Who Runs the World (OPEN)

[Isabelle Lightwood]

Steam billowed around bathroom, fogging up the mirrors and window panes as Isabelle kicked off her boots and peeled off her sweat and rain soaked clothes.
She had been training in Central Park for most of the evening and got caught in the rain on the way home. She loved to train in the open air in the park, especially during the spring when all the flowers were in bloom. The colors and smells truly were a marvel to behold. A glamour over their usual training spot kept the mundanes at bay, and allowed them some privacy. But she always felt somehow, any time she ventured in to the woods in Central Park, that the Seelie Queen was watching her. It was an unnerving feeling, amplified today by the fact that she had been training alone.
When she returned to the institute, it was dark and apparently empty as it often was of late. Isabelle had headed straight to her room for a shower, she felt grimy and in dire need of a scrub. It has been muddy in the park, due to the onslaught of miserable weather they had been experiencing. It was strange this time of year to have so much rain, and a little snow.
She stepped underneath the water. It was almost hot enough to burn her skin, which was how she liked it. She felt as if the heat just peeled away all the ache and pain after a day of training. She picked up her shampoo and began washing her hair, it was a delightful fragrance, vanilla, which pleased her immensely. If Isabelle Lightwood could be counted on for anything, it was always looking absolutely pristine, and smelling incredible.
After a sufficiently long time in the shower, Isabelle got out, and wrapped a large fluffy cotton towel around herself, before wiping the steam from her mirror, and examining herself. She was looking gaunt of late, and her eyes looked tired and dim. Compared to most other people of course, she was still extraordinarily beautiful, and anyone that didn't know her well wouldn't even notice these changes in her appearance. There was rarely anyone around to notice anything anymore. Since Idris, everyone had been distant, which was the last thing they needed. Everyone needed to rely on each other the most right now, but they were all trying to be strong in their own way, independent of anyone else. Shadowhunters were a stubborn breed when then wanted to be.
There was a crashing noise from inside her room, and Isabelle reached for the dagger laying on her bathroom floor, beside her clothes. She peered out the door and noticed that everything had been knocked from her bedside table, but she was unable to see the culprit. Her room was a mess as per usual, there could have been an elephant hiding under the piles of clothes and shoes on the floor.
Another noise came from underneath the bed, and she made her way over and knelt down., taking care not to drop her towel. Bracing herself, she pulled up the sheets, and Church the cat bolted out from under the bed.
"Jesus!", Isabelle exclaimed in shock. "I could have killed you, you stupid cat!"
She threw the nearest shoe in his direction, and sat on the bed. Giggling with relief, she fell back on to the soft silk sheets.
What exactly were you expecting to find?, she asked herself rhetorically. But sadly, it was incredible, the amount of things that could be hiding under ones bed. She was rubbing her tired eyes when her ears were alerted to the sound of someones steps coming up the hall.

[clary]

The institute had never felt like home to Clary. Really, nothing had really felt like home since the destruction of the small apartment her mother and she had lived in what felt like decades ago. She and her mom were living with Luke now and that was as close to home as she'd felt in a long while. She could remember how recently the institute had felt like some foreign alien place where she was trapped and alone- and always getting herself lost. But now? After everything that had happened? Walking the halls of the Institute like she was now felt almost natural.

She was Nephilim. A shadow hunter. The idea of it should still feel crazy and yet with everything that had happened the concept had rather settled in her mind. It was probably that first sight of her mother after she'd woken up from her induced coma wearing her shadow hunting gear that had really made it real. If her mother had shown up in her bohemian clothes spattered with paint and told her they were going back to their apartment, she probably would have grabbed Luke and Simon and headed for the hills.

Except for the part where she would have felt only have complete if she didn't drag Jace along with them. It was strange how someone you hadn't known for very long could so wholly infiltrate every part of your life and being. When they'd first met she couldn't really grasp how someone like him could be drawn to someone like her but now that they were together, with no reasons to stay apart or barriers between them, she couldn't imagine her life without him. Her mother could but that was neither here nor there.

For the first time Clary had grasped hold of a tentative happiness despite everything that had happened since Valentine and she was going to cling to it as hard as she could. Startled out of her thoughts, Clary almost jumped at the loud noise that came from down the hall and yet instead of running away from it like any sane person might have, her instincts were telling her to run toward the disturbance. She stopped in front of her original destination, Isabelle's door, which was coincidentally the source of the noise. Clary knocked firmly on the door before calling out, "Isabelle? Is everything okay in there?"

