Let's Pretend the Hewn City Wears a Mask

Word Count: 416

Prompt: The CoN pretends to be cruel whenever the IC visits to shield themselves from the cruelty of their own High Lord.

Rhysand muttered a curse under his breath as the numbers on his ledger refused to cooperate. The day's plans had taken a nosedive, and he'd yet to make amends with Mor for Keir's visit, which meant he couldn't ask her for help. Cassian, Azriel, Feyre—none of them were available. So, with a reluctant sigh, he decided he'd have to handle the Hewn City's export troubles himself. With no time for grand entrances, Rhysand winnowed into one of the city's quieter corners, hidden in the embrace of the encroaching night. A fraction of a second later, he reemerged onto a dimly lit street on the city's edge. He was so focused on the task at hand that he didn't notice the distant sound at first. It grew louder, filling the air with the tinkling laughter of children. Rhysand's eyes darted towards the source, puzzled by this unexpected interruption. There, in the gloom, children played on the cobblestone street. A passerby, a lady in a hurry, briefly brushed past him. Her heels echoed like an impatient heartbeat against the stones. She paused for a moment to accept a night-blooming flower from a street vendor—a small burst of color in the city's perpetual night. Rhysand's attention was drawn to a young boy who took a break from the game to help an elderly lady cross the street. The other children carried on, their joyous laughter providing a stark contrast to the darkness that enveloped their surroundings. Amidst this scene, a couple strolled leisurely, their quietly shared laughter filled the space between them. A surge of guilt clawed at Rhysand as he realized the truth. The Hewn City was not the bleak abyss he'd paraded it to be, the bleak abyss it had pretended to be. The weight of realization bore down upon him, the realization that the Hewn City, misunderstood and maligned, had not lost its soul. It was a place teeming with life, striving for beauty in its own way. A pang of guilt tore at his throat as the truth settled. This city, once demonized and condemned, held the remnants of a Velaris yet to be. It was a poignant reminder that sometimes, the monsters were not the ones lurking in the shadows but those who had judged without knowing the truth. As he strode through the streets of the outer city, taking it all in, Rhysand could not help but wonder what might have been, had he not painted them all with the same damning brush.

Book Review

One scene that will probably stick with me for a long, long time is Nick sitting beside Rachel's hospital bed and playing the Sunday crossword while she naps. It's just...so soft.

Book Review

i realise heartstopper is supposed to be “all ages” and “family friendly” but also i think they should’ve made an exception and let nick call david a cunt

in light of s2, i propose darcy gets adopted by sarah nelson, yan xu, and possibly youssef farouk and nathan ajayi too

charlie failing his classes bc he’s living out an irl teen romance drama is something so special to me

do you cry when Darcy's friends gave her their bits of money so she could afford her gender-affirming prom outfit or are you normal?

I almost screamed out of joyment when Nick said "I hate you because you literally assaulted him" because even tho that's obviously what happened, it's never explicitly said in the comics and i just loved that someone finally said what happened with its correct words, it was so special to me

heartstopper makes me feel so giddy and comfortable, like i’m between soft blankets, drinking hot chocolate and simultaneously so bloody lonely that i wanna sob

Can you imagine . Can you imagine being a young queer teenager and having something like Heartstopper to look up to.

If this is you, I'm really happy for you. No one ever told us what our lives could potentially look like, it's a beautiful gift

Hang on I’m trying to figure something out…

Okay I know it's not from the original comic or anything but Mr. Farouk having exactly none of Ben's shit was iconic

Also you cannot tell me this isn't the moment Mr. Ajayi decided "I must know him carnally by the day's end"

the fact that Tao’s mom calls Elle “the perfect girl for my perfect boy”…the casual trans acceptance is just so nice to see

Tori asking Nick if he is okay as they Springs are leaving the Nelson home after the dinner.

Nick then saying yes, David has always been a dick.

The silhouette of Tara&Darcy's kiss from Harry's party on display at Elle's art exhibition.

(In season 1) whenever Harry was being homophobic, Otis, Christian and Sai never laughed. They were always in the background, glancing at one another, uncomfortable. And then in season 2, they're approach Nick to apologize.

The colours of the aroace flag on the leaves that float around Issac.

When Darcy says "She's an ally" when referring to Imogen. Only Darcy, Tara and Elle laughed but Nick, Tao and Isaac just looked confused. Because the boys weren't there when Imogen said it, so they wouldn't get the joke.

Underrated background moments in heartstopper:

• Isaac and Nick discussing chisels in the louvre

• Tao saying that Ben has ‘stinky energy’ after the big breakup in the restaurant

Watching season 2 of Heartstopper knowing Kit Connor was forced to come out in such a heinous way, all while showing up to play a character who was allowed the space and love to come out in a way he wanted to is just… heavy.