#jace is just creating nonsense and more problems for Alec | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rhosyn-du · 5 years ago

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Title: A Wonderful Institution Artist: @bidnezz Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, various background pairings Word Count: ~53k Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, discrimination against Downworlders, reference to rape, Clave-typical homophobia, implied character death, minor character death Summary: Magnus doesn’t have time for this bullshit. Warlocks are disappearing in New York City—five people in less than three months—and Magnus is determined to find them and protect the rest of his people from whatever took them. He doesn’t have time for politics, and he certainly doesn’t have time for whatever nonsense the Clave is proposing about marrying a Shadowhunter to a Downworlder as part of the new Accords. He doesn’t really have time for a pretty Shadowhunter who’s surprisingly kind to warlock children, either, but, well, he’s always been good at multitasking.

Alec always knew he couldn’t have what he wanted, but he’s spent the nearly four years since the newly-appointed Consul recalled his parents to Idris without explanation making the best of what he can have. When life suddenly offers up almost everything Alec actually wants on a silver platter, he can’t quite bring himself to trust it, especially when it comes with a million caveats and a side of impending disaster. But he knows how to handle disasters, even if the return of the Circle on top of Clave secrets that could destroy the Accords is way beyond the disasters he’s used to fielding. Hope, on the other hand? He doesn’t know what to do with that.

This fic was created for the @malecdiscordserver Mini Bang 2020.

Chapter Nine

“Izzy, I need your help.”

Izzy’s head snapped up from her microscope to look at her brother in concern. “One second,” she said, scribbling something on the notepad next to her. “I’m looking at those samples Luke sent us.”

“Yeah, no hurry,” Alec said, trying hard to calm his restlessness. It was huge progress that the werewolves were willing to share some of the information they’d gathered on the murdered mundanes, both in the investigation and in terms of relations between the Clave and the Downworld. His minor personal crisis could wait.

Izzy gave him a sidelong glance that made Alec realize he was doing a terrible job of not fidgeting.

“I’ll wait outside,” he offered.

“I only need five minutes,” Izzy promised, “and then I’m all yours. I just want to make sure I’ve got these calculations right before I draw any conclusions.”

In reality, it only took Izzy three minutes to finish, for which Alec was extremely grateful.

“What did you find?” he asked when she stepped out of the lab.

“There’s a compound in all of the blood samples,” she told him. “I think it might be why they were taken. And now that we know from Luke that they were all mundanes with the Sight and that it was probably the Circle buying blood from the demons, that might help us narrow down what’s going on.”

“It’s somewhere to start, anyway,” Alec agreed.

“So,” Izzy said, “what’s the latest emergency?”

“It’s not an emergency.” Alec shrugged, going for nonchalance. Izzy’s raised eyebrows told him he hadn’t quite managed it.

“Spill, big brother.”

“I have a date tonight,” Alec said quickly. “With Magnus. And I don’t really know— Look, can you just tell me if the shirt I picked to wear is okay?”

Izzy’s grin, which had been growing as he talked, turned into full-throated, delighted laughter when he finished.

“You know what, never mind,” Alec said, turning to walk away.

“No!” Izzy said, grabbing his arm. “I won’t laugh anymore, I promise. I’m just happy for you, Alec. Come on, show me your shirt.”

They’d almost made it to Alec’s room when they were interrupted by an urgent, “Sir!”

Alec turned, ready to face whatever new disaster had cropped up. He only hoped Clary hadn’t tried to sneak out of the Institute again.

“What is it?”

“An envoy from the Clave just arrived,” Underhill told him. “I thought you’d want to be notified immediately.”

Alec nodded. “Thank you.” Not that the Clave had told him they were sending any envoy. This was charmingly ominous.

He turned to Izzy, who simply patted his arm. “Go. I’ll find you something decent to wear tonight.”

“Something I’d actually wear, Iz,” Alec warned. At her nod, he added, “Thank you.”

The woman he found inspecting the ops center was younger than he expected, with blonde hair pulled back in a tidy braided updo and sharp blue eyes.

“Lydia Branwell,” she introduced herself as soon as Alec stepped into the room. “The Clave sent me to oversee a smooth transition of power for the newly appointed Head of the Institute.”

“Alec Lightwood,” he said with a tight smile. “Head of the New York Institute and Acting Head for nearly four years before that. I’m sure there won’t be any problems related to transitions of power.”

Lydia nodded. “Even so, with your recent wedding and the upcoming signing of the Accords, not to mention the return of the Circle, the Clave thinks it would be best if you had someone around to make sure things go smoothly.”

“So, you’re a baby-sitter,” Alec said bluntly.

“Some people probably think so,” she said, just as blunt. “It can’t have escaped your notice that there are those in Idris who are concerned about the prospect of someone married to a Downworlder running an Institute.”

“No, but I assumed that if there were any serious objections, the Council wouldn’t have given the Institute to me in the first place.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the compromise,” Lydia told him. “From what little I’ve seen so far, you run a tight ship. Don’t screw things up, and I can be out of your hair in a month or two.”

“And what do you think about a Shadowhunter who’s married to a Downworlder running an Institute?” Alec asked.

Lydia shrugged. “I think there’s nothing wrong with a political marriage, and it would be silly to penalize someone for making a pragmatic decision.” She looked at him. “The only problem would be if your loyalty to the Clave were compromised. As long as it’s not, you have nothing to worry about.”

The words were simple, but they didn’t exactly give Alec hope. He was loyal to the Clave, but there were so many different things someone could use as an excuse to decide he wasn’t. This was not a complication he needed.

Alec put on his best professionally polite smile. “Why don’t you let me show you around?”

It took exactly a minute and a half for Magnus to realize that The Hunter’s Moon was maybe not the best place to take Alexander on their first date. It wasn’t that the atmosphere was wrong or that there was anything wrong with their drinks (although IPAs apparently weren’t Alec’s drink, either, but Magnus was determined to figure it out). It was just the way people kept watching them. Not overtly, of course. Just little sidelong glances that made it feel like they were on display.

“Perhaps a mundane pub would have been a better choice,” Magnus said. “We can always try somewhere else, if you’d rather?”

“No,” Alec said, shaking his head. “This is— It’s fine. It makes sense for people to be curious. We did just have a very public, very politically important wedding. It’s natural for people to be curious. They probably just want to make sure we aren’t on the verge of killing each other and breaking the Accords.” He took a deep swig of his beer, and Magnus noticed that his grimace was at least slightly less intense this time. “Besides, I can’t imagine being more comfortable surrounded by mundanes.”

“There is something to be said for not having to hide,” Magnus agreed. He nodded toward the pool table in the corner. “Do you fancy a game?”

Alec glanced over, a tiny smile appearing on his face. “Sure. Sounds fun.”

Two games in, Alec finally seemed to lose the tension that he’d been holding in his shoulders since he’d shown up at the loft earlier in the evening. They were well matched in both skill at the game and competitiveness, and they’d each managed to win a game.

“I think I’m going to grab another refill before I beat you again,” Magnus said, brandishing his empty glass.

“You mean before I beat you again,” Alec corrected with a grin.

“I said what I said.”

“Come on,” Alec said. “I might as well get another drink, myself.”

Maia, the werewolf bartender, greeted them with a smile. Magnus only knew her in passing, but she was one of the few people here tonight who hadn’t treated them any differently than any other patrons, and that went a long way in his book.

“What can I get for you boys?”

“A Manhattan for me,” Magnus said. He glanced at Alec, who looked no less lost than he had when they’d ordered their first round.

“Something that isn’t beer or too sweet?” Alec said after a moment of consideration.

“Gin martini,” Magnus suggested. “Extra dirty,” he added, with a grin for Alec, who responded with a tolerant head shake for his innuendo.

“Coming right up,” Maia promised, grabbing a shaker.

“I suppose we both have a healthy dose of the competitive spirit,” Magnus observed.

“I grew up with Jace,” Alec said. “I didn’t have much choice. And I’m sure it didn’t help that Izzy encouraged us both.”

Magnus was dimly aware of a phone ringing as he picked up their drinks. It wasn’t his phone or Alec’s, so he didn’t pay it much attention. He watched with interest as Alec sipped his drink, and for the first time, didn’t wince.

“This is nice,” Alec said, clearly surprised. “Salty and...kind of green?”

Magnus beamed, happy to have finally found a drink Alec liked. “That’s the juniper in the gin.”

“Wait, slow down.” Magnus turned around at Maia’s panicked voice to find her talking furiously on her phone. “Shit. Where are you? East side or west side? No, I’ll be right there, don’t panic.”

She turned to the other bartender on duty, shouting that there was a pack emergency and she’d be right back.

“No, don’t hang up,” Maia insisted into the phone. “I can— I’ll get someone else to call. You keep talking to me so I know you’re safe.”

She turned and grabbed the arm of the nearest person, who happened to be Magnus. “I need you to call Luke,” she said urgently. “Gretel is being hunted by a pack of demons over by Foley Square. I’m going after her, but I need backup.”

“Of course,” Magnus said, pulling out his phone.

“I’ll call Luke,” Alec said without missing a beat. “Magnus, can you make a portal to Foley Square?” At his nod, Alec turned back to Maia. “We’re not your pack, but we can be your backup until they get there.”

Maia gave him a quick, assessing once over, then nodded. “Thanks, Shadowhunter,” she said, before turning back to her phone.

Magnus wasn’t entirely sure where Gretel was, and he wasn’t as familiar with this part of the city as he was with other parts of New York, so they had to run a few blocks from the portal before they caught up with Gretel.

The pale-furred werewolf was backed up to a brick wall, in full wolf form, facing off with half a dozen Ravener demons. She had several lacerations on her forequarters and was stumbling in a way that suggested she was already suffering severe effects of demon venom.

What surprised Magnus, though, was the woman who stood behind the demons, holding her own portal open.

It wasn’t that Magnus was surprised that Iris Rouse would summon a pack of demons, or even that she’d use them for nefarious purposes. She’d always skirted the edges of the law, and her attempts to breed new warlocks showed that she didn’t exactly care about the welfare of others or the Accords.

No, what was surprising was the vacant look in her eyes and the black veins running across her face and up her arms.

Before Magnus had time to do much more than register Iris’s identity and appearance, Maia had shifted to her wolf form and launched herself at the redheaded warlock.

“Try to leave her alive so we can question her,” Alec called as he pulled a short seraph blade from his thigh holster and expertly dispatched the nearest Ravener demon.

Between Maia and Magnus, it took very little time to subdue Iris. She was less powerful than Magnus to begin with, and she was also clearly not at the top of her game. If the strange black veins weren’t enough of a hint, her magic was muted and more erratic than it should be.

As soon as they had Iris contained, Maia rushed off to help Alec and Gretel with the remaining demons. Iris stared up at Magnus from where he had her pinned magically to the ground.

“Madzie,” she gasped. “Is Madzie safe?”

It wasn’t what Magnus expected, and he found himself nodding before he could even consider whether it was a good idea to answer.

“She’s safe. Far away from you,” he added.

Iris scowled at him, body shaking like someone in the throes of drug withdrawal. “You can’t keep her from me. But for now, she’s safe, and that’s all that matters.”

“Safe from what?” Magnus wondered. “Iris, what are you doing here?”

“Don’t you know yet?” Iris laughed bitterly through her spasms. “Valentine. He’s back, and he’s experimenting on Downworlders, on warlocks, making us—” She cut off into a pained scream, convulsing.

Reaching out with his magic, Magnus did his best to calm her, but without knowing what was causing the convulsions, he was at a loss. He was a decent healer when he knew what he was dealing with, but something like this, that he’d never seen before, that he knew nothing about other than “Valentine’s experiments,” was beyond him.

A hand landed on Magnus’s shoulder, and he looked over to find Alexander, helping Maia support an unconscious Gretel.

“I can’t help both of them,” Magnus said. “Not and keep Iris contained if she starts to recover.”

“We can take them to the Institute,” Alec said. “You can treat Iris in one of the cells, and we’ve got materials for treating demon venom in the infirmary.”

“I don’t think so,” Maia said. “I appreciate the help, but I’m not letting you take one of my pack back to your Institute.”

“Nothing will happen to her, I promise.” Alec said.

“Yeah, no thanks,” Maia said. “You might be all right, Lightwood, but I don’t exactly trust the rest of your kind. Take the warlock. She tried to hurt one of ours, so you can do what you want to her as long as you share whatever information you get out of her. The rest of my pack will be here soon, and we can take care of Gretel.”

Alec nodded with obvious reluctance.

“Luke has my number if you need more help with her injuries than you can give,” Magnus said.

Maia nodded her thanks, then motioned for them to go.

