Okay so I'm about to be real annoying about autism and biology(specifically genetics) real quick-

So first off, just because Ty has autism doesn't necessarily mean that Livvy does. Yes they are twins but they are fraternal twins, ie two eggs and two sperm, which means they only share about 50% of their DNA like regular siblings. Because that's what they are canonically, regular siblings who just so happened to both be conceived in a roughly 2 week window of each other and born at the same time.

Same with Mark and Helen. Only they share about 25% of their DNA with the other Blackthorn siblings.

Now autism is genetic, this is scientifically proven to be true, and as of 2023 1 out of 100 children has autism. Those chances increase if a sibling or a parent has autism because they share genes, and if one person has the gene then it's likely to assume that someone else in the family does as well.

Take my family as an example: my grandfather is autistic, so was his brother, and his sister's daughters(identical twins) were both autistic(because they share 100% DNA so if one is autistic likely the other is too), and so were their kids. So even though my great aunt is NOT autistic, both her brothers are, which meant she carried the gene for it, and it passed down to her kids and grandkids. Now none of my grandfather's kids got the gene, but all of us grandkids did. Because even though our moms weren't autistic, they carried the gene.

Now, there's not too much proven scientific evidence for how autism works genetically other than it is passed down and can even skip a generation or two. But because of how society is, especially how afab people are raised in society, there could genuinely be a significant amount of people who just haven't realized that they are autistic, not to mention the over a million people who aren't able to get a diagnosis. So please take what I've said above with a grain of salt.

NOW onto my personal headcanons with the Blackthorns-

I truly believe that Lucie Herondale is autistic and I will die on this hill. Which means that the gene could carry all the way down the Blackthorn line, all the way to present day. And since we know almost nothing about Andrew and Eleanor, we don't know if either one of them had the traits or if they just carried the gene.

Let's start with the oldest(s) and work our way down, shall we:

Mark: the nature audhd, he loves everything plants earth related and spend almost too much times researching flowers and berries that can be grown in California. He much prefers a date to the botanical gardens rather than to a movie theater(too loud) or a library(too quiet). But he loves concerts(jumping up and down bass boosted music).

Helen: the coffee autistic, she loves everything in the world of coffee, and if she wasn't so debilitated by her enhanced hearing making her uneasy out in public she would open her own coffee shop just so she could make coffees all day everyday. Aline gifts her different coffee scented candles for anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays.

Julian: the art autistic, he loves the feeling of paint on his fingers, and has spent an hour rubbing a new and soft brush over his palms and face(much to Emma's amusement). His go-to stimming behavior is sketching something either on scrap paper or with his fingers on the table or on his thigh. He loves drawing over his arms and hands with pen, and he also loves drawing all over his families' hands and arms as well.

(Ty is canon, so I'll skip him)

Livvy: the theater audhd kid, she loves reading Shakespeare and obscure off-Broadway plays. Once a week she puts on a one woman show for her siblings(mostly Dru and Tavvy) entertainment. She collects playbills, cds, records, merch, and autographs from shows she sees(she goes with Jocelyn or Tessa at least once a week) and covers her room with them.

Dru: the thriller audhd, she loves everything that gives her a fright and makes her adrenaline and blood pressure skyrocket. Her favorite "dates" are amusement parks with Thaís and Jaime, she makes them go on every terrifying ride. She, Livvy, and Emma have movie nights where they binge vintage horror movies and play indie horror games. She went bungee jumping for her 18th birthday.

Tavvy: the music autistic, he loves everything in the music realm: instruments, songs on the radio, Broadway musicals, and Julian humming while he cooks. He learns to play over 16 different instruments and uses each one to stim depending on what environment he's in(if he's at Cirenworth then it's violin or piano, but if he's at the NYC Institute then it's drums or guitar, his favorite is playing the pan flute on the LA Institute rooftop with Mark and Kieran).

I also hc that Livvy is trans that her and Ty ARE actually identical but apparently it's weird to say that😒

Sorry if this doesn't make any sense I just woke up from a nap😅-

dude. this is such a detailed ask. shaking screaming silently in excitement that i get to answer this!! all of this detail for me!! this is such a fascination of mine! anyway ANYWAY SO

I love your hc's about the blackthorns especially tavvy, idk why i see him as a musician as well but it just FITS. and hey, they are in LA right?? he def spends his teens sneaking out to see live music and he def gets SUPER into like a handful of artists and spends hours just playing around with their songs, remixing them or whatever (do i do this? am i talking from experience? do i have a sideblog dedicated to it?) and dru is absolutely that kind of adrenaline junkie. so am i! i say she gets really into lead climbing (rock climbing, but the rope is below you instead of above and when you fall it's TERRIFYING) and it helps her get really comfortable with her body esp when she goes with mundanes and downworlders and shadowhunters all mixed up. and i love theatre livvy, i really do, but her canon thing is computers and maths isn't it? maybe she's both. i can see that, different sides of her personality: she's into STEM a lot as a kid but realises she also likes to act when she's a bit older. you're dead right with julian, tbh what he was going through in the tda era makes it hard for me to see his neurodivergence clearly but yeah i can see it, and he's a cassandra clare male protagonist after all, he's gonna remind me of a bunch of people i know irl who are--slowly realising their neurodivergence, shall i say. mark and helen are dead right too. i see it. never did they come across as neurotypical to me.

and i do know, genetics of fraternal twins--if you're referring to the 'twin thing' or whatever i said i was meaning the bond between them and how they communicate so naturally! which is in part due to their proximity being together since the womb, but also because they are naturally so similar and also complimentary and actually, the fact that they both 'adopt' kit into their group is just another neurodivergents unite moment. like, it just works. so naturally.

