AAAAAANND WE'RE BACK! Here's the next instalment for the story. Enjoy the game while you wait in agony for me to update my Art of War and Chasing after Nemesis :D
-Violentkitsune
No. 1 Suspect
"Someone seems a bit put out."
Maia scrunched her nose up at the female shadowhunter, who merely laughed as she turned her attentions to the group at the table.
"At least she lasted longer in the game than your sorry behind," Alec snickered relentlessly. His sister hissed at his words, toying with the electrum whip wrapped up around her wrist. Alec held his hands up and feigned ignorance, struggling to hide the triumphant smirk that adorned his beautiful face.
"Maia, I swear to you that I didn't know—"
"If you want forgiveness Kyle, you can start by shutting your trap and buying me sirloin steak for a whole week. And don't play it cheap by getting the ones with the most fat on it."
They watched the players bow their heads solemnly. Jordan had his hands clasped together, as if asking the angels from on high to protect him from the wrath of the she-wolf, who was currently emptying out the meat contents in his fridge to feed her empty stomach. Clary went around tapping the heads of each one as she called out the various roles and gave them instructions.
"Who do you reckon they're going to take out next?" Alec mused as he leaned against the countertop.
"Jordan will definitely be leaving this round," Maia rasped. She tore into the sandwich in her hands, wasting no energy trying to be ladylike.
"Simon and Jace will die off in this scene," Isabelle wagered. "As honest as Simon is, that honesty will backfire and make him look bad."
"I'll take that wager,' Jace called out from the table, his eyes still clenched shut.
"Mouth shut Wayland," Clary told off, reaching in front of him and flicking his forehead. "Ghosties, keep quiet. I don't want you giving away hints. Cop, wake up."
Alec scratched his jawline, looking at each of the individuals on the table. "I don't know," he whispered lowly. "Magnus hasn't said much lately on the subject, and he's only been throwing out his own theories whenever they shoved a suspect under the spotlight."
"And then there's baby boy," Maia indicated, nodding her head off in the direction of the youngest Lightwood boy. "Number of suspects are closing, and someone's bound to point the finger at him sometime soon."
"Okay, so I'm betting on Simon and Jace," Isabelle reiterated. She pointed her spoon at Maia and squinted. "You're betting on Jordan and Max, yes?"
"Absolutely," Maia answered firmly. "What about you, Alec?"
He shoved his fingers in the back pocket of his jeans and winced. "Magnus and… Simon."
"That settles it. Whichever prediction comes true is the winner, and the rest of us have to give up ten dollars each."
"And what if we all end up having one guy gone from each of our predictions?" Alec pointed out. "Then what?"
"Then the bet is void. And if two people have one guy gone, and the third has no one from their predictions dead, then they have to give the other two five bucks apiece."
Alec and Maia nodded in confirmation. The three players turned their heads to face the game at hand, eager to see who would emerge the victor in the end.
.
Clary sighed as she sat down at the head of the table next to Jace. The players had shuffled about in their seats, taking up new positions so they could see clearly who was lying and who wasn't. Jace and Jordan sat down next to each other, while Max and Simon faced off against them on the opposite side. At the other end of the table was the High Warlock of Brooklyn, currently making himself comfortable by whipping up a fresh cup of caramel latte from some poor unsuspecting mundane coffee shop in New York.
"I hope you paid for that," Simon said.
"Relax, Lewis," Magnus cooed mockingly. "I left some change on the bench for the poor barista." The warlock turned the cup in his hand and eyed up the message written on the back. "'Cherry Dew xox.' Oh the poor schmuck. Even put her number on the back and everything. So desperate."
"I can't be stuffed playing story time with you guys," said Clary. She toyed around with the Iphone, setting up the timer again for investigation time. "You guys killed off the nurse, so you know no one's going to be saved in this round. Sorry Magnus, but you're out."
"Better get your wallets out girls," Alec said with a smirk in his corner. "No one's leaving this apartment till I get my money."
