I AM BACK AND WITH A REFINED KNOWLEDGE OF MANDARIN, BUT MORE ON THAT LATER!
WE HIT OVER 100 HUNDRED REVIEWS! OH MY GOD GUYS! YOU'RE ALL FABULOUS AND I LOVE YOU! SPEAKING OF THAT I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A LOVELY VALENTINES DAY! I PERSONALLY BOUGHT HALF-PRICE CHOCOLATES AND ATE IT ALL. YUM.
Dancerox1997: Thanks, I really do try! There's what, 1.2K TID fan fictions on this sight, so I try and make mine stand out with the humour!
Morning and Eve: *Salutes* I'll try!
Fify: STC works. STC! And by the way, the Italian was in your honour. *Sighs in relief that I got the sentence correct* And I do the whole 'be cool with headphones, I am not afraid' tactic all the time. Problem with that is that I was listening to the audiobook of CoLS. With, of all parts, Jem's talk to Clary about loss. TEARS WERE STREAMING! The woman next to me had to ask if I was ok! (I wasn't).
AnimeArtistGirl: *Grins* Jace meets Will this chapter. It's actually really hard to write Jace, he's a mix of Will and Simon. Meaning I always end up writing either Simon or Will in Jace form. MAIN REASON I DON'T WRITE TMI FICS! Yep, I can't even write the second-main character and I don't do OOC unless I need to and there's a reason. But yes. When Will and Jem meet the TMI gang, they go see Frozen at le cinema, so that's going to be fun. And yes, it will be snowing. And someone will ask if the others want to build a snowman. And we have some fun and spontaneous Wessa.
Guest: WELL HELLO SATAN! (I should really stop calling my readers Satan, it's a bad habit). But come on. I screamed in anguish. SCREAMED. ME. I. DO NOT. SCREAM. Yeah. I have a song for you. I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE WHEN YOU RE-VIEW-ED! SO SHAME ON ME NO-OW! …Sorry, I'm currently listening to said song, goat version, and I got carried away. AND THE SADDEST FEAR (help) COMES CREEPING IN (I'm sorry) THAT YOU NEVER LOVED JACE, OR JEM, OR ANYONE, OR ANYTHING! YE-YEAH! *cue chorus* I am sorry, really. By the way, how is the game you said you'd do that caused that song?
Guess: There is Wessa soon, I promise. I have the perfect place for it! But I am not leaving out Jessa. If it were up to me, this story would be Heronstairs. Alex had literally drawn a chart for me of what Heronstairs I can and cannot to include in my story. So… balanced Wessa and Jessa, sorry!
ShelbyHerondale: Thank-you, thank-you and thank-you
*song changes* IT FEELS LIKE THE PERFECT DAY, TO TORTURE MY EXES, AND THEN PUT ON THEIR SKIN-* sorry. Sorry. Bart Baker parody of 22. Very good parody at that. Ok, review responses
Harmonic Bunny: *face palms* Well done. You must be so proud. Leaving sarcasm behind, I laughed for so long at this review. Oh, by the way, I have the chapter in which you slap Alex typed! So it's definitely happening!
YourbestieAlex: GET OUT. This is why above person is slapping you. HOW. DARE. YOU. First, you insult Heronstairs. Then you crawl back here and… say… lol? Just that? IN ANY OTHER CONTEXT I WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED IT, BUT THAT MY DEAR FRENEMY IS UNACCEPTLE. 1000 YEARS DUNGEON!
Ania: Who doesn't like Malec! Oh, and I did try google docs but I just didn't like it.
RossRB98: Thank-you, you're one of the few who congratulated me! And in turn, I congratulate you for not google translating it!
Juliettelove: Thanks for the input! And I took your idea because I too liked the idea! :D Thanks for it!
Zstar1: That was a lot of pleases! Also, I took note of your suggestion and applied it in this chapter at the end!
Blue-glass-boat: Thanks! It really means a lot! Thanks for the following and favouriting and stuff!
JadePendant: Thank-you! And hey, you got snow! Don't curse at it! (Although I did laugh at the idea!) Its snowless here, which surprises me, I got snowed in last year! Yes, I will be including Jem's talent at some point (we get a mention this chapter) and I don't know who will survive, but we all know, deep down, that Magnus or Alec is going to die. I mean, Alec's Jace's parabatai, Isabelle's sister, Magnus' true love, the last male Lightwood, he looks like Will and he's the most protective. So... yeah. I won't survive CoHF. How can you have a sad-happy ending? HOW? I may just read the brother Z parts of CoHF and not read the rest to save tears.
Ok, Darren Brown is on TV now, so I'm just going to update this and watch. Thank y'all and happy reading!
X
"Good morning." Came the chirpy voice from beside her.
