Taki's Diner, New York, Saturday Morning
The Silent Brothers were not at the beck and call of ordinary mortals, nor was the their domain a place you could just waltz into at will. This meant they'd had to wait until early this morning until Jace had been able to take Clary down to the Silent City so that they could find out things that were perhaps hiding inside her brain, locked away. Simon had showed up at the Institute while Jace and Clary were gone, so once Jace called the Lightwoods to meet them for breakfast at Taki's, he tagged along. Even waited for Isabelle to get ready when Alec already headed out. Kind of like a puppy. Guess that was the type she attracted.
When they arrived at the diner, Jace and Alec and Clary were already in a booth, where the latter was perusing the perfectly ordinary menu selections with a look of stupefaction. It was all too much. "They have smoothies here?"
"There's this apricot-plum smoothie with wildflower honey that's simply divine," Isabelle said as they came to the booth. "Shove over," she added, making Clary scooted close to the wall. Isabelle slid onto her seat, Simon close behind. "You should have one."
Clary said nothing. Isabelle barely noticed. "So how did it go at the Bone City?" she asked, flipping her menu open. "Did you find out what's in Clary's head?"
"We got a name," said Jace. "Magnus -"
"Shut up," Alec hissed, thwacking Jace with his closed menu.
Jace looked injured. "Jesus." He rubbed his arm. "What's your problem?"
"This place is full of Downworlders," Alec said. "You know that. I think you should try to keep the details of our investigation secret."
His seriousness made Isabelle laugh. "Investigation?" she asked. "Now we're detectives? Maybe we should all have code names."
"Good idea," said Jace. "I shall be Baron Hotschaft Von Hugenstein."
Alec spit his water back into his glass. At that moment Kaelie, the waitress, arrived to take their order. Up close she was still a pretty blond girl, but her eyes were unnerving-entirely blue, with no white or pupil at all. She smiled with sharp little teeth. "Know what you're having?"
Jace grinned. "The usual," he said, and got a smile from Kaelie in return. "Me too," Alec chimed in, though he didn't get the smile. Isabelle fastidiously ordered a fruit smoothie, Simon asked for coffee, and Clary, after a moment's hesitation, chose a large coffee and coconut pancakes. The waitress winked a blue eye at her and flounced off.
"Is she an ifrit too?" Clary asked, watching her go.
"Kaelie? No. Part-fey, I think," said Jace.
"She's got nixie eyes," said Isabelle thoughtfully.
"You really don't know what she is?" asked Simon.
Jace shook his head. "I respect her privacy." He nudged Alec. "Hey, let me out for a second."
Scowling, Alec moved aside. Jace strode over to Kaelie, who was leaning against the bar, talking to the cook through the pass-through to the kitchen. All that could be seen of the cook was a bent head in a white chef's hat. Tall furry ears poked through holes cut into either side of the hat. Kaelie turned to smile at Jace, who put an arm around her. She snuggled in. Isabelle glanced over at Clary who was watching the pair with rapt attention, and a little frown.
She rolled her eyes. "He really shouldn't tease the wait-staff like that."
Alec looked at her. "You don't think he means it? That he likes her, I mean."
Isabelle shrugged. "She's a Downworlder," she said, as if that explained everything. (It didn't. She'd been out with a Downworlder just last night. And let one sleep the night in her bed back in Fandom.)
"I don't get it," said Clary.
Isabelle glanced at her without interest. "Get what?"
"This whole Downworlder thing. You don't hunt them, because they aren't exactly demons, but they're not exactly people, either. Vampires kill, they drink blood-"
"Only rogue vampires drink human blood from living people," interjected Alec. "And those, we're allowed to kill."
"And werewolves are what? Just overgrown puppies?"
Basically yes, Isabelle thought. At least some of them. But she didn't say that. "They kill demons," she said. "So if they don't bother us, we don't bother them."
Like letting spiders live because they eat mosquitoes, Clary thought. "So they're good enough to let live, good enough to make your food for you, good enough to flirt with-but not really good enough? I mean, not as good as people."
Isabelle and Alec looked at her slowly, as if they didn't understand. Because they didn't. "Different from people," said Alec finally.
"Better than mundanes?" said Simon.
"No," Isabelle said decidedly. (How much of that was influenced by remembering just recently having been asked Would you prefer it if I was something like that? Something more than human? was for her alone to know.) "You could turn a mundane into a Shadowhunter. I mean, we came from mundanes. But you could never turn a Downworlder into one of the Clave. They can't withstand the runes."
"So they're weak?" asked Clary.
"I wouldn't say that," said Jace, sliding back into his seat next to Alec. His hair was mussed and there was a lipstick mark on his cheek. "At least not with a peri, a djinn, an ifrit, and God knows what else listening in." He grinned as Kaelie appeared and distributed their food. Isabelle grabbed her smoothie greedily. Mmm, smoothie.
