Letters from the Shadow World (Mortal Instruments)

Scotch Vodka

"Damn. Here let me..." Jace says pulling out his stele and moving towards me.
"Isabelle, I need an iratze." I say turning to Isabelle who has her stele out.
"Yeah me two." She says as she starts runing my collarbone. After she finishes I take the stele from her and quickly rune her.
"Thanks. Now, let's get back to the Institute." Izzy says as we start walking back to the Institute.
"You guys did a good job. Your a good team..." Jace says trailing off.
"Well we are parabatai." I say shrugging my shoulders.
"Yeah... I guess so..." Jace says looking away.
"Clary, your being rude." Izzy says gently elbowing me.
"I think he prefers rude over cruel, Iz." I say earning a nod from Jace.
"I guess. Hey after dinner can Magnus get us a few bottles of scotch and Smirnoff?" Isabelle asks Alec.
"I don't know. I'm sure he could, but we aren't giving you two too much alcohol tonight. You'll be laying on the ground if we do." Alec says shaking his head.
"That's kind of the point, don't you think." I say watching the mundanes walk by us.
"Whatever you say, but you two aren't playing Scotch Vodka in the rafters again you two nearly died." Jace says glancing at us.
"We did it once. Gosh, guys. You act like we are five year olds." Izzy says flicking a peice of hair out of her eyes.
"Yeah, your underage drinkers." Alec says rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, says the guy that gets drunk with his parabatai whenever the Herondale wants to get drunk." I say as we walk through the I statute gates.
"I'm eighteen." Alec retorts.
"The drinking age in the mundane world is 21." I pop off.
"Yeah, and there is no technical drinking age in the shadowhunter world. I've been drinking since I was six." Isabelle says closing the gates, and following us in to the Institute.
As soon as Jace steps in the door Max is attached to his hip.
"Jace! You're finally back. Wait, why are Isabelle and Clary the only ones covered in mud, blood, and ichor?" Max asks as he points at Izzy and I.
Jace chuckles and says, "Because your sister and her parabatai were the only ones facing demons. We were walking down the tunnel when Izzy was grabbed by a Dragonidae, and pulled down the tunnel. Clary ran after her and they disappeared for half an hour. Turns out they slaughtered fifteen demons."
"Wow!" Max exclaims just as Maryse comes down the stairs.
"Jace, Max is only ten. You needn't use such language." She says ushering Max to the dining hall.
"Clary, Isabelle, Alec, Jace, hurry and get cleaned up dinner will be in a few minutes." She says as she follows Max.
"What language?" Jace asks looking at us. We all shrug, and head up to our rooms.
Isabelle and I quickly shuck our gear off, and take quick showers. I take a shower and get out. I pull on my clothes which are black leather skinny jeans, a red crop top and a pair of blue open toed ankle boots Izzy lent me. Isabelle is dressed similar to me except her shoes are tan and close toed.
"Let's go." Iz says as I grab my stele and phone.
I nod, and we quickly walk down to the dining hall. I look to my usual seat to find it filled by none other then the infamous, Aline Penhollow.
"Move." I say walking over with Iz on my heels.
"I'm good thanks. You can sit in my old see by Max." Aline says looking up at me.
I smile, and pull her out of my seat.
"I prefer to sit with Isabelle, and I'm not moving Simon. Sorry, Aline." I say sitting down with Izzy.
Jace and Alec come down a few minutes later to find Aline pouting in her seat. Alec sits down in his usual seat, and everyone turns to look at Jace but me.
"I'm not sitting down until everyone. Looks at me. Flame haired hot head." Jace says.
I turn around in my seat and say, "Blondie."
A grin breaks out across Jace's face as he sits down in between Alec and I. Magnus stands up and snaps his fingers. Food appears in front of us and four bottles of alcohol appear in front of Isabelle and I.
We both break in to a stupid grin, and turn towards Magnus. Then we say in unison, "We love you, Magnus."
"Back off, twins." Alec says wrapping an arm protectively around Magnus.
"Girls, please don't tell me you are going to play drunk truth or dare." Maryse says eyeing the alcohol.
"No, mom, they are playing Scotch Vodka. Jace and I will probably end up playing, too." Alec says as we start passing the food around.
"I wanna play!" Max says looking adoringly at Jace.
"No, and that's final. It's not a game for little kids. I'm only playing so I can drag Clary's drunken butt to her room afterwards." Jace says looking pointedly at Max.
"Awwww." Max whines, but Robert says, "No, Max. You can start playing their games like that when you are old enough to go on patrols."
