Settling In

Luna quickened her pace as she walked next to her parabatai, sometimes he seemed to forget that he was more than a foot taller than her, thus his longer legs carried him a lot farther than her short ones did. Quick as a cat she agilely placed herself in front of his path, walking backwards so that she could face him and talk at the same time. "Hey Ki, since we arrived here instead of roaming around looking for a party like I know you are probably trying to do, don't you think we should find a place first?" She quickly poked his nose and giggled before spinning herself around and next to him so that they were walking side by side again. Luna and Kieran were so used to one another that by now it was as if they walked in sync, she loved her parabatai and would do anything for him. Hell, she would die for him. He was the only person in the world she cared about. Cared about enough to drop her safe life in the institute in Scotland to travel around the world with him, all away to America. America! The land of dreams, freedom, and opportunity right?

Her green blue eyes scanned the area and quickly landed on an apartment complex. She pointed excitedly and twined her arm through Kieran's. "Look, over there Ki! Lovely looking apartments, how about we head on over and see if we can afford one? I suppose we will both be having to get jobs. Either that or maybe you could hook up with some Warlock chick who has a lot of money. You're always smooth with the ladies." Her tone was playful, and if anyone had been listening they would think that the two were brother and sister. That's how they always acted, a few times people had actually asked though if you were to ask Luna she would say there would be no need to ask. They were both complete opposites. Kieran was tall, with a good build, magnificent blue eyes, and pitch as night hair while Luna was short, tiny, with long pale blond hair and greenish blue eyes. They didn't look like siblings at all, however their bond was stronger than that of siblings.

Laughing softly Luna tugged on Kieran's arm, though she was a lot smaller than him she was strong and most of the time he didn't seem to mind allowing her to tug him around. "Well, come on then. This way!"

(Hope you don't mind the nickname, I figured it would be cute!)

Sucking in a deep breath of city air, Kieran couldn’t help the smile that danced across his lips. They had just arrived in Manhattan and he couldn’t have been more excited. Even in the early hours of the day, the city was already animated with life. The streets practically buzzing from the pure energy and vitality that hung heavy in the smog polluted air. It was so unlike home that he loved it instantly, all around him there was noise new noises and smells, every corner of his vision there was something new to look at. He couldn’t wait to explore this new place, to find all of its secrets and all of the danger that it could offer him.

His mind had begun to wander to what the nightlife must be like when a shock of blonde hair appeared just under his line of vision. His smile widened as he watched Luna, painted in front of the background of their new home. It was amazing that she never looked out of place anywhere that they went, maybe it was just because he couldn’t imagine being somewhere without her. Where he went, she was there and where she went, there he was. There was no Kieran without Luna.

"Hey Ki, since we arrived here instead of roaming around looking for a party like I know you are probably trying to do, don't you think we should find a place first?" He wrinkled his nose, both at the poke and her words. She knew him so well, of course he wasn’t thinking about a place to stay, there were far more important matters to deal with. Like where the hottest party was that night.

“Tell me, love. What exactly is the point of comin’ to a new city if not to find the party? I had planned on stayin’ where ever I passed out tonight. Usually works out alright.” He teased, only half joking but he knew she would never allow it. Sometimes Kieran thought that if it weren’t for his Parabatai, he would have floated away from reality a long time ago.

Her next words brought him up short, the jab about the wealthy warlock even being lost on him
“Jobs, you’ve got to be kiddin’ me.” His tone had lost its playful tone as he stared at her, his blue eyes incredulous.
“You’re takin’ a piss if you think I’m getting’ a job.” He could hear the whine in his own voice, his bottom lip sticking out in a small pout as she pulled him towards the apartments. They weren’t short on money but he had no idea what a New York flat went for and he wasn’t excited about finding out.

