#lukelyn

TID: Jem — the lakes (folklore)

Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me?

I'm not cut out for all these cynical clones. These hunters with cell phones

What should be over, burrowed under my skin in heart-stopping waves of hurt

I've come too far to watch some namedropping sleaze tell me what are my Wordsworth

I want auroras and sad prose

I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet 'cause I haven't moved in years. And I want you right here

A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground with no one around to tweet it

While I bathe in cliffside pools with my calamitous love and insurmountable grief

Take me to the Lakes, where all the poets went to die

I don't belong and, my beloved, neither do you

Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry

I'm setting off, but not without my muse. No, not without you

honorable mention: Will — Dear Reader (Midnights)

TDA: Alastair — long story short (folklore)

Fatefully I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me

Misery like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

And you passed right by. I was in the alley, surrounded on all sides

The knife cuts both ways. If the shoe fits, walk in it 'til your high heels break

And I fell from the pedestal, right down the rabbit hole

Long story short, it was a bad time

Pushed from the precipice, clung to the nearest lips

Long story short, it was the wrong guy

Now I'm all about you. I'm all about you.

Actually, I always felt I must look better in the rear view

Missing me at the golden gates they once held the keys to

When I dropped my sword, I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door

And we live in peace. But if someone comes at us, this time, I'm ready

No more keepin' score. Now I just keep you warm

No more tug of war. Now I just know there's more

And my waves meet your shore ever and evermore

Past me, I wanna tell you not to get lost in these petty things

Your nemeses will defeat themselves before you get the chance to swing

And he's passing by: rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky

And he feels like home.

If the shoe fits, walk in it everywhere you go

Long story short: it was a bad time

Long story short: I survived

honorable mention: Matthew — this is me trying (folklore)

TMI: Celine — Hey Stephen (Fearless)

Hey, Stephen, I know looks can be deceiving but I know I saw a light in you

And as we walked, we were talking. I didn't say half the things I wanted to

Of all the girls tossing rocks at your window, I'll be the one waiting there even when it's cold

Hey, Stephen, boy, you might have me believing I don't always have to be alone

Hey, Stephen, I've been holding back this feeling so I got some things to say to you.

I've seen it all, so I thought, but I’ve never seen nobody shine the way you do

The way you walk, way you talk, way you say my name

It's beautiful, wonderful, don't you ever change

Hey, Stephen, why are people always leaving? I think you and I should stay the same

They're dimming the street lights, you're perfect for me. Why aren't you here tonight?

I'm waiting alone now, so come on and come out and pull me near and shine, shine, shine

Hey, Stephen, I could give you fifty reasons why I should be the one you choose

All those other girls, well, they're beautiful. But would they write a song for you?

I can't help it if you look like an angel

Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain so come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you

Can't help it if there's no one else. I can't help myself

honorable mention: Jace — Anti-Hero (Midnights)

TDA: Emma — The Albatross (TTPD)

Wise men once said, "Wild winds are death to the candle"

A rose by any other name is a scandal

Cautions issued, he stood shooting the messengers

They tried to warn him about her

Cross your thoughtless heart. Only liquor anoints you

She's the albatross. She is here to destroy you

Wise men once said, “One bad seed kills the garden. One less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen"

Locked me up in towers but I'd visit in your dreams

And they tried to warn you about me

Devils that you know raise worse hell than a stranger

She's the death you chose. You're in terrible danger

And when that sky rains fire on you & you're persona-non-grata

I'll tell you how I've been there too, & that none of it matters

Wise men once read fake news and they believed it

Jackals raised their hackles. You couldn't conceive it

You were sleeping soundly when they dragged you from your bed

And I tried to warn you about them

So I crossed my thoughtless heart. Spread my wings like a parachute

I'm the albatross. I swept in at the rescue

The devil that you know look now more like an angel

I'm the life you chose and all this terrible danger.

an argument could be made that this song fits Cordelia too, and i won’t say you’re wrong if you think that way! i almost put this for Cordelia at first!

Ship: Malec — Mastermind (Midnights)

[it works the best if you imagine it from Magnus’ POV]

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates & all the stars aligned

You and I ended up in the same room at the same time

And the touch of a hand lit the fuse of a chain reaction of counter-moves, to assess the equation of you

Checkmate, I couldn't lose.

You see, all the wisеst women [or warlocks in this case] had to do it this way, 'cause we were born to be the pawn in every lover's game

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Strategy sets the scene for the tale

I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails & the liquor in our cocktails

What if I told you none of it was accidental & the first night that you saw me I knew I wanted your body?

I laid the groundwork, and then just like clockwork, the dominoes cascaded in a line

What if I told you I'm a mastermind? And now you're mine.

It was all my design. ‘Cause I'm a mastermind!

No one wanted to play with me as a little kid. So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since: to make them love me and make it seem effortless

This is the first time I've felt the need to confess

And I swear! I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care

So I told you none of it was accidental & the first night that you saw me nothing was gonna stop me

I laid the groundwork, and then saw a wide smirk on your face: You knew the entire time!