"Now eat." Maryse says as she starts eating.
I start eating when I feel a hand on my side. I swallow my food, and look over at Jace.
"I need to talk to you after we eat." Jace whispers.
"Sure little blonde-" I'm cut off as Isabelle jabs me in the side with her elbow looking at Max and back at me.
"Sorry- I meant Blondie." I correct myself.
After I finish eating Jace and I walk out in to the foyer of the Institute.
"What did you want to talk about, Blondie?" I ask as Isabelle walks out holding two bottles of Smirnoff and two bottles of scotch.
"It's outside. Come on." Jace says nodding towards the elevator.
"Really. I'm in a sleeveless crop top, Jace." I say as Alec, Isabelle, and Jace drag me to the elevator.
"Izzy, what is he doing?" I ask as the elevator door closes.
"They made me swear not to tell. Sorry." Izzy says rubbing my back.
"Do you trust me, Clary?" Jace asks from behind me.
"Uhhh... not particularly, no." I tell him looking at his reflection in the door.
"Well, your going to have to." Jace says putting his hands on my hips and then adds, "Close your eyes. I won't let you run in to anything."
I sigh, and close me eyes as I hear the clang of the doors opening.
"Don't open." Jace whispers in my ear sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
After a few minutes of walking I feel the icy night air on my skin.
"Stairs." Jace says holding me tight.
I nod, and we walk down the stairs.
"Okay, stand right here." Jace says releasing my waist.
I feel Isabelle's warm hand on my arm as Jace says, "Okay, open."
I open my eyes to find Jace standing in front of the outdoor gardens. They have string lights through the trees, there are rose petals scattered across the ground, and the usually dim waterfall is lit. Jace is standing in the middle of all this with one hand behind his back, and the other holding a single white rose in front of him.
"Uh... Alec and I set this up before dinner. That's... uh, that's what took us so long... We had Magnus help string the lights while we were gone hunting." Jace says as Isabelle gently pushes me forwards.
After a few hesitant steps I walk up to him. He hands me the rose which I take. Then, he pulls his other hand out from behind his back.
"I... uh... Clarissa Fairchild, will you except this ring, and be mine? Forever and completely mine. I want you to be mine. Will you marry me?" Jace says getting down on one knee, and looking up at me. Pleading with me.
"Jace... I... wait a minute... Alec, Isabelle, who told him?" I ask turning towards them.
"Magnus." They say.
"He likes to medal in other people's lives." I say turning back to Jace who is now standing staring down at his feet.
"Jace..." I trail off as I watch a tear fall from his eye to the ground.
I take his face in my hands, and kiss him. At first he's surprised. Then, he pulls me to him. My hand moves down to his neck, and he pulls me against him, tightly.
He smiles against my lips and pulls back asking, "I guess that's a yes."
I take the ring from him and say, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!"
"Good. Okay, now. We have Scotch Vodka to play. Come on." Jace says as I slip the ring in to my pocket. I'll have to get a new chain for it.
"Come on, love birds. Training room." Alec says as we walk up the Institute steps.
"You hurt her again, and I'll castrate you, Herondale." Isabelle says falling into step with me.
She hands me the Smirnoff as we walk in to the training room to find Simon, Adele, and Magnus waiting on us.
"We want to play. Oh, I see she said yes." Magnus says as he sees my hand in Jace's. Adele and Simon break in to stupid grins as I roll my eyes saying, "Was I the only one who didn't know you were proposing?"
"I think so." Jace says as we all sit down at a table Magnus had poofed up.
"Okay. Well your going up against your parabatai, but since we have an odd number of players Adele will drink w-" I'm interrupted as Aline walks in and announces, "I'm playing."
"Okay, well Adele you will drink against Aline, then. Now, Adele, Alec, and Simon are drinking Smirnoff with me. Iz, Aline, Magnus, and Jace will be drinking Scotch. You drink two glasses of scotch or one flute on Smirnoff depending on what your drinking. Then, whoever falls over first loses. We will keep going until there is one winner." I explain to everyone.
"You two have drinking problems." Simon says as a flute of Smirnoff is passed to be, and two glasses of scotch to Iz.
She chugs the first one, and we walk to the end of the room. Then, she chugs the second one as I down the flute of Smirnoff. Alec takes the flute from me and Jace takes the glass from Izzy. Then, we both start walking across the room. Half way across Iz falls on her ass and says, "I hate you, Fairchild."
