nysalogs | ( CLOSED )

[ 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. ]

[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?

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. ]

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?

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. ]

Coping.

[He sounds a bit disbelieving, but it's not the time to push. Bellamy turns to face her more fully, crossing his arms.]

I wanted to talk to you about something. See what you thought.

[ "coping" in the same sense that bellamy's coping, evidently. ]

Me? [ she's more surprised than she should be — and barely has the self-discipline to repress that before it rears its head. fortunately, she doesn't trip over herself any further. ] Yeah, sure. Just —

[ bellamy has a few inches on her, so she doesn't bother trying to guide him by the shoulders into the nearest seat, as tempting as it is. ]

Sit down for a second.

[Clary's turn to fuss, apparently. Bellamy raises his eyebrows at her, lips quirking up slightly, but he sits without argument.]

I ran into two women in an alley talking about those "M" tattoos.

[ her eyes dart to her own wrists reflexively. if the infection's effects aren't enough reason to stay off of the streets, a case of mistaken identity because of her runes could be a mess waiting to happen. ]

Did you hear anything about what they stand for?

[ speaking of fussing, she doesn't sit down until she moves to retrieve a bottle of water, pushing it toward him wordlessly when she takes the adjacent seat at the kitchen table. the demand for him to take care of himself is implicit with that gesture alone. ]

Some kind of name?

[He gets the message, and it's sort of sweet. They're staying on topic, too, so he's not going to complain about it.]

Most of it was vague. One of the women asked the other why they were using an "M" when that "wasn't even the name". The other said it was because it meant something to the higher ups before. They mentioned a "little bird".

So it's a name, but not their ringleader's. Maybe even a symbol?

[ that feels like the right deduction to make with all that's been said. she considers it for a longer pause, eyebrows knit together; for as many questions as she has, she has fewer that bellamy can answer with what he's heard. most of what's been circuling has been little more than whispers, information that needs to be slotted together to complete the bigger picture.

still, she does have one pressing thought. ]

Do you think they meant the higher ups in whatever terrorist organization they belong to, or the higher ups here?

I don't know. There might be a connection. This many refugees has got to be a strain on the city.

[So, yeah, he doesn't know much.]

Maybe.

[ between that and what she's heard about evras? there might be some weight to it, and that's hardly the only suspicious factor. ]

I haven't heard an announcement from any of them, either. You'd think the Empress would have something to say about everything happening in her city, but it's not surprising that the people in charge might choose to hide while all of us clean up for them.

[ she's not bitter, you're bitter. ]

[He scoffs, unscrewing the cap of the water bottle and taking a swig.]

She should be making speeches about unity and perseverance by now. We're expendable.

[ actually drinking does placate her a degree, as keyed up as she still is. clary smiles, however slight, before she shakes her head. ]

Word on the street is that some people think she murdered her own husband for power. If that doesn't say expendable, I don't know what does.

Somehow I'm not surprised.

[This is like the coalition all over again.]

Have you ever heard about anything important that starts with an "M"? An organization or a god, maybe?

[ she's silent for a long moment, turning it over in her head. after consideration, she's still no closer to having anything useful to offer, try as she might not to look defeated about the fact. ]

No, sorry. I'll check with a friend and see if she's heard anything about it.

[ considering jyn's hobbies had read lying, theft, and forgery, her tendencies might make her a better candidate for scooping up seedy information. with that said: ]

I've heard a few other things about the Institute, though. It's starting to look like I was right to be suspicious.

[Well, that's something. More than Bellamy has, certainly.]

What have you heard?

I know someone who works at the Institute.

[ a friend, she might say, if she and peter weren't currently bitter toward one another for their opposing viewpoints. she still trusts the information in spite of any disagreements they've shared; otherwise, she wouldn't be repeating it like it holds weight. ]

He says the gas from the attack is similar to one he's seen there before. Of course it's magically missing from the inventory now that he went looking for the sample.

Maybe you were right, or at least on the right track.

[Someone from the Institute having a hand in this makes sense, doesn't it?]

Unless someone managed to sneak in and steal it.

That doesn't mean it wasn't made there. That seems like a pretty good reason for someone to blame Evras to me.

[ then again, it still brings them no closer to finding the actual culprit. anything is better than nothing, even so, but it isn't as comforting as she would have preferred. ]

Remember when you said I wasn't always right?

[ she isn't saying i told you so, but. ]

You aren't.

[He is refusing to accept that implied "I told you so"!]

Who's your friend at the Institute?

Says you.

[ but whatever, she's used to blatant lack of praise when she's right. she'll skip over it for both of their sake, even if she shoots him an odd look at the question. ]

Peter Parker. [ more importantly: ] Why the curiosity?

[ ensuring her lead is a trustworthy one, maybe, or just that: simple curiosity. clary can't decide which makes more sense in the current context. ]

Edited 2017-10-13 04:32 (UTC)

[He shrugs.]

I don't know anyone at the Institute. It might be good to.

[Not a lack of trust, then.]

There was something else. Footprints leading straight into the wall at the back of the alley. If there was a door or some sort of mechanism, I couldn't find it.

You can try. He doesn't seem like he's the best with people.

[ more precisely, he's prone to stammering and awkward fidgeting, from clary's experiences. sorry, parker. at the very least, it's a forewarning rather than warding bellamy off of that course.

as for that bit of information, footsteps leading straight into the wall trips her up for only a moment. it's nothing short of strange, but olympia seems determined to challenge her idea of what is and isn't far-fetched. ]

Not to sound insane or anything — [ yes, she's aware this suggestion is about to sound insane. ] Are you sure it wasn't just magic? Some kind of phasing ability?

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