sixthiterationlogs | 001 - Adding a bit more Flourish to it

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001 - Adding a bit more Flourish to it - [OPEN]

WHO: Clary Fray
WHERE: Fountain & Village & River
WHEN: August 1st to August 6th
OPEN TO: EVERYONE
WARNINGS: Drowning? (Note: Scrub color is black.)

Fountain: Arrival [Aug 1]

Clary inhaled, feeling a cool rush of water fill her lungs. Her chest burned while panic tightly constricted around her heart. She flailed wildly in the water, kicking her arms and legs out in a futile effort to swim. The water stung her eyes when she tried to open them. Clary had always hated opening her eyes underwater but she needed to see.

'I need to breathe! She thought, forcing herself to calm down enough to escape a rather pathetic watery death. After everything she's been through, she's not going to have 'death by water' on her tombstone. Clary saw a blurry smudge of light in the distance and swam towards it.

She broke the surface of the water, coughing and gasping for air. Bright orange hair plastered to her cheeks and neck as she made her way to the fountain's ledge.

It was only when she was pulling herself over the edge of the fountain that she felt the weight of the pack on her back. A groan of complaint vibrated through her torso, even as she managed to tumble herself and the backpack onto the pavement. Clary was laying on her back. The backpack was a surprisingly comfortable pillow though that might have just been in comparison to the water. The sun shined pleasantly in the sky, warming her limbs and face.

Clary decided that it wasn't worth getting up. She'd happily lay there until someone told her to move. Maybe she was in central park? That's the only place that she can think of with a fountain. Either way, Clary knew that someone would find her and she'd sort it out then.

Around the 6I Village [Aug 2-4]

Clary really didn't know what to think of this place. She had named the village Salem in her mind, the broken buildings and dreary feeling reminded her of a town where hundreds of girls burned at the stake. It probably wasn't the best name but the village was surprisingly less daunting with a name attached to it.

She wound her way through the houses, inspecting the ones that were broken and then knocking at the homes that looked like someone lived there. If no one replied, she'd peak inside to see what was there. Clary was naturally curious and not at all shy or hindered by the unknown. This wasn't nearly as scary as trying to get Simon out of the Hotel Dumort.

Clary would take the time to stop and stare at the houses or setting around her. She tried to figure out how she'd draw it: what colors she would use or how certain objects might appear out of focus. At the end of each day, she'd find herself at the inn, usually hungry and sitting at the bar like a ghost might come and take her order.

She was new at this whole survival thing and Brooklyn had pizza. She really missed pizza.

At the River [Aug 5]

Clary was both happy and sad to see Izzy in the village with her. She was happy to see her friend and to know that she wasn't alone but it also made her think about home. How was her mother doing? And Simon? What about Jace? She wondered if any of them missed her. She didn't particularly worry about Alec missing her; he was with Magnus and starting towards his happiness.

She missed her sketchbook. It gave her the ability to get all of her worries out of her head and onto a piece of paper. Without it, her thoughts jumbled together in a messy knot that she didn't know how to untangle. A groan pulled from Clary's lips as she took a seat near the water's edge. She watched the waves for a few seconds before pulling off her scrubs and jumping in.

Clary hadn't been in water since almost drowning in the fountain a few days before and as much as she wanted to avoid it, she felt gross. She had never gone this long without a shower. After drenching herself in water, she floated lazily on the surface of the river.

"This place feels too much like the Twilight Zone." She mumbled to no one in particular.

The Breach Between 6I and 7I: Small Earthquake [Aug 6]

Clary first heard about the mysterious second village at the inn, when she had eavesdropped on two people discussing their plans to cross the breach. She hadn't asked about it then but she couldn't stop thinking of the possibilities that lay on the other side of the ridge. Peeked by her curiosity and her ever-rampant thoughts, Clary decided to head to the breach to check it out for herself.

She wasn't completely unfamiliar with bouldering but the path was not as clear as she thought it would be. She took careful steps over small rocks and then slipping between larger boulders that stood like giants in the path.

Clary was halfway through the breach when the earth began to shake. She'd gotten used to the small tremors over the last few days but she hadn't been standing in a small crevasse in the ground back then. A surprised scream tore from her throat as she ran back the way she had come. Peddles and rocks loosened from above her, falling on her head like rain drops falling from the sky.

She ran out of the breach, stumbling to the ground as the earthquake ended. Clary's head was shaking as she tried to regain her balance. She tasted blood in her mouth and felt a soft sting along her cheek. If she had managed to get out of that with a bloody lip and a few thin cuts then she was happy.