"Hey, hey - not done yet, big brother. Still got one more guy to wait for."
"Now that's just rude," Magnus said with a huff. He stood up and stretched his arms, his yellow eyes sparking up dangerously. "Going after me once is just plain stupidity. Killing me off is just begging for a death wish."
"This is just a game, remember?" Simon reminded, rubbing his temple with his fingertips. "You guys take this way too seriously."
"This is no mere game, Ratface," Jace snapped. "Our nurse has died and there is no way that anyone of us will survive. You need to take this a little more seriously, mundie. It's a life and death situation, and I will not stand for your ignorance!"
"Wha—do you guys always take games this seriously?" Simon said looking at the Lightwood siblings in the kitchen.
"Hey, we battle demons for a living, remember?" Isabelle said bluntly, playing with Maia's brown and gold curls. "We don't do things half-heartedly, be it demon-slaying missions or training."
Simon rolled his eyes and clawed at his face. He whispered, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"
"You know, this is all your fault, Simon," Jace accused, cracking his knuckles.
"Wha— how is it my fault?"
"You voted off the nurse—"
"So did you, you selfish prat! Don't think you're innocent—"
"You're the one that was pushing for Maia to get kicked out of the game, bloodsucker!"
"Oh really?! You're gonna go down that road, killer?! Game master, I call him out on account of discrimination against downworlder's—"
"Oh, give it a rest Simon. This isn't the NBA finals'," Clary huffed moodily.
The vampire pointed at the Praetor werewolf sitting next to Jace. "Why the hell aren't you going off at him?! He's the one that started going off at Maia in the last round? How come he's off the hook?"
Jace rolled his eyes and slung one arm on the other tenant of the apartment, straightening the werewolf up in an upright position. "Look at his face," he commanded. Jordan was all but weepy, with pale skin and droopy eyelids. "This is the face of a man filled with many regrets. Not to mention, this guy was on the chopping block, so he couldn't make a vote. Or have you forgotten that already, Ratface?"
It was true. Jordan looked terrible, and everyone could see it. Even Maia's hard heart softened when she saw that look on his face. But either way, she wasn't going to let him off the hook.
"Everyone – calm down," Clary hissed, slamming her palms on the table. "Jace, Simon, this is not a war zone, neither is it a bloody court case, okay? It's just a game! Relax!"
Both guys recoiled from the fierce temper reigning within Clary's voice, sending sharp glances towards one another before leaning back in their chairs. Jace had come to learn that Clary could be as fierce as a firework, dangerous despite the beauty that came with it, while Simon knew since the toddler years that Clary could be just as violent as any shadowhunter despite the lack of combat training. Both boys understood the danger that was Clarissa Fray and refrained from any further outbursts towards one another.
"I think he- Simon," Max voiced aloud, "is Mafia."
"No he's not," Jordan said moodily. "Simon's too scared of Isabelle."
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
Jordan's head perked up as he looked at the vampire with shrewd eyes. 'Why are you going off at me? I'm trying to defend you man."
Simon fidgeted around on his seat as he looked at the Praetor sitting across from him. "Well… your defense sucks, because you're making me sound like a complete wimp."
"That's not too far from the margin, you know…"
"Jace, leave your girlfriend's bestie alone, alright?"
"Yes, mommy Lightwood."
Simon glared dangerously at Jace's smirking face and slammed his hand on the table. "The fact that I saved your behinds from a Greater Demon and asked Clary to put the Mark of Cain on my head clearly demonstrates that I am not a wimp. So you need to get back and re-evaluate your opinion, boy."
"'Boy'? We're the same age you punk! And what does the Mark of Cain have anything to do with this? Scratch that, I don't even want to hear your remarks."
Jordan held up one hand as he pointed at Max. "Does no one care about the fact that the baby boy here hasn't been accused?"
"Don't be stupid," Jace said dismissively. "Max is in the clear."