and i 100% agree with you that yeah, sure maybe they're not ALL autistic in the family but with underdiagnosis and stuff and genetics it does make sense. Also irl i do think that 1% is a MASSIVE understatement (idk what the actual number could be, but the way i go out in public and in community with people i've known for years even when we're not brought together by things in common, and i just get the vibe of people, i'm pretty sure a lot more than 1% are autistic). now, with lucie. i never was quite sure with her, she's very much a could-never-have-been-neurotypical-herondale but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. it's really interesting to see her and james interact as siblings bc they're SO different but there's this common thread of likely being autistic, in fact a specific genre of autistic that clearly runs in their family (and i could say the same of anna and christopher, but that's for another post). anyway. just for fun. I reckon we can trace it back up both sides of their family to Linette Owens on the Herondale side and to Aloysius Starkweather on Tessa's side. and cassie invented genetics again.

but seriously, i fondly summarise tlh as 'bunch of neurodivergents adopt biracial traveller who doesn't fit in anywhere'. like SO MUCH of the cast is autistic coded, trust cassie to do that, there's also a heap of rep of adhd and cptsd and bipolar in the mix and then. there's cordelia

I also have to say I do love your trans livvy hc!! the more i think about it the more i'm like, oh, that could make sense. in the way she presents her femininity (which trans women don't have to!! I know!) and imagine her bonding with diana over it! anyway that's all i have to say. slightly differently coloured features to ty--that's just a technicality right? no, this could definitely work.

The Shadohunter Chronicles Character Showdown

First Round, Second Round, Third Round

Rosemary Herondale vs Arthur Blackthorn, (Feb 23)

Celine Montclaire vs Diego Rocio-Rosales, (Feb 24)

Maureen Brown vs Anna Lightwood, (Feb 25)

Christopher Lightwood vs Ragnor Fell, (Feb 26)

Julian Blackthorn vs Livvy Blackthorn, (Feb 27)

Bridget Daly vs Jon Cartwright, (Feb 28)

Nate Grey vs Sona Carstairs, (Feb 29)

Gabriel Lightwood vs Madeleine Bellefleur, (Mar 1)

Paige Ashdown vs Rupert Blackthorn, (Mar 2)

Valentine Morgenstern vs Kraig, (Mar 3)

Andrew Blackthorn vs Irene, (Mar 4)

Axel Mortmain vs Thais Pedroso, (Mar 5)

Kit Herondale vs Ke Yi Tian, (Mar 6)

The Dark Sisters vs Filomina di Angelo, (Mar 7)

Lucie Herondale vs Simon Lovelace-Lewis, (Mar 8)

Shiyun Jung vs Cameron Ashdown, (Mar 9)

Elias Carstairs vs Tavvy Blackthorn, (Mar 10)

Luke Greymark vs Will Herondale, (Mar 11)

Ash Morgenstern vs Matthew Fairchild, (Mar 12)

Sophie Collins vs Jaime Rocio-Rosales, (Mar 13)

Catarina Loss vs Tessa Grey, (Mar 14)

Jessamine Lovelace vs Woolsey Scott, (Mar 15)

Diana Wrayburn vs Magnus Lightwood-Bane, (Mar 16)

James Herondale vs Jesse Blackthorn, (Mar 17)

Sebastian Morgesnstern vs Ty Blackthorn, (Mar 18)

Julie Beavul vs Tatiana Lightwood, (Mar 19)

Meliorn vs Helen Blackthorn, (Mar 20)

Alexander Lightwood vs Arawn, (Mar 21)

Jace Lightwood-Herondale vs Michael Wayland, (Mar 22)

Raphael Santiago vs Kieran Kingson, (Mar 23)

Marisol Garza vs Hypatia Vex, (Mar 24)

Dru Blackthorn vs Ari Bridgstock, (Mar 25)

Eugenia Lightwood vs Bat Velasquez, (Mar 26)

Eliza Rosewain vs Rafael Lightwood-Bane, (Mar 27)

Anush Joshi vs Seelie Queen, (Mar 28)

Church vs Cecily Herondale, (Mar 29)

Annabel Blackthorn vs Robert Lightwood, (Mar 30)

Beatriz Mendoza vs Malcolm Fade, (Mar 31)

Jocelyn Fairchild vs Max Lightwood-Bane, (Apr 1)

Imogen Whitlaw vs Jem Carstairs, (Apr 2)

Mother Hawthorn vs Chairman Meow, (Apr 3)

Manuel Casales-Villalobos vs Barbra Lightwood, (Apr 4)

Cordelia Carstairs vs Benedict Lightwood, (Apr 5)

Divya Joshi vs Lily Chen, (Apr 6)

Patrick Penhallow vs Alastair Carstairs, (Apr 7)

Isabelle Lightwood vs Mark Blackthorn, (Apr 8)

Amatis Greymark vs George Lovelace, (Apr 9)

Maryse Lightwood vs Elliott, (Apr 10)

Alexei de Quincey vs Elyas the Demon, (Apr 11)

Hodge Starkweather vs Henry Branwell, (Apr 12)

Camille Belcourt vs Auraline, (Apr 13)

Aline Penhallow vs Roland Loss, (Apr 14)

Johny Rook vs Stephen Herondale, (Apr 15)

Rayan Maduabuchi vs Alec Lightwood-Bane, (Apr 16)

Esme Hardcastle vs Jordan Kyle, (Apr 17)

Grace Blackthorn vs Evelyn Highsmith, (Apr 18)

Jia Penhallow vs Charles Fairchild, (Apr 19)

Horace Dearborn vs Max Lightwood, (Apr 20)

Emma Carstairs vs Mina Carstairs, (Apr 21)

Charlotte Fairchild vs Aloysius Starkweather, (Apr 22)

Janus Herondale vs Zachary Carstairs, (Apr 23)

Gwyn ap Nudd vs Clary Fairchild, (Apr 24)

Maia Roberts vs Gideon Lightwood, (Apr 25)

Thomas Lightwood vs Cristina Mendoza-Rosales, (Apr 26)

Clockwork Princess

Title: Clockwork Princess Author: Cassandra Clare Pages: 567 pages Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

Danger and betrayal, love and loss, secrets and enchantment are woven together in the breathtaking finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices Trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray. Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever. At those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain's clutches, Tessa realises that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a singly girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army? Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

"I am catastrophically in love with you."

My Thoughts:

This book is by far my favourite in the series. It has some spice, some sadness, some happiness, some heartbreak, some angst, basically a bit of everything and that just makes my head and my heart very happy because I like being taken on emotional rollercoasters with books.

