#tlh au fanfiction

[heronchildlove]

Ok, so I don't have the energy for a proper fic but I can't get this idea for a "drama student moonlighting as a live model for art classes to get some extra bucks" Matthew au out of my mind and it's gonna drive me crazy if I don't share it, so here it is. Under the read more cause it got a bit long:

Thomas heard Alastair is attending that specific art class but he is too nervous to go alone so he begs James to go with him.

James is all "Tom, I can't draw a straight line, WHAT am I going to do in an art class????"

He goes anyway because Thomas is his cousin and he isn't going to let him down and just resigns himself to drawing the worst fruit bowl any human has ever seen.

Except the teacher walks in accompanied by the most beautiful guy James has ever seen instead and he barely gets to register this is a life drawing class because he is too busy gawking at the guy and omg he just winked at James and his entire brain short-circuited.

The guy's name is Matthew and he is a drama student and he is very happy to be there and be able to help and of course the guy is an actor, James thinks, he looks like a renaissance painting and sounds like an angel.

The teacher sends the guy into a back room to get ready and James tries to pull himself together and pretend he knows what he is doing as he tries to set up his paper and charcoal. He was going to ask Tom for help but he is already busy trying to start a conversation with Alastair and he doesn't want to interrupt them but it's ok he thinks he has got this.

That is, until Matthew comes back in a robe and, and on a cue from the teacher, takes off the robe and does his first pose, and James thinks he is hallucinating because it seems like he isn't wearing anything under the robe.

Oh. My god. He isn't wearing anything under the robe.

He pokes Tom and very vehemently points that out and asks what the fuck happened with the fruit bowls and Tom just looks at him like he is crazy because of course there are no fruit bowls, he had told Jamie it was a live model drawing class.

James is pretty sure Thomas DID NOT tell him that and, even if he did, how was he supposed to know that meant it would be a nude model class????

Worst thing is that aside from some initial awkward giggling no one else seems to really care there is a guy naked in the middle of the room aside from James.

And yes yes he knows the human body is natural and there is nothing wrong with being naked and it's for anatomy practice and the artistic view and all that but James is 1 very much not an artist and 2 still very much attracted to the very naked guy in the middle of the room.

In fact there is nothing about him that takes away from the impression he is the most beautiful guy James has ever seen or will ever see again in his life.

James decides he is going to be the slowest artist to ever exist and spend the whole class on Matthew's face and not look down in any way until it all finishes.

(Though Matthew makes it pretty hard when the teacher gives him a break and he decides to stretch his arms out over his head for a bit).

James has never been happier for the end of a class than when the teacher announces that's it for today and that they can go and thanks Matthew for helping them out because it means Matthew is finally putting the robe back on.

James puts all the things Thomas had lent him away as fast as he can and wants to drag Thomas by the arm so they get away from there as fast as possible but of course Thomas is stalling so he can talk with Alastair a little more and James wonders if aunt Sophie and uncle Gideon would be very mad if he strangled their only son.

But as he is starting to consider just dragging Thomas away for real he hears a "hullo" and when he looks to the side, Matthew himself is there smiling at him and he gets torn between short-circuiting again and worrying that Matthew is there because he saw James ogling him and is about to slap him for it so he immediately starts apologising.

Matthew doesn't get why he is apologising and there is no way James is explaining that so he says it's his first class like that and he felt awkward for staring (which is true).

Matthew chuckles and says he wouldn't be trying to be an actor if he minded people staring at him. Specially other beautiful people with artistic souls.

James wonders if he is crazy or if Matthew just called him beautiful. He tries to deflect by saying he is also sorry for the atrocious drawings he made of Matthew because he isn't an art student and is just there to give his cousin moral support.

Matthew says it can't be that bad and tries to get James to show the drawings to him but that is one mortification James has no intention to go through, thank you very much.

The teacher calls Matthew back to discuss something for the next class and Matthew tells James he is going to keep helping out for the next 2 weeks and he would love to see him there again.

James gives a non-committal answer and vows to himself he is absolutely never ever setting foot on that class again.

(But when Thomas asks him to go with him again next class, the fight he puts up is just for show.)

[4uru]

What if Cordelia went to her brother at the end of 'Chain Of Iron' instead of Matthew?

Find out in the 4th part of 'Reckonings'.

Gift for @thevagabondexpress and @alastairstom also everybody say thank you to @quantummeep for beta-reading this.

It Feels Like Yesterday Was A Year Ago, But I Don't Wanna Let Anybody Know.

Taglist: @what-ho-christopher-put-in @faithfromanewperspective @tleeaves @fangirlghost-19 @caterpillarinacave @chaosandtwo

[right-where-you-left-me-ts]

I was working on the Thomastairs Spider-Man AU today before class and I figured I should start cataloging it. First, here is a rundown of the characters and their roles(tw: Ch*rles):

Thomas is Spider-Man, cause he fits the qualifications for the Peter Parker variant

Christopher is “the guy in the chair”, basically the science side of Spider-Man

James is MJ, obviously he’s not in love with Thomas but he’s a mixture of the drama of the in the Tobey Maguire movies and the personality of MJ from the MCU

Matthew is Harry Osborn but much less tragic and he will not have a villain arc

Alastair is Gwen Stacy

Cordelia and Lucie run an investigative blog on Spider-Man

Ch*rles is the Green Goblin

Elias is a cop

Barbara is Uncle Ben

[vwritesaus]

      Anna suddenly rushes back to them, hair slightly dishevelled and blue eyes round as dinner plates.       ‘You guys—’ she blows out a short breath ‘—you will not believe who I’ve just seen walk in.’       ‘Who?’ Thomas asks dutifully. ‘Oh, do say it’s finally Lucie and Cordelia.’       In lieu of a worded reply, Anna gestures with her whole arm towards the entrance of the bar.       They all scan the space, but James can’t see shit. It really was a mistake to dim these lights. They’re bloody good for nothing.       Matthew gasps sharply then, his empty glass falling out of his hands and clattering noisily on the table top. It’s just as well it doesn’t shatter on impact.       ‘Oh, no.’ His eyes widen a touch and he shakes his head slowly. ‘Oh, you’ve got to be joking.’       James turns back to the crowd, continuing his search with renewed vigour. He wants to know who the hell has shown up if they’re making Matthew react like this.       Thomas and Christopher make matching sounds of astonishment a second later, Thomas going so far as to mutter, ‘Bloody Christ,’ under his breath.       Huffing, James looks at every face, every head, every pair of eyes in the bar. It takes him a moment to see, but when he finally locates the person in question, his mouth falls open.       He retracts his earlier thought. Lucie will be screaming blue murder later when she learns she’s missed out on this.