"I told you it was the greatest restaurant in Manhattan," Jace told Clary and her pancakes, eating fries with his fingers. She glanced at Simon, who was stirring his coffee, head down.
"Mmmf," said Alec, whose mouth was full.
"Right," said Jace. He looked at Clary. "It's not one-way," he said. "We may not always like Downworlders, but they don't always like us, either. A few hundred years of the Accords can't wipe out a thousand years of hostility."
"I'm sure she doesn't know what the Accords are, Jace," said Isabelle around her spoon.
"I do, actually," said Clary.
"I don't," said Simon.
"Yes, but nobody cares what you know." Jace examined a fry before biting into it. "I enjoy the company of certain Downworlders at certain times and places. But we don't really get invited to the same parties."
Suddenly Isabelle sat up straight. Something Jace had just said had pinged her memory. "Wait," she said. "What did you say that name was?" she demanded, turning to Jace. "The name in Clary's head."
"I didn't," said Jace. "At least, I didn't finish it. It's Magnus Bane." He grinned at Alec mockingly. "Rhymes with 'overcareful pain in the ass.'"
Alec muttered a retort into his coffee. It rhymed with something that sounded a lot more like "ducking glass mole."
"It can't be - but I'm almost totally sure -" Isabelle said as she dug into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of blue paper she'd acquired not long ago at all. She wiggled it between her fingers. "Look at this."
Alec held out his hand for the paper, glanced at it with a shrug, and handed it to Jace. "It's a party invitation. For somewhere in Brooklyn," he said. "I hate Brooklyn."
"Don't be such a snob," said Jace. Then, just as Isabelle had, he sat up straight and stared. "Where did you get this, Izzy?"
She fluttered her hand airily. "From that kelpie in Pandemonium. He said it would be awesome. He had a whole stack of them."
"What is it?" Clary demanded impatiently. "Are you going to show the rest of us, or not?"
Jace turned it around so they could all read it. It was printed on thin paper, nearly parchment, in a thin, elegant, spidery hand. It announced a gathering at the humble home of Magnus the Magnificent Warlock, and promised attendees "a rapturous evening of delights beyond your wildest imaginings."
"Magnus," said Simon. "Magnus like Magnus Bane?"
"I doubt there are that many warlocks named Magnus in the Tristate Area," said Jace.
Alec blinked at it. "Does that mean we have to go to the party?" he inquired of no one in particular.
"We don't have to do anything," said Jace, who was reading the fine print on the invitation. "But according to this, Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn." He looked at Clary. "I, for one, am a little curious as to what the High Warlock of Brooklyn's name is doing inside your head."
[ooc: NFB, NFI, OOC-okay. Taken with minor tweakage from City of Bones. More to follow later.]
When they arrived at the diner, Jace and Alec and Clary were already in a booth, where the latter was perusing the perfectly ordinary menu selections with a look of stupefaction. It was all too much. "They have smoothies here?"
"There's this apricot-plum smoothie with wildflower honey that's simply divine," Isabelle said as they came to the booth. "Shove over," she added, making Clary scooted close to the wall. Isabelle slid onto her seat, Simon close behind. "You should have one."
Clary said nothing. Isabelle barely noticed. "So how did it go at the Bone City?" she asked, flipping her menu open. "Did you find out what's in Clary's head?"
"We got a name," said Jace. "Magnus -"
"Shut up," Alec hissed, thwacking Jace with his closed menu.
Jace looked injured. "Jesus." He rubbed his arm. "What's your problem?"
"This place is full of Downworlders," Alec said. "You know that. I think you should try to keep the details of our investigation secret."
His seriousness made Isabelle laugh. "Investigation?" she asked. "Now we're detectives? Maybe we should all have code names."
"Good idea," said Jace. "I shall be Baron Hotschaft Von Hugenstein."
Alec spit his water back into his glass. At that moment Kaelie, the waitress, arrived to take their order. Up close she was still a pretty blond girl, but her eyes were unnerving-entirely blue, with no white or pupil at all. She smiled with sharp little teeth. "Know what you're having?"
Jace grinned. "The usual," he said, and got a smile from Kaelie in return. "Me too," Alec chimed in, though he didn't get the smile. Isabelle fastidiously ordered a fruit smoothie, Simon asked for coffee, and Clary, after a moment's hesitation, chose a large coffee and coconut pancakes. The waitress winked a blue eye at her and flounced off.
"Is she an ifrit too?" Clary asked, watching her go.
"Kaelie? No. Part-fey, I think," said Jace.
"She's got nixie eyes," said Isabelle thoughtfully.
"You really don't know what she is?" asked Simon.
Jace shook his head. "I respect her privacy." He nudged Alec. "Hey, let me out for a second."