You knew that I'm a mastermind

And now you're mine. Yeah, all you did was smile 'cause I'm a mastermind!

honorable mentions: Jocelyn & Luke — Begin Again (RED), Alastair & Charles — tolerate it (evermore)

APPLE MUSIC LINK

Reading order

1. City of Broken Hearts

2. Zachary’s Day Out

3. The Beautiful Ajatara

4. Too Wise To Love

5. Bred in the Bone

6. The Time of Two

7. The Judgement of King Kieran

8. The Good Storm

9. Who the Wolf Loves

10. A Surfeit of Anna’s

Ranking from favorite to least favorite :

1. Too Wise To Love

2. City of Broken Hearts

3. Bred in the Bone

4. The Beautiful Ajatara

5. The Good Storm

6. A Surfeit of Anna’s

7. The Time of Two

8. Who the Wolf Loves

9. The Judgement of King Kieran

10. Zachary’s Day Out

Many spoilery thoughts below

William “Will” Herondale/James “Jem” Carstairs + Theresa “Tessa” Gray: It totally would have been a vee type polyamorous situation if it wasn’t for all the death and 1800s London society going on.

Henry Branwell + Charlotte Fairchild: How dare this misogynistic society put us together, I mean, we wanted to get together anyway, but not for those reasons. Welp, time to be as unconventional as possible.

Gabriel Lightwood + Cecily Herondale: Look, you made fun of my sister, it’s only fair that I marry your sister; that’s the rules.

Gideon Lightwood + Sophia “Sophie” Collins: Dad, I have a perfectly valid reason to betray you and go to the other side. What your doing is wrong and – nO tHiS haS nOThiNG to do wiTh tHeIR mAid wHy wOUlD yoU eVEn sAy tHat?

Jesse Blackthorn + Lucie Herondale: Your request to not be brought back to life has been denied, deal with it.

James “Jamie” Herondale + Cordelia Carstairs: He didn’t commit arson we were just having sex – why are you all looking at me like that’s worse?

Anna Lightwood + Ariadne Bridgestock: Listen, there’s a lot of society going on right now, so we’re going to have to get together in secret. Oh, you don’t want to? Okay, never mind, fuck society, let me win you back real quick.

Christopher Lightwood + Grace Cartwright: Oh good, you broke into my house, now we can talk about science.

Thomas Lightwood + Alastair Carstairs: I’d really like to hate you, but I think the biggest problem with that is that I love you. Once I get over that hurdle, I think we’ll be in the clear.

Lucian “Luke” Graymark + Jocelyn Fairchild: Good job on us for breaking away from the genocidal cult run by our best friend/husband; we should hook up, you know, as a reward.

Jonathan “Jace” Herondale + Clarissa “Clary” Fairchild: Ayo the same guy conducted experiments on our blood, that’s crazy; btw so glad we’re not actually siblings.

Alexander “Alec” Lightwood + Magnus Bane: Marrying each other is against the law? Okay, fine, I’m a law biding citizen. Oh oops, I made it legal. I am the law now, and I want a wedding on the beach.

Simon Lovelace + Isabelle Lightwood: It makes sense to have our engagement party on the day of my brother’s death, that’s when we really started bonding.

Helen “Alessa” Blackthorn + Aline Penhallow: Well, I guess we’re going to go in exile together. Yes, I said together; your exile is my exile, what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine, that’s how relationships work.

Julian Blackthorn + Emma Carstairs: Yes, it’s a technical war crime to love each other, but the law itself is not really our main concern about it.

Kieran Hunter + Mark “Miach” Blackthorn + Cristina Rosales: We’re really living that cottage core aesthetic, and all we had to do to get here was do a small war and some amnesia. Worth it.

Gwyn ap Nudd + Diana Wrayburn: I’m going to stand by just in case something happens, but it probably won’t, she knows what she’s doing – WHY IS SHE JUMPING OUT THE TENTH STORY WINDOW OH MY GOD WAIT

Tiberius “Ty” Blackthorn + Christopher “Kit” Herondale: We take cosplaying Sherlock and Watson VERY seriously, so of course we needed to go to all the most illegal places, it’s only natural.

Thank you for the ask! I’m so glad you asked me this but I am going to have such a hard time picking favorites because there are so many great ones.

1. Malec - they’re universally beloved by the fandom for a reason, I love them so so much (happy late birthday to Alec Lightwood)

2. Herongraystairs - in 2022 I did a ranking for my favorite ships and 2022 me, who had only just joined the TSC fandom that year, put Herongraystairs in second right after my OG first ship I ever shipped (Percabeth) because that was how much reading the Clockwork Princess epilogue and just TID in general impacted me. The idea of an immortal love that endures time and death was new to me and I cried when I read the epilogue at 3am in my room (I still remember that 3 years later). So yeah I can’t not put Herongraystairs up here. It’s been a while since I read TID I should probably reread it next year

3. Blackstairs - my TDA reread + reading Secrets of Blackthorn Hall for the first time really gave me a new appreciation for their ship (I loved them before but now even more). Also, I’m a huge sucker for friends to lovers

4. Jordelia/Herondaisy - half the reason why Chain of Iron is in my top 5 TSC books. (It’s been a while since I’ve reread TLH though, might reread it next year) I do love my slow burn romances

5. Clace - I love them a lot, and for good reason, they just keep getting better with every book and they’re the OG. That said, they’re not always the first that come to mind when I think of my favorite ships.

Honorable mentions :

Haline - I love them so much even if they don’t have that much page time. In fact, I love them so much that even if it’s false advertising when I wanted to convince my friends to read TSC I sent them a fanart of Haline

Lukelyn- again, I am a sucker for childhood friends to lovers and very very slow burns

Sizzy - I can’t not put them in this list, I love them.

KitTy - can’t wait for TWP I love these two

Thomastair - their BiB short story reminded me of how much I love them and now I really want to reread TLH