"Okay. Maybe I won't go that way." Clary was talking to the rocks and seriously hoping that they could feel her displeasure.

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"And yet, no Rod Serling," Ravi replies to the girl who's been speaking out loud. She probably hadn't been talking to him, but seeing as he's currently bent nearby to fetch a new sample of river water for his newest round of experiments, he thinks it'd be rude not to reply. That, or it's creepy that he's replying right now, but either way, he's socializing, look at him go.

"Sorry," he says, wrinkling his nose when he realizes that this could look creepy. "I wasn't actually staring. Or lurking. I'm definitely not stalking," he clarifies. She is in not much at all, though, which means that he probably shouldn't look too long. "That said, if this were a Twilight Zone episode, I have to think that it would be more interesting. I don't remember them being so long and drawn out with menial every day tasks."

Clary hadn't noticed that Ravi was there and startled when she heard his voice carry over the currents of the river. She curled her feet down so that she could turn and find the owner of the sudden, though factually correct, voice. Orange hair plastered to her neck and back as she looked over at him. "If Rod Serling was writing this I think there would be more twist and turns or something like Animal Farm where animals started talking." She moved her hands when she spoke as if that made her statements more clear.

There had been a time when Clary would have gotten embarrassed but she felt surprisingly comfortable now. It was hot out and the white cotton underwear she was wearing wasn't to different than her bathing suit. It was a strange realization but she'd more embarrassed if someone had watched her undress more so than catching her in this state.

She smiled when Ravi attempted to state what he hadn't been doing. "Okay. What are you doing?" Because that was a more interesting question. "Also how long have you been here?" Isabelle had mentioned that people were showing up here but she hadn't had a firm grasp on the timeline.

"Don't tempt them, if my rats start talking back to me, I'm going to know who to blame," Ravi says with an accusatory pointed look at her, like she ought to know better than to tempt fate, despite the fact that Ravi has absolutely no idea what she's like, seeing as they've just met. He's still trying not to stare exactly, because it's weird and awkward and more pervy than he likes.

Sort of staring through his hands so he doesn't see anything at all, he tries to keep his attention away. "Here? Staring at you? Definitely not long enough to be creepy," he promises. "I'm just collecting some water," he says, "I'm using it for experiments, which aren't mad scientist like at all," he vows.

The last time Clary had been faced with this much awkward had been with Simon. She wondered how he was doing and hoped that he was alright. No matter how much has changed he was still the boy that she'd grown up with and she couldn't help but worry about him.

Clary exhaled. "Let me put my shirt back on." She slowly waded towards the shoreline using the black scrub shirt as a towel before tugging on a white tank top. She then slipped the scrub pants back on before loosely tugging on her boots. "There." Clary looked back at Ravi with an awkward smile. She wasn't as confident in so little clothing as Izzy was.

"So you're not a mad scientist and if your rats start talking I'd check to see if you're on something first." She paused. "There was that episode where the woman wanted to go on a diet and she got these glasses that made food talk to her and she starved because she couldn't eat." It was a messed up episode which was why it had stood out to her.

He hates to admit it, but he feels a lot more comfortable when she starts getting dressed. It's not that he's a prude or anything, but he only really feels comfortable around other women in that level of nudity when he's reached an intimate level with them that he absolutely hasn't at this point, not here, not yet. "Sorry," he admits, seeing as he's made her go out of her way for this. "I just didn't want to stare and be pervy and lewd the first time we met."

"I think even if the flatware started talking to me, I'd just hush it up and eat. I don't know what they could say that would make me lose all appetite," he admits. "I mean, I know where burgers come from and still happily eat them."

Clary gathered her hair in her palm and then twisted the bright orange strands to try to get as much water out of it as humanly possible. It would still drip down her back but it wouldn't soak her to the point that it was uncomfortable. When she released her hair, her bright green gaze focused back on Ravi.

"For the record. That is a really creepy and kind of awkward thing to say and we can just leave that thought process there." She was a lot more comfortable now that he wasn't staring either. "Let's just start over. I'm Clary. I'm also pretty sure I'd still eat talking food too." Living was more important than worrying about crying fruit though she was sure it might have caused a moral dilemma with Simon, who has been a vegetarian since he was young. It had mostly been due to food allergies but over time he had embraced it and found creative ways to protest animal cruelty.

Anyway, "What are you testing the water for?" She'd like to know since she was just swimming in it.

He gives her a curious look, mainly to figure out if she really means that question or whether she's just having him on. When it seems like she really means it, he figures that he ought to roll with it, remember that not everyone comes here knowing everything, no matter how much Ravi would appreciate the instant download.