Healing Iris proved to be an involved process that required several potions the Institute kept regularly stocked and calling in Cat for help, but they eventually left her peacefully unconscious instead of convulsing in a well-guarded cell. A blonde Shadowhunter Alec irritably introduced as Lydia promised to call as soon as Iris regained consciousness, so Magnus portalled himself and Alec back to the loft.

“So,” Magnus said as they entered the loft, “this wasn’t exactly how I imagined our first date.” It wasn’t the most disastrous first date he’d ever been on, or even the first that involved a demon-related disaster, but it wasn’t exactly a success, either.

“Me either,” Alec agreed, tossing his jacket over the back of the couch. “But it was fun until, you know, demons. Maybe next time we should just stay in?”

Even tired as he was from the fight and healing Iris, Magnus couldn’t help the smile that split his face. Alexander wanted there to be a next time.

“Absolutely not,” he said. Alec looked at him surprised, and Magnus hurried to explain. “Alexander, I’m a warlock. I can portal us literally anywhere in the world. Maybe New York wasn’t the best choice under the circumstances, but you have to at least give me a chance to sweep you off your feet.”

Alec smiled one of those beautiful, genuine smiles that Magnus couldn’t get enough of. “I think you've got that covered regardless of where we are.”

“But no demons next time,” Magnus said, smiling back.

“No demons,” Alec agreed before leaning in to brush his lips against Magnus’s.

And maybe, Magnus figured, the date wasn’t a total disaster.

Alec couldn’t tell if there was actually something wrong that his subconscious was picking up on, or if he just wasn’t used to not being in crisis mode anymore. It had been almost two weeks since he’d gotten married, recovered the Mortal Cup, and rescued/captured Iris Rouse, and six days since the signing of the updated Accords. He and Magnus—and eventually Lydia, who it turned out was surprisingly easy to work with—had spent several days questioning Iris, gathering all of the information she had to give them about those who had captured her.

Iris had confirmed that she’d been taken by the Circle, and that Valentine was alive, which wasn’t news to Alec or Magnus, but now it was official knowledge, which was a huge weight off of Alec’s back. Iris hadn’t exactly been willing to talk to Shadowhunters, but her hatred for the Circle and the horrors they’d put her through proved greater than her hatred for those who had her imprisoned now. She’d told them that Valentine was experimenting on Downworlders, that he’d managed to create some kind of serum that allowed him to control warlocks—those that it didn’t kill, anyway—and he was using them to summon the packs of demons that were capturing other Downworlders. It sounded almost like he was building an army of mind-controlled Downworlders.

Much to both Magnus’s and Clary’s disappointment, Iris hadn’t seen Dot.

They’d sent Iris to Idris to stand trial along with a note from Alec that she’d been very helpful in providing information on Valentine and the Circle. Not that he expected it would have much of an impact on her sentence given all she’d done. If the Clave let her live, he would be very surprised.

What hadn’t gone back to Idris was the Mortal Cup, and maybe that was why Alec was so on edge. Consul Penhallow knew they’d recovered it, had known since the night it happened, but insisted that it was safer in a vault at the New York Institute that only she and Alec had access to than it would be in Alicante right now. Which, honestly, did not give Alec a lot of confidence in what the Council was doing or in the Clave’s ability to take on Valentine in any kind of meaningful way. Consul Penhallow promised to send word as soon as she deemed it safe to transport the Cup, but so far, she hadn’t sent it.

Magnus had gotten word of three more missing warlocks, but none of those disappearances had yielded any more information than they already had.

Then there was Clary Fairchild. Despite knowing that they were searching for Jocelyn, despite being involved in the process herself, she’d made repeated attempts to sneak out of the Institute to go looking on her own. She’d been working with Magnus to gather intel using the portal shard, which along with the information they’d gathered from Iris had given them a pretty good idea of what the inside of Valentine’s hideout looked like. Iris was able to give them a rough location and said she suspected the hideout was on the water, but that still gave them many square miles to search. Ragnor was working on getting a more precise location but tracking the potion he’d made for Jocelyn was apparently a long and involved process.

It was the waiting that was making him twitchy, Alec decided. Waiting and not being able to do anything. He was used to taking action, and there hadn’t been any actions for him to take since they’d sent Iris to Idris.

“Do you really dislike musicals this much, or are you thinking about work again?”

Alec let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and forced himself to relax into the couch and against Magnus’s side. “Sorry,” he said, attempting to turn his attention back to the dancers on the screen. “I guess I’m a little distracted.”

It was their fifth date. Alec was absolutely counting. Magnus had taken him to Tokyo and London. Alec had taken Magnus to his favorite burger joint in the East Village. They had miraculously entirely avoided demon attacks. And, yeah, it might be a little bit weird to be dating the guy he was married to, but it was the only thing in Alec’s life that wasn’t giving him a headache. Magnus was amazing and fun to be around and better at kissing than should probably be legal.

This was the first date they’d actually spent at the loft. During the course of their previous dates, Magnus had discovered what he insisted was Alec’s “tragic lack of cinematic literacy” and vowed to fix it. Which is how they’d ended up snuggled up on the couch eating pizza (Alec’s choice) and watching a film Alec was pretty sure was about a writer who's obsessed with a cabaret performer who can sing remarkably well for someone with tuberculosis (Magnus’s choice), but he honestly hadn’t been paying close enough attention to be certain.

It wasn’t at all how Alec had pictured this date going. He’d thought, or maybe just hoped, that Magnus’s suggestion they stay at the loft meant Magnus was just as ready as he was to take their physical relationship further. He’d been thinking about it half the day, and now that he was actually here, with Magnus, alone in their loft with a whole night to themselves, his mind was consumed with worries about work and everything that might go wrong.

Sometimes, Alec thought his mind was a real dick.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Magnus offered.

Alec shook his head. “I want to be able to stop thinking about it. I’m sorry, Magnus, this isn’t fair to you.”

“Seems like it’s not fair to you, either,” Magnus said with a shrug. “You’re the one spending your night off worrying about work.”

“I guess.” Alec didn’t want to admit that this wasn’t exactly an unusual occurrence for him. Before he’d met Magnus, most of his nights off were spent worrying about work, or his family, or the intersection of those two things.

Magnus sighed and paused the movie. “If the film isn’t enough to distract you, then we’ll have to find something else that can.”

It wasn’t, for a wonder, said with even the slightest hint of innuendo, but Alec arched his eyebrows anyway. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Well,” Magnus said, answering Alec’s teasing grin with one of his own, “I didn’t have anything specific in mind before, but when you ask like that, I think perhaps I have an idea.”

“Yeah?” Alec asked, leaning in and crowding Magnus against the arm of the couch. “What’s that?”

Magnus grinned, then held up the tiramisu he’d apparently summoned from the takeout bag they’d left in the kitchen. “Dessert.”

“I think dessert could definitely distract me,” Alec said, taking the container and plastic forks and deliberately placing them on the coffee table.

Magnus’s mouth was hot and eager against his own and sent all thoughts of Valentine and the Mortal Cup and Circle spies in Alicante flying out of his head. It amazed Alec, as it always did, how easy this was. Not the actual kissing—there was definitely a learning curve there, but he thought he was doing okay with it—but just being together, wanting each other, like it was the simplest, most natural thing in the world.

Alec let his hand slide beneath the hem of Magnus’s shirt, fingers tracing the ridge of abs under skin smooth as silk, and let his thoughts and senses fill with nothing but Magnus. The way Magnus’s mouth moved against his. The press of Magnus’s body. The tingle Magnus’s fingers left behind as they made their way down the side of his neck and along his collarbone.

Alec broke the kiss with a gasp, desperate for air, only to have his breath stolen in the next instant when Magnus’s mouth followed the same path his fingers had moments earlier.

“Magnus,” he gasped, arching into the touch. There was a thought forming there, something he’d wanted to do. Or to ask? If he could just catch it. “Magnus,” he said again, more firmly as if that could help corral his own thoughts.

“Hmm?” Magnus murmured, his mouth moving up the other side of Alec’s neck, tracing the shape of his deflect rune.

“We could—” The words were right on the tip of his tongue, the thought on the tip of his brain. “Could we—?” There. “Bedroom?”

Okay, so, not the most eloquent way he could have phrased it, but Alec thought he got the message across. He was actually pretty proud of himself for being able to form words at all.

At least, he was until Magnus pulled away.

“Alexander.” Magnus’s face was guarded in a way that made Alec’s guts churn. This was not at all the reaction he’d been hoping for. Or expecting.

“Do you not want to?” Alec guessed. He’d thought they were on the same page. Every touch, every kiss, seemed to indicate that Magnus wanted Alec just as much as Alec wanted him, but maybe he’d been reading the signs wrong.

“I do,” Magnus was quick to assure him. “It’s just, it’s rare that I’ve ever felt this way about someone, and—” He looked away. “And there are things I haven’t told you, things I probably should have told you a long time ago. Things I need to tell you before we take our relationship any further.”

“Magnus, you can tell me anything,” Alec said, ignoring the queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t want to imagine what kind of secret would make Magnus this nervous. “Or choose not to tell me, but if it’s worrying you so badly, I’m willing to listen.”

Magnus grabbed the tiramisu from the table, holding it out both in offering and like a shield between them. Alec took it and popped open the plastic container, then offered Magnus a plastic fork. Magnus had tried to insist they eat with actual silverware, but Alec managed to convince him it wasn’t real takeout if you did it that way.

Magnus took the fork, then spent a ridiculously long time poking at the dessert, before saying, “You never asked me why I put my name forward to be a part of this marriage.” His eyes were still fixed firmly on his fork. “And I know I offered an explanation, but it wasn’t precisely accurate.”

Alec frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t put my name forward at all,” Magnus told him, finally meeting his eyes. “I wasn’t the person the Downworld leaders chose. My name wasn’t even on the list.”

“But,” Alec said, “then why did you say you were?”

“The Spiral Council wanted me to volunteer, but I refused. But then we were sitting there in that meeting and…you looked so sad,” Magnus said with a helpless shrug. “Like you did when I asked you over for drinks. And I thought— No, that’s not true either. I wasn’t thinking at all, not really. I just didn’t want you to be sad anymore, and I guess I figured I could work out the details later.”

It was Alec’s turn to stare at the tiramisu. He didn’t know what to think, how to feel. “Do you regret it?” he asked finally.

“No,” Magnus said without hesitation. “I keep expecting to, if I’m honest, but no. I thought I could talk you out of it at first, and by the time I realized I couldn’t...” He shrugged again. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you looking that sad again, or the thought of you marrying someone else.”

“Magnus…” Alec struggled to find the words for what he was feeling. It was a lot to take in.

But whatever words he might have come up with were interrupted by a sudden, frantic pounding on the front door. Magnus sprang to his feet, rushing toward the door, Alec close on his heels. Magnus looked concerned, but not alarmed, so Alec figured he didn’t need to run to the other room for his weapons, but he stayed close to Magnus just in case he needed backup.

Magnus flung open the door to reveal a frantic-looking Raphael.

“What happened?” Magnus demanded. “Are you all right?”

Raphael shook his head. “Ragnor is missing.”

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #fanfic

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kalinara · 6 years ago

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You know what I loved best about Shadowhunters?

It is the first time I’ve seen anyone tackle the idea of a deconstructive adaptation outside of fanfiction.

The Mortal Instruments novels were pretty popular as I recall. They sold well, built up a pretty passionate fanbase, and even got a movie that I never actually saw. I think I read maybe the first one, and it wasn’t really to my taste, but I didn’t think it was terrible. It just had a lot of the common flaws that I see in a lot of YA books.

And generally, when you get an adaptation, it doesn’t tend to touch on these problematic elements. Or if it does, it kind of sidles away from them. The Twilight movies, for example, show us a couple of POC as vampires, even though technically according to the books, all vampires get paler with age. But at the same time, neither movies nor books really address the inherent racist dynamic between the vampires and the werewolves. And so on.

Shadowhunters is different.

When I watch Shadowhunters as an adaptation, I get the sense that a lot of the people involved genuinely do love the Mortal Instruments as a series, but that they’re not willing to overlook the problematic elements. They want to explore them instead.

And they did. Starting with the Clave. Because, at least from what I recall, there’s not a whole lot TO the Clave in the books. I mean, it’s there. Sort of. But our main trio (Jace, Alec, and Izzy) seem to be primarily fighting demons on their own. They’re literally children. I think Alec is the oldest at what, seventeen? And while they’re meant to protect Downworlders and only kill demons, there’s a certain level of probably unconscious superiority. I mean obviously they don’t support Valentine, the villain who wants to genocide all the downworlders. But the elements are still there. Our heroes have angel blood, our heroes are special, and their authority is righteous.

