The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

[angelic_archer]

who: The Shadowhunter group [Closed]
what: Alec gives them a tour of their new housing
when: August 6th
where: Lux
warnings: Will update as needed



When Alec finished arranging the deal with Lucifer, he knew that his family was not going to be happy with what he did. It wouldn't matter that they'd have more space than they had in Wayward Pines and that they could decorate any way they wanted. Even Lucifer's agreement that magic was allowed wouldn't make up for the fact that Alec had made a deal with a Prince of Hell to get an entire floor of a building to be their new 'castle'.

Knowing how everyone would react, Alec kept the name of their new landlord to himself while he showed everyone around their new quarters. Beautiful view, a stunning kitchen, luxurious bathrooms that should make both Izzy and Magnus happy, even the balcony that Alec had wanted for Magnus. With a little work, it could be perfect. There was probably enough room for a piano, if they wanted one.

Looking around the space that he could easily imagine as theirs, Alec looked at his family, knowing there was no easy way to make the deal sound less terrifying, he went with simplicity, the words coming out in a rush. "We can have any floor we want except the penthouse and the floor beneath it. I thought this one was the best of the ones that are available." That didn't sound too bad but he hadn't really explained the part that would have everyone furious with him. Absentmindedly, he began rubbing the heel of his hand, glancing from one member of his family to the other, wondering which one of them would explode first when he finished his explanation of their new living arangements. "There's a nightclub on the first floor. The terms of the lease are fair. We can easily afford it, but at first you're not going to be comfortable with who our landlord is. His name is Lucifer Morningstar."

Before anyone could say anything, Alec held up a hand to stop anyone from arguing with him immediately. "None of our souls are in danger. He's not going to attack us. All of you can talk about it and then I'll answer whatever questions you have." With that, Alec moved out of the main area, heading toward the kitchen, giving his family some measure of privacy while they tried to process the idea that the Devil owned their apartment building.


(ooc: Set up so the group can talk among themselves or yell at Alec privately or in groups.)

Comments

As if you could hide from your parabatai!

[wayfaring_stranger]

Jace gave Alec a head start so he could take a moment to breathe before everyone started in on him about making deals with the Devil himself. And then he was following him to the kitchen. Preferably before anyone else did.

"I thought I was the one who danced with the devil by the pale moon light." Jace is catching up on pop culture references so he can't help himself. Batman movies make for interesting entertainment while reading cookbooks in the middle fo the night.

He's not planning to lecture or yell.

"It's a good space, Alec. You and Magnus will have privacy again. Izzy can have a bigger closet space. Max will have more room to run around. Good luck keeping him out of the nightclub." He smirked, hopping up to sit on the counter.

[angelic_archer]

It surprised him that Jace was the first to follow him. He'd expected it to be Magnus since he knew that his husband would not be pleased that he'd made a deal with a Prince of Hell... the Prince of Hell to get them an apartment.

Taking a deep breath when Jace entered the room behind him, he assumed that Magnus was either too stunned to follow or considering the perfect way to tell Alec that he was an idiot. "I didn't think you'd seen that movie." Alec had watched it after he'd read every comic book Magnus owned.

Making a sound of agreement, he leaned on the counter next to his parabatai. "I hoped it'd be a good place when I talked to Lucifer but I didn't think it'd be this nice. I doubt Max will want to go in when it's open. We'll have to keep him away from Lucifer, though. He isn't fond of children."

[wayfaring_stranger]

"I have a lot of time on my hands." Jace teased, not mentioning when he had so much time. After losing complete control of himself with Alec and sleeping wrapped around him he was trying not to be a repeat snuggler. Especially if it meant accidentally walking in on Alec and Magnus trying to have some adult married time together.

At least that wouldn't be a problem now that they had a bigger place. He couldn't help thinking temptation would be further away. Alec would be further away...taking a quick breath he nudged Alec with his leg. "I know it sounds bad to say you made a deal with the actual Devil, but after spending some quality time with my father the Devil isn't that scary. And we now have a place everyone can call home."

And then he added more seriously, dropping his voice and touching the nape of Alec's neck. He brushed his fingers against his skin, just trying to comfort. At least that's what he told himself. "Alec. You did this for all of us. It's a good deal. Everyone will realize that once they get over the shock. Lucifer was an angel once upon a time, right?"

