and you've sanded down all the edges and sharp, spiky parts that make you you because you think that's the version of yourself your family deserves and then you leave. But you can't dream anything without putting your pain inside it. So you have this hollow half-woman walking around with a pain inside her she doesn't know how she got and a life she doesn't remember and the only person who seems to have any answers is this kid that she think is her own but is he really? And in her attempt to feel the shape of the hole in her she re-enacts your trauma on your kid.

I am EATING GLASS. The cycles are CYCLING. NO ONE talk to me.

[romancegifs]

Ben Aldridge as Matthew Venn and Declan Bennett as Jonathan Roberts in THE LONG CALL (2021)

I was raised... I was raised in fear and shame. I was raised to despise myself. I know it's what you believe. I know that you didn't mean to, or maybe you didn't see what I was, or even admit it to yourself, because I did a very good job of hiding it. Mum... If I could have turned myself straight, I would have. If I could have taken a pill, or if the praying had worked... Even after I left, I spent years just hiding myself, just working, doing everything I could to be good, to redeem myself. And it was sad and it was lonely and I spent years like that.

And then...

Then I met Jonathan. And he showed me that I didn't have to be scared all the time of people seeing who I really am. That I can be loved.

[donteathatcake]

which brother lynch are you?

(write the letter of the answer you chose on a paper, at the end you will have the result of each letter)

1 - this one can't be left out of course so tell me, are you a soldier, king or poet?

a) soldier

b) king

c) poet

2 - in the shower, what is the water temperature?

a) cold

b) hot

c) warm (I looked it up but maybe I'm wrong... sooo it's between the options A and B. let's go to the next question then yee

• now about the song gun in my hand by dorothy, i have two questions for you.

3 - complete with what makes the most sense to you

"why did love put a gun in my..."?

a) bed

b) hand

c) head

4 - now, why is the gun with you?

a) was it for redemption?

b) was it for revenge?

c) was it for the ledge?

5 - (if you haven't read six of crows just skip this question... wait, you haven't read it yet?? GO. READ. IT. NOW. 🤨) anyway... which character from six of crows do you most identify with?

a) matthias, kaz

b) inej, jesper

c) nina, wylan

6 - which of the interactions between the lynch brothers is your favorite?

a) ronan literally dreaming a little brother

b) "put on your headphones, matthew" "i forgot them" "so pretend you have your headphones on"

c) them going to church every sunday and arguing the rest of the week

7 - sooo which parent of the lynch family? (tbh there is only one correct answer 🤺

a) niall

b) mor

c) aurora

8 - you're hungry so you open the fridge, what do you get?

a) I get the ingredients to make something to eat

b) take leftovers from lunch

c) I wait for the person who chose option A to make us something to eat

9 - ok now another one about them. pick one thing about the lynch brothers

a) the weird way declan writes on the phone

b) ronan's tattoo as a form of rebellion

c) matthew and his power to make everyone like him

10 - before going to sleep you ask for sandman to dream about what you most want. what do you dream about?

a) a beach with the wind in my face, I sit on a log lost in the sand and watch the dark sea, alone. peace

b) a green and beautiful field, I am running and screaming. freedom

c) the house where I grew up, with everything the same as I remember, the dinner table is set and I sit with all those I miss. happiness

...

now just add which letter you got the most and tell me the results in the comments :)

a = declan

b = ronan

c = matthew

I hope that you enjoyed!!! and sorry for any mistakes, I'm learning english :) see you in the next quiz <3

I was thinking of doing one about the marauders, what do you think? if you have any ideas just tell me!

[lizpaige]

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS TAKE EM OR LEAVE EM

Gansey - would get too distracted with giving me history facts about similiar islands or plants or something and I would have to do the work.

Blue - would have the same “this sucks” energy as me and we would goof off and make clothes out of palm leaves and pretty SOS designs in the sand while talking shit

Adam - would get annoyed with me immediately and be all “everything bad happens to adam parrish” miserable so he’d abandon me in a second and work alone

Ronan - yeah this boy can dream, but pre greywaren, can he do it WELL? no. reliably well? absolutely not. He would also be all “fuck off dont tell me what to do” and sulk off in a corner. It could take days or weeks or months to get this boy to dream something useful and I don’t have that kind of time

Noah - this ghost would abandon me IMMEDIATELY or be so translucent i wouldn’t be able to see him in the sun. He would haunt me at night for the giggles. No. But I adore him.

Declan - maybe. He would probably be the most motivated to leave to make a meeting or something, but without cell service what can this man do for me? I think he would start crying before I do.

Matthew - emotionally? Great guy to have around when the panic and hopelessness set in. Statistically I don’t think we’re making it out alive.

Maura - no thanks, mom.

Calla - I think this is my pick! I think she’s way more agile and athletic than I am, she’s super smart, and she would probably get us out of there or at least know if there’s a chance right away so that I can set my expectations.

Persephone - too many riddles, but maybe she would find a way to make pie on the island lmao

Mr Gray - yes he could protect me, but I think in a survival scenario, he would also kill me in a heartbeat.

