xistentia | i'll be something better yet

[ it wasn't much of a mission, really. just exploring the area outside the city where the forest was thickest, up north. alec was prepared and taking it seriously, but it was uneventful and alec wanted to know more about the others stuck here with them.

while they worked mostly in silence for the most part, alec found it important to ask about ronan's skills in order to know if he could be brought on the security detail more actively, if that was something he wanted.

alec has his hand on the seraph blade at his thigh, and his bow is strapped to his back, glamoured into invisibility, keeping an eye on the trees around them as they slow their trek, coming to a good vantage point for the area. ]

What is it you do, back home? Know anything about fighting? Combat?

Edited 2017-07-06 14:01 (UTC)

[ This was something Ronan could do. The quiet, the walking through the woods and just checking everything out carefully; mainly, the quiet. It was good, pleasant almost, even if there was a small part of him that missed the whistle of Latin through the leaves of trees. Xist was still somewhat beautiful, in a very unkempt way, and any time he got to leave the city, he had chances to find new ways to communicate with home. Check on Matthew and Gansey.

He was planning on staying quiet for the rest of the day, Chainsawd on his shoulder, standing guard and pecking his cheek whenever she noticed something. This time, it was Alec, coming to a stop, looking around as Ronan stopped by his side.

Alec was mildly irritating, in that way that men that thought themselves of leaders could be. In that way Gansey could be. But Alec was also, apparently, pretty well trained in a whole array of things Ronan had never even considered. And that, he could respect. ]

I farm, back home. [ Which isn't a lie. Ronan crosses his arms over his chest, unable to stop himself from letting a sharp, slightly mocking smile show on his features. ] You?

I'm trained in hand-to-hand. Mainly boxing. I hold my own.

[ well, farming has it's uses. they have everything they need here, but alec is operating on the basis that it might not last, that an attack could cause for them to lose parts of the city they've been rebuilding, or that the supplies could just stop coming one day.

knowing there are people here who would know how to help them get some sort of sustenance is pretty reassuring.

he's mildly irritated by the slightly mocking smile, but decides it's not worth being too much of an ass about. he wants ronan on his side, fighting with the rest of them if it comes to that. so he just pushes a branch aside with a boot, watching a few insects skitter away as he does. ]

Hand to hand, swords, knives, archery. I've been doing this my whole life. [ his attention returns to ronan, serious. ] If something happens here — Can we count on you?

[ Unfortunately, Ronan's brand of farming is particular, and if he can't dream, here, Alec will quickly see the end of Ronan's farming skills. At least, he is well versed in the ins and outs of it, theoretically.

I've been doing this my whole life, Alec says, and Ronan nods, because so has he. One thing Niall Lynch was intent on teaching his sons - at least, the older two - was how to fight, defend themselves, and always be ready. And then he died, and he and Declan turned that knowledge on each other.

Whatever. It's not the point, right now. Fact is, he's doing this now, this exploratory mission, for a number of reasons. Curiosity to start with, but also because of a need to understand where he is so he can actually be prepared for it, like he was taught. Because of an itch under his skin, worry and anger and anxiety mixing in his blood and making him want to punch something, really badly. He's worried about Gansey and Matthew, about Adam, about Kavinsky, about his homeworld, about fucking Declan, even.

It's either go on a mission and hope he'll get into a fight or two, or fall to the bottom of a bottle. Or worse, seek Kavinsky out.

So he looks at Alec, his face serious this time. ] Yes. You can.

[ alec watches ronan quietly for a second before nodding and seeming to lose interest; he's assessed him and decided to believe he means that. they all have a world back home to protect, people left behind. that usually makes people more eager to fight, in his experience.

having something to protect. ]

Good to know. [ he picks up a rotten chunk of log in the way, toss it further into the messy tangle of greenery that surrounds them. bugs scatter in all directions, and alec watches where they go, glancing back at ronan. ] If this world is at war, we need to act like it and be prepared.

[ Ronan nods, leaning against a tree, arms crossed over his chest as he surveys their surroundings. The other members of their scouting party are quiet behind them, setting up camp. ]

So, what do you do, back home?

