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amchara · 2 years

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Info from Cassie's Dublin Event

So, I bought an online ticket to Cassie's Dublin chat from earlier this week, and listened to it this evening while doing some chores. It's a really decent one- lots of Chain of Thorns discussions and the moderation was fairly tight. Very enjoyable to listen to! I've typed up a few of the Q&As - and one of the moderator questions from right at the beginning, and then the last few. I may go back and grab a few more but this is all I'm typing up tonight.

Also, she all but confirmed who the novella is going to be about. Spoilers and such below the read more. Questions are answered about potential dark Chain of Thorns alternate ending, Adult POV Shadowhunter books, potential Malcolm and Annabel story, most interesting villain / hero who would make a great villain, Matthew and Tessa happy endings.

Okay, as we probably all knew/predicted: Yes, it's going to be a Matthew novella. Cassie definitely confirmed it's going to be about him. Maybe visiting some of the other characters and popping in. Probably not Jordelia in Constantinople because she wants them to have a sweet honeymoon and nothing bad to happen to them and novella's require conflict. Maybe an online short though- like she's written before.

Okay, on to the questions-

After the pandemic - you changed your mind about certain characters and events in Chain of Thorns. For the better, for the worse?

I mean, I think for the better. I hope. It was very very early on in the pandemic and… I had been thinking- goin back and forth in my mind, between various potential endings. As I always do, when I’m plotting anything. For TLH, I remember thinking at some point, I could not write as bleak an ending, I had- I usually have endings ranging from all sorts of things happening. And I remember a few things that made it- at one point thought of an incredibly bleak ending. But then decide that didn’t make any sense. Because if everyone in TLH were to die, I did not understand how Will and Tessa could go on to have any semblance of a happy life. They both would’ve been traumatised forever. Tessa as we know her in the present would not be the person she is, so it didn’t really make sense. So I booted it. And then, there was still some thoughts I had- I don’t know, the transient tragic effects of time, everything vanishes, everyone dies eventually, and I thought, you know what- we got that in TID and that is not what I want to be thinking about and writing about right now. I want to think about human resilience and love and the good things in life and boy- it was a uniquely bleak experience - not that unique anymore, one day we were working around with many other people or in school and then you’re completely alone, and you don’t know for how long. Doing all the work by yourself, and that’s the experience I had.

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Older characters taking central roles in future books?

Understand why you want to see it but it’s not YA and you can have a little bit of older characters, like I had to fight really hard to get Diana’s viewpoint in TDA because she’s like 25 and that’s too old. A question of genre you’re writing. And if you’re writing YA I can’t see a lot of ways you can have a lot of adult characters doing a lot of stuff because core and point of YA that this is about Young Adults who have the agency and direction and are doing and are responsible for making the choices and if there are adults around, those adults will sit on those kids. And will prevent them from making those choices because its the adult’s job to protect kids. So it is a really hard line to walk. In having those parents in the Last Hours I had to be very careful about the amount we saw of them and the amount that they could affect what was going on. They were away or their will was restrained in some manner or they didn’t know what was going on because if they did, they would step in and take over.

And I think the way to do what you’re asking, is to do adult Shadowhunters books. And there’s no reason not to do that. It’s absolutely possible to write adult shadowhunters books that exist in the realm of adult fantasy. Always thought interesting to follow Clary and Jace or Will and Tessa and do an adult book that talks about them as adults and has them as the forward facing characters and that would be something I would be very interested in doing. I do think it would be adult though. (Which we know means spicy). My publisher is like ehhhh (joking)

Would you ever write a novella about Malcolm and Annabel?

That seems really fun, all the things I like - doomed love and bad weather. I have thought about it. Glad at least one person would like to read it because not everyone as into doomed love and bad weather as I am. We know a lot of details about relationship and their lives and I feel it would be fun to see that. Writing Malcolm in TLH was such strange experience because we know Malcolm from TDA, he’s a bad guy, a murderer, a betrayer, a multiple murderer and generally not good. But in TLH this is Malcolm before all that, he was a good guy and now- I have written good people turned bad, but to write someone as good before bad and not even pretending/faking was really interesting and had me thinking a lot more about his relationship with Annabel and what that obsessive love did in terms of being a very good force in his love and then a bad one. Very interesting.

Which fav villain to write and which of our stereotypical heroes to write would make an excellent villain (Me: It’s Julian- why are we even pretending about this?)

Sebastian was fav because what makes a villain interesting in a lot of ways is how close they are to your heroes, and he was Clary’s brother! And he was a loathsome individual but he was really interesting to write especially because if he hadn’t been given demon blood as a child, might’ve been decent person and we see at end of book that there could’ve been alternate timeline where he wasn’t villain and just Clary’s brother. And that was really interesting, I had the most fun with him.

Audience member: I think Magnus

Oh my god, that’s such a sad thought! Poor Alec, what is he gonna tell the kids- Dad’s gone evil? I can’t even think about that, not that I don’t think he wouldn’t be a good villain, very inventive and powerful so would be terrifying villain. I think, if you know about TWP and read TDA, we’re going to see Jace as a villain. So I have been working on that and he makes an excellent villain because he all these qualities - he’s determined, never gives up, if he wants something, will make sure he gets it, terrifying villain. Super strong and all that- and these qualities making him a good hero also make him a scary villain. Look forward to it.

Is it possible for Matthew to have a happy ending in his life?

Very sweet question. Matthew is based on someone I know and love, my stepfather who was an alcoholic before he met my mother and by the time he met her, had been in AA and never drank again in his life. Remember talking to him about it, he was the sweetest guy and most kind and you could talk to him about anything, and I said, it’s so wonderful you’re no longer an alcoholic. And he said, I am an alcoholic, I’ll always be one, I am just an alcoholic who doesn’t drink. And it really lodged itself in my heart. Because I love him so much as a father and he has this thing in his past, it makes me so sad.

And as I went on to know him (tries not to tear up- died five years ago.) He didn’t think of it that way, he thought of it as being an alcoholic as being just something part of his life, he didn’t drink. He didn’t think of it as bad, shameful, negative, he thought it as something that had made him stronger and kinder. And when I think of that, I think about Matthew. And that is - I want to be clear that, I didn’t want anyone to wave a wand at the end of the book and say Matthew, you’re cured, you’ll never want to drink again. I wanted to go through the process of Matthew realising he has a problem, wants to stop, does stop with the help of his friends. And he may always be an alcoholic who doesn’t drink but like with my stepfather, it makes him kinder (he’s already kind), kinder, sweeter, stronger, better. So I think- you know. I don’t want anyone to look at the fact that he had this illness as a tragedy. I want them to think about it as a thing that makes Matthew who he is, who is a very wonderful person. And he deserves a happy ending, and yeah- absolutely (tearing up) and while it is not always about deserving, sometimes- in this particular case, I think it would be a really nice message to see Matthew get a happy ending. And that’s all I’m going to say.

Audience member: I think it was incredible that you were able to share- I know it’s really sad that he went through that and everything but its incredible you’re able to portray a piece of what he went through, in this character. Because Matthew as a character is going to live on forever in your writing, so you made his memory eternal, which is really cool and I admire that.

(Cassie: That’s so sweet)

Ever think of loophole where Tessa is able to become mortal and live out her human life rather than have her live on forever (Cassie clarifies - you mean, live out her human life with Jem? And then die at the same time.

Um. I think we’ll have to see what happens because we have another couple in that situation, which is Magnus and Alec. So, we have to think (audience groans) - immortal people going around having affairs, making people fall in love with them and then not dying- how selfish. We have to think about how it would be to have only one of those couples live out that ending. So we’re thinking about-

(interviewer- there can only be one?) Like Highlander? There can only be one happy ending? I don’t think of it as a sad ending necessarily because what do you get with anyone you love- you get a lifetime and what your lifetime in these books are, it differs. But I do think its interesting because we have more than one couple in this situation, so I think we have to think about- how does this work and what’s the messaging about only one of them getting this particular killer ending. So.. we’ll have to see how it goes, obviously I can’t say anything. I know. We were all happier five minutes ago.