[angelic_archer]

"Maybe we need to train harder if you have so much time. Or go find a bookstore. I miss our poetry readings." At least now he knew why he could recite so many poems and quote so many of the classics.

Pretending to scowl when Jace bumped him, he started to relax when the expected lecture turned out to be reassurance. "Don't say that after everything we've been through. It sounds like we're tempting fate. Lucifer's not as scary as Magnus' dad. I wouldn't have made the deal if he was like the legends we grew up with."

Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned back against his parabatai's hand, shoulders dropping as he began to relax into the contact. "Yeah, I did and I made sure there wasn't a trick written into the contract. It's a normal lease with no surprises in it." Tipping his head back, he smiled wryly. "This one was. So is the one from our reality. He doesn't know what we are though. I figured I shouldn't tell him that he had a bunch of Nephilim and a Warlock in his building."

[wayfaring_stranger]

Jace wasn't sure the training would help, but he missed training with Alec. He missed a lot of things with Alec. Like this. Simply talking and being close. Cradling Alec's head in his hand instead of caressing his neck. Looking down at Alec.

For a moment he felt the pull, like when they're tracking together and he can feel his entire existence being pulled into Alec. They become one, lost in each other, until the moment when it either works or it doesn't. It's happened before like this. When he blinks he's so close to Alec he has to break the connection, close his eyes, take a breath.

"Tempting fate." He repeated softly as if his brain was just catching that part of the conversation. And then he did blink, took a deep breath, and nearly dropped Alec's head. "You didn't sign it in blood or using a special pen or anything did you?" He teased.

[angelic_archer]

He'd accepted the changes to his life, to his relationship with Jace. It still hurt sometimes, the twinge of regret that he felt that things weren't the way he'd hoped for. Not the relationship that he'd fantasized about when they were younger, but the bond that had been seemingly unbreakable until their lives had been turned upside down.

After awhile, he learned to accept that being parabatai wasn't like it was described in the Shadowhunter myths or even the bonds that their ancestors had shared. They were friends. They still loved each other and could rely on each other. That was what mattered. Believing that things wouldn't change after Jace fell in love was foolish.

Except when his gaze locked with Jace's it didn't feel like anything had changed. His heart gave an odd lurch that reminded him of first time they'd looked at each other after the parabatai ceremony. The bond felt more solid than it had in months despite the odd echo that he'd grown to accept while in Wayward Pines.

It wasn't until Jace breaks the contact that Alec realized there was almost no personal space between them. Swallowing hard, he tried to ignore the odd rhythm of his heart, unsure if it was his or Jace's that was beating strangely. "I - uh - Didn't think it was tempting fate. There - there wasn't any blood or summoning circles. He doesn't deal with souls. I don't think he can in that reality."

[wayfaring_stranger]

Jace felt like his heart was going to jump right out of his chest when he realized with vivid clarity what it was he want most in that moment. And then he did move, pulling his hand away and grabbing the front of Alec's shirt so quickly, making sure Alec didn't actually hit his head on the counter. But he didn't touch him beyond that and simply found a safe place out of reach.

"Good. He sounds pretty harmless compared to what we're used to dealing with. I trust you. So...you and Magnus...you'll be taking the bedroom furthest away from...everyone." Deep breath, clear his head, he did not just do that. "Do we need to sign anything?"

Maybe it was perfect their landlord was the Devil because Jace felt like he was going to spend the rest of eternity in hell for all the things going through his head lately. Or maybe it was the demon blood.

[appetitive]

Wandering through the space, full of enough large rooms for all of them to have their own bedrooms as well as several extra work spaces, Magnus had to admit that it was perfect. Everything appeared modern and luxurious, and there was more than enough to inspire him to add his own decorative touches. It would be interesting trying to combine his own design flair with the tastes of three other adults—then again, Alec had never complained, Izzy had been a fan of their home in Wayward Pines, and jace didn't strike him as the kind to complain about colors as long as everything was fairly orderly. The fact that they could have the entire floor to themselves was a very enticing part of the whole deal, and already Magnus was imagining a master suite for himself and Alec in one corner opposite everyone else, mainly Max. He was a charming boy, much more open to Magnus' existence now than he had been before, but there were things that the married couple wanted privacy for. Many things.