Luna laughed, she loved how Kieran hadn't ever lost a hint of his Scottish accent. She, on the other hand, had begun to speak more clearly and only once in a while when she got overly excited would her accent show heavily. Luna gently bumped her hip against Kieran's and shook her head. "Oh you, I know how you are with jobs and working. I don't think we will have to for a while, I mean we definitely aren't short of money as of now. But in a big city like this?" Luna finally took the time to really take in the city, the people, the buildings, the smell in the air. It was so different from home, and she felt a slight pang in her heart. Once in a while she found herself missing the peacefulness of the countryside, the place where she had grown up in quiet contentment. However, there was also a sort of beauty in the city, from the architecture to the gleam of all of the lights at night. The excitement of all of the mundanes shuffling around the two of them was almost palpable. She knew that Kieran was probably adoring this, the city, this life, and just being somewhere completely different. She sighed, but then a smile crept up on her face, as long as she was with Kieran she didn't really mind where they went.

"I'm sure you already love it here, and I think I will eventually come to love it too. Maybe we can finally make a permanent home instead of constantly moving from place to place? Though I do love traveling."  At the finish of her sentence she stopped walking now that they were in front of the apartment complex. The apartments themselves were beautiful, nothing she had ever lived in before. With their huge glass windows, dozens of levels, and metal support, they were so very different from home. A man walked out from seemingly no where and smiled at the pair standing before the apartments. "Hello, is there anything I can help the two of you with?" He smiled politely and looked to Luna for an answer however she froze up.

Shyly she moved a bit closer to Kieran before looking up at him and smiling. She knew it was silly but she had never been good around strangers, Kieran always had to take over and deal with them for her. She hoped he knew what to ask for.

"I'm sure you already love it here, and I think I will eventually come to love it too. Maybe we can finally make a permanent home instead of constantly moving from place to place? Though I do love traveling." Kieran gave her a sideways glance and a shrug that said ’I’m not agreeing to anything.’ He knew she wasn’t crazy about constantly being dragged around from place to place, she always got a sort of distant look in her eye each time he up-rooted them to sweep her off to somewhere new. He knew her well enough to know that her heart still belonged in the Highlands, with the rolling green hills and the crisp, fresh air. There really was nothing like the countryside at home, he always told himself he’d go back there someday… in the very, very distant future. Part of him felt guilty for making her follow him around, never being able to provide his other half with a life of stability. But if she really had a problem with it, she’d tell him, right? Kieran liked to think he actually believed that.

As the man came up to greet them, he couldn’t help but smile as Luna scooted closer, always needing to hide behind him when new people where around. Wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders, he exchanged pleasantries, going through the routine of explaining his accent and where they were from before getting down to business.

Once a down-payment was made and keys were exchanged, they made the hike up to their new eighth floor walk-up; equipped with one master bedroom, a kitchen and not a scrap of furniture. The party possibilities were endless. Tossing down their small duffle bags that contained the only possessions they owned, Kieran flopped own onto the plush carpet in the middle of the empty living room.

“Home sweet home?” He asked, flashing her a smile as he gauged her reaction to their new place. It was the first time they had a place of their own, something he knew she had longed for.

As soon as Luna felt Kieran's arm around her she immediately calmed down and the stress left her shoulders. She always hated that she got so shy around strangers but she just couldn't help it. Growing up secluded from the outside world and then having Kieran as her only close companion had taken a tole, causing her to be a lot more shy than boisterous and ready to go out on adventures. She didn't mind it though really, she didn't ever feel the need to have anyone besides Kieran. He was her parabatai, her other half, as long as he was doing well and alive she felt whole. There had been a few occasions in the past where they were separated and even though she knew he was alive and doing well, it always seemed if he managed to stray too far away from her she felt this horrible tugging at her heart. This painful loneliness.

At the sounds of keys jingling and being placed into Kieran's hands Luna was awoken from her thoughts. Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled as she followed Kieran up the stairs all the way to the eighth floor where their new apartment, their first home ever, would be. Bouncing on her heels Luna waited patiently as Kieran slide the keys into the door and unlocked it, following close behind him as they entered. It was magnificent, the master bedroom was huge and the kitchen was just perfect, Luna loved to cook once in a while if she could get Kieran to actually sit still long enough for a meal. The only thing that wasn't welcoming was the barrenness but she knew the both of them would fix that soon enough. So many possibilities for such a lovely little apartment. Too bad she had a feeling they wouldn't stay here long...still she wished to enjoy it for as long as possible.

