( CLOSED )

[obstinance]

Who: clary fray (obstinance ) & various
What: october event and accompanying shenanigans
When: october
Where: various
Warning(s): stupidity

[ closed catch-all for shenanigans. starters in comments; feel free to pm me or pp romanoff if you'd like to do something. ]

Comments

» clarke.

[obstinance]

[ the chaotic aftermath makes it nearly impossible to navigate her way through the city.

then again, she isn't trying to travel very far, not initially. the first few hours proceeding the attack are spent slotting together what information she can, salvaging market displays and calming the local populace, before she pays any attention to the cold sweat forming on the back of her neck. it's stubborn, admittedly, but she resists as extensively as she can until the ache becomes too much — and an evident cue she isn't as unaffected as she would prefer to believe, but that much can be faulted on her patrol schedule.

of course she would be chosen to guard the market district when it's been chose as the prime target for a chemical ambush, but there's little time to pettily resent being assigned to that particular job. the network is already clogged with posts the moment she does pause to scroll through the information, and the sanctuary isn't any different when she steps through the door in immediate search for clarke, needing to wriggle her way through the gathering crowd to peek over the tops of heads and around cots alike to hone in on that familiar head of blonde hair. ]

Clarke. [ it's nearly a shout to get her attention and be heard over the chatter and (warranted) unease, but it seems the attempt is enough to earn her some wriggle room through the gathered natives and refugees to make her way closer. ] I need your help. [ direct and straightforward. she struggles visibly to bite the words out afterward, but she does ultimately manage. ] Would you mind looking me over? It should only take a few minutes.

[ ... mostly because she doesn't intend to stay afterward, but semantics. ]

[romancekiller]

[ clarke had been working at the sanctuary soon after she learned about the attack on olympia. she had just spoke to clary not that long ago either so the moment she hears the familiar voice call out her name, she turns and she sees the other girl making her way over and not looking so good either.

she immediately rushes towards her, the concern evident in her features because she was showing similar symptoms as the others who were sick and affected by this attack] Clary— hey. Don't worry I'll help you, it's going to take more than a few minutes though since you need to rest.

[obstinance]

I can't stay here.

[ blunt and straightforward, it's out of her mouth before she can stop it, edged with her concern. even then, she doesn't know how helpful it might be, but it feels important to do what she can before heading out — whether that includes giving samples or allowing clarke to record the effects from the gas. ]

Not for more than a few hours. I have to make sure my friends stay safe.

[ conveniently, she doesn't explain that safe doesn't just entail ensuring they weren't caught in the explosion. safe means the threat being off the street, and while she can't join in any hunt without being a liability, she can at least involve herself in gathering information.

she frowns, eyes assessing clarke from head to toe. ]

You're okay, right? [ appearances say so, but it still needs to be asked. ]

[romancekiller]

[clarke has heard it all before so it doesn't surprise her when clary insists she can't be here and wants to ensure her friends stay safe. she is already used to it and honestly she understands the impulse to do that herself] I know, I get that—

[the concern about her does catch her off guard slightly if only because she was completely fine in comparison] I'm more than okay, it's you I'm worried about and I need to make sure you're okay first.

[obstinance]

I don't want you getting infected.

[ she could be talking to clarke or herself, prepping to stay (even momentarily) and attempting to convince herself into it. her immediate approval of clarke and the ease with which she's considered her a friend makes it more difficult to concede, knowing how contagious it may or may not be to those around her, whether it is or isn't clarke's job — but she's come here for a reason, and she knows she'd be pulled right back by someone else if she tried to flee. ]

Just tell me what you need me to do.

[romancekiller]

You won't— I'll be okay. [clarke has been through and even survived a lot worse so she is confident she in her words while she does appreciate the concern but it's everyone else including clary that she is worried about.

this particular illness isn't something she has dealt with before especially with how it seems to have been spread. the symptoms are flu like at most but she knows better than to underestimate things like this but if she can help people get better before it gets worse then she is determined to do just that] Come on— let's get you to one of the bed so you can take it rest and we can take it from there.

» bellamy.