[ fishing with vex was bound to be a grounding activity, given how relaxing it tends to be and how familiar it is. every little example of normalcy makes alec feel less frazzled, keeps his thoughts of his family and his world at bay. they have to focus their efforts here, and work to saving their worlds.

it's a lesson alec learned recently, that even in times of war, it's important to take time for the things that matter. vex, being a good friend, counts as one of those things. alec looks forward to it as the enjoyable activity it's become in his eyes, but also to catch up with vex a little. they take the boat out in the morning, as they always do. there's no cat to feed, but they no longer really need an excuse for it. ]

Your new boat is... [ tilts head, grimaces. shrugs. not safe? precarious? alec is still in it, though, but he has to comment. he throws his line, squinting out toward the water. a thought seems to occur to him, and he turns his head to vex. ] Do we even know if there's fish here?

Edited 2017-07-06 13:38 (UTC)

[ Vex was significantly dressed down from his norm, as even in Eudio he wore leather pants while fishing. Not here, it was all able casual and breezy to the point that all of his friends had fussed at him to no avail. At least Alec didn't seem to care about that sort of thing, though he always looked impeccable. He'd stripped off the jacket and sat on it in just his white tank top and shorts, his lean muscles flexing as he cast his line out again.

The makeshift boat was one thing, the makeshift fishing poles were quite another- it was going to take a lot of pulling to take in a fish. At least he was a long stronger than he used to be. ]

A piece of shite. [ He finished Alec's sentence with ease, not at all offended by his observation. ] Honestly, everything here is. No decent booze, shitty house, shittier boat. Company's alright, though. [ Which was quite a compliment coming from someone as surly as Vex could be. ] Sure. I've seen dolphins and whales 'round, they gotta eat something. [ He squinted, not that it could be seen well behind his dark sunglasses. ]

Least I think they were whales...

Let's hope it was.

[ he thinks it was a whale? alec peeks down at the water, grimacing. that's not very reassuring, if it seemed as big as a whale but could be pretty much anything. this place has had some... interesting creatures, after all. alec isn't fond of those rock trolls.

neither is he of seeing his friend dressed significantly different than usual, but it feels like an odd thing to nitpick at. maybe vex simply hasn't found the type of clothes he likes here. it might not have anything to do with... everything else going on. alec wants to express his sympathy, offer his support, but something tells him that might irritate vex more than anything. he'll find a way to get there, but maybe best not to simply dive into it right off the bat.

he'll nitpick on the compliment instead. ]

You're in a good mood.

Yeah, flippin' thrilled. Wouldn't you be? Out of paradise and into... this. [ He almost growled out that last word as he gave his pole a shake (the fishing pole, shame on you). ]

Guess it wasn't such a big deal for ya, right? Since you and Magnus were dealing with who-knows-what back in your non-paradise. [ Because everything that wasn't Eudio was vastly inferior, in Vex's opinion. At least he didn't hold it against them, even if he did think it was one of the stupidest things they'd ever done. ]

At least I've got Vinny. Without him I'd probably-- oh! [ He felt a tug on the line so he yanked on it, his eyes widening when the resistance was solid. ] Oi, help me with this?!

[ all in all, alec is glad for clary's presence. training with her takes his mind off of all the things he hasn't told her, all the things she hasn't yet lived that she'll find out about. this is fun, now, more than anything else, and it's nice to share it with clary.

they're nearing the end of the spar, alec a little out of breath, pleasantly so. it means he's getting a work out, but it also means clary's been getting better. his comments meant to guide her have been fewer than they once were, and as he dodges a kick from her and quickly steps out of her range, he quirks an eyebrow at her. ]

Been practicing?

Edited 2017-07-06 13:31 (UTC)

[ It's one of the first times she's managed to keep him on his toes and they both know it. Clary's grin is victorious and bright, for all that she looks a little damp with sweat and wild haired. Training with Alec has actually been enjoyable. Training after surviving what feels like an apocalypse is even more so. ]

Yeah.

[ She watches him, bouncing a little on her heels. She knows what to look for now. ] Chirrut. A Jedi -- something -- back in Eudio. He and his husband did this whole training dojo thing. I even learnt to meditate. [ A considering pause. ] I mean, badly. But still.

