𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓲 𝓵𝓲𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾?| 𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓬 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓭

Chapter Three

(sotc is heat waves by glass animals. happy reading! <3)

The Institute was unlike anything Ness had ever seen.

First of all, the sheer amount of technology they had was crazy. Everywhere she looked there was some Shadowhunter fiddling with some machine and seeming to make sense of all of the numbers on the holographic screen. She found it very confusing.

Secondly, the amount of Shadowhunters swarming the place was more than Ness had thought existed. She didn't realise that there was so many of them in New York alone. It should have made her nervous, but it didn't, not really. Anyone who was at odds with the Queen was an instant ally of her.

Isabelle showed her around, and Ness mapped out a mental picture of the Institute in her head. She couldn't stand not knowing where she was going, and there wouldn't be an Isabelle to help her all the time. They reached a white door, with sanitiser, surgical masks and disposable gloves on a little table outside it.

"Demon Pox" Isabelle explained, and she pulled the gloves on. "There's a bit of a rumour that it's in New York, and Alec refuses to take any chances, so we have to wear these into the infirmary, in case we have anything on us, which-" she looked Ness up and down- "you very possibly do."

Ness rolled her eyes, but she was laughing as she put on her mask. "The hell is Demon Pox?" she asked, slathering her gloves with sanitiser. "It sounds gross" she continued thoughtfully.

"It is gross" Isabelle agreed. "It turns you into a demon. Slowly and painfully, with lots of rashes and some insanity thrown in for good measure."

"Sounds charming" Ness replied dryly. Isabelle laughed.

"Doesn't it. Last known case was in the 1870s and turned the Shadowhunter who had it into a giant worm."

"A worm!" gasped Ness in disbelief, before dissolving into giggles. "I'm sorry, I should laugh but-"  

"Of all the things to turn into, it was a worm" Isabelle finished for her, giggling as well. They looked at each other and collapsed with laughter, clutching each other. Somebody cleared their throat behind them. 

"Seriously?" came Jace's agitated voice. "We're dealing with an unknown, probably dangerous and potentially fatal substance and you're laughing about a demon STD?". Ness clamped her lips together and stared at the floor, trying not to look at Isabelle. She weakened and glanced at the dark girl, who was doing exactly the same thing.

"We were just going into the infirmary" said Isabelle, who was desperately trying to smother her laughter. Jace huffed and walked off. Isabelle looked at Ness, and the pair bust out laughing again.

"Sssh" whispered Isabelle between breaths. "He's gonna be really pissed at us!"

"Who cares?" replied Ness, rolling her eyes. Isabelle shook her head and let out a final laugh before opening the door to the infirmary and pulling the blonde after her.

After a lengthy (and in Ness' mind unnecessary) assessment, it was determined that the demon sludge had left nothing but a couple of scorch marks on her, and her life actually was not in critical danger. Well, she could have told them that an hour ago.

Isabelle had insisted that they go "room shopping" as she called it because "you can't live here if your room is ugly" and there was something in that, truth be told.

Ness had money to burn, so when they returned after three hours, they were armed with an Indian style wall tapestry, far too many fairy lights, artificial ivy ("to make you feel more at home" Isabelle had suggested before buying them anyway), far too many plants, about a hundred scented candles, pop culture posters, a world map (Ness felt it was necessary), about twenty psychedelic 70s hippie print cushions and pillows, a new duvet and pillow with covers("It's weird to sleep on someone else's stuff" had been Isabelle's reasoning) and a couple of furry blankets which were "absolutely necessary" or so Ness had been told.