Snippet #1 

~

so between the previous snippet and this one, i read/screamed/cried over chain of thorns, and yo--i'm not okay!!!!

and i was right. i've already got so many ideas brewing on how to fit many, many of the scenes from cot into this fic >:) especially everything thomastair related--THE WAY I AM SCREAMING

this is the last snippet for now!! i was gonna do three but got distracted by chain of thorns and forgot to do it lol full chapter coming out this weekend !!

~

tag list: @astriefer @drunkonimagination @ferrari-go-vroom-vroom @melanielocke @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @livingformyself let me know if you’d like to be added to or removed!!

~

p.s. please keep the tags/reblogs/replies free of chain of thorns spoilers for the foreseeable future!! thank you <3

[melanielocke]

Alastember - day 27 - strenght

I decided to use this day to continue the trojan war AU since it was one of the more popular AU's in the poll (Sleeping Beauty AU & Winx AU were more popular but those will get a second part in the last two days) CW: mentions of (attempted) rape, slavery, injury @alastair-appreciation-month

Cordelia was gone. Off on her mission, captured by the soldiers of Fair and likely brought before Charles by now. Like with Alastair himself, they didn’t know she was the princess. She hadn’t traveled to Fair with him and just to be sure she’d used dye to darken her hair. Charles hadn’t even recognized Alastair without his princely clothes and make up.

Still, Alastair was stressed out. He couldn’t stop pacing his rooms, desperate for something to take his mind of things. He needed Cordelia back home safe to tell him she had succeeded and Charles was dead.

He hadn’t told anyone about what had almost happened to him, but he was having nightmares. Fighting the soldiers of Fair brought him back there sometimes. He was the Crown Prince of Jahanshah, and he was supposed to be strong, but Alastair felt anything but strong. Something had changed that night.

Or perhaps it hadn’t. Perhaps something had changed another night many years ago, long before his father had left Jahanshah for good. It was for the best, they were all better off with him gone and Alastair was relieved to be done taking care of him. He could focus on his real duties now, being Crown Prince and taking care of his people rather than his drunken father.

He tried not to think about his father too often. It was in the past, he was gone and he was not coming back. But he was from Fair initially and Alastair had always assumed that’s where he would have returned to. Or perhaps not. Perhaps he had gone farther east to the homeland of his now long dead sister in law, the place he’d lived before marrying Alastair’s mother. He wondered sometimes if his father would have tried to stop the war, or if he was someplace among the enemy forces. Unlikely, he was too old to be useful as a fighter and certainly too drunk.

Alastair needed to take his mind off of things. He needed a distraction and he had Thomas Lightwood in mind. He wasn’t yet sure if Thomas was interested in him, nor was he sure if he wanted to have sex at all, but at the very least Thomas’ company might be nice.

He found Thomas in the gardens, sitting on a bench, looking at the flowers Alastair’s mother had planted there. The garden was a nice place to relax to, but Alastair had something else in mind.

‘I’d been looking for you,’ Thomas said.

‘Really? I just went looking for you too.’

‘I figured you were worried,’ Thomas said. ‘I know it can’t be easy for you to send your sister out on such a dangerous mission.’

‘It’s not,’ Alastair said. ‘But Cordelia is the best warrior Jahanshah has to offer. She can do it.’

‘That doesn’t mean you can’t be worried. If you need some company tonight, I could stay.’ Thomas turned bright red as he spoke. ‘I don’t mean- you don’t have to-’

‘Whenever I’m stressed, I like to go to the bathhouse,’ Alastair said. ‘Would you like to join me?’

Thomas wasn’t as used to bathing with other people, but they’d gone together already the night Thomas had brought him back here, he figured it’d be fine now too. It was evening, and the bathhouse would be closed to the public anyway.

‘Sure,’ Thomas said. Again, his cheeks turned a dark red. ‘I’d love to.’

He noticed Thomas’ cheeks turned red a lot. People of Jahanshah blushed too when they were shy and embarrassed, but it was a lot more noticeable with Thomas’ light skin tone.

They walked to the baths together, and Alastair didn’t say much. He didn’t know what to say to people in circumstances like this and the best thing about Thomas was he didn’t pressure him. Everywhere else, he had to pretend, he had to act strong. With Thomas he felt like he could just be, and Thomas would let him. It was nice not to have to fill the silence.

They undressed in the entrance room and rinsed under cold water. Alastair could never quite get used to the cold, but he knew it was an important part of the process to rinse off before he went into the steam room.

‘If I ever return home, I would definitely suggest something like this to my father,’ Thomas said.

‘If you return? Won’t you, once the war is over and you’re not considered a traitor anymore?’

‘I’m not sure yet,’ Thomas admitted. ‘I mean, Genie is very likely staying here with Kamala. And I’m seriously thinking about staying too. But I miss my parents too. I don’t know what I should do.’

‘Once the war is over, I’ll travel to Fair again someday for negotiations and the like,’ Alastair said. ‘You could come with me. If you want to stay here, you could explain everything to your parents then. You are close to them, aren’t you?’

‘I am,’ Thomas said. ‘I don’t like the idea of being separated from them for the rest of my life.’

The two of them moved on to the next room, which was the steam room. Alastair sat down and took a deep breath.

‘You’re still tense,’ Thomas said. ‘May I?’

‘May you what, exactly?’

‘Massage your shoulders,’ Thomas said. ‘It might help you lose that tension. And I’ve been told I’m quite good at massaging.’

Alastair nodded and turned his back towards Thomas. ‘Okay.’

Thomas put his hands on Alastair’s shoulders and back and started massaging him. He had big, strong hands, something Alastair had taken notice of before. Thomas knew what he was doing, it felt good to be touched like this and he found himself longing for more. To be loved, perhaps, not just touched.

‘That’s better. Thank you.’

‘We’d usually go for a massage after training,’ Thomas said. ‘Or after battle, I suppose.’

Alastair stiffened again. ‘You don’t mean the captured women massage the soldiers?’

‘I always did it for my friends, but with others, I suppose so,’ Thomas said. ‘I think it’s awful, what they’re doing. And slavery is illegal on my father’s lands.’

‘It’s illegal in Jahanshah too. These women are being raped, aren’t they? I hate that I can’t save them all. That I can’t protect them better.’

‘You’re doing an amazing job keeping people safe,’ Thomas said. ‘It’s awful what’s happening, and you are already doing everything you can to stop it. You’re an amazing prince and a wonderful soldier. You’re so strong. You’re perfect, Alastair.’

