“I am gonna fucking kill em” Jess said, her voice low and deep as she gently dabbed at the burn marks on her friend's hands. Ignoring the soft hiss of pain.
“It was an accident” the lie slipped out before Vari could stop herself and she simply glanced away as Jess sent her a look
The silence hung in the air between them as Jess continued her work, dipping the face towel she was using into the bowl of cold water, wringing it out before gently working on the burns. Taking extra care around the few blisters that had popped.
“You give them too much space you know” Jess started, waiting until a confused look was sent her way before she continued “You make peace with people whose bigotry could get you killed, You are allowed to fight back you know? Your fathers' would on your behalf”
“They have their hands full with my brothers” Came Variel's soft reply and Jess simply sighed
“You are their daughter. They couldn't give less of a shit mate. You know that”
“Do something about it then! For fuck sake V, this is going to put you on the sidelines for a week” Jess said tapping the underside of one of Variel's hands “And what excuse are you planning to give? Folks know you aren't stupid. Certainly not fuckin stupid enough to burn yourself on something as simple as the spell work you were throwing out for those kids to practise dodging. Your dad would call you out in an instant if you tried it.”
“Wrong burn patterns too”
“Exactly” Jess put stress on it, letting it hang in the space between them, pausing before she continued “At least tell Cal, He'll get angry but not at you right?”
“I...do not think angry at me” Variel admitted quietly, tilting her head slightly before she sighed “I do not want to”
“Because he's going to agree with the only other sane person you know. I'm the sane one here dude, what the fuck are you doing?”
Variel snorted, a small smile spreading on her lips and Jess grinned. Quite pleased that she'd been able to get at least that. She'd take a small smile and a snort.
“Seriously V, this shit needs to stop. I know you wanna keep an eye on your brother, he'll be fine trust. His friends are gonna rally around that kid if anyone steps out of line about it. Protect yourself to protect him. They'll be less likely to fuck with him if his parents AND his scary big sister got his back”
Jess then laid her friend’s hands down onto the table they were sitting by, draping the towel over the back of hers to dry off before she grabbed a dry towel and gently dried her hands off. Flashing apologetic smiles at the soft pained noises.
Knowing that Variel tended to be silent with her pain. She had walls up with people she didn't trust. The noises meant Vari trusted her, hopefully she could get through to her the damage she was doing.
“Gonna try to avoid the popped ones but if I do hit em, wash it off” Jess said, nodding her head towards the damp towel and she waited until Variel nodded before popping open the aloe vera gel. Getting a good amount on her hands, she started slowly and carefully rubbing it onto the burned skin. Frowning at the heat still coming off them. Hopefully that would cool soon. If not, she was demanding that Vari head to the Institute to get taken care of.
Or maybe she'd grab her and take her to one of the few hospitals in the state she knew of that had supernatural doctors that wouldn't freak out seeing them both. One Demigod most of them could handle. A Demigod and a Shadowhunter? Most would be liable to slam the doors on them both. Understandable she supposed but still pretty fucking rude.
She'd take it minute by minute.
She was a med student, there was only so much she could do.
“I will at least bring it up to Cal” Variel said a few minutes later, her eyes fixed to the work Jess was doing.
Jess glanced up at her and smiled, giving a small nod
“Good please do dude. I'm more than happy to be there or hell you could call him right now? Just give you something to do while I work. This is gonna take a lil and I wanna make sure nothing gets worse so you are gonna be here for a few hours anyway” Jess said, snicking at the low whine that left her friend's mouth “Yeah fucking sucks don't it?”
“I truly hate you” Variel muttered and Jess giggled, grinning
“Nah you don't, you came to me injured. You loooooove me~” Jess sang, giggling more as there was a gentle brush of wind and a tissue hit her in the face “Very mature”
“Very mindful, very demure”
Both women cracked up into loud laughter that slowly died down into manic giggling then into slow attempts to calming breaths.
“Tiktok was a mistake” Jess said snickering, shaking her head before she got up and gave her hands a rinse in the bowl “Alright, enough fuckin around. Where's your phone?”
“Ugh, jacket pocket” Variel groaned, flicking her eyes up as Jess bounced merrily over to the couch where Vari's jacket was draped over it. Taking Variel's phone out, she grinned seeing the lock screen
“Awwww what a cute lil void baby~” She cooed, glancing down at the sad 'hmph' from her own black doggy void on the couch “You are the mostest cutest babiest hellhound ever Gyps, you aren't a void baby”
Jess leaned down and gave the pup a scratch, soothing the savage beast while Variel just watched amused
“Aren't you just a baby, just the most precious ever yes you are~”
“You make me glad I am a cat person” Variel pipped up and Jess scoffed
“As if you are any better!! I've seen the cat burritos, the homemade meals, the 4 cat trees you went through before finding one that was perfect for 'the most special man' shut the fuck up” Jess snapped back, sending her friend a smug grin while Variel just coughed
“I have no idea what you could be referring to”
“Suuuuure. I'm dialing your man now”