Izzy October Catch-all

[withstyle]

who: Isabelle Lightwood & OPEN
what: Catch-all!
when: Various times throughout October.
where: Around and about.
warnings: tbd

I. Time to Shop, Shop 'til you Drop

[Her heels click as she walks down the street, eyes peeled for any boutiques or shops that catch her interest. Shopping, though previously done online for the most part, has always been one of Izzy's favorite activities. And she, sadly, hasn't sampled all that there is to offer in Riverview. And now seems like the perfect time with Halloween approaching--and having settled into her job and getting the kinks with household duties financially, and the like, straightened out.

Izzy's eyes run over the displays in the windows, along with the titles of the shops, waiting on something to jump out at her as to where to duck in. After all, the whole point of shopping is to go where the merchandies leads you. Or to where your heart does. Something like that, anyway!

Izzy's friendly smile is offered to just about anyone she passes--they aren't in New York anymore, after all...and she's not invisible to those around her. So, Izzy's freiendy and open to the people around,
murmuring a polite excuse me when she needs passed anyone, or brushes them, and slowly gathering some bags when she finds something that sticks out occasionally. It's going to be a productive day!]

II. Just a day, an ordinary day... (open any time throughout the day)

It's been relatively easy for Izzy to fall into a routine, well, at least after some of the initial bumps in the road with her family and Riverview itself. Now, though, she's settled in and made this place her home alongside her brothers. And in a reverse of her life back home--not in Wayward Pines, but in the home that she was initially taken from--Izzy's managed to build a pretty predictable schedule, working at the police station has helped with that, as has being a part of the 'adult' bunch responsible for her baby brother. Not that this status is a far cry from the way that things were at home, occasionally, but still...the feeling here is different.

Izzy likes it here.

So, there's some pleasure as she goes through her day. Getting up, putting on the heels that shoes chosen for the day, hanging out in the kitchen and attempting to make breakfast (on the mornings that Jace or someone else hasn't beaten her to it), heading to work and examining anything from bodies to simple blood samples, getting lunch at one of the cafes nearest work, more forensic pathology...and the accompanying paperwork, and then capping her day off with heading home and figuring out dinner--most days, anyway, there are the outliers and she still fits in sparring and training too. It's not exactly glamorous, but there's a sense of normalcy that Izzy never really felt back at the Institute. For once she doesn't feel like she's someone insanely different from everyone else around her, but then again here there isn't a need to hide from mundanes. So, it is something new in that regard. And it might sound boring to most people, but it's a chance to really dig into a life that wasn't open to shadowhunters.

And...Izzy's not all boring, of course. Anybody whose actually met her can probably tell that. After all,
she's not one to shy away from the activities of her new home either. And just because she's found a routine doesn't mean she's a stickler for adhering to it every day when something promising does come up.

III. Heeeeeey Brother (For Alec)

Izzy's done with just about everything for the day, so home sweet home it is for the evening. Instead of rocking her usual on-point outfit, Izzy's in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top with her feet uncharacteristically bare at the moment. After all, all activities should be done in the proper attire and padding around the house doesn't always require footwear. Her hair is even pulled into a loose braid rather than the usual curls or perfect coif. Though, the deep red polish on her toes and the style of the clothing items she has on doesn't make her look any less stylish than usual--even dressing down--or so she likes to think herself. Her braid shifts slightly around on her neck and in between her shoulder blades as she makes her way into the kitchen and toward the fridge.

The shared space makes it unsurprising when she spots her brother, shooting him a small smile before opening the fridge. "Big brother! You hungry, I could make you something?" She's more than a little aware of the loaded quality to that question--and the fact that pretty much everyone in the house would much rather eat something that anyone else has made, but she still tries anyway. After all, she can eat what she makes, and there is the hope that one day she'll get better. Pulling out a water, Izzy leans back to peek at her brother. "Oh, and how was your day?" She teases, coking her head to the side playfully.

Some habits, as a younger sibling, do die hard--teasing her brother has been one of her's.