All in all, it seemed perfect, and as a warlock who was well-versed in business transactions, that brought up a red flag for Magnus. There had to be a catch, there always was when things appeared to be too good to be true, but he didn't expect it to be as big as the one Alec dropped on all of their heads. "Lucifer," Magnus repeated, as if he were waiting for Alec to break into a smile and admit to the joke. When no such reaction followed, Magnus went after Alec and then pulled him out onto the balcony that he'd been admiring only moments before.

"Alexander," he started, squeezing his hand where it rested on Alec's bicep from when he'd nearly dragged him outside, "Darling, are you sure about this? We can find another place with room for us all."

[angelic_archer]

Watching his husband, Alec knew that Magnus liked the space he'd chosen. It was the best floor for them of the ones available and more room than they were currently sharing. Other than the lack of a backyard, something Alec kind of missed, it probably had about the same amount of space or more than they'd had in Wayward Pines. It wouldn't be difficult for Magnus to make it more personal, all of them turning it into a home instead of a large, cavernous spaces that the Lightwoods had grown up with.

Still... there was a very large problem, or potential problem, lingering between them. At least Alec's family would see it as a problem. Alec, for some strange reason, trusted Lucifer in this. It was business, not a deal for immortal souls. He'd never felt any of the horror or dread he'd felt when he was around Greater Demons or a Fallen Angel. There hadn't even been the terror that accompanied being in the presence of an Angel. Lucifer didn't feel any different than a warlock except much more powerful.

Knowing he was probably going to get lectured, he followed Magnus onto the balcony, stealing a kiss as soon as Magnus was in front of him and had finished speaking. "We can find another place, but this one is perf - " That was one reason why Magnus was worried. "I talked to him. He's not from our reality. He has no idea what any of us are. He isn't interested in souls." Slipping his arms around Magnus' waist, he tried to think of how to explain it. "He doesn't feel like your father. If he had I would have told everyone to get as far away from his as possible."

[appetitive]

The lack of a backyard was something that Magnus could probably fix with enough time and magic, maybe turning one of the balconies into a small garden. It had been one of the many ideas he'd had about the design of the floor as they'd toured each room, and though it wouldn't have space for a pool—something he didn't mind, actually—or all of the other outdoor elements of their home in Wayward Pines, there was a lot that made up for that. And with enough time, they might be able to duplicate their large house within the Quarantine.

Regardless of the future, there was a very real issue currently staring them in the face. For Magnus, who trusted Alec with his life, it was possible to remain generally calm about the casual mention of Lucifer as their landlord only because Alec had seemed so relax. There were no hints of possession or a spell to make him behave this way, and so Magnus had to put a little of his trust into Lucifer simple because Alec already had. It was a problem for him, though, not having met him and not knowing anything about the world which this Lucifer came from.

He hummed at the kiss, knowing that Alec was trying to calm him down but also how easily he could be distracted by his husband. "It's perfect for a reason, Alec," he explained even though he didn't think he needed to. Alec was aware of how Greater Demons and even warlocks were masters of manipulation, offering perfection to sweeten the deals they made. It was easier to catch flies with honey, after all. Leaning in closer to Alec, making sure he kept enough distance so the necessary conversation didn't become an unnecessary makeout session, Magnus sighed and rested both hands on Alec's shoulders.

"I trust you, sweetheart," he began, ready to launch into a careful explanation of his apprehensions. But at the mention of his father, his brain screeched to a halt and he stared up at Alec with eyes narrowed in confusion. "You don't know my father."

[angelic_archer]

Even knowing that the kiss would distract his husband, he still expected a lecture. Maybe even to spend a few hours as something small and furry so he'd have to think about what he'd done. There were a wide variety of methods of expressing "I'm angry with you" when you were married to a warlock. "It's good because it's an entire floor with enough bedrooms for everyone. If it was perfect, you'd have all your magical equipment, there'd be a fully stocked training room, and enough closets for both you and Izzy." But it was probably as close as they'd get to perfect without Magnus' magical assistance.

"Magnus, we've all been learning about Lucifer since we were old enough to read. I'm not going to go to the crossroads like some desperate Mundane just so we can have a view and a great lease." Smiling when he realized that he wasn't in danger of being turned into a rat, Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus, only to freeze when he noticed his husband's reaction.