‘I’m not strong,’ Alastair said softly. ‘I’m just really good at pretending.’

‘Isn’t that the same as being strong?’ Thomas asked. ‘I think everyone pretends, to some extent. It would be easier if we didn’t have to. And everyone needs their time to unwind. You can’t be strong all the time.’

‘Except that I’m the prince,’ Alastair said. ‘I have to be strong all the time. I can’t let people see me when I’m not.’

‘You’re safe with me,’ Thomas said. ‘You’re allowed to unwind too, I won’t judge you.’

‘We should go to the warm baths,’ Alastair said.

‘Right. I’m getting a little sweaty in here,’ Thomas said. ‘Would you like it if I washed your hair?’

Alastair frowned.

‘I just understood that that’s something attendants would do here,’ Thomas said.

‘That is the norm, but I usually do it by myself. I don’t like to let people touch me,’ Alastair said.

Alastair only really let the men he slept with touch him. He wasn’t the type to show his affection through touch, he’d gotten that from his mother. He’d never liked having servants dress him either. Cordelia was different, she liked to show her affection physically and it used to be difficult for her that Alastair did not return or like that.

‘Oh. I didn’t realize…’

‘I don’t mind it so much when you do it though,’ Alastair said. ‘You can wash my hair if you like.’

Alastair climbed into the hot bath, and Thomas brought the soaps and oils to the edge of the water before lowering himself into the water. Thomas was about to scoop something up, before Alastair stopped him.

‘I use this one for my hair,’ he said.

Thomas scooped up some of the shampoo into his hands. The sensation of Thomas’ hands going through his hair, gently massaging in the shampoo before rinsing it out with water was new to Alastair. He’d never let anyone do this since he was old enough to wash his own hair, he’d never even let a lover touch him in such a strangely intimate way.

‘I like that you trust me so much,’ Thomas said. ‘That you feel so comfortable around me.’

‘I find it difficult, to truly feel safe around someone,’ Alastair said. ‘Even with my former lovers I was always a little on edge. I don’t know why it’s different with you. Maybe it’s because you saved me.’

‘But I was still your enemy when you got captured. I only came to find you because I wanted to see my sister,’ Thomas said.

Alastair took a deep breath. ‘Charles would have raped me if you and Matthew hadn’t interfered then.’

He hadn’t told anyone this, and while he was terrified of Thomas’ reaction, terrified of being mocked and ridiculed, it was also a weight of his shoulders. He felt himself relax a little.

‘Oh, Alastair,’ Thomas whispered. ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.’

‘I haven’t told anyone,’ Alastair said. ‘So many of my soldiers have been captured, and many more women from the areas surrounding the city. So many of them have been through worse. And yet I can’t get it out of my mind.’

‘It’s not a matter of who had it worse,’ Thomas said. ‘I’m glad I could save you, but what happened before then was awful nonetheless.’

‘I hate being so weak,’ Alastair whispered.

Thomas put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Is this okay? You’re not weak. I think you just need some more time to process it.’

Alastair leaned against Thomas, craving the comfort only he could bring. He didn’t normally like touch, but Thomas was so strong and warm and this was the first time in a long time that he could let his guard down around someone else. He was vaguely aware that he was crying on Thomas’ shoulders, but for once he didn’t stop himself.

‘It’s okay,’ Thomas said. ‘I’ll keep you safe.’

Thomas slept in his room that night. There would be rumors, no doubt, but Alastair didn’t care. Let them think he’d taken Thomas to bed. He hadn’t ruled the possibility out yet anyway. But for now, Thomas’ presence allowed him to sleep peacefully.

The next day, Alastair needed to find something to occupy himself with. They were still waiting for news from Cordelia, and all major decisions had been made for now. He found Eugenia and Kamala in the gardens and figured he might as well stay there with them for some time.

There was a grin on Eugenia’s face that he didn’t trust. ‘So, you and my brother, huh?’

‘Nothing happened,’ Alastair said. ‘We just slept.’

‘In the same bed?’

‘Next to me. Nothing else,’ Alastair said.

Eugenia shook her head. ‘Thomas is far too shy, if he wants to get anywhere he’s going to have to declare his intentions.’

‘Do you like him?’ Kamala asked.

She was the gentler one of the two. And while Alastair hadn’t known them for very long, he could hardly imagine life without them, could hardly imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t made the choice to take them aboard his ship to Jahanshah.

‘He rescued me. I am grateful to him for that. And I enjoy his company,’ Alastair said. ‘But I’m not yet sure if I want to take things further with him.’

After his capture, he wasn’t sure what would happen if he tried to sleep with someone again. If it would bring him back there, and frighten him. If he were to try it, he needed to be sure. It needed to be the right person, someone who loved him and would keep him safe. Perhaps Thomas could be that person. Perhaps, but he wasn’t sure yet, and Alastair did not mind taking his time. Bathing together the other day had felt far more intimate than having sex with his past lovers had. Perhaps he could love Thomas, and before he wanted to take things any further he wanted to see if that was true.

He couldn’t describe how happy it made him that Thomas considered staying here. Before, Alastair had been terrified he’d go back home and they’d never see each other again, but he didn’t think Thomas would. Thomas liked being here. The only issue was his parents, and that he missed them.

‘Do you miss your parents, Eugenia?’ Alastair asked then.

‘Sometimes,’ she said. ‘And I do hope to see them again once the war is over. I’m sure they only agreed to this war because they believed I was kidnapped, and that’s my mistake. But they’ll come around.’

‘Thomas misses them too,’ Alastair said. ‘He considers staying here, but then he might not see them often.’

Eugenia shrugged. ‘Or they could move here if they liked. I like it much better here than home. I am training with the Amazons. And while I’m kind of pathetic compared to Cordelia, I like learning how to fight. That would have been impossible back home.’

‘They would be welcome,’ Alastair said. ‘Do you have any other siblings?’

‘I had an older sister. But she died,’ Eugenia said. ‘It was very sudden, I think that’s why Thomas is so protective of me.’

‘I’m sorry about your sister,’ Alastair said.

‘Me too. But death will come for us all in the end. Better to make life worth it until it gets there. There’s no point in watching Kamala be miserable with someone like Charles. You only get one chance.’

‘That’s true,’ Alastair said.

Maybe he shouldn’t wait too long with Thomas either. Eugenia was right, death came for them all and he shouldn’t waste the chance he had.

A servant rushed into the garden. ‘Your Highness, it’s your sister. She’s back. You’d better come.’