Tessa glared at Jem, who was sipping a coffee and writing with his spare hand. He looked wide awake, but the neat hair, unrumpled clothes and dark circles beneath his eyes suggested he hadn't slept at night, shouldn't he look tired? Tessa decided to voice this.
"Did you even sleep at all last night?" Tessa asked, her voice dry. She took her now-stale water from her bag and took a drink, envious of Jem's coffee, even though she wasn't fond of it. She didn't understand Jace's obsession with the stuff.
Jem tensed slightly. "No." He said, his voice a bit firmer than usual. "Why do you ask?" He said in a lighter tone, the one he usually talked with.
"You just…" From Jem's earlier response, this was a cool subject and she didn't want to venture into it. On the other hand, she couldn't just avoid the subject, he'd notice. "Didn't look like you had."
He paused for a moment. "A childhood habit I haven't left behind yet." He admitted, though he was holding back something.
"What, not sleeping?" Tessa asked.
"Yes." Jem said with a small smile, taking another sip of his coffee.
"You never slept." Tessa said for confirmation.
"Not really." He affirmed, his eyes on the paper, his shoulders tight.
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Honestly?" She asked. "How did you not die from exhaustion?" She asked.
Jem jumped and spilled the coffee all over himself. Tessa was suddenly hit by memories of last night, of those letters. Of the one where Jem had confirmed he was dying.
"Oh my god." Tessa breathed. "Jem, I am so so-"
"It's fine." He told her, taking a tissue pack from his bag and drying himself. It'd stained his white shirt. "It wasn't your fault, you didn't pour it on me." He gave her a bright smile, avoiding the reason for her apology, just as Will jolted forwards, gasping, his face pale and his eyes wide.
Jem gave him a comforting smile, which Will returned with a glare. "Why did you do that?" Will asked.
Jem focused on drying himself. "You needed it."
"I did not-" Will began.
"When was the last time you slept, Will?" Jem asked. "If you don't count now." Will stayed silent. "Exactly." Jem finished, standing and walking out down the aisle.
Will changed the TV to the clock, exhaling in annoyance when he saw they had three hours left. "I hate flying." He muttered. His eyes snapped to Tessa. There was about four seconds of silence before he spoke. "You shouldn't have said that."
Tessa blinked. "What?"
Will sighed and rolled his violet-blue eyes, the colour of the ocean they were travelling across. "Jem was drying his shirt when I awoke. The only liquid in his hand was coffee, he had evidently spilled something on his shirt. Thing is, Jem has a remarkably steady hand, it's why he's good at drawing and playing instruments, he doesn't shake. The only way to ever tell when he's uncomfortable is if he tenses, but he isn't one for drama, he'll usually hide it. The only thing that will ever make him visibly uncomfortable is an extreme topic, usually something he fears. The only thing he fears enough to make him tense which would make sense in this context is his fear of sleeping. We've been on an overnight plane, you've woken up, he was working and wide-awake, you obviously mentioned sleeping."
"I…" Tessa began, but Will cut her off.
"You mentioned a topic he strongly hates, he's going to tense but not enough so to make him flinch. There are only two things that can make him do that; if you try and either comfort or pity him or if you mention his death. With the letters last night that you read you probably did, but you wouldn't just bring up the topic, you probably got onto the subject of sleeping. You saw how uncomfortable it had made him, you attempted to subtly dismiss the topic, as did he, but you were intrigued by his closing statement. He would've probably said how he wouldn't sleep as often as possible and you would say something that countless people say without thinking." He tensed slightly. "You mentioned to topic of death to a dying person. You must've asked how he didn't just drop down dead." Will sighed. "Enough certainly to make him cringe, added with the topic of sleep would have disturbed memories he likes buried."
Tessa blinked. "You're…" She paused. "You're not Sherlock, are you?" She asked. He did have black, untameable curly hair.
Will raised an eyebrow.
"Then how did you know?" She asked.
"I don't know, Tess, I notice." Will said with a small smirk.
Tessa paused. "You don't happen to know your IQ, do you?" She asked.
Will smirked. "Last time I checked, 133, but that was about two years ago."
Tessa didn't know what to say, but she didn't have to say anything.
"That's really cute, Will." Jem told Will as he sat down. "Tell me when you get into the big leagues, ok?"
Will glared at Jem before the two of them grinned.
"Did I miss something?" Tessa said.
"I took the test when I was fourteen." Jem told her. "And my IQ was 142."
"That's…" Tessa began.
"One of the highest in England, yes." Jem completed. "Will's is, too, though I'd imagine mine has increased since I was fourteen."
Tessa sat back in her seat. "You'd think." She began. "That two geniuses would have better things to do than draw on a sleeping persons face."
The boys grinned and drew up their knees, allowing Tessa to go to the restroom and attempt to scrub the message off her face.