Tagging: @belle-keys @ibrushmyteeth-donttellanyone @themimsyborogove @lifeofbrybooks because I think you'll all have some vested interest in some of these answers. :)

#chain of thorns #chain of thorns spoilers #the dark artifices #tessa gray #annabel blackthorn #malcolm fade #jace herondale #matthew fairchild #magnus bane #alec lightwood #the mortal instruments #jem carstairs #will herondale

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siennamakeschaos · 3 months

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Intro Post

My name is Sienna and I go by the pronouns she/her! (cis female) I'm your local book-crazy Cancer, born on the amazing June 24th! My main fandom is KoTLC (Keeper of the Lost Cities) and also Shadowhunters (currently crying after finishing chain of thorns. planning on murdering cassandra clare.) I mostly post KoTLC and occassionally Shadowhunters although I occassionally reblog other things. my side blog- @siennamaylightwoodcarstairs Keefitz. Currently reading: Shadowhunters (tales from the shadowhunter academy) Already read: (main series/books) Keeper of the Lost Cities Harry Potter The Prison Healer Spellslinger (this was SUCH a good series <3) Shadowhunters TMI, TID and TLH My main ships (from kotlc): Keefitz Dexiana Marellinh I'm pretty new to keepblr and tumblr as a whole, so please don't judge if I get things wrong. Which I will. 😭 pop into my ask box if you ever want to have a chat! <3 feel free to ask for hc's/give hc's and request things (not art- unless you want badly drawn stick figures)

#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #intro post!#kotlc intro

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edwinspaynes · 3 months

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who do you think the dbda (the main four) would like the most and the least out of the tlh gang, and why?

who do you think the cat king's fav would be?

(hope u have a good day 🫶)

this is so amazingly fun because i'm currently writing a crossover fic about these characters! i've written some of their interactions, so i'll answer this ask with supplemental snippets from the case of the five half-angel curiousities!

edwin's favourites are alastair and cordelia.

cordelia, because she reminds him of niko in some ineffable way...

Edwin was fairly certain that the enchantment was either made by someone extremely stupid or extremely malicious, but he was not about to say that. “We know next to nothing as of now,” he said. “A good detective must assess all the facts before drawing conclusions. Luckily, I am good at that, as is the friend we are meeting.” “Friend?” Cordelia was smiling. “Yes. Niko. Do you recall when I told you that you were reminiscent of someone? I was speaking of her.” “She sounds lovely, then,” Cordelia laughed. Alastair rolled his eyes.

and alastair because they share a sense of humor and are gang on matthew sometimes for fun:

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Cordelia said. “Tell me the oddest thing about the world today, something that I’m unlikely to know.” Edwin considered this. “Have you ever been to a Primark?” “What is a Primark?” Cordelia’s voice was curious. “Ridiculously inexpensive clothing store. I am certainly fortunate that I can conjure up whatever outfit I wish with ghost magic; the living sell the lowest-quality things and get excited over them in a way that I simply cannot understand.” Alastair nodded along with him, a superior expression on his face.

(and later also because they have a lot of poignant conversations about, like, edwardian homosexuality...)

charles's favorite is thomas initially and he becomes close with matthew as well as thomas.

charles about thomas:

“Bet,” Charles said. “And also, I like the look of them. Especially the tall guy. Thomas. They’re all solid lads, don’t you think?” “I’m quite honestly concerned about their newly acquired feline friend,” Edwin mused, “but yes. They’re altogether inoffensive. The girl as well. I rather like her. She’s oddly charming.”

charles and matthew:

“I burned it to the ground, if you must know. My school, I mean,” Matthew said, deciding to leave out the fact that he had only made an impact within the South Wing. “Considering what you have just shared, perhaps you would like to know it. I ought to be ashamed, but I was thirteen. And am still rather proud of my ability to create explosives at such a tender age. Such takes far more analytical abilities than you might think.” “I know. I can make Molotov cocktails,” Charles said approvingly. Thomas spoke. “What’s that?”

niko gets along really well with cordelia

<3 :

“I think we should just call the ‘item that underwent factuari’ a ‘factuari,” Niko said. “Do not be silly,” Edwin chided, giving Niko an affected but pointed look. “Factuari is a verb, not a noun. You cannot change parts of speech simply out of personal conveience.” “I’m going to anyway,” Niko said, and because Edwin could not be mad at Niko, he smiled as when rolling his eyes. “I think I will, too,” Cordelia agreed, and Niko looked at her with an approving grin.

crystal immediately adores james, but unfortunately that's in an upcoming scene. they do have an entire chapter to themselves, though, with a little bit of cordelia.

as for the cat king, well, someone i love very much wants to learn how to pop into existence with a chandelier over his head... but i haven't written this chapter yet <3

and a bonus <3

“So,” Edwin said, “what year were you all born? I estimate that we’re likely around the same age, and am quite curious.” Cordelia clapped her hands. “I thought we may have lived during similar time frames as well.” She looked delighted. “I was born in 1886, and Alastair in 1884. I died in 1964; he and Thomas in 1965.” “Both of them?” Edwin asked curiously. “Do you know how some married couples expire within hours of each other?” Cordelia’s eyes were shining. “Well, both Alastair and I did, with James and Thomas. An odd coincidence, but…”

#dead boy detectives #the last hours #my fic

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belle-keys · 2 years

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Incoherent Thoughts: Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

Wow, haven't done one of these in about a year, I think. Here it is. The review of the book I've been waiting for since The Bane Chronicles. I gave my initial impressions of Chain of Thorns to my friends a couple of hours after I finished (operating on two brain cells only), and that was short and messy. This one is not short. It’s messy though, I’ll give you that.

TLDR: I loved this book so very much (despite my numerous issues with aspects of it). Here are the Incoherent Thoughts (a mix of critical and purely emotional reactions to the story. I've been waiting for this since 2014; of course, I frickin loved it despite everything).

Things that will tear me apart: The legacy of Clockwork Princess

There is nothing that could have gotten me to really hate this book. I've been waiting for it since 2014 and it was just so beautiful. It gave me the perfect mixture of comfort, nostalgia, excitement, and curiosity. These characters are my babies - probably more of my babies than Herongraystairs were, since I was 17 myself when GOTSM dropped and when the leadup to ChoG started. I was so happy to immerse myself in the same world that started when Tessa Gray popped into London in 1878 and I loved it here. Moreover, I think compared to TDA, TLH as a trilogy felt more polished and immersive. I really felt like this was a story that started in 2010 and which has grown like a vine with the generations of readers from back then (moving childhood to adulthood, like me), but also with the generation of characters in the story (who we also got to see grow up).

Moreover, Matthew's arc was perfect, and so I'm happy. Matthew was always going to be a core determining factor for me.

The core of the story: Love and Family

The Epilogue broke me, but in the good way. It really did. It was not as bittersweet or as sad or as mysterious or as all-encompassing as Cassie's other epilogues. But it was beautiful, and when I read:

Cordelia's heart was too full for speech. Without a word, she caught hold of her husband's hand. Side by side with James, Cordelia ran.

I felt so warm. The Epilogue felt like warmth, and it reminded me of the original Hyde Park picnic in Chain of Gold where Cordelia had just come to London and thought there was no future for her and when she hadn't yet come into herself. In a sense, I felt like we were reverting to that innocence and sense of peace at the start of Chain of Gold by ending off the trilogy in Hyde Park, with a dispersion of the characters to different parts of the world instead of a gathering to London. And likewise, March 2020, when ChoG dropped, is the same month when the pandemic started and all the universal awfulness on the planet turned up to 100. Now as the pandemic has retreated and I'm in a better place myself, the ending felt so fitting (as it pertains to James and Cordelia).

I mean, the book was about how the power of love and family, and unity can destroy and overcome even the most powerful forces in Hell, which is pretty powerful (meta on this coming soon). James healing Matthew for an entire night straight? Jordelia's pure love (and horniness) breaking the gracelet that was forged by a Prince of Hell? That's just so beautiful and perfect to me, the way Cassie shows how love prospers. I also think the book is about how secrecy and lies and falseness are actually more detrimental to love than massive acts of evil. Secrets and lies and the rigidity of society are the main conflicts of this series (I will update my current meta on this). Thematically, this story was an okay homage to Great Expectations but, just thematically, I thought it was perfect.

James, Cordelia, and Jordelia

Jordelia are the crux of the story. They truly love each other. Their love is so damn powerful. Like there's no doubting it. They really got back to each other through Hell and back. This is the kinda thing I read TSC for. This aspect of the story was beautiful and perfect, and at the core of James and Cordelia's relationship is something real and pure and good and strong - it's very storybookish. It succeeds in being very Layla and Majnun, in being very dramatic and earth-shattering and epic (in the Greek way). The endgame happened, and it was lovely. It reiterates the notion that goodness and love (God) will always defeat evil (Lucifer).