The tone of the woman’s voice worried Alastair and he followed her immediately, all the way to the infirmary. Cordelia was sitting on a bed, wincing in pain.

‘Layla, you’re back! What happened? Is he-’

Alastair had called his sister Layla since she was little. It was the name of the founder of Jahanshah, and their direct ancestor. Cordelia had loved the stories about her and when they’d played together as children, Cordelia always wanted to be her.

‘Charles is dead,’ Cordelia said. ‘I got into trouble trying to get away and got injured. Thomas’ friends James and Christopher helped fight them off. I asked Atossa to take them to Thomas so they can catch up, but I’ll introduce you to them later.’

Alastair nodded. ‘Good. You did well, Cordelia. I’m proud of you.’

‘I told you I’d get the job done, right?’

‘That doesn’t mean I didn’t worry for you. Even for you this was a very dangerous situation to be in. Did they… do anything to you?’

‘Just this cut in my leg, which is getting disinfected as we speak,’ Cordelia said. ‘They didn’t touch me if that’s what you’re asking. Charles’ younger brother claimed me after I was captured, which made this a lot easier. He had a whole argument about it with some of the others, but Charles didn’t seem to care much.’

Alastair felt for Matthew, it couldn’t be easy to lose your brother in such a way, to have a hand in his death. It happened often, he knew that, brothers killing each other for the throne. But Matthew had never wanted the throne. Alastair just needed him to withdraw from the war and take his troops home. Even if Kamala’s father didn’t agree, his troops would be crushed without the support of Fair.

‘Thank the gods,’ Alastair said. ‘Does your leg hurt a lot?’

‘A little,’ Cordelia said. ‘I can manage, I just can’t walk very well. It’ll get better. Are you going to set up a meeting with Matthew? To negotiate a peace?’

‘Soon,’ Alastair said. ‘We’re going to end this war. And Thomas might be staying here with us too.’

‘That’s amazing,’ Cordelia said. ‘You really like him, don’t you?’

‘Is it that obvious?’

‘No offense, but you’re practically drooling over him. Half the palace already thinks you’re sleeping with him.’

‘Not yet,’ Alastair said. ‘But I’m glad he’s staying. I’m glad he chose to save me that night.’

Taglist: @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @styxdrawings @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @broodyhawthorne

[freerangeeggs]

Chapter 6: Impa

Ayo new chapter just dropped.

This one’s a doozie:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44942164/chapters/117530662

[pjohoo-reclists]

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace Fic Recs

Request: Any good Percy/Thalia or Percy/Artemis fanfictions?

Here's a few Percy/Thalia fics. Some of them also have Percy/Artemis. I'll post another list that focuses on Percy/Artemis.

i'm shy, i'm anxious, i'm drunk by combatwombat14

G | 600 words | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Mutual Pining, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Shenanigans

Thalia Grace is so damn breathtaking. Percy is drunk, Thalia's shy and Annabeth is fed up with all this flirting. It's a pain, then, that flirting is probably the most fun part of their relationship, and they're not going to stop anytime soon. Inspired by 'Dionysus' by The Buttertones.

Him & Thalia by Inglorious_Anthem

T | 600 words | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson & Thalia Grace

Kissing, Camp Half Blood, Intimacy

Percy and Thalia, sharing a bed, in his cabin, where intimacy is concerned.

Kelp and Pinecones by PierceTheVeils

G | 800 words | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Fast Food, Banter, Male-Female Friendship

When you're on a scouting mission and lose your entire food supply to monsters, what is the only logical thing to do? Stop for cheeseburgers, of course!

no ragrets by advictorem

T | 800 words | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Tattoos, One Shot, Alternate Universe - High School

They weren't like most of the couples that surrounded them at school. Impulsive, careless, free-spirited assholes.

Until the morning comes I'll forget about our life by Laslus

M | 2.5k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Confused Teenagers, Late Night Conversations

When Percy goes to talk to Thalia in the car in The Titan's curse, he doesn't ask about Luke.

the death needs the breath (the grave needs you there) by spryzzi_xxed

M | 4.7k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Dark Thalia Grace, Mental Breakdown, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Even without her spear in her hand, Thalia was a weapon all on her own. She let out a feral scream, hands wrapping around his throat, and Luke could only watch in absolute terror and awe as lightning fell from the sky, encasing both of them in the bright light of electricity. It pulsed through Thalia’s body, lighting up her veins, and the last thing Luke saw before pure lightning destroyed him from the inside out was Thalia’s eyes, a glowing yellow-white, like the light from a storm. ~ Whump fic; possibly a prequel to a longer storyline of Thalia v. Olympus

No Greener Day by DeadDredd

T | 4.9k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Punk Percy Jackson, Punk Thalia Grace, Alternate Universe - Mortal

Punk!Perlia, mortal au. Thalia reuniting with Percy went right in so many places. She got to fix her biggest mistake and start a new journey, the music might have helped just a little bit. Punk music, bringing people together since the ’70s.

A Snowy Romance Collection by Kingdom_Melody

T | 10k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Memory Loss, Hunters of Artemis

4 One-shots from my A Snowy Romance collection focusing on Percy/Thalia. Set during different time periods (Titans Curse, post TLO but Pre TLH, and SoN)

A Romans Reprisal by JoeFromLegal

T | 14k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Roman Percy Jackson, Titans, Friendship

Neptune, he doesn't have the best image in New Rome. When Percy sees this, already being exposed to the cruelty of Rome, decides to take the matter into his own hands and get his father his honor back. But when New Rome, a city implemented by the gods, refuses to respect Neptune, who does Percy go to? Those that oppose them of course.

His Pain, His Love by The_Prophesied

G | 23k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace, Annabeth Chase/Leo

Romance, Pining, Happy Ending

He knew. Ever since he had stared into those captivating electric-blue eyes, he knew his heart was now in her hands forever. But how far would he have to go for her to return those feelings, that is, if she ever did?

Snowfall by spryzzi_xxed

T | 50k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson & Thalia Grace

Teen Romance, Camp Half Blood, Friendship/Love

Seeing Thalia Grace in a dress was not something Percy thought he would ever see. Then again, everyone dressed up fancy for the New Years party that Chiron decided Camp Half-Blood would be hosting. Percy probably would've been laughing at her if she hadn't looked so . . . alluring. Book one of Five Seasons Quintet. Completed!

Percy Jackson and The Game by orphan_account

M | 72k+ | Ongoing as of 26/03/19.

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson/Artemis

Slow Burn, OP Percy Jackson, Gamer Powers

Percy didn’t believe in the gods so he insulted them and gets put under the thumb of the fates in return for some pretty sick powers. Or Percy insults the fates and gets gamer powers. Wait what?!

