BULLETPROOF

“Pretty sure some of it was unnecessary. Ironically that is well behaved for them, well some of them. It’s not often they get to play with ‘wolves.” He smiled reminiscing their reactions throughout the period, the tormenting they had immediately started planning for the wolves. “Oh, I’m just being dramatic.” Gerard replied a hand waving off her concern. “They’re restless. I don’t blame them. Restless, and tired. It’s strange for me to be away from them for long periods of time, for them and myself. But needs must.” The vampire regretted bringing up the conversation and if it had been anyone else Gerardo had no doubt he would have told them to mind their business or something to that effect. Artemis was the exception to too many of his rules. 

“Some of it may have been unnecessary but still well deserved. Play with ‘wolves’? That’s what you called that,” she chuckled shaking her head back at him. The memory still made her want to both smile and roll her eyes, as much trouble and chaos that his clan had caused it had been fun. Artemis just looked back at him with a slight frown before shrugging her shoulders, if he didn’t want to tell her she wasn’t going to push it. When he explained the situation, she could have only imagined what else had happened – Gerardo wasn’t one to be giving with details so getting this much out of him was a miracle. “I understand that. I can’t imagine that your lot are used to being tied down to one place for very long. They’ll come around, if they’ve stuck with you this long they won’t let you down now. And if anything, you’re all welcome to come over to New Orleans for a weekend, as long as you don’t make too much trouble.”

Again, he raised an eyebrow at her, this time not believing what he was hearing, was she serious? ‘’Distractions coming from me are usually distractions that include me, did you really think I’d let you go alone? What would be in the fun in that? Besides, it keeps the assholes away.’’ He watched how she reacted to his words of advice, hoping it’d be somewhat useful. ‘’Good. It’s always better to face things head on than ignoring it until it goes away or avoid it if you ask me.’’ Alex replied honestly with a shrug. He smiled widely when he got a good laugh out of her, ‘’If it gets rid of the boredom, let’s hope it happens, right?’’

Seeing his reaction, the alpha couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction before arching a brow right back at him. “Who knows? You might have better things to do that distract me,” Artemis teased, “As for the assholes, you know I have no problem keeping them away but I guess not being kicked out of another bar would be nice.” Artemis knew that his advice was solid, it was just something that she would have to think about. “I know it is and I don’t plan on avoiding it or letting it go away, Alex but thanks anyway.” She crossed her arms and shook her head at her beta, she couldn’t blame him for thinking that – back home was completely different, there was always something happening and always someone who wanted to do something. “Might do … or result in a full-on bloodbath and unbearable atmosphere. I think I’ll take my chances.”

“Its funny to think though that the nephilim treat downworlders terribly for so long, but as soon as they need something we have to drop everything instantly?” she’d shrug her shoulders carelessly 

“I guess that you could put it that way,” Artemis said with a sigh, frowning to herself at the thought, “l can’t say that I dropped everything instantly for the Nephilim, I considered the decision in depth before coming here. I’m sure that you would say the same.”

‘‘Can I come up with a distraction? Pfft, you know me. There’s a bar not far from here, but I’m pretty sure there has to be some underground hide out here, how else can the shadowhunters stand this place? Or I could just read you a story.’‘ He told her, slightly offended, a teasing smile plastered on his face. ‘‘Of course I have, you know, lying is probably a lot easier when you’ve lived as long as a vampire has, maybe you should trick him, so he has no choice but to have an honest conversation,’‘ Alex suggested, not sure if she’d go for it, but it was the best he could come up with at the moment. He smiled warmly at her in understanding at the fair share part. Not being able to help himself, he let out the sarcastic reply that had been on the tip of his tongue, sputtering out a laugh when he did,  ‘‘It wouldn’t surprise me if some have forgotten what the sky looks like, wait, wasn’t the threat outside?’‘ 

“I know which is why I am asking you, there’s only so much yoga I can do in this place. This is New York city, there are bars everywhere but I hate going on my only, there always an asshole who is looking for a punch in the face.” She was listening to him and Alex’s advice was solid advice, she knew that but actually getting Gerard in a conversation long enough to trick him wouldn’t be easy. “I’ll think about it. Gerard is touchy at best when it comes to certain subject matter, so I’ll either rile him up, scare him away or get him to tell me the truth.” Artemis couldn’t help but laugh at the response, it was so true that it hurt but then could she really judge some of the residents for being stir-crazy. Boredom was the largest factor and in truth, she'd only been saved from utter madness by her morning runs. “Well, we have yet to see anyone reach their boiling point but its only a matter of time really.” 