"Ravi," he introduces himself in turn, giving her a warm smile. "I'm testing the water to see which sources are healing," he says. "Like the way the fountain heals people on arrival or the spring heals people slowly," he shares. "That sort of thing."

Clary blink and her expression blanked. "Healing water?" No one had told her about that. She had been at full health before her arrival and while Izzy said that there was a spring, she assumed at the other Shadowhunter went there for her hair and not for some magical healing properties. Thinking back to the way that Isabelle talked about it, it did make some sort of sense, and the longer that Clary thought about it the less weird it sounded.

"I did not know that." In case he was wondering why she had grown very quiet all of a sudden. "Ever think that maybe the well and the spring have the same source?" She pointed in the direction of the waterfall. "I don’t think that this does."

It was just because the source for the fountain and spring most likely came from underground, which meant that it could come from anywhere. The river came from the waterfall. Though, no one should ask the girl who spent her whole life in New York about water.

Not that Ravi was asking for her opinion but he got it nonetheless. "How do you test that anyway?"

Ravi doesn't flinch, because he refuses to let himself look like a madman or an idiot who's rambling about things that don't exist because he has scientific findings to show that yes, indeed, the water can heal people, so he's not mad. Maybe he's a little bit to study something so intently that's so minor.

"I've thought of that, but can't find the connection," he admits. "Then there's the fact that the spring wasn't always around," he says. "From what I heard, it sort of appeared." He clears his throat, having to stumble through the awkward 'lab rat' conversation now with a stranger, who he can't predict how they'll respond.

"Well, I've got lab rats," he starts, "so I make small injuries and then use various water sources before taking an account of how quickly they heal."

There had been a time when Clary would have questioned everything. She would have thought that Ravi was crazy and that he was one of those homeless people that you don't make eye contact with. That was before meeting Isabelle, Alec and Jace; before she knew about Shadowhunters and her place among them. Now she can't consider anything completely crazy or impossible.

"Appeared? Like magic?" She sounded thoughtful as she spoke, as if running through facts in her head. The truth was, Clary knew very little about magic and it made her wish that Magnus was also here. Then maybe they'd be able to find a way out. "Can anyone here build a well?" Okay, that might be a stupid and unhelpful idea.

Moving on…

She looked over at Ravi with a frown. "That's barbaric-" Though Clary also understood. She exhaled before shaking her head. "Okay, I guess I get why. You find anything out yet? Or is it still pending."

"I mean, we're also sort of lab rats, so it's like a giant ouroboros snake going around and around, eating us all up," he points out with a nod of his head, like he's compelled to share that if he's being cruel, it's only because someone is also being awful and cruel to them, as well. What goes around, comes around. Then around and around and around.

"I mean, we could try," he offers. "I'm not exactly fond of ditch digging. I did quite a bit of that back home for another extra-curricular project, I'd like to think I'm done with that for a lifetime." He wishes that she hadn't asked what she did next, because it means he gets to admit failure. "Unfortunately, my results are inconclusive."

Clary made a face. It wasn't a good face and it looked like a twist between a squint and a grimace. She didn't really care for his explanation but they could return to that later. She didn't think that you could hurt someone just because they hurt you. Of course, if Valentine showed up here she'd probably try and stab him in the face. So maybe she was a hypocrite.

"Okay, I want to ask what extra-curricular project but after meeting a vampire I think I'll let things in the ground lie. We don't need zombies and mummies and who knows what else running around." She shivered remembering Camille's tomb. "Anyway."

Moving on...

"If I get any nasty scrapes I'll come to you. I don't mind being a test subject." She paused realizing how that sounded. "For the greater good." Clary attempted to clarify but it didn't sound much better. She just wanted to get out of here and get home. She'd do anything towards that goal.

Why is it always that people come at him with vampires? Honestly, Ravi is starting to truly believe that every other world that he doesn't belong in has some weird fascination with the creatures, one that he's not entirely sure he wants to know about, especially if this is the way that pop culture and existence is going.

"I don't treat my patients as test subjects," he says, lying through his teeth, but then, those patients had willingly volunteered, so he doesn't think that's his fault, truthfully. "I do appreciate though, any samples willingly given after the treatments."

Hey, Clary didn't just say vampires. She also mentioned zombies and mummies. The reason that vampires first came to mind was because her best friend was recently turned into one. It wasn't the sort of thing that strayed far from Clary's thoughts. Which was odd because she constantly forgot that Luke was a werewolf, maybe because he'd always been like that?