I think all my tears are used whenever I read this. From when the parabatai bond breaks to when Will finds Tessa I'm sobbing with sadness, and then those tears turn into happy tears when it's revealed that Jem is a Silent Brother and in fact not dead, which continue to be happy tears until the epilogue. Then it's back to sad tears when Will dies and Tessa leaves her family because it hurts too much but then it's straight back to happy tears when Jem meets Tessa and is no longer a Silent Brother and is cured. The emotions the characters portrayed and went through were so raw and realistic that it was almost beautiful in a way. But I've still not forgiven Cassandra for making me believe that Jem was dead for a segment of this book. Nobody can mess with my angel boy!

Can we also just take a moment to talk about the names of Will and Tessa's children? The oldest, James, clearly after Jem, but the youngest. Her name comes from A Tale of Two Cities, which is the book that Will and Tessa basically bonded over. I love how the love of their book was incorporated into their children, which were produced from their love. I screamed when I found out their names, no joke. There were also more tears over the name reveal. I'm still not sure whether they were happy or sad though to be completely honest with you.

Also Tessa has found her real family now! And she's a Shadowhunter! Tessa Starkweather, the great granddaughter of Aloysius Starkweather. I love that she found somewhere where she belonged. But she also found her family in a way that isn't blood-related. Nobody can tell me that the Shadowhunters at the Institute aren't her family. It's so obvious, especially with the way they treat her. Charlotte and Henry are obviously the parents, with Gabriel and Gideon being her brothers, Cecily her sister, and Will and Jem being her significant others.

I love how Tessa was able to experience a full relationship with both Will and Jem, and that she wasn't forced to choose one over the other in a way. She kind of did at first, but at the end it was made up for with the fact that she and Jem got back together.

This series, and the rest of the other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles, are books that I will continue to read and recommend to every single person who asks until the day I die. They manage to transport me away to a different world and not very many books are able to do that in such a magical way that Cassandra does.

Playlist:

When the Lights Go Out by Libertines If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It by Snow Patrol Perfect Sonnet by Bright Eyes I Would Do Anything for You by Foster the People Alameda by Elliot Smith Love You Madly by Cake Left and Leaving by The Weakerthans Destiny by Zero 7 Exit Wounds by The Script Knife by Grizzly Bear I Still Remember by Bloc Party Wraith Pinned to the Mist by Of Montreal All the Rowboats by Regina Spektor The Reeling by Passion Pit Tears Are In Your Eyes by Yo La Tengo Ocean Breathes Salty by Modest Mouse Wishing Well by Airborne Toxic Event Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens die first by nessa barrett In the Stars by Benson Boone Colorblind by Counting Crows Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars Clarity by Zedd The Bad in Each Other by Feist State of Grace by Taylor Swift The Scientist by Coldplay Let Us Move On by Dido ROSES by The Chainsmokers Until You Were Gone by The Chainsmokers Perfect by Ed Sheeran