It'd faded, yes. In fact, it was almost non-existent. But then again, it was perfectly visible. Giving up (again) Tessa went back to her seat, noticing Will and Jem had swapped seats.
"Any reason why?" She asked the two of them, as they moved their legs so she could sit back down.
"I'm taller than Will." Jem said simply. "I need the leg room."
"Then why did he take the-" Tessa began.
"You needed something attractive to wake up to." Jem said with a mischievous smile. Will gave a small scowl. Jem's face went serious again. "Actually, Will wanted the leg room too."
Tessa planted a small kiss on Will's cheek. "There there." She said softly to Will, before smirking. "You're nice to look at too, William. Very pretty."
This had the desired effect, as annoyance flared in Will's violet eyes. Jem was trying and failing to restrain laughter.
"Nice?" Will asked. "Pretty?"
Tessa gave a shrug. "It's all the packet food, Will. You actually used to be kind of hot."
Jem began to give a loud laugh before it ceased. Tessa remembered that people were still asleep.
Will closed his eyes and slumped in his chair. "James. As soon as we land we are going to the gym."
"Alright." Jem agreed. "We'll have lunch at McDonalds afterwards."
Will's eyes snapped open and he gave a glare at Jem. Tessa snickered quietly. Will pointed an accusational finger at first Jem, then Tessa. "You're ganging up on me." He said. "What will I do for friends? Dear lord, I may have to befriend Alex."
"Alex can't stand you." Jem pointed out.
"I happen to know the feeling's mutual." Will said with a shrug. "What about Sophie?"
"She doesn't like you either." Tessa answered.
"Thomas?" Will asked.
"Thomas-" Jem began, before breaking off in a coughing fit.
Will tensed and turned to Jem, gripping his shoulder, his voice low, urgent and panicked. "James, where did you put-" He broke off as Jem's coughing did. Will's shoulders relaxed and he sank into his seat, his eyes closed and a blissful smile on his face.
"Just dust in my throat." Jem said with an easy smile.
Will banged his head on his chair three times. "Never. Cough. Again." He said, every time he hit his head.
Jem saluted. "I'll try."
Tessa looked between the two of them, but decided she shouldn't ask. There were some dangerous subjects to bring up in front of Jem and Will. Savannah had warned her the dangers of talking to Will about ducks. If ducks were a dangerous topic, she didn't want to know about the panic and pain in that moment.
Will and Jem looked to Tessa.
"We should explain." Will said. "When I dared Jem to dye his hair silver, it turns out he was allergic to the chemical in it."
"And, not being allowed to back out of dares, I had to keep the dye. Whenever I had to re-dye my hair, I'd accidently breath it in and it would make me have an uncontrollable coughing fit." Jem shrugged. "Fun times."
Tessa looked out of the window. They were lying. Will was a master of lying and Jem was brilliant, but it was sometimes so obvious to tell when they weren't telling the truth, whenever they talked about hair dye being one of them. "What were all the dares you've given each other and why did you dare them?" She asked.
Will and Jem smirked. "Jem and I were ten and it was the day Jem had just arrived. Charlotte had bought a Chinese takeaway-" Will began.
"Which, for the record, is nothing like actual Chinese food." Jem cut in.
"-To make Jem feel more welcome at dinner." Will finished.
"Anyway, being the ever-skilful genius that he is, Will was having minor issues with the chopsticks." Jem picked up. "So much so that he couldn't at all eat with them and just ending up using the chopsticks to spear the chicken and eat it." Jem said, a small smile on his face.
"And being the smug little bast-" Will began.
Jem cleared his throat.
"-boy he was, Jem just began to eat with the chopsticks." Will said, correcting his accidental near use of the swearword. Tessa smiled. Jem would always do that, interrupt Will before he swore. Thinking about it now, Tessa had never heard Jem swear, or curse for that matter. He hadn't even said 'bloody'.
"So Will became sour and said, and I quote, 'if you're so good with chopsticks, I dare you to eat with them for every meal possible for a year'." Jem finished.
"The next morning when I came down for breakfast, Jem was eating his cereal with chopsticks." Will said with a smile. "Exactly a year later, I'd got into trouble at school for talking back and was kept behind for an hour. When I finally came in, I talked back to Charlotte and I was sent to my room. Jem came in and I told him to 'go away' in, er, much more… colourful language."
Tessa raised an eyebrow.
"He then threw a dictionary at my head, for which I still have a scar for, and told me that swearing is only for those with a lack of vocabulary and dared me to eat one page of the dictionary every day, on the first day taking the first from 'a', the second day taking the first from 'b', the third day being the first from 'c', etcetera." Will said.
"So if someone ever asks Will if he's swallowed a dictionary for breakfast, he can reply that he has swallowed 365 pages." Jem said with a grin.
Tessa rolled her eyes. "What about when you were twelve?"