Still, Izzy already has figured out exactly what she wants to talk about. Well, some of it, anyway....now that she's spotted her brother. And that does include not only his day, but also the shopping bags that she spotted the boys with the other day. Still, she'll work up to that. Conversation is an art, right along with interrogation. Closing the fridge, Izzy remains there as she uncaps her bottle and takes a sip, dark eyes on her sibling--a moment in the monotony of any other evening to steal with him, considering the settling in process has meant spending a little less quality time with him (and the others).

This is their chance, non?

Comments

[withstyle]

"Or because I know my brothers make any and every excuse for me not to cook." Izzy's smart reply falls from her lips easily. Of the two Alec has always been the one with more tact that doesn't outright say that she's a terrible cook, but Iz would have to be a lot worse at reading people than she actually is to ever believe that her older brother holding his tongue meant that he actually liked anything that she's ever cooked. She might be firmly in denial, according to others, but no one has ever accused her of being stupid, after all, because it couldn't be further from the truth. "I'm hungry, but I guess I can wait for Chef-boy-are-Jace to take the kitchen over." Izzy teases as she places one hand behind her on the counter and leans back a little bit onto that brace point.

Sister watches brother idly as he takes care of not only the tea, but gets cookies for the both of them thanks to none other than their newly found resident chef. Jace barely even wanted to take care of himself at times back home, let alone go the extra mile to being precise and measuring out the ingredients it takes to bake. "Could be because of Max, I guess. Or a new lease in life. Hard telling, but I'm pretty sure that being angelic has nothing to do with baking." Izzy points out, picking a cookie up in one hand and taking her mug in the other while uncrossing her ankles to give her brother a playful nudge with her foot (not enough to cause a spill, but enough to be annoying).

"I'm surprised when Jace can handle sitting still for a couple of hours." Izzy points out, teasingly. "But the Guard is a better fit all around. It lets you be useful. It's much more similar to what we're all used to than a record store too." Izzy shrugs, feeling as if she gets it. She doesn't. Not completely, after all, she's the one in the family without a parabatai, but on an intellectual level she feels as if she understands. Taking a bite from her cookie, Izzy doesn't bother trying to hide her expression, eye's narrowing at her brother despite the sweet taste of the baked good on her tastebuds.

"I know. He needs more than some, if we're being honest." Izzy pauses long enough to blow on her tea and taking a quick sip--feeling the scalding liquid on her tongue for a moment before swallowing it and putting it down next to her to cool. Jace has always been the type of person to do without, from her experience, rather than making sure that he gets everything that he needs....whether that be when it comes to material, or anything else. Of all of their bedrooms back home his was always the one with the least character--and personality--put into it. And here...well...they all saw how he was going to leave things when they had their big scare that morning she found the groceries out. "But the two of you, the two individuals in this family who like shopping the least, went and didn't even think to invite the expert?" Izzy points to herself, her right eyebrow working itself upward, unable to quite help herself. It's not so much an insult to them as they probably needed the help, considering the bags she saw them with (at least in her opinion) don't seem as if they're quite enough in this case. The boys aren't exactly the best shoppers, unlike her and Magnus...and not just because she and Magnus are great at accessorizing. There's more to it than that.

She's not a kid getting jealous of the time her older brothers are spending together excluding her, after all, she's grown passed that....even though it was never an issue that she let (in her mind) get very far or become that prevalent. It is an issue because she cares about Jace too. It never feels as if she's able to go ahead and help him, though, because Alec is always there--feeling as if it's his responsibility without the help that the two of them could use in certain situations. By the angel, she can already see some of the guilt on Alec's face. Her brother thrives on the feeling, even though he might deny it. "What did you get that reminded you of when you were growing up?" Izzy asks, taking amother bite.

[angelic_archer]

"I don't mind your cooking," Alec hedged, not quite lying. When Izzy focused and the recipe was correct, her efforts weren't inedible. They just weren't always pleasant. It was some of the strange ideas that she picked up that he never understood, not even after seeing some of the strange food combinations that of as normal in other parts of the world. "It's just that you put some things together in ways that aren't expected." He still hoped that Izzy could learn to cook, even if everyone around him thought he was crazy for believing it. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave her a sheepish smile. "I don't think Seelie food agrees with me. Why do they put peanuts in chicken soup?"