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare My rating: 3 of 5 stars So I enjoyed Clockwork Prince far more than Clockwork Angel. The book isn’t very plot-heavy and way more character-focused, but I’m not mad about it. I enjoy reading about them even though I don’t particularly love them all. (Seriously though, like Mortmain doesn't show up through the whole book, and it's mainly the characters going from place to place and just learning some information.) So Clockwork Prince starts with a Council meeting where Charlotte and the company get charged with finding Mortmain in two weeks because Benedict is a sexist dill hole. So they start looking into Mortmain’s background to try and learn more about him and where he came from and yada yada. We learn that warlocks adopted Mortmain and Shadowhunters killed them for some reason. It was mentioned why but I’m just blanking on it rn. But anywho, Mortmain wants revenge and like I feel for him. That would suck to see your parents get murdered and get no recompense for it. But also like, lol at his plan being like I am going to create a super special warlock bride and then marry her, make her change into my adoptive warlock father who will give me the special spell to bind demon energies to my robot army and then I’m going to kill all the shadow hunters. Like it’s honestly wild to me that CC came up with that and managed to turn it into three books. Good for her. Tessa and Jem have been paling around since the last book’s events and have grown closer and closer. They are precious, and I love them as smitten friends. Will is an idiot for not seeing the way Jem feels because it was obvious from CA that Jem was in love with Tessa. Tell me I’m wrong. And his reaction upon finding out they’re engaged is ridonk. ‘If you loved me, you would let me have her!!!!’ I know he doesn’t say it, but omg Will. We learn why Will has been a giant dildo on the planet for the last five years. When he was a child, he found a Pyxis box in his dad’s study, opened it and then a demon popped out, stabbed his sister with his poisonous tail, and then fake cursed Will that anyone who loved him would die. The next day his sister dies looking all monstrous and stuff. So naturally, Will’s first thought was to run away from home and be a total dick for the rest of his life instead of like…trying to use the Institute’s resources and connections with warlocks to find a cure five years ago. But like to be fair, he was like…what 12? I feel like I’m getting the amount of time wrong…was it seven years? Idk it was a span of years. And then, of all things, a pretty super special girl is the thing to change his mind and make him finally seek out some help. But, like, backing up a bit, here’s my question. Why didn’t Will’s parents…question the way the daughter died? Or did they and Will just ran away before he heard about it? Why did Will’s dad have the demon in his study anyway? Like why didn’t he give it back to the institute? I understand keeping a seraph blade in case a demon attacks, but why keep a DEMON? Why did Will not think to ask his dad about the demon? Like his parents already loved him, they weren’t just going to stop, lmao. Sorry, I’m venting. AND ANOTHER THING!!! Magnus could quickly call Marbas on this lie that he didn’t curse Will. Why didn’t he figure that out when Will told him the story? Like Magnus isn’t stupid, and he’s well aware people love Will. If he was clever enough to figure it out after Marbas talked about it, why couldn’t he figure it out when Will told him the story? The only difference was he learned how long Marbas was in the Pyxis, but I mean, it could’ve stood to reason he was in that thing for a long time without Marbas even needing to tell them. I’m sorry. Why am I like this? So Will’s trying to remove his curse, and somewhere in this time, they go to Yorkshire and Jem and Tessa pretend to be engaged. *foreshadowing* They go to see Aloysius Starkweather, and I couldn’t stop thinking of Argus Filch/Walder Frey. He’s extra gross, has a spoils collection of gnarly warlock remains, and naturally, Tessa faints because she’s a LADY. They go to visit the house that Mortmain was said to have owned, and Will sees his sister there, freaks out and decides to do some drugs. While Tessa and Jem are wondering where he is, they search WIll’s room, and she finds that Will kept her letters that she’d written to her brother while in the Dark house and like I’m annoyed because those letters made me want to hear about her time there. It would’ve made me connect with Tessa far more to experience that shit with her, but then I guess this is meant to be YA, and it might’ve been too heavy. Idk I like my gore. They find Will in an ifrit den high on yin fen, aka the drug Jem requires to live. I found this super insensitive of him, honestly. Like yeah, I know he was super upset and just looking for release, but why wouldn’t he get drunk like he’s always pretending to be? Why would he go to do the drugs that he is well aware is killing his best friend and is super addicting? Idk it just reads as messed up to me. And then they’re all mad at him for approximately two days before all is forgiven. Honestly, Jem and Will should also be in love. I feel this story was CC’s warm-up to the throuple she writes in TDA. I wish it just ended up being a throuple here, lmao. Like Tessa, lemme make out with Jem and then also Will and keep it a secret from everyone. OR just all three of you date. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Problem solved. The parabatai ceremony is a marriage ceremony anyway. I got a kick out of reading about Jessamine’s betrayal, although I think it was a misuse of her character. I believe Jessamine had much potential, but in the end, she went right back to Nate, knowing what kind of person he was and what he tried to do to her. It doesn’t make sense to me. She was so pissed about Nate’s betrayal, and now she wants to marry him and betray the people who helped raise her? We don’t get much insight into her as a character, but I think that much more could have been done with her. Benedict Lightwood likes to bone demon ladies, which is weird when many of the demons in the first few books have been like gelatinous creatures with insect body parts. The only humanoid I remember being mentioned was Lilith, who also had snakes coming out of her eyes. Is the demon licking Benedict’s face Lilith right now? Also, why would he keep boning demon ladies if he knows they’re giving him a demon std that will turn him into a demon? Like? Does not compute. Also, before the cannibalism debacle, I always used to picture Armie Hammer as Gideon, making this reread a lil weird. I like Sophie and Gideon together, however. Oh, that was another thing I wanted to mention. Tessa is making out with Jem when she knows Sophie is in love with her upsets me personally. I’ve had so many friends do that to me that I feel anger on behalf of Sophie. You tell your pal that you think someone is cute or you have a big crush on them, and the next thing you know, your friend is over there making out with the person you’re into. Like, um, wow, never trusting you again. So, sorry, Sophie, I’m glad Gideon’s over here being the man you need. And then when Sophie tells Tessa she’s not mad at her, she’s immediately like, OH DO YOU LIKE CYRIL THEN? Why does she only think Sophie would like the servants lmao? Like no, Tessa, She’s dating Gideon, but it’s also NOT YOUR BUSINESS TESSA. Also, Tessa’s reaction when she finds out Sophie likes Gideon is gross. “Can you really see him going to his father and saying he wants to marry a parlor maid???” Like, suck a dick, Tessa. I loved seeing Hyacinth again. I am a big fan of faeries and remember liking how CC writes them a lot. (We’ll see if that’s still true when I reread the books where they’re featured more, but so far, it’s still true) I love how they’re such confusing little aholes. Like Hyacinth gives Tessa a super obvious clue about who she really is but then erases it with one comment. I love it. Because while Tessa isn’t a faerie changeling, she was still swapped in the manner of changelings. I thought that was a pretty clever bit of foreshadowing. Finally, Magnus called a Shadowhunter out on their aversion to magic. YER RUNES ARE BASICALLY MAGIC. So the whole Magnus and Camille relationship. Truthfully, I didn’t get it at all. Magnus does not seem the kind of person who would be into someone so seemingly detached. At the same time, I think it’s silly of him to expect monogamy when both he and Camille will live forever. Like what she says makes sense to me, but she says it in the rudest way possible. It’s essentially just like a centuries-long open relationship, Magnus. What’s the problem? As long as all parties are consenting, that sounds like a great time to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also, the idea of Magnus sitting around waiting for anyone is strange to me, but I guess this is at a different point in his life, so he’s not the same Magnus we learned in TMI. I imagine he would’ve gone searching for her himself or something. OR just been like, all right, fine, you don’t want me? Byeeeee. His sitting around hoping she might apologize to him and ask her to love him again is so weirdly out of character, imo. But like I said, this is hundreds of years before TMI, so I’m willing to be forgiving if this is meant to show how he became the way he is now or something, lmao. Then again, he was doing way too much to impress Alec in TRSOM. Also, lying about kissing Will was not so cool. But whatever, I guess. Stupid question. Is Idris pronounced like Idris Elba or like eye-dris? In regards to Tessa’s shapeshifting ability. I have some questions. So, we know she has to be holding an item that belonged to someone to shift into that person and like be able to hear their thoughts or whatever, but here’s my question. Can Tessa only change into someone else? Or can she make up her own features and shift into that? Can she change into a completely new person? She talks about doing it but never actually does it, so I’m wondering if it’s possible. If she’s part Eidolon, it looked like they were able to shift into whatever they wanted, so shouldn’t Tessa be able to too? Can she change into an animal? Or just people? Also, since she’s technically a warlock, can she do actual magic or just shapeshift? Someone mentioned that one of the annoying things about this book is that in between everything that happens, there are drawn-out scenes explaining Tessa getting dressed, how Sophie does her hair, etc. And while I understand that it’s probably accurate to the time, it’s not necessary for this story. I get it; it’s more character-driven than plot-driven, and CC needed filler chapters. But oh my god, do I not care. I imagine Henry as an Alan Tudyk-type character with crazy red hair. The whole scene where Nate is like holding Tessa is so hard to imagine. One hand/forearm is across her throat, and another is gripping her chin, but his waistcoat buttons are digging into her back. Why doesn’t she elbow him in the gut and run away?? Nothing is holding her arms down. I know she kicks him in the kneecap, but I feel like elbowing him would’ve been more accessible. Also, the whole reveal about Nate not being Tessa’s brother isn’t shocking, considering it was just done in TMI. Stop recycling plot points CC. Also, he killed his real mom because she was a ‘whore’. Because having sex before marriage is so terrible. God shut up, Nate. Like damn, he deserved to die. Would blood really be dripping off his face from some nail scratches? I think not. How long are Jessamine/Tessa’s nails if they can just shred Nate’s skin so easily? I imagine ladies kept their nails short and clean in Victorian times, but I could be wrong. I imagine Mortmain, while making his robots, is like, ‘YES, MAKE A 20 FOOT ONE WITH HORNS’ EHEHEHEH.