Scowling, Alec moved aside. Jace strode over to Kaelie, who was leaning against the bar, talking to the cook through the pass-through to the kitchen. All that could be seen of the cook was a bent head in a white chef's hat. Tall furry ears poked through holes cut into either side of the hat. Kaelie turned to smile at Jace, who put an arm around her. She snuggled in. Isabelle glanced over at Clary who was watching the pair with rapt attention, and a little frown.
She rolled her eyes. "He really shouldn't tease the wait-staff like that."
Alec looked at her. "You don't think he means it? That he likes her, I mean."
Isabelle shrugged. "She's a Downworlder," she said, as if that explained everything. (It didn't. She'd been out with a Downworlder just last night. And let one sleep the night in her bed back in Fandom.)
"I don't get it," said Clary.
Isabelle glanced at her without interest. "Get what?"
"This whole Downworlder thing. You don't hunt them, because they aren't exactly demons, but they're not exactly people, either. Vampires kill, they drink blood-"
"Only rogue vampires drink human blood from living people," interjected Alec. "And those, we're allowed to kill."
"And werewolves are what? Just overgrown puppies?"
Basically yes, Isabelle thought. At least some of them. But she didn't say that. "They kill demons," she said. "So if they don't bother us, we don't bother them."
Like letting spiders live because they eat mosquitoes, Clary thought. "So they're good enough to let live, good enough to make your food for you, good enough to flirt with-but not really good enough? I mean, not as good as people."
Isabelle and Alec looked at her slowly, as if they didn't understand. Because they didn't. "Different from people," said Alec finally.
"Better than mundanes?" said Simon.
"No," Isabelle said decidedly. (How much of that was influenced by remembering just recently having been asked Would you prefer it if I was something like that? Something more than human? was for her alone to know.) "You could turn a mundane into a Shadowhunter. I mean, we came from mundanes. But you could never turn a Downworlder into one of the Clave. They can't withstand the runes."
"So they're weak?" asked Clary.
"I wouldn't say that," said Jace, sliding back into his seat next to Alec. His hair was mussed and there was a lipstick mark on his cheek. "At least not with a peri, a djinn, an ifrit, and God knows what else listening in." He grinned as Kaelie appeared and distributed their food. Isabelle grabbed her smoothie greedily. Mmm, smoothie.
"I told you it was the greatest restaurant in Manhattan," Jace told Clary and her pancakes, eating fries with his fingers. She glanced at Simon, who was stirring his coffee, head down.
"Mmmf," said Alec, whose mouth was full.
"Right," said Jace. He looked at Clary. "It's not one-way," he said. "We may not always like Downworlders, but they don't always like us, either. A few hundred years of the Accords can't wipe out a thousand years of hostility."
"I'm sure she doesn't know what the Accords are, Jace," said Isabelle around her spoon.
"I do, actually," said Clary.
"I don't," said Simon.
"Yes, but nobody cares what you know." Jace examined a fry before biting into it. "I enjoy the company of certain Downworlders at certain times and places. But we don't really get invited to the same parties."
Suddenly Isabelle sat up straight. Something Jace had just said had pinged her memory. "Wait," she said. "What did you say that name was?" she demanded, turning to Jace. "The name in Clary's head."
"I didn't," said Jace. "At least, I didn't finish it. It's Magnus Bane." He grinned at Alec mockingly. "Rhymes with 'overcareful pain in the ass.'"
Alec muttered a retort into his coffee. It rhymed with something that sounded a lot more like "ducking glass mole."
"It can't be - but I'm almost totally sure -" Isabelle said as she dug into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of blue paper she'd acquired not long ago at all. She wiggled it between her fingers. "Look at this."
Alec held out his hand for the paper, glanced at it with a shrug, and handed it to Jace. "It's a party invitation. For somewhere in Brooklyn," he said. "I hate Brooklyn."
"Don't be such a snob," said Jace. Then, just as Isabelle had, he sat up straight and stared. "Where did you get this, Izzy?"
She fluttered her hand airily. "From that kelpie in Pandemonium. He said it would be awesome. He had a whole stack of them."
"What is it?" Clary demanded impatiently. "Are you going to show the rest of us, or not?"
Jace turned it around so they could all read it. It was printed on thin paper, nearly parchment, in a thin, elegant, spidery hand. It announced a gathering at the humble home of Magnus the Magnificent Warlock, and promised attendees "a rapturous evening of delights beyond your wildest imaginings."
"Magnus," said Simon. "Magnus like Magnus Bane?"
"I doubt there are that many warlocks named Magnus in the Tristate Area," said Jace.
Alec blinked at it. "Does that mean we have to go to the party?" he inquired of no one in particular.
"We don't have to do anything," said Jace, who was reading the fine print on the invitation. "But according to this, Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn." He looked at Clary. "I, for one, am a little curious as to what the High Warlock of Brooklyn's name is doing inside your head."
[ooc: NFB, NFI, OOC-okay. Taken with minor tweakage from City of Bones. More to follow later.]