M.M.

Midnights aesthetic: Maroon

I think the best way to think about it is by looking at contemporary politics, and how a lot of politicians use fear mongering and convincing people that different=bad to get people on their sides. Valentine, an extremely manipulative, charismatic, and political man, convinced the Circle that Downworlders were different than Shadowhunters, and force-fed them anti-Downworlder rhetoric (and punished those who opposed him by framing Downworlders) that convinced Shadowhunters to hate them. I think that Valentine convinced them to fear Downworlders, overlaid it with so much hatred, and proposed such idealistic policies on how to change the Clave through the medium of Shadowhunter self-righteousness that got the whole Circle hooked. Everyone thought that they were doing the best thing for Shadowhunter society.

Valentine used his confidence and magnetism to manipulate incredibly young and impressionable Shadowhunters. They gravitated towards that sort of leadership because they were upset about the world and wanted change, which Valentine offered, even if they only realized too late how evil it was.

[...]

"It's not gray," Clary felt compelled to point out. "It's green."

Those sickos may share the same f-ing toothbrush

But those sickos saved the damn world

because Julian's 14 when this happens. yes Mark is unaware of how much time has passed since he was taken, but he's not completely oblivious to the abstract of it. right before this he's talking about how Tavvy won't remember their parents and him, how Dru might not either, and he's saying all this to someone who shouldn't have changed but did anyway. the significance of this is when Mark was 14, that was when Eleanor died and Andrew checked out. a 16 year old Helen would become the primary caregiver for Tavvy but what about their other four younger siblings? who was looking after them? (Mark. the answer is Mark)

and I imagine it started well before Eleanor died, because before that she was sick. before that pregnant. parents of 6 who are also in charge of running a major Institute. when Helen was ten and just starting her training, Dru was just born. caring for newborns is crazy without having five older children (2. 2. 4. 8. 10) who do you think took on the responsibility of watching the others when everyone else was to be busy?

Mark says Julian will not be able to Helen because he is too young, but how old was Mark? even at 12, Julian is older than he probably was. does Mark see that he too was too young?

Annabell and Livvy Blackthorn 🥀