Chapter Text
Magnus paced anxiously across his living room, alternating between peering at the clock and checking his phone. The Chairman gave a low meow from the far corner of the room and he paused to address him. “Yes, I know Daddy’s acting a little strange, but I’m just waiting for an important call, you understand?” He glanced at his phone again and tossed it on the couch in frustration. “I’m sure he’ll call back any time now. Alexander’s dependable like that; always so quick to respond when you reach out even if he’s in trouble himself and why isn’t he calling back ?!”
He peered at the Chairman as if his cat would tell him all the secrets of the universe. Chairman Meow stared back like he wasn’t going to dignify that with a response. He’d just begun to wonder if he should call Caterina, who was usually capable of reminding him how to act like a productive (and non-pining) adult, when his phone started the first bars of Salt-N-Pepa’s Whatta Man . Well. He only had one person set up with that ringtone. He all but dove to grab the buzzing device from between the cushions.
“Yes!” He answered breathlessly.
“Ah, hello? This is Alec. I saw you called, Magnus?”
“Why hello Alexander. I was hoping to hear back from you soon.” He dropped onto the loveseat and draped himself backwards so he was lounging against the armrest. In his very extensive professional experience, the key to sounding unstressed and sexy was to look the part as well. Maybe he should offer that sound advice to Ragnor. His dear cabbage head could probably use it.
“I’m sorry, I was inducting a personnel change and couldn’t get back to you right away. Your message didn’t sound very urgent though. I was actually surprised to hear you called at all. ”
Magnus sighed. If he’d learned anything over the last few months, it was that Alexander’s lack of self-awareness was only rivaled by his lack of self-preservation. Even worse, between the young Head’s parents and siblings, it seemed to be impossible for him to believe someone would be concerned about his well-being. “Of course I called, darling! The water cooler talk is you were chasing rogues around town and refused to stay for medical attention afterwards. Do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard the news? Raphael couldn’t be sure if you were injured or not.”
There was a resigned huff on the other end of the line. “I highly doubt Santiago described it like that. It sounds like you’re paraphrasing very badly- and overreacting. I told Luke when I got back that I never saw the rogue.”
“Mmm. That point may have been mentioned. It is much more believable to hear it directly from you though.” The Chairman jumped up on the couch, climbing onto his lap, and he stroked a gentle hand down soft fur. “Not that he would ever say this out loud, but Raphael seemed a bit concerned over the whole thing. He’s since paraded a few vamps, those known to cause trouble with werewolves, in front of the pack. The young boy who was attacked couldn’t identify any of them. While that’s good for our local relations, it’s terrible in the sense that we have a confirmed rogue loose within the city limits. I’m very curious, what are your thoughts on this darling?”
“We’ve talked about this ‘darling’ thing before, Magnus. I refuse to be embarrassed by it anymore. Also, should we really be gossiping about other Downworld leaders? That literally just got the seelies in a world of trouble, and I don’t think Santiago would be pleased to hear we’re discussing his private business.” Despite the gravity of Alexander’s words, he sounded distinctly amused by the last point.
“Oh, Raphael is a bit uptight is all. He may get cranky on occasion, but he wouldn’t hold it against us- very much anyway. Although, since you brought it up…” Magnus nudged Chairman Meow onto one thigh so he could pull himself into a fully-upright sitting position. “Speaking of Downworld attacks, I’m afraid I have to get professional and pose a formal inquiry as the local High Warlock. Has a decision been made regarding the seelie? There are a few trade events fast approaching that I need to sort out the details for. If there are to be any type of restrictions or levies, it would be better for me to know now than later.”
“No charges have yet been assigned, but I can assure you it will not reach to that extent. Action may be taken against the Knight and the Queen herself, but mass restrictions are very unlikely.” Alexander was quick to assure him, but Magnus only grew more concerned by the lack of progress on the case. Normally the shadowhunters were so quick to cast judgment that innocents got caught in the crossfire. Was the Clave somehow blocking the matter from going through?
“You requested to be allowed to handle the situation alone, and I know Raphael acquiesced at the time, considering you were the primary victim, but if there are any difficulties with the formal charges, Raphael would be willing to put in a claim of his own. It could help put things in motion. I’m also more than happy to support you, even if it’s just providing insight. By conducting the farce in our presence, she involved us in her sham as well after all.” He paused and quickly interjected, “If it is not presumptuous of me to offer, of course. I do not wish to step on your toes.”