I now want to unequivocally state that Jordelia pissed me off for most of Chain of Thorns. Not even in the “I’m mildly frustrated” way. They're awful communicators, they lack cunning, and they both have way too much pride for their own good. They both also spent most of the series having no agency whatsoever, which is very annoying because they can only be victims who later become generic hero figures instead of anything more complex. Cordelia was tricked into becoming a paladin of Lilith and tricked into thinking her husband was being unfaithful to her. James was tricked into becoming infatuated with someone he didn't love and was literally fighting against the demonic inheritance he was born with - nothing has ever been James’ fault ever. Cordelia and James were victims for most of the trilogy, and I don't think they had to make difficult choices or ever had the need to possess any moral complexity. That pissed me off more and more throughout the story: the unwavering goodness and nobility and braveness that they inherently possessed. And I'm assuming this is by virtue of their last names being... Herondale... and... Carstairs. Cough. There is no plot armor stronger than being the children/descendants of the two most beloved characters in TSC. And boy, it fricking showed.

I'm not like, mad anymore. It's more of a me thing where I'm tired of morally perfect characters. And adding to the fact that James and Cordelia are so sheltered, rich asf, and also grew up among love and joy? James and Cordelia can... only do good, and can only be hurt by evil. They have never had enough agency in context of the narrative to choose to do something actually wrong. It's annoying. But I forgive them, it's fine. The biggest thing TLH suffers from is that James is Wessa's child (which is ironic, because that's why a lot of people even started reading TLH). James is like, great!, as a gentleman - he's attractive and well read and a great dancer and loves poetry and is rich and has manners and is handsome and is kind and is loving and is passionate and is the ideal bachelor, we get it. James Herondale is also clearly incapable of doing any wrong in his life and never had to make a single difficult choice besides to maybe self-sacrifice himself and then immediately get healed. So. Nothing bad was ever actually going to happen to James or Cordelia, or get in the way of their love. The narrative's duty was clearly to protect James in CHoT.

EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE THING! THERE WAS ONE THING THAT COULD HAVE GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF JORDELIA AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING AND COMPLEX AND IT DID LOWKEY KINDA PLAY OUT KIND OF THE WAY I WAS EXPECTING AND IT'S STILL KINDA UNRESOLVED BUT I WANTED MORE AND UGH CASSIE WAS SUCH A COWARD IN CHOT.

As for Cordelia, it's still a very mixed bag for me. I mean, she's one of the few brown women in YA fantasy who aren’t defined by fricking racial trauma or colonialism or genocide as part of her character arc. She's just a woman who happens to be brown. And she's so feminine and genteel and elegant and passionate and strong and loving, all qualities I live about her. She wants to come into her true self, and I see that struggle to find her place in the world and to find stability as her main internal conflict. I love her for that. But I also got tired of the fact that she lacks a single devious bone in her body. She is generally very oblivious and rather egotistical. She's simultaneously way too naive and proud for me to root for her all the time, and those qualities were never actually something she had to pay for in a significant way - Cassie has made her, like James, untouchable by the narrative. I love her, I really do, but I wanted to violently shake her.

Grace and Christopher

So, I have not properly processed that Kit is dead, and I may never. Moving on.

Anyways, I couldn't actually believe that the one person that did not hate Grace died. The one person that does not scorn Grace died. Grace's ending was... disappointing to me (I'll talk about this more in my Problems section). Grace is the most morally complex female character Cassie has written in TSC (I said what I said). All I wanted was for the gang to simply understand her. Not to forgive, or to forget, but just to see what she did and see why she did it. I wanted James to see and understand why she would do something so despicable. But James and Cordelia and the gang have simply decided to move on from Grace, not to understand her. They're brushing it off. That wasn't nearly good enough for me because I love Grace so much and I maintain she will be the most relatable character in the TLH for people in the real world.

I can't think of a good reason why Grace wasn't told about how Tatiana literally bought her, or why everyone else wasn't told that information or why that info didn't become public in the Enclave either. I can't think of a good reason why she isn't going to live with other Cartwrights or in the literal London Institute instead of among a bunch of people who will always kinda hate her. I think she has redeemed herself: she confessed what she did to Jesse, Cordelia, and Kit. Willingly. She helped them save London with science. She abandoned her mother and her mother's evil. She’s recognized what she’s done. But not enough was done in the story to close off her arc in a satisfying way, at least not for me. I also think making that one (1) Great Expectations quote about her siblingship with Jesse was a cop-out, because she should have said it platonically to James instead. But whatever.

Lucie and Jesse

Spent most of ChoG and ChoI not really caring about either of them only to start to like them both so much in ChoT? Jesse Blackthorn? What a man. And I warmed up to Lucie a lot. I feel like she didn't do all that much in this book, to be honest, but that's okay. I liked them both and I love how Jesse's meshed with the squad. On a side note, Lucie and Cordelia have the least compelling female friendship in the whole of TSC. I cannot properly grasp how or why they want to be parabatai. Like even their messiness isn't good or compelling messiness, so.

Matthew

He's getting a review post as long as this one on Friday or Saturday. It’ll be absurd for me to try to tackle his character here.

He is about to take over my life (again). His character arc was amazing. But moreover, I think he's the most... interesting character in the trilogy. Interesting in the purest sense of the word. He's the character I feel I understand best in TSC, and yet, I can't truly figure him out. He is either my No.2 or No.3 character in the whole of TSC right now. Matthew Fairchild is perfect. He is too good for everything ever. He, in his own way, carried the emotional aspect of the story for me. Which again speaks to how interesting Matthew is, as he doesn't get POVs. (I am genuinely trying to figure out how to express what I want to express right now.) Matthew could have like... changed everything, in a way, like he’s so powerful. Matthew's emotional state at the end of ChoT actually has changed everything, for me. I also think Matthew has managed to be the most subversive character in TLH, based on that ending alone. Matthew is an inherently jarring character, thematically, but also execution-wise. I hope Cassie knows how excellently he has maneuvered his character.

Everyone else

Alastair, Thomas, Anna, Ariadne, and the parents were all great. Tatiana was also a compelling villain (not as much as Malcolm or Sebastian, but I love her more than Valentine and Mortmain). That part when Jesse told her that Will, Tessa and the Enclave don’t hate her because they don’t even think of her was just *chef’s kiss*. I have to zone in on Alastair over the rest: Alastair was brilliant. He had the most perfect character arc besides Matthew, and also the ideal redemption arc. He didn’t just change his actions and compensate for them, but he became so loving and tender and protective throughout the story. I loved it. I’m so thrilled at how his story ended. I could have done with more adult Wessa. But the pieces and bits I actually got were both extremely in-character and hilarious and had me in fits of giggles. I love Will Herondale so damn much, it’s crazy.

Framework (Wessa, Charles Dickens, The Bible and Classic Literature)

The foundation of this book was responsible for its highs and lows. Starting with the great things: I think this book managed to be Cassie’s most “religious” work yet, and I adore that. That end sequence taking place in the literally Abbey was exquisite. The setup for a final battle between the Shadowhunters and Lucifer for TWP is there. The whole idea of love and goodness and self-sacrifice (manifested through Jordelia) defeating the powers of Hell is the most Judeo-Christian thing ever. The intersection between literature and religion was absolutely there too - from the Milton and Dante references to themes of Hell and reminders of the Fall. Another great thing that I enjoyed throughout the trilogy was the importance classic literature and poetry. Cordelia and James falling in love as children while she read Layla and Majnun to him is something that kinda makes me kinda tear up the more I think about it. The way the literature of the time period is integrated into the setting as well is awesome.

I think ChoT does not deliver as Dickens-inspired piece. Where was “to the last hours of my life, Daisy”? Why was the last third of the book so damn awful for Grace (the woman on the cover???)? The book also did not need any Epic Battle Sequence to begin with - TLH, like GE, is a book about the relationship between the individual and social codes. I have no idea why Hell and Heaven were raining fires over London for a third of th book. The tone and structure did not mesh well with a battle sequence, and so I felt like the romance and subtlety of TLH being a GE-inspired series was lost there. Likewise, another flaw that the story unintentionally suffers from is that this series… enumerates the events that took place in a generation that followed that of Wessa. And so neither James or Cordelia (*cough* a Carstairs and a Herondale *cough*) were never in real danger. For a moment I was hoping we’d get something dark and twisted or bittersweet, but then I realized… she��s never putting Herongraystairs’ direct lineage through something that screwy. The narrative existed to protect Jordelia. This book suffers from the fact that the narrative continuing to shelter and coddle James and Cordelia, similar to how they literally grew up sheltered and oblivious by virtue of having their specific last names and the associated plot armor.

Problems (many)

Kit’s death was a cop-out. She needed to kill someone, and it had to be someone important, but not too important. And not an obviously marginalized character. His death changed nothing in the story. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have died; I just thought it was poorly executed. It also didn’t help me that the one person who saw the good and the bad in Grace… is dead.

