Magnus Bane stood in the mirror of the hotel bathroom looking himself over one more time. His hair was shorter now and gelled into messy, uncoordinated spikes around his head and covered in tiny specks of silver dust that he had sprayed on minutes earlier. His eyes where decked in heavy metallic eye shadow and eyeliner to draw attention to his walnut shaped green/gold cat eyes. He marvelled at how quickly fashions and prejudices had changed. Only 400 years ago he could have been beaten up and sent to prison for his devils mark, but now, now it was something everyone wanted. Something to make them stand out from the crowd.
He trailed a hand over his black silk trousers and up to the collar of his gold shirt, tugging the collars out so that they stood away from his neck, the top 3 buttons where undone allowing anyone who looked at him to view the top of his tanned chest and the pendant he wore, something he had picked up from a market stall in Peru after he had been officially forgiven for his crimes and allowed to re-enter the country.
Smiling to himself he tucked the party invitation into his pocket and allowed himself a last spray of cologne before heading back into the bare hotel bedroom. Since quitting his post as High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus had been living in a modest apartment near the edges of Lyon, though he was rarely there. Over the last thousand years of his life he'd managed to pick himself up quite a reputation and he was often called out to help Downworlders worldwide. It usually paid well and none of them ever demanded a free ride. Unless of course you get to ride them. A voice in his head reminded him. He chuckled at himself and swept the black, shimmering cloak around his shoulders. He hadn't held a party himself in almost 40 years but that didn't mean if he got an invitation to the High Warlock of North London's700th birthday that he was going to decline. Besides it had been so long since he'd been in England he'd decided to make the trip.

Joseph Spearing, the High Warlock was stood outside the dancing hall greeting all of his guests, most of whom where Warlocks or Vampires. Magnus noted with slight distaste there where nephilim dotted around as well, though he suspected that it was mainly to keep the Enclave happy that no dirty business was going on. The boy took Magnus' hand with enthusiasm and grinned at him, his eyes so dark it was near impossible to tell the difference between the pupil and the iris. His hair was long and blonde, tied up into a pony tail at the back of his head with a black ribbon. He was wearing a very basic antique blouse with ruffles around the collar and blood red skinny jeans. Magnus knew that beneath the shirt his arms where covered in snake like scales, but there was no way he could hide the forked tongue.
"I didn't think you'd show." He smiled and Magnus smiled back.
"I replied to the invitation didn't I? Do you have so little faith in me Joseph?"
"Of course not, of course not." He ushered Magnus to go on ahead into the party which he did. Inside the old ballroom appeared to have been turned into a 23rd century nightclub, complete with a ridiculously small amount of space to dance, a bar and a DJ at the front who from his slightly tinted blue skin, Magnus guessed wasn't completely human. Tugging his cloak off and draping it over a nearby chair he made his way into the churning bodies, determined to make the most out of the night.

"Long time no see Mr. Bane." A voice whispered close to his ear and Magnus turned and grinned at the women standing opposite him, clad in her usual attire of a long white dress which fell down to her feet and long, lace sleeves which ran straight down her arm to her fingers. She refused to wear anything accept the Shadowhunter mourning colour ever since the death of…anyway it wasn't worth lingering over. Her hair was tied up loosely on her head and some was falling out and down her cheek.
"I could say the same of you Miss. Grey. What brings you to such a prestigious event?"
"I was in the area," She shrugged and extended her hand to his "I can hardly hear you over this racket, let's go somewhere quieter."

