(@HeavensBlade) -- your liking," Élodie replied. She had a French accent, but it wasn't too strong. Like all Shadowhunters, she'd been required too to learn English young. It was the official language of Idris, after all. "Dinner will be served half-passed eight. If you need anything, you can find myself, my son Leon, or Melea Skycrest. She's another resident here."

And then she was gone, and Ches was left to settle into his room. He spent a few minutes at the windowsill, leaning his --

(@HeavensBlade) -- arms against it and looking out over the snow-covered city before deciding he should take a took around, get to know the layout.

Ches began wandering the halls, hands loosely tucked into the pockets of his trousers as he eyed the decor lining the hallways. It was a nice place, he decided. He'd enjoy living here.

@MasterOfSai running wasn’t always the answer. Malea knew that to be true. But , something about London was a painful knife in her chest. She couldn’t return to the institute , not that she was of legal age to travel and go as she pleased. Her older sister Sarah and her had a strained relationship enough.

Her aunt Judith had taken care of them well enough… and she had cousins who were set to take over the London institute.., which meant time to—

@MasterOfSai go as quickly as she could. She hardly even /wanted/ to be a Shadowhunter anymore. But, they were a dying breed. Not that Paris was particularly far, but she found herself running to Paris.

The city of romance. Melea was welcomed quickly into the institute and she settled into her temporary new normal. Leon was constantly trying to slide into her pants and that was that. There was nothing of real interest for her just yet. She was just trying to find—

@MasterOfSai A reason to stay like this.

She was miserable. Wouldn’t it be better to join the real world? No more runes…. No more demons. Melea imagined how nice it would be to feel … normal. Instead she felt utterly alone.

Stretching out , she was getting ready for a walk to the library. It wasn’t often that anyone was in there.. and she heard about a new arrival today. —

@MasterOfSai It was certainly something she wanted to avoid, but she knew Elodie would push them all together.

Melea sat , reading by witch light as she lounged in an aged red plush chair. She was focused, her eyes on the pages as she heard some stirring in the hallway. The steps didn’t belong to anyone she knew here.

Ches had eventually wandered far enough to happen across a set of doors. When he peered inside, it seemed he had located the library. Good, he thought, since he'd probably be spending a lot of his time in here anyway. For the purpose of studying.

The boy continued into the room with a careless gait, noticing he wasn't alone. He spotted @HeavensBlade parked on a chair with a book, seemingly ignoring his presence, though surely she'd noticed his entrance.

A cure to his boredom had --

-- presented itself, it seemed.

"I'm impressed," he said, speaking up. "I may have just met the world's lousiest Shadowhunter. Didn't even hear me come in. What would Raziel think?"

He was, of course, only mocking the woman. He knew she had heard him. But it was more fun to tease people, he found. Their reactions were great fun. @HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai Melea was an isolationist by nature. Outside of the few friends she had in London, which were mostly consistent of family, she didn’t have very many to talk to .

In Paris, she kept to herself. She did as she was told and stayed so far under the radar she hoped to go unnoticed. Until the new guy, here for five minutes entered the library. Her eyes rolled—

@MasterOfSai Into the back of his skull at his words.

“You know maybe you did.” Melea spoke, hint of annoyance in her tone. “But you know what they say about libraries? That there’s quiet in them.” She snapped back, looking up from her book and seeing the pretty boy who just strutted in.

She didn’t want to acknowledge him, didn’t want to feed into it. She simply continued to read her book.

"Pretty sure that's just for mundanes," he replied, strolling further into the room to get a better look at it. He strode up to the shelves and began skimming the titles, his arms resting in a crossed position over his chest.

"You must be Melea Skycrest... Élodie sang your praises... I believe her exact words were 'she lives here'. I suppose, being a bad—and apparently cranky—Shadowhunter, that was all the impression you left."

He uncrossed his arms, letting his -- @HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai “oh it is? So what do us Shadowhunters do in libraries then?” Melea asked in a curt tone. /two/ intolerable men in this institute. Oh he and Leon would be perfect together. Melea flipped a page and it sounded like a whip . Maybe she should get her whip out.

—

Ches still had his eyes on the book he'd grabbed, flipping it open to skim the inner contents. He turned his back to the shelf and leaned on it as he did so.

"I think, and correct me if I'm wrong in this... They read." He glanced up towards her, giving a half-smile. He was pleased at her reaction to him. It was most people's reaction, really, but it never got old.

"I suppose we have the whole rest of the year together then," he said, noting her slight hesitation. -- @HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai As Ches turned back to face her, she decided that there was no reading to be had with the new guy around. She placed a bookmark in and shut it. She looked up to him.