I’m not trying to attack Ms. Clare with this, because I think this kind of thing is very very common in YA books in general. But I love what Shadowhunters did with this set up.

First, Shadowhunters did away with the idea of Jace, Alec, and Izzy as lone child soldiers against demons. The Clave exists, and it’s very visible. The Institute is bustling, filled with all sorts of background personnel. Something is always happening. Things are always being monitored. There are missions happening that our characters aren’t necessarily involved in. This does create a bit of narrative awkwardness in the first season, when the show tended to cleave more loyally to the books. (Alec’s role as de facto leader of the Institute early on in particular seems to wax and wane in terms of level of authority.). But it smooths itself out early on. And it makes more sense: fighting demons is pretty important. Not a matter to be left to three teenagers alone.

The show both ages up our characters, which makes certain romantic plots a lot less creepy, and actually addresses the idea that these people have been essentially soldiers from childhood, and that there is a LOT of institutionalized racism and superiority, along with militant duty, that gets drilled into these people from birth. We get to see the kind of environment that builds a Valentine, and how even generally rational adults like Luke and Jocelyn might have gotten caught up in his fanatic ideology. It takes the throwaway comments and superiority displayed by the protagonists in the book and extrapolates where that came from.

I remember reading somewhere that Ms. Clare was really unhappy with Alec’s actions early on in season one, when he was in support of Meliorn being taken to the City of Bones for interrogation (torture). And I can understand that. I’m sure Ms. Clare has a very clear idea in her mind about who Alexander Lightwood is. And her Alec Lightwood would never agree to take a man to be tortured.

But I think that, in terms of the show, it was important to show Alec like that. Because we needed to see exactly how ingrained this ideology actually is. Jace is the brooding rebel. Izzy is the bleeding heart half in love with Meliorn already. Alec is the responsible one, the dutiful one who shoulders the burdens. Which means, he’s the character most likely (at this point in the story) to swallow his conscience and misgivings and do what he thinks he’s supposed to do.

It’s an ugly moment, but it provides us with a focal point for his eventual growth. Alec’s multi-season plot, of overcoming both overt and unconscious personal racism, to tackling the problems of the Clave itself, is one of my favorite parts of the series. And it had to start somewhere.

One of the touches that initially made me uncomfortable, but now I rather like, is how most of the Shadowhunters are white, while most of the Downworlders are POC. There are exceptions on both sides (the Penhallows, Luke-pre-Werewolfing, Iris Rouse), but that’s the general gist. And at first, I thought this was a really bad thing. Until I realized that the show actually was making a point.

Because the racism against Downworlders is fantastic racism. And all too often, fantastic racism becomes an excuse to use real world narrative tropes meant for poc and apply them to white people. And look, I like X-Men as much as anyone, but this isn’t our story. (And there are very few things that annoy me more than when we see fantasy racism applied in ways that lead to POC being racist against white people: see the anti-alien senator during one season of Supergirl who just happened to be Latina.)

Even though it’s still a little uncomfortable that most of the people with “angel blood” are white and most of the people with “demon blood” are not, it does mean that we’re basically returning the focus of the fantastic racism back where it should be: on the POC victims.

Most of the Downworlders we see on the show are good people. They’re trying to live their lives the best they can. And the Clave uses the actions of a few bad apples (many of whom have some significant provocation!) to justify a draconian rule over all of them.

The parallels are hard to miss, and the show doesn’t actually try to miss them. I always think particularly of the episode in season 2, where the Clave starts to chip Downworlders in response to a serial killer targeting Shadowhunters. It’s heavy handed, sure, but it hits hard when Maia talks about real world racism and how the Shadowhunters are supposed to be better than that. It’s another episode where a main character is complicit in the institutional racism, and that gets called out too.

It’s not perfect, of course. And I think Jace, in particular, ends up getting off scott free for things that he really shouldn’t. (For example, kidnapping the werewolf girl and bringing her to Valentine makes him literally guilty of her murder under the law.) But it’s something.

Another improvement from the books is in Alec and Magnus’s relationship. For one thing, they’re a side couple in the books, given a handful of scenes here and there, but very much in the shadow of Clary and Jace’s drama. Their plots have some seriously uncomfortable elements: the age difference, the way Magnus presses Alec to come out, Alec’s paranoia over Magnus’s sexuality and past experience, Alec’s plotting with Camille to remove Magnus’s immortality. It’s a mess.

Now whether or not it’s a worse mess than Clary and Jace’s nonsense. You got me. But it wasn’t fun.

But even with the problems, Magnus and Alec meant something to a lot of fans. And I think the show really delivers on that front. Magnus and Alec go from being a side couple with a handful of scenes, to in many ways, being the pillar of the series. The age difference is less of an issue (I mean, Magnus is still many times Alec’s age, but Alec is actually an adult in this version). The biphobia is gone, and while Alec is occasionally intimidated by the difference in their experiences, it never turns into a critique of Magnus.

Their conflicts and obstacles are much more compelling. Alec’s initial coming out story was triumphant and the best part of season 1 to me. The fact that Magnus is a Downworlder, and Alec is a Shadowhunter, with all that entails isn’t forgotten. The romance, and Alec’s plot of overcoming his racism, are deeply intertwined. And Magnus isn’t a bit part in the story either. His plot, especially with regard to his self-identity and relationship to his magic, is just as important, if not more so, by the last season.

The weakest part of the series for me was when they were more faithful to the books, but I thought the show did a good job of refocusing later season events on Clary rather than Jace. One of the things that annoyed me about book and the early part of the series is that, as soon as we had Jace’s (not) parentage reveal, he seemed to end up with 90% of the focus in any of the family drama. Clary discovers her long lost father is a genocidal maniac, but Jace was raised by the man so it gets more focus. The dynamic between Jace and Jonathan had a lot more focus in the books too. Sometimes it seemed like the story forgot that Clary also had a family stake in more than just her mother. So I was really happy when the show started digging into Clary’s identity as a Morgenstern, and went the route of linking her to Jonathan. (Even if I could definitely do without incestuous overtones.) Jace, as a character, tends to work better when he isn’t the center focus, in my opinion. Or at least when the focus is shared, and he gets to react and take part in other characters’ plotlines.

You’ll occasionally see this sort of deconstruction in fanfiction (when it’s not a joyous celebration of unlikely characters banging - not that there’s anything wrong with that), but rarely to this extent, and certainly never with this kind of budget. The idea of a “Shadowhunters style deconstruction” is a really interesting thought exercise to apply to all sorts of media that has both enjoyable and problematic elements.

#shadowhunters #anti the mortal instruments #adding that tag just to be on the safe side

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sometimesambroswrites · 8 years ago

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Prompt(if u r taking them rn): Soulmate!AU where everything Alec or Magnus write on their skin turns up on the others skin and one of them is just writing down where they need to be and the other one tries to find them and idk, do what you want with it:D (I hope u're taking prompts)

Okay, I loved this prompt immensely and if I was healthier I’d probably write a long about it, but this is what I came up with and I hope it’s a bit decent; it’s almost 4k words and it’s probably not exactly what you had in mind, and it’s 2 am so there are definitely a few mistakes that I’ll try to fix tomorrow. I really, really hope you like it! Thanks to @estefra and @johnistheantivirus for beta’ing and insulting me and hitting me.Warning for rating M

You know I’m feeling the same thing

Alec is pissed.

Thiswas all Jace’s fault. And he loves Jace. He does. But bythe Angel ifthat boy doesn’t stop running head first into situations withoutconsulting him first Alec is going to lose his mind. And probably alimb,since his stomach was torn open not two hours ago.

Jacehas, of course, apologized multipletimes,until Alec had to kick him out of his room because he wants to healin peace.

Sonow he’s lying on his back, staring at the ceiling whilethe skin on his arm slowly knits itself backtogether, and he feels exhausted, like healways doeswhen he has to use the iratze multiple times ina row.

Hecloses his eyes, figuring he might as well sleep it off; he’snot hungry anyway.

He’sjust closed his eyes when the skin on his forearm tingles slightly,and he groans, considers for a moment just pretending he didn’t feelit, but he knows that’d be rude; he opens his eyes and looks down athis arm.

Would you mind trying to keepall your limbs attached for at least three days in a row? My skin isruined because of you.

Alec rolls his eyes but reachesfor a pen he always keeps close, just in case.

Sorry my pain inconveniencesyou

He gets to play the guilt card,he does.He’s had a crappy day. He doesn’t bother closing his eyes again, justwatches as the words slowly disappear from his skin.

It doesn’t take long for theanswer to come.

Have you healed yet?

He can almost feelthe slight guilt.

He glances at his injuredstomach.

Not really

He’s not expecting the answer hegets, but he’s not disappointed.

Come over, I’ll help you out.

And, before he can point out howwalking could be a problem,

Making a portal right now.

Magnusholds his shirt gently against his stomach as he unwraps the bandagesaround his waist.

-Itdoesn’t look too bad,- he says thoughtfully as he examines the wound,and Alec sighs: -I know. I’m just tired, the iratze isn’t working aswell as it should.

Magnussmiles at him, cat-like as he straightens up: -Well, don’t worry. Weare going to fix you right up.

Hesnaps his fingers and his blue magic starts dancing on the palm ofhis hand, ready to bend at his will; Magnus turns his hand, palm opentowards Alec’s stomach, and the relief he feels is immediate as themagic numbs him and speeds up the healing process, tickling himslightly.

Hecloses his eyes and throws his head back and he’s pretty sure Magnusis smiling at him, deeply self-satisfied.

-Whatever,-he mumbles, and nowhe’sdefinitelysure Magnusis smirking.

-Done,-Magnus says after a few seconds, his magic vanishing like firewithout oxygen, and he pokes Alec in the stomach where the wound hadbeen: -Sore?

Alecdoesn’tyelp. He lets his shirt fall on his skin as he glares at Magnus: -Notat all.

-Verywell,- Magnus turns with a little twirl, his long jacket wrappingaround his legs: -Are you staying for dinner?

Alecrubs his stomach; he always feels a bit weird after Magnus has healedhim: -If it’s not a bother.

Magnuslooks at him over his shoulder, a glint in his eyes: -You know itisn’t. What are you in the mood for?

Alechums: -Pizza on the couch?

Magnuslooks almost offended at the request, but nonetheless he complies,snapping his fingers with a fluid movement on his wrist to make twopizza boxes appear on the table in the living room.

Alecsmiles happily and walkstowards it, slightly wobbly on his legs; Magnus can protest as muchas he wants, Alec knows he enjoys pizza-on-the-couch nights as muchas he does.

Hetakes his own pizza box – pepperoni, thank you very much, none ofthat pineapple nonsense – and sits down on the coach with anappreciative sigh.

Magnusis more gracious about it, snapping his fingers to get some tissuesand plates, and grabs a couple of slices from his own box beforesitting next to Alec, cross-legged.

-So,-he says, biting into his slice, -What happened?

Alecrolls his eyes as he chews; he swallows before answering: -Jacehappened, of course. Went after a Demon by himself, and then itturned out there was actually a dozen of them and we didn’t have timeto call for backup.

Magnushums in acknowledgement as he chews: -That’s the third time in twomonths. I might actually have to charge him for all the times I haveto reattach some parts of your body.

Alecglances at him: -You know that if it’s a problem – -, but Magnuswaves him off before he has a chance to finish: -I’m just jokingaround, Alexander.

Theyeat in silence for a few minutes, and then Magnus clears his throat:-It’s Thursday, you know?

Aleclooks up and away, his ears burning: -Yeah, I know.

-Istill like you,- Magnus says, smiling like he’s teasing him just alittle.

-That’sgood to know,- Alec says, gruffly, biting into his pizza so that hedoesn’t have to say anything else.

Magnusresumes eating, looking satisfied: -Sex after pizza?

Alecalmost chokes: -Yeah,-he says, voice sounding strangled; he clears his throat: -Yeah, whynot.

Magnuspushes his hair from his forehead while Alec’s eyes are closed, headthrown back, his fingers slipping uselessly on Magnus’ smooth back, amoan escapes his lips because Magnus is everywhere,on him and inside him and some would say even in his soul, and it’sgood,it’s so good Alec isn’t sure how to keep it all inside his chest.

Hesays: -Kiss me,- and Magnus does, he always does, kisses him deep andslow, matches the timing of his thrusts and Alec feels safe withMagnus’ arms framing his head and Magnus’ fingers tangled in hishair, and he wraps a hand around his own cock, messy anduncoordinated and uncomfortable, and Magnus whispers: -Comeon,-against his lips, and Alec comes with a moan, lips open againstMagnus’ as he stills, shivers wrecking his spine.