"Do I look like the kind of person that would go ahead and destroy whatever chance they had for a future relationship?" Max replied airily, flicking the pages of his manga novel.
Simon snapped his eyes on the kid, surprised by the sudden appearance of a Naruto novel in his hands. "Where did that co- Isn't that mine?"
"Yeah, you left it on the floor back there," Max answered, pointing to the couch in the living room. "I already know what's going to happen in this round, so I can just relax in here."
"Oh really," Jordan replied pompously. "Pray tell your predictions for the future, your majesty."
"Gladly," Max replied in the same tone. "You two-"gestured to Jace and Jordan, "will soon realise that Simon is the mafia because throughout this whole game, he has been sneakily jumping ships and going with the popular vote on who the mafia is. He didn't stick to one person, he just kept switching his votes in each round. Besides, i haven't told you one vital piece of information."
"And what is that?" Jace challenged.
"I'll tell you why - because I'm the cop." Max threw down the manga on the table and flicked his hands up in the air victoriously. "I'm the cop, and Simon's the only one that I haven't checked out."
"Don't believe him," Simon defended. "He's just a kid. I betcha he's lying just to throw us off his trail."
"Nu-uh. Cop, buddy. Say it with me, C-O-P."
"Prove it. Show us your card."
Max pushed away from the table with confusion on his face. "You're not allowed to show your card. That's against the rules."
"What rule was that?" Jordan interrupted, ruining the flow of the conversation between the boy and the vampire. "I didn't hear Clary say nothing about that."
"It's implied, dumbass," Isabelle mumbled out to them. "Showing your card is equivalent to showing your weapons to your enemy and then begging them 'please don't tell anyone' - just plain dumb, stupid and tactless."
"Could the dead stay dead please," Jace groaned. "You're ruining the atmosphere of the game."
"When this is over, you and I are gonna have a talk at the Institute."
"And anyways, if you're asking to see my card, then that means that you're the mafia, since you're being so defensive to me."
All players turned their eyes on Simon, who fidgeted beneath their gazes. "You guys are going to regret this decision if you put me on the chopping block."
"Why are you being so defensive then?" Jordan challenged, gaining a bit more life in his movements.
Simon stretched his arms out and pointed at himself. "Because that's the kind of personality that I have," he stated. "Ever since I've met you guys, I've had to defend myself from so many things; Clary's dad for instance, demons and vampires, you using me as your personal trampoline—" he pointed out to Jace. "Hell, I had to defend myself from a whole coven of vampires too. Do you have any idea how horrifying that is for someone who has no experience whatsoever whatsoever with this world of yours?"
Simon's speech began to build up more momentum, and everyone could sense the sombre change taking hold of everyone in the room. He stood up and looked down on everyone at the table.
"He's getting right into it, isn't he?" Maia whispered to her buddies in the kitchen.
"Shhh!" The Lightwood siblings were too engrossed with the situation before them, leaving Maia to shrug and watch the entertainment too.
"I've taken a lot from you guys too," he mentioned. "Your sarcastic remarks—"he said to Alec, "—your mockery—" he directed to Jace, "—people who can't even get my name right—" Magnus scoffed lightly and sipped away on his beverage, "—and the rest of you lot treating me like a baby toddler." Jordan held his hands out peacefully while Simon let it all out. "Yes, I'm being defensive because that's what this game is about, alright? My whole life I've been on the defensive, because that's what happens when you meet people who try to act like they're better than you! You end up carrying a damn shield on your back for the rest of your life!"
At this point, everyone single person within the room felt shame weigh down on their shoulders. The boys grimaced and gave each other a shard look of guilt. Even Magnus's charismatic charm wavered after the young boy's speech. The only ones who didn't show any signs of guilt were Clary and Max, who merely looked at Simon like he was the biggest scumbag on the earth.
Jace shuffled about on his seat and braced his arms against the table. "Look, Lewis, you're right. I've been a dick to you for the last few days—"
"Last few days?"