Will is too hardcore for more painkilling runes, so he lets Brother Enoch pull shards of metal out of his back while he grits his teeth. The whole Charlotte and Henry miscommunication thing was both funny and stupid. Like they’re both idiots. Charlotte is pregnant, so clearly they’ve boned several times, but if neither thought the other loved them, then like…how awkward was that sex??? Idk there relationship baffles me. Tessa, not knowing the word for sex physically pains me on many levels. “Aunt Harriet had been in love enough to let her fiancé do whatever it was exactly that left one with child’ KILL MEEEE. Also, ordinarily, I would find Jem’s proposal so lame, but I love him so dearly, and he is so pure and precious that I was chortling through the whole thing. HE THINKS HIS LOVE FOR TESSA IS MAKING HIM A STRONGER MAN AND KEEPING HIM HEALTHIER AND ALIVE LONGER. IT MAKES ME CRY. Also, just like instant pedo vibes from Mortmain being like ‘I created you’ and intends to marry her. Gross. You know what’s rude af—making Cyril drive the carriage in the rain. That poor man will get pneumonia, and Shadowhunters CAN’T GET SICK. One of them should’ve driven the friggin’ carriage. The fact that Tessa has to keep reminding herself that she loves Jem proves to me that she doesn’t really love Jem. For some stupid reason, she loves Will, but now she’s trapped in a situation where she has to force herself to pretend to love Jem when she really wants to be with Will. This story ends kind in a neat happy little bow. Which is weird. Because like who gets engaged when they’re being hunted by an evil little manlet bent on destroying all of the Shadowhunters? And then Will’s little sister shows up and the book ends. The end. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Some choice quotes I felt the need to point out. Like they literally made me LOL. * Your peace of mind looks cut up. * Look upon the bright side * She breathed his breath * Do you recollect me now? * We ought to wait for them, oughtn’t we? * I’m afraid too much passion could start you shedding petals like a tree in autumn, though. WTF DOES THAT MEAAAAAN. View all my reviews

Part one of the Shadowhunters Tarot Cards - Rings/Pentacles

Art by @cassandrajp

I - Seelie Queen and Meliorn as the Ace of Rings

II - Jace Wayland and Sebastian Verlac as the Two of Rings

the Two of Rings shows the Wayland ring and the Verlac ring, the Wayland symbol is horseshoes, because of Wayland the Smith (who gets a brief mention in Clockwork Princess as having forged Cortana) and Verlac is a serpent because ver in French is serpent or worm and lac is lake. Jace and Sebastian are represented as yin and yang, darkness and light, the masks are one light, one dark and that also indicate that what you see may not be exactly what you get

III - Emma and John Carstairs as the Three of Rings

the Three of Rings shows two generations of Carstairs: Emma and her father, who plays the family violin, while Emma is not particularly musical

IV - Cristina Rosales and Jaime as the Four of Rings

the Four of Rings includes Cristina’s medallion, Jaime’s crossbow and the rose-pattern ring of the Rosales family. This card can be about fear of love: losing it or getting it

V - Helen, Mark, Julian, Tiberius, Livia, Drusilla, Octavian as the Five of Rings

the Five of Rings is the Blackthorn ring, it shows the Blackthorn family in all their glory: Tiberius looking crabby as usual, Julian messing around, Mark being serious, etc. This card often represents going forward after suffering a loss

VI - Aloysius Starkweather as the Six of Rings

the Six of Rings shows Aloysius and his granddaughter Adele, with the Starkweather family ring patterned with lightning

Gentle reminder that Tessa, one of the most powerful downworlders, is Aloysius Starkweather’s great granddaughter.

That kids is what we call karma.

Theory: Charles Fairchild marries a Starkweather

Literally my only evidence is that he has a son named Aloysius but what if????

TSC villains/minor dislikable characters and mundane jobs they would have.

Inspired by @tsc-living’s post on ‘TSC characters and mundane jobs they would have.’

...

Axel Mortmain: owner of a cotton factory, although he’s being sued for negligence. Employees were pressured into working long hours, and endured many injuries.

(Mortmain starts scheming to win the lawsuits).

The dark sisters: spiritual advisors who help people contact their deceased loved ones.

(Majority of the time, they make little progress, and work mostly for the money).

Benedict Lightwood: qualified as a family counsellor, which is ironic, considering his own, dysfunctional family dynamic.

(He tries to encourage his sons to pursue the same career, even though they don’t want to).

Nathaniel Gray: works as a travel agent, after unsuccessfully cheating young men out of their own money in a betting branch.

(He hates answering phone calls).

Alexei De Quincey: an events manager, although he spend most of the weekend hosting book clubs. These clubs are often mistaken as wild parties instead.

(De Quincy secretly enjoys the ‘My little pony’ book collection).

Camille Belcourt: a fashion designer who aspires to be like Miranda Priestly from ‘The devil wears Prada,’ until someone younger and more beautiful comes along.

(She still attends business events and runway shows, even though she’s no longer in the public eye).

Josiah Wayland: the principal of a primary school, whose teaching resembles that of Miss Trunchbull’s from ‘Matilda.’