[obstinance]

[ it's hardly surprising that her limit of taking it easy — stepping aside while others take the brunt of the work — amounts to a handful of hours.

her break isn't much of a break, admittedly, given it involves a watchful eye on the network and a ploy to head back into the fray. still, its more for the sake of those around her — and a begrudging acknowledgement that the vertigo she's experiencing won't be eased by running around — that she pretends to hole up inside of her room, somehow managing to avoid being hauled off to the sanctuary.

— she's likely only managed to avoid it because of others' exasperation with her bullheaded attitude, more aptly. either way, she'll need to apologize to both clarke and robb when the matter is settled. for now, she's taken to what reconnaissance she can achieve while impeded as she is, ignoring her mounting frustration with herself. chasing after associates won't get anywhere, so it's back alleys and seedy corners of the city she sticks to.

unfortunately, that type of self-assigned work comes with the caveat of avoiding familiar faces, certain she'll flub in any attempt to deceive them. the mask over her mouth can only conceal so much, after all, and it's with that thought in mind that she comes to an abrupt halt and turns to head in a different direction the instant she spies bellamy a few feet ahead of her. ]

[jettisons]

[She might have been able to sneak away if it hadn't been for that neon orange hair of hers. It's eye-catching, and Bellamy glances over instinctively. Clarke has already told him Clary was one of the people close to the blast, and he knew she was going to be too stubborn to stay still, so he turns to follow her, long strides catching up to hers quickly.]

Pretty far from the sanctuary, aren't you?

[obstinance]

[ the footfalls behind her are relatively easy to distinguish as bellamy's, and though that thought could be blamed on her own paranoia that he's already caught a glimpse of her, the familiar drawl of his voice is too distinct. even without glancing over, she's able to identify him, breathing out a harsh sigh through her nose.

now feels like the appropriate time to curse the brightness of her hair or his longer strides, but she only fixates on the stretch of the street ahead of her, not so petty that she acts on the instinct to speed up her steps. ]

I could say the same about you.

[ yes, they're going to play that game. as far as clary's concerned, bellamy isn't entirely aware of her situation; shrugging it off and focusing the spotlight on him is fair game, if that's the case. ]

[jettisons]

I'm not sick.

[Busted, Clary. He's shooting her a slightly judging look.]

Are you trying to make yourself pass out?

[obstinance]

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

[ there's no world in which quoting sun tzu to anyone would get her off the hook, not even to izzy — someone clary knows would properly appreciate it — but it's a better alternative to directly acknowledging she doesn't plan to slow down. ]

Are you trying to get yourself sick?

[ answering a question with another question won't get her off the hook, either, but it's a warranted one. in fact, she might just be implying he's a hypocrite somewhere between the lines. ]

[jettisons]

If I get sick, I get sick. I'll deal with it then.

["Deal with it" is wonderfully vague.]

What are you doing?

[There's no way in hell she's wandering around the city for no reason.]

» robb.

[obstinance]

[ returning to the sanctuary would be the shrewdest option, but the streets are still congested and the frantic atmosphere hasn't eased since she'd stepped foot out of the building. it seems just as likely as it is unlikely to snag robb on the street, mouth covered by what flimsy material she could gather from the clinic and clad in gloves to keep skin-to-skin contact as minimal as she can, as tempted as she is to avoid any familiar faces — or any faces at all, lest the body aches that want to make her fingers tremble and her legs wobble spread to anyone else.

fortunately for her facade, she's done a decent job of steeling herself, convincing others (and, most importantly, herself) that she's up to the task of pursuing any criminals they come across. it might be a little suspicious how quickly she retracts her hand when she's certain she has robb's attention, but she conceals it with a tentative smile. ]

Hey. Slow down for a sec. [ ironic, coming from her, but robb looks like a man on a mission. she knows that look, if only because she's witnessed countless times, both on herself and in the faces of nearly everyone around her: alec, izzy, jace, simon. ] Have you heard anything?