Grace’s character arc ended awfully. It would have made sense for her to kill Tatiana, and not Cordelia. But it also doesn’t help that she’s living on the fringes of society, given that said society literally hates her. The fact that she couldn’t even… stay at the Institute? The most negative things I have to say about the book are related to Grace’s arc. She’s like, been the most complex and compelling female character in TSC in a hot minute. I’m having trouble accepting the scorn she’s faced.

Edom - that sequence was ridiculous and unnecessary. The only good part of it was Heronchild, but they didn’t need to be specifically in Edom for that to go down the way it did. Lucie and Cordelia literally went to Edom to get in a portal which took them right back to London, because drama. There was no reason for the Edom trip.

No accountability or consequences - Grace and the gracelet? Forgiven and forgotten; no consequences. Jesse being raised from the dead and also them lying about his identity to the Enclave for most of the book? Forgiven and forgotten; no consequences. Matthew breaking Shadowhunter law with the whole potion debacle that cost a lot of people a lot of things? Forgiven and forgotten; no consequences. Cortana literally being able to do any and every thing the plot needs it to do, and Cordelia being the only one ever who can do it, is also quite convenient. Sure that isn’t coincidental. Like let’s have James stab himself and then we’ll Cortana Ex Machina as we see fit, don’t worry. James and Cordelia not having put on their second weddings runes until ages after they were expected to do so? Solved in one sentence in the Epilogue.

Not bittersweet (except for Matthew - only his ending was bittersweet). Grace’s ending was bitter, and everyone else’s, except Matthew, was sweet. None of the serious magical issues and the sinister secrets had any lasting effect or consequences. It was very much a happy ever after type of story; and everyone seems to have forgotten that Christopher’s very much unalive.

Sona just… had the baby. Everything was fine. Even after years of teasing that that would be more significant. Not even a Thomastair adoption, and none of the “mystery baby” theories she was teasing came though. What else was I supposed to say except… okay. Likewise, the whole explanation for why the Family Tree we’ve been teased about for a decade being screwy was weak. I just kind of zoned out. Like that whole Esme Hardcastle thing was stupid, since Cassie was giving a lot of hints about how that was supposed to go down, about why the Carstairs records are missing, and all of them involved Jem. But nothing actually “wow” happened. I suspect a lot of retconning happened. I’m sad.

Random Thoughts and Conclusion

It’s quite good that Will had refused Cortana in CP2 and that Cordelia will pass it on to baby Zachary instead of, uh, Owen Herondale, so it could have reached Emma. I’ve been, in my daze, entertaining ideas of “lmfao, imagine if Jace had ended up with Cortana and literally accidentally killed God with it, because that’s absolutely something Jace would do”. Jace, Angel Boy Extraordinary, would have beeen able to destroy Thanos with that sword.

Casual reminders of Matthew being rich and pretty and dainty are just… I love it here.

Jesse didn’t do much in this book, but he was quite funny. Like he’s unintentionally hilarious.

Anna asking Cordelia if she was pregnant felt like a personal attack against ME. I was like, one of the first idiots post-ChoI that started all the whatifs about Matthew and Cordelia and… Clary. Those theory posts still have like hundreds of notes. I was very wrong about all of my theories. It’s fine. I’ll be haunted by what so easily could have happened or not happened. But it’s fine. Ha.

Where was the Layla? The chess boards? Why was the fricking globe necklace A HOLDER FOR FOUR LINES OF GEORGE GORDON BYRON. JAMES PUT FOUR LINES FROM THE MOST GENERIC OF THE ROMANTIC ENGLISH ANGST LORDS INTO THE LOCKET??? No no no no no…

Oscar Wilde (doggo) was amazing. He’s a good boy. I think @lifeofbrybooks said that Oscar had a better character arc than some characterss. So accurate.

Hidden away, on Cassie’s hard drive, I really believe there’s a Secret Truer Original Chain of Thorns that exists. So many things felt like they were changed or omitted last minute…

Anyway, thanks to @eclecticdonutzippercroissant @amchara @benjamingross and @timesconvert for listening to me read this book. And for the fun calls and theorizing with me. Special thanks to Jenn for literally putting up with me when I put my clothes on and physically went for a long walk outside “to feel the Caribbean air on my face” before starting Chapter 23. Special thanks to Gill for validating me with her existence. I’m gonna have a lot of meta and memes coming up, in addition to moodboards and playlists. Stay tuned. And if you’re new here, check out my old stuff and accept my apologies (*generally speaking*).

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purplebass · 1 year

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congrats on your new milestone 🎉🎉 Don't know if you still take requests, but if you do, can I request a free card on Wessa or Jessa or Herongrastairs. you chosse 💖

Thank you very much! 🥹✨😺

And this is for you <3 It isn't set during a specific time. Let's say it's between TID and TLH. It's mainly Wessa, but a lot of the TID characters appear and help solve the plot. I hope you like it! 💖

Read on A03

To Beard, Or Not To Beard

One day, Will decides to grow a beard.

Will Herondale liked to change style every once in a while. He wasn’t the type of person to follow fashion – it moved too fast for his liking – but somehow, thanks to his tailor Lemuel Sykes, he was able to stay updated with the latest trends.

“You know, Mr. Herondale, there’s something missing in your style,” the tailor mused one afternoon, admiring how the black velvet made Will’s eyes pop. “Especially with this outfit you’ve requested. And the coat.” The suit wasn’t finished yet, and it was meant for a masquerade ball that would be in a month away at the London Institute.

“I’m curious, please tell!” Will said enthusiastically, always looking for fashion advice. “Perhaps it’s a hat? A scarf? A bowtie? I will have to attend the ball –”

“A beard,” the werewolf replied bluntly. “You should grow a beard, why haven’t you? With those cheekbones and those eyes…” he sighed. “It’s very fashionable among people your age. Plus, you’ve shown me the photograph of the character you’re impersonating at this ball. The fella has a beard.”

Will didn’t seem too sure. “I’ve never grown a beard, it’s a hassle when you eat. I thought I could still do the costume without,” he frowned. “And I wonder if my wife will like it?”

“Then ask her,” Lemuel turned away, checking some brocade fabric on a chair. “But, if you ask me, I’d say yes,” he chuckled, then disappeared into the adjoining room and Will knew he was dismissed.

He thought about the beard on the way home. Sykes was right. The character he was going to go dressed as at the party had a beard, a medium beard, at that. Would it be the same without the beard? Probably not. He used the disguise the invisibility rune gave him, to stare at the mundanes minding their business in the busy streets of London. He was fascinated with how many different kinds of beards people could wear, and he told himself he could try growing a beard too. After all, what impersonation would be credible without such a signature feature?

First, though, he wanted to hear other people’s opinions about the topic. “What do you think about beards, Tess?”

Tessa sat at the vanity in their bedroom brushing her hair, and she stopped for a moment to glance at him from the mirror in front of her to answer him. “Well, it depends on the beard. Which beard are you talking about? Sideburns? Mustache? Van Dyke?”

“A nice one that won’t make one look like a rascal or like a grandfather,” he replied, checking himself in a small mirror he had on the nightstand. “Something not too excessive.”

“Are you thinking of growing one, Will?” she inquired, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Would you hate it if I did? The tailor suggested it, and I never thought about it until today,” he revealed. “I thought I could grow it in time for the masquerade party.”

Tessa mulled over it as she walked to the bed, after tending to her long brown hair. “I don’t think I would hate it, but it’s your decision to make,” she sat down next to him. “I think you would be handsome with a beard too, but,” she sighed, and drew in a long breath.

“But what? Perhaps I would look ancient?” he wondered. “Maybe I shouldn’t indulge in this. The costume would be good even without the beard.”

“Quite the opposite,” she studied him, tracing his face with her finger, stopping on his chin. “I think you would look even more desirable than you are now. People would covet you even more.”

“Covet? I think that some would mock me, that’s for sure,” he took hold of her hand and kissed it. “I would only rethink this if you found me obnoxious.”

“Then you’re set? You’re getting a beard?” Tessa questioned with interest. “In case you don’t like it anymore, you can still shave it.”

“I hereby declare,” he stated with a firm voice, “that I’m going to grow facial hair. This is my final decision, Your Honor.”

It didn’t take long for friends and family to acknowledge Will’s new style, even when his facial hair was barely a five o’ clock shadow.

“Have you been on a trip recently, Will?” his sister Cecily asked him a few days after he had made his decision. “Or maybe you are sick?”

“The answer for both is no,” he folded his arms on his chest. They were waiting for the tea and the scones to arrive. “Why do you think that?”

His sister glanced at her husband, who sat beside her, and she bit her lip. “Because of the thing on your face, Will,” Cecily answered, stifling a laugh. “Have you lost your shaving set? I didn’t know you fancied this style.”