The line went quiet for a moment before Alexander conceded, “It’s not forward of you at all. I appreciate any insight you have. Leveling formal charges is no issue, but I am still undecided on how severe they should be. The Seelie Queen is insistent she, and by extension her knight, was operating on good faith to correct a wrong. She wants me to overlook their actions as some type of overzealous bout of hero complex– a small mistake based on good intentions. After everything that’s occurred during my first few weeks as Head, the Institute is under a lot of scrutiny from the Clave already. Without proof she was knowingly trying to mislead the vampires into attacking shadowhunters on a large scale, it’s not worth turning the entire seelie faction into an enemy over a single, non-harmful matter. I’m leaning towards being lenient for those reasons.”
“I can’t argue with your reasoning, but I strongly advise you to do more than that,” Magnus told him sharply. The sudden sternness in his voice spooked Chairman Meow, and the cat jumped off his lap and flounced off into the bedroom. He’d have to make sure to give him one of the fancy treats later to make up for it. “I’ve dealt with the Seelie Queen for decades, Alexander, and take my word for it; as much as that woman isn’t forgiving, she’s also not faithful. She won’t care that you are effectively letting her off with a slap on the wrist. She’ll act repentant for a time, but behind the scenes, she’ll be steaming mad that you got one over her and that she still seemingly owes you. You’re in a position I’d personally love to be in. You should take advantage of it.”
“Take advantage of it?”
“I’m not saying you should cut her off entirely, but you could take the opportunity to get something you need- to make a statement. Something that will force her to stop and think before she plans heedlessly to mess with you again,” Magnus explained.
There’s no denying her position and power base, but she’s so long used it to get her way at the expense of others that everyone just treats it as normal, even acceptable, behavior coming from her. Myself included. It was a shameful realization, when he considered just what someone untested like Alexander could face as a result of their leniency with the seelie Queen and her abuse of power.
“I would love to knock her off her high horse, remind her that she’s not the only one around. There are plenty of powerful downworlders just as active as she is,” he murmured aloud before sighing. “That would make my day.”
There was a bit of silence on the other end. “She’s not the only one…” Alexander mumbled.
He nodded absentmindedly, then remembered Alexander couldn’t see him. “She may control the seelie, but there are numerous downworlders in positions of power among our own factions. It may be time to remind her of that.”
The silence stretched on as Alexander didn’t respond. “Alexander?”
“Ah? Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts for a moment. There’s no need to get Santiago involved quite yet. I’ll handle things on my end.”
Well, that was a pretty firm shut down wasn’t it? So be it. He was happy to move on to less depressing topics anyway. “So- now that the shop talk is over, I have a very serious question for you. Would you like to go out for a drink some time? With me, that is.” He held his breath and waited for the response.
Alexander didn’t keep him waiting for long. “That sounds fun, um... When?”
“How about right now?”
There was another brief pause and the sound of a door closing. “Um... You know, now's not a really good time for me. Another time? Gotta go.” The call promptly ended and the phone beeped.
“Playing hard to get. I love a challenge.” Satisfied with the results of the call, Magnus rose up to stretch and cracked his back. His friends may have believed Alexander wasn’t interested based on how his prior attempts ended, but clearly that wasn’t true and the young man had just been trying his hand at being coy. He could appreciate a good flirtatious play as much as the next guy.
Now, who’s home this time of day? I feel like flaunting– I mean, celebrating my good fortune. In high spirits, Magnus gave the Chairman an extra treat and summoned clothing more appropriate for going out, making sure the jacket had a metallic sheen to it. He may feel like being shiny to display his inner glow, but the last time he got glitter in Raphael’s office he was unceremoniously banned for five months.
Once ready, he opened a portal directly into Raphael’s office, only to find the owner currently in residence.
Raphael raised an eyebrow, hair just slightly mussed and leather jacket resting on the back of his chair. “What crime did I commit to deserve this visit?”
Magnus couldn’t help but smile more broadly. Moments like this were rare now, but always reminded him of the sassy young man he’d first met all those decades ago before life’s cruelty forced him to grow up. “Oh don’t be like that Raphael, I’m just in a good mood and felt like coming over. Not every action has an underlying motive.”
The vampire snorted. “I wasn’t implying you had one- only that dealing with you is a punishment in itself.”
“I’m a joy and you know it.” He dropped into a chair and propped his head on one hand. “Since I’m here though, we can trade tales. I know your work habits as well as you know mine, and it’s both too early in the month to be working on the accounts and too late to be setting up supply orders. That’s a lot of paperwork sitting on your desk for no apparent reason…” He eyed the stacks of paper distrustingly. When it came to business, Raphael was even more of a stickler than Ragnor. His filing was always done exactly on-time and rarely resulted in excessive amounts of reports unless multiple clan members died- and Magnus would have heard if something like that had happened.