Clary wasn't sure.

She rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "I figured if it's to bad I can always get you to stop." She was very vocal when she wanted to be. "And at the same time I want to figure out more. It's worth it, sides." Clary tapped to one of the tattoo's on her neck. "This hurt and I lived through it. I don't think you can do anything worse."

It was probably not good to tempt fate but Clary was stubborn and if it meant helping she'd go to extremes with or without Ravi's involvement.

"Don't tempt this place," he warns. "Honestly, I still suspect that half the reason things happen the way they do is because some upper-worldly being hears us complaining and has chosen to punish us as a result," he says with a grimace. "We had a problem with lightning strikes a while back, so you might see plenty of people with tattoos of their own around, little leftovers from that."

"Still, drop by the hospital sometime," he adds, not wanting to let a test subject skitter away. "I'll do a few baseline tests, try not to poke you up too much, if that's fine by you?"

That was the second time that Ravi had told Clary to watch what she said. It was a little humorous the first time but by the second time it was alarming. She didn't want to be one of those people who always looked over her shoulder but she found herself looking now, like there might be someone standing behind her or some listening device that she can point out.

"That sounds awful." Clary had no idea what it felt like to be struck by lightening and frankly didn't want to find out. Her teeth chewed at her lower lip before she was pulled out of the dense dark mass of her thoughts.

"Oh, sure. Are you there like all the time or is it like, sun just over the trees time to sun over head time?" She wasn't too happy about not having a watch. She wasn't particularly in-tune with the days and it was hard to guess what time it was if it wasn't noon, dawn or dusk.

"I try to be there as much as I can, but if I'm not, it'll be one of the other doctors and they'll know where to find me," Ravi guarantees, because between Beverly and Helen, one of them is definitely going to be able to pick out where Ravi plans to be. "This place might have a lot of boring days, but it makes up for it, later," he says knowingly with a nod of his head.

"I'm probably sounding doomsday-esque," he confesses. "I've got a bad habit of that, unfortunately, it's part of why I got fired from the CDC, he says with a shrug, like it happens to everyone.

"I could use a little boring." The words were out of Clary's mouth before she could stop them. Ever since she found out about the Shadowhunter world it had been one thing after another. She hadn't had time to stop and breathe, she shouldn't be taking her time now but from how Isabelle explained it, there wasn't too much to be done that wasn't a long term effort. It bothered Clary to sit still. Doing small things was better than doing nothing.

"It does." She agreed with a small smirk. "I can't imagine anyone with the CDC being gloomy, you just work with things that kill people all day."

Clary was used to it, Shadowhunters are gloomy too.

"Well, if you stay in your house long enough and only come out every once in a while for food, I'm sure that you could probably manage decently," he offers, because he's had long stretches of weeks where nothing of consequence happens at all, so he's fairly sure that she could probably manage, too.

"I was in charge of researching flus, massive diseases, that sort of thing." He waits a beat, collecting and capping some more water. "I may have gone overboard and a little fatalistic." Then again, he hadn't been wrong, so he feels vindicated about that one.

"That's something to look forward too." She mumbled under her breath with a little huff. "Are you heading back?" She asked when it looked like he had gathered the water he needed. She was fairly dry now and if he left she could keep swimming but she wasn't sure if she wanted too. A part of her told her to go talk to Isabelle about the weird ass doctor she met at the stream. Isabelle had a talent for knowing people, she probably had a better read on Ravi than Clary did from one conversation.

Of course, their conversation had started with the Twilight Zone so Clary didn't think it was too bad. She rather liked Ravi but he was a little odd... and maybe a bit awkward.

"Back to the hospital, yeah," he agrees, holding up his samples of water. "I've got a date with some furry little friends to see if I can't heal the wounds that I inflicted on them," he says, which should probably make him feel a little like a monster, but he doesn't. He just thinks that if he can figure this out, he can start manufacturing actual solutions.

"So, go forth, frolic as nakedly as you like again," he says, a touch awkward as he waves a hand in her direction.

Clary watched him for a second before nodding her head. She looked back at the water thoughtfully.

When Ravi spoke, she felt her cheeks flush. "I was not naked!" Maybe she was more embarrassed then she let on. "I think I'm done with swimming for a bit." She edited her statement before turning and grabbing what was left of her things, which was mostly just her boots.

When everything was in hand she picked the rough direction towards the mill and walked off. She figured she'd explore more before going back, that and her mini-outburst was a little embarrassing.

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001 - Adding a bit more Flourish to it - [OPEN]

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