She turned to look at Kieran as he flopped down on the plush carpet and a huge smile spread across her face. Luna hopped up onto the kitchen counter and propped her chin in her small hands. "Home sweet home, at least for a while I hope." She laughed softly to let him know she wasn't upset about that fact, she really wasn't. She knew he probably worried about the fact that they moved around so much and that he probably thought she didn't like it. Hiding homesickness from her parabatai wasn't easy, but as much as she missed home she didn't wish to return anytime soon. She wasn't quite ready yet.

Lying back onto the counter Luna closed her eyes. "Hey Ki, don't worry about me okay? I know you worry and I want you to know I'm fine with how much we move around. I like traveling and as long as we stick together it's okay with me. Though, I do like this place and it is our first home. I expect it to last for more than a month." She turned her head and opened one eye to look at him as she made a funny face.

The upbeat melody of Wild At Heart coursed through Emmaline Barnette's headphones, as she danced around the spacious kitchen. Standing on her tip toes, she reached her hand far back into one of the many, old-fashioned cupboards, snagging a strangely labeled container. She eyed it cautiously, almost as if she expected it to burst into flames. After a moments thought, Emma sidled back over to the stove and sprinkled some of the grey powder into the violet-tinged, bubbling liquid she'd been working on all morning.
From an outsiders perspective, she was sure she looked like the average, everyday New Yorker, making some sort of breakfast on a beautiful Saturday morning. Well, it was a Saturday morning, but that was where the similarities ended. Emma wasn't going to be letting the bubbling liquid anywhere near her mouth. It was a long shot, knowing her track record, but, if she'd done everything correctly, the liquid before her would have the power to take out a 5 ton elephant. Emma had looked quizzically at Zane when he'd assigned the task. He had given her hair a light tousle as he chuckled, saying that no, he wasn't planning on killing anyone at present. Any warlock would be stupid not to have at least one poison on handy, just in case. His eyes had gotten kind of far away after that, and Emma wondered if he was remembering the last time he'd had to use something like that. But, she could have been wrong, because the next second Zane was back to examining his collection of shower caps.
Stepping back to admire her work, Emma allowed herself a rare, self-satisfied smile. It actually seemed like she'd gotten this one right! She had definitely needed this small victory. Only the other day, Emma had completely screwed up a simple tracking incantation. Instead of ending up at the market where Zane got all his supplies, she had stumbled into a gentlemen's club. It definitely didn't make the top ten worst failures she'd had yet, but Zane's jokes were about to drive her up the wall. Maybe her successful work this morning would be enough to ease him off of the stripper jabs. Deciding to wake him up so he could witness, Emma skipped down the hall, still jamming out. She hadn't gone more than a few feet when she was forced to jump back with a squeak of alarm, knocking her elbow in the process. Knowing she'd just gained one more bruise, Emma stared down to see that she'd accidently stepped on Binx, her cat.
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Emma cooed, picking up the disgruntled cat. Binx had followed her home one day, while she was out running an errand. She'd been in love with him ever since. She'd recently discovered that he had penchant for escaping the apartment and wandering the long hallways. In an effort to get back in the kittie's good graces, Emma walked him over to the door and placed him gently on the floor outside. Binx immediately scampered off, all forgiven for the time being. Emma was just about to close the door when a couple rounded the corner, talking in happy tones. They stopped briefly at the door nearest to her before letting themselves in. This wouldn't have been strange had Emma not known that that apartment wasn't supposed to be up for lease. In order to keep mundanes from becoming too curious about the loud noises coming from his apartment, Zane had bought the neighboring apartment. Crinkling her eyebrows in confusion, Emma shut the door and walked back to Zane's room. He'd want to know about this new development.
Knocking on the wooden door gently, Emma quietly turned the knob. It was always an adventure waking Zane up in the morning. She'd had any number of strange things jump out at her. For some reason, she'd never once seen anyone else in his bed, though. She'd definitely seen him with girls or things that looked like girls at parties. But, none of them ever seemed to stay over. It was a fact that made her strangely happy. She needed all the time with her mentor that she could get.
"Zane," she stage whispered, poking her head through the crack she'd made. The room was extremely dirty, littered with all sorts of things he'd found interesting and had then gotten bored with. Emma could barely see his unmoving form splayed across his massive bed. Sighing in the most frustrated way she could muster, she walked over to his side and shook his shoulder gently. "Zane, wake up, please."

