OPEN | left behind folks

[warlocks]

CHARACTERS: Magnus Bane + OPEN; Magnus Bane + Alec Lightwood;
DATE: During the week of the storm
WARNINGS: bodies, blood, gore. Also some gay, probably
SUMMARY: Feel free to rescue him from being mugged? Or just commiserate with him over his stolen fish. Also, investigating bodies and stuff.


i. open → seashells by the seashore

[ This is not the worst month he's ever had, but it comes damn close. A part of him just wants to hole up somewhere until all of this goes away, except he's never been good at that. He needs a distraction. He needs something to take his mind off the fact that his magic, which has been a part of him since he was born, has all but fizzled out.

So here he is, at the shoreline where the man on the network had said he'd found bodies. He isn't wrong: there they are, lined up on the beach. Ugh. It's not pretty.

And nearby the shore, a figure. They don't look deer-shaped, so he really hopes it's just another stranded islander investigating like he is and not a Nalawi looking to slice him open, too. ]

Anything interesting or just the same old sacrifices?

ii. open → tiny angry deer folk

[ It's entirely possible it was not a good idea to go wandering in the dark when he doesn't have his magic to protect him. It is entirely possible he should have stayed indoors and avoided this whole mess. It's spiraling out of control faster than the thing with the Mortal Cup had, which is saying something.

So yes. It was an awful idea. Look, he was bored and hungry, there's nothing to drink here, and he's miserable. What was the worse that could happen, really?

Apparently, having a Nalawi that barely comes up to his shoulder assault him for his fish. Magnus sputters and lets it go, because he knows exactly how useful he is without his magic and it is the sum of less than zero. He hates his life. ]

Hey! Really?

iii. closed → slow motion run towards each other

[ Magnus is pacing, up and down along the walls and walls of murals, twisting his ring around his finger until his skin goes numb. He's clearly irritating the Nawali in here. He doesn't care. He knows they don't deserve any of this, but neither does he and the remnants of his sympathies have been chipped into oblivion along with his nail polish.

He doesn't even know why he's anxious. Alec's here. That's good, in a way, but the last time they saw each other, it'd been...complicated and as much as he missed the Shadowhunter, it didn't mean he wanted their reunion to be here. Alec should be back home, protecting Clary, finding his parabatai. It's bad enough Magnus is stuck here unable to help, but now the Institute is down yet another one.

Mostly, he's just not sure how Alexander will really respond to him despite their conversation over the network. He hates being so uncertain. ]

Comments

[warlocks]

Who? Oh, the goddess? [ Right. That whole thing. Magnus has been keeping track, obviously -- it's not like he has anything else to read except these largely inane messages that come onto his device -- and the more he learns, the less he wants to be here. ]

Oh, I'm not doing anything about it. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not get involved with infighting in a world that's not ours. Trust me, that never turns out well. We shouldn't even be here in the first place.

[ This is not their people nor their place. Magnus knows what it's like to have outsiders come in unwanted, policing his kind. He wants to know if the sacrifices will cause any demons or other dark magic to pour into the universe and devour him whole. That's as far as his concern goes. ]

[keeper]

[ Well... They were sent here by ALASTAIR to resolve whatever it is plaguing the Nalawi... Aqua can't help but think these deaths (and putting an end to them) have something to do with whatever it is they must do to 'protect the timeline.' ]

I'm not so sure the Nalawi will be able to stop these murders on their own... [ Likely won't be able to find any measure of calm between the warring sides either, without an outside party to mediate... (Though it isn't to say any attempts at peacekeeping by the recruits have been all-too successful thus far.)

Anyhow, it's not as if Aqua believes she'll single-handedly resolve these conflicts on her own... She just feels the need for some sort of action. (Of course, she won't drag anyone else into this who's unwilling.) ]

...If you hear anything in passing, would you please let me know?

[ She's going to attempt some (unsuccessful) investigation on her own... ]

[warlocks]

[ Sorry, Magnus is as laissez-faire as they come, Aqua. ]

That's not our call to make. They haven't asked for our help. [ He shrugs, unwilling to delve further into it. He's not here to debate what doing the right thing is; all he knows is that the last time someone thought the Downworld couldn't police themselves, his people were nearly wiped out. The road to hell and all that.

And look at all they've accomplished here. He can still see volcanic ash in the air.

Eventually, he sighs.]

Look, you can drop by the temple. If anyone knows anything about all this, it's probably the Nalawi hanging around there.

[keeper]

[ It's OK, she just happens to be a workaholic...

Also that is very unfortunate, Magnus... 8( ]

...

[ Silence is her polite way of (not) saying she disagrees. She's naive enough to still have firm trust in the decisions of their superiors, hoping ALASTAIR's operations thus far have ultimately been for the greater good... That wrongs must be righted to the best of one's ability, so on and so forth. (She hasn't Magnus' experience or subsequent, well-earned wariness to these matters, and it shows painfully.)

At any rate, he poses a highly practical suggestion, and she takes a moment to mentally trace a path to the religious grounds. Connects the dots, and breaks off her train of thought with a solemn nod. ]

I'll do just that, then.

[ (Even if he's unwilling to participate, he's still helping her, and she appreciates it. It's more than she can really ask for of any introductions.) She tips him a short bow in gratitude. ] ...Thank you, Magnus.

[ She'll be on her way, then. ]