Sweet, Ophelia [T.I.D]

Chapter 7 - Something personal

❝Chapter 7 - Something personal ❞

The three soon arrived at the usual dining table, it was awfully quiet since Charlotte, Henry and Tessa weren't there at the table. Jessamine was there but looked completely bored, picking at her nails and totally ignoring their existence. Will sat beside Ophelia, in the middle of her and Jem. Will nudged at her side and whispered, "The gasolier is crooked, it's bothering me."

"Get up there then." Ophelia suggested jokingly, looking up at the ceiling.

"No! That's a bad idea! Will, don't-" Jessamine started but once Will was crawling up the dinner table, she gave up and threw her hands up in frustration. "I'm getting Charlotte, I can't tolerate you two pea headed idiots." It was specifically directed to Will and Ophelia.

Jem chuckled, smiling at Ophelia who was staring up at Will. He got up on the dining table and his long legs looked good from the lower view, not only to mention his bottom. "You're giving me quite a nice view, Herondale. Maybe we should've let you stay back in the brothel." She whistled, laughing along with Jem.

Tessa entered the room along with Jessamine and Jem greeted her with a smile, "Good evening, Tessa." Ophelia's stomach dropped, a hideous feeling was building up inside her. She tried to conceal it with a smile and looked down at Will's shoes.

"Really! Can't you get Thomas to do that? A gentleman needn't-" Jessamine shot a glare at Will.

"Is that blood on your sleeve, Jessie?" Will inquired, glancing down. Jem questioned Tessa and looked genuinely worried, "Did something happen?"

"N-no! Nothing at all." Tessa blushed and looked away, realizing that she have been staring at the gleaming pendant on the base of his neck.

Jessamine's face tightened and without a word, she turned on her heel and stalked to the far end of the table where she sat down and stared stonily ahead. Tessa looked around and decided to sit beside Ophelia, greeting her, "Good evening, Ophelia. How are you?"

"Good evening, Miss Gray. I'm quite alright..." Ophelia faked a smile, angry at her for being so kind and friendly. Tessa noticed that Ophelia also had a similar pendant, a beautiful opal hanging low on her chest. Tessa was about to say something else, but Henry burst into the room, "I've done it! I'll wager you didn't think I could do it, did you?"

Will abandoned his efforts with the gasolier to glare at Henry. "None of us have the slightest idea what you're on about. You know that?"

"I've gotten my Phosphor to work at last. It functions on the principle of witchlight but is five times more powerful. Merely press a button and you will see ablaze of light like of which you have never imagined." Henry proudly brandished the object.

There was a silent. "So," Will said finally, "it's a very, very bright witchlight then?"

Henry nodded, "Exactly."

"So, let's see it!" Ophelia clapped excitedly, grinning at Henry with bright eyes. Unlike the expression, she had on before. Henry smiled and pressed the button. There was a blinding light and a whooshing sound, and the room was plunged into blackness. Tessa let out a yelp of surprise and Jem laughed softly.

"Am I blind?" Will's voice floated out of the darkness, tinged with annoyance. "I'm not going to be pleased if you've blinded me, Henry."

"Er-no," Henry sounded worried and Will was cursing underneath his breath. Suddenly there was an enormous crash and Charlotte appeared with a witchlight lamp aloft in one hand. "I suppose we'll be eating by witchlight tonight."

Jessamine sniffed, and it was the first noise she have made since Will mentioned the blood on her sleeves. "Ugh. I hate witchlight, it makes my complexion look green."

Charlotte and Henry sat down and recounted what they had learned from Mortmain; Jem and Will were listening attentively while Jessamine gazed out in boredom, Tessa was looking around and thinking while Ophelia was lost inside her mind. Charlotte and Henry described that Mortmain thought of himself as a very important man, a manner that he was always listened to, he craved power; and he had no idea of how high the price for power in Downworld is.

"What is the matter with you two?" Charlotte turned to Will and Jessamine who were quarreling about something in snappish tones. Before she could deliberate the situation, Sophie came in and quickly went out with Sophie.

Tessa took the opportunity to talk to Ophelia who was beside her. She leaned in, "I want to apologize for yesterday night. It was mean of me to step over your boundaries, I didn't mean it. Of course, I do not know you well enough, nor can I guess about your parents. They may be alive. I wish that we could be friends."

Somewhat she sounded genuine. Ophelia hesitated, taking Tessa's words in and nodded. She gave Tessa a small smile and explained, "It's alright, I wasn't feeling well that night neither. Sophie was mad at me for something that I did without knowing and you just burst into the room. It wasn't like you interrupted something, but when you brought it up about my parents. You shouldn't."

Jem looked over the table and saw Tessa and Ophelia talking, he heard Ophelia's cold tone which she usually uses when it's something personal. He had to talk to her later, he knew that there were something bothering her, and he didn't like that she doesn't eat much anymore. Ophelia was paler than usual, but it might have been the witchlight. Her eyes were much greener and clearer, like a forest through a glass.

Henry leaned over to look over at Tessa, "That clockwork object you wear around your neck? Do you mind if I have a look?"

She hesitated and nodded, handing it over to Henry anxiously. "I suppose, but can you please take care of it carefully. It's all I have left from my mother."

Jessamine piped in, "I don't see why you're making such a big fuss out of it. It's not like it's made of diamonds and gold."

"Some people value sentiment over diamonds, Jessie." Charlotte suddenly came into the room and announced, "Lady Belcourt is downstairs in the sanctuary room. She wants to speak to Tessa. It's about information on de Quincey, I contacted her before supper. I think she has some information and she does. But she insists on seeing Tessa first."

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Original author: Cassandra Clare. All the characters except for Ophelia Blackthorn and her storylines are mine.