Questions
Alec Lightwood was two when his little sister Isabelle was born. As her big brother, it was up to Alec to teach her everything he knew. He told her about everyone in the Institute, he showed her all of his toys, he taught her about all of the demons he knew and finally, he wanted to tell her about the Downworld. Only, he didn't really know about the Downworld himself.
Alec Lightwood calls a certain High Warlock with some questions.
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Alexander Lightwood was two years old when his little sister was born. She was small, her skin was pink and when she didn’t like something her face would scrunch up and she would open her mouth but not make any noise. Sometimes, she’d calm down and sometimes she’d start screaming. Alec didn’t like it when she was upset either way but the problem was that she didn’t seem to like anything.
Alec tried to give her his favorite toys but she didn’t do anything with them. He tried to show her his training dagger and his favorite blanket but she didn’t do anything with those either. She’d just suck on them and get them all wet or wrap her small fingers around them and then not even play with them.
Alec liked his little sister anyway, even though she didn’t do anything. Mom said that Alec got to teach her stuff because he was her big brother. Alec was really excited for that part. Everyone was always teaching Alec but maybe Alec could show her how to color and how to put her socks on. For now though, Mom said that she wasn’t going to do a lot.
At night, sometimes she would cry and Mom wouldn’t hear here. So, Alec thought that it was up to him to go see what was wrong. He always took his training dagger and then he’d go in and check for any demons (there never were any). Then, he’d try and ask her what was wrong but she was never that good at telling him, so he started climbing into her bed when she would cry.
Mom didn’t like that. She told Alec that he was going to crush her but that didn’t make sense. She was tiny and squishy, like a big worm but she was big enough that Alec couldn’t smoosh her, even if he wanted too (he did not). So, Alec kept doing it anyway. Sometimes, she’d keep crying and eventually, Mom would come in a yell at him for waking her up (she never listened to him when Alec said that he didn’t) but a lot of the time, if Alec climbed into her crib and shared his blanket, she’d stop crying. Alec thought that maybe she was just lonely. Alec understood that. He was lonely a lot too before she was born. Maybe, she didn't realize yet that they had each other. Maybe, that was something else Alec had to show her.
When Isabelle got a bit bigger, Alec started picking her up to carry her around. She still couldn’t walk and she still cried a lot but Alec could wrap his arms around her and pull really hard, to get them places. Mom didn’t like that either. Isabelle didn’t mind but mom always told him that he couldn’t pick her up like that.
He ignored her when she said that too and eventually, she stopped being mad about it. Mom just told him that he couldn’t carry her down the stairs. That made sense because it took Alec a while to get down the stairs himself but Alec found a way to fix that too. If he picked Isabelle up and put her in his toy box (he always took the toys out first) then, he could pull the box down the stairs.
Mom really didn’t like that. Alec didn’t know why because he was always really careful. He’d pulling it slowly, step by step. Isabelle always laughed when the box fell to the next step, so she wasn’t getting hurt but Mom found him and screamed at him in front of all the adults. Normally, Alec ignored her when she told him not to do things with Isabelle because they were stupid rules but Alec really didn’t like getting yelled at in front of everyone, so they stopped going down the stairs for a while.
It took a long time for Isabelle to be able to move around by herself but eventually, she learned how to crawl around on her arms. It was a lot easier to get her places after that because if Alec held her hand she could walk. Sometimes, she’d fall down and then Alec would just drag her but that was okay too.
They could play games after that. Isabelle was very bad at every game but she could play. When they played pretend missions, Alec had to kill all of the demons for them. Sometimes, Isabelle would crawl around and Alec liked to imagine that she hadn’t dropped the toy knife and that she was trying to get the demon but Alec didn’t really think that Isabelle understood the point of the game.