Picking up one of the cookies, he froze when he realized he was breaking it into pieces the way he usually did when he was around his siblings. None of them had mentioned it, although Magnus had quirked an eyebrow at him when he'd done it before. The habit seemed impossible to ignore even when there was more than enough cookies for both of them. Jace's baking habit kept them in enough sugar to stock a couple coffee shops or their own bakery. "A new lease on life? Everything that happened in Idris and Edom was months ago." There'd been no near death experiences since then. After Edom, Jace had started to relax, considering a life with Clary, but he hadn't thrown himself into anything but training and helping them all find a new place in the Downworld.

"Not angelic, more angelic." Alec hadn't really thought of it before. Leaning against the counter, he thought back on how quickly Clary had learned certain fighting techniques... when she didn't let doubt hold her back. The angel blood might make it easier for him to pick up different skills. It's not something we really tested since we didn't want the Clave dragging them back to Alicante."

Automatically juggling the mug so it didn't spill, he pretended to scowl at Izzy while considering her perspective on their foster brother. Eating one of the pieces of cookie, he tried not to think of how Jace had been when he'd arrived at the Institute. Then he'd been able to sit still for hours, falling into the habits Valentine had demanded during training. Suppressing a shiver, he nodded in partial agreement. "You could join the Guard too. It seems weird that you're not with us. I keep turning around and expecting you there. It's jarring sometimes until I realize I didn't lose track of you." He'd spent too many years watching Izzy and Jace's back for that particular habit to disappear overnight. Or even over a few months.

Even knowing that Izzy didn't mean anything by the comment, he couldn't help feeling guilty over how little Jace had before the shopping trip. Alec was supposed to watch out for his family, his parabatai, and he'd failed. Staring down at the floor, he shifted from one foot to the other, unable to completely ignore his guilt. "I should have known, Iz. I missed so many signs that something wasn't right. I just..." He didn't know why he hadn't seen it other than the obvious. He'd been so distracted by finally being somewhere safe where he could be with Magnus without any condemnations, that he hadn't realized how much Jace was hurting. "We should have taken you, but I was trying to make up for - " Alec paused, shrugging as words momentarily failed him. "I should have done more for him."

He always should have done more. Maybe Valentine wouldn't have been able to kill Jace if Alec had been there to watch his back. Maybe Sebastian wouldn't have been able to manipulate Jace if someone who truly knew him had been with him. Alec had allowed himself to be pushed away instead of protecting his parabatai.

Looking up, he let out a sigh, shoving aside the guilt temporarily. "But you're right, we should have taken you with us. I didn't think you'd want to come with me. Would helping me with my Halloween costume make up for it?" Alec would have asked her help since he had an idea of what he wanted but not the right terms to describe it, but he would have asked Jace to come with them before she'd mentioned not being included in their shopping trip.

"We bought some records and some fantasy novels like the ones that we read when we were kids." They weren't the same ones but they were close enough for the two of them to enjoy when they needed to relax with something that reminded them of home. "I managed to add some poetry to the book pile that will end up in Jace's room instead of mine." The two of them were probably the only ones that knew about Jace's love of poetry and more romantic literature. "He also took me to a leather shop. We could go... if you want to go shopping for the Halloween costume."

[withstyle]

"Oh, hello Alec the diplomat." Izzy chirps, playfully, knowing full and well that he's trying to be nice. That's Alec. Jace says things straightforward and teases her and Alec, well, he does this. Spins things in a way so they don't quite sound as bad. And while she appreciates it, on some level, she is aware of what he's doing. "That, by the way, is called experimentation. And working with different ingredients is supposed to make you better, or something like that." Izzy says before snorting. "Peanuts are salty and good." The younger sibling shrugs, not denying that Seelie food, indeed, doesn't agree with him.