"I know him, but I've met him. It's something I never want to do again. Talking to Lucifer wasn't anything like that. That..." Pausing, he shuddered, his expression momentarily distant as a hint of the dread that had caught him at the expo took hold. He'd almost lost Magnus because... Before he could understand what happened, he shuddered, pulled out of the memory. "That was the worst thing I've ever been through, Magnus. I swear that the deal with Lucifer wasn't like that. He's not like that."

[appetitive]

Alec spoke pure logic, as he almost always did. He was as mentally brilliant as he was physically skilled, and it all added up to a handsome and competent yet sweet man who blushed as easily as he killed demons. It was cheesy to think about, but every day Magnus was blessed with little reminders of why he'd fallen in love with Alec in the first place. "You make a good point, my love. Maybe we should go looking for a different Lucifer so we can get all of the trimmings." He smiled, hopefully proof enough that he was neither angry nor serious about the suggestion.

But it was difficult to keep his mood light when discussing his father, or rather the demon who sired him and would never bear the title of a parent in Magnus' mind. "No, this is one thing I know never happened." Up until now, all of their discussions of the past and mismatched memories could be waved off, but this was too serious to ignore. "You've never met my father. You shouldn't even know who he is."

[angelic_archer]

"There might be another one here." Hopefully not the one from their reality because he really didn't want to meet more Princes of Hell or Angels. Lucifer was enough on that scale of Higher Power for Alec's sanity. Anything more and he may not be in his right mind afterward. "One that could give us a discount on furniture and renovations?"

Moving one of his hands from Magnus' back, he cupped his husband's cheek, smiling despite the fear and grief in his eyes. "It's one of those things you forgot, like Max's accident. I met him and I know his name but I don't want to say it. I'm afraid it might bring him here somehow."

[withstyle]

As far as apartments went, this one was pretty amazing. The major downfall, at least as of thus far, happened to be the one that Alec saved to share last. Their landlord: the Devil himself. There was a part of Izzy that couldn't quite manage to just shrug that particular detail off and allow it to roll off of her back. After all, making any sort of deal with that particular individual was something that even mundies weren't keen on--and warned against.

So, what had Alec done? He'd gone and made a deal with the Devil and Izzy couldn't quite decide how she felt about it. It isn't exactly easy to shake off legends you grow up with. She wasn't ready to smack her brother, though, so that was probably a good sign...to an extent.

Wandering the apartment, Izzy keeps her arms crossed close to her body, considering the apartment itself, Alec's decision, the deal, and her feelings about all of those things. She's really thinking through what she wants to say--going back and forth between throwing out questions like 'have you lost your mind', 'why would you actively seek a deal with the Devil', and 'do you need an MRI' out of the pool immediately. Izzy has always trusted her brothers, even Jace...reckless as he can be, so one decision doesn't undo all of that, but she can't help but find this option questionable, nonetheless. It doesn't seem...cautious like the brother she knows so well, in some ways. Maybe that's due to changes from his recent experiences, but still. Working through her own prejudices--after all, everyone has them when it comes to the Devil...whether religious or not. She knows what her brother's intention's are...he wants his family together, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But it doesn't take a deal with the Devil to make that happen either.

Izzy finally manages to stop her trek throughout the apartment and finds Alec in the kitchen, leveling him with a look. "Did you decide this place was perfect before or after you realized the landlord was the Devil?" Izzy speaks dryly, not quite having managed to uncross her arms yet, guards still up about this...entire situation, for the moment.

[OOC: Open to multiple replies if anyone wants to talk to her while she's pacing the space!]

[angelic_archer]

There were certain reactions that Alec was expecting. Anger or frustration from Jace followed by "What are you thinking?" that would lead to acceptance. They trusted each other, would go to hell and back for each other and literally had. If Alec said this was safe, Jace would trust him. Magnus would be harder to convince considering his husband's familial ties, but eventually he'd agree that Alec did the right thing.

Izzy... she was the unpredictable one. Sometimes she would listen to him, accepting his wisdom as the older, more level headed one of the group. At other times, she would lash out at him, whether his advice was sound and his decisions made cautiously. It was something he was used to even if occasionally he felt like he was holding onto a lioness' tail and hoping he wouldn't get swiped when she noticed that she wasn't alone.