“Well, what if I did, Cecy?” he peered at Gabriel, noticing that he was smiling too. “If Gabriel got a beard one day, would you kick him out of the house?”

“I would not, under any circumstances, get a beard,” Gabriel declared firmly. “I don’t want to look older yet, nor does it suit me.”

Will opened his mouth in disbelief. “Then it means you tried once! Too bad I wasn’t there to witness,” he said, and Gabriel rolled his eyes, hinting that he was probably right.

“Too bad we are here to witness it,” he echoed, and Cecily couldn’t stop laughing until they left.

Two weeks later, the stubble had grown so much it looked more like a serious beard. “You can barely see my skin underneath,” Will told himself while looking in a mirror in his office.

“Will, we’re here,” Charlotte announced herself and Gideon, who needed to visit the Institute for bureaucratic matters. “By the Angel,” she gasped when Will turned, a hand placed on her chest. “I thought it was Maurice Bridgestock for a second.”

“I can’t believe you’ve just compared me to that sick rat, may he rot in hell,” Will sneered, adjusting some documents on the desk. “I see you’ve noticed my beard, or what is truly beginning to resemble one,” he scratched his chin proudly.

“It’s impossible not to notice, Will,” Gideon commented sourly. “Did you make a bet with someone?”

“Why do you all think I made bets or I am unwell,” he shook his head, trying to find a pen. “Even your brother and my sister believed the same thing. I don’t think I am that predictable.”

“You’re right, you’re not predictable,” Charlotte agreed, “but you’re also someone who keeps his promises, when they lose bets with random people in town.”

“Unlike someone,” he stared directly at Gideon, “I always pay my debts.”

“Who did you pester this time?” Gideon wondered instead.

“I did not pester anybody, Mr. I pretend I don’t owe Will a few pounds,” he glared at his friend, who pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “I chose to grow this because I wanted a change and because of my costume for the masquerade party.”

“Are you going to dress up as Frederick Barbarossa? Because if so, I suggest to use red dye –”

“Please, do not give him ideas, Gideon,” Charlotte frowned, her voice laced with worry. As if there was something to be worried about.

It was just a beard.

Will wondered why everyone wasn’t taking him seriously, but he had expected it. He took a few days to get used to his fresh appearance as well, but after a while, he believed the beard made him look powerful. He thought himself a Roman hero who, stranded in another country, was fighting a war for his Empire and was hoping to survive. A hero from another period, one who couldn’t have possibly shaved because there wasn’t the time. At least, Jem liked it. Or so, he thought. When they met, he stopped in his tracks before he could come closer to Will. He took it as a sign that he was deciding whether or not it suited him.

I see you changed your style, Jem told him. Change is good, but not for good.

“Do you like it?” Will showed him the sides, but Jem didn’t say anything. Cryptic as ever. Perhaps he was just speechless. Either because the beard blinded him, or because it disgusted him.

He hoped people in the London Enclave would fear him more with this new imposing look and not mock him like his friends did. He was aware that people talked behind his back. Either way, the beard had a purpose, he did not care what anyone thought. Nor did he mind what his son and daughter thought. His mustache was growing, but for his costume, he had to grow it a little more.

“Can I write a character who looks like you? A pirate who is earthsick and who is feared among the seven seas,” Lucie studied him, taking notes.

“An earthsick pirate? Does that word even exist?” Jame scrunched his nose. “Papa, I think you look weird,” he confessed. “But you also remind me of someone.”

“Write whatever you want, Lucie,” Will conceded. “Who do I remind you of, Jamie? Let’s listen,” he tilted his head on the side, “a hero? A Romantic poet? I will tell you who I’m going to dress up as at the ball, if you guess correctly.”

James couldn’t recall the face, and why he looked so familiar. Only when his father left, he remembered the picture of the man who resembled Will with the beard. He’d seen it in the newspaper a lot recently. It was the photo of the heir apparent to the British throne.

The day of the masquerade party finally arrived. Will's beard resembled the one of his original inspiration after a month, and he was beyond himself with excitement for the ball because he couldn't wait to show it off.

“The resemblance is close,” Tessa observed, stroking her husband's beard. “And I like facial hair, it’s so soft to the touch. I may grow attached to it.”

“Then perhaps I should keep it for a while,” he stated. He will think about it after the party. “Let’s go get the rest of my costume before it's too late. The party is going to start soon.”

When Will tried the rest of the costume, the tailor couldn’t help but admire his handiwork. Sykes finished the suit a week prior. It already waited in the closet of Will and Tessa’s bedroom at the London Institute, and he couldn’t wait to wearing it.

“I admit, Lemuel, that your work is astounding,” Will commented, moving from left to right to look at the waist-length velvet coat with a row of gilt buttons on the front and gold embroidery on the cuffs. “It is identical to the one he wore in the newspaper.”

“Thanks, Mr. Herondale, but you know that I’m the best,” Sykes offered a smile as he adjusted the coat on Will. “And you’re one of my best clients, and one of the most handsome,” he winked, but Will only wanted to know Tessa’s opinion.

“How do I look?” he asked, but his wife’s grin and her sweet and lovely eyes were already telling him what she thought.

“You are very handsome, indeed,” she said, and moved in front of him to fix the lapels of the coat, but to also steal a caress on his cheek. “I can’t wait to wear my dress so we can match.”

The tailor sent them away because he was running late, and Will and Tessa hopped on their carriage to go back to the Institute.

“My desire for tonight is that our family and friends will like this party,” Will said later, when they were seated in the comfort of the carriage. “And I hope that they come dressed as famous characters as we requested. Otherwise, what kind of masked party is it?”

“They will, I made sure to specify that in the invitations, don’t worry,” Tessa said. “I wrote that they should be dressed as a person from history.”

“Do you think they’ll get the assignment? Sometimes I think that –” The carriage abruptly came to a halt, and the jolt pushed Will and Tessa against the upholstered seats. They glanced at each other, both startled but otherwise unbothered. “Are you okay?” Will asked his wife, his hands on her shoulders protectively.

Tessa nodded. “Yes, I’m fine, simply shaken by whatever blocked our path,” she told him, her heart beating loudly in her chest out of stupor. “Should you check?”

“We’re not moving yet,” he observed, his head tilted toward the window in hopes to hear sounds of whatever ruckus had stopped the carriage. “Maybe it’s just a mouse, Balios is scared of them,” Will mused, “but I should check the horse nonetheless, in case it sprained its leg.”

“It’s better if you do,” she agreed, although she wasn’t sure why she felt a wave of uneasiness crawl down on her spine. A sensation she couldn’t put off after the carriage had halted. “Just,” she cautioned, resting her hand on his shoulder, “be careful. It could be a demon. Evening fell, after all.”

Will’s expression softened. “I will come back before you know it, fy nghariad,” he kissed her lips briefly. “I won’t let any mouse nor demon stop me from attending this party,” he offered her a smile. “Stay here,” he told her at last, before he came out of the vehicle to see if everything was really fine.

Tessa waited sixty seconds. If everything was fine, Will would come back inside before time was up, she told herself. He wasn’t the type of person who would want the people he loved to worry, and he had been excited for days on end for this party. She knew he wouldn’t want to lose time to get ready and for the celebration to start.

She counted silently in her head, but she came out of the carriage before she got to thirty. She should’ve come out of the carriage when he did, she chided herself. If her husband protested, she would say she wanted to make sure everything was okay. She didn’t need any excuses for wanting to check on her husband, when all she heard after he exited the carriage was silence. I didn't hear your voice and came to check, that would be her excuse.

She thought there was an explanation for silence, the carriage was, after all, driven by Balios alone. When she came outside, though, that feeling of agitation crept in her stomach again. The street was peaceful and lonely, a sign that most of the shops had already closed for business for the day.

She would take even the smallest sound as a sign that Will was where he told her he would be, but when she got to the horse, she found it waiting by itself. He grunted when it saw Tessa. “Balios, where is Will?” She asked the horse, knowing that it would understand. It bobbed its head as if bothered by something, which made Tessa notice there was a handkerchief on the muddy cobblestones. It was Will’s, she would recognize it anywhere. It had his initials sewn on the bottom left in dark blue. She wondered where its owner was.

Tessa looked around, her heart beat louder than after the shock of a few minutes ago. Her heart protested that Will wasn’t there, there was no one there but her and the horse. She didn't know what to do, and she didn’t want to lose control. She couldn’t lose control. They had been married for years, it wasn’t the first time they found themselves in such circumstances. It wasn’t the first time they lost sight of each other, and then found each other again.