Percy Jackson and The Game by Maxtori

M | 110k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Overpowered Percy Jackson, Gamer Percy Jackson

Percy is given the gift of the Gamer turning his life into a video game with levels, dungeons and skill points. Now Percy, armed with this amazing ability, sets out to prove himself to the world of the gods and humans by becoming the best at he can be and fulfilling his destiny. And eventually maybe even find love.

Restoration Of The Saviour by DeadDredd

T | 118k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Artemis, Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Chaos (Percy Jackson), BAMF Percy Jackson, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Pain and betrayal. That's all he thought of when he fell, but he was saved and given a better purpose as a warrior and an assassin of the creator. Centuries later he is back to save the only people who stood by him from a fate worse than death. A few more years later and he's back with his family this time and he has the loves of his life backing him.

The Dawn of Heroes by AgeOfHemitheos

T | 183k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace

Ancient Greece AU, Action/Adventure, Friends to Lovers

An ancient darkness. A land divided. Long gone was the Age of Heroes. The gods and their children feared and revered, perhaps, but more myth than reality. The Age of Men, however, was not one prepared for the enemy. But when darkness gathers, so does the light. Nestled in mountains, villages, and an invisible city. Bear witness to the Dawn of Heroes.

The Dissonant Notes Of Fate by TripleHomicide

T | 220k | Complete

Percy Jackson/Thalia Grace, Luke Castellan & Annabeth Chase & Thalia Grace

Percy as a titan, Badass Thalia, The Second Titan War

He was ridiculed. He was cursed. He was locked away. And then he was forgotten. Perseus the youngest son of Gaea was cursed by the gods and exiled to the Island of Ogygia for aiding the Titans in the First Titan war. With the Titans rising again, he is needed to bring Olympus to it's knees. But can a certain blue eyed daughter of Zeus change his perspective of things?

[anotheroceanid]

Hello! I hope you're doing well 🫶

I am curious, did you read Trials of Apollo? What did you think of it? Of Apollo/Lester?

And if you've read Perpollo fanfictions, do you any recs for Perpollo works with Apollo as Lester? (Not a human AU, but a Perpollo work where Percy and Apollo get together when Apollo was Lester) I'm trying so hard to find one, it's been weeks 🥹

Anyways, I really enjoy WTHB 🫶 I cannot wait to see what wonderful things you'll write for your story 🫶 I wish you the best! 🫶

I haven’t read it, though I know what happens in the story through other people. I actually bought the first book, but then I discovered that Jason eventually died (and Jason is one of my favourite characters ever since TLH), I got stuck and never finished.

I do know one: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2663782

Idk if that’s exactly what you wanted, but fits more or less the description you gave me.

Thanks for reading WTHB, hopefully we’ll have another chapter this weekends 💕

[bugwolfsstuff]

What's this HOO au I hear You're writing?

Its a fanfiction im writing on Ao3. Im not gonna say much cus I've only published up to chp 5.

Its basically a rewrite of the HoO series with my oc and a few things changed:

-ive made it so TLH takes place 3 years after titan war (they deserve a lil break from chaos) so most of the main og gang are adults. (this might become more important later)

-Leo and my Oc, Eileen (another fire user child of heph) get sent to CHB sometime after the titan war. Because Zeus tried to kill them cus he took the 'or fire the world must fall' part of the prophecy in a bad way, and Hephaestus wasn't gonna let that slide.

-they stay there for three years without leaving.

- Leo begs Mr D and Chiron to let him out of camp just this once, they say fine and Leo goes with Coach Hedge to watch over Piper (which is where TLH starts)

-oh and while mr D is called back to olympus, his child Pollux makes a return and becomes (acting) camp director in his absence.

Thats all I'm gonna say about it cus the rest would be spoiling what i got planned.

[zoyalannister]

Fanfiction Masterlist

Since I was asked about my fanfics and where to find them, I decided to make a Masterlist. Maybe it will be easier for you and myself.

The Last Flowers

A series which integrates and corrects TLH canon. It comprises four long fics, a collection of missing moments one-shots and three oneshots as epilogues. I'm writing this series with @fimproda (A_WriterInSTEM on Ao3).

This series has many delicate themes, so, please, read all the TWs before reading.

Here are the single fanfics of this series:

Hydrangea: the 1st longfic, it's mostly about Gracetopher (kind of). Set between Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron. [Complete]

Daisy: the 2nd longfic, it's mostly about Jordelia, but unlike canon they can talk to each other like normal human beings. Set during Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron. [Ongoing, 5/6 chapters]

Chrysanthemum: the 3rd longfic, it will be a correction of all the nonsense that happens in Chain of Thorns. It will be about Gracetopher and Jordelia, but also AriAanna and Thomastair will have a minor role. (Not published yet).

Petals: a collection of one shots of missing moments from the rest of the long fics. [Ongoing, 3/6 chapters]

Geranium: I like to call it Hydrangea AU, it starts with the same premise but it goes in a totally different direction. It's mostly about Cecily and Grace having a mother-daughter relationship, but Gracetopher is a secondary relationship and AriAnna will have a minor role later on. It's independent from the rest of TLF and can be read separately. [Ongoing, 4/8 chapters]

Levander: the Thomastair epilogue, set after Chrysanthemum. (Not published yet).

Acacia: the AriAnna epilogue, set after Chrysanthemum. (Not published yet).

Night-blooming Jasmine: the Gracetopher epilogue, set after Chrysanthemum. (Not published yet).

Gracetopher

Exothermic: a Bridgerton-like fanfic that starts from the premise "What if Cecily got Herondale Manor instead of Will?" [Complete]

How (not) to end a feud: a fanfic where the clave is tired of the Lightwood-Blackthorn feud and decides to settle the matter down with a wedding. [Complete]

It's always been you: a collection of short one shots (500-1500 words) for the Gracetopher Week 2024. Mostly sports-related AUs. [Complete]

Endless Sunlight: a fanfic set after ChoT where Grace is obsessed by the idea of finding Christopher in another dimension, but once she arrives there she finds out that Christopher isn't the same kind and caring guy he was in her universe. Or, the self indulgent villain!Christopher fanfic. [Ongoing, 16/21 chapters]

What happens in the lab... : a PWP fanfic.

What happens in the carriage... : another PWP fanfic.

What happens in the hotel room... : the return of PWP.