Hecan feel Magnus’ smile against his own lips, and he murmurs: -Comeon,-sleepily, his legs wrapped loosely around Magnus’ waist.

He’smade it a point to never sleep over.

Magnusis sleeping, back bare against his dark blue sheets, and Alec looksat him for a second only before taking his shoes and walking away.

-Isn’tit a bit late to be coming home?

Alecstarts at the voice, and curses when he spots Izzy, who’s sitting onthe couch with her legs tucked under her and her laptop in front ofher.

-Idon’t think so,- he says, whispering just in case anyone else isawake.

Izzyraises her eyebrows, knowingly: -How’s Magnus?- she asks, tonecasual, and Alec bites his tongue. -He’s fine.

Izzyhums: -He’s still okay with your wholeI-won’t-be-in-a-relationship-with-my-soulmate thing?

Alecrolls his eyes: -Not that it’s any of your business,- he says,indignant, -But yes,he is.

Izzylooks sceptical: -Sure he is,- she says, tapping a couple of times onthe keyboard.

-Listen,-Alec growls, turning towards her, -We are both mature enough torealise that a relationship between us would be impossible,so we’re doing the best we can with what we have. Mind your ownbusiness.

Izzyraises her arms, showing him her palms: -I’m just saying, bigbrother. You’re the only person I know who’s actually wastinghissoulmate.

-I’malso the only Shadowhunter who has a Downworlderasa soulmate,- he whispers furiously, -AWarlockontop of that!

Izzyjust rolls her eyes, putting the headphones back into her ears:-Fine. You do you,- she says with a sigh, her eyes already focusingon the screen.

Alecthrows his hands up before walking away.

Theskin on his hip is tingling when he wakes up, and he pulls down hispyjama pants; he sees the hickey Magnus sucked into his skin beforehe sees what he’s written.

Goodnight

Aleccloses his eyes and throws his head back onto the pillow.

Jaceis the one who finds him in the gym; he leans his weight on the dooras he takes him in, his eyebrows furrowed in a slightly worriedexpression: -You stay at Magnus’ last night?

Alecpunches harder: -What thehell,-he says, a punch between every two words, -is up with everyonetoday?- he stops the punching bag with his hand, turns to look atJace: -Yes,I stayed at Magnus’ last night. He helped with the wound youwerepartially responsible for and we had dinner, that’s all.

Jaceflinches and Alec feels only a bit guilty.

-Iwas just asking,- Jace mumbles, -Plus, I was looking for you. We havea mission.

Alecretrieves his hoodie and his bottle of water: -What mission?- he asksas he uncaps it.

-Youknow those Demons I was going after yesterday?

Aleclooks at him and then, pointedly, at his own stomach.

Jacerolls his eyes: -Yes, well, they weren’t normal Demons. Apparently aWarlock is trying to create some kind of Vampire-slash-Demon hybrid.Clary and Izzy have already narrowed it down to three Warlocks, wehave to search the City and find them.

-Great,-Alec says, dryly, throwing the towel over his shoulder.

Jacepats him on the back.

Heimmediately spots him in the crowd – he’s pretty sure it’s gotsomething to do with their bond, how he can pick him out so easily,but, for the first time since he’s found out Magnus is his soulmate,he wishes it weren’t so easy.

Hefreezes.

Magnus’arms are wrapped around some Seelie’s waist, the Seelie’s armswrapped around Magnus’ neck, and they are dancing and they are close,so close Alec feels like he can’t breathe, their noses are almosttouching and Magnus is wearing his amused smirk and Alec is going tobe sick,he turns on his heels and pushes his way out of the Pandemonium, Jacecalling his name behind him.

Hetakes a deep breath as soon as he’s outside, the cold air soothingagainst his skin as the tries not to panic, his muscles rigid withthe effort to keep himself from shaking.

Hecan feelthemoment Magnus walks out the door, Jace following right behind him.

Redfury starts climbing its way up his throat; he turns toward him,fists so tight they almost hurt against his thighs: -What was that?-he asks, pointing at the club, and Magnus stops in his steps, worriedexpression turning hard.

Jacetakes a step back.

-Whatdo you mean?- Magnus asks, and the way he holds himself so calm andcomposed makes Alec’s hands tremble.

-Theway you were – dancingwiththat Seelie.

Magnus’back becomes unnaturally rigid: -I was having fun, Alexander,- hesays, sounding almost annoyed, -I didn’t know it was prohibited.

-Sure,-Alec says, a cruel grin curling his lips, -If that’s the way youusually havefun,-mocking, -We should probably start using condoms,-he growls like he’s throwing it against him.

Jacetakes another step back as he grimaces.

Acold fury takes over Magnus’ features: -YouidiotNephilim,-he says, voice clear and hard, -How dareyou?Should I remind you that you are the one who said this,-he moves his hand between them, -Shouldn’t be exclusive?-,he says the word like it’s the most stupid thing he’s ever heard.

Alecpresses his lips together, and he – he suddenly recognises thatit’s not anger that’s painfully twisting his stomach. It’s jealousy.

-Butthat doesn’t mean – - he tries, but he sounds weaker and Magnustakes a step forward, implacable: -That’s exactlywhatit means,- he says, and his eyes are unforgiving as they dig deepinto Alec’s: -You think it didn’t hurt?- he asks, low, -You think itdidn’t tear my world down when you said you didn’t wantthis?

-Inever said I didn’t want this,- Alec says, jealousy turning intodesperation so quickly it leaves him with a hole in his chest, -It’sjust – complicated.

-Oh,but sleeping with me isn’t complicated at all, is it?- Magnus asks, acold smile on his lips, -Or asking for my help. It’s only beingwithme that’s complicated.

-Youknow that’s not the way it is,- Alec says, urgency pushing him totake a step forward to make sure Magnus doesn’t slip away from hisfingers, -You knowthatI’m just – I just –

-Youwhat?

-I’mterrified,-Alec snaps, flinching at his own admission as he looks down, -We –I don’t know how wecouldwork!

-Iknow exactlyhow wecould work,-Magnus says, -You could stop letting your cowardiceholdyou back and you could believe that Imightbe worth it, but until you do that, don’t you dare,-his voice shakes, -Don’t you dare accuse meofsleeping with someone else when I’ve been trying to tell you that I’min love with you once a week for three months.

Hetakes a step back and Alec feels like he can’t move at all. He staresat Magnus, eyes wide, and he feels like he’s bleeding somewhere.

Magnus’eyes are hurt when he says: -I think you have work to do,- beforedisappearing into the alley behind the Pandemonium.

Alecstands still, bats his eyelashes furiously until he realises he’scrying.

Izzyand Clary buy ice-cream, Jace buys Chinese and Alec just stays curledup on the couch.

-Well,-Clary says, glancing hesitantly at him, -It’s – I mean, it’s not sobad, is it? I mean, you love him too, you just have to tell him.

Alecstares at her.

Izzyrolls her eyes: -Please, please,tell me you’d figured it out on your own.

-I– don’t think he had,- Jace says, picking up his noodle soup.

Izzythrows her arms up in defeat: -Alec,-she says, frustration clear in her voice.

-Whatmakes you think that I’m in love with him?- Alec croaks, looking atClary because she probablywon’tinsult him.

Claryclears her throat: -Well, it’s pretty obvious,- she says, turning itinto almost a question, -I mean, you always look for him when youfeel down or when you’re hurt or when you’re happy,- she offers him asmall smile: -You kind of use a lot of excuses to go see him.

-Andyou’reconstantly talking about him,- Jace adds, stealing Clary’s spoon ofice-cream. Clary makes a face at him.

-Andyou’re absolutely terrifiedofscrewing things up,- Izzy adds, like she’s already done with theconversation, -Which makes you an idiot for not trying anyway, by theway.

Alecglares at her, but it’s a weak thing. -But he’s – he’s aDownworlder. He’s immortal.

Allthree of them raise their eyebrows. -So what?- Clary asks.

-Youknow how my parents would react if we were in an actualrelationship!- Alec protests, -And I just – I don’t want to –hurthim.He’s – he’ll get another soulmate.

Izzyrolls her eyes: -Sure, because mum and dad are looking for a wife foryou right now because you’d definitelymarryin a heartbeat for duty,it wouldn’t bother you atall.

-Plus,-Jace adds, returning to his noodle soup, -I think Magnus can decidefor himself what he wants.

-Hedoesn’t wantme,-Alec says, rolling his eyes because he hopes it’ll hide how muchadmitting it out loud is hurting him, -It’s just – the soulmatesthing, we’re not – we’re not rightforeach other.

There’salmost a minute of silence before Izzy kneels on the carpet in frontof him and forces him to look her in the eyes: -Alec,- she says, andnow she sounds like she understands a bit better, -There is nothing,nothing,Magnus wouldn’t do for you,- she says, softly, -He’s inlove withyou and it’s not just the soulmatesthing.He’s fallen in love with you when he thought you wouldn’t want him.Of course he wants you,- a small smile curls her lips, -He isyoursoulmate, after all.

Alecblinks, andit comes to him slowly: -Oh.

-Yup,-Jace comments.

Alecstarts franticly searching his pockets for a pen: -I have to tellhim, I – -, but then he feels the skin on his arm tingle and heimmediately pulls up his sleeve.

Hisblood runs cold in his veins when he reads the one word on his skin.

Help

Heruns so fast the muscles in his legs start to ache even with therunes burning his skin, and he’s breathless when he reaches the smallalley he feels Magnus is in, Jace, Clary and Izzy a few steps behindhim, and his blood runs cold when he sees Magnus trying to hold backwhat looks like a few dozens of Demons with his magic, feels his ownskin burn where Magnus’ is torn.

Hejumps forward without thinking, Magnus’ magic letting him through,and he drives one of his arrows into the throat of a Demon beforeshooting it into another Demon’s calf,Jace right behind him to finish it with his sword, Izzy’s whipbringing down two more, and then Alec loses count.

Hekeeps as close to Magnus as he can, Demons coming from everywherearoundthem, one always ready to take the place of the one they kill, andAlec’s only driving thought as he ducks and lounges forward is Ineed to tell him, I need to tell him, I need to tell him.

It’sfast, too fast, Alec barely has time to breathe as he pushes andpushes and pushes,his sword feeling heavy in his arms, the smell of overused magicfilling the heavy air, but suddenly the Demons are parting, growlingand spitting, and a man walks between them, and Alec barely registershis presence before he’s raising his hand, black magic running fromhis fingers towards Magnus, where itshatters against a barrier with a deafening noise, and then it startsagain.

Aleckeeps glancing at Magnus, Demons dropping around him, and he’s tired,Aleccan tell he’s tired and he just needs to goto him,and –

Ablinding pain explodes in his side and Alec almost falls on hisknees, but it’s not him, it’s not him,he’s not hurt, which means –

Heturns towards Magnus, heart running so fast in his chest it hurts,and a raw scream leaves his lips when he sees him kneeling on theground, a hand pressed against his own side, the other Warlock on theground in front of him: -MAGNUS!

Ademon tries to attack him but Alec stabs it in the chest and runsforwards – he hadn’t even realised how far away from Magnus thefighting had gotten him – and he thinks nono no no, I need to tell you, you need to know –

Hefalls to his knees beside him, his sword hitting the asphalt as hecatches Magnus before he falls: -Magnus, Magnus, please, please–

Magnusblinks slowly at him; he smiles: -I knew you would come,- he says,but it sounds like it causes him pain to talk, and Alec shakes hishead as tears fall from his eyes: -Please, pleaseMagnusI was an idiot, I need – I need to tell you, please–

Magnusshushes him gently, his eyes almost closed: -Stupid Nephilim,- hemurmurs, but he sounds fond.

-Please,please,I love you, Magnus, Ilove you,-he says, and his voice breaks but it has to be worth something, itcan’t just be.

Magnuscloses his eyes: -I know,- he murmurs, -I was waiting for you tocatch up.

-No,no,no, no, no,- Alecbrushes his hair from his forehead but Magnus’ eyes stay closed andAlec doesn’t know if he’s breathing, he presses his forehead againstMagnus’ and everything inside him is quacking,-You need to be okay,- he whispers, a salty taste on his tongue ashis tears reach his lips, -Please, please–

Andhe thinks thiscan’t be useless, it can’t – this isn’t fair,the knowledge of it, deep in his bones, exploding in his chest as hejust pushesbecause–

Itcan’t be useless.

Andsuddenly he feels like every drop of energy is being sucked out ofhim and he sways on his knees, tightens his hold on Magnus’ shouldersand he blinks, trying to focus, and he sees Magnus’ magic pooling inhis wound, and he understands – it’s him, his energy.