[ it doesn't feel like that much of a stretch to ask when his expression is as determined as it is. it certainly can't hurt to ask, especially if she intends to do something about what's occurred. ]

does whatever i want try and stop me

[webdesigned]

( Clary probably thinks she's doing a great job of running incognito. there's no obvious sign that someone that knows her might have spotted her, after all... not until that someone jogs to a stop next to her, like they had way more momentum going than anyone could possibly need. which is weird, because you'd have been able to hear someone running up to you, right?

whatever, it's nothing, it's just Peter, though admittedly with worse hair than usual. though, is that even saying that much? )

Clary, hey. ( he's breathless, and he looks exhausted, but other than that Peter is all in once piece. his dark eyes narrow as he looks her over, though, because apparently he decides that perhaps Clary is not. ) Hold on a second, would you? Are you okay? You look... ( he doesn't want to say it, but what is left unsaid is pretty easy to guess at. )

there's no gif of peter being a stalker therefore you're banned

[obstinance]

[ it's more than weird; it's enough to warrant a double-take and a flinch she tries to disguise at peter's sudden presence. luckily for him, she too easily excuses it as being too feverish and distracted to be as aware of her surroundings as she should be, though that doesn't stop her from looking initially (and rightfully) bewildered. at least she hadn't reached for a weapon in reflex. ]

Wh — [ that was the beginning of what the hell, judging by the expression that flashes across her face. she swallows it, channeling her focus into turning her head from that attentive stare. it's not the first time she's been fussed over, and it's not the first time she's waved it off, as sluggish and weary as she feels.

then again, that might be from relentlessly circling the city for hours. ]

Everyone keeps saying that. [ if you guessed that she has not, in fact, heeded his hold on a second, you're absolutely right. in fact, it's possible her strides have gotten even hastier out of sheer defiance and trademark stubbornness. ] But I'm not the one who looks like they need a nap.

[ considering how tired peter looks. evidently she's not the only one overexerting herself. ]

stays anyway o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

[webdesigned]

( it's definitely the fact she's feverish. he totally didn't appear from absolutely nowhere, he caught up to her by jogging along the street like a perfectly normal guy. how else would he have shown up? it's not like he spotted her from on high and broke from brooding over the city for a problem that didn't need him and made the sudden transition from spider to normal kid a little too quickly.

it's definitely not that.

he doesn't react to her unfinished accusation — because if he buys into the fact his appearance was a little abnormal, that makes it true. instead he's the one jogging a few steps to catch up and pass her, parking him directly in front of her. and he's harder to move than he looks, if she decides to try. )

I said hold on for a second. ( this time, it's less casual, and more concerned. because if his suspicions are right, then it's sort of too late to check in on her, which had been the idea. ) Actually, you do. Are you sick? What are you doing out here?

😠

[obstinance]

[ that would just be crazy!!! ]

I heard you. [ the implication being that she deliberately (rudely) chose to ignore that request. it's less of one now if his stance is any indication, but she isn't so stubborn that she tries to barrel right through him.

then again, maybe it has less to do with how stubborn she is and more to do with keeping herself purposefully distanced as she comes to an abrupt, clumsy halt to keep from bumping into him. she's avoided direct contact as much as possible, and this is no different in spite of the gloves on her hands. if not for that mindset, she would make a move to push by him. ]

Research. [ not the studious kind, either, but the eavesdropping and visiting seedy businesses to get information kind. ] And before you say anything else, I've already been in bed.

[ which had been enough of a break in her mind, and pausing for peter's sake for a handful of seconds is enough of one, too. she doesn't expect to outmaneuver him easily, but she is going to make the attempt to step around him. ]

[webdesigned]

Great. I'm glad hearing loss isn't a new symptom. ( that's officially the most sarcastic she's ever heard him, but even he has a breaking point. she doesn't need to tell him, anymore, she doesn't need to spell out the obvious. he's seen enough of VIOLET2710 in Cheryl, in the occasional civilian he's bringing to Sanctuary, the weary faces they're observing at the Institute in search of answers, that he doesn't need Clary to say that she's sick. he can tell, and that's definitely a worse condition to be running around town in than a little bit of under eye circles.

she tries to pass him, and maybe he should let her. instead he reaches out to take her by the shoulders, instead of letting her wheel right by him. )