"—and I apologise for that. I might've been a little too harsh on you, but most of it is primarily because I've never been around other people my own age. Izzy, alec and I have only had us three for most our childhood, and it's harder for us to let other people in, especially a mundane."
Simon relaxed his expression, the tension leaving his face. He looked down at himself and then back up at everyone in the room. "Sorry about that," he apologised. "I didn't mean to go all out on you guys."
"It's fine. You've been through a huge change in your life, so it's fine to let out some steam."
The brunette looked over at the kitchen, surprised by Isabelle's comforting words. Her expression was tender and gentle, so unlike the strong façade she kept on each and every hour of the day.
Simon moved to sit back down when his phone fell out of his pocket. It slammed against the table with a light thud. As he went to pick it up, something else slipped out of his sleeve, fluttering down on the table like a speckled moth.
Eyes widened
Lips popped.
Jaws dropped.
Voices were silenced.
It took a while for Simon to notice the sudden change in atmosphere, and when he looked down to see the object of interest, his face paled.
The card was face up for all to see. Nothing else mattered except for the face that was on the card.
Red king of hearts.
A king card.
Dammit.
"I told you guys! I told you!"
"Civilians 1 – mafia 0," Clary announced loudly. "Civilians win!"
The room erupted into chaos, a cross between joy and anger. Both praetor and shadowhunter lunged towards the vampire, leaping over the table in their attempt to put the newly-turned downworlder into a headlock. Simon scrambled away in terror as they chased after him, shouting obscenities whilst trying to trap him in a corner.
"You actually made me feel like crap, you asshat!" Jace roared, jumping over the couch. "I was being sincere in my apology, and you made me feel bad for thinking you were the mafia! You tricky bastard!"
"Ladies, where's my money?" Alec crowed, stepping out of his introverted shell whilst awaiting eagerly for the girls to pay up. "Ten bucks each ladies."
Maia dished out her wallet and snapped her jaws at the shadowhunter as she slapped a bill on his open palm. He turned to face his sister. "But I'm your sister," she cried out, her eyes tearing up.
"Yes, and now you owe me ten. Crying tricks won't work on me, Izzy."
The proud warrior blinked back her tears and grumbled as she added her ten to the lot.
Max grinned away and reached up to high-five Clary's hand as she came round. The redhead struggled to keep her laughter inside as she watched the boys fight amongst each other. "I knew he was going to pull that card," she said with a smile.
"The mafia card, you mean?" Isabelle said, coming up beside the petite women.
She shook her head. "The guilt-trip card. That's his biggest play when he get's backed into a corner in this game." Clary looked at the taller girl. "This game is all about manipulating the other player's emotions, and—Hey, watch the furniture!"
In their efforts to capture Simon, the boys had pushed all the furniture down, slowing down the vampire's efforts so he couldn't use his supernatural speed to evade their attacks. The living room was a mess, and Simon did his best to both dodge and return everything back to it's original state.
"Who would've known you'd be the cop, eh little bro?" Izzy reached over and rubbed her knuckles on her baby brother's head, watching the boy smirk as he tried to pry her hands away. "You're a sneak too, mister."
Max stuck out his tongue and looked up at Clary. "Can we do that again? Please, please, please?"
"Yes, let's play that again," Magnus said from the kitchen. He had his arms around the blue-eyed shadowhunter and propped his chin on Alec's shoulder. "We're up for another round of it."
"And this time, I want to be the storyteller," Maia called.
Izzy spun around and shot the werewolf a hungry gaze. "Sorry, but I'm taking that role."
Both women stared each other down from their positions in the room. Clary felt a shiver run down her spine and looked about to assess the situation. Max was cheering his blonde brother on as he and Jordan trapped Simon, locking him in both a headlock and arm bar. As strong as he was, Simon had no real idea how to use his strength and voted for staying down while listening to the boys go off at him.
She held her finger up to her lips and grew pensive for a moment. Another game, huh?
So... should we have another game?