Gabrily

Still insists she sees the ghosts: Cecily is accused of something she didn't do and her tale goes through two different parts of her life. [Ongoing, 4/8 chapters]

Bad luck: Morden!AU, it should be a commedy but my humour is broken and I can't gaurantee other people will find it funny. (Not published yet)

Across the PWPverse: a series of 3 PWP one shots connected with each other, but that can be read separately.

That one time in Chiswick Manor: a PWP where Cecily goes to Benedict Lightwood’s party and meets an interesting person.

That one time in the Institute: a PWP where Gabriel owes a favour to Cecily.

That one time in Southampton: a PWP where Gabriel is forced to admit that he’s wrong about something.

Lightwood family (Gabrily)

Balance: Modern!AU, no plot. Just Cecily Lightwood trying to balance work, marriage, motherhood and life in general. It will be a collection of short one shots (about 500/1000 words each) independent from each other. [Ongoing, 4/35 chapters].

Extra

A collection of the extra of all my fanfics. These posts will delve into some aspects if my fics.

Endless Sunlight: The planimetry of Chiswick Manor; The gardens of Chiswick Manor, Playlist, Random facts about Matthias Greene, Random facts about Oliver Whisperford.

[tetsunabouquet]

I HAVE AN ANOUNCEMENT TO MAKE: First of all, I reached 90 followers! Only ten more, and I will hoist my '100 Followers Event'. I have revisited the list of 50 questions I gave you all for my previous Event and swapped out ones I already answered during the event or in passing on my blog, for brand new questions of course. Considering all the drama I had about personal questions, get ready to invade my privacy! (please be kind ^^) Secondly, I want to announce that to my list of upcoming projects (the Event and my RP blogs), I will be opening myself up for requests from fandoms outside KNB. I still want to mainly write KNB stuff as I have so much god be damned inspiration, but I want to take some requests from the other fandoms I mentioned on my blog too. Especially the dead ones. As a fellow fan, I know we are starved for content so let me give it to you! I know I can sometimes leave requests lay around in my inbox for months, but I genuinely do want them! Gimme, gimme, gimme. And well, connected to my second point, I will soon, aside from my writing schedule (headcanon-oneshot-headcanon-basic instict), be publishing my vision for TWP. To the ones familiar with The Shadowhunter Chronicles, I myself, have been a fan since the first book and made it all the way through (even the hellish ride of TLH). I love the books, yet I also see the flaws in them and Cassandra as a writer being so familiar with her works (I even got familiar with her fanfiction and read the entire Draco Trilogy). She's not as bad as an author as her haters make her out to be, but she really has some sucky areas alright. I can already predict how some of her flaws are going to show up in TWP, and as a long time fan, whilst I am excited for the trilogy and it got me through TLH- I do also want to create my own vision for the perfect ending series and avoiding some of the things I've come to dislike about her work over the years. I hope my fellow Shadowhunter fans are excited! PS: Crossovers are encouraged! -list of fandoms mentioned so far to refresh memory: TVDU Shadowhunters (both books and show) Shaman King Hyperdimension Neptunia Kiznaiver Vampire Knight ElfQuest MLB- (I don't accept requests about real people, only characters) (Also, no Harry Potter. That fandom has plenty of content, it's boring to me) (I don't write for Alice In Borderland, because whilst having seen the show I'd prefer to read the manga first before I start writing for the fandom. I DO accept requests for Alice In Borderland inspired AUs, like I did with my KNB headcanon for who'd survive Alice In Borderland).

[heronchildlove]

Idk if you still want to do the spotify wrapped thing but if so: number 56

Always, nonnie!!! I get so happy when I get asks, always feel free to send me questions or prompts even if they are years old or just come scream about something!

Send me a number from 1 to 100 and I'll write a drabble based on my Spotify Wrapped playlist - Accepting!

~~**~~

Number 56: The other side - Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman Soundtrack)

Freaks, they called them. Him.

Abomination. Aberration. Monster. There were innumerous names to pick.

But Matthew had never seen sense in any of them. From the first time he saw him, he was transfixed, breathless. He had never seen a more beautiful creature in the whole wide world, and he had travelled many places before.

Sure, the performers of the circus were all amazing and unique - Matthew didn't understand why any of them were mistreated either - but to him their ringleader completely stole the show.

He was ethereal and captivating, shadows and light, the darkness of night lit from inside by the warmest gold. He couldn't look away, and almost whined every time he stepped out the stage to give place to one of his acts.

His limbs were long and his movements gracious, his voice was deep and smooth, his smile invited them to mischief and amazement - two of Matthew's favourite things - and his eyes... His eyes sent shivers down his spine every time their looks met.

Or at least Matthew thought they were meeting, but it could just be his wishful thinking

Many and many times now he had snuck away from home to come watch the show and he couldn't get enough of it. Every day there was a different act, a different trick, a different line, or a different quip from the ringleader. It was intoxicating, and he had always been too weak to resist the call of things he shouldn't mess with.

He had started coming up with plans, ways he could approach the ringleader - James Herondale, even his name was like a poem - and start a conversation, praise him and the show, maybe invite him for some drinks. But so far all his planning had stayed inside his head. He just couldn't figure out when best to approach the other. He didn't want to disturb him before or during the show when he was preparing and working, and the couple of times he had gone behind stage after the performances he had been nowhere to be seen and when one of the performers called out to him he had run away like a deer in headlights. He couldn't escape his duties on the times when he knew the circus was practicing, and he didn't know where or when else to look for him.

So when the ethereal ringleader pushed through the doors of Matthew's favourite pub one night and then walked straight up to him, he didn't know how to act. He had forgotten how to speak, or think, or even breathe, it seemed, with the other's presence so close to him.

When he took the stool next to him, smiled and said "I have an offer for you", it took everything in Matthew's power not to blurt out yes right there on the spot.

But no. He was Matthew Fairchild. His family had a reputation to uphold, no matter how ready Matthew was to throw it away for a pair of liquid-honey eyes.

He put on a smile himself. He was good at that, if at nothing else, smiling and being charming. It was the least - and often times most - that was expected of him.

"What kind of offer, Mr. Herondale? It must be very important if you went through the trouble of coming all the way here for little old me."

"Little old you that just so happens to be the son of Prime Minister Fairchild? She approved my license to run the circus, you know? I am very grateful to her, but that's not why I came here. And the offer I want to propose is more of a... partnership."

Matthew's heart skipped a beat due to his overactive imagination and he forced himself to calm down.

"What kind of partnership, Mr. Herondale?"

"Just James, please. And the kind where I give my most loyal and special customer a chance to be part of it all - the magic, the song, the wonder. Your eyes watching us are so fierce and passionate, wouldn't you love to ditch the stands and be right in the middle of the dream, yourself?"