Rolling her eyes, Izzy takes another bite from her cookie and carefully speaks around the sugary goodness. "A new lease on life here. You saw how he was when we first got here, Alec. It's taken him time while we've been here to work up to this. I can't say what it is, but it's...something." Izzy shrugs. "And I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about with Idris or Edom. I don't even know if I want to ask, all of the....difference stuff makes my head hurt." This wasn't the first instance where the differences between what Alec knew, or remembered, differed. Magnus and her had spoken about it at the hospital when they had arrived, actually. And yet, it continued to rear it's ugly head.

"Fighting and shadowhunter skills are a bit different than cooking, though. I don't think being more angelic makes Jace magically good at everything. And I can think of a few things he's definitely bad at that prove that." Izzy muses before adding on, her science-minded brain taking a swing at this line of thought. "Besides, it makes sense with skills that lend to what we're supposed to do as shadowhunters...not so much anything passed that. We're angelic, he's more angelic...that's why he's naturally a badass fighter and we work hard to be our badass selves." Yep, she can't quite help the grin that goes along with that thought before lifting her mug to take another sip.

"I've thought about switching...because, by the Angel, someone needs to look after the rest of you, but if I did I wouldn't get to enjoy playing with microscopes and poking and examining all of the gross and gorey stuff that makes your stomach turn." The teasing glint in her eye is something that she can't quite help. Much as she wants to look after her brothers, she likes her current job. She can't help that. And they can all handle themselves, no matter how co-dependent they all are.

The change in her brother--when he starts taking on the problems of the world--is as easy as ever for Izzy to spot. Taking a gulp of her tea, Izzy then returns the cup and pushes it out of the way, leaning closer to her older brother. "Yeah, Alec, you should have been a perfect mindreader and been so situationally aware that you could read what Jace needed before it was a problem. And you should have done all of the work for him because that's healthy." She can't quite help the sarcasm, but the hope is that once she says it outright like that it might show Alec the error of his thinking. "You aren't so guilt-ridden that you do get the sarcasm there, and how ridiculous that sounds, right?" Izzy asks, eyes on her brother's face seriously--the tease gone. "You can't take the weight of the world onto your shoulders. And you can't expect to somehow know all of this stuff. Jace isn't exactly an open book--even for you sometimes, so stop beating yourself up with guilt because you're doing what you can."

And that is what matters. Izzy follows his lead, pushing the subject aside and giving a smug look. "I'm always right. And Halloween costume might make up for the slight." Izzy's tone now, though, is back to the teasing. She's not really mad. "You know me and leather." Izzy nods, a grin pulling at her mouth. "I'm glad the two of you got some things other than clothes that you just wanted too, though." She's more into the clothes, personally, but she is glad that they have been working on remedying certain things too. It's always better late than never and she's not actually convinced it's late like Alec.

[angelic_archer]

The look Alec gave her made it clear that he didn’t believe the comment about being diplomatic. He might have been helping smooth over the difficulties between the clans back in New York but neither group would call his work diplomatic unless snark and bluntness had suddenly become political necessities. But he was careful with his words when he discussed Izzy’s cooking. She tried and they’d needed those efforts since none of the adults in the Institute seemed interested in taking care of the four of them, but that didn’t mean that she’d ever really gotten the knack for cooking. She was better at the skills Alec was completely inadequate at. She could talk to Max in a way Alec never could and could take care of details that were completely foreign to him.

“Experimenting is okay, but I don’t think that we’re meant to eat fairy food,” he explained gently, tone becoming somber as he considered what had happened after the wars. “And I don’t think we should trust anything the Seelie give us for awhile. If any from our world arrive. They’re probably still angry over what Jace and I did.” And what the Clave did but he wasn’t sure how many of those destructive, bigoted policies would end up Law.