For what, ten minutes? ( he has no idea if bedrest is actually going to cure this thing, but running around for the sake of research definitely isn't. ) If you're sick, you're contagious. You could be infecting anyone you talk to, I know you know that. ( gloves aren't going to help her much when VIOLET was transferred by bodily fluids. a sneeze, a cough, even rubbing her eyes without thinking could spread the contamination, and the worst part of all this was that Olympia was wholly unprepared for an outbreak of any kind. )

[obstinance]

More than ten minutes. [ a few hours, give or take, but he doesn't need to know the in-depth details of her (fruitless) attempts to stand still. the bite to that correction speaks volumes of her mounting frustration — not necessarily toward peter himself, as much of a factor as he is, but the entire matter at hand — but she doesn't pull herself back or make any apologies for it. sarcasm begets sarcasm, first and foremost, and she's done him the favor of resisting the urge to roll her eyes or knock his hands away. ]

And I've been to the Sanctuary before you bring it up next. There are people here that need those beds more than I do. [ just by being strictly human, but she's not so eager to insist she's anything but ordinary in that regard. ] It's going to be contagious no matter where I go or what I do, anyway.

[ she's already gearing up to her next point, no holds barred, but it feels laughably hypocritical to be lectured about the contagiousness of it all when he's the one reaching out to her. ] I know that you know that, too, or did you forget to practice what you preach?

[ not knocking his hands away had been a kindness. jerking out of his hold isn't, but it's the only way she can manage dislodging his fingertips from her shoulders without directly making contact. at the very least, she hasn't run off again. ]

hey hey

[jettisons]

[So, a week or so later, Bellamy is just going to show up at Clary's apartment, because of course he is. He's been so all over the city lately that he's only had time to check up on her for brief periods, but this time, he's got something he needs to share with her beyond assuaging his concern. They're still no closer to a cure beyond vague rumors, and he knows they're grasping at straws, but Clary has quickly cemented herself as someone he can trust, someone he can bounce ideas off of. He didn't warn her about this visit beforehand, but at least he knocks.]

[obstinance]

[ resigning herself to inaction (inaction in the physical sense, at the very least, given how determined she's been to pursue possible sources of information) hasn't been much of a choice. her trips outside have been sparse for a reason, messages exchanged even less during the intervals where her mind feels clouded and her energy feels like it's been sapped from her; speaking about what she's convinced she's seeing, hearing, and the momentary lapses in her memory would somehow solidify it as more real than it is.

she should expect that bellamy wouldn't stay away. his visits have been brief and sporadic, but she'd been better, then — less paranoid than she is now — and his sudden, unannounced appearance at her doorstep takes her temporarily off-guard when she swings it open. ]

Hey. [ if it sounds puzzled, it's because she is. her eyes dart behind him, scanning the city street before she steps aside. ] Come in.

[ even if she tries for casual, it might come across like she's rushing him, however subtle it is. ]

[jettisons]

[Some people might call it paranoia, but Bellamy has learned to pick up on those little cues, so he catches it. He steps inside quickly, keeping an eye on her as he does. Bellamy's running on very little sleep, and it's obvious in the lines of his face and the way he carries himself, but as always, he still seems more concerned about Clary.]

Hey. Everything alright?

[obstinance]

I think I'm just tired.

[ i think denotes some uncertainty. in that, it's an intentional word choice. she's never been one to lie, even if she can't claim she's never hid important information for the sanity or protection of someone else, but it feels easier to explain it away — to both herself and bellamy — with just that.

she closes the door quickly enough, latching it without thinking, before she truly gets a good look at him. ]

Looks like I'm not the only one, either.

[ for the record, that's definitely the tone of someone disapproving. ]

[jettisons]

I'm fine.

[He says it so quickly it almost seems instinctive, but it's not exactly a lie. Running on fumes is second nature to him.]

How are you feeling? Any better?

[obstinance]

You're not.

[ said just as quickly. she has no issue making her exasperation known, even if she's respecting him enough not to drag him into a chair and force him to take more than a second before he gets back on his feet. ]

I'm — [ that reply takes a little longer, admittedly. it's easy to berate; it's not so easy to be fussed over in return. ] Coping. And staying inside, mostly.

[ not exactly what he asked, but it is a answer. ]