Watching her pace around the apartment didn't really help dispel the lioness image. She was angry, at the situation and with him, but he wouldn't hide the way he had when he was younger. Instead, Alec leaned against the counter and patiently waited for his little sister to decide what to say.

He relaxes marginally when he realizes her whip isn't out. The last time she looked this annoyed with him, he'd ended up flat on the floor with the coils of her favored weapon threatening to cut through his pants and into his legs.

"Afterward. Lucifer said that he had space to rent. We talked about theology, alternate realities, and religion before I started discussing a lease." Despite knowing how angry Izzy could be, Alec couldn't keep a hint of excitement out of his tone. He'd always been the nerdy one of the group, studying nearly forgotten legends. Talking to Lucifer had reawakened the curiosity that he'd set aside during the wars. "Izzy, he's not the Devil from reality. He doesn't know what we are and he says he can't take souls. All he asked for was rent and we can cover that."

[withstyle]

Izzy still isn't sure that she feels confident in this decision. The excited tone in her normally...controlled and dry brother's tone is telling. The information that Lucifer Morningstar discussed with Alec obviously made an impact...and pretty obviously tipped the scales in his favor when it came to leasing this space to the nephilim. It isn't that she doesn't trust her brother's instincts; she's always been his biggest advocate, backing him up and giving him support even while ticking all of the stereotypical boxes of little sister's mandatory behaviors. She's still struggling, though, with all of this.

Izzy's posture is straight where she stands, steadily balanced on the thin heels that she's always favored. She doesn't lean against the counter. And she keeps her focus on Alec. She's not ready to relax here just yet.

"I understand that, but that doesn't make it easy to shake what we grew up hearing about the one from our reality either." The younger sister points out, eyebrows lifting pointedly. "You're trusting what he's saying pretty readily...you really think that he's telling the truth? What happened to the skeptical, stubborn, questioning big brother that I'm used to?" The question comes out as Izzy cocks her head to the side. Granted, neither of them questioned things overly so at Wayward Pines, but that was through manipulation. That wasn't them at their best, or in a normal situation.

Maybe it's a byproduct of having been there that has Iz teetering on the edge, uncertain as to whether this is safe. Wayward Pines was too good to be true. Whose to say this isn't too? "It must have been some conversation to make you trust him...you trust him, you don't think he's going to try anything with the contract or having all of us confined here do you?" She questions, unable to hold it back. He may be satisfied, but she's got questions.

Even if she trusts her brother, that doesn't mean that she won't question the hell out of him on some things....even if she generally winds up standing behind him and supporting his decisions.

[angelic_archer]

As he waited for her reaction, the tension in his shoulders tightened, causing him to hunch slightly despite trying to act like he was unfazed by whatever she was about to say. He knew the legends. The only one in the apartment that knew them better was Magnus. After their first encounter with a Prince of Hell, Alec had covertly read everything he could find on deals, not caring if the information came from Nephilim libraries or Mundane sources. There had been little in those sources that matched the being Alec had talked to.

"He says the Lucifer in our reality is different than him. The Hell he described is different than the one from our world." Alec wasn't sure how he could explain why he trusted Lucifer. The Devil is supposed to be charming but other than the terrifying knowledge that he was speaking with the Morning Star, he hadn't been afraid. Not the way he'd been before. "The skeptical, stubborn brother is still here, but he's also met a Prince of Hell and Lucifer isn't like that."

Reaching out, he gently tugged the end of one of her curls. "Izzy, if he was anything like Magnus' father, I would have had us trying to find a way to get as far from them as possible without leaving this world." Letting the dark strand curl around his fingers before letting go, Alec shrugged. "He works with the police. He's in a relationship. He sounds more like a warlock than the Devil."

The thought caused him to look over his shoulder to the general direction he'd last seen Magnus. "You know I wouldn't make a deal that would put any of us, especially Magnus, in danger. Lucifer is curious about magic, but he didn't seem to know anything about Shadowhunters. I asked about the apartment. He didn't suggest it."