Kieran lifted his head up slightly to examine his parabatai’s face as she spoke, searching her eyes to check for anything she wasn’t saying. He really didn’t need to look at her to determine how she was feeling, he’d been known to know exactly when something was wrong from across the room with his back turned to her but it helped to search the depths of her greenish eyes. She seemed genuine, though he couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was for his benefit. There was always that ever present nagging at the back of his head that asked him that if it wasn’t genuine, would he really be willing to give up his chaotic lifestyle to make her happy? His first answer was of course, but he had always known how she would like to stay in places longer and yet here they were, somewhere new.

Shaking his head with a puff off breath, he decided that these thoughts were way too serious and not fitting for their homecoming. Rolling onto his stomach, he propped himself up on his elbows, placing his chin on his hands.
“Sooooo, we have a place. Can we explore now? Or at least find some food. I’m bloody starvin’”

~x~x~x~x~x~x

Zane couldn’t be sure how long he had been awake, but it had been far too long for his liking. Though despite his unwanted consciousness, he hadn’t so much as poked his head out from under his large down comforter. He still lay face down in his electric blue silk sheet, his silver eyes fixed on his current bed companion. It had apparently stuck his fancy sometime in the night to bring a rather fat albino bunny rabbit into his bed to cuddle with. Either by magic or breaking and entering, he couldn’t be sure, the memories of the night before seeming to be lost at the bottom of a bottle of blueberry moonshine. His lack of memory only meant that his now pounding headache and paper dry mouth were totally worth it. He could of course just magic his ailments away, but that required far more energy than he could currently be bothered to exert. So he just lay there, staring at his new friend and marveling over both the fact that he hadn’t suffocated the bunny in his sleep and also that the thing had remained on the bed with him. Had he used a charm to stop it from leaving?
Even the sound of the door opening and Emma’s voice didn’t rouse him from his contemplation until he could hear her tiptoe across his obstacle course of a room to lean over his bed. In a flash, he rolled over and stuck an arm out of his blankets to pull her down onto the bed with him. He pulled her on top of him and quickly recovered their heads with the blanket, careful to pull the blanket up over her wings. Once they were both tucked safely in the blanket tent, he held a finger to her lips for her to be quiet before whispering.
“I want to introduce you to someone. This is…” He turned to the bunny who still hadn’t moved other than a small nose twitch.
“What’s your name?” When the bunny didn’t answer, he crinkled his own nose in thought.
“I think I’ll call him Panda. Doesn’t he look like a Panda?” Yes. Panda Quinton Waterford. Esquire.” Turning his attention back to Emma who he was still holding against his chest, he smiled at her, a flash of white in the dark blankets.
“Goodmorning. “

Luna quickly sat upright and jumped off the counter sauntering over to wear Kieran was still sitting on the floor. "You're right, I am being way too serious for an occasion like this. I don't know how I feel about any parties but we can certainly get something to eat. I feel as if I haven't had a solid meal in days." This was partially true, due to the fact that Kieran and Luna had just recently arrived here they had been subject to air line food (completely disgusting if you were to ask Luna) and various other unhealthy concoctions from fast food joints that she wasn't too fond of. She reached her arms down and grabbed Kieran by the hand pulling him up from his place on the floor.

"Perhaps once we get something to eat we can look for a bed or something, I'm not too sure about how I feel sleeping on the floor to-" She stopped talking for a moment deep in thought as her eyes trailed around the barren room. Then she slyly glanced up at Kieran, knowing that the suggestion of shopping for anything, besides possibly alcohol and party items, would be lost on him. He wasn't much of a shopper, actually he hated anything that had to do with serious business which is why Luna usually took it upon herself to handle all of the decorating. "Or maybe we can just find one of these parties you keep talking about first. I will let you know I am not doing the investigating though, I have heard some whispers from other downworlders about these New York Warlocks and the parties they throw. Crazy business if you ask me but I know how much you love that stuff. And I suppose this is a case for celebration."