The first thing, the easiest thing she could do immediately, was screaming his name to the empty street around her. No one answered, but at least she had tried. But she had to try harder, otherwise – she didn’t want to think about it. She would find him, and they would go to the masquerade party together, just like they had planned. She tried not to panic. She needed help.

She knew that the masquerade party would start any moment, and that even without them, Lucie and James would greet their friends and family in their stead. She shook her head and scoffed. It wasn’t the time to think about the party, but the party was probably the only place she should go asking for help. Thus, she got on the front of the carriage with a new resolve and ordered Balios to take her to the London Institute, hoping to get a helping hand or two.

As she suspected, a few carriages were already parked outside of the Institute when she arrived, and a few more were on their way behind her. She spotted her best friend Sophie coming out of one that had just stopped near the steps with her husband, both of them wearing a mask, and she ran to her frantically.

“Tessa,” Sophie acknowledged when she looked up after descending her family carriage. “What happened? You are in distress,” her brows knotted with worry.

“I’m coming from Kensington,” she started, “we were ambushed.”

“What? Who ambushed you? Was it a demon?”

Tessa tried to keep calm, but it was impossible. “I don’t know,” she said desperately, as Sophie held her hands, “we were coming from the tailor when the carriage halted. Will came out to check if the horse was hurt, and then I didn’t find him outside anymore.”

“Wait, what? Did they take Will?” Gideon asked. In the meantime, Gabriel and Cecily also arrived and joined their little group. They also wore masks and fancy dresses. “Who could have done this?”

“He has a lot of haters,” Gabriel said, trying to be funny, but Cecily elbowed him in the stomach and tried to comfort Tessa. “I mean, it’s true.”

“I don’t think it was someone we know,” Tessa replied sullenly, trying to gather her thoughts. “I didn’t hear any sound, and it couldn’t have been a demon. It wouldn’t have vanished just like that.”

“What’s this?” Sophie asked, seeing that Tessa had something in her hand.

Tessa showed them the customized handkerchief she found on the scene. “We can try using a tracking rune, can't we?” she wondered. “That’s why I came here and I didn’t go after him by myself.” I can’t do anything with my powers, she wanted to add, but she didn’t want to sound more desperate than she already was.

“It’s better that you came to us,” Cecily said. “If someone took him, they could’ve taken you too.”

“Cecily is right, it’s better that you alerted us,” Gideon nodded. “This way, we have better chances to safeguard ourselves when we find him, and to get him out of wherever he is. We don’t know who kidnapped him.”

“Do you think they kidnapped him, then?” Gabriel wondered.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Tessa affirmed firmly, offering the white cloth to whoever was willing to draw the rune that could help them find him.

It was Cecily who took the kerchief. “I’m coming with you, that’s for sure,” she glared at Gabriel, who didn’t seem too bothered.

“We’re all coming with you,” Sophie added, squeezing Tessa’s hand.

Cecily finished the true north rune by then, and it started pulsing. She felt an electric current running through her, then she started to move towards the gate, letting the rune lead her where to go. The five of them followed her, and they went back to Kensington, from where Tessa came. She realized they were approaching the exact place when the carriage had halted, and was about to tell her friends, when Cecily stopped as well.

“It led here” she informed the group, glancing at the tall building in front of them. It was a bakery, and Tessa remembered it was already closed for business when she and Will passed.

“How can it be,” Tessa sighed, “this is where they ambushed us. How can he be here?”

“They could have taken him inside of this shop. It would be the perfect decoy,” Sophie commented.

“Maybe the shop has a basement,” Gabriel added, looking closely. “A lot of these shops have them. They have kitchens where they prepare bread and other pastries, so they don’t need to get the product from a seller.”

“How do you know that, Gabriel?” Cecily seemed impressed. “I think we should open the door and get inside, just, you know, to check. It won’t hurt.”

“We can use an open rune,” Gideon agreed. “This way, the owner won’t know that we entered his shop. Even if he discovered us, we shouldn’t care,” he shrugged. “The tracking rune took us here, which means that he should be inside of this building.”

Sophie, who was closer to the door, drew the open rune. Before entering, everyone but Tessa drew a silent rune to avoid being heard. It would be useful to be noiseless, but everyone did what they could, and she was doing her best. They found the door that led to the basement behind the counter, and one after another, they descended the stairs. She hoped that Will was there, otherwise, she would have to find him in other ways.

When Will came to, his head was pounding. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting fast to the darkness of the room, the only source of light coming from a row of windows at the top of the wall he was facing.

He faintly remembered what occurred before he woke up in that place.

He remembered that today was the day of the masquerade party they organized at the Institute. He also recalled that his tailor Lemuel Sykes had made him the perfect costume, and that he and Tessa, his beautiful wife, went to get it before the party would start. Then, he remembered the jolt. The carriage halted in the middle of the road, he got out to check what was wrong, but someone came from behind. Lastly, he remembered the acrid smell of a substance, and darkness following.

Tessa. Where was she? Was she with him?

He scanned the room in search of his wife. He thought whoever took him prisoner might’ve taken her too, but he was alone. He was relieved, at last, but what if they took her somewhere else? He tried to free his hands, but they were tied behind him. Unluckily for the wretches who were holding him hostage, he knew how to free himself from ropes.

“I wonder how much he’ll take to wake up,” he heard someone say behind his back, footsteps approaching.

He started untying himself nonetheless, trying to be as silent as he could. He saw the faint shadow of a person on the wall. They brought a gas lamp or perhaps a candle in the room, and he realized they were indeed in a basement. A kitchen basement, to be precise. There is a bakery store in Kensington, he thought, maybe I am closer to home than I think.

“The effect of the chloroform lasts for half an hour only,” another one replied. “I think.”

“What you goin’ to do when he wakes up, duh? Just threaten the royal family that we got this lad, and they, ugh, give us money?”

“I thought we talked about this,” a female voice said, “yes, we are going to threaten the royal family. We are going to send a letter saying we have his royal highness the Prince of Wales George, and that if they want him back, they need to give us 5,000 pounds.”

“They really gonna give us that, Emy? They would want to see he is the right fella,” the guy huffed. “We sure this lad is this George heir?”

“Of course we are,” the lady, Emy, answered with confidence. “Didn’t you see him trying on that royal costume at the tailor shop? I’m positive it’s him.”

Someone snorted, and he heard footsteps. “I don’t know, I believed his hair was lighter, judging from the photos in the newspapers, y’know.”

“You know nothing, Danny,” Emy spat. Will thought she was the boss here. Interesting. “Let’s see if he wakes up, shan’t we? It’s going to be a long night.”

Will knew they were coming to see him now, and he wasn’t afraid. He was a shadowhunter, and these three – he imagined it was three of them, judging from their voices – were mundanes. Unless they used deathly weapons on him, he was sure he could best them and come out of that basement unscathed. Or so he hoped. He had been hoping too much lately, but it didn’t hurt to hope more. Hope was free, and so he would be, in a few minutes’ time.

He had already untied his hands while they were talking, but he didn’t remove the ropes just yet. When he heard them approaching, he closed his eyes, pretending to be unconscious.

“Still sleeping, I’ma afraid,” one of the men said, kicking one of Will’s feet. “Should we wake him?”

“Suit yourself,” Emy said. Her voice seemed further than her sidekick. “But be quick. I’m starving. Let him confirm that he is who he is.”

“Should I call him your majesty?”

“No, call him jolterhead,” she suggested. “He’s not a majesty yet, you idiot.”

The man cleared his throat. “Yo’, jolterhead! Wake up!”

“Danny!” Emy chided, stomping her feet on the wooden floor. “I didn’t mean it literally, you stupid!”

Will decided that was the time to act. He opened his eyes at once and freed himself of the ropes around his hands, but he did not discard them – they could be useful as he found out that they took all his weapons. Emy and the sidekick were still arguing when they realized he freed himself and got up from the chair.

“Danny, get him!” but Danny was not very fast, and when Will kicked him between his legs, he crumpled to the floor crying, and then ran away from the room altogether when he realized things could get messy. “Useless piece of trash,” Emy said, irritated. “I didn’t know princes of Wales could fight,” she looked left and right for the other sidekick, but he was nowhere in sight.

Will grinned devilishly, the rope tight in his hands. “I didn’t know people could be so daft, either,” he commented. “Mistaking random people from Wales to be princes,” he snorted.

“And you’re a good actor, too,” she clapped her hands. “It’s useless to lie, you highness.”

“It’s useless to kidnap innocent people who know how to fight, too,” he echoed. Emy unsheathed a knife from her coat, and she aimed at him, but Will dodged her easily, using the rope as a means to shield himself. “And you also stole my knives, thief!” Will said, trying to get it back, but the woman wasn’t bad at protecting herself.