(He has his own obsession with chocolate cake).

Aloysius Starkweather: an old, History Professor at a university. He marks essays incorrectly and hates his job.

(He receives many letters from the Dean, suggesting that he should retire).

Tatiana Blackthorn: the founder of a dating website, who’s intent on finding a suitable partner for everyone.

(She reminds everyone of the matchmaker from ‘Mulan,’ because she’s just as intimidating).

Hodge Starkweather: hired as a hacker for corrupt businesses, but he gets caught and the jury releases him on parole.

(Hodge now does community service and wonders where life has led him).

Valentine Morgenstern: reluctantly works as a bank manager after the little success he gets from promoting his men’s clothing line.

(Valentine’s biggest competitor is Magnus and his ‘Bane collection’).

Victor Aldertree: a police officer who’s obsessed with eating doughnuts, and purposely prosecutes people even though they’re innocent.

(He gets mad when the dessert store runs out of doughnuts).

Sebastian Morgenstern: tries to make money from dirty, street fighting, but keeps getting his ass kicked. He now lives in France and works as a Barista at a French Cafe.

(Sebastian often burns the croissants and gets less tips).

Malcolm Fade: a poet, who enjoys the works of Edgar Allen Poe. Although, his obsession with one particular female lands him a restraining order.

(He continues writing bad poetry in the miserable confines of his home).

Annabel Blackthorn: a waitress at a ‘fish and chips’ shop in Cornwall, by the sea. She works on a full time average wage.

(Annabel comes home to dozens of posted, hand-written letters from a certain Mr Fade).

Barnabas Hale: a guard working in a museum. He’s very unfriendly and reluctant to let people in, without a thorough stop and search.

(Barnabas retires very early, and spends majority of the time yelling at children who innocently walk across his yard).

Anselm Nightshade: owner of different restaurant chains, and considers himself an entrepreneur.

(He is sometimes accused of using expired products in his ingredients).

Zara Dearborn: self-proclaimed author who writes about all the ‘achievements’ she’s accomplished in life, including charity work.

(Zara pulls a ‘Gilderoy Lockhart’ on everyone, and is now sued on the grounds of taking credit for what someone else did).

Horace Dearborn: sits as judge in a high criminal court, although he passes a lot of injustice and is planning to retire soon.

(Wearing the cap on top of his head, gives him an itchy scalp).

Manuel Villalobos: a personal assistant to a business tycoon, who tries to work his way up the social ladder by kissing ass.

(Manuel will do anything, including screwing people over, to get to the top).

katherinelucius said: It was said that the Satyr in London was killed by Nephilim. Will we ever know exactly who did it?

Yes, Hypatia drops that point in Lord of Shadows, mostly to make everyone feel awkward. But it’s no secret if you’ve read Clockwork Princess closely. :)

excerpt one from CP2:

..Sallows looked up peevishly as the shop bell tinkled, warning of the opening of the door, and he frowned. He thought he had locked it. “Back again, Nephilim?” he snapped. “Decided to throw me into the river not once but twice? I’ll have you know I have powerful friends—”

 “I don’t doubt you do, trickster.” The tall, hooded figure in the entryway reached around and pulled the door shut behind him. “And I am very interested in learning more about them.” A cold iron blade flashed in the dimness, and the satyr’s eyes widened in fear. “I have some questions to ask you,” said the man in the doorway. “And I wouldn’t try to run if I were you. Not if you want to keep your fingers attached to your body. . . .” excerpt two:

 Charlotte did not rise from her desk. Starkweather looked much as he had the last time she had seen him. ... “Please be seated, Mr. Starkweather,” said Charlotte as courteously as she could to someone who she knew disliked her, and had hated her father. But he did not sit down. His hands were locked behind his back, and as he turned, surveying the room around him, Charlotte saw with a flash of alarm that one of the cuffs of his jacket was splattered with blood. “Mr. Starkweather,” she said, and now she did rise. “Are you hurt? Should I summon the Brothers?” 

“Hurt?” he barked out. “Why would I be hurt?” 

“Your sleeve.” She pointed. 

He drew his arm away and gazed at it before huffing out a laugh. 

“Not my blood,” he said. “I was in a fight, earlier. He took objection...” 

“Took objection to what?” 

“To my cutting off all his fingers and then slitting his throat,” said Starkweather, meeting her eyes. His own were gray-black, the color of stone.

“Aloysius.” Charlotte forgot to be polite. “The Accords forbid unproved attacks on Downworlders.” 

“Unprovoked? I’d say this was provoked. His folk murdered my granddaughter. My daughter nearly died of grief. The house of Starkweather destroyed—”

Starkweather killed Sallows (Charlotte knows immediately that he killed a Downworlder, and it’s unlikely that there was more than one Nephilim wandering around London cutting the fingers off Downworlders that day) and had no remorse about it. He was a jerk.

Aloysius Starkweather ~ Peter Capaldi

Asking about a character I don't particularly care for but am thinking about right now: Lucie. Do you think she's neurodivergent? If yes, how? Why do you think she is... all the things she is?

ooh ooh!! neurodivergent yes. as to more specifics I’ve had adhd and autism both suggested by people but truthfully? I’ve not gone and done an analysis with the dsm on her because the dsm is limited and I do enjoy using it but sometimes I need to have a break from it having power over me and just really appreciate the diversity of human brains, of which lucie is a realistic portrayal!! tbh she’s a writer. crazy creative and a nod to fanfic authors many of whom are many flavours of nd. she’s also descended from aloysius starkweather, edmund herondale and linette owens and Cassie invented genetics so. also like with James and Lucie I do take the line in one of the tec books about the children (extrapolating it to likely include grandchildren) of greater demons rarely being ‘stable’ (ableist wording that usually applies to magical power I think but being nd def has some crossovers and applicability and both james and lucie are definitely both) so. that’s as much as I’ve got atm

she’s a ND female protagonist like many we’ve seen in stories especially mystery ones for younger children (sorry I can’t remember the specific examples she reminds me of) who is strong willed and curious (will and tessa right there!! Cassie invented genetics) but she’s also at the age where the teenage secrecy comes in and she’s learning that masking will make her appear more normal and hide the shame she’s starting to have sink in, during the series. and though she’s got the makeup of a main character she’s actually subverting the trope by being Cordelia’s bestie and James’s sister and while I def wish we saw more of her personality I do love her. I do think her development was quite realistic for a 16-17yo nd girl

Charlotte

Aloyius

Set of ID emojis

Let me set the scene:

Me, innocently laying in bed before going to sleep during week two of Covid quarantine. I’ve just started reading Clockwork Prince—a book I haven’t read in like A DECADE—because I wanted a refresher for Chain of Gold.