Looking over the edge at his mug to watch her eat, he fought back a smile at how easily they’d all accepted Jace’s new talent. Maybe it’d always been there but none of them had known that his parabatai could be creative beyond his musical talents. “I know. I don’t really understand what happened to him to cause that. He’s went through some bad times before but he was never that – “ He gestured vaguely, almost spilling his tea before realizing what he was doing, looking sheepish when some of sloshed onto his hand. Absentmindedly wiping his hand on his shirt, he mentally winced at the reminder that no one else seemed to remember the end of the war. Maybe that was a blessing even if it was lonely and difficult sometimes. And sometimes he needed to get some of it out so that he wasn’t the only one who knew.

“Jace seems to think it does when we’re sparring.” His parabatai had teased him regularly over it when they were at the Institute, but Jace seemed to forget those games now that they were in Quarintine. Jace would be insufferable and Alec would be jealous of his parabatai’s skills if Alec weren’t better at archery than Jace. “How do you know that the Angel didn’t want us to be more than warriors? From how things were going before we left, that belief wasn’t helping us. We’re going to have to have Mundanes fight with us. Maybe that’s a hint that we need to quit having such a narrow focus.” Which was a more serious topic than Jace’s baking skills but it was something Alec had been thinking about regularly after Simon agreed to attend the Academy.

Making a face at the thought of some of the things that Izzy liked to poke around with, he tried to remember any time when they were growing up that she’d had any interest in autopsies or dead bodies. He would have noticed if Iz had been doing anything that creepy, worrying that he had done something wrong while taking care of his siblings but the memories were frustratingly absent. Alec could remember her being annoyed that he was playing with Jace and all the times he’d hidden in her room, listening to her talk about fashion to calm him down after his latest freak out over his sexuality, but nothing related to science.

“Please keep all the disgusting, squishy things to yourself.” Alec didn’t really have a problem with corpses or the other signs of death that Izzy might see on the job… when he was on a mission. Afterward, it left him queasy and reminded him too much of the horrible things beings, in all its variations, performed against each other. “But if you ever do want to change jobs, you know we’d want you with us.”

Part of him knew that Izzy was right. He couldn’t have known everything that was happening with Jace, but it still felt like he failed his parabatai again. Rolling his shoulders to try to ease some of the tension, he set his mug aside. He knew that Izzy probably didn’t want to hear about the differences in memory but she needed to understand. Someone needed to. Magnus supported him, but he didn’t always understand the bond. Not the way his sister would since she’d grown up with the two of them.

“Jace died in Idris,” he said softly, not wanting Max or Jace to hear. If his parabatai didn’t remember, Alec didn’t want to ruin his mental peace by bringing up memories that might hurt his progress. And Max… he didn’t need to know that his hero had fallen because of Valentine’s betrayal. “He was brought back, but it was hard for him. I wasn’t there when he needed me then and he was going through something similar and I missed it again. I’m not a mind reader but how could I miss him going through that again?”

Was it because of Magnus? The thought almost hurt physical, causing Alec to place a hand over his parabatai rune. He didn’t know what was normal between bonded pairs. Robert never talked about Michael and the pair he’d read about before were so unusual that he wasn’t sure he could use them as a baseline for what should happen between parabatai. “I caught the sarcasm, but logic doesn’t help stop the guilt. At least the last time this happened I was in another country. I was right here and I missed it.”

Picking up a piece of the cookie he’d partially destroyed, Alec took a bite, while trying to remember everything about the suit he’d seen during his trip. “Magnus wants to give me angel wings for Halloween. I saw this suit while we were traveling. I think we were in India. I don’t know how to explain it to tailor so I hoped you could help.” Yes, he really did suggest a tailor instead of something he randomly picked off a rack. “The leather shop was more medieval but there was some beautiful things. They had weapons too. I ordered a bow.” Which said how good the merchandise had been. “They had some whips but I don’t know if you’d want one that wasn’t made by the Iron Sisters.”

[withstyle]

Izzy doesn’t even pretend not to be cheeky, lifting her shoulders with the grin on her mouth at the look from her brother. Their relationship has always been like this, though. Alec has never been able to see how good he is at a number of things, never had quite enough faith in himself, and she has always had more than enough on his behalf. She doesn’t comment on it, though, instead rolling her eyes only a moment later. “I just think we have to rise to meet the challenge.” Maybe this response was much more about stubbornness than an actual desire to eat fair food, though, truth be told.