Looking sheepish, he gave Izzy a nervous smile. "It was fascinating talking to him. He told me about the deals he makes, religion, Heaven and Hell. His Father. For one world, he has the answers, Iz. After everything we've been through, knowing what will happen in the future, how could I not be fascinated by it?" Which really wouldn't help his case. That would make her worry worse since he'd been hiding his fears for so long since there didn't seem to be a reason to be concerned until he had some of the answers he'd been looking for tantalizingly close. "My instincts say he's not like Magnus' father. I had a lawyer look at all the paperwork."

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to be too pessimistic or seem too eager despite the curiosity that he had related to his conversation with Lucifer. "If he wants to hurt us, he will. He's a fallen Angel, but I really don't think he will He seems to want to live a normal, Mundane life. If you want, you can talk to him. The only person he's not interested in meeting is Max."

[withstyle]

Izzy can't quite help but be torn between choosing to believe Alec, to go along with all of this because she trusts him and his judgement, and her own suspicions and, quite frankly, prejudices. That name alone, the legacy attached to it, isn't something that she can just pretend to know nothing about. Alec seems to genuinely believe what he's saying, though. Izzy, on the other hand, can't quite manage to dispel the suspicion creeping up. Lying, after all, is second nature to some. But, Alec has never purposefully lead any of them astray either. One of his main goals in life has always been to take care of things, to take care of them. Alec would never purposefully or knowingly put Max, Jace, or her in any danger.

Even if he were sucked in by a story from the Devil himself and found the man interesting, Alec wouldn't throw caution to the wind. The problem here isn't exactly that Izzy can't put her faith in Alec, she's done that time and time again, but the problem is finding a comfort in allowing herself to trust Lucifer, literally, even if just in a tangential manner.

"So, you're trusting your gut on this one?" Izzy holds back the urge to demand when Alec met the Prince of Hell, instead filing it away as something to discuss later. There were definitely a nice list of things that fit in along with that now, anyway. It wasn't the topic at hand, though. The topic was Lucifer, and if they could truly trust him enough to live here. Watching Alec tug at her hair, Izzy can feel some of her resolve starting to thin, as if some of the tension is being pulled out with the gentle tug of her curl. "I know you wouldn't put any of us in danger, out of all of us you're usually the most cautious." Izzy admits, her eyes seeking out Magnus and Jace within the apartment before returning to her brother, hands finding their way out of the crossed, rigid position that she came into the conversation with.

"It's a little hard to think of Lucifer as being....out of the loop on certain things, or..." Izzy pauses, as if searching for the word. Obviously harmless isn't what fits the bill. Even if he isn't the malignant force that they associate him with, that doesn't mean that he's a force that is completely dormant. "A non-threat, I guess." Izzy's hands work their way to her hips as she studies her brother. Lucifer works at the police station--that she can look into on her own, at least. And it's not as if the eldest Lightwood expects to be followed blindly without question. "So, he did no active pushing to get you interested in the apartment, you found your way there on your own?"

Izzy rolls her eyes at the nervous smile before giving Alec a light, playful punch on the arm, the contact only brief and more affectionate than violent. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" She can't completely blame him, she supposes, but at the same time it still doesn't leave her worry-free about all of this. "Fascinating, or not, you should be careful. I know you know that, but I'm saying it anyway, especially if you're going to keep carrying on deep conversations with him." Who knows how reliable that source of information is, after all? Even if Izzy trusts Alec's instincts, generally.

Watching as Alec rubs the back of his neck, Izzy lets out a bit of a sigh, knowing that despite her need to do her due-diligence, that if all of this is good enough for Alec, she'll go with it. She may be worrying for naught, but who could really blame her? "I probably will. I work at the police station too, after all, big brother." Izzy pointed out before circling back around to a comment that he had already made, tipping and showing him where she was falling on this entire thing...a little more. "I want to look at the paperwork too, but the lawyer said it all checked out, no loopholes or surprises...nothing that was cause for concern?"

[angelic_archer]

Alec had the same training, learned the same lessons. He probably knew more about what the Devil could do than his siblings did. Had thought about it on sleepless nights as he slowly began to piece together who Magnus' father might be. Those guesses hadn't helped with the shock of knowing and meeting the being, but it had helped with Lucifer. Who seemed more like a High Warlock than a Prince of Hell.

Maybe that was why he hadn't been as nervous around Lucifer as he should have been.