Outside a couple of young men where sat on a bench kissing under the fairy lights that decorated the bushes. As they passed by the two Tessa rolled her eyes and muttered something about being young and foolish. Magnus on the other hand told them to go and find a room. The shorter one broke the kiss to glare over at them. Tessa sighed and stepped closer to Magnus in case he tried anything funny. Magnus sometimes be a little too up for a fight after he'd downed a few fairy drinks. The boy who had turned around was a pretty lad; he looked Italian. His dark hair was plated down to just passed his shoulders and Magnus noted the seraph blade on his belt also confirmed that he was a Shadowhunter.
"Mind your own business." He glared as Tessa tugged at Magnus' sleeve to pull him away.
"Just leave it." Hissed the taller kid who was partly hidden behind the bush. Probably from embarrassment; not that they had exactly hidden themselves well.
"Not going to back down now are you little Shadowhunter?" Magnus smirked knowing full well from the look in the boys eyes he was not going to back down anytime soon.
"I know who you are Magnus Bane and I'm not scared of you." The kid declared.
Magnus tutted. "Oh child, you should be scared."
"You won't start anything, it would break the accords." The boy scoffed.
"Please, just leave it." Hissed the taller one, who was pushing himself further into the bush.
"Listen to your boyfriend. He seems to be a clever kid."
"He's not my boyfriend." The boy declared. "We only just met."
"And already eating his face off?"
"Come on." The taller one declared pushing the branch to one side, standing up and pulling the Italian boy by the hand back towards the party "Let's go get some more drinks."
"Hold it Alexander." Magnus sighed and the taller kid froze, his face turned away from Magnus.
"I'm not Alexander."
"Don't lie to me. Not again."
"I never lied to you! Camille tricked…fudge…" Alec stamped his foot in frustration at being caught out and turned around. "Oh Magnus, hey…didn't recognise you…"
"Why aren't you dead?"
"That's not a very nice way to greet someone Magnus." Tessa chided but seeing the look on his face decided she'd better leave him alone. Heading back into the house she grabbed the Italian boy's arm and tugged him in with her, distracting him with talk about where he lived and how he'd made his way to the High Warlock's party.

"He isn't my boyfriend." Alec broke the awkward silence. Magnus had been sat on the bench next to him for the last few minutes just looking at him, the way his skin was now so pale that his eyes looked even brighter and bluer than before. His hair was thick; about the same length it had been before and slightly wavy. He wondered who had introduced him to curlers. Or perhaps it had happened naturally after 200 years? "I only met him at the party, I didn't really know what I was doing, I just…"
"How long have you been a vampire?" Magnus asked breaking Alec mid-sentence.
"178 years." Alec whispered "I was 22 when it happened, it was an act of revenge for what my father had done to another vampire's lover when he was in the circle. They captured me because I was the eldest they realised I'd be the best to make my father angry. 'Course all it did was add to his list of reasons to kick me out. Though I don't know if it counts as being kicked out if you can't get into your own home because you're damned."
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't I hear about it?"
"You told me you never wanted to see me again, and it was kept very hush to avoid a war between the nephilim and the vampires." Alec answered and then sighed, looking up into Magnus' eyes. "The rest of them are all gone Mag. Mum died in the war against Sebastian. Jace and Clary have been dead nearly 130 years. Izzy became an Iron Sister and I haven't seen her in so long…I…I'm scared I'm starting to forget…" Magnus reached out tentatively and wrapped his hand around Alec's which was cleaned in his lap and freezing. Like touching a block of ice.
"The curse of immortality is that you never forget." Magnus whispered "Never forget the faces of the people you've loved and watched die. I promise you that, and in time you'll learn to realise that all you want to do is forget them because remembering hurts too much." Alec sat there for a moment and looked back down at their interlocked fingers.
"You're getting wise in your old age."
"I'm not entirely sure about that, I did spend the entire morning trying to see if I could get the old lady across the hall to think she was going mad."
"Did it work?"
"She's filling out the forms to the asylum as we speak." Alec breathed in, though Magnus knew he didn't have to it was probably just a nervous habit, and stood up.
"I should go back in before Simon thinks something disastrous has happened to me."
"You came with Simon?"
"He was my plus one. I met Joseph a few years ago but I didn't want to come to a party full of strangers on my own." Magnus stood up with him but didn't know what to say, how could he ask Alec to stay out in the garden with him when it was he who had walked away in the first place. If he had been there for Alec maybe this would never have happened, maybe he could have become mortal and they'd have died together years ago.
"Alexander…"
"I know Magnus. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I really did love you." Alec leaned up and pecked Magnus' cheek, turned on his heel, shoved his hands into his pockets and headed back into the party.
"Lightwoods." Magnus huffed, sitting back down on the bench. "Always have to have the last word."