Izzy sometimes just likes to goad her brothers, especially Alec in this case.

“I’ve yet to run into any seelies here, but that sounds ominous…what did you do…you and Jace aren’t quite as good at dealing with the fair folk as I am.” Okay, yes, it’s patting herself on the back, but it’s also true. Izzy’s got experience…namely Meliorn, but she’s good at navigating conversations with seelies. Jace…and even Alec don’t quite get the social nuances in the way that she does. She hasn’t managed to offend one so far, anyway, so she’s ahead of her brothers.

Meeting Alec’s eyes, Izzy’s quiet…giving the more solemn sibling a chance to say what he will. And she’s not surprised at what comes out of her brother’s mouth. “I know.” And she does. Alec and Izzy have known Jace for the same length of time. She’s been there to watch both boys grow and come to be the men that they are now—she’s seen how Jace has been in the past with bad times, and that’s part of why the experience has stuck so heavily on each of them. Izzy is jarred from her thoughts though, as Alec winds up making a bit of a mess with his tea, causing a small laugh to escape. “Might want to pay attention to what you’re doing.” The younger sister teases with a playful wink, moving to finish up her own cookie and follow it up with some tea, eyebrow quirking at her brother’s question.

“Mainly because that’s the way that it’s always been. That’s what we do.” Izzy tilts her head, confusion pulling at her features. She’s not a person that likes being confused either, but what her brother’s saying doesn’t make sense. And she has to remind herself that there are differences…even though it doesn’t help that much. “What do you mean mundanes fight with us?” Izzy straightens a little, speaking freely…knowing she can get away with it. “I know that we don’t have to leave things the way they are because we can grow and change, but I don’t know that that’s got as much to do with the Angel so much as times change and we grow and need to change with it.” Again, the differences between some of them…are still so incredibly headache inducing, which is the exact reason that Izzy reaches up, pushing some of her loose hair back, fingers brushing her scalp only to drop a moment later with Izzy’s laugh.

“I can probably manage to keep them to myself. I don’t know how you get so squeamish, Alec, we’ve seen plenty.” The younger sister shakes her head a bit at that thought before reaching out to squeeze her brother’s shoulder. “I know you would, I mean we’ve always fought together, but for now I’ll stay where I am. You know if you really need me I’m there, though.” She’s pretty sure that he and Jace both know that, anyway. Even if that’s not necessary because there are other members of the guard that are readily available. Still, it's hard to shake a great team when times of trouble slip up. Luckily, they haven't gotten there yet.

Other than some personal issues things haven't been too bad here, save for the thing with Jace. Izzy isn't prepared for what comes out of her brother's mouth next, though. Her every fiber freezes, staring wide-eyed at Alec. There's a part of her that wants this to be a joke--even if it hasn't happened for her--because the thought of Jace dying is terrible, but she knows better; Alec doesn't joke about things like this. The smooth move to slide off of the counter is done unconsciously, landing easily on her bare feet before Izzy reaches up for her brother's shoulders, squeezing both reassuringly despite the shock zapping through her brain. "As horrible as Jace...dying must have been, even though I don't know the details, and as terrible as I'm sure that felt for him and you you're still not failing him by not knowing what he needs automatically, Alec. Jace is a complicated guy, he always has been. He doesn't ask for help when he needs it, he hides things out of some...stupid need to try and be strong so that he doesn't need to rely on other people and sometimes, as hard as this might be to hear, that extends to you, big brother. So, even being right here....and prepared you can still miss things."

Izzy drops her hands and props herself against the counter, eyes gentle on her older brother. "It doesn't mean that you failed him, or that you don't care enough. Or that you're too distracted." She knows her reassurances only go so far with her brother, he could make himself feel guilty about anything, but at the same time she just hopes he'll listen this time. Because as much as she loves Jace too, he doesn't make it easy and parabatai or not Alec could only do what he was capable of, even if he had trouble seeing it that way.

