poly_chromatic | → thirteenth rune ←

[ There are bruises along her arm as she lifts the device up, dark fingerprints that she should have easily been able to hide. Clary is sitting against the wall of her cell, her hair tangled and her eyes smudged like she's been rubbing at them. Instead of weakness there's something burning inside of her eyes, something fierce. They tried to scare her, but Clarissa Fairchild isn't easily scared. Not when she has blood running through her veins, not when it comes to this. ]

The sandworms took our belongings so they could look at it. [ Her tone doesn't waver, just sits on the edge of angry. Her sketchbook had given her away, the angelic runes that she traced over and over again, the pictures she drew of Ithuriel, Jace lying in the sand. Everything she'd used to work out her pain and now they know she's something else entirely. Because they'd been stopping those with powers just in case. Obviously they think she's part of it.

Now she wishes was. ] You should hide, right now. They just come and they take you and if you don't give them what they want they put you here.

[ Video spanning the cell. ] I was wrong, we shouldn't trust them at all.

( private filter; jace, jem, mae. ) [ Now there's an obvious crack in the steel heart of hers, a hand smudged in dirt trying to push away her hair. ] They took my stele. I can't get out. I tried to scratch a rune with a pencil too but they took that. I ... please don't get caught, okay?

( extra private filter; mae ) Don't let Jace come after me, Mae. I don't know what they'll do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Because they're dickheads?

[ She doesn't swear often but when she does it's because she's angry. Alec, she'd sworn at him once before, and now here she is again, feeling out of her depth. ]

It's a power play, right? To show anyone thinking of revolting that they can get us. No point taking people if the rest of the place doesn't know about it.

Like sand worms and meteor showers aren't enough of a pissing competition? I think you couldn't have put it better than that.

[A pause.]

It might take a while, but I'll try to get you out. What do you need?

Mae, don't. [ Worry flickering across her features. ] I don't want you to get into trouble because of me.

[This is the face of a person who's not taking no for an answer.]

Too late.

[ She should have known this would happen, that Mae wouldn't sit still just the same way Jace wouldn't. ]

I just ... you're important to me. If you got caught because of me.

You're important to me, as well. And I can't bear to watch you suffer this way, so if I can figure anything out, I will.

Promise me you'll be careful?

I will.

Don't get caught. You're a good roommate but I don't think the cell would suit us.

I'll also try.