There hadn't seemed to be any lies in what Lucifer had said and his motives seemed genuine. There hadn't been any obvious attempts to charm him and Lucifer seemed tired of the legends that surrounded him, something Alec hadn't expected from the Devil. Logically he knew that there was a danger, but it was hard to consider souls and damnation when Lucifer admitted he couldn't control those things and had no interest in them. That might have been a lie, but it hadn't felt like it. "Yeah, I am. Sometimes instinct tells us what logic ignores or what we don't realize we've noticed."

Which was why it was difficult to explain why he trusted Lucifer. There'd been dozens of little details during their conversations that had hinted that the Devil wasn't lying. At least not about leases and not having an interest in souls.

Smiling slightly, he tipped his head to one side while fidgeting with his sleeve. "Out of the loop on some things? You mean he's not at a crossroads making deals with hapless mortals?" That was a subject Alec was still curious about, wanting to know if those legends were real. "I'm sure he's a threat, but I don't think he's a threat to us. He seems to want to be normal, live his life with whoever has him considering relationships." That had probably been one of the stranger parts of the conversation, discussing significant others and how to make them happy. That wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd discuss with Lucifer. "He said he had space to rent for apartments. That was the only pushing. He didn't care if we rented it or not."

Pretending to wince at the punch, Alec gave her a wounded look. "No, I couldn't. He answered some of the questions that have been bothering me since..." Without realizing it, his gaze strayed to Magnus. Forever meant two different things to immortals and mortals. No matter how much he ignored that fact, the afterlife and what it held still scared him. Talking to Lucifer had eased some of that fear. "I don't know if I'll have any other conversations with him. He's our landlord and neighbor but that doesn't mean we'll ever see him. I never saw any of Magnus' neighbors at the loft.

"Check him out. And whoever he's dating. That should tell you more about him. If you find something bad, we'll move out." He wasn't sure where they'd go after that but they'd work it out if they needed to. "I have copies of the contract for you, Magnus, and Jace. And he really doesn't seem to know what we are. I don't think Angels are the same in his world as they are in ours."

[greatflame]

Max was excited about the new home because it meant he got to have a room to himself again and wouldn't have to be grossed out by walking in on anyone making out. He had a moment's concern about the nightclub but they'd be far enough away from it that any noise wouldn't be a problem. He wanted to make one of the rooms a library and have a quiet place to read, not really having any interest in scooping the nightclub out.

When Alec dropped the news about Lucifer, Max quietly thought about it for a moment. While he didn't think Alec was infallible, he also didn't think Alec would do anything to put any of them in danger just to have a nice place to live. And that was enough for him, so instead of doing any scolding, he wandered off to poke around the rooms and put a stake on one of the bedrooms that would be right by one he could convince his siblings to turn into a library.

[wayfaring_stranger]

"You're quiet tonight." Jace commented, having found Max staking claim to one of the bedrooms.

They hadn't really had a lot of time since the parade, partly his fault. Things had been a little...strange...for him lately. But that meant he had to make more of an effort because things being difficult wasn't an excuse.

"What do you think about the new apartment? There is plenty of room for books and training." He smiled, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

[greatflame]

Hearing someone walking in, Max turned to see who it was, smiling when he saw Jace. "It's a lot bigger than the place we were in before," he said, a silent 'thank god' hanging in the air. It wasn't as big as the Institute but he didn't think they'd be able to afford anything like that here, but it was alright. All he really wanted was his own room again and a place to put books.

As for the last thing Jace said... Max looked at him hopefully. "You think I could start official training now? I'm almost 10."

[wayfaring_stranger]

"Lets start off with a collection of books and then we'll talk about training when you officially turn 10." Jace smiled, thinking about the absolute terrified panic Alec had felt at the hospital.

If something had happened to Max and he hadn't stopped it.... "We could celebrate with a birthday dinner and cake."

[greatflame]

Max gave a mildly unhappy sigh. He didn't really think anyone would just agree to start training him, but it couldn't hurt to keep trying. His expression did turn into a more placated one when cake was brought up though. "What kind of cake?"

[wayfaring_stranger]

Jace would love to say 'let's start training now', but there are reasons he won't make false promises. "Any kind of cake you can imagine. I'll make it."

This was a promise he could and would keep. The training he would discuss with Alec, Izzy, and Magnus first.