#next time an anti come's I'm just giving them half-assed one word answers

[voidstilesplease]

By the Angel, TALK

Warning: THIS IS AN ANTI-CLARY AND JACE SPOILER RANT because I need an avenue to let out some of the steam I've been holding off since starting City of Fallen Angels. So PLEASE SKIP AHEAD because I don't want to burden you all with my reading woes.

This thing centers on the beginning of Chapter 9: From Fire Unto Fire and a little bit of Chapter 8. About eight pages of bad, bad romance set me off.

To start,

The rest is under the cut, so you can go away now.

So, what's been happening to Clary and Jace thus far?

This book introduced them now as an official couple, picking up from the end of TMI Book 3: City of Glass. I don't remember their every scene since then to the point in Chapter 9 where I stopped, but basically, they're having relationship issues early on. They're less than two months into their relationship, and the drama is too frickin much. 

Jace has these weird dreams about murdering Clary and waking up guilty about his subconscious thoughts, so he goes angsting about it and avoiding her, snapping at her, being a total dick, and still question why people think they are on the brink of a break-up. 

So, Jace goes with Simon in the next few scenes, in his plight to get away from her as far as possible, yet still be somehow close by being around Clary's best friend to "protect" him, so his distant behavior will be reasonable and forgivable. Yeah, make that make sense. 🙄 But of course, one way or another, they're going to have to get to the confrontation part (that I still wish had been equivalent to an actual break-up), and so that's when Chapter 8 & 9 enters.

Chapter 8: Walk in Darkness pp. 185-186

Almost instantly, the light went out of them, and the remaining color drained out of his face. "I thought --- Simon said you weren't coming." ¹

[...] "So you only came because you thought I wouldn't be here? [...] Were you ever planning on talking to me again? [...] If you're going to break it off, the least you could do is tell me, not just stop talking to me and leave me to figure it out on my own."

"Why does everyone keep goddamn asking me if I'm going to break up with you? [...]²

First, what an asshole?! 

[1] So Jace finally in-your-face's Clary and confirms that he has been keeping his distance like Clary has the plague. He then has the audacity to [2] be annoyed for being questioned on his intentions of keeping the relationship that he has been actively evading for days!

I get that Jace sucks in romantic relationships and has been fucked up by his daddy-issues, but he has the Lightwoods. Heck, Alec is his parabatai. He sees working relationships, so he has to have known that you don't just stop talking to people close to you and have them not question the behavior, whether you're trying to pull away from them or not. Otherwise, then Jace is dumb for all that he's marketed as the "best" Shadowhunter in his age. Screw that.

---

“You talked to Simon about us?" Clary shook her head. "Why? Why aren't you talking to me?"

"Because I can't talk to you," Jace said. "I can't talk to you, I can't be with you, I can't even look at you."³

[3] Way to make a girl feel special, Jace. Oh, no, yeah. He's trying to do the opposite and push her away with some teenage boy angst that doesn't make any sense. Like, who says that, though, aside from dramatic love interests that can't make a better excuse for going emo? 

That line IS TOO DRAMATIC that it hurts, ugh. 🤮

Anyway, so Clary walks out after that. I don't sympathize with her, but I'd do the same. Who wouldn't? Unless you freeze in the ridiculousness of the situation, that is, which is also likely.

Chapter 9: From Fire Unto Fire pp. 190-195

Now, here's the real shit. I want to quote this entire six-page scene back to Cassie and scream at her.

Clary reached the door and burst out into the rain-drenched evening air. [...] and was about to race across the street against the light when a hand caught her arm and spun her around.

It was Jace. [...] "Clary, didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Let go of me." Her voice shook.

"No. Not until you talk to me."⁴

[4] DUDE, what even happened to your I CAN'T TALK TO YOU, I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT YOU speech, huh? Be consistent for once, apart from your douchebag routine. Make up your mind, Jace.