[ She aims at his side, quick and agile, hoping the strike will land. ]

Don't look so pleased.

[ it might look like it's about to land for a moment there, but then alec blocks it with the back of his arm, pushing her arm back and striking at the opening that creates, if she doesn't block or dodge him. he makes it look easy, although it's true this is more of a challenge than it's ever been. ]

You still have a lot to learn.

[ but he may look at her a little pleased. like he's impressed, or proud. probably a bit of both. ]

Meditating doesn't help you in battle.

[ He still manages to hit her, she's learning but he's better than her. It doesn't stop her from trying to sweep him off his feet though, leg moving in an arc. ]

I thought you'd totally be all for meditation.

[ He seems the type. ]

Chirrut said it would help clear my thoughts. Mostly I just sang the Sailor Moon theme in my head and stared at a wall.

[ nice try, but it's easily dodged when he's not being distracted elsewhere. her serious disadvantage here is her size, though alec hopes to teach her how to use that against a bigger opponent. she doesn't quite have it yet, but that's normal. she hasn't been trained for this all her life. ]

That doesn't sound like clearing your thoughts.

[ he holds up a hand to stop any further upcoming attacks, the other wiping at his forehead with the back of his arm. ]

Meditation has it's uses, but there's no time for it on the field, or before an attack. [ he lowers his hand, crossing his arms now. ] I think we did enough for the day. You're getting better.

You know me. The day my thoughts are clear is the day I'm dead.

[ Which, knowing her track record could be very soon. She stops when Alec does, rocking a little on her toes as a smile widens across her face. ] Was that a compliment? The Great Alec Lightwood-Bane doesn't think I'm a lost cause after all? This is the best day of my life.

[ She's still smiling as she goes to grab her towel, tossing Alec his before she dries her face. ] It helps when I have a goal in mind? Like right now, I want to train hard enough that I can knock Jace onto his ass. [ It's teasing, really. She just wants to beat everyone. ]

[ he'd figured as much but didn't want to insult u. thanks for saying it for him. ]

Don't get used to it, [ he grumbles with a half-hearted scowl, catching the towel to use it on his face. it's true she's improved, and if he wants her to get better, he can't exactly destroy her every hope of reaching their level.

he knows what that does to a person. besides, it's better to accept she'll always be a little bit behind — they've had a lifetime, she's had months. for a shadowhunter who just started, she's good.

though he does laugh very briefly at the mention of knocking jace onto his ass. ]

You have a lot of catching up to do.

( Clary knows she'll always be a little bit off, when it comes to being on par with the others. Whatever bitterness she might have felt about that has had time to fade though, she can't blame anyone for it. What's done is done, why waste time looking back when she can look forward?

She makes up for it anyway, she thinks, she's had the best of both worlds now. )

I guess.

( She's just so ready to kick Jace over. ) So have you and Magnus settled in? This place is pretty cool, right?

[ they're going to start easy. something that shouldn't be at risk of causing a house fire, to begin with. alec has already laid out everything they'll need, although there's no recipe to speak of. for now he just wants to tell her what to do and how to do it, watch how she does, and see if she feels better once she's cooked something herself with some assistance.

maybe it'll give her a little more confidence, which might help her avoid making mistakes. and after this, he can see how she does working off of a recipe on her own. ]

So. [ leaning on his hands on the counter of the kitchen, eyeing rosie across from him. ] Spaghetti carbonara. You ready for this?

[ Look, Alec, Rose is just about everything she shouldn't be, so... Don't hold your breath on that 'no fire' thing. It's more likely than you think. Not that she'd do it on purpose or, like, try to cause destruction. It just seems to happen whenever she's around. ]

Absolutely not, [ she admits, honest for... Okay, well, not the first time. But, still. ] But I'll try my best! It shouldn't be too hard. I mean, spaghetti is kind of like mac and cheese. Right?

[ LONG PAUSE. ]

Sure.

[ mac and cheese is probably a little easier than this, though the concept is the same. better tell rosie that than tell her it's not the same — that might make her feel out of her depth and make her make more mistakes.

motioning to the pot already on the burner. ]

First, fill that up with water. Not all the way, about two thirds.