Amusement pulls at Izzy's face, though, at the fact that her brother is going to be an angel (of some sort) for Halloween. So, she doesn't bother to hide the small laugh that bubbles up while she nods. "I think I can do that, you'll have to try and describe it to me and I'll translate that to your tailor." Izzy teases, always willing to help not only her brother, but anything for the sake of fashion. "The leather shop sounds like a place I need to visit, though, even if I don't foresee buying a whip. I'm partial to mine, it is special. And most can't quite compare." Izzy teases, but she does have interest in other weapons--as her brother knows more than well enough.

[angelic_archer]

“I haven’t either so I’m assuming we’re safe.” As he spoke, he considered how much to tell Izzy about their encounter in the Seelie realm. She’d been close to Meliorn but she hadn’t seemed too heartbroken over what Alec had done. But he’d also betrayed them all so that tended to make Izzy less compassionate toward someone. “Jace threatened to kill the Queen and I killed one of her favorite knights.” It hadn’t been one of his best moments, grief and anger getting the better of him but Meliorn had hurt their family and would have continued to do so if he’d gotten free. “And the Clave is being irrational, as usual.” There was going to be a war, eventually. Magnus had given his warnings, citing the centuries of bloodshed he’d seen, but only a few would listen to him.

Shaking his head at the thought… and the spilled tea. He’d been lucky that it had started to cool or he’d need to go find his stele. “As long as I’m theo ne damaged and not Jace’s precious kitchenware.” That was a statement that Alec never thought he’d ever make…

“But is it the Angel’s way or the Clave’s way. They haven’t evolved since the first of us were created. According to the old Laws, I should be stripped of my runes and they’d probably lock Jace up or experiment on him.” He almost shuddered at the thought. No wonder he spent more time with the Downworlders, working on policies to improve their lives, than with the Clave. Not that they’d listen to a nighteen year old gay Shadowhunter who refused to hide his relationship. At least here he didn’t have to hide or listen to the snide comments from their elders. “What if our purpose got lost over the years?” It was possible, and those thoughts could also be seen as traitorous. “It seems like the Clave wants us to go back to the ‘good old days’ instead of working toward progress.”

At least Izzy knew he was just arguing aloud, not suggesting any kind of revolution. Not that he could start one here. “There’s too few of us left. Too many of us died during the wars so they’re going to use the Cup to turn Mundanes into Shadowhunters.”

Making a face, he pretended to be offended, but they both knew that he really was the squeamish one of the group. Except maybe Clary. She hadn’t seen as much so she freaked out over things that the rest of them shrugged off as ‘normal’. “It’s different when it’s demons. When it’s people. What they can do to each other” Then Alec turned green, and in one situation, wept because of the horrors in front of them. Izzy was probably the only one who had noticed his reaction and she’d never teased him over it.

Giving his sister a proud smile, he nodded, knowing they could count on her if they needed help. Just like he could count on her being the voice of reason when he needed it. “I promise that if we need help, you’ll be one of the first ones we call.”

Watching his sister’s reaction, Alec wished he could have made that confession easier, but how could he make those words gentler. Someone that had been part of their family for years had died. Even if Izzy didn’t remember it and Jace was alive in another room, the event still touched them, still caused heartache that Alec wished none of them had ever had to live through. Setting down his mug, he gives her a weak smile before gently tugging on one of her curls. “It feels like I should know. I wasn’t there when he died. I think he wanted it that way, but I still feel like I should have been. I keep trying to make up for it, and I keep failing.” Maybe that was why he felt so guilty. He should have been fighting beside Jace instead of Magnus even if his parabatai had made sure that no one knew he was going to hunt Valentine alone. “I didn’t catch him sneaking out and now I didn’t realize he needed help.” Not realizing how guilty he looked, he gave his little sister a helpless shrug. “How do you fix that?”