Luna wasn't actually too fond of the idea of going to a party in a big city like this before they even settled in. But wherever her parabatai went, she followed, and she wasn't about to leave him alone in a big foreign city like this. Oh hell no, he was bound to get himself in some kind of trouble if she wasn't there to keep him in line. Luna grabbed the keys to the apartment slipping them into her front pocket before opening up the door and slipping out, making sure she locked it as she held it wide open. "Well come on Ki, what are you standing there looking all lost for? We have some food to go find." As soon as she said the word food she heard a growl erupt from her stomach and grimaced slightly. She was a lot hungrier than she thought.

"Oh! I just was thinking, I wonder who are neighbors are. Do you think they are mundanes? Or maybe some other Shadowhunters, or werewolves! Oh dear...you better hurry up and get out here before I run into one of them." She didn't like the thought of having to meet new strangers alone. If it were a Shadowhunter she was usually alright, but downworlders caused her to be even more shy than usual. It wasn't that she didn't like them, they were just much more dangerous than a mundane or fellow Shadowhunter.

Keiran had to restrain a chuckle as he watched Luna begin to make plans for beds and necessary things that he would have never even considered himself. He was going to just laugh it off but the excitement that had flashed in her eyes at the thought of decorating their new home wasn’t something he could blow off.
“Tell ya’ what. Let me get some drinks in, and then we can go get whatever strikes your fancy, yeah?” He could make anything amusing when he had been drinking, not to mention he would probably be easier to deal with for her once intoxicated. He also couldn’t deny the fact that if they were going to stay here for a while they might as well have something more than a duffle bag full of clothes. Following her to the door, he moved excruciatingly slowly just to be contrary as she urged him out into the hall, walking as if in slow motion until he got a few steps from her and he picked his pace up to a short run. Ducking down, he picked her up with one graceful motion, throwing her slight frame over his shoulder and pulling the door shut with the other. With a laugh, he began down the stairs as if it were the most normal thing in the world to carry around small blonde girls on your shoulder.
“So what ya’ thinkin’? Pizza, burgers, fish n’ chips?” He called back over his shoulder, turning to catch a glimpse of her upside down face and flashing her a grin.

Luna sighed in exasperation as, just to mess with her, Kieran moved towards her very slowly as if his body was stuck in slow motion. She was about to chastise him when suddenly he picked up his speed, and to her shock, picked her small frame up and threw her over his shoulder. She let out a slight yelp of surprise as she felt one of his solid arms holding her in place against his body. She knew he would not drop her, and due to her small size she was very light, however she still did not like the idea of being carried around like some kind of duffel bag. "H-hey! Ki! I don't think it's particularly normal for a man to be seen carrying a small blonde girl around."

She looked up at him, his face upside down in her vision as he turned around and smiled at her. "So what ya’ thinkin’? Pizza, burgers, fish n’ chips?" Luna grumbled slightly trying not to smile and let him know that despite being carried around on his shoulder she was actually very amused. She knew her parabatai would sense it though. She was almost never annoyed with him, even when he pulled stunts such as this all she could ever manage was to pretend to pout or be upset because in the end she always found him to be this fantastically funny guy. Pouting slightly she lifted her hand up and flicked him on the back of his head. "I was thinking either burgers or fish n' chips darling. I feel like I haven't eaten in days." She moved her hand back in forth in front of her face as if she was fanning herself and made a movement to act as if she was swooning from lack of food.

"I certainly hope you aren't planning to carry me the whole way there, I am capable of walking on my own two feet." Luna smiled mischievously, if he wasn't going to put her down soon of his own free will she would find a way to make him put her down. They often played little games like this with one another, it made her heart happy. Knowing that no matter where she was in the world she would always have this, their relationship. Her parabatai was a constant in her life, and it seemed like wherever she went as long as he was there she was home.