Hepushes harder, heart beating slower, buthe doesn’t –

hecan’t –

stop.

Heblinks slowly, the light hitting his eyes brighter than he’d like.

Someonepunches him in the shoulder.

-Ow,-he protests, turns his head on the pillow he hadn’t realised he’slaying on, but what he sees takes his breath away.

-Magnus,-he whispers, relief flooding his chest, but Magnus glaresathim: -You stupidNephilim,-he says, flailing, -You could have – -

ButAlec doesn’t care, he doesn’t care about anything, he wraps his handaround Magnus’ wrist and pulls him down, interrupting himmid-sentence, pulls until he can bury his fingers in his hair, hislips in his throat.

-Ilove you,- he says, over and over, because now he can tell him and hedoesn’t care if Magnus will tell him to go to Hell, -I’m sorry I wasan idiot. I was – scared and immature and insanely jealous and itwon’t happen again and I love you. I’m sorry I hurt you, I’m so –

Butthen Magnus is kissing his lips, short and soft and gentle. -I know,-he says, his make-up smudged under his eyes as he chuckles, -And youwere a bit of an idiot.

Aweak chuckle tumbles out of Alec’s lips, leaving his eyes damp.

-But,-Magnus says, the tip of his nose against Alec’s, -You didalmostdie to save my life.

-Howcould I not,- Alec says, breathless as he looks into his eyes, -Youare my soulmate. And I’m in love with you.

Magnuscloses his eyes as he presses his forehead against Alec’s; hemurmurs: -As far as apologies go, this one is pretty damn decent.

#malec #magnus bane #alec ligthwood #malec fic #malec fanfic #malec fanfiction #malec fic rec #malec prompt #ambros writes #shadowhunters #shadowhunters fic #jace wayland #clary fairchild #izzy lightwood #otp: heart & soul

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anthony-kate · 8 years ago

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Jace and Alec are just the worst example of Parabatai ever. I think it would be less obvious if CC hadn't later created Will and Jem who had such a loving and close bond. It just made it seem so much more badly written in retrospect. I remember raiding the last books after knowing about w + j and feeling so angry at the mess that jalec were. And the show is just as bad with the inconsistency. And neither version of Jace an seem to get over themselves and care about Alec more than themselves.

Good lord, I know, Anon. Imagine that Will and Jace are related. asjahsja And then look at this mess of a parabatai bond he has with Alec. Like... there were so many moments and opportunities where they could fix or more like work on the bond on the show but it purely is only used as a plot device. If I am allowed to being sarcastic here: Even Simon and Jace have a better working friendship than what he and Alec have. But bound for life and all that jazz. Amazing. Not.

And then there are Will and Jem who I really liked in the book and their parabatai bond. Like, Will really cared for Jem. The times he spent with Jem while Tessa was also there. How scared he always was when Jem wasn’t feeling well and just his genuine interest for Jem’s well-being while still also being Will and a little shit from time to time. Jace on the other hand is a complete disaster on his end of the parabatai bond and like I said, it annoys me so damn much. What he and Alec have is not even a friendship, it is BS. No wonder that people who haven’t read the books and know about Jem/Will have problems to understand why the parabatai bond is actually a really great and amazing and wonderful thing when all they’ve seen is this nonsense on the show or the crap of a parabatai bond in TMI.

#book spoilers #tmi #tid #parabatai #shadowhunters #anonymous #answered #thanks for asking!

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oncethrown · 8 years ago

Text

We! Are! Family! (2x16 Review)

Building on last week’s awesome character stuff, this episode also did a lot of deep character stuff, did a fantastic job of using it’s ensemble cast to explore the same topic in different ways, and then offered us a lot of drunk Clary nonsense as a palate cleanser between scenes of actual substance.

If palate cleansers tasted overwhelmingly of garbage.

Alec Learns About Black White and Grey

Setting Alec against Robert for this whole episode, particularly given the hints we currently have about the upcoming episode, was masterful writing. Robert’s disgusting corruption against Alec’s naivete. Robert’s decimated morality against Alec’s barely challenged innocence.

And Robert’s dead marriage vs. Alec’s brand new love.

Alec and Magnus’s relationship has faced very few internal challenges. Alec and Magnus are very firmly in the honeymoon stage, and the previews are hinting that may not be the case next week.

Enter Robert. Robert has been half of a complicated marriage for decades, and is currently married to a woman he no longer loves, and presumably hasn’t loved for a long time. We know Maryse and Robert were fighting last season, and in the books Robert cheats on Maryse sometime around Isabelle being either conceived or born, I don’t remember.

I’m not condoning cheating, but adult relationships are complicated, and I believe Robert when he says “It’s complicated”. There are thousand things going on in his and Maryse’s marriage. Maryse’s ambition, her dedication to the Lightwood legacy. Their shared past as members of the circle. Their shared exile from Idris, their shared scapegoating of Hodge. These are two people who, when they were young, fell under the sway of a madman, and then betrayed him and ran from their homeland with their baby and probably weren’t the same people any more afterward. Were not the same people who had fallen in love to begin with.

But Maryse said in the last episode that they weren’t going to get divorced because there was the legacy to think of. The two of them have probably had that legacy conversation a thousand times. They’ve probably loved and hated each other, tried to convince themselves they could get divorced, then ultimately decided that they couldn’t over and over again. And kids make everything a nightmare. They probably both love the kids, but disapprove of the way the other loves them, (and let’s be honest, they both abuse and neglect the kids, and probably only think the other does) and we know that neither wanted to hurt the kids by saying anything too true about the other. These two people are genuinely caught in this impossible, ugly snarl.

That ugly snarl is similar to Alec’s political position. He wants to run an institute, but it’s difficult to follow Clave orders and still be the leader he wants to be. He wants to move up in the Clave, but knows its rife with corruption.

It’s nothing like his relationship status though. He and Magnus are firmly ensconced in the honey moon stage. There have been challenges and problems, but nothing that changed the fundamental internal ease of the relationship. They haven’t had a conflict that wasn’t solved with love and honesty.

But that doesn’t last. And Robert is standing there in Alec’s office trying to explain to his incredibly black and white son that grey sometimes shows up when you aren’t expecting it. And Alec is going to understand that when it means how to discuss the whereabouts of the soul sword… but it’s going to be a lot more complicated as a lie of omission to Magnus. Being the head of the Institute and sleepin in the High Warlock’ bed every night doesn’t stay easy. In a way, Robert is a harbinger of doom for Alec’s story.

But Alec is also a grown up, and he has to accept parts of his father’s grayness as their story moves forward. He acknowledges that his father is right— he has to stay in the institute even though Jace is in trouble. He has to acknowledge that his deeply imperfect father does care about him, and is using the influence he has to try to protect him.

But he also has to acknowledge that his father’s influence has a dark origin and that his father has done a lot of bad things.

Which is a super awesome story to pit against Sebastian and Valentine.

Sebastian and Alec actually have very similar statuses in these two plots. They are both sons whose fathers have failed, and they are both struggling with that failure. Alec’s is corruption and infidelity, and Sebastian is evil and being sent to hell… so they are… ya know. Wide parallels. But parallels nonetheless.

Sebastian almost gets to be the emotional outlet that Alec will never be allowed. Sebastian and Alec are equally angry with their fathers, but Sebastian is the one that gets to scream and threaten and let loose on his. Sebastian could be Alec’s Anger Translator. It also gives us an inverse of Alec’s storyline. Robert fucked up and Alec didn’t. Robert is indisputably the bad guy in that pairing. And then in Sebastian and Valentine’s story, it’s not that easy. Sebastian murdered people. Because of what Valentine made him. Valentine was afraid of Sebastian, because of what Valentine made him. Sebastian is a monster because of Valentine’s fear, and Sebastian is demanding retribution because what Valentine did is unforgivable. It’s Alec and Robert’s storyline with the brakelines cut, and it’s a really well done emotional compliment to that story line.

What makes Simon’s entry into this Sons and Families storyline so interesting is that it’s so thematically similar, while every other element of it is wildly different.

The only person Simon has to forgive in his storyline is himself. On a day of atonement, Alec and Sebastian have long lists of the sins of the father, but Simon is angry with himself, and… in the end forgives himself (Neither Alec nor Sebastian forgive their fathers). Simon clearly blames himself for his mother’s drinking. He blames himself for worrying his sister with the blood thing. He doesn’t hear Bubbie Helen’s criticism of his not going to temple, but it’s clear that he would blame himself for not going.

And none of them place that blame on him. Helen sort of hand waves not going to temple, his mother blames himself for the drinking. His sister seems to blame the other band mates for the weird blood gimmick.

Maia echoes this when she talks about her family and says that it’s not anger that keeps her from reconnecting with her family, it’s guilt.

And then Simon almost lightheartedly accepts blame for not knowing more about Maia’s hopes and dreams. He admits that he’s been self-centered, but they don’t agonize over it. Also, everyone apologizes to Maia when Helen assumes she isn’t Jewish.

It’s also worth mentioning that Alec and Sebastian deal with antagonistic father/son relationships, but Simon is in a scene with four women.

This is the kind of thing I really wanted to see Shadowhunters start doing, and they really hit it out of the park. Those parts of this episode were cohesive and important. They built on each other, echoed and contrasted each other and gave us this super solid thing about sin and forgiveness, father’s and son, and how complicated family can be. They also fleshed out our characters, telling us all kinds of things we didn’t know about Maia and Sebastian and gave us peices to keep the plot going forward— like Robert’s mysterious (and crazy gross) backchannel with Imogen, the real location of the soul sword, Sebastian having Valentine and why he took him. Simon and Maia chemistry.

And Then there’s Clary

I’m actually getting exhausted with hating Clary, but the writers won’t cut me a break. Not every plot has to be on the same wavelength, it’s completely fine that Clary’s story line just dipped it’s toe into the main theme with her wide eyed “My brother is alive” shit at the end… but this plot line was a disaster, and should have been given half the time it was given. This plot accomplished 4 things:

1. Showed us that Clary’s Super Special Powers! Are so Super Special! That she is the only non warlock who can do the portals. 2. Taught us that Lake Lyn exists (probs important later) 3. Tried (and failed) to create post incest Jace Clary lost when Jace’s Super Special Powers! Save Clary from Lady Madness 4. Let Clary know that she still has a brother.

And like…from a writing perspective, I’m sure those things are important for something they are building toward, and it’s not their fault that I already know what it is because I’ve reading the steaming horseshit pile of source material.

But they have written 26 episodes now where Clary has no goal. No motivation. And yet another episode where she’s weak and pathetic and has to get rescued by whoever wants to put his penis in her the most.

She shouldn’t be the main character if she’s just a battleground for dick-wetting.

And like… an hour mystic drunk in the woods is the closest she’s come to experiencing consequences the whole time, and it takes two people to rescue her.

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seventeen I don’t want to watch the main female character cured of hysteria by the right dick. I hate everything about it, and that makes me hate Clary and I don’t want to hate Clary.

And the writers have restrictions placed on them by the fact that they are adapting from a book… but compare Shadowhunters to something like True Blood? The books True Blood are based on are impossible to read sober, and the True Blood abandoned them by like episode 9 of the first season.

If you want me to give a flying fuck about Clary “Blink at You Until You Love Me” Fray you have to give her a story. You can’t rely on shitty storylines from a decade ago (and a tumultous decade at that) to make me give a damn about her and frankly I’m offended that the writers are lazy enough to think they can. They’ve been coasting on Clary since day one, and if that’s all they can do… fine. But then Clary can’t be a main characters. Maia can be the main, Izzy can be the main, and Clary can just show up in a wet dress from time to time with her crusty eyelashes, and eventually get killed off.

I haven’t quite hit the point where Clary is just the irredeemable nonsense that I forward through… but I’m getting damn close.

Live Reactions:

They have to do something about this fucking intro.

It is impossible to watch this show in a room that isn’t black out dark. We’re not all rich enough for TV rooms or curtains, Shadowhunters. Turn on a fucking light on set.

Simon and Maia also have chemistry. Alisha and Alberto could have chemistry with moldy bread.

Gross. Robert.

This father son conversation about where the black and white and grey go is interesting. And it’s fascinating to compare Alec and Maryse’s interaction to Alec and Robert’s. Especially because Maryse was terrible to Alec… and Robert was terrible to Maryse.

Fuck you, Clary. This isn’t Jace’s fault. You could have not fucked your best friend when you weren’t sure what you wanted. You are the worst. I hate that they keep pretending you’re the lead.

I kinda doubt you need to fake Magnus’s hand gesture.

You are very pretty, Sebastian

You sent him to Hell? What the fuck are you going to do?