“I steal whatever I want,” she tried to elbow him, but Will anticipated her moves, swift as an arrow. They kept this dance for a while, until Emy’s knife cut the rope in two, rendering it useless. Will frowned, fuming. He glanced around for a makeshift weapon, but the closest object available on the kitchen counter that he could have gotten was still too far from him. Emy took advantage of Will’s distraction and grabbed his beard, pinning him to the wall, the knife she was holding dangerously close to his throat. “What, now? Cat got your tongue, prince?”

Will grunted. He felt the blade of the knife she stole from him graze his skin. It was a runed knife, but still, it was a knife all the same, and if he wasn’t careful –

Everything happened fast. “Bloody hell!” Emy cried in pain. Will barely registered a knife hitting his captor’s hand. She let go of his beard because of the shock, and the knife she was holding clattered on the wooden floor. He took the chance to stomp on her hand with his foot, he didn’t care she was a mundane. She was still a mundane who tried to murder him. Emy helped, but at least she was sedated. She cried in pain, holding her bruised hand in her other hand.

Will gazed up, trying to see whether the person who threw the knife was a friend or a foe, and he beamed when he realized who was at the bottom of the stairs.

“Tessa!” he called, but it was short lived.

“Will, behind you!” she shouted, and he turned just in time to dodge a blow by the third sidekick, elbowing him in the stomach. The man fell on the floor unceremoniously.

“What a pest!” he exclaimed loudly, hearing Emy cry in the background. “Serves you well, thief. I should call the police, should you kidnap the real prince George. But unfortunately, I have a party to attend.”

Everyone but the kidnappers either rolled their eyes or chuckled.

They got back to the Institute using the Lightwood’s carriage, which was too small for six, but they had to make do. His sister Cecily, along with Gabriel, sat in the driver’s seat, while Sophie and Gideon sat with Will and Tessa inside the carriage.

Will explained what happened after he woke up, after he had fainted because of the chloroform. They tried to be ironic and say that it was the beard who got him into trouble, but Will brushed it off as being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. And having the wrong costume. His friends didn’t seem so sure but it didn’t matter. Then Tessa explained to him how she found his handkerchief and how their friends helped her track him.

“I let it fall when I realized someone was behind me,” Will said. “I knew it would be useful. And it was,” he glanced at Tessa first, then at his friends. “Thank you all for helping Tessa.”

They returned to the Institute, and the party was still in full swing, and it would be for a couple of hours still. The Lightwoods took leave once they got inside, claiming they needed a drink in order to refresh. Will couldn’t blame them. They had, after all, helped Tessa with the True North rune, and it was thanks to that, that they had found him. They deserved anything they wanted, and more.

“Don’t you want to go upstairs and rest, my darling? You’ve had quite the day,” Tessa said, lingering outside of the doors of the ballroom, where everything was quieter. “You must be tired.”

“Shouldn’t we also call Jem to check on my health?” he wondered sarcastically, but Tessa frowned disapprovingly. “I’m sorry, Tess. I didn’t mean to brush off your suggestion, but I think I should stay. I really wanted this party, and the only way for me to distract myself from my misadventure is living the party.”

Tessa wasn’t convinced, and he suspected that was the reason why she kept in the alcove close to the ballroom but making no move to walk over there. “What if they drugged you? Maybe we should call Jem, you know,” she bit her lip nervously, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Tess. Tess. Tessa,” he smoothed her cheek with his forefinger. “My love, don’t cry,” he grabbed her, and she held the back of his vest in her fist as she sobbed quietly.

He let her vent until she had enough, his hand caressed her back to calm her down. “I hate this beard,” she muttered.

Will chuckled softly, holding his wife’s body closer to his. “You know what, I dislike it too.”

“Then why did you grow it?” Tessa asked, gazing up into his blue eyes.

He mused about it for a moment. “First, because Sykes’ suggestion wasn’t bad. I never tried growing one, and I was curious how I would look,” he shrugged. “Second, it was because of this damned prince of Wales costume,” he rolled his eyes. “One thing is for certain, though. I’m never attempting to grow a beard ever again.”

“I concur,” Tessa managed a smile. “Even though, I must admit, I will miss it a little. I liked trailing my hand through it when we kissed,” she beamed.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you can still trail your hand through my hair while we kiss, or when you want. I still have plenty,” he made a crooked smile, and he knew she liked the proposition.

“It is a good consolation prize, indeed,” she nodded. “Thank you very much for the proposition, your royal highness, prince of Wales.”

He shook his head. “Only until the party is over,” he declared gravely. “Then I want it gone. Erased from my face. Can you do it for me, when we retire in our rooms, Tessa? I want to go back to being the old Will Herondale, please.”

“I will do anything you want, Will,” she touched his cheek lightly. “But first, let’s get something to drink and to eat.”

“Whatever you want, my darling. Whatever you want.”

Ending Notes: jolterhead is an authentic insult from the Victorian and Edwardian era, it means "a stupid fellow".

#tweety's celebration #tsc #tsc fanfiction #tlh #will herondale #tessa gray #wessa #gabriel lightwood #cecily herondale #gideon lightwood #sophie lightwood #gabrily #sophideon #the infernal devices #clockwork princess #clockwork prince #clockwork angel #tweety.writes

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khaleesiofalicante · 11 months

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random thought that popped up while I was mindlessly transcribing data for work: Tsc characters in each series and who is most likely to do a podcast.

TID: Gabriel and Gideon. For sure. It's just gonna be about Charlotte and how cool she is. One of them (Gabriel) actually refers to them as Mom.

TLH: The Merry Thieves. It's just chaos. No one knows what the podcast is actually about.

TMI: Jace and Simon. They just dish and gossip the whole time. Also randomly break into songs. Jace sometimes gets emo and trauma dumps in the middle of the podcast.

TDA: Emma and Cristina. They just play silly games like 'Kiss Marry Kill - Head of the Institutes Edition'

LBAF: Lexi and Gigi. I don't know what it's about. But I know they have a podcast. Maybe they do live reactions to things. That'd be hilarious.

Next gen: Joan and Arjun. Idk how or why. But this duo is going places. They'll probably just prank-call people for shits and giggles.

#okay byeeeee #tsc #lbaf

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thevagabondexpress · 8 months

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Elliott and Juniper for the charcter ask?

elliot carstairs

i. sexuality headcanon: there's no way we can prove he's not a monster-f*ker. ii. otp: fucking therapy. a trip to scotland. chicken noodle soup. tentacle yaoi. something healthy. iii. brotp: believe it or not, i think he'd get along pretty okay with fields from my genderbent-tlh. she's been a soldier on and off a lot through the years. she grew up in weird-ass circumstances (if different weird-ass circumstances from elliott's). i think she'd get where he's coming from, and she'd understand the war wounds both visible and invisible that he carries, and i could see them hanging out together sometime once he gets out of his weird angsty "i am young and nobody else has ever felt my pain" phase. assuming fields is still around. she was born in the late 19th century. so. iv. notp: well in mare marginis he's playing boytoy to the mavka queen which. no. being the creator of this character, just no. v. first headcanon to pop into my head: he's really, really into cars. old cars, classics, sports cars. he saw the rockford files a few too many times as a kid with his mom and he's wanted to drive around bel air at high speeds in a bronze firebird ever since. he's saving up to get himself something fancy and in the meantime he practices drifting in empty parking lots and attends a lot of classics shows. vi. favorite line from this character: i don't have enough written about him yet to give one, alas. vii. one way i relate: i also like to go to old car shows and i have also seen rockford one too many times (and when you read this boy will it show, it's the only thing i know about LA at all) viii. thing that gives me second-hand embarrassment: some of the. uh. things that he will do for juniper over the course of these books. my man. calm down. ix. definitely a problematic character.

juniper blackthorn

i. she's definitely demiromantic, demisexual. she's interested in one person and one person only and always has been. ii. believe it or not, yes, actually, elliot. it might be a really fucked up toxic dynamic but i can't see her being that comfortable or that vulnerable with anybody else. this woman is tense as a spring and fragile as glass, if he's the person who can get her to sit down and relax and cry the tears she needs to cry then so be it. iii. mara. it's a shame i'm pitting them against each other honestly they'd be powerhouse friends. iv. also mara. they'd be powerhouse friends but they should under no circumstances be a ship. also, mara's like sixteen, so. v. she has these little fingerless glovelets that she's always wearing all the time. she won't take them off, not even in 30+ degree celsius weather. she only takes them off to paint and she paints in latex gloves. her hands are always covered. vi. ahh, i want to give it but i can't because you might piece together the spoilers surrounding it so. sorry :( vii. when she gets upset, especially if she's crying, she doesn't know how to calm down. she can't figure it out. those circuits just aren't there. she has to get someone else to walk her through the steps or she'll just wind herself tighter and tighter. viii. just. everything about her mare marginis self. that bitch is over the top. she needs a rest from the melodramatics. ix. also definitely problematic

#genderbent tsc #genderbent tda

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mermaidsirennikita · 1 year

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From what I gathered, it's because she was praised by BookTok, and she's a Reylo shipper and her book was a Reylo fanfiction in the beginning.