Emma had almost given up on ever bringing her mentor back to consciousness, when an arm shot out from under the nest of blankets, grabbing onto her own. Letting out her all too familiar squeal of alarm, Emma was yanked onto the bed and under the mountain of downy covers.
She should have expected something this ridiculous the minute she'd walked into Zane's room. He always kept her on her toes, whether that meant throwing slightly electrified balls of energy at her when she was napping, or putting strange, puffy creatures in her Cheerios. Claiming it was all part of his master plan, he'd smile that adorable smile of his, and she wouldn't be able to help her answering smile. Because, at the end of the day, he'd pat her head, and tell her "Job well done, Emma.", words that never stopped filling her with an amazing sense of satisfaction and pride.
Though Zane had sweetly remembered her wings, now that he'd dropped the blankets back down, the space was quite small indeed. Emma could barely see a few inches in front of her face, which meant Zane's bright eyes were clearly visible. She could practically picture the mischievous grin he'd be wearing, so proud of his little trick. Her soft laugh was stopped by his finger placed over her lips. She'd been expecting it to be warm from sleep, but it was pleasantly cool to her after working all morning in the sweltering kitchen. His chest was just the same, her sudden awareness of her hands there making her blush slightly. Zane definitely had definitely no reservations on personal space.
“I want to introduce you to someone. This is…” Zane said, turning to the other side of the bed. "What is your name?" Emma followed his gaze and nearly fell out of the blankets in her shock.
"Jesus Christ, Zane! Why is a huge rabbit in your bed??" Emma's eyes were huge with shock, her breath slowly returning back to normal, as she noticed how very calm Zane was. His expression clearly revealed that this didn't even come close to his most shocking moment. She didn't doubt it.
“I think I’ll call him Panda. Doesn’t he look like a Panda?” Yes. Panda Quinton Waterford. Esquire.” Zane was obviously proud of the name. After one last moment of wide-eyed shock, Emma couldn't help laughing, dropping her head onto her head in exasperation. It truly was a wonderful name.
"Goodmorning."
Picking her head back up from her hands, Emma saw him grinning ear to ear, the sight even visible in the almost blackness.
"Goodmorning to you, too. And, to you, as well, Panda Quinton Waterford Esquire," Emma said, inclining her head the twitchy bunny. She was just about to attempt to pet him, when she remembered she'd breached Zane's personal lair for a reason.
"Oh, I almost forgot! Did you forget to remind Mr. Young to keep Apt. 4040 empty? Because I just saw a happy couple right walk in."

"I was thinking either burgers or fish n' chips darling. I feel like I haven't eaten in days." Kieran chuckled as Luna fanned herself, kicking the door open once they got to the bottom of the stairs that let them back out onto the city streets.
“Your wish is my command, madam.” He kept his grip tight on her as they started down the street, not showing any signs of letting her down even as she complained.
“Don’t be silly, miss. Your delicate feet can’t touch these filthy streets. Not fit for someone of your high status.” He teased, Thickening his accent and making himself sound inferior to her. They got a few strange looks but people mostly just walked right past them, without batting an eyelash at the stage scenario. If people here were so used to strange behavior that they didn’t even look twice, he felt he would feel right at home in no time.
His blue eyes scanned the store fronts as they walked, keeping a look out for a place to eat but more importantly a place to get a drink. It didn’t take long to find a small pub that had fish and chips as a lunch special and two for one beer for happy hour.
“Don’t think we could find a better spot!” He exclaimed happily, finally plunking his parabatai down before grabbing her hand and pulling her inside the small bar without waiting for her consent. Once seated at a booth tucked in the back corner, he immediately ordered himself a beer, with his fake ID, since he was tragically too young to drink legally in the states, seeming to forget the idea of food altogether.
~x~x~x~x~x~

"Oh, I almost forgot! Did you forget to remind Mr. Young to keep Apt. 4040 empty? Because I just saw a happy couple right walk in." With an exclamation, Zane sat bolt upright, sending both his bed companies and the blankets sprawling to the floor. Finally, the bunny moved in reaction to being tossed off the bed and immediately buried itself beneath a pile of unidentifiable objects. Momentarily forgetting Emma’s announcement, he frowned at the now hidden rabbit.
“Oh, now I’ll never find him.” His tone was tinged with disappointment. It disturbed him to think of how many critters he had lost to the dark depths of his room, and what happened to them after they disappeared. Not all the creatures had been as pleasant as Panda; he really should clean this place up…

“We shall have to have a going away party for him tonight.” Turning his attention back to Emma, he blinked as if he had forgotten she had been in the room.
“What were you saying? Oh yeah, people next door. Were they pretty? We shall have to invite them to the party tonight I suppose, would be rude not too. But then again if they’re ugly perhaps we will turn them into rabbits to replace my beloved Panda.” Zane was talking more to himself than to Emma, climbing out of bed and stretching like a cat before focusing his silvery eyes on her once more.
“What in the world are you doing on the floor?”

