Fragment-- Jay and Isabelle

Part 1

Jay stands in front of Valentine-- though she sees herself looking back at her. Once again, she is struck with the disgust of her own body right now, the older skin stretching across her bones. Valentine's muscles wrap around her bones and when she looks down at her arms, they are lined with thin scars, swirling and wrapping around nearly every inch of this body. She can feel herself wrinkle her nose-- or Valentine's-- at this miserable sensation. And obviously, Valentine feels the same way. His blue eyes, Jay's warlock mark, shimmer maliciously. He slams his hand down on the table, catching Jay by surprise.

"Start the mixture."

Jay lets her eyes fall downward, but Valentine grabs her wrist tightly just as she moves. "And no tricks." His eyes are more threatening than the quick movement and the physical touch. Internally, Jay decides to limit her use of that look when she gets her body back; it was nearly terrifying.  

"I heard you the first time," Jay hisses quietly. She pours the ingredients together slowly, attempting to stall. There was no noise from outside the door, which wasn't exactly a good sign. Valentine had used his new powers to create a barrier between the inside and outside of the room, preventing any attacks from the Shadowhunters. Still, Jay silently prays for their aid-- and soon.

Jay mixes more together, dropping in a single werewolf fang with a splash. When she looks up, a dagger is pointed at her neck. Her eyes immediately open wide, looking at Valentine with shock.

"If you kill me, we'll never switch," Jay reasons.

"Stop stalling," he growls. Again, the look in his eyes sends a shiver of fear down Jay's spine, though she keeps looking at him, nonchalant. 

He removes the point of the dagger from the spot before her neck and continues, faster. She can feel the portal behind her swirl, swishing her dirty grey shirt behind her. The air is surprisingly chilly for an otherwise hot July day. The sweat that had coated her back minutes ago were now cold and icy. Shivering ever so slightly, Jay continues on, blending and stirring and measuring for several more minutes.

"It's done." Jay takes the two glasses from the table and tips the bowl, splashing in an inch of the potion into each. Locking eyes with Valentine, she hands him one glass. He stares right back, somewhat suspiciously, but curiously as well. Jay gulps and reaches out her arm with the glass. Valentine does nothing for a moment, but hesitantly clicks his own glass against hers, finally dropping eye contact for a short moment.

And, together, they tip their heads back and let the liquid slide down their throats.

Instantly, the pair collapses onto the floor. Jay's hands grab at the red velvet carpet, letting it crinkle under her touch. She screams, her voice changing slightly at first, and then by a large amount, though she can't hear it.  She feels her skin pull back painfully, burning into her bones. Her vision fades, swirling into a dark blue like the portal behind her, and with the same intense cold. Just when the waves of arctic wind become too much, when the fire under her skin lights with an unbearably magnitude, the sensation stops.

She lays face up on the carpet, her vision still slightly clouded. The elegantly decorated ceiling stares back down at her peacefully. Her body shudders and her breath takes a moment to come back.

As she lays on the floor, she sees Valentine-- in his own body, now-- stumble from behind the table. Briefly, she wonders where he's going, where he's in such a rush to go. For the Angel's sake, they'd just switched bodies. Take a break for a moment, at least.

Jay throws her body up, gasping. She lunges forward, grabbing Valentine by the ankle and thrusting her other hand at the portal. Valentine throws himself at the closing portal, ripping his ankle out of Jay's hand, but collapses right where it had been just a moment ago. Jay feels herself pull back slowly as Valentine turns his head to face her. For the first time, he strikes true, intense terror in her.