They could play hide and seek too. Isabelle wouldn’t close her eyes but Alec could put her in his closet and then run and hide. Sometimes, she’d start crying when Alec didn’t come back but sometimes, she’d crawl out and actually find him! Isabelle was best at that game but even then, she wasn’t that good at it. She got distracted a lot and forgot that she was looking for Alec. Alec thought that she’d need to get better at it before they got older and became actual Shadowhunter, just incase Alec was ever lost and she needed to find him but they still had time to learn.
Isabelle learned how to walk and then things were even easier. She still couldn’t open doors and she still didn’t know what was food and what wasn’t but she didn’t fall much anymore, when Alec tried to take her places.
Alec tried starting to teach her stuff after that. He tried to show her the different demons that he knew by drawing her pictures of them and seeing if she could draw them too but all of her demons looked like squiggles. Then, Alec thought that maybe he should teach her the different kinds of downworlders too!
Downworlders were mean a lot but they were important and Isabelle needed to learn what they were before she became an actual Shadowhunter. Only.. Alec didn’t really know the difference between them. Mom didn’t talk to him about them and when he asked her about them, she got really mad. So, Alec decided that he had to do his own research, for him and Isabelle.
It was pretty easy. When everyone went to sleep at night, Alec went downstairs to the computer and he clicked on the little file that said, ‘Downworlder Database.’ He wanted to take Isabelle with him but they had to come all the way down the stairs and if she started crying, Alec would get in a lot of trouble. So, Alec gave her his teddy bear and then he closed his bedroom door, so that she couldn’t get out. Isabelle had been falling asleep anyway and if Alec had to wake her up to bring her back upstairs, she would really cry.
Alec didn’t really know how to use the computer but after he opened the file, he clicked a random letter and watched as all of the files popped up. Alec didn’t really know all of the people's names or who they were but he looked until he found one that he did know.
“Magnus Bane.”
Alec knew who he was! Magnus was the warlock in their area and he did a lot of stuff. He put up the wards in the Institute and sometimes, he came to talk to Mom about important things that Alec couldn't know about. Alec had even met him before! He remembered because he had been hiding in the training room, all the way in back behind the pillars. Alec wasn’t not allowed in there but sometime, Mom would tell him to go upstairs, so he would go hide there instead. No one really noticed him back there. Except, Magnus had. He’d been in there, doing something with his magic while Mom talk to him about wards and population numbers or something. Alec was normally really good at hiding but he had never seen a warlock do magic before, so he’d been peeking around the corner to watch.
Magnus saw him. He turned around to say something to Mom and his eyes fell to Alec, hiding behind the pillar. He must have saw that Alec wasn’t supposed to be there because he stared for a second, smiled softly and then looked away, as if he hadn’t seen anything.
That was really nice of Magnus because Alec probably would have gotten in a lot of trouble for not listening and staying downstairs while there was a Downworlder there. Magnus was probably his best bet to ask questions because of all the Downworlders Alec had seen in person (three!), Magnus was the only one who had done something nice for him.
He has also worn really shiny clothes and Alec liked that because they sparkled when he moved. Also, his phone number was right there in his file when Alec clicked on it and Alec knew how to use a phone now. Magnus was perfect.
The next morning, Alec waited until Mom was downstairs and no one else was in their hallway. Then, he gave Isabelle his cookie to keep her quiet and he pulled her into Dad’s office to call Magnus.
Dad was away in Idris this week and Mom was in a meeting, so Alec probably had a full hour before anyone came to check on them, maybe more. It was perfect.
Magnus had been nice that one time but he was still a Downworlder. They were mean and dangerous, so even if Magnus seemed nice, Alec knew that he couldn’t trust him. Alec had to be careful because he didn't want to be tricked into something with magic or have Magnus go tell his Mom. She would be so mad, if she knew Alec was calling him.
Alec had a plan, though. He was just going to act really professionally and then, Magnus would probably think that he was calling and asking theses questions on official business. That was the plan anyway.
Alec took his time dialing the number, so that he was absolutely sure he had done it right.