Then BAM. I hit this, which I have NO RECOLLECTION OF. OMG 😂😂💀💀💀💀

LYING LIMPLY ON THE GROUND?!? WILLIAM OWEN HERONDALE WUT—

Hello. What is your opinion on Hodge? He is my favorite character. I love his story and the fact he is grey character. I hate how CC just completely forget he existed and also forget about his relationship with Alec, Isabelle, Max. CC wrote Maryse and Robert weren't best parents when their kids were young. When I read books I assumed Hodge was close with Lightwood kids. Partly raised them when their parents were sorting their own problems and care for them deeply and they for him too. It's long time I read TMI but didn't Hodge stated how Alec, Isabelle and Max were the only reasons he didn't go mad trapped in institute? Their relationship is only tell and no show.

After Hodge's death Alec nor Isabelle or Jace ever think about him or grieve him. At the end Sebastain get more sympathy than Hodge. Hodge was driven by his horrible situation, he didn't see (any peobably even hadn't any other option) other path than work with Valentine to escape Institute. He was outsider from poor family and Valentine took adventage of him, manipulated him and then throw him away.

Same with Aloysius Starkweather. He is fascinating character. I'm kinda mad he died at the end and haven't chance to sort things out with Tessa. CC wrote so much about Tessa being Herondale because she is married to Will (because being Herondale is so great EVERYBODY must be proud of it, even Kit..) but she never actually speak about being Starkweather and about her opinions. It would be great, if CC wrote her story arc as trying to live with being Starkweather and trying to improve family name, restore old pride and Will helping her and supporting her. I wish Aloysius live and try to create some relationship with Tessa. Give him chance for redemption. But Clare sadly don't do redemption.

On the other hand I hope CC won't write anything with Starkweathers as main characters because she would ruin them like all her other families. Good thing she is so in love with Herondales.

Thank you for your wonderful content and in depth analyses. I know I can't read TMI again, I'm not as strong to go thru the incest hell again. Respect to you for reading it. Sorry for my english, not my mother langauge.

Hello. Thank you for your kind words. 😊 And yeah, these books can be extremely testing.

When I think of Hodge, I think of him as a rather discarded character. In City of Bones, Hodge is clearly more an intellectual than a warrior, though still a Shadowhunter. His role is mostly that of an exposition machine and then that of a traitor. Before all this, he has taken care of the Lightwood children and tutored them for years. He has attended every day of their lives in the New York Institute as a guardian and a teacher, but this isn’t really reflected in the writing or in their personal relationships in any other than surface level.

When Alec is suffering from the demon poisoning, Hodge tends to him, sedates him, and calls the Silent Brothers for aid. He doesn’t want Alec to die. In City of Glass, he tells Alec and Jace that he loved them all, and despite never truly being certain of Jace’s parentage, he tried to do best by him. Hodge also tells how Robert and Maryse merely tolerated him because they had to, and they never really liked him. When Hodge’s plans for the Cup are revealed in City of Bones, he tells Clary that he doesn’t work for Valentine but is “Valentine’s man” when accused by her. Even when he gives up the Cup and Jace to Valentine in exchange for his freedom, Hodge doesn’t want Jace hurt. His betrayal isn’t done lightly:

Hodge’s face worked. “It is not easy to betray what you believe in-those who trust you.” “Do you mean the Lightwoods, or their children?” “Both,” said Hodge.

Clary moralizes Hodge, bases her accusations on faulty knowledge by believing she has all the pieces when in reality she is nowhere near to the truth. When Hodge explains Clary the unfairness of the punishment:

“The Clave laid this curse on me because I aided Valentine. But I was hardly the only member of the Circle to serve him-were the Lightwoods not as guilty as I was? Were not the Waylands? Yet I was the only one cursed to live out my life without being able to set so much as a foot outdoors, not so much as a hand through the window.” “That’s not my fault,” said Clary. “It’s not Jace’s fault. Why punish him for what the Clave did? I can understand giving Valentine the Cup, but Jace? He’ll kill Jace, just like he killed Jace’s father-” “Valentine,” said Hodge, “did not kill Jace’s father.” A sob broke free from Clary’s chest. “I don’t believe you! All you do is tell lies! Everything you’ve ever said was a lie!” “Ah,” he said, “the moral absolutism of the young, which allows for no concessions. Can’t you see, Clary, that in my own way I’m trying to be a good man?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way. The good things you do don’t cancel out the bad ones. But-” She bit her lip. “If you told me where Valentine was-”

A principle which seems to only apply to characters that aren’t Clare’s favorites. Also Clary seems even brattier than ever? That’s not my fault, like honey, no one was saying this was about you or Jace. What Hodge did was for himself. This was only about Hodge and his craving for freedom. Clary then goes after Hodge, and Hodge tries to scare Clary away with the chakram, aiming just off of Clary. He doesn’t use them on anyone before Luke attacks him in his werewolf form and then only to his own defense.

Some of Hodge’s lines in City of Bones were nonsensical and pseudo-intellectual, but out of all the characters in City of Glass, Hodge was the only one who didn’t spout utter bullshit.

Like you said, Hodge was driven by the circumstance. What he did was wrong but understandable. I get it. There were concrete reasons for his behavior, not this out-of-nowhere and vague sense of something that just drives people to do stuff, but actual palpable reasons. He was punished harder than any other Circle member. The Lightwoods got away pretty lightly just because of their relations to some higher-ups in the Clave. He wasn’t even allowed in the Institute yard. He could never go out while others were free to roam the city and travel to Idris. He rarely got any company other than the kids. Alec blames Hodge of thinking that the children weren’t enough for him, and Hodge says he did love them but also needed adult company, which is only reasonable and natural. Hodge’s love for the kids and his need for interaction with other adults do not cancel each other out.