“I was trying to read before /you/ interrupted me.” Melea spoke, clearly annoyed by his very presence. As —

@MasterOfSai He said they had the rest of the year together, she shook her head. “I’m heading to Spain soon. And then Ireland. And then I don’t know /where/.” Melea spoke, not sure why she was sharing her travel plans. As he introduced himself, she rolled her eyes again.

“Chess was it? Like the game?” Melea spoke, purposely stressing it to see his reaction.

Melea—

@MasterOfSai Crossed her legs.

“Melea.” She didn’t plan on sharing her last name yet. Her stories, her histories. She extended her hand, to shake his hand.

"Exactly like the game," he confirmed, unbothered. "With one fewer 'S'."

He tried not to smile seeing he'd successfully gotten her to give up on reading. He guessed she would avoid giving him a victory, if she could help it.

At the extended hand, he eyed it for a moment before coming up off his perch to shake it. "Old fashioned, I see." He commented, then plopped down lazily onto one of the other plush chairs, relaxing into it. "You seem ambitious for someone with -- @HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai “mhm.” Melea spoke as he spelled out his. And for her. She was going to shake his hands and then drop her hand back to her lap. It seemed he was talkative, and he wasn’t going anywhere. She began to talk and quieted, responding in a calm and level voice.

“It’s just getting the hell out of London. I don’t know if that’s pure “ambition.” Melea —

@MasterOfSai Spoke, blowing a brown unruly curl out of her face as Ches moved closer to her. And no to answer the question…. No , she didn’t have anyone to talk to.

“What brings you to Paris?” Melea asked him, reaching for her water bottle and taking a large sip.

"Ah. So you're running away," he concluded, bringing up his ankle to rest on his opposing knee. "Probably from some tragic backstory. Not uncommon among Shadowhunters."

He glanced down at his hands, seemingly taking a moment to inspect his fingernails. "Didn't I mention that? Travel year. You know, the thing you're supposed to do when you turn eighteen. Spend a year in some Institute, learn how they do things. Become worldly and all that." His dark eyes flicked back up -- @HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai “I wouldn’t say running away.” Melea spoke back to him, though that’s exactly what it was. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, unable to take his smug and arrogant personality. Who did he think he was?

“Travel year…. Yeah that. Hey listen, you don’t pick up on social cues, do you? I’ve wanted you to leave the minute you said hello.” Melea spoke, narrowing her eyes at him. —

Ches rose his eyebrows, a little surprised. "And here I thought I was being vexing... pity. You see, I actually know you don't want me here. Why do you think I stuck around?" He smirked this time, a little arrogantly. "But apparently, you think it's charming. I suppose I can't much blame you. I am known to have that effect on women. They fell at my feet left and right back in Idris."

Women in fact did not fall at his feet back home. While he had, had a few dalliances with --
@HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai she felt a flush of pink fill her cheeks at that. If she could smack the smug smirk off of his face, she would gladly do so. Melea stood up and centered herself.

“Let me practice my curtsy.” She curtsied , maybe a bit of a tease herself before standing up. Looking up to him,—

Ches let out a chuckle, lolling his head back against the chair lazily to watch her go. It seemed he'd managed to chase her straight out of the room. He often had that effect on people. He'd be lying if he'd said he didn't find it amusing.

"I look forward to spending all year with you!" He called after her, smirking once again.

He cracked open the book in his hands that he'd picked out. Perhaps he'd hang out here for a little while before he continued his tour of -- @HeavensBlade

@MasterOfSai it was enough for her to rule her eyes again. There was something about his confidence that bothered her. It wasn’t that he was rude, it was just irritating.

Melea could feel his eyes on her as she walked from the library, nearly bounding into Leon a second later.

—

@MasterOfSai “Excusez moi ,mademoiselle.” Leon winked at her as she hurried past him. “Later, Leon.” She mused , studying his handsome features before dipping into her room. Leon and Ches would either be the perfect match or the perfect storm. Who could handle all that ego?

Melea decided to rest —

Ches showed up to dinner not long after @HeavensBlade did. He'd spent the remainder of the day getting to know the Institute, stopping in various places to spend time there, and eventually retreated back to his room to read for a while.

He now took a seat across from Melea, apparently having just come from the kitchen. He'd offered his help to Élodie, but she hadn't required his assistance.

He met her eyes and gave a half-smile in greeting that she would probably find irritating.

@MasterOfSai grew distant and cold to them. She had a lot of pain, a lot of childhood trauma that she just didn’t want to deal with.

She watched Ches sit, offering a small nod of acknowledgment.

“Dinner smells great, élodie.” A full dinner of roasted steak and baked potatoes, vegetables. A welcome dinner.

—