Neither Heaven nor Hell but somewhere in between (OTA)

[nephilimson]

The Jace Wayland that emerged from the hotel on this day looked entirely different from the one who had arrived during the weekend. His clothes were clean (new found in his closet), his wounds were healed (thanks to a stele found in his room) and he looked as if he'd been spending long hours at the tattoo parlor (the stele again). He had Marks on

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[needsthumpin]

There is a place called 'The Ribbon', the sign for which contained, beside the name only, 'All are welcome.' The door glass and windows showed a large room, polished wood floor, beams in the high ceiling, a large stone fireplace with fire blazing, baked goods, fruit, cheese, and sausage set out, as well as hot drinks a coffee urn, a samovar for tea and hot spiced cider in a crock pot, with cups and dishes available.

There was a black and white dog flopped on a mat to one side of the hearth, relaxed but keeping an eye on the door.

On one of the comfortable and sturdy looking chairs, there was a skinny girl, singing.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise..."*

A listener might feel a subtle sense of release from a weakness or addiction, a feeling of hope that it could be beaten. A sensitive listener, might notice that the feeling was coming from the young woman with the song.

[Song is Blackbird by the Beatles]

[nephilimson]

A listener might, but Jace wasn't typical. The voice was nice enough, sure. The dog was nice enough, too. The Ribbon. Was it, he wondered, anything like The Sin? (which, he thought might be interesting to explore.)

[needsthumpin]

[sorry about the mess, I tried to edit, but it wouldn't let me.]

The dog barked, drawing the girl's attention to the door. She stood.

"Good greeting, welcome to the Ribbon. How may I help you?"

[nephilimson]

"You can tell me what this place does," Jace said, leaning against the doorjamb.

[needsthumpin]

"We try to give people what they need to be whole, to reconcile themselves to what can't be changed, to face, and take on the things that can. Sometimes it involves food, drink, a listening ear, massage, and we have a contract with The Sin, if people need touch of a more intimate nature..."

[nephilimson]

"Being whole?"

Jace smirked. "Being whole is over-rated."

[needsthumpin]

She looked...fascinated.

"Is it? Can you tell me more about that a' tall?" Her accent was sort of Irish.

"Oh, and may I serve you anything? There's alcohol if that's wanted. We have the best."

[nephilimson]

"I don't drink." Being a Shadowhunter meant he needed to stay sharp.

"Why don't you tell me what being 'whole' has going for it?"

[needsthumpin]

"When people have a void, the pain of the gaping hole is a subtle, but terrible thing, they try to fill the hole with things, alcohol, drugs, sex, power... Now those things can feel wonderful," she said with feeling, "But they cannot fill a whole where a person's own self is missing. Since such a hole cannot be filled with those things, people indulge in them to an extent that is harmful to themselves and often, others."

[nephilimson]

Jace's smile grew bitter as he listened, crooked. "Is this one of those things where people complain to you about how their mommies and daddies were mean to them and they can't ever be happy?"

[needsthumpin]

"Sometimes it starts that way," Kerai chuckled,

"but once that stage is done, what a person might need most to get them on the road to wholeness is a swift kick in the arse...metaphorically speaking, you understand.If it were real kicks needed, I'd have to hire someone."

Sometimes, the people most contemptuous of emotional catharsis, were the people most in need of it, but Kerai kept that thought to herself.

[nephilimson]

Or a broadsword through the chest.

But Jace didn't say that.

"So, you ... nurture people here," he answered. Ugh.

[needsthumpin]

"It's interesting that you set yourself against that. Many people do. Some because they wish to lead souls to damnation by keeping people blind to the void in them, and encouraging them to indulge more and more. Some because they are trying to fill the void in themselves with a sense of superiority, but few of them ever outwardly express their opposition. Your frankness is refreshing. Will you be willing to share your reason for it?"

[nephilimson]

"Damnation?" At that, Jace laughed aloud, though it wasn't a happy sound. In other words, no, he wasn't sharing.

"You believe in that, then. In the idea of Hell."

[needsthumpin]

"It is not a belief where I am from, and I don't think the Maker of my people did any such thing, for I can feel all the souls in the Weave, and none of them seem to be suffering eternal torment. And if you're the sort of deity that creates such a thing with which to threaten your followers, it rather loses it's effect if you don't tell anyone, yes? But since I've met demons here, and a prophet, I believe, based on their testimony, that such a thing exists in some places."

[nephilimson]

"Demons here." That got Jace's attention. "What kinds of demons?"