People are just very sensitive about these two things.

Oh yeah lol, alllll that--but I think the extra level of criticism towards Ali got super personal, and because her books are so popular, the criticism really got picked up by people who have NO idea how writing and publishing works. Which made it so much worse.

I think you're absolutely right that Ali's books being popular on BookTok was a big part of it--and this is a combo of luck and her publisher, Berkley, being very good at marketing (.... for the authors they prioritize, and it makes sense that Ali was one as she had a preexisting following). So it's a combo of the book taking off and her having a preset great marketing hook for a publisher that seems to know its shit when it comes to marketing. She makes it easier for them, but Berkley is also good at marketing people who would typically be harder to market (Evie Dunmore writing very standard historicals, in a subgenre that's not super popular atm).

And while I do hate a lot of BookTok rhetoric, and while I don't get many, if any, recs from there... It makes sense that Berkley went for them with this book, because the Reylo thing feeds right into their audience. Ali is far from the only Reylo fic writer who's been published (I've read like, four Reylo fic books this year alone lol) but TLH was so distinctly Reylo.

The reality is that this did tee her up for a set audience, but she did write good fics and she did have an audience over other fic writers for a reason, you know? It doesn't mean she didn't work for success; it just does mean that she happened to latch on to a pairing that hit the zeitgeist in a big way, and, as publishing has done for decades now, but more openly in recent years--that pairing was sought out by trad publishing.

And then it snowballed because of the anti thing, and like... I remember this weird moment where people were going off on her because she mentioned her agent suggesting tropes to her? And it's like? Yeah? That's brainstorming lol. I get that the trope marketing thing makes it feel like everyone is suddenly writing to tropes, and it's like--yes, the marketing can be overwhelming, 100%. But writers, especially commercial writers, have always written to tropes. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard writers on podcasts go "I haven't written second chance romance, I'd like to do that someday" or whatever. Romance writers especially write to market. It's a job. And your agent will tell you what they think will sell, because it's literally their job.

But it was flipped into this thing where Ali couldn't think of shit on her own, and it's like--brainstorming with people? Is normal. It was really in the context of her giving credit where credit is due, tbh. Because a lot of your best ideas as a writer don't just pop into your head on a whim. Writing is actually a collaborative process. The indies everyone hates that suck balls? Usually don't have an editor working on them. Fic writers talk about their beta readers trading ideas with them all the time. But because people wanted a reason to say that Ali's work was inherently lesser (versus "not for them"), they turned an innocuous normal thing into her being unable to write.

It's really kind of bizarrely hilarious because it's like... if all you're really worried about here is a reylo being published, just say it. Don't try to discuss things you don't actually know shit about (or for that matter, speak over people who do know what they're talking ab out) because of this one fic writer getting published.

#romance novel blogging

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ghostbustermelanieking · 8 months

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some memories i have of reading percy jackson and the olympians/the heroes of olympus for the first time (circa late 2011-2014)

i got the pjo box set for christmas from my librarian aunt. i also got a nook that christmas; the first two books i bought on it were the lost hero and the son of neptune

i actually remember seeing commercials for the son book on the disney channel before this and being like "huh, that looks cool"

for some personal context, this christmas was the first one after my parents had separated, but we were spending it together anyways

interesting factoid: at this point, i had not read harry potter. i actually resisted reading hp for a long time (til like summer 2012). i was DEFINITELY a percy jackson kid, and here's how you can tell: i can actually count how many times i've read hp. but not pjo lol

percy jackson was also pretty much my gateway into greek mythology aside from, like, the basic stuff i was aware about from pop culture circa age 10. and my dad actually telling me the story of the iliad at some point prior

i tore through these books so fast that i actively missed major plot points. the best example i have is the fact that i just did not at all pick up on annabeth and percy's romance until the end (so heroes of olympus was pretty jarring lol)

i latched onto thalia so hard as a kid. she was like one of my favorite characters, and i remember being annoyed she stopped being central after ttc

similarly, i remember ttc was pretty much my favorite of the series as a kid (and still sort of is, tbh, next to tlt). i think it was because of all the new female characters asdghjhklll i got too attached

ok let's face it, i got overattached to all the female characters for no real reason. annabeth, thalia, bianca, rachel, piper, hazel were all favorites of mine

this isn't anything significant, but i pretty distinctly remember reading botl, like i remember riding around in the car with my mom that day, and being like out in a woodsy area on some property, and like the music playing in the car

i also remember renting the movie like, mid-read through of the series (around ttc or botl) and not like. hating it? i got a lot angrier about the movie the older i got, and the more attached i got to the books, but i feel like i actually had knowledge of the movie before i ever read the books. like i remember seeing ads for the movie and being like, huh, looks cool. so like, the aging up of characters wasn't super weird to me. i'm sure i spent the entire movie mentally comparing it to the books tho

i fucking. got SO attached to the new characters in TLH. it felt so fun to see new, different characters in these worlds, with different experiences and different parents, and i loved the premise, and the characters/dynamics of piper, leo, and jason

and while i was absolutely sucked the fuck in once the "percy is missing" plot was revealed... i do remember just being slightly annoyed that this new series had percy as a main character. like i love percy! but i was so invested in these new characters, and seeing different aspects of this world, that i was bummed we were spending time on a character we'd already spent a lot of time on, instead of getting to know more new people in this world

like i found the different gods and their kids to be super interesting, and i always wanted to know about them; i wanted to know more about the ones we didn't know much about, that we hadn't seen a lot of! to put things into context, i was kind of bummed jason was a son of zeus/jupiter, and hazel a daughter of pluto/hades, bc i felt like we'd covered that ground with thalia and nico. i was bummed that annabeth was the seventh quest member, even though i was so stoked for her and percy reuniting

(completely hypocritically, i always wanted a demigod sibling for percy asddgjklll rip to the imaginary daughter of poseidon in baby me's head)

also loved son of neptune, although i wished we'd spent more time developing the roman world and characters (aside from hazel and frank ofc). i remember reading it on my nook, one of my first e books (so i had no real context of how much was left in the book), and i remember being SOOO frustrated when it cut just before the reunion, and i realized i'd have to wait for the sequel to come out

some more personal context: my great uncle passed away right after christmas, and i went to his funeral (my first). i'm pretty sure i read most of son on the drive up/in the funeral home

i was so desperately anxious for the mark of athena to come out that i started scouring the internet for previews in like march. i stumbled on what i thought was the preview, but i was confused when the plot just kept going... and that's how i read my very first fanfiction on accident (and i was scandalized)

finishing the mark of athena upset me a lot. i can't remember if i actually threw the book, or just thought about it, but by god the sentiment was there

i remember not really liking the last three books in hoo. or at least not feeling like they lived up to the hype. i usually enjoyed percy and annabeth's style, PARTICULARLY in hoh, but i felt like the arcs of the other five characters either fell flat or moved in directions that actively bummed me out. these characters felt so well-drawn and compelling in their first books, but it felt like the thread got lost somewhere along the way -- i remember feeling flat about it even as a kid, and being genuinely frustrated bc of how much i had enjoyed tlh and son

i also remember just kind of being bored with those last three books. now some of this might just be bc i was an easily bored kid essentially skimming these massive chunks of books (i also found tlo to be kind of boring, bc i was missing the nuance like a dumbass), but i felt like something was missing. i felt like we'd rushed too much through establishing character relationships, so the status quo felt... weird

THAT BEING SAID, hoh was definitely my favorite of those three

i was a pretty sheltered kid. so at age 12, i think nico's storyline in hoh was one of -- if not the -- first lgbt storylines i encountered in fiction. i remember sitting in my seventh grade classroom reading those scenes really distinctly

saw the sea of monsters in theaters, and i feel like my reaction was simultaneously "this is better than the first one, at least it's more accurate" and "oh my god whyd they change so much"

was distinctly annoyed by boo as a finale, AND bored by it, to the point where i avoided rereading it for YEARS

anyways i reread pjo so many times that my copies are literally falling apart asdfgjklll

#pjo #books #disclaimer i dont necessarily feel the same way about all of these things anymore this is just kind of a nostalgia thing #also fuck jkr #i just think it's funny i read pjo first considering the era

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