#ch. jace

[feralmerit]

@diablico from x

Jace’s head jerks in sharp motions every so often, eyes tracking motion and then gliding back to the exorcist when he can’t hone in on it.

He hasn’t felt this useless in years. Give him an encanto to resist any day– his senses failing him, even when enhanced? His skin crawls like there are ants underneath.

“Didn’t know runes worked for ghosts.” He should probably be insisting they don’t, calling the man a liar, or otherwise trying to muddy the waters on information that’s somehow made it outside the Clave.

Thankfully, Jace doesn’t care.

He tests the theory instead, bringing his gaze back, only this time just to the left of where he saw “nothing”, trying to absorb the information in general instead of seeking out something specific.

Jace doesn’t know what he sees, must not be good enough to “remember” whatever shows up at the edge of his vision, but his whole body responds in a flurry of practiced motions before he can draw in his next breath to speak. His foot drops back, angel blade flashing in his hand unthinking, his own rune blazing to life, bracing for...

Nothing. Again.

Ghosts are moving up the list of things he hates. Right up to the top under ducks.

“So what’s the plan? I take it they’re not just gonna let you throw them out.” Hey, he didn’t know for sure there was more than one before he’d tried to look. Progress on retaining information.

He puts the blade away, he’s never going to hit an invisible enemy. “-- Should I be bait?”

[feralmerit]

Kneel, nephilim. I mean uh, if--you don't mind? Do your knees hurt? Because you don't have to if your knees hurt. Did you come with a stele? Can we heal that? Oh wow, uh, I should have read the paperwork.

Jace stares. The vampire doesn’t give him time to doanything, not to follow the command or answer any of the flurry of questions beingpelted at him. He’s fidgety and uncomfortable and if it wouldn’t get Jacegutted he can think of a dozen deadly weak points that were just exposed by hislatest master.

He’s suspicious, initially, because it’s not beyond a vampireto go pretending to be incompetent in order to bait a Shadowhunter into gettingthemselves punished or killed.

(Jace might have fallen for it once or twice. It’s been awhile, but Raphael has a good memory for past failings.)

At the mention of a stele, though, he knows this new vampire—andhe has to be new, the old ones are all dead around the eyes—really doesn’t know what he’s doing. Jace knows what’s on his paperwork (he’d paidpretty dearly for that look) and he knows if New Blood had read it he’d neverstep this close or ask about the stele Jace doesn’t need. Or ask him if he wascomfortable, but that can be ascribed to some sick joke.

Honestly, the more he watches him move, sporadic, uncontrolled, annoying– he thinks Raphael might be waiting for Jace to killthe Newbie in his sleep and be rid of both of them, everyone knows Jace istrouble. Giving him to someone inexperienced can’t be an accident.

Or maybe Ol’ Raph thinks Jace might be kinder to someone as…adorably flustered as the new vampire is.

Jace really doesn’t have that much of a heart left, though, andhe keeps his answers to himself, kicks his leg out, right where the vampire isshifting his weight around and sends him sprawling. He smartly steps back,hands spread slightly in surrender, saving himself from getting ripped topieces by the other vampires that ghost their way in (he was right; Raphael was smart enough to make sure New Guyhad back up with Jace).

“I’m just breaking him in, guys, c’mon–”

One of them, older, dead in the eyes and waiting for anexcuse, hisses, fangs out and forces Jace down by his neck, first to his knees and then shoves his wholeface to the floor in a twisted submissive posture Jace doesn’t bother to fight.He can see New Guy’s perplexed face from this angle and half laughs, grinningat him.

“You’re not very good at this, are you?” The vampire above him snarls, something in his shoulder cracks where it’s being forced and twisted back, Jace doesn’t wince, just twists his mouth up in disdain, “Sir.”