i'm calling out to you

Jace moved through the crowded frat party, it was loud and hot and he was probably hitting the last level of not being not drunk. He was handed another beer as his eyes searched around the room. He had lost Alec some time ago and just for good measure, the room was clear of any demons. Even though the Institute had let Alec, Izzy, and himself go to college and experience what every young person should, the shadow world never fully left him, always multitasking.

He slowly made it up the stairs, he could smell the heavy stench of weed and in the bathroom he passed, a girl was sorting something off the sink. Jace pushed open the first door he saw but quickly closed it as he didn't want to see more than he should of the couple going at it. The bedroom at the end was empty and he quickly shut himself in, sinking down to the floor, bending his legs at the knees as he leaned back against the bed, he let his head loll backward and he shut his eyes. The music was muffled and it was a bit of solace.

@ momentai.

Demons loved parties and crowded places. That was probably the only reason Aria attended these parties. She wasn't too fond of crowds or being around more than a few people in general. And she wasn't exactly used to this city just yet, but she'd been secluded to the college campus most of the time, anyways. But, the main reason she even came to this college in the first place was because there were so many demons in this city. It was cause for concern.

There didn't seem to be any demons around tonight, though. She wasn't sure if that was relieving or worrisome. It didn't matter, she supposed. A break from shadowhunting, even if it was short and last only one night, might be nice. She'd had a drink or two and had a bottle in her hand at the moment but the crowd was getting to her. Pushing her way through, she hoped to find a quiet place. She eventually passed one room that held a pair having sex and she closed the door quickly, certain she was scarred for life, before she continued on. When she came to another room and opened the door, she spotted a guy inside and arched a brow. "Sorry, mind if I come in?" she asked.

Jace barely lifted his head when the door opened but he did open his eyes and an attractive girl stood in the doorway and his mouth twitched into a smile."That depends, are you gonna share?" He asked, eyeing the bottle in her hand as his own cup was empty now. He scooted over just a hair and patted the empty space next to him."The party becoming to much for you too?" Jace asked because why else would you hide out from a crowd that large.

(In an hour and a half, I start an exam, so I'll be off from that point until I get home)

Aria arched a brow and looked to her bottle, debating the compromise for a moment before she shrugged. "I guess I can share," she hummed out in response before she stepped further into the room. Closing the door, she made her way over and sat down, offering the bottle to him. "Yeah, a little. I'm not really into parties, but... Well, it's college, so I might as well go to them," she told him as she took in his appearance. He was attractive, that was obvious, and that smile she'd seen when he first opened his eyes made the thought even more true.

Jace reached for the bottle, taking a sip as he wiped away the little droplets that dribbled down his chin."The classic college experience, a must have." He laughed as he was sure he would be at more parties that he cared too. They were a hotbed for demon activity, easy to jump skins."My brother dragged me along but he got lost to the crowd and I just had the alcohol to keep me company." Alec wasn't his brother biologically but what they shared ran deeper than any blood tie.

"We might as well enjoy the college experience while we can, right?" Aria asked in response, though she mostly thought that way because there was no telling when that would end. She could be pulled out at any minute, especially if the demon count didn't go down. "Do you usually get dragged to these parties, then? You could always go on strike," she joked lightly.

Jace nodded."Too almost every single one." It was partly because of Alec but they also had a job to do and one couldn't go without the other, that's not how things worked. He looked to her."How about you? Come to these often?" And he was well aware how much that sounded like a cheesy pick up line.

Aria blinked to his question and she stared at him for a moment before she laughed quietly and leaned her head back against the frame of the bed. "Yeah, more often than I'd like to," she said with a small shrug. As she'd mentioned, she didn't like parties. But she knew how parties attracted demons, so she couldn't really miss one. "I guess parties are kind of... an acquired taste."

Jace could understand that because mostly if not for demon hunting, he probably wouldn't be here now."What brought you out tonight?" He asked, wondering if she came alone or was there a friend looking for her somewhere while she hid upstairs in a stranger's bedroom with him but Alec wasn't looking for him at all, probably flirting with some cute frat boy too drunk to care.

"The chance to make memories, have an experience, whatever these parties are generally about," Aria hummed out before she glanced over at him. "And, well, partially because of the booze." It wasn't like she could tell him the real reason she was there. He'd think she was crazy, for one. It also wasn't ideal to drag a mundane into the shadowhunting world when it just painted a big target on their back. "And I'm assuming the only reason you're here is because you got dragged here?" she asked.

Jace shrugged with a laugh."Free alcohol and the girls don't hurt either but mostly." Jace couldn't tell her the main reason was because he had to make sure there weren't any demons around, he had to keep the mundane world as safe as he could."Would you possibly wanna get out of here?" She didn't seem she wanted to be there more than he did and he had had enough of the loud music, he needed some air.

Aria arched a brow at his suggestion and there was no doubt that she wanted to leave. Plus, there weren't any demons around, so she was pretty much free for the time being. "I'd give anything to escape this party," she said with amusement, though she grinned and stood up. Looking to him, she offered her hand out to help him up. "Let's get out of here, then, yeah?"

Jace grabbed her hand to pull himself up and the world wasn't a total spinning mess just yet."Are you hungry? I could go for a slice of pizza." He nodded as he held her hand as they headed down the stairs and through the party, not wanting to lose her in the crowd. Jace craned his neck around, seeing if he could spot Alec anywhere but no luck, he would have to send him a text when he got the chance.

@ momentai.

"Kind of," Aria admitted with a small nod. She kept close to him as they made their way through the crowd, though she was acutely aware of the fact that he hadn't released her hand. To be honest, she didn't mind that fact at all. "I think there's a pizza place nearby. I'd rather not search the college cafeteria for pizza this late." She still had her bottle in her other hand but she knew she'd have to trash it before long to avoid getting in trouble for having an exposed bottle of alcohol with her in public.