Her words stuck to him. How scars made you learn. But did they have to be visible to be a lesson? “I think we can agree to disagree there. Scars stick even if they leave no mark - We all have our lessons, losses and worries right? And they stay even if they are visible on your skin or simply there - Those who aren’t visible are the hardest ones to cope with too, or at least that is what I believe.” He spoke as he tended to her wound and finished up. Hwanjae let out a small sigh and looked into the wolves eyes. She seemed to be rather strong, someone you shouldn’t mess with in a fight or just in a bar. A small smile appeared on his lips. “Of course, silver is like my iron - I can understand.” Hwanjae gently found some bandages and covered up the stitching. “Leave it on until tomorrow, then see if the stitches have healed up enough. Since you have to be careful, how about you owe me a drink now? For the fancy handy-work I just crafted.” he was sly. Of course he’d want some kind of payment for his little act of kindness. “A drink while being careful.”

The slight confusion on his face was almost sweet, the fae wasn’t a species that she usually dealt with and she always seemed to forget that they didn’t necessarily understand what it was like in this realm. “I think we will have to agree to disagree, after all, some of my scars were always inevitably going to scar. Besides, I have my fair share of invisible scars but I don’t like to discuss them with others.” Her eyes met his for a quick moment before dropping back down to the stitches that he had just finished up on her arm. Smiling back at him as he finished up dressing the wound, he stretched her arm out carefully and brought it back down to her side. Artemis scoffed out a dry laugh at the fae’s suggestion watching him now with an arched brow as she smirked. “I guess that owing you a drink is more than fair enough, especially given your fine handiwork and that you had no need to do this for me,” Artemis conceded with an amused nod, “What's your poison of choice? I’m sure we'll be able to find something.”

“ are you okay? “ she asked, mouth quicker than her brain yet when it hit her nose, she backed away slightly. gosh, this smell, the whole room did smell different. animal mixed with human blood, what a strange combination but she had forgotten what artemis was for just a moment before it rang a bell. “ oh, that’s so weird. i know what everyone is talking about when they say wolves smell bad. — you don’t, it’s just a very strange scent to take it. “ she babbled, still keeping her distance. no matter what blood, she still didnt trust herself.

“Yes, usually I think of missions as being marginally more interesting than this.” Granted, most of the fights between vampires and werewolves tended to be smaller than this one, but over her centuries as a clan leader even the big conflicts had become par for the course. “If they all know what’s good for them they’ll stop without us having to make much of an effort.”

“Marginally?” Artemis had no patience for fights whenever she was back home, the second she got wind of one she did her best shut it down before it could escalate. Dealing with fights had become something of a chore and one that she reluctantly did for the better good. “If they know what’s good for them, which if they’d escalated the fight this much I really doubt. Still, I suppose they could have given us a worse task.”

Hwanaje made a small mocking laughter. “Hm, even if it’s not your first scar why add to the collection? I’m sure being without them is just as good as having them.” Hwanjae had never been one to ignore wounds, scars or anything - Then again the fae took pride in their looks, they were vain and obnoxious by nature and their upbringing didn’t exactly add to being selfless. “I’m sure he deserved it - Most people deserve their beatings.” he murmured as he tried his best to stitch it up so it wouldn’t scar. He was good at it, he used to watch all the ladies of the Seelie court and admired both them and their handcrafts. “Hand me the cloth you have over there?” It was stained swith blood, but it would do. Hwanjae pressed it over his finished work, hoping the cold water mixed with her blood would at least keep the swelling down. “You’ll heal up quick right? It’s something you wolves do if I’m not mistaken?”

The wolf didn’t even bother to roll her eyes back at the fae, she would hardly call herself vain and she there were some things that she couldn’t change and her scars were part of that. “Sometimes you don’t have a choice, scars can also be a reminder to not make the same mistake again,” she explained, shrugging her shoulder. Her eyes focused on his handiwork, he certainly had a light touch and was definitely doing a better job than she would have done. Her skills with patching herself up were actually decent but the angle of this injury was something that she would have struggled with. Passing him the cloth. Forcing in a deep breath as he pressed the cloth against her arm, nodding slowly in response to his question. “It’ll heal but slower than usual, silver complicates it. Until then, I’ll have to be careful.”

She’d smile at Artemis. “I’m pretty sure the only reason the clave has all of the shadow world working for them is due to fear of extinction either that or the fear of the unknown.”

