→ i've had the highest mountains, i've had the deepest rivers,

[cupio]

When: 01.08.13 ( LATE MORNING )
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Clary Fray & Jem Carstairs. ( closed )
Summary: Off to the beach to get over the exhaustion of sickness.
Log: It's easy enough to find a basket in one of the older shops downtown. Even easier to cart it - full of picnic foods - over to Jem's place and knock on his door. She's wearing shorts and a t-shirt but she hopes he'll be okay with all that skin on show by now. Her shades rest upon her head and her smile is bright when he opens the door.

"So, we're going to the beach."

He'd been sick. And no amount of yin fen from the underground had been able to help him. Clary's beginning to know those streets intimately and it's not like she minds but she figures they need to do something not terrible just to balance their friendship out.

"I brought food."

Comments

[silvering]

Jem smiles when he opens the door. Clary's got that ability to brighten up a person's day just be entering a room, like Tessa. It does not hurt to compare them. He's seen her, and he knows she sees this place as a blessing for him as he doesn't have long to live at home.

"I would like that." During the sickness, Jem, despite all of his serenity had felt the cold dread of death and realised he could soon be dead in both worlds. When he pulled through, and returned to his version of 'healthy', he made a promise to himself not to waste another second of his life.

His eyes drop down to the basket and what she is wearing. And ends up wasting a moment, staring, before he gathers himself together.

"Some day, modern attire it not going to surprise me." He holds out his hand to take the basket from her.

"Will I do in jeans and a t-shirt?" So far, he's blended in with the crowds but he is conscious that may stand out if Clary has changed her clothes so much.

[cupio]

She laughs, an amused sound as she puts the basket down by her feet - purple converse, you're safe Jem - and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Jeans are kind of super hot in the sun. Do you have shorts? Or trousers you can roll up maybe?"

One day she'll take him shopping. For now she just teases, "Because if you faint I don't know how to fix that. Is there a rune?"

[silvering]

There are black trousers which Jem uses for training, but that is it. He's steered clear of his usual clothes.

"I will make do with rolling my jeans up," he says with a rueful smile. "If you will come in for a moment, I will take my jumper off and roll up my sleeves to so I am not fainting all over you." He steps to one side to let her in.

He laughs. "Magnus warned me you and Jace were trouble, I did not think it would lead to me stripping."

[cupio]

She giggles as she ducks inside, brings the basket with her.

"Whatever Magnus said it is a downright lie. We're awesome."

[silvering]

"Magnus does over exaggerate things," Jem agrees as he grabs a plain blue t-shirt and vanishes into the bathroom to change. He considers it rude to change in front of a girl. It only takes him two minutes and he reemerges looking casual with the rolled up jeans and the t-shirt.

Magnus had told him to ask Clary questions about hers and Jace's family. When the sickness rampaged through the city they had taken a back seat. But he meant to find out later over food.

Jem holds his hand out for the basket. "You are not carrying this down to the beach," he says firmly. "I am more than well enough to do the honours."

[cupio]

"I know I should fight you on that because feminism but if it'll make you feel better you can totally carry it."

She hands it over with a grin, giving him the thumbs up. "C'mon, I want to make a sandcastle."

[silvering]

"I do not understand why girls are are so loathe to have a courtesy paid to them," Jem comments as he locks the door and takes the basket. He sets off at a brisk pace.

"A lady was ready to slap my face off because I held a door open for her." He is very bemused by this.

"We can get creative with the sandcastles. I would like to build a turtle."

[cupio]

"Well, not loathe exactly."

She keeps his pace, happy to be out in the sunshine, "I think it's because we're so used to people doing things for us because they think they have to. Because women are weak? I know you're doing it because you're a good person, it's just hard to remember that."

[silvering]

"Oh, how bizarre," Jem murmurs to himself. He smiles at Clary. "It used to be manners. Some ladies liked to wear very voluptuous skirts that were hard to get through a door without using both hands."

[cupio]

"I'm not a big skirt fan."

She sometimes thinks about being more like Isabelle - something that has definitely weighed on her mind lately with Jace acting so strangely, but she thinks of how uncomfortable she would be in an outfit like that.

"Is it still strange being here?"

[silvering]

"I think you would look good in clothes from my time," Jem says with a mischievous smile.

He pauses before he answers her question. "No," he says finally. "I saw Tessa and Will when the visitors appeared in the city. I felt at home showing them around. It's..." Jem's voice trails off. He knows he has mere weeks to live at home. "I like it here."

[cupio]

"Once I got cursed into thinking I was a princess and spent the whole time in really weird dresses so no, believe me, I wouldn't."

When he says he likes the City Clary has no choice but to reach out and squeeze his wrist, a smile across her face, "I'm glad."

[silvering]

"I wish there was photographic evidence of that," he says with amusement.

He looks down at her hand before smiling back happily. "It is no small part to being friends with you Clary."

[cupio]

"No you don't."