I help her to her feet, and say, "No, Lightwood, you love me."
"Whatever. Jace avenge us." She says as Jace downs his first glass.
Alec and he walk to the end of the room, and both down there drinks. Simon takes Alec's flute as Magnus takes the glass from Jace.
They start across the room, and make it all the way across when they turn around to go back, and Alec falls over. Magnus helps him over to a bench where Izzy is waiting.
Then, Magnus downs a glass of scotch and he and Simon then chug there drinks. Adele take the flute from Simon, and Aline takes the glass from Magnus.
Simon takes one step and falls over. Magnus starts pouring mumbling about how is partner couldn't bare alcohol.
Adele wins against Aline who passes out after a couple steps. It takes all of us to move her since we are no longer sober. I go up against Adele with both of us drinking scotch. We are about to start walking when Max comes in.
"Holy- uh, what did you need... Max?" Izzy asks suppressing a giggle.
"I wanted to watch. I asked Maryse and she said to ask you, but that she was fine with it if I didn't get any alcohol." Max says looking around the room at us.
"Max, none of us are completely sober. I think you should go read your comics." Jace says patting Max's shoulder.
"Please. I'll sit on the bench." Max pleads.
A few minutes later Maryse and Robert walk in. Maryse laughs as she looks at us. Adele and I both still have full glasses of scotch in our hands.
"We figured since Max wanted to watch we better come make sure he doesn't get any alcohol. You all look like you've all drank already." Mary's says as the three of them sit down on a bench.
"Yeah, none of us are sober, Maryse." Jace says looking up at the ceiling.
"Okay... go." Adele says we chug our glass and start walking, and again my competition stumbles and falls half way across the floor.
Magnus and Jace both drink Smirnoff, and start across the floor when my mom and Luke walk in.
"Smells like a frat house in here." Luke comments as they sit down next to Maryse, Robert, and Max.
"It's a room full of drunk shadowhunters and a drunk warlock. What are you expecting, Lucian." Robert says watching Magnus and Jace walk across the room. They come back as my mom says, "Clary is being smart and not drinking. Aren't you, Clary?"
I walk over to her, and sit down beside her. I put my arm around her and say, "On the contrary, mother. I have had two glasses of scotch and a flute of Smirnoff."
Luke busts out laughing at that just as Magnus falls over.
"Yay! My turn!" I say as Izzy hands me and Jace both a half empty bottle of Smirnoff.
"Okay. Let's see who wins this one... Go!" Magnus tells us.
We both chug the bottles, and wait a minute before we start walking.
After ten minutes we are both still standing. Magnus stops us handing us both half empty scotch bottles. We down those and start walking again. After another five minutes we are both still standing.
"Rafters, now." Alec says pointing to the rafters.
Our parents object, but before they can stop us we are already climbing the ropes. I pull myself up on to the rafter beside Jace, and he steadies me.
"Magnsus... net... plplease." Jace calls down slurring his speech.
Magnus does something with his hand and a net appears below us. Our parents yelling at us to come down.
"Izzy and I've done this before. No worries." I call down focusing on my speech.
"You almost died before." Jace whispers.
"No need to point that out. See ya." I say doing a back flip over to another rafter.
"Clary! Don't do that!" I hear my mom calling up to me.
Jace and I start walking down the rafter. Jace starts to stumble, and I know I just have to hold on a little longer. Then, after another five minutes Jace falls off.
I laugh and let myself fall getting caught by the net. Laughing like an idiot as Jace grabs me around the waist.
Magnus lowers the net and Jace and I are met with angry parents. I smile stupidly up at them and say, "Your lucky we didn't go to Pandemonium to drink. We'd be dragging Izzy home like last night."
"God. Go on. Everyone off to bed." Maryse says dragging a laughing Max out of the door. Robert, my mom, and Luke all follow her with Luke suppressing a laugh.
"Okay, come on, drunkards." Izzy says as she and Alec pull Jace an I to our feet.
"We are not drunkards." Jace argues.
"You both had at lie set two-thirds of a bottle of vodka and two-thirds a bottle of scotch. You two are drunkards." Alec says as they drag us to our rooms.
We reach Jace's room first, and I say, "Bye, Blondie."
Jace kisses me night then says, "Night, hot head."
Then, Izzy drags me to our room.
"I'm taking a shower. Don't go wandering off." She tells me.
"I'm not that drunk, Iz. I'm just going to end up with a massive hangover tomorrow." I say pulling my boots off.
I sink down into a chair, and quickly fall asleep....