[Isabelle Lightwood]

There was a loud rap on the door followed by Clary's voice. It startled Isabelle slightly as she had thought she was alone in the Institute, which wasn't a strange occurrence of late. She had been extra jumpy lately, which was odd for her, usually so calm and always a step ahead of everything that was going on around her.
'Yeah Clary, one second.' She called, walking to the bathroom and pulling on a pyjamas and dressing gown.
'Entrez!'
Isabelle sat at her dressing table and picked up a wide paddle hair brush. The brush was full of stray hairs, which she pulled out idly before running it through her long dark hair.
She had had long hair since she was very young. So stark and dense against her soft pale features. Isabelle loved her hair. It made her feel like a true girl. So many aspects of her life, and her body were so masculine. Shadowhunter training and exercises left her body lean and muscular, her body was one big weapon. Girls weren't supposed to be weapons. They should be delicate, and beautiful. Though of course she had the beautiful side down. There wasn't a person, man or woman that failed to notice her walking by.
What did it matter anyway, she had a boyfriend, a vampire boyfriend that didn't need to be intimidated by the fact that she had more muscles than he did.
Well kind of. She wasn't entirely sure what Simon was. The words 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' or 'relationship' hadn't exactly come up in conversation. Isabelle just kind of, assumed that Simon being Simon, he wouldn't go swanning off with other girls behind her back. But this guy, this vampire, wasn't entirely the old Simon. Vampirism comes with perks. Added sex appeal being the main one.
Though it wasn't as if Isabelle was a normal girl. It had to be said, even a vampire probably couldn't do any better than her. No matter how conceited the thought, it was the truth.
But, truthfully the whole situation had her feeling entirely insecure, a feeling she didn't get too often. It was not something she particularly wanted to think about right now, or ever, so she turned her attention back to Clary.
She had been in the Institute a lot more lately, naturally, for her training. Jocelyn had forbidden Clary outright to spend the night in the same building as Jace, let alone live there, so she came and went every day,
'Something I can help you with?' Isabelle asked, swiveling around in her chair, still brushing her hair.

[clary]

Well, Isabelle didn’t sound as if she were being torn apart by some sort of creature that had somehow infiltrated the institute so that was something. Clary felt the tightness go out of her shoulders. She hadn’t even realized how tense she had been, how ready to spring into action. But then, she probably wouldn’t have been a whole lot of help. She was starting to question whether she actually did in fact have shadow hunting blood what with how clumsy and inept she seemed to be in her training.

Clary carefully pushed the door open when she heard Isabelle’s invitation to enter. She half expected to see Isabelle coolly fighting off a monster with one hand while doing her make up with the other. She was always so together and collected that the idea of a monster dropping in randomly probably wouldn’t faze her much. Instead she saw the dark haired girl sitting calmly in her vanity chair brushing that beautiful black hair of hers that Clary might actually consider killing for.

The mess that Church had made didn’t do much to draw Clary’s attention. Isabelle’s disastrous room was one of the few flaws the perfect girl had and another handful of knickknacks scattered on the already messy floor wasn’t out of the ordinary didn’t warrant much notice.

“Actually, yes,” Clary responded a little sheepishly. She’d been hoping to maybe chat up the other girl a little bit before launching right into her request but, well, Isabelle was nothing if not direct. Clary inhaled, shoving down the irrational anxiousness she felt… and then stumbled all over her carefully rehearsed speech.

“I guess I sorta had a favor to ask you. You know I’ve been doing some training but since things are still a little chaotic I don’t really have a regular teacher yet. Jace and some of the other shadow hunters in the area have been rotating teaching me but… I was wondering if maybe you would practice with me some time.” Clary quirked a small smile, “I feel like everyone, especially Jace, is holding back in our sessions because of everything that’s happened and because I’m, well, new. I thought maybe you wouldn’t go quite so easy on me.”

[Isabelle Lightwood]

Isabelle watched as Clary hesitantly made her request. She was quite surprised Clary had come to her. While it was no secret that Jace was very protective over her, and was probably going over easy with the training, they didn't seem to get a whole lot of quality time together besides training, and Isabelle thought it strange that Clary would want to give up any precious minutes with him.
She thought about it for a few moments to calculate a response. Maryse was supposed to be organizing a full time trainer, but with everything that had been happening, someone was yet to materialize. Jace would no doubt bring the wrath of a thousand Shadowhunter's down on Isabelle if she was to injure Clary, even if it was something that was easily fixed. But to be fair, it was in a young warrior's best interest to get unbiased training. Demons in the field wouldn't go easy on her just because she was inexperienced, and hadn't grown up in the lifestyle the others had. Clary had well and truly been thrust in to the limelight, and it was important she was able to handle whatever came her way. Without proper training, it wasn't just her that was in danger, it was those around her. Nobody would be working at their optimum capacity if they needed to keep an eye on her.
'Hmm..' Isabelle mused after a few minutes. 'While I do believe it is essential for a Shadowhunter to receive the very best training, and I am without a doubt the best combatant you will find here, what does Jace think about this?'
She really was quite fond of all of her appendages and didn't want to wake up some night with Jace in the midst of hacking her to pieces.
Isabelle certainly wouldn't be going easy on Clary, and it was very likely that she would be going home with multiple cuts and bruises and probably regret ever asking for help. True training was tough.
Most Nephilim had been preparing they could barely walk, years of conditioning made them extremely hardy.
Clary was like a throw pillow to Isabelle's iron bar.