Slowly, his expression turned to humor. Yes, he did know that he probably catered to his husbands whims too often, but there really wasn’t any harm in letting Magnus give him wings for the party. Unless his siblings sulked because they didn’t get wings as well. “If you want to look like a Renaissance painting, I’m sure that Magnus could magic you up a pair too.” Rolling his eyes at how much Izzy was enjoying his foray into her domain, he picked up another bite of cookie. “Maybe help me get another suit too?” Which was something else that he should suggest since they were discussing shopping.

“I’m going to need a suit to wear to a wedding. Traditional colors even if I can’t get a jacket with the runes.” Chewing thoughtfully, he was certain that Magnus wouldn’t mind if he suggested a few things to Izzy. “You’ll need something for the wedding too. I don’t know how long it takes to get something like that made.” Alec assumed it would be made and not something that Izzy would choose from a random shop. “Maybe we can find a place after I show you the leather shop and find some weapons that will live up to your standards?”

[withstyle]

"Now I wish I hadn't asked." Izzy murmurs, not wanting to think through the implications of what this all might mean for them...at some point. Those sorts of threats and actions were bound to have a fallout. The only good thing, for the moment, was that they were here...which meant they were safe for the moment. Pushing that topic to the side, Izzy decides not to dwell, but she won't forget about the warning...just in case. Laughing, Izzy can't help but think that sentence is something she's going to have to get used to. "I think his kitchenware is somewhat durable. I think, anyway." She hadn't tried to cook in any of it yet...so that was debatable.

Picking up her mug, Izzy takes another sip, not bothering to hold back her eye roll...a slightly exaggerated one at that. The Clave has never been a good subject. And this debate isn't really a great one to have either, but here they are. "I think we're stuck in the Clave's version of how to do things. It's become bastardized with little room for growth or change because they feel too steeped in the traditions of old when that was never the way that things were meant to be. It's not so much that our purpose was lost as the Clave's agenda and exerting their control has kept us from evolving and changing with the times." Izzy sits her mug down, caught up in her own thoughts. "We're where we are because of the way the Clave has conducted things. We don't need to make new shadowhunters, but we don't need to be elitist, racist, or continue on the path to destruction and self-service either...that was never what was intended of us." Or at least...that was the way that Izzy thought. She realizes how impassioned that was, and how much she just said after a moment and backs off ever so slightly, feeling as if she's thought a little too much about some of this with the way things happened.

Forcing a small smile, Izzy shrugs, speaking low. "It's harder to swallow when it's not someone who you can see as outright evil." She understands it. The only difference between them is her brother's queasiness, her own stomach is made of much stronger stuff, and her understanding of the biology make it easier for her to do something about it. "Don't worry, though, I can handle the people on people violence outcomes....that's part of me helping out even without being asked." Izzy winks, turning the serious subject a little lighter.

It's not easy to have so many heavy subjects come up so readily. It's a sign of just how different their lives have been from what is considered the norm. The fact that something, in their lives, could happen that's so horrible...Jace dead, the Clave wanting to get worse, it all makes being here much better. Shaking her head, Izzy levels her brother with a look. "When Jace makes up his mind, or shuts someone out, you can't change that just because you wish it were different, Alec. You can't make up for something that isn't you fault either, big brother. You're going to have to stop trying eventually because I'd wager a guess that Jace isn't holding this all against you the way that you are, I doubt he's keeping the score. So the answer...you don't fix it. You can talk to him and have him say, probably, the same thing or you can stop being so hard on yourself." Izzy reaches up, squeezing her brother's shoulder before smoothing his shirt out slightly with affection.

"Nah, I think I'll go for something a little different, as much fun as matchy-matchy can be." Izzy teases with a confident smile, never one to be afraid of being original. "Though, I may get his input, he has a great eye." The younger sister muses before giving a confident nod at the question of another suit. He really doesn't even need to ask, face brightening as he gives more details. "I'll have to see if we can do anything near the runes, we might get lucky and find a shop of some sort with some promise, but either way we'll make sure you look fabulous, Alec. And you know me...I always manage to find something to look great, we can make it a big outing or something." It's a tease, but she knows that her brother won't exactly say no. Especially when he's sort of prompting some of it, at that.