[crimeronan]

thoughts on Niall of it all? I was actually impressed

greywaren spoilers (in a fairly major way this time)

furniture rearranging almost to the point of ABSURDITY and a pretty weird/unexpected way for declan's story to resolve but i think ultimately i dig it. mostly i think it's hysterically funny if declan finds out niall was planning to kill ronan and is like "oh i am suddenly at peace. i am keeping this little factoid in my back pocket for a rainy day when ronan's being Particularly bitchy,"

JOKE I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE TAKEAWAY sorry declan i have to mischaracterize u when it's funny. anyway i still think niall was a massive neglectful fuckup who shouldn't have children in every regard but now more in a sad lost puppy way than an actively malicious one. like i haven't forgotten declan's pov chapter in trk or all the horrible details in that. or niall drunkenly promising the greywaren to a bunch of different people despite supposedly loving ronan and definitely loving declan who he knew loved ronan. Niall What Is Wrong With You. You Stupid Motherf-

what i'm MOST interested in is how declan's love for ronan is ultimately what shaped the lynch family dynamics (because ronan would be dead and neither matthew nor aurora would exist otherwise) and how THAT has more to do with his peace than either of his parents. like that fucks i'm gonna chew on that for days. what the fuck

declan has always been the central component of the story!! everything has always revolved around him!! the man spends his entire life feeling like a forgotten shadow and trying to BE a forgotten shadow when he is The Reason For Everyone's Existence!!

[dykenav]

For the inbox game:

Fave and least favorite thing Ab greywaren (idk what’s wrong w me today can’t think AB anything else)

hahaha when am I Not thinking abt greywaren….

((dude I just typed a paragraph and accidentally deleted it FUCK MY LIFE but ok. whatever. I Will Type It Again. It’s fine. deep breath…))

least fav thing is definitely the lack of resolution to all the huge questions set up in MI…. Should the ley lines be woken up? Is it safe to wake the world up? Is it right to do whatever it takes to change the world when living in it as it is is killing you? What are the consequences of the world changing? How do you live in a world not made for you? How do we live when we’re dependent on each other? I feel like these things were touched on but Not Enough. Like how did Ronan and Hennessy decide that they were going to keep working on the ley line but by helping people make sweetmetals? Zero explanation given as to why that’s the answer. I love to theroize ofc but I feel like the story would have been better served by a bit more Attention to these things. But that kinda goes with my other overarching problem with gw which is just the utter lack of on-page resolution to like Anything, including relationships like Declan/Matthew, Ronan/Adam, Jordan/Hennessy etc. everything just felt like a summary or a suggestion of an answer without really Going There

and fav thing…. I mean there were so many iconic moments and scenes but I’d have to say both Ronan and Hennessy’s arcs and how they intertwined with each other. The whole fucking concept of Greywaren and the sweetmetal sea and Ronan basically having an ego death and having to choose whether or not to recommit to life as Ronan Lynch (looking at his body like “look at how lovingly those tattooes are drawn on my body” WAHHG), Ronan losing his mind and having a solipsistic breakdown (WAS HE AWAKE OR WAS HE DREAMING), and then HENNESSY fucking facing the lace and realizing it’s just a mirror of her own shame and trauma and finding RONAN at the center of it HUUJAHAHSHsjsjsk. Hugging him, saving his ass with a sweetmetal. The “you make reality” line changing meaning over the course of the series and finally at the end being about Ronan CHOOSING who he’s going to be and deciding his right to belong. No fucking notes. I’ll never be the same.

Thank u for asking!!! <3

[fromchaos]

gw rating??? im glad you liked mor i want her

i want her too, anon…. i want her too….

general rating: 8/10 generational traumas

detailed, spoilery rating under the cut

it felt like half-dream, half-info dump??? which is partly why i'm still working out how i feel about it. it was definitely different from cdth and mi, in that the action-packed moments were more spread out. here, the action of the book takes place as much on the page as it does in our minds as we have to refigure what we know from the previous books with the knowledge we gained. reading the other books, i took a ton of pictures of the pages i wanted to comment on- i only had that urge once or twice while reading gw. (i'm sure other ppl have plenty of screenshots they'll post analysis of- i'm just not a big meta writer)

it felt like a more resolved and polished series ending than trk was to trc, and yet i'm not sure if that made it any more "satisfying." i may have preferred another chapter of immediate aftermath/a smaller timeskip over the epilogue we received- as much as i was glad to see my beloved sarchengsey and psychics for a brief moment, i'm not sure i wanted everything tied up so neatly and cutely as it was in that epilogue!

even though i was sure that nathan would end up being the actual antagonist after mi, that reveal didn't feel entirely "earned," in part bc we spent so much more time with bryde, delving into his philosophy and motivations. i have a lot of questions about him. i also wish we'd learned more about The Lace. those are the two things i think could have had more page-time.

i am realizing that this is awfully negative considering i gave it an 8, so here are the things i really enjoyed:

-as always, my beloved farooq-lane. mwah mwah mwah. impeccable.

-farooq-lane and hennessy's flirtation and general dynamic.

-hennessy getting to be a big damn hero (and not by suddenly not being crazy and shitty)

-ronan saving adam after everyone was predicting that adam would have a way bigger role in this book and save ronan. (not that he didn't help ronan come back to himself, he totally did)

-bryde and matthew's scenes made me crack up. i'm pretty sure @crimeronan called their dynamic to a t.

-the fact that it really did feel like a vivid dream

-mor shooting declan <3

-matthew punching declan <3