---

Still holding her by the arm, he half-dragged her around the van and into a narrow alley that bordered the Alto Bar. ⁵

[5] Man, I love a bit of rough loving in my literature, but I'm so pissed at you, Jace, don't even. Lay the hell off.

---

"I was going to tell you that I was trying to help out Simon. [...]

"And you couldn't tell me? Couldn't text me a single line letting me know where you were?"⁶ [...]

[...]

"I think," he said slowly, "that I thought that the closest thing to being with you was being with Simon. Watching out for him. I had some stupid idea that you'd realize I was doing it for you and forgive me---"⁷

[6] Addressing the lack of communication, that's a great path to follow. These two need to talk so bad. [7] But this line? Sucks Balls. You could be with her, Jacey, and save all the readers your drama if you only pull your head out of your ass and try to communicate. It's like you're allergic to it.

---

She took a step back, blindly, and nearly tripped over an abandoned speaker. Her bag slid to the ground as she put her hand out to right herself, but Jace was already there. He moved forward to catch her, and kept moving until her back hit the alley wall, and his arms were around her, and he was kissing her frantically.⁸

[8] Not only is this achingly cheesy, but it's also totally not the way they should be going off about their situation. They were already talking -arguing, yes, but they're still using words to reach out, and their relationship absolutely cannot be healthy without them. Thus far, they have spoken so less in comparison with the times they've spent canoodling. They're not solving anything by having drama on one second and getting it on with dramatic kissing on the next.

I don't care what Clary says about being so lost in love with Jace. He's treating her like shit. The least he can do is give her answers that she has the right to demand from him. Kissing is not an answer. But, well, maybe to Clary, it is because the next parts from page 192 to 194 are spent on softcore porn in a dark alley under the frickin rain. I bet that's a very romantic setting in their minds, huh.

---

And now this part:

It was nerve-wracking. She could feel the feverish heat that came off him; her hands were still on his shoulders, but it wasn't enough. She wanted him wrapped around her, holding her tight. "W-why," she breathed. "can't you talk to me? Why can't you look at me?"

He ducked his head down to look into her face. His eyes, surrounded by lashes darkened with rainwater, were impossibly gold.

"Because I love you."⁹

[9] Is that supposed to make me tingle? SET ME ON FIRE, but that is the lousiest I love you in books that I have ever read. AND IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, at all!

Shut up with this, can you please. It's not romantic at all. It's a dumb excuse and an even dumber love from the two dumbest people in this whole frickin series. Oh my god.

Clary, realistically, will frown at this answer. She will pull the hell away and spat him in the face with how demeaning his love is if it can make her sick to the stomach with thinking he has already gone bored and is only cooking the perfect way to cut off their connection. He hasn't given her a sound reason, only desperate declarations of love like he's trying to convince them both that it's true. And it doesn't make sense how she's still plastered around him in the cold, trying to convince the readers that every word from Jace has deeper meanings that she understands no matter how gibberish they are. I'm not buying that, okay? Stop selling your larger-than-life connection bullshit because that isn't real.

You've only been together for two months, okay? The strongest you can feel for each other is lust. And it's showing.

---

His hands slid down to her waist and he kissed her, long and lingering, making her shudder.

She pulled away, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Neither does this," he said, "but I don't care. I'm sick of trying to pretend I can live without you. Don't you understand that? Can't you see it's killing me?"¹⁰

She stared at him. She could see that he meant what he said [...] Her desire for answers battled the more primal part of her brain, and lost. "Kiss me then,"¹¹

[10] NOBODY THREATENED YOU UNDER BLADE TO DO THAT BULLSHIT, so shut the hell up with the whining. [11] and Clary, I am so disappointed. You've both just drained me, and I'm dry inside like a raisin.

The next paragraphs describe their very erotic kissing against the wall. Jace, propping her up and her legs around his waist bull crap. Seriously? Am I supposed to believe these two are, what sixteen?- up until Isabelle thankfully ruins their moment by kicking a garbage can that would look better with Jace and Clary in it tbh.