Matthew licked his lips. Yes, that was all he wanted, even beyond James himself, he loved the colour and the passion of the spectacle, and the heart they all put into it and the strength they showed in front of adversity. But...

"I am afraid I have to decline, Mr. Herondale, I have a responsibility towards my family." He couldn't even begin to think about the scandal if the son of the prime minister got involved with the circus like that, specially that particular one. His whole family would be on disrepair, his mom's competence and standing would be questioned.

"James." The other reminded him. "And a responsibility to what? To show up to endless dinners and fundraisings and pretend to be interested in their vile words while being miserable for the rest of your life?"

Matthew gulped. How did he know him so well when they had never even met aside from the distance between the stands and the stage?

"I am not miserable! And I am proud to help my family."

"Oh yeah? Is that why you are sitting here drinking instead of being at the fundraising gala for the opera tonight?"

Touché. Matthew feigned an affronted sniffle.

"I am planning to arrive fashionably late. It's one of my signature moves."

"Or is it your signature because you don't want to be there so you are always late?"

Touché again.

"Who came first, the chicken or the egg? Guess we will never know."

"Oh, I know. I see it in your eyes piercing mine every presentation. Your soul longs to be free, and that's what I'm offering you: freedom, laugh, life. Become my partner and all of it could be yours."

He painted such a beautiful picture, it made Matthew's soul ache. He licked his lips.

"And what do you gain from it? A partnership goes both ways."

James smiled. "I could use a sponsor."

Matthew's heart promptly fell down to the floor and sank to the center of the Earth, his fingers tightened around the glass. Oh, that's right. He should have known.

"So this is all about money?" Of course it was all about money, that was the other piece of the pie of all he was good for.

"Not for one minute."

James' voice was so serious and deep it made Matthew shiver and look back up, and before he knew it James had taken his hand from where it had bunched against his slacks and was holding it tight. Eyes like the heart of a furnace boring through him.

"Money is what the circus needs, because it always does, but it's not at all why I'm here, and I'm sorry if my jest offended you. But all I'm interested in, all I really want, is you."

It seemed like the furnace in James' eyes had passed straight through Matthew's chest. He felt hot, and short of breath, and like every coherent thought had melted out of his ears.

"I... What... do you mean?"

"Should I spell it out?" James asked, all the theatricality of his profession showing in his giving a quick look around before removing the top hat from his head and holding it in front of their faces.

And there, barely hid from the other patrons by a circle of dark silk, James kissed him.

Matthew gasped and pushed back against his lips, but before he could get more than a taste of it, the other was pulling away, top hat securely back on his head.

"This is what I mean. And much more. A partnership, like I said, in all meanings of the word. It's yours if you want it. I'm yours, if you'll have me."

The click of a key turning in a lock. And all Matthew could say was:

"Yes."

[4uru]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Alastair Carstairs/Thomas Lightwood Characters: Alastair Carstairs, Thomas Lightwood Additional Tags: Fluff, Short One Shot, Random & Short, Boys Kissing, Grinding, Comfort No Hurt Summary:

Sleeping lover and Orange scarf.

[right-where-you-left-me-ts]

Right now I’m hyper fixated on TLH series so I have a few fic AUs in the early stages of plot development. Most of them are definitely Thomastairs centric. I currently have and Thomastairs Spider-Man AU, a Princess Bride AU, a Alastair runs away AU, and a Horror Movie Actor AU that are further along.

[vwritesaus]

There is a house on Curzon Street that James has taken a liking to.       An old dwelling, its design belongs easily to a bygone British era, yet it continues to stand strong. Four storeys high, it blends in with the surrounding houses of red, brown, and black brickwork, with countless windows trailing high to the sky and elaborate entryways of wrought iron railings and archways.       A completely ordinary-looking house for this part of London. There’s nothing truly exciting about it, at least by comparison.       And yet James can’t stop staring at it.       He allows himself to drink in every detail despite already knowing them: the rusty patch on the fence, the few steps leading to the dark blue front door, the number of windows, the pot plant in the corner of the top step, the grey curtains of what could be a living room, the golden glow of the ceiling light pouring through one of the top window panes…       His heart dances funnily as he roves over them all, as it usually does. This time, however, the yearning is so strong, James wants to go and knock on the front door, just to see inside.       But he can’t do that. That’s weird.       ‘What’s so special about it?’ Matthew asks.       ‘I don’t know,’ James whispers earnestly, shrugging helplessly. He places a hand on his chest, rubbing along his sternum over his shirt and adds, ‘It just… it’s like my heart knows it. Thinks it important. For whatever reason that may be.’       His throat closes off, a large lump forming, and a wave of remorse crashes over him. He doesn’t say anything else in fear of not being about to speak—but not that he needs to for Matthew links their arms together and gently pulls James into his side. James’s head falls on Matthew’s shoulder and the house wobbles dangerously in his vision.       This house.       This damn house.              Something shifts in the air and his head flies up. Matthew makes a stunned sound. James ignores him.       For the briefest of moments, like a glitch on a screen, James sees a woman in emerald green with tumbling red hair standing by the front door. She throws a radiant smile over her shoulder at him and James’s lips silently form the syllables of her name.       And then she’s gone.

why HELLO THERE and welcome to my biggest project to date that i've poured my blood, sweat and tears since august last year: a TLH modern/mundane au & reincarnation au set in 2013/14 London! i posted some of this back in october, but after much editing and reworking... it's back, new and improved >:3

but srsly like i said in the older posts, i’m so so excited about this story. it’s been my baby since i finished COI, and when i say ch1 is a whopping 17k... yeah. the size of this fic worries me but hey, when the brainworms hit, what can you do?

and it's only gonna get longer once i get my hands on my copy of chain of thorns, mark my words

to start with tho, here's an altered excerpt from chapter 1!! i'll be posting the full chapter on saturday night/early sunday morn AEDT so stay tuned~ ✨

and a huge shoutout to Mary (@ferrari-go-vroom-vroom) for betaing, thank you soooo much, you're the best 💜

~

tagging people who might be interested: @astriefer @drunkonimagination @melanielocke @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @livingformyself let me know if you’d like to be added to or removed from the tag list!!

also FYI i'm only tagging adults as the fic (currently rated M) will be heading towards rating E territory in later chapters

p.s. please keep the tags/reblogs/replies free of chain of thorns spoilers for the foreseeable future!! thank you <3

[imherongraystairstrash]

Wessa baby Part 1

A/N: Thank you @daisyherxndale for recommending this!! I’ll post part 2 a bit later today. This story takes place about two years before Chog. I hope you enjoy!