Artemis hummed to herself at the statement, shrugging her shoulders and smiling back at the vampire. “I think that it’s a little bit of both. There only so much they can do on their own,” she pointed out, “There is safety in numbers and let's face the facts, the Nephilim are low in numbers.” 

‘‘Oh, I know, but that’s part of the challenge, part of the fun, distractions usually work. I know, I know, but you know it’s hurting you more than it’s helping.’‘ Alex pointed out, trying to help as he sat back in his chair again, thinking of ways to help, it was the least he could do for her. Alex raised a shocked eyebrow at her, surprised that he hadn’t noticed, but of course, amused as ever, ‘‘And you’re only telling me this now? If you want my advice, I suggest sitting down for an honest conversation, getting it all out, but to be honest Art, life has a way to screw us over when we least expect it. Me? Never been better. Just going a little stir-crazy, but who isn’t?’‘

“Well, if you can come up with any half-decent distractions do let me know, I will be eternally gratefully,” Artemis laughed as she stretched her legs out in front of her. Turning her head, she looked at her beta with what would have been an almost embarrassed smile if it weren’t for the playful roll of her eyes. She could always count on Alex to cheer her up even if it was by teasing her. “You have met Gerard, right? I mean, having an honest conversation is like trying to get a rock to bleed. I know we have to talk, I don’t want it to just boil over. I know that we need to talk, there just never a good moment. As for life screwing us over, I have already had a fair share of that,” Artemis told him with a sigh, “I think we’re all a little stir-crazy in here.”

This day seemed to be a first of many things for Hwanjae and apparently this was a new one. A woman stood alone, trying to sew up a wound in her hand and for gods sake it didn’t look like she had been enjoying embroderies when she was young. Hwanjae simply stood with his arms crossed in the doorway before he walked over. “Pay attention to the details is something they say.” He lifted his gaze from the wound and smiled at the woman. “I’m Hwanjae, mind if I?” Hwanjae motioned to the needle and thread and gentle plucked it from the womans grasp. “Can’t leave a scar on that beautiful skin and you were doing a beautiful job in starting to make one.” he chuckled as he gently tried to sew the wound shut in a manner which would make sure no scar would be created. “Have a wild temper?” he motioned as he worked.

Snapping her head up to see who it was watching her from the doorway, she sat down in one of the seats behind her. His words were good and solid advice, something that she usually did except in this rare case. “It was a snap reaction, wasn’t thinking that far ahead before I got into the fight,” Artemis said with a frown, her fingers adjusting their hold on the needle. Lifting her gaze, when he took the needle from her the wolf paused for a moment before finally nodding. She knew that sooner rather than later she was inevitably going to need help, the angle she was sowing at was getting steadily more awkward.  The wolf had to stop herself from scoffing aloud at his obvious flattery, instead she took measured breath as he began to sow. “Temper, yes. A wild one, no. This man was particularly irritating and unfortunately, I was not in the best mood besides, this wouldn’t be my first or last scar.”

‘‘I know right? If you ever need a good storyteller, I’m your guy.’‘ He said casually, grinning at her when he did. Alex had considered staying in New Orleans when Artemis decided to join the whole ‘fight against evil’ but despite not giving a shit about most things that had nothing to do with him, he couldn’t help but feel that his Alpha needed him, not just as a beta but as a friend. And maybe he needed her in return. He sat forward a bit, leaning his elbows on his legs, patiently waiting for her to get her ducks in a row inside her head. ‘‘Not that I’m telling you what to do…but maybe you should stop worrying so much. The guys back home know this is for the safety of the pack, even if it’s in the long run. ‘‘Familiar faces? More than one? No wait, let me guess..’‘ He knew he perhaps sounded a bit more amused than he’d meant it to be, studying her for a second to get a read. ‘‘Is it who I think it is? If you need to use someone as a shield, you know where to find me. And I mean that.’‘ 

Artemis could only roll her eyes in response, she knew that he was right and that was the best thing to do but it was hard. Part of her felt guilty for leaving her pack behind, she also believed that Artemis was doing this for the best. “Try not to worry so much. You know that’s something really easy to say, harder to do in practice. I know they know, or at least I hope that they understand why I’m doing this. You know me, I will constantly worry about it.” Her hands moved over her neck, her fingers pressing into her muscles and stretched her legs out. It was hard not to laugh when she heard the amusement in his voice, groaning back in frustration as she moved her hand over her face. “Annoyingly … it is. And I can hold my own against him, that’s not the problem. I’m just not sure how to deal with seeing him here, didn’t think I would ever see him again. Enough about me, how are you doing?”