---

And the nastiest horseshit of all:

Clary looked at Jace. At any other time, they would have laughed together at Isabelle's moodiness, but there was no humor in his expression, and she knew immediately that whatever they had had between them ---whatever had blossomed out of his momentary lack of control--- it was gone now. [...]

"Jace---" she took a step toward him.

"Don't," he said, his voice very rough. "I can't."¹²

And then he was gone [...]

[12] No, I frickin CANNOT. His actions keep on contradicting his words, and he's fickle and can't decide which mood to settle, and it's so exhausting, honestly. He wasted a few pages for a cosmic, meaningless declaration of feelings. They're empty words. At this point, I believe the writing only strives to convince the readers that these characters care for each other but is shitty at showing it.

It's not love, because they say it is love.

---

I was already gaining hope for this book, and then one simple few-pages scene with clace squishes it, smearing the innards on my face.

Honestly, TALK OR TAKE A BREAK. This back and forth can't continue throughout the rest of the book or -heaven forbid- the rest of the series. Or at least, put these characters in the background if they really must drag on this problem, because I care not a lick.

Bye.

[justwritingscibbles]

I'm sorry. Please come back.

(Okay so that ‘sleeping beauty’ ask forced me to do this I’m sorry)

It was cold, so Natemare brought you an extra blanket. Tucking you in and telling you to 'say ow if you’re uncomfortable’ in a last ditch attempt at humour. Marvin glimpsed mare who didn’t, can’t, look at him, only able to look at you when no one else was there. “Oh, I-I can come back later…if-” “No. Just…set up, I need to get them some water anyway.” Natemare jogged down the stairs, your old glass in his hands, leaving to get a new glass of water for you. Marvin knew he got a clean glass at least a few times a day, so if-when- you wake up you wouldn’t be thirsty. He felt sorry for the both of you. Natemare came back pretty quickly, not liking to leave you alone with another, he wasn’t there for you before ; he would be now… …It shattered right next to his feet. The violet, viscous liquid oozing out onto the floorboards and trying to ween itself Into Marvin’s shoes. “You’re doing something wrong!” He tried not to flinch from the spit raining upon him. Natemare retreated from his face, clearing up the glass in your room carelessly. “Are you even trying?” “Of course I am!” Marvin said, appalled he could think he’d given up after just a week. “Everything? Any new tests?!” His voice broke, and not sure if it was because of his friend or his friends power Marvin wanted to kneel down and console him. Luckily he thought better. “Well!?” Marvin blinked to bring him back to Mare’s question. “Is y/n’s only hope a stupid, and deaf, street act?!” Natemare shoved all the glass into his gloved hands and proceeded to shove him out the room, slamming the door behind him. He lay down next to you, leaning on his elbow, but it was now a week today since you’d fallen under. And 7 days ago he had tried shaking you, tickling, even falling for that 'true loves kiss’ crap. But now, he couldn’t bear to touch you. He thought he’d always want to be close to you, holding you, have you hold him, but every time he brought his fingers to trail down your cheeks, his toes to lightly kick you, his mouth to show how much he cared, he felt nothing ; and that was worse than feeling any sort of sickness to your touch. He also couldn’t find any words. It was like you were a stranger, he was scared, and he didn’t know what to do, not without your guidance… Looking down at your bed he exquisitely described what state it was in for you. True, it wasn’t as messy as it would have been had you both been awake and doing more than sleeping there, but he hoped that talking to you, especially about the surroundings you could feel around for, could stir you to safety and back to motion. Hell. His voice was supposed to give him power over people, make them do things he willed, so why couldn’t he use it, just this once, on you? His hand carefully pulled the blankets off of you, placing one kiss to your oily hair, he’d have big up and wash you sooner or later, and hooked his arms under your arms and legs, picking you up and feeling your weight against him. It was just like the time you fell asleep on the sofa and he had to carry you to your bed, with your head nestled into his shoulder, only now he wasn’t smirking at the at peace look on your face. He was begging for any