After 90 seconds of Show Sebastian, I am totally invested in his story. I cannot wait to see what he does and I need to have him be a main character.

UUGGHHHHH Clary, our female lead, is now helpless and falling down in the woods. FFUUCCKKKKKIINNGG Shadowhunters

Under enough stress to scream at a 9 year old until he won’t leave his room? Cheating? Existing? I want Robert dead by Mid Season 3.

Listen to Izzy. She’s smarter than everyone you know, and the Inquisitor is obviously dirty.

Emeraude is the only one who says “by the Angel” like it’s a real phrase she has used before. Official award for this to Emmeraude.

I would care that you found a pile of Jace guts… but I’m sure that you’re just hallucinating or some shit because you are the weakest character on the show and women aren’t allowed to succeed at anything on Shadowhunters. Maybe, despite the cold, you’ll be in a wet white dress by the end of the episode.

Wow. Okay. Will and Alisha are now the stars of this show. They would be so good in a scene together is the writers could possibly write a scene good enough for the two of them to be in.

Gross. Robert.

This is just so much Clary being on screen with no drive. I’m super frustrated with how Clary doesn’t have to have a story to be the lead. Everyone in this episode wants something and has multiple layers of want and opposition. Clary is lake drunk in the woods. That’s not a plot. That’s halfway decent weekend.

Oh no. Not lose her mind forever. They might have to put her in the gard. We might never hear from her again. Oh no.

You know… Valentine deserves that. I’m on board.

Izzy could also be the lead of this show. She stuck to her beliefs while the Clave threatened to derune her. She actually gives a flying fuck about downworlders and has repeated it with fewer lapses than everyone else. The downworld respects her. She overcame being forcibly addicted by a superior who wanted to rape her. She’s the best shadowhunter in the Institute. She’s smarter than everyone. Izzy is the Hermione Granger to Clary’s Giant Squid.

Boy-magic saved her. Girl magic got her in that mess to start with. Thanks Shadowhunters.

This dialogue made me throw up my wine.

Gross. Robert.

Yes! Stand up for your baby brother Alec.

There is no way Robert threatened to do anything to the Clave. He’s lying. He’s always lying.

Feeling bad about sending your son to hell doesn’t make him less sent to hell, and he still doesn’t see you as a son, Sebastian. Just an experiment. Kill him, it’s fine.

Maia and Simon, you are the best. Please be one of the most important parts of the show.

Is Maia and Jace fucking ever going to come up again? If not what was the point?

Careful Clary, he’s sexy reading and you are but a wee pathetic lass

That is the most obvious chain they could have possibly picked. Why not just tape it to his forehead?

Clary’s desperation to find her brother had better be linked to her mother’s death. The writers have got to be able to make that teeny tiny leap.

#shadowhunters #Shadowhunters meta #shadowhunters 2x16

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fandom-madnessess · 8 years ago

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Hi !! Just wondering if you could write a Magnus/Alec where Alec is in a really crappy mood and he's grumpy and tired and Alec makes it better with cuddles etc. ? Thanks anyway, and I really love your writing btw xx

Magnus Bane/Alec LightwoodRating: G, Word Count: 1791Fluff, Canon Universe (sort of), Grumpy Alec, POV Alec♥Read on AO3

Alec wants to back out the door the moment it closesbehind him and the voices from the living room filter into the hallway, butbefore he can Magnus appears in the living room entrance. Seeing his boyfriend,all dolled up, hair and make-up and clothes perfectly coordinated, a surprisedbut happy smile on his lips, loosens some of the tightness in Alec’s shoulders.

‘Alec,darling!’ Magnus greets him. He movesto pull Alec in, already tilting his head up for a kiss, but stops when he seesthe look on Alec’s face. He lightly holds oneof Alec’s hands and brushes a thumbover Alec’s knuckles. ‘What are you doing here? Iseverything okay?’

‘I’m sorry. I should’ve called first,’ Alec says, nodding towards theliving room. He can’t see who’s in there, but from the way Magnusis dressed it must be other important Downworlders, probably Warlocks. ‘I can go.’

‘Nonsense.’ Magnus waves away the protests. Hesqueezes Alec’s hand. ‘Talk to me.’

Alec clenches his jaw and strangles the shoulder strap ofhis duffel bag. He doesn’t evenknow where to start. The Clave has had him drowning in paperwork for the pastweek, he’s barely had any sleep or been outside, and his mother,well, let’s just say she’s been making very clear she does notapprove the majority of his recent life choices. Isabelle and Jace had interruptedanother fight and gotten him out of The Institute before he did something thatmight get him stripped of his Runes.

‘Maryse,’ he finally says.

‘I havea gym with a punching bag, if you need it.’

Alec shakes his head. ‘Ishould let you get back to your guests. I can go someplace else.’

They both know that’s notentirely true. Yes, Alec could go to Luke’s oreven Simon’s, but those options are onlymarginally better than going back to The Institute. Luke is a good guy, but theother Werewolves are not very fond of Alec, and Alec finds Simon annoying onthe best of days, which this definitely isn’t.

‘If youdon’t mind being on your own for a while,you can pick any other room in the house to stay in,’ Magnus suggest. ‘It’ll be a while before I’m done here, though.’

‘It’s fine,’ Alecsays. He follows Magnus to the living rooms, nods a greeting at the Warlockssplayed on the couches and chairs, then keeps walking until he reaches Magnus’ bedroom. Magnus did say any room.

When he steps inside, he finds it occupied by ChairmanMeow, stretched out in the middle of the bed, barely glancing up when Alec comesin. Alec drops his duffel next to the bed and continues on to the bathroom. Hedidn’t have a chance to showerafter training today.

Magnus’ showeris amazing. Perfect water pressure, the temperature adjusting the moment youchange the settings, and the showerhead is big enough that he doesn’t have to move around to get his entirebody clean. The only drawback is that Alec still hasn’t figured out which of Magnus’ body washes contain glitter and which don’t. Today, he doesn’t really care. He won’t be going back to The Institute oron a mission today, so if he ends up more sparkly than a pile of diamonds, theonly person seeing it will be Magnus. He’salmost disappointed when he finds out that the bottle he grabbed doesn’t have glitter.

Chairman Meow is still on the bed when Alec steps out ofthe bathroom. He pulls a clean pair of sweats and a tank top out of his bag,puts them one, and drops next to the cat on the bed. Chairman Meow rolls overso his back is pressed against Alec’s leg,and starts purring.

‘Whatshould I do?’ Alec asks him. He took somereports that he still has to read with him, but he’s still pissed off enough that he’s more likely to hand them to Chairman Meow as a chew toythan actually read them. There’s a TV,but he’s never really been one forwatching TV.

He looks around the room and finds a small pile of bookson Magnus’ nightstand. Some of thebooks look old, there’s evenwhat looks like a papyrus scroll, others look almost brand new. Alec grabs thebook lying on top, one of the newer books, and moves up the bed until he cancomfortably settle against the pillows.

Only a couple pages in, he’scompletely lost. The book appears to based on Greek mythology, but it’s set in modern day New York. Heflips to the first pages and finds that it’s partof series, and it’s not the first book. Nowonder he’s lost, he’s missing half the story. Not feelinglike looking for the other books in the series in Magnus’ library, he puts the book back on the pile and pokesChairman Meow until he looks up.

‘Youhungry?’

Chairman Meow is by the door in one elegant jump, lookingback at Alec with eyes that say I thoughtyou’d neverask.

‘Ofcourse you are.’ He picks Chairman Meow up,the cat climbing up until he’ssitting on Alec’s shoulder.

When Alec steps into the hallway, he realizes he has aproblem. There are a dozen Warlocks in the living room and there is no way fromthe bedroom to the kitchen without passing them—unlesshe’s willing to scale the side of thebuilding, which he isn’t—and he’swearing sweatpants and a tank top. No socks, no weapons, just a cat on his shoulder.He could wait until Magnus checks up on him and can spell him something to eat,but that might be hours. Besides, Magnus probably won’t mind. He’scomplained about Alec’smonochrome wardrobe, but he’salways seemed fond of the sweatpants and tank top combo. Isabelle and Jace willfind it hilarious when they hear it. His mom will probably be pissed, if sheeven finds out. Walking around like this doesn’texactly uphold the tough-guy image the Clave has created for its Shadowhunters.

That’s whatdecides it for Alec, the petty, private vengeance. He does move through thehouse as quickly and silently as he can. While he’s happyto stick it to the Clave today, he doesn’t wantto disrupt Magnus’ business any more than healready has.

In the kitchen he grabs a saucer, dumps some cat food onit, and sets it and Chairman Meow on the floor, before he goes searching foredibles for himself. Opening Magnus’ fridgeis always an adventure. It might hold a feast, but it might also hold things heneeds for his spells and potions, things that should not be kept somewhere youalso keep your food.

Today, Magnus’ fridgelooks pretty normal, filled with vegetables, meats, cheeses, spreads, and leftovertakeout. There are also a couple of jars with questionable contents, but Alecignores those. He grabs a little bit of everything, hunts down the bread, and makeshimself a variety of sandwiches. Then, he pours himself a tall glass of orangejuice. After a moment’sthought, he also puts an assortment of meats for Chairman Meow on the plate. Bythe time he has a neat stack of sandwiches and everything is clean and putaway, Chairman Meow has cleaned the saucer.

They make their way back to the bedroom, and Alec can’t help but think that if he dentedthe Shadowhunter image earlier, he’scompletely destroyed it now, with his pile of sandwiches and desperately tryingnot to trip over the loudly meowing cat that keeps weaving around his legs. Hereally wishes he’d grabbed a body wash withglitter.

After eating and feeding Chairman Meow a little more, Alecdecides to give that book another try. He likes Greek mythology, so even if hedoesn’t really know who half thecharacters are or what the exact plot is, it’ll keephim mildly entertained. He lies diagonally on the bed, his feet dangling offthe side. He’s barely gotten comfortablewhen little paws press against his lower back, kneading it into a comfortablepillow.

Surrounded by the sights and smells of his boyfriend, hisstomach full, his mind occupied with something other than the Clave or hisparents, and with the cat on his lower back, Alec finally starts to relax.

He gets pulled into the story more than he realizes, anddoesn’t realize Magnus came inuntil the mattress dips. Magnus lies down next to him, leaning on his elbows,and pressing their sides together.

‘Hello,’ Magnus says. He brushes Alec’s hair off his forehead and presses akiss to the corner of his mouth. Slinging a leg over Alec’s, he cuddles closer. ‘You didn’t make me lose my place did you?’ he asks, tapping the book.

Alec shows him where Magnus’bookmark is still in its place.

‘Good.’ Magnus brushes a hand through Alec’s hair again, looking very happyabout messing it up. ‘It’s almost dinner time, and we’re about to order in. You wantanything?’

‘Sure.’

‘Alright.’ Chairman Meow lets out a mewl andMagnus rolls his eyes. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get you something, too.’

Alec puts down the book and lies down completely. Magnusfollows him, his face so close to Alec’s thattheir noses touch. His hand is in Alec’s hairagain, alternating between brushing through it and scratching Alec’s scalp. Alec closes his eyes andhums.

‘Feelingbetter?’ Magnus whispers.

‘I do.’ He darts forward and presses a kissto Magnus’ lips. When he pulls back,they’re both smiling. ‘I didn’tdisturb you too much did I?’

‘I thinkthat little show helped, actually,’ Magnuslaughs. ‘They were quite impressedwith that pile of food.’

Alec chuckles. ‘Whatare you doing tomorrow?’

‘If Ican wrap this up tonight, nothing that can’t bepostponed for a day. You?’

‘I wasthinking of asking my boyfriend if he wanted to stay in, lock the doors, and donothing.’

‘I thinkyour boyfriend would like that.’ Magnuspouts and sighs. ‘Unfortunately, that means he’ll have to get back to his guestsnow.’

Alec sneaks in one more kiss before Magnus gets up.

‘Oh,before I forget.’ Magnus waves his hand, andAlec follows the swirls of purple until they reach the bed and a stack of booksmaterializes. ‘Here’s the rest of the series. For a people that prides itselfon physical prowess, you can be remarkably lazy sometimes.’

Alec raises his eyebrow, and smirks.

‘Thanks,’ he says. He doesn’t just mean for the books and thefood. From the way Magnus’expression softens, and the warmth in his voice when he says, ‘You’rewelcome’, Alec knows he understands.

#malec #alec x magnus #alecmagnus #shadowhunters #shadowhunters chronicles #my fic #my tsc

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kingellaine · 8 years ago

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Shadowhunters ‘The Guilty Blood’ Review

*DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of any agency.

