The meal was rather hasty, Tessa thought. She had trusted Clary in her recommendation to have the coconut pancakes that were rough on her tongue and sat heavy in her stomach. She heard it gurgle, rather unladylike, as she watched Will dig industriously into some overcooked meat and Simon continue to drink from his mug.
Jem had returned from the table to find, only a drink there. As ordered by Will, who was always the one to look out for Jem when the effects of his drug began to wear off. Jem's parabatai always knew when he was in pain. Unlike Tessa, this made her uncomfortable in a lot of ways but somehow it was nice not to have another burden weigh heavy on her shoulders, as if someone was leaning on her. Pushing down with such force sometimes she felt she couldn't take it.
They retreated to the institute as it turned to twilight and this time Tessa sat in the yellow machine with Isabelle and Clary.
"Tessa, you can borrow some of my clothes. You look about my size; people will notice something odd if you walk about in your dress." Isabelle said with a hint of superiority. Perhaps it was because of her downworlder status, but then again, she was a Lightwood.
"Thank you Isabelle, that would be much appreciated." She said, smiling at her.
"Isabelle, you do realise Tessa might want something, well, less revealing." Clary added a small smirk on her face as if she was mocking her friend.
"I'm not a mundane Clary, I know!" She said as the cab pulled up outside the looming steeple of the institute, she saw Will and Jem, stood with the others. The sight of her two friends and the institute behind them made her pine for the comfort of London. She gasped, surprised at her own thoughts, London had definitely become her home, that she was certain. But also at the fact that Isabelle used the word mundane as an insult, she pondered the thought for a while.
Tessa was shown to a room opposite Isabelle's down a long stone corridor, that was vast compared to the smaller ones of the London institute, Will walked into the room next to hers, trying to shoo away Magnus who was hot on his heels with a pile of clothes for Will that he had conjured from the air in a swirl of blue sparks.
Jem was muttering to Jace, away from the others slightly, Tessa had noticed that they seemed to be quite friendly with each other, but maybe Jace was just being sympathetic for his illness. There was still blood on his sleeve.
"Just put them on William, we need to go out!" Magnus said, looking flustered and pressing a pair of shoes into Will's chest.
"I will, but you are in my room Magnus." Will said, noticing the warlock had now stepped into his room, out of Tessa's sight, their voices carrying down the hallway. Passed them Alec was striding down the corridor a freshly drawn rune at the base of his neck, near the curve of his collarbone. Stamina, she recognised from the codex. What did he need a stamina rune for? She asked herself, Alec smiled at her warmly, swinging himself into the room with Will and Magnus.
"Where are you taking him, Magnus?"
"Yin Fen." He repeated. "Jem needs his drug and I am taking Will to get it for him."
"Can't you go by yourself?" Alec added.
" , I need to get this for him." Will said sternly, as Alec sighed. "Ok, get out Magnus!" Will shoved the two of them out of the room and Tessa laughed as they stumbled on one another but they did not notice her spying the goings on outside of her own area. Jace handed Jem a bunch of clothes as Isabelle did the same for her. Shimmying out of her room now, in no less than a vest and material trousers.
"These should be ok; I chose the ones that didn't show so much skin."
"I bet that was difficult." Jace said passing by the two of them. Isabelle huffed, pulling up the strap of her undergarments.
"In fact, is Clary still here, I said she could draw my dress?" Tessa asked, remembering their earlier conversation, she had began to feel rather self conscious in her full skirts and corset.
"No, she went back home with Simon." She said, a shadowhunter going home with a vampire didn't seem like such a good idea. But times had changed.
"Oh, I guess I will see her tomorrow then, thank you Isabelle." She nodded at Isabelle and retreated back into her room, as she turned around she caught a glimpse of Magnus kissing Alec full on the mouth before he knocked on Will's door again. She couldn't help but stare for a moment. Shocked, she shut the door hastily.
She undid her dress and slid it to the floor, throwing it over the back of a piece of dark-wood furniture that sat at an odd angle at the end of the bed. She picked up the long skirt that Isabelle had given her, just one layer of black material that would hopefully fall to her ankles. Tessa thought it was strangely beautiful as she slid it on. She pulled on the grey velvet shirt that hugged her torso and arms tightly, finishing at her elbows showing the pale skin and freckles of her forearm.
She was slightly afraid to look in the small mirror that stood in the corner of the room, and just as a reminder of home she left her own shoes on, putting Isabelle's against the wall. Hoping that she may not have to use them, and she stuck with the sentimentality of her own.
"MAGNUS, WHAT IN THE ANGEL'S NAME IS THIS?" Will screeched, a door slamming down the hallway. "I WILL KILL YOU."
Tessa flinched and made her way out of the door cautiously, to the ringing sound of Jem's laughter and muffled giggles from Isabelle. She creaked the door open, and stepped out into the hallway and burst into laughter herself. Will was a sight for sore eyes.
"You're like Magnus's mini me." Isabelle said, moving he fist away from her mouth that was pulled into a wide smile.
"Baby." Jem read, regarding the tight black T-shirt that he wore, with the word, baby, written across the front in pink and blue sequins. Tessa looked down to the dark green pants he was wearing, so tight he looked as if he was unable to breathe.
"What's wrong with it? You look fine." Magnus said, "I mean, it looks better than that on me but-"
"Hey Baby." Jace said emerging from around of the corner, his eyebrows raised and a snarky smile plastered onto his face.
"GET IT OFF ME." Will said, as he began to pull the T-shirt over his head. He got tangled in the material and huffed, Tessa could see the sweat begin to form on his forehead and the ends of his hair begin to curl at the curve of his neck.
"I'll get you some clothes." Alec grumbled.
Just a quick note, WELCOME TO THE CITY OF BONES.