other expression. “You shouldn’t be having that coffee if you’re going to be so on edge all the time, Chase.” Jackaboy warned, nodding to Chase’s bouncing leg. “It helps keep him sane, so shut up BTECman.” Said Anti, swigging his own pure black coffee down. Angel rolled his eyes at the name calling, but understood emotions were high right now, he turned to pay attention to the magician. “So, how were they?” “Terrible.” Marvin answered “I don’t understand why nothing’s worked, I even asked Schneeple for-” “I meant, how’s Natemare doing?” Angel smiled sadly, patting a hand on Marvin’s own. The creak from their houseguest-… guests… made all living things in the house fall silent. The only noise the sound of the entity moving with a weight in his arms. Rob spotting you bridal style, being moved by Natemare, and his intrigue heightened. All looked up at the balcony, seeing you again, even though none of them could bare it, especially when their once hyperactive, lovey-dovey friends, now had such an absence of life about them. Natemare placed you on the green bed of the spare room, different to the black sheets he’d selfishly insisted on having, since you two stayed over so much you had your own room in the septic house, as he promised you “I’ll be back soon baby.”, crossing your arms so they wouldn’t cramp when you woke, leaving back across the balcony. He stopped off at the laundry room to collect the fresh sheets he’d pre washed and dried, folding them up and taking them back to his room. He bundled the old ones up, shaking the fresh, hopefully stimulatingly nice smelling ones, out to straighten them, struggling with keeping the corners down as one person but managing eventually. None of the egos usually paid much attention to what Rob got up to in the house these days, they had other things on their mind, which Rob found good since he didn’t need to be babysat all the time. He hadn’t seen you in so long and he didn’t realise you were at home… until he saw where your best friend took you. Anti said he didn’t 'understand’ things well, but he understood that you wouldn’t have said that to him, you would have told him he’s understanding well considering his condition, you understood that about him, you were nice. So was Natemare, but he’d seen him recently, and he’d become mean, you had never been mean to him, the same went for most of the others sure, but he was fed up with them, and was confused to why you hadn’t seen him for so long… …The crash and cries from upstairs made all in the house run up very quickly, especially when they identified the cries or shouts coming from the two most emotional people currently in the home. Jackaboy man rushed past Natemare, not even looking to your bed, and made a zip line for the cowering zombie hiding himself in the spider-web filled corner of the room. Rob had kept to silent whimpers as the outraged entity delivered half-assed blow after blow. But his cries came out as voices rose. He hated being shouted at. And he was also sure that the loud voice had unnaturally made him even more scared, but that didn’t change how he felt, nor how hard it was to pull him out of the shadows, even with chase, angel and Jackaboy enticing him out. “He was lying right next to them!” Natemare continued yelling. Being shoved back by Anti and Chase every time he took a step closer to Rob, who was now crying. “You could have screwed, everything up!” “Calm down. You’re over-reacting.” Natemare grunted, shoving his shoulder hard against Anti as he argued, who shoved him back even harder. “Calm down.” “Oh, thanks Chase.” Natemare laughed unenthusiasticly “I feel so much calmer now, even though my partner is in eternal sleep!” Natemare shoved out of their grasp, the two allowing it now Rob had been escorted out to get his stitches fixed. “Don’t say that, we’re going to find a way.” Natemare grabbed Marvin’s shoulders to 'help’ him out the room after he said this, leaving Natemare be. After slamming another door that day he rushed over to you. Smoothing down your hair and checking to see if Rob had at all harmed you for the few minutes you’d been left alone with him (and optimistically if the ruckus had caused any sign it had woken you up). Natemare couldn’t handle it any more. His emotions were already all over the place after the fight, and the shock of seeing the zombie carefree around you being so defenceless, he cried. He let his tears flow, not caring enough to wipe them away no matter how much they tickled, he put your head in his hands, lowering his own to your forehead and whispered “I’m sorry. Please come back.”