Tessa was trying to read, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere. She found herself reading the same sentence over and over again as her mind rattled with mixed emotions. Was she happy? Yes, she was over the moon. But was she allowed to? Would Will be happy? Or would he be distraught? Maybe she was just worrying too much. She put her hand on her abdomen.

However inconvenient it might have been, Tessa Gray was pregnant. Tessa Gray was pregnant with a third, completely unexpected, child.

By the time Will came into the room, Tessa had long abandoned her book. There was no point in trying to read about characters’ struggles, when all you could think about were your own misfortunes.  

Tessa didn’t even notice him coming in until he was kneeling in front of her.

“Tess? You look like you’ve aged fifty years since the last time I saw you.” Concern was etched across his face.

“Ha ha, very funny.”

“No, literally, you changed.” Will said, referring to her shapeshifting. “Are you feeling alright?”

Tessa held a hand up to her face. Of course. Whenever Tessa got pregnant, her warlock magic went haywire.

She forced herself to change back into her normal self, now understanding why she had felt a bit winded before. She blinked and looked back down at Will.

“I’m fine, Will.”

Will gave her a face that said he knew she was lying to him.

Tessa bit her lip. Now’s as good a time as ever to tell him. Will deserved to know. Besides, it might take some weight off shoulders.

She drew him in her arms and kissed his forehead. She held his face in her hands and looked into his deep blue eyes, seeing herself reflected in them.

“Whatever is matter, sweet Tess?” Will said, turning his face to kiss her palm.

“Will, I’m expecting.”

Will’s eyes widened, almost comedically, as he stared at Tessa, looked down at her stomach, and then back at Tessa.

“Tess, that’s…”

“Horrible?”

“NO! No, Tess, it’s wonderful.” he said, kissing her and resting his forehead against hers. “I was going to say unexpected, but anything that’s part you, even if it’s only half, is a blessing.”

Tessa felt her vision getting blurry. Will wiped a tear from her face.

“And anything that’s half me, is a blessing to the Earth.” He continued.

Tessa laughed and dug her face into his neck.

“My sweet Tess, I’m so happy we created something so wonderful.”

“Me too.” Tessa said.

...

Will was reading a book while stroking James’ hair, absentmindedly. Jamie had his head rested on his papa’s shoulder and was reading along side him. It was A Tale of Two Cities, a book they had both read many times, though they still seem enthralled by it, as though it were the first time they were reading it. Meanwhile, Lucie and Tessa talked about the new baby.

“Have you picked out a name yet?” Lucie asked.

“We were thinking of Ella, in honor of Will’s sister.”

Will looked up at the mention of his name, completely oblivious to the conversation the girls were having. Tessa waved him off as to say he could go back to reading.

“So, she needs a middle name.” said Lucie, tapping out a inconsistent pattern on Tessa’s belly.

“Well, she doesn’t need a middle na—” Tessa looked over at Lucie who she giving her puppy eyes. “Why? Did you have one in mind?”

Lucie looked up at her, enthusiastically. “You can name her after another book character, like you did with me!”

Tessa laughed, “Which one were you thinking of?”

Lucie sat up, practically unable to keep still.

“Elizabeth! After Lizzie Bennet!”

Will looked up from his book. “I like that one, Lulu.”

Tessa smiled. She didn’t remember ever having told Lucie that her mother’s name was Elizabeth; she did not have a strong memory of her as she died when Tessa was merely three years old. And yet, it seemed fitting to name her unborn daughter after the women who never got to meet her mother. The women who did not get a chance to raise her own daughter.

“I love it, Luce.”

Lucie, clearly proud of herself, sandwiched herself once more in-between James and Tessa. Tessa kissed her temple and ran her knuckles over Lucie’s cheek. She caught Will’s eye over their son and daughter’s heads. He smiled warmly at her and reached out to hold her hand. She placed it in his and he rubbed circles into her palm.

…

“Me first!” Lucie whisper-yelled as she pushed James out of the way. James stumbled at the sudden impact and would have fallen, had he not grabbed the couch in front of him and steadied himself. Without a second glance at her brother, Lucie plopped down beside Will ready to hold her new baby sister.  

Will carefully handed over the baby. Lucie smiled and cooed at Ella.

“Hello,” she whispered. “I’m Lucie, your favorite sibling.”

“Hey!” said James.

Lucie ignored him. “Has she opened her eyes?”

“Not yet,” said Tessa.

She inherited Will’s dark hair, but she had yet to wake up and see the world.

“Can I hold her now?”

“No, Jamie,” said Lucie, “being the klutz you are, you’ll drop her.”

“Lucie, honey, Jamie will be careful. He should be able to hold Ella as well.”

Lucie grumbled and turned towards Ella. “I apologize greatly for abandoning you, and leaving you to succumb to the evil clutches of Cruel Prince James, my sweet sister— oh, that would make a wonderful line for a new chapter of The Beautiful Cordelia.” Lucie looked at James. “Alright, you can hold her, but only because I have been in a writer’s block for months, and I just had a wonderful idea.”

She was about to give Ella over to James, before pulling away.

“Don’t even think about turning into a shadow once I hand her over.”

“Why would I do that?!”

“Because you are sketchy. And unpredictable. And just of being replaced as my favorite sibling.”

“I was your only sibling.”

“Exactly. That’s the only reason you were my favorite sibling.”

“Lucie!”

“Mam, Lu’s hurting my feelings.” James said, humoring her.

Finally, Lucie handed Ella over to James and got her pen and paper. She peered over at Jamie holding baby Ella while she wrote.

It was sweet to watch a smile stretch across James’ face as he looked down at Ella and bounced her lightly. James, who was always solemn, even as a child. The contrast between both Lucie and James’ personality was like white against black. Tessa couldn’t help but wonder what shape Ella’s personality might take when she grow older. She was also worried that Ella would grow lonely, as both of her siblings were quite grown, and were likely to have moved out of the institute by the time she turned five.

Tessa forced her concentration on something else. She’d long given up on trying to fix things that were out of her control. She often found it to do more harm than good. Besides, Ella is not truly alone; she’ll have her cousin Alexander to keep her company. Who knows, maybe they’ll become parabatai.

“Mam,” James said.

Tessa looked up.

“She’s got your eyes.”

The whole family leaned in closer, as Ella scanned her surroundings. They were, in fact, the same shade of gray as Tessa’s eyes.

“She’s a perfect hybrid!” Lucie said.

Tessa put her head on Will’s shoulder, perfectly content on enjoying this moment with her family.