Rating: 3.5/5

‘Shadowhunters’ Season Two Falls Short Yet Holds Promise

By FantomKingJo

When fans were told back in March that the Freeform show, Shadowhunters, was renewed for its second season, excitement rose. Waiting months with behind the scene photos, sneak peeks and many interview from the cast, the show’s second season premiered earlier tonight with “The Guilty Blood.” While most of the episode was exciting and lived up to promises made by actors and directors, it left me wanting more.

Now, as I just mentioned, the episode did, in fact, include many of the items that actors said there would. One item was Jace Herondale (Dominic Sherwood) and Alec Lightwood’s (Matthew Daddario) parabatia bond. In an interview posted on ShadowhuntersTV, the show’s official YouTube account, Daddario said:

“In season two we get to learn more about Jace and Alec’s past… [in the season beginning] we get to feel what really defines that relationship and what makes them so upset when they are apart and that causes significant challenge[s] for Alec.”

What was show in episode one was how Jace’s disappearance effects Alec. In season one, Daddario and the producers worked on showing Alec off as a no-nonsense guy who prefered following the rules and respected the hierarchy (as much as a man could when his sister is on trial). Yet the stress of having Jace gone creates a problem that the character could not handle yet. Daddario did a beautiful job of portraying Alec as a man who just lost his brother to the wrong people and who is faced with a hierarchy that, in his eyes, is no longer working good enough to find Jace. He lashes out at his ex-fiance Lydia Branwell (Stephanie Bennett) and his current boyfriend, High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr.).

Another thing that was mentioned was a darker season. That was shown very clearly in the first moments of the show with an altercation between Jace and Valentine Morgenstern (Alan van Sprang). A darker image of this season was once again shown when Valentine showed Jace his past as a child, via rune. Basically, we can see that most of the season’s darker elements will be shown through Valentine in some shape or form.

“Father of the Year,” Jace said, The Guilty Blood.

One last thing that viewers were warned about, through smug smiles (looking at you Daddario), was conflict between who are arguably the show’s favorite couple. Alec and Magnus (known as Malec to every fan of the series). With Jace gone and their bond weakened due to Jace being located on the ocean, Alec is lost and has no knowledge if his partner is safe. So, he lashes out. Magnus attempts to take it in stride but the hurt (portrayed excellently by Shum) is evident. The couple fights multiple times throughout the episode but do eventually mellow out. Though, it is likely that will not be the last time we see them fight.

Now, onto the problems of the episode.

As soon as the episode faded in and the scene between Jace and Valentine ended, I started wondering. How much time has passed since Jace left with Valentine? That was never answered. It was at least four hours as Lydia mentions they had been searching for Jace for about that time. There also had to be enough time for Magnus to suddenly start growing a goatee, for Jace to suddenly get longer hair and for the Institute to gain a slight makeover. Admittedly, the idea of a scene adjustment is common in shows during a new season premier but it would be unrealistic for the show’s purposes. Also, little time would have to have passed as Clary Fray/Fairchild (Katherine McNamara) had yet to have a proper conversation with her mother, Jocelyn Fray/Fairchild (Maxim Roy), about what happened after Jocelyn was magicked into a coma. There is no clear cut answer to how much time has passed since Jace went missing.

There was also a mother-daughter scene between Clary and Jocelyn. While the concept was sweet and could have been great, the scene itself felt artificial and rushed. Information of importance was exchanged which but the scene necessary yet there was still the feeling that it could have been executed better. Don’t disregard any information Jocelyn said in that one important rushed scene. Honestly, a lot of the episode felt rushed but in certain areas it played into showing how stressed these characters are and how dire the situation is.

The rushing of this episode is what killed some of the magic for me yet still I find myself excited for what the next episode will bring. A serious start to the new season, peppered with humor from the new neighborhood vampire Simon Lewis (Alberto Rosende) and the new alpha leader of the New York werewolf pack Luke Garroway (Isaiah Mustafa) and beautiful new music, the new Shadowhunters certainly shows change from the last season.

With new showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer (former showrunners of Smallville), these two are already showing what they can bring to the table to enhance this series and bring it to its potential.

I look forward to how the characters and show will progress as we get new characters, new character arcs (featuring Isabelle Lightwood (Emeraude Toubia) and Magnus Bane), new fight scenes, new scenery and much more.

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rhosyn-du · 5 years ago

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This fic was created for the @malecdiscordserver Mini Bang 2020.

Chapter Two

There were too many Shadowhunters in Magnus’s loft. It had probably been a mistake to invite Alec in the first place, but Magnus had let his judgment be swayed by a pretty face and a frightened child, and now he was stuck with the man’s sister and parabatai, too.

Magnus thought that perhaps, had they met under different circumstances, he might have enjoyed Isabelle’s company. Jace, on the other hand, managed to perfectly embody the condescending arrogance that so annoyed Magnus about Shadowhunters.

“Help him up into a sitting position,” Magnus instructed. “It will help the potion go down easier.” He spared a reassuring smile for Madzie, who sat curled up in a chair with Mr. Flopsy, watching the proceedings with worried eyes that nonetheless kept blinking toward sleep.

Isabelle and Jace did as instructed, maneuvering an unconscious Alec from his sprawl across Magnus’s couch into something that resembled an upright position.

Magnus leaned over Alec’s head, where it lolled against the back of the couch, hand resting against Alec’s cheek to hold him steady.

“Alexander,” he said softly. “if you can hear me, I need you to swallow the potion I’m going to give you.”

There was no response. Magnus hadn’t really expected one, but thought it was worth saying in case some part of Alec’s unconscious mind heard him.

Slowly, Magnus poured the potion into Alec’s open mouth, stroking a hand down Alec’s neck to encourage swallowing. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the movement of Alec’s throat beneath his fingers.

“He should be awake in a few minutes,” Magnus said.

“Thank you,” Isabelle said with an air of genuine gratitude that Magnus had rarely heard from a Shadowhunter.

“It was no problem, my dear,” Magnus said, and was surprised to realize he meant it.

As soon as Alec woke, the Shadowhunters would be out of his hair, and he could deal with every other disaster the evening had presented him with. Like the mundane woman and infant warlock currently asleep in his guest room, under Catarina’s watchful eye.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, Catarina stepped out of the guest room, closing the door softly behind her. She motioned to Magnus, who joined her in the corner of the room. As he’d suspected would happen, Madzie had fallen asleep in her chair.

“The mundane is under a whole tangle of memory spells,” Catarina said quietly. “Too many for me to untangle in one evening, and honestly, after hearing the little she did remember, I don’t know if it would be good for her to remember the rest of it.”

“That bad?” Magnus asked, frowning.

“I can’t be entirely sure, but I think…” Catarina let out a tired breath. “I think Iris has been luring or kidnapping mundane women and forcing them to bear warlock children.”

Magnus took a deep breath to rein in the fury that suddenly flared through him. Deal with the practicalities first.

“Does she remember if there were other mundane women living at the house?”

Catarina shook her head. “One of the few things Leigh is very clear on is that she and Iris were the only ones caring for the children. And she remembers that she’s Noah’s mother, although thankfully for her sanity, she doesn’t remember anything about how she came to be pregnant.”

“Lucky for her, certainly,” Magnus said, “but that leaves us not knowing where Iris was getting the demons.��

“Actually,” Catarina said, “she also mentioned something about the basement of the house being dangerous. It could be nothing, but…”

“But it could be that Iris was keeping a captive demon in the basement for her disgusting breeding program,” Magnus finished for her.

“We can go check it out after your guests leave and we get Madzie into an actual bed,” Catarina offered.

“I have a better idea,” Magnus said, glancing over his shoulder to where Jace and Isabelle were conferring quietly on the couch beside a still-unconscious Alec. “Shadowhunter!”

“Warlock,” Jace responded, sounding bored, but he and Isabelle rose to join Magnus and Catarina.

Magnus rolled his eyes. “I have reason to believe a missing warlock might have been keeping one or more demons captive in her basement. I thought perhaps you might want to look into it, since dealing with demons is kind of your whole,” he waved a hand, “Shadowhunter thing.”

Jace and Isabelle exchanged a quick look, then Isabelle said, “We will look into it. If you give me the address, I’ll make sure someone checks it out.”

“While you’re at it,” Alec muttered from the couch, eyes blinking open, “could you look into being a little less loud?”

Isabelle was the first to reach his side, with Jace close behind. Magnus took his time joining them.

“You had us worried for a minute there, big brother,” Isabelle said.

“How are you feeling?” Jace asked, and the concern was so evident in his tone that Magnus could almost forgive him for being such a complete pain in his ass. Almost.

“Headache,” Alec answered. “No serious damage except maybe my pride. Did I really get taken down by a Ravener demon?”

“You did,” Magnus answered, “but given that there were at least two dozen of them, I think your pride will recover.”

Alec looked up at him then, and Magnus was caught once again in those startling hazel eyes. He wondered how it was possible for a man he’d only just met to have such an effect on him.

“Thank you,” Alec said. “For healing me. You didn’t have to.”

“Nonsense,” Magnus said. “If I’d been faster, you might not have been hurt in the first place. Although,” he added with a flirtatious smile, “if you really wanted to thank me, you could buy me a drink sometime.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus saw Isabelle cover a smile with her hand and decided that, yes, she could also have an exemption to his one Shadowhunter in the loft is too many rule.

“Uh,” Alec said, looking bemused, “you can bill the Institute for your time. How long was I out?”

“About fifteen minutes,” Jace told him.

“And the demons?”

“All of the trails converged on the alley where we found you,” Isabelle said. “We got there just in time for your dramatic collapse,” she added, grinning.

Alec winced. “Ouch. Wounded pride, remember?”

“I suspect the demons were tracking Madzie,” Magnus said. “I followed their trail from the house where she was staying with several other warlocks. It’s not the first attack of this kind I’ve seen in recent months, although it is the largest.”

“This got something to do with the missing warlock you mentioned?” Alec wanted to know.

Magnus nodded. “One of several, I’m afraid.” Although he couldn’t quite bring himself to feel too bad that Iris had been taken, not if Catarina’s suspicions proved true.

“And this has been going on for months.” It wasn’t a question. Alec looked at Jace. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about this?”

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it too,” Jace answered, shaking his head.

“We haven’t exactly been advertising the disappearances,” Magnus said. “And to be honest, I don’t think anyone expected Shadowhunters to care about a few missing warlocks.”

“Well, I do,” Alec said, annoyance clear in his voice. “We do.” He sighed, running a hand over his face. “We should get back to the Institute,” he said, standing. “Thank you, again. For healing me, and for having my back.”

“It was my pleasure, Alexander,” Magnus answered. “It is, tragically, not every day I have handsome men swooning in my arms.”

Magnus thought he caught the tiniest hint of a smile as Alec rose from the couch.

“I’ll let you know if I hear anything about those missing warlocks,” Alec promised.

“Please contact me if you do,” Magnus told him. “Or if there’s anything else you think we might be able to help each other out with.”

Magnus saw the Shadowhunters out, then returned to the living room, where Catarina was watching him with amusement.

“Oh, he’s too pretty not to flirt with and you know it,” Magnus told her.

“I said nothing,” she said, shaking her head but still smiling.

Magnus flopped theatrically onto his finally empty couch and closed his eyes. He thought perhaps one was the right number of Shadowhunters to have in his loft, so long as it was the right one.

Alec managed to get a full five hours of sleep before a pounding on his door woke him. He’d meant to go straight to bed when they’d returned to the Institute, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and instead he’d spent nearly an hour reading everything in the Clave database about Magnus Bane, and then another two lying awake in the dark, trying to reconcile any of it with the man who’d fought at his side and saved him from demon venom. Who’d caught him when he fell.

Before Alec could shake the cobwebs of dream and the vague impression of kohl-rimmed eyes from his mind and answer, his sister was opening the door and barging right in.

“Come right in, Iz,” Alec muttered into his pillow.

“Sorry, hermano,” Izzy said, perching on the side of his bed, “but I thought you’d want to know that Mom’s here.”

That woke him right up.

“Did she say why she’s here?”

Izzy shook her head. “Just that she wanted to see you when you were up. She said she’d be in her office.”

Her office. Of course. Never mind that his parents had been in Idris for most of the past four years, or that neither of them had even set foot in the New York Institute in over six months, they were still technically Heads of the Institute. Alec just hoped she didn’t move anything important on his desk. Her desk. Fuck.

Alec tried not to be bitter about it, he really did, but some days it was harder than others, and today was apparently one of those days.

“Thanks for letting me know. Can you tell her I’ll be there in twenty minutes?”