Almost instantly, Magnus answered. He answered so quickly that Alec didn’t even have time to prepare what he was going to say and how he was going to introduce himself. Not only that but when Magnus answered, he was angry.
His voice snapped like Alec had already done something to upset him, even though he hadn’t spoken yet. “I spoke with you yesterday about the wards, if you’re calling to demand that I come earlier, I won’t come at all.” That’s when Alec knew that Magnus was not nice. He didn’t even let Alec talk before he got mad at him. He was a Downworlder though. Alec should have expected that.
Alec pushed his shoulders back and tightened his face, so that he wouldn’t get upset. Alec didn’t like being yelled at by anyone but this was business and Magnus wasn’t a parent, so he had no reason to be upset. “My name is Alexander Lightwood and I have some questions about Downworlders.”
Alec expected Magnus to keep yelling at him but he didn’t. He fell silent for a long moment, so long that Alec was worried he had accidently hit the button to hang up but he hadn’t. Maybe, Magnus was just really surprised by how professional Alec sounded. His professional voice was really good.
“Hello, Alexander.” Magnus spoke slowly, like maybe he couldn't remember Alec’s name at first, even though he had just said it.
“I have some questions.” Alec repeated again. Magnus didn’t seem like he was very good at carrying a business conversation because Alec had to say it twice but that was okay. At least, he wasn’t mad anymore.
“Alright..” Magnus didn’t seem like he was very quick at understanding what was going on either but that was okay too. He had a nice voice. He spoke slowly, like Mom did sometimes when she read to him. Alec thought that that was a really nice way to talk. “Do your parents know that you’re calling me, Alexander?”
Alec thought for a second. If he said no, Magnus might tell them. He was a Downworlder but he was still an adult. If he said yes, Magnus might bring it up to his Mom, maybe to compliment him on how professionally he had acted, which would be nice. Only, Mom would get mad. Alec looked to Isabelle to see if she had any input but she just kept chewing on the phone cord. “No and you can’t tell them.” Alec finally settled on saying. “I am doing research but Mom would get mad at me for calling you. You didn’t tell her when I was downstairs in the training room, so I thought that you wouldn’t mind not telling her now.” Alec explained, growing quieter and less confident as he spoke. If Magnus decided to tell her, Alec would be in a lot of trouble. He hadn’t really thought about if Magnus didn’t keep it a secret.
Magnus seemed to think about it for a moment. Maybe, he was worried about Mom getting mad at him too. “Okay.. May I ask how you found this number?”
Alec was momentarily stunned by Magnus agreeing. There was still the chance that Magnus was tricking him but Alec felt like that wasn’t true. Maybe, Magnus was one of the only good Downworlders. “I found it downstairs!” Alec rushed out, suddenly giddy that his plan was working. “It’s in the computer. You have your own file and I knew your name.”
“Ahh.” Magnus sounded pleased, maybe because he was impressed at how Alec had gotten his number. It was pretty impressive. “And you have some questions?”
“Yes! My little sister Isabelle- I am teaching her about all the stuff I know because I am her big brother.” Magnus hummed in understanding. “I’ve showed her about all of the demons that I know, like Shax demons!” Alec really only knew about Shax demons but Magnus didn’t need to know that. “Now, I want to teach her about Downworlders but I don’t really know a lot about Downworlders and no one will answer my questions.”
Magnus hummed again and when he spoke, Alec thought that it sounded like he was smiling. “I see. How old are you Alexander?”
“I’m five and my little sister is three.” Alec was very proud at how old he was getting. He was really big, almost big enough to start going out on missions. Maybe, someday he’d get to run into Magnus on a mission.
“Wow, that's pretty big.” Alec already knew that but it made him really happy that Magnus said it anyway. “So, what are your questions?”
Alec had a lot of questions about Downworlder but he thought that he would start with some easy ones. “What kind of a Downworlder are you?”
“I’m a warlock.”
Alec nodded. He already knew that. “I know, I knew that because I saw you using magic and because you’re a High Warlock.” Magnus made a noise that sounded like he was impressed at Alec’s observational skills. “What is special about you?”