"Assist Will in pranking Gabriel Lightwor-wood." Jem said, quickly correcting the surname.
"Thirteen?" Tessa asked.
"Keep my room tidy." Will muttered, sounding… sulky? Jem grinned.
"Fourteen?" Tessa inquired, making a large smirk form on Will's face and the grin slide from Jem's.
"Swear at least once a day." Jem sighed. "Because it is apparently 'unhealthy' for a fourteen year old to not swear."
"The dare, may I add, was uncompleted." Will noted, sounding gleeful.
"Have you ever sworn?" Tessa asked Jem.
"He's cursed about seven times, but I've never heard him swear." Will said. "Which, in my opinion, is bloody stupid."
"Nice language you're using there." Jem sighed.
"Diolch." Will muttered.
"Wait, what?" Tessa asked. "But… Will swears about 200 times in a week! Why don't you swear?"
"Because I have no need to." Jem said with a shrug. "There are a lot of words I can say instead of resulting to swearing."
Will grinned. "The perfect child. Your parents would be proud."
Jem looked away. "Yes, last year I was a saint." He said quietly.
"They'd have understood." Will said, Tessa just catching his words.
Jem stayed silent, his eyes filled with passed memories. Will told her the other stories of dares and shamelessly flirted with Tessa until most of the passengers awoke and the breakfast was handed out. Which was disgusting, it was dry and frozen.
"Tessa!" Came an excited and deep shout that was instantly recognisable. Jace. She then saw the flash of gold before the wind was knocked from her as she was swept into a hug that could snap her ribs.
Tessa was released. "Hi, Jace." She said with a grin. She couldn't help it, Jace was never usually this bright, his face like a child's on Christmas. "Or, hi shape-shifter, where did you put Jace?"
His golden eyebrows raised and he seemed to harden to his usual self. "Well, everyone else, except possibly Alec, would've acted ecstatic and excited to see you. Would you have preferred for me to act like Alec?"
"No, honestly, it's brilliant. It's been ages since I've seen you and-" Tessa gushed, but was interrupted by a cough.
"Well, as ecstatic and excited as you are to see her, Lightworm, I'd love introductions." Will said coolly.
Tessa turned around in confusion, to see a jealous look on Will's beautiful face that was quickly being masked. She laughed. Her and Jace? Really?
Jace, however, had picked up on something else. "Evidently I should introduce myself, since you seem to have the wrong surname. It's Lightwood." There was a hard look in his usually amused topaz eyes. Tessa looked between the two and a shiver crept down her spine. They looked so similar.
…Ok, she wasn't blind. Jace was gold and Will was blue and black, but it was their stance and their expressions that were matched.
They seemed to be the same height and build and they carried themselves with an alert, superior stance. Their eyes held immediate hatred. It was hard to say which one hated the other more.
Tessa shivered again. Where was Jem?
"Worm." Will said lightly, with an air of someone commenting on the weather.
Jace took a step forwards that was matched by Will.
"Oi." Came a recognisable voice. Will whipped around and caught the object being thrown at him, which he began to polish on his shirt. An apple. "I leave you alone for not even a minute and you already start a fight with the first Lightwood you see?" Jem said, his eyes holding amusement but a sterner look beneath them as he bit into his own apple.
Jace had paled as he looked to Jem. "Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked, his eyes narrowed.
Will and Jem tensed, but Jem gave an easy smile. Will's voice floated back to Tessa. The only thing that will ever make him visibly uncomfortable is an extreme topic.
"Not at all. Though I do have a cousin who worked in the hospital." Jem said easily, before looking to Tessa. "I have a feeling we'll see you before term starts again." He said.
Will kissed Tessa and called her beautiful in Welsh with a soft voice, before the two boys walked off, calling a goodbye over their shoulders. Well, Tessa thought it was. She had no idea what 'Mizpah' meant, but the two always said it when they left.
Jace raised an eyebrow and Tessa laughed. "It's a long story." She said to him.
"Brilliant, it's a long journey to Magnus'." Jace responded as they began to walk, taking her suitcase just to annoy her.
"No, really long. Like, if it was a fan fiction it'd be 11 chapters and at least 30,000 words long." Tessa whined.
Jace looked to her. "Yes, but the series it's based off would be only two books long. My life would be about six."
"Really? Two? It'd be at least three." Tessa argued.
Jace laughed, his golden eyes as bright as Tessa remembered.
They exited the airport.
Ok, about my Mandarin adventures:
Yánluó- Chinese for 'Hell'.
Yin Fen: Silver powder
My Hebrew adventures:
Zachariah: Forgiveness
My Harry Potter adventures:
Of all the people I've asked, no one has ever said their favourite HP character is harry potter. This, in my opinion, is all too funny. I mean, think about it. Do you know anyone whose favourite character is Harry Potter?