video; un: youradhere

[buildingcastles]

[Well, this is certainly bringing things full circle. The irony doesn't escape him, but this time Christian is actually making an effort to do his job. As much as can be expected from him, of course.

Which means the network gets a nice view of a man at a small desk, looking more like an assistant than a professional in his oversized sweater and jeans completing the look with tousled hair. He's organizing books on the surface as he addresses the network, with titles including How to Find Yourself, Practical Counseling, and The Pocket Manual for Technical Magic stacked on top of each other. He has the phone sitting on one such stack, propped up behind the others.]

So. [Wait, false start.] You ever feel like this place is just a little bit weird?

I mean, how many cities have portals that lead to other worlds and collect people? And hire Magic Counselors? Hi, I'm Christian, Magic Counselor if you ever need one. I'm not sure how many people here do the magic thing. Do you?

Comments

[outofthinair]

I don't think I even mentioned my brother, so yeah. You could definitely say that.

[ Her father is the last one standing out of her family at this point, but she's got plans to change that as soon as she leaves this place. She's just not in a hurry to give up this break in chaos just yet.

Her laughter can be heard as she tried not to feel strange when she let the camera linger on particular runes. Being in person would have better, but there was no way yet for that not to seem like a line. ]

He said he did have tattoos. He was in a suit at the time. Kind of seemed like a good idea to play the 'I'll show you mine, if you show me yours' card. There's three others - Shadowhunters - in the city. Trust me, you'll know them when you meet them.

[ Alec and Izzy certainly had larger runes on their necks. She put the camera back at an angle that would let her sit back more comfortably again. ]

I've used it once, and so far it's worked once. Though I'm not gonna lie - the act of drawing the runes might have a particularly, ah, intimate association for me. But I can blame my -- [ she paused, stumbling over trying to find the right word - ex? boyfriend? What would could possibly fit to say 'not dating in the city but we were in love back home'? ] -- someone I know for that.

[buildingcastles]

Is there something unique about your brother?

[Considering how just hearing about her mother already sounds like a dramatic history, Christian can only guess that Clary has led a pretty bizarre life with her powers. He almost asks her if she ever suspected something strange before she was thrust into the Shadowhunters life, but that seems too personal for the moment.]

Do I have to ask them to take their clothes off?

[Humor is clearly better, right? Although the more Clary tells him, the more Christian wonders what angels are like. He suppresses a smile as she relates her experience with runes.]

Is that so? Well, I'm not going to ask you to draw any for me, then. What about using them? Do you and the others have practice sessions or classes? Or is it just an intuitive thing?

[outofthinair]

We thought he was dead. My father spent years experimenting on him. Filling him with demon blood. He was supposed to have died in a fire, but my family excels at secrets apparently.

[ And she almost wants to get into the real issue, but doesn't. It's enough for now to admit this much out loud. At least she knows that it hopefully won't go beyond the two of them.

At his question she had to laugh, and tucked some stray hair behind her ear. ]

Good luck with Alec. Jace may or may not still take off his shirt whenever he feels like it. Izzy might... if you ask her nicely enough. But probably not without making you work for it.

[ After grinning for a bit she gave a shake of her head and then showed him her arms again. ]

Like me they have some in less awkward places. [ But the boys could obviously use their chests. Though Isabelle had made good use of her cleavage. ]

On paper it'll be fine, if that's really what you want. You're not of angel blood, so I wouldn't actually be able to draw a rune on you. Which is where things might get a little... heated. If the chemistry's there. For me it was both. I didn't get raised as a Shadowhunter. For them it's a long tradition, and there is always training.

[buildingcastles]

Wait, wait, wait. Your- what now?

[He is pretty good with the magic and being descended from angels or whatever creatures Clary's world treats as angels. Taking power from spirits is common enough. But even he is taken aback by having that personal bombshell dropped on him. Her father was experimenting on her brother? What kind of family is she from?]

I... You got me. I don't know what to say.

[At least she doesn't seem horribly traumatized as she relates the story? He almost laughs, but he's too stunned. In fact, he almost misses the part where she continues, slowly realizing that Clary is giving him more details about how her magic works. He shakes off his surprise, leaning in a bit.]

Why would I need to have angel blood? [He has an idea, but he's still asking.] You mean only Shadowhunters can make them work?

[outofthinair]

Yeah, that was maybe too much of an overshare. Even when I was shooting for vague.

[ Clary pulled her ponytail through her hand as she looked away from the camera for a moment. Maybe she was just seeming better at dealing with it - accepting it - if she just blurted it out without thinking too much.

Finally she just shrugged and fought the urge to pull her knees up to her chest and hug them. ]

Maybe I should have just left it at my father and brother are psychotic. Gotta love finding those family members you thought were forever gone. I didn't really know what to say either. Other than a few choice words.

[ She huffed out a laugh, but this one didn't quite reach her eyes. ]

That's what I was dealing with before I came here. Back there... home, the moment I'm from? My father's just killed my boyfriend in front of me. My brother just tried to kill me and my friends, but I'm assuming Izzy killed him. It's why I'm not really in a rush to go back. You know?

[ Another huff, but this one just after taking in a deep breath as she pushed away the mental images that came with thinking of that moment. She tapped her nose to indicate he was right. ]

Got it in one, counselor.

[buildingcastles]

[ Christian's experience with humans that have magic in their bloodlines is limited to psychics, those who have power because of some distant ancestor (or so they claim), and as an outsider, he's generally not as educated on their ways. Getting this sort of insight is new for him, and he's both excited and nervous, because he's not someone with gifted blood the way Clary would be in his world. A child of angels. Apparently with all the family complications that sort of history would suggest. ]

Yeah, I, uh, think you might have glossed over that part. They aren't here, are they? Your father and brother? --No offense. I'm just asking.

[ But the more they talk, the more Christian does feel for her. The problems that come with association with magic are things that other people seem to miss. He never went into the supernatural investigations to solve their problems, but here he is, seriously thinking it over again. ]

And if you aren't against it, I think I'd still like to have a try. Can't hurt, right?