Magnus laughed at that question and then asked, “Are you asking what my warlock mark is?”
Alec flushed. He was a bit embarrassed that he didn’t know what it was called but Magnus didn’t make fun of him. Magnus told him that his eyes were his warlock mark and then he explained to Alec what a glamour was and why Alec didn’t see his eyes look special when he met him.
Then, Alec learned the coolest thing yet about Downworlders yet. Or, about one Downworlder. Magnus’ eyes looked like cat’s eyes! Alec had so many questions about that. He asked what color cat eyes (yellow), if Magnus had anything else that was from a cat on him (not that Magnus knew of), if cats liked him more because of his eyes (Magnus couldn't tell), if they opened wide when he was scared, like Church’s did (Magnus thought so but he wasn’t sure).
Magnus answered all of his questions, though most of them were about himself. Alec was really interested in his eyes and then, Alec was really interested in what Magnus did during the day (a lot of things but mostly magic).
Soon, Alec forgot completely about learning about Downworlders and he started learning about Magnus himself, though that was kind of the same thing. They talked for so long that Alec forgot completely about Mom coming back, until he actually heard her loud shoes in the hallway next to theirs.
Alec gasped, almost comically loud. How could he have forgotten the most important part of the plan, that he needed to leave before Mom came back? In a rush of panicked words Alec blurted out, “My mom is coming back, I need to go!”
Magnus made a noise like he understood. Alec almost ended the call right away and grabs Isabelle to rush out but something in the back of his mind made him stop to say, “If you come back to the Institute soon, you could come see me! Maybe, you could show me your eyes.” Alec added, almost shyly.
Magnus seemed like he didn’t know what to say for a moment and Alec almost had to end the call anyway, with hearing his response but then he spoke, “Alright. Maybe, I'll see the next time I come.”
It wasn’t exactly a yes but ‘maybe’ was better than nothing. Alec didn't want to hang up but he could hear mom getting closer and closer and if he didn't hang up soon, she would see him using the phone and maybe even figure out who he was talking to. So, Alec had to hang up even if it made him a little sad. “Bye Magnus! Thank you!”
Magnus' response was quiet and thoughtful. Alec hoped that that meant Magnus had liked talking to him. “Goodbye, Alexander.”
Alec didn’t have enough time to grab Isabelle and get out, like he was planning on but he had enough time to put the phone down and pretend that he hadn’t been touching it, when Mom opened the door.
Alec thought that she was going to be mad but she didn’t see him doing anything bad, so she didn't seem mad at all. She stood in the door and watched he and Isabelle for a second before sighing and asking, “What are you doing in here, Alec?”
Alec looks to the phone and thought about Magnus, his research and everything he had learned that day before saying, “I was showing Izzy the office.” It wasn’t exactly a lie and Mom wasn’t angry with that response.
She sent he and Izzy back to his room, said she’d be in there in a minute and then watched as Alec took Izzy’s hand and pulled her out of the room. A minute for Mom wasn’t really a minute. Alec could have almost a full half an hour before Mom came back, so he pulled Izzy up onto his bed and told her all about the first Downworlder that he had ever spoken too and he told her that maybe, the next time he came to fix something, she could watch with him from behind the pillar in the training room.
There were a lot of things that Alec learned about Downworlders that day but above all, he learned that some were funny, nice, could keep secrets and had eyes like cat's! Alec slept every night, hoping that Magnus Bane would come in the Institute the next day and show Alec his eyes. He never did. Maryse always seemed to make sure that Alec was upstairs when he came, as if she had picked up on Alec’s fascination in him without him having to say anything.
Slowly, Alec’s fascination in the man grew less and less as he got older and became busier with everyday that went on. Though, almost fifteen years later, long after Alec had grown out of hoping for Magnus to come see him, he met him again and his eyes were more beautiful than anything his childhood mind could dream of.