“Can do, big brother.” She leaned in to give him a hug. “I’ll be training if you need a sparring partner to blow off some steam with after.”

It took exactly ten seconds in his mother’s presence for Alec to know he would most definitely want to hit things after this meeting. There was a brittle edge to her perfunctory smile that managed to convey all of the same disappointment evident in her recent letters while not quite hiding a bone-deep exhaustion. Not for the first time, Alec wondered what exactly his parents were doing in Idris.

“Mother,” Alec said, stepping into the office and falling instinctively into parade rest. “This is unexpected. If I’d known you were coming, I would have been awake to welcome you.”

“It was a last-minute decision,” Maryse answered. “I finished what I was working on earlier than expected, and Consul Penhallow suggested I come and ensure everything is set for next week’s negotiations.”

It made sense that the Clave would send someone to oversee preparations for the final round of negotiations over the revised Accords, since those negotiations were to be held at the New York Institute. It even made sense that the Clave would send Maryse, as one of the official Heads of Institute. But Alec couldn’t quite shake the suspicion that his mother was here for more personal reasons.

“I’m sure you’ll find everything in order,” Alec said. “Will Father be joining you?”

Maryse’s answering smile was tight. “Your father will be here in time for the negotiations. He still has some things to take care of in Idris.”

Her smile sharpened, and Alec knew he’d been right about why she was here.

“Besides,” she continued, “I thought you and I could take this opportunity to discuss your future, just the two of us.”

Alec shook his head, suddenly feeling as though he’d gotten no sleep at all. “There’s nothing to discuss. I volunteered, the Council chose me, end of discussion.”

“There’s still time to change your mind,” Maryse said with a carefully controlled calm. “The negotiations aren’t until next week. The Council will choose someone else, and the Downworlders will never know the difference. If you’d bothered to consult me about this in the first place, or even your father—”

“I consulted with Consul Penhallow,” Alec interrupted.

“Jia Penhallow doesn’t give a damn about what your decision means for this family,” Maryse snapped. “Or what it means for you.”

Alec looked away, choosing his words carefully. “What it means for this family is that the revised Accords—the ones that you support— will be signed, and they won’t be put in jeopardy by someone who resents marrying a Downworlder for political reasons. When the Clave first announced this marriage was going to be a part of the revised Accords, you and Dad are the ones who convinced me it was necessary. I’m doing what I can to make sure it goes smoothly.

“Besides,” he continued, finally meeting his mother’s eyes again, “you’re the one who suggested I start looking for a wife.”

“I meant you should find a Shadowhunter wife, Alec!” Maryse said, throwing up her hands. “Yes, the revised Accords are important, and yes, someone needs to do this, but that person doesn’t have to be you.”

Alec regarded his mother for a long moment. “What aren’t you telling me?” he asked finally. “The Council thinks I’m the right person to do this, and so do I. If you have a reason for disagreeing that goes beyond distaste over the idea of your son marrying a Downworlder, then tell me what it is.”

For just an instant, Maryse seemed to hang on the precipice of speaking, but then her shoulders slumped, and she sighed. “I’m doing what’s best for our family, Alec.”

Alec knew his mother well enough to know that there was no point in asking again.

“So am I,” he said instead. “Is there anything else? I told Izzy I’d train with her this morning.”

Maryse shook her head. “We can discuss preparations for the negotiations when you’re feeling less recalcitrant.”

He found Izzy in the training room, practicing forms with a staff, right where she’d promised to be.

“That bad?” she asked, grabbing a second staff from the rack on the wall and tossing it to him. “Want to talk about it?”

“Nope,” he told her, feinting high, then moving to sweep her left leg.

Izzy danced out of the way, laughing. “Come on, Alec. If you’re not going to keep me up to date on family gossip, at least give me a decent fight.”

She moved toward him, throwing out three jabs in quick succession, all of which he blocked.

“Now who’s not giving a decent fight?” he taunted. “I was getting a better workout arguing with Mom.”

“You’re still recovering from last night,” she said, rolling the staff lazily across her shoulders as they circled each other. “I wouldn’t want to further damage your ego.”

“Cute,” Alec said before launching another attack, this time at Izzy’s midsection, which she blocked and rolled into her own attack.

They kept on like that for several minutes, attack and parry, back and forth, neither managing to land a blow. It was exactly what Alec needed to ease the frustration of his earlier meeting.

“Speaking of last night,” Izzy said just as Alec felt the last of the frustrated tension loose from his shoulders, “have you heard from Magnus?”

Alec felt a tiny frisson of…something deep in his belly at mention of the warlock. It distracted him enough that he didn’t quite block Izzy’s next attack, and his shoulder caught a glancing blow. It wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as Izzy’s smug grin.

“Why would I hear from Magnus?” Alec asked, rolling out his shoulder with an intentional casualness.

Izzy gave him a pointed look. “About the missing warlocks? You did promise to share information, remember?” Her grin widened as she bounced from foot to foot, looking for a hole in his defenses. “Or maybe he thinks you’d have a different answer for him if he asked you out without so many people around.”

“He didn’t— That’s not what that was,” Alec insisted. He could admit, at least to himself, that he’d been just a tiny bit flattered at Magnus’s flirting, but he wasn’t foolish enough to take it seriously.

And even if Magnus had been serious, it wouldn’t matter. Alec was getting married.

Izzy gave him her most disbelieving smirk, then added insult to injury by blocking his next attack seemingly without effort.

“Then maybe you should ask him out,” Izzy suggested. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to.”

“Izzy,” Alec said warningly, “drop it.”

“For now,” she agreed, once again darting out of range of his staff. “But don’t think this conversation is over, big brother.”

Alec was saved from answering by the arrival of a fire message. It was entirely Izzy’s fault that he let himself wonder, for those few seconds before he read it, if it might be from Magnus.

“Everything okay?” Izzy asked, lowering her staff.

“Yeah,” Alec said, frowning faintly. The message was from a warlock, just not the one he’d been hoping to hear from. “Yeah, I just gotta take care of something real quick.”

“Guess I’ll just have to kick your ass later then,” Izzy said with a shrug.

Alec decided that one wasn’t worth answering.

“Thank you again for coming,” Catarina said, leaning back against the park bench. A few feet away, Madzie was pushing Mr. Flopsy on the swing set. “She just wouldn’t believe you were really okay until she could see it for herself. And with Iris gone, she doesn’t have a whole lot of stability in her world right now.”

“I get it,” Alec said. Shadowhunters didn’t exactly tend to live long and full lives, and this wasn’t the first time he’d seen a kid who’d lost a parent figure panic over other people getting hurt. “And I don’t mind. If seeing me alive and well is what it takes to make Madzie feel safe again, that’s something I’m happy to do.”

“You’re her hero, you know,” Catarina told him. “You and Magnus. She doesn’t talk much, but when she does? It’s about how the two of you saved her. I think I’ve heard the story five times already this morning.”

“I don’t feel like much of a hero,” Alec said. “I was just doing my job.”

“Maybe,” Catarina said, watching him carefully, “but you do it a lot better than most Shadowhunters. At least where warlocks are concerned.”

Alec shrugged uncomfortably. This was not a conversation he wanted to have on a sunny morning in the park with a near-stranger.

“How are the others you rescued, the mother and baby?” he asked instead. Izzy had filled him in on the details he’d missed while he was unconscious.

“As well as they can be under the circumstances, Catarina answered. “Safe. It’s not as common that a warlock child and his mother need shelter as it is for a warlock child alone, but it’s common enough that we have safe places for them.”

“That’s—” Alec didn’t know what to say to that. He’d never really had reason to think about what life was like for warlock children, but it made sense they wouldn’t exactly have a stable home life with one mundane parent and one demon. “I’m glad they have somewhere to go.”

Alec’s phone beeped, the tone he used for alerts from the Institute, and he sighed. “Duty calls.”

Catarina gave him a tired smile. “It always does.”

At Madzie’s insistence, Alec gave Mr. Flopsy a hug before heading back to the Institute, and whatever his mother needed from him now.

For the second evening in a row, Magnus found himself with a splitting headache and in desperate need of a stiff drink. He’d spent the day speaking to Iris Rouse’s few friends in the hopes of finding something that might lead him to her or the missing children. Instead, he’d merely found that Iris’s friends were no more pleasant than the woman herself.

He was just about to open a portal back to his loft—and his plethora of whiskey—when he sensed the demonic energy. He was being followed. Very sloppily.

Instead of opening the portal, he crossed the street and headed east. If someone was stupid enough to send demons to follow him, he was damn well going to find out who and why.

The demons kept themselves well back as Magnus wove his way through crowded streets, and he began to think they were merely tracking his movements. Which was good, because he didn’t think there were more than three following him, and if these demons were sent to track him by the same person who sent the horde of Raveners after Madzie, Magnus would be very insulted that they’d sent fewer demons for him than for a six-year-old.

But if it was the same person, Magnus didn’t want these demons reporting back to the person who summoned them. Even though his investigation into the disappearance of Iris Rouse and the warlock children living with her had yielded basically nothing, he didn’t want to give the person who took them even that much information about what he did and did not know.

Decision made, he turned another corner, leading his pursuers toward an area likely to be a bit less crowded. Glamour could hide what he was doing from passersby but fighting demons in the middle of a crowded street in Midtown wasn’t exactly safe for innocent bystanders, even if it was going to be a very short fight.

It was another ten minutes before he found a short side street deserted enough Magnus wasn’t worried about some mundane accidentally stumbling into his fight. With an air of nonchalance, he stopped and pretended to examine a particularly large crack in the sidewalk.

As Magnus had hoped, the demons followed him onto the street, although they kept to the shadows. He’d been right: there were three of them. Shax demons, and almost certainly sent to spy on him. It took less than ten seconds to take them down, a blast of magic in the thorax of each.

“Well done,” came a voice from over his right shoulder.

“More like medium-rare,” Magnus said with a smirk as he spun around to face Alec. “You know, if I’d realized you were going to come dashing to my rescue, I would have left one of them for you.”

Alec raised his eyebrows in skepticism, but Magnus could see the hint of a smile underneath, and it was breathtaking. “You don’t really strike me as the type to need rescuing.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Magnus agreed. “But I wouldn’t want you to feel like I don’t appreciate the attempt.”

“That’s not— I mean, I wasn’t—” Alec blew out a long breath. “I was following up on a possible demon sighting, not trying to rescue you.”

“I suppose that’s a relief,” Magnus said, ignoring the slight twinge of disappointment that Alec was looking for demons and not for him. “It wouldn’t do for Shadowhunters to think the High Warlock of Brooklyn can’t take care of himself.”

Alec snorted. “I don’t think there’s any danger of that. ” Magnus quirked an intrigued eyebrow, and Alec hurried to add, “I just mean, the Clave’s file on you is pretty clear on your ability to take care of yourself.”

“I would question the accuracy of anything the Clave has to say about me,” Magnus said, “but I’m glad to hear they got one part right, at least.” And he was more than a little pleased that Alec had been reading up on him, even if his choice of source material was questionable.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Alec said. “Do you know what those demons were after?”

“Following me,” Magnus told him. “I spent my day investigating the latest warlock disappearances, and I suspect the person responsible sent those Shax demons to follow me and report back on my activities. Not that I’ve had much luck in finding anything.”

“Are you sure you’re safe?” Alec asked with a frown. “If the person kidnapping warlocks is tracking you, you could be their next target.”

“I appreciate your concern, Alexander,” Magnus answered sincerely, “but I assure you I’ve taken plenty of precautions. As we just covered, I’m more than capable of handling myself in a fight, and my loft is quite well warded.”

Alec’s frown lessened, but didn’t disappear entirely, and Magnus couldn’t help but be touched by his concern. “And is that where you’re headed now? Back to your loft?”

Magnus nodded. “I was thinking I could use a drink after the day I’ve had.” He paused, debating internally, then added, “Would you care to join me?”

Emotions flickered across Alec’s face like frames in an old-time film: surprise followed by delight, which was quickly doused by regret.

“Magnus, I wish— I just—”

Magnus held up a finger to silence him. “I understand.”

And he did, much as he wished he didn’t. Shadowhunters weren’t exactly accepting of same-sex relationships, nor relationships between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Whatever attraction there might be between the two of them, Alec was obviously unwilling to pursue it. Maybe even unwilling to acknowledge it. Really, it was what Magnus should have expected, and he hated that he’d let some small part of himself hope.

Alec huffed out a frustrated breath. “You don’t,” he said, but offered no further explanation.

“Well,” Magnus said, letting his own regret show through a tiny smile, “it was a nice thought. Goodnight, Alexander.”

He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he heard a faint “goodnight,” follow him through the portal back to his loft.

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #fanfic

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