“Nothing too serious, just finalizing some new supply lines. One or two of our current main contacts were originally brought in by Camille, and I’d like to have backups set up in case recent events have an effect on those suppliers.”
“You really think that will be necessary?”
“I’d rather not find out when it’s too late to correct it. Camille doesn’t get upset, she gets even, and it would be just like her to screw over everyone else in the process.” Raphael suddenly paused before saying almost apologetically, “I didn’t mean-”
“Nothing to worry about my dear. It wasn’t an untrue statement.” He waved nonchalantly. “I know we had some history, but Camille and I have been over for decades. While I may have aided her occasionally in the past due to my lingering feelings, I’d sooner turn her in to the Clave myself than watch while she attacks you.”
Raphael said nothing in response, merely continuing to sort out his contracts, but Magnus still caught the slight easing of his shoulders. It prompted a tiny bit of guilt. He would admit that he tended to get a bit caught up with his partner whenever he was in a relationship, but he always tried not to do anything at the expense of his close friends. Clearly, he’d failed miserably and while it was a hard lesson to learn, he was grateful he still had a chance to make it up to them. A short rap broke the silence and served as the only warning before Lily Chen let herself into the room.
“Everyone’s feeling free to interrupt my peace as they like tonight. When did my office turn into a playroom?” Raphael muttered.
“I hope you’re not calling me a child,” Lily scoffed, before proceeding to toss another sheet of paper on the desktop. “Kartul’s raising his pricing, claims there’s a supply shortage.”
Raphael took the opportunity to glare at Magnus. “This is why I don’t like you. You show up and everything starts going wrong.” He read over the message briefly and dropped it back on the desk, scowling. “This is not just raising the price, this is bordering on extortion. No one in their right mind would pay this.”
Magnus shrugged. “So don’t pay it. You just told me you were looking into other suppliers.”
“ Looking . Nothing has been settled and even if it was, Kartul is our largest supplier. The others wouldn’t be able to cover the amount needed on such short notice. Puta madre .”
His smile fell. While it didn’t sound like a complete emergency, he had a rough idea of how much the Clan had in the coffers and it wasn’t a small amount by any means, it did sound like a pain. Raphael turned to Lily, “Where’s the fledgling? I remember something about accounting in all his rambling. If he’s going to stick around for the long-term, he can at least make himself useful.”
“He’s not in the hotel at the moment. Maria’s been hovering over him lately and one of the others suggested he take a walk to get some air. He mentioned trying to catch the workaholic during the shift change if he moved fast enough.” Lily responded.
“We don’t have a shift change.” Raphael remarked.
“I know. I don’t think he was referring to the Clan.”
There was a moment of silence as he and Raphael realized what she meant. “The entitled brat is gone and he still runs off to the shadowhunters every chance he gets. Does he ever learn his lesson? What am I supposed to do with him at this point?” Raphael complained.
He observed the slight irritation on his friend’s face. “Have you considered,” he put out cautiously, “that the current situation might be okay in the scheme of things? I’m not saying you shouldn’t be concerned if he spends all of his free time at the Institute, but from what I saw at that disastrous meeting, Alexander has been a somewhat decent influence on Simon. I remember he wasn’t around the hotel for very long before things went south, he may have actually spent more time with the nephilim than with vampires at this point. Perhaps allowing some contact with those he met at the Institute will help with his transition here at the hotel. At least for the short-term.”
“That- may not be a bad idea.” Lily admitted reluctantly. “When he first returned, he made a few comments about specific nephilim. It sounded like he made friends. If Lightwood is really pushing for Simon to become a full-fledged member of the Clan, having him talk to Simon on occasion can only help us.”
The firm set of Raphael’s lips said it all. “I hate that you two make sense right now. Fine, we’ll leave the fledgling where he is for the moment and let him wander back when he sees fit, hopefully before dawn. Lily, bring him up when he returns and we’ll discuss the plan for our blood supply moving forward. Maybe keeping him busy and involved will keep him around more. After all, the rest of us certainly have work to do .”
Magnus snorted lightly as he rose. That sounded like his cue to leave. “It may be in your best interest to remind your more eager members to give the boy some breathing room on occasion,” he advised. “It’s been a while for most of you, but he’s still fairly new to the whole undead spiel in general and considering the circumstances of his turning and the following few months… I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a few mental issues to work through, being back here full-time. Give him support, but don’t smother him. He always did strike me as puppy-like, and training goes much easier when you let small animals come to you rather than trying to chase them.”
Feeling good about delivering two solid bits of advice in one night, he opened a portal on the spot and returned to his apartment before Raphael could make a snippy comment. It wasn’t until he was back on his couch, debating which restaurant to summon dinner from, that he realized something.
“Fuck! I never got to brag about my date!”