By the time of City of Glass, Hodge has finally turned his back on Valentine because Valentine was the only one who could’ve given him a place in the world and a chance of a new life as a Shadowhunter, but even Valentine didn’t want him. Because of his curse, Hodge had no chance at life. He couldn’t get married and have children of his own, he couldn’t do anything to call living in the confines of the Institute. He was a prisoner, and seeing how Maryse and Robert got away easy for the same reasons he was denied a new life, I understand the bitterness and resentment Hodge had towards the Clave. But it had nothing to do with the Lightwood kids, though it’s understandable also they’d be upset about Hodge’s betrayal.

The narrative doesn’t really recognize that or the characters at least don’t. They don’t try understand him, and Jace just spouts out the much-loved “The law is hard, but it is the law.” There doesn't seem to be much lost when Hodge dies, because Hodge's supposed importance in their lives (or any emotional attachment) was forgotten the minute he had served his purpose. In City of Fallen Angels, Hodge is mentioned in the context of being the former tutor who’s now dead, the Institute needing a replacement for him, and that it was Sebastian who killed him and Max. In City of Lost Souls he’s mentioned because of the photograph he gave Clary and that he had his own system of organizing books in the library. In City of Heavenly Fire there isn’t any noteworthy mentions. Such a deep effect he had.

I’ve said many times that Hodge not knowing Jace’s true parentage just couldn’t be possible. And I came across this part in City of Bones.

Jace looked up at Hodge, surprised. Clary noted the contrast: the ravaged face of the older man and the boy’s unlined one, the pale locks of hair falling into Jace’s eyes making him look even younger. “I’m not sure what you mean,” Jace said. Hodge’s breath hissed out through his teeth. “You look so much like him.” “Like who?” said Jace in astonishment; he had clearly never heard Hodge talk this way before. “Like your father,” Hodge said, and raised his eyes to where Hugo, black wings stirring the humid air, hovered just overhead.

Because here Hodge means Valentine. And it is commented on how Jace doesn’t look like either Valentine or Jocelyn. Hodge couldn’t have meant Stephen because Hodge dIdN’T kNoW whose kid Jace really was before he saw Sebastian. Which is nonsense, because kids have faces and Jace looks like Stephen besides around the eyes that are Céline’s and blah, blah, blah. It’s full of holes, I tell ya.

When I first read TID, I was actually surprised that Clare went with Starkweathers as Tessa’s family. Then again, nothing really ties her to that later on. She piggybacks on the Herondale name so much that the fact that her mother was originally Starkweather seems not to really matter.

Headcanons on TSC Characters' pronouns (I know CC already used their pronouns but, hey.)

Under the cut because it's a long post

And also, I felt like mentioning their sexualities wherever I thought I should. Pronouns are a whole different topic here. I mean, they could be straight and still use their preferred pronouns. Just so we're clear and you don't get me wrong. And these are just my opinions.

TSC

Will Herondale : definitely he/they. He'd have invented the phrase "Gender is a social construct" If he existed in the modern era

Jem Carstairs : He/they. No I will not elaborate

Tessa Gray : She/they. She gives off the vibes

Gideon Lightwood : he/they. He's the epitome of bi panic in the group

Gabriel Lightwood : he/him. He's the token straight that's on thin ice. Idk why but he just gives off the vibes

Sophie Collins : She/neopronouns. Again, I'll not elaborate

Cecily Herondale : She/they/neopronouns because ✨Queen✨

Charlotte Fairchild : She/they/neopronouns

Henry Branwell : He/they. He's the first one to use he/they in the gang, thus inspiring the others without his own knowledge, even Will (he'd never admit it, but he WORSHIPS Henry)

Jessamine Lovelace : closeted she/they. She came out after her death

Mortmain, Lightworm, Thotiana, Nate Gray : Either he/him or she/her. Queerphobic pieces of shit. Also, no colours for their names😤

Aloysius Starkweather : He/him. Also queerphobic and a piece of shit, but a little different

Bridget Daly : She/he/they. No I won't elaborate

Agatha Grant : also she/he/they

Thomas Tanner : he/they

Cyril Tanner : he/they

TLH

James Herondale : he/they

Lucie Herondale : she/they

Anna Lightwood : SHE/THEY/NEOPRONOUNS

Eugenia Lightwood : she/they

Barbara Lightwood : she/her

Thomas Lightwood : he/they

Christopher Lightwood : he/they. Same vibes as Henry

Jesse Blackthorn : he/him. Same vibes as Gabriel

Grace Blackthorn : they/she/neopronouns

Alastair Carstairs aka Stairstairs : He/they/neopronouns

Cordelia Carstairs : neopronouns/she/they

Matthew Fairchild : he/they/neopronouns. Same vibes as Will

Ariadne Bridgestock : She/they

Charles Fairchild : he/him

Sona Carstairs : she/her. She's the cool mom

Risa : she/her

Oliver Hayward : He/they

Filomena di Angelo : She/they

Effie : She/they

Ernie : He/they

Polly : She/they

Elias Carstairs : he/him. Queerphobic piece of shit

Belial, Augustus Pounceby, Maurice Bridgestock, all the pieces of shit : either he/him or she/her. Queerphobic bitches

TMI

Clary Fairchild : she/her

Jace Herondale : he/they

Alec Lightwood : he/him

Magnus Bane : he/they/neopronouns. C'mon, he's Magnus

Isabelle Lightwood : she/they

Simon Lewis : he/him. Gabriel vibes

Jocelyn Fairchild : she/her

Luke Garroway : he/him

Robert Lightwood : he/him

Maryse Lightwood : she/her

Stephen Herondale : he/him

Celine Montclaire : she/her

Amatis Graymark : she/her

Michael Wayland : he/they

Valentine Morgenstern : he/him. Queerphobic piece of shit.