Black || Jace Wayland [1]

| 31. one and the same

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Asher bolted out of the meeting as soon as it ended, making sure to avoid Jace on the way.

She trekked through the Ops Center and made her way to the private studios behind the training room to pick up her things. Upon arrival, she was surprised to see a familiar head of red hair.

Clary was in the room Asher once inhabited, eyes trained on the mirror in front as she attempted to spin the bow staff in her possession. Her smaller frame swayed back and forth, making her lose balance.

Asher took a step into the room and cleared her throat. Clary's gaze notice her through the reflection and quickly turned around to face her.

"Sorry, I didn't-" She stammered and made a move to leave when Asher held up her arm.
"Please, stay." The brunette padded along the wooden floors with her bare feet. "I was just here to get my stuff."

Clary's eyes landed on the mat and water bottle laying near her, mouth dropping in realization. She nodded and turned back around to face the mirror.

Soft grunts and huffs of annoyance filled the awkward silence as Clary practiced on the other side of the room. Asher couldn't help glancing in her direction as she rolled up her mat. She had to stop herself from cringing at Clary's form.

Clary's legs were too close together and straight as a metal rod, which caused the weight and movement of the bow staff to pull her in all sorts of directions. It looked like her weapon had a mind of its own.

Asher spent a moment debating on staying quiet, but ultimately gave in to the nagging voice inside her head telling her to help. "Hey," She rose to her feet and made her way to where Clary stood.

The redhead paused her movement and averted her full attention to Asher. Her eyes were wide, like a child staring up at their parent. Asher didn't take to heart the slight nervousness Clary portrayed: everyone was scared of her at one point or another.

The brunette nodded. "Show me your stance." Clary was quick to move back to her pose as she awaited her critique.

Asher walked around her, eyes scanning her form. She stuck out a foot and moved Clary's legs further apart. "The bow staff is heavier than a seraph blade, so make sure to have a stronger stance." She patted Clary's shoulders. "Soften the knees. Feel the connection between your feet and the ground."

Asher stood next to her and adjusted her own posture to give a visual example. "It's like a dance, let your body sway with the staff's rhythm while also maintaining control." She demonstrated the movements with an imaginary staff. "Now, try again. Feel the staff as an extension of yourself."

Clary adjusted her stance accordingly and looked over at Asher for confirmation. She received a curt nod in response. Starting off slow, she replicated the movements Asher presented and then gradually picked up the pace. The bow staff seemed to meld more naturally with her movements.