Oh my gods, [ she sighs. ]

Now there's Math involved, too? Dude, I don't know fractions. I never even went to school!

[ Self-teaching for the win, yo. Though she's only exaggerating, not to worry. She can totally fill a thing with two thirds of water. Or. Thereabouts. Whatever, long as you get close enough that's all that matters, right? He sad 'about' and all. Either way, she does as instructed and walks the pot back with only sloshing, like, a tiny bit on herself. ]

Whoops, [ she utters quietly, glancing at the spot of water on the bottom of her shirt. Ehhh. A little dampness never hurt anyone. ]

A lot of things involve math, Rose. [ like, most things. you do math all the time every day. ]

That's fine — [ he gestures at the shirt, wishing to reassure her and hoping his next statement won't instead encourage her. ] Making a mess can be kind of inevitable.

[ his face very clearly says: don't take this as an excuse to be messy tho. you still gotta be kind of careful! otherwise it's more clean up for you...

as she sets the pot on the burner, alec points to the knob right beneath it. ] Turn that to max, and then — [ he turns around, grabs the salt and hands it to her. ] A pinch of that in the water. It helps the pasta not stick as much.

Well, yeah, but I don't think about it.

[ This is a fair point, alright! Anytime she's usually doing Math it's like an unconscious process, but when she has to think about it it suddenly becomes more difficult. Like when you realize you're breathing and then feel like you forget how to breathe normally. ]

I'll... try not to make a mess of your kitchen. [ 'Try' being the keyword here, honestly. The blond places the on the stove and then, uh, fumbles with the dial. How??? Does someone tell its max??? She turns it all the way to one end and hopes for the best. ]

How do people even learn this stuff? [ she asks, pouring salt into her palm. Maybe... too much...... A little extra salt never hurt anyone!!! ]

Enough — [ taps her hand in a hurry. ] Enough salt. Don't put too much, the pasta sauce we'll make will be salty enough.

[ he doesn't mind the mess, tbh, but he won't tell her that. learning how to cook while keeping things clean is kind of part of the whole thing, for alec. he always bakes with a process in mind, cleaning up as he goes, so the final clean up is a lot easier to do.

as he puts a pan on another one of the burners, turning the heat on low, he shakes his head, bemused. ]

By reading recipes. And following instructions.

[ it's that easy, girl!!!!

oh wait. he's doing this for her and he said he'd let her do it. he steps aside, gesturing to the pan. ] You need to poor a bit of olive oil in this, then put the bacon bits in.

Oh, jeez, okay, [ she says, shaking some salt off her hand before actually dropping it into the pot. Shaking it where, you ask? Just... back on top of the salt shaker like it'll go back in. (She really doesn't understand how this all works, leave her alone.

As for cleaning while you go, Rose barely had the wherewithal to gather together her weeks old trash on the way out of her apartment (and then, her house) let alone clean up after herself. ]

But recipes are confusing, man. There's so many ingredients, so many things to do and times to rememb- Ooo, bacon! [ She wouldn't be a dog, really, if she didn't love bacon to some degree. ]

What's olive oil though?

[ oh my god.

he's starting to despair. already. ]

It's — oil. Made from olives. You cook things in it so they don't stick to the pan and to give them a little flavor.

[ and other things but that's the gist of it. if she's never heard of olive oil, better keep it simple. ]

Be careful, once the pan and oil are hot, the oil will splash when you put the bacon in.

[ he's watching her do this step closely, let's just say. ]

It's not hard to remember a recipe when it's written out in front of you. Just do one step at a time.

[ She tried to warn you, Alec. She really did. ]

How does one oil an olive? [ Truly, a question for the ages. Also, ] That does make a lot of sense though. I generally cooked no-stick stuff because otherwise, well. It stuck.

[ She waits after putting the oil until it does the wavy thing, meaning its hot. She figures that means its hot enough and, despite his warning, dumps the bacon in there. There's a loud hiss and a pop and a squeak from Rose, but no actual burning occurs. Miraculously. ]

So. Now what.

[ yeti.jpg ]

i'll be something better yet — open catch-all

for ronan

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for vex

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for clary

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i can't fight sparring to save my life oh well

i cant either dw i got u

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for rosie

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