To Luna's dismay no matter how much she expressed her disliked at being carried through the city like a sac of potatoes Kieran simply would not put her down. Leave it to her parabatai to pull of something like this as soon as they move somewhere new just ti embarrass her. Although, to her surprise it seemed as if the citizens passing by the two didn't even care, as if it was the norm to see a tall dark haired boy carrying around a small blonde haired girl. If the people here were so used to such nonsense she had a feeling this would only be the first of many stunts like this by Kieran.

"Don’t be silly, miss. Your delicate feet can’t touch these filthy streets. Not fit for someone of your high status." Luna scoffed at this display of childishness from Kieran, but she couldn't help but let a giggle escape from her throat. His teasing, as silly as it could get, never managed to annoy her. To her relief she was soon put down as Kieran found a suitable place (in his mind) to get something to eat. Luna's eyes drifted to the sing outdoors which promised the selling of alcohol, she would have objected but Kieran pulled her into the store so fast she didn't have a chance to utter a single word before they were already inside and seated. Luna was about to make her objections known to Kieran when suddenly the smell of food drifted into her nostrils causing her stomach to growl loudly. She swallowed down her protest and quickly ordered some fish and chips when the waiter came by with some iced tea as a drink.

"Really Ki, couldn't you have at least waited a little bit? Hmph, just don't drink too much I don't need you loopy on me quite yet. And don't even think about carrying me around like that again, next time you'll regret it." She shot him what she thought was a menacing glance before the waiter came back with their drinks. "Okay, let's see how these Americans make their tea." Luna took a small sip of her tea and grimaced only slightly. "A little on the sweet side but it'll do."

Emma had just finished sharing her news, when she was thrown from the bed. She landed with a soft thud in a pile of colorful pillows, that almost immediately exploded in a shower of feathers. Recovering from the shock, Emma watched the snowy fluff fall around her, settling on her wings and effectively hiding themselves. One landed on her nose, causing her to go all cross eyed looking at it.
“Oh, now I’ll never find him.” Zane's voice brought Emma back from her fall. Blowing the feather off her nose, she looked over at the trembling pile of debris. She felt bad for the poor rabbit, knowing he'd most likely stay lost. Maybe she'd come back in later and try to dig him out. Though that might prove more dangerous than helpful. Zane's massive piles of junk had been known to avalanche suddenly. That's one reason she never let Binx into the lair. Emma wasn't even sure the cat would enter if invited. He was quite knowledgeable for a feline.
“We shall have to have a going away party for him tonight," Zane pondered somberly, turning his attention back to Emma and her soft blanket of fluff. “What were you saying? Oh yeah, people next door. Were they pretty? We shall have to invite them to the party tonight I suppose, would be rude not too. But then again if they’re ugly perhaps we will turn them into rabbits to replace my beloved Panda.”
Emma had quickly learned how to speak Zane; it was a must if anyone planned on living with him successfully. She'd caught onto the way he would ramble, and had learned how to pick out the necessary information. Sometimes she wished she had a rewind button for him. It would make things so much easier.
"Ummm, well, they both seemed to be attractive, I guess. And, I thought you said the party was next week," Emma replied, trying and failing to get up from the slippery, pillow guts. She'd been planning on a quiet night, just her and the many interesting warlock, history books Zane had gifted her. But, Zane had his parties when he felt like it, always able to supply a massive crowd of partiers. And, they were fun. That was until someone turned into some type of fire breathing creature or many headed thing.
She watched him climb out of his bed, his focus apparently having never really been on her. That tended to happen too. She often felt like a scratched record, repeating herself over and over. But, it was definitely all worth it to learn from one of the most talented warlocks there was.
“What in the world are you doing on the floor?” Emma looked at him with a I-am-not-amused face. She had finally succeeded in standing up, and was now checking the status of her be-feathered hair.
"Honestly? I suddenly decided I wanted to look more like a chicken than I already do," she replied, her sarcasm making a rare appearance. Zane had definitely helped her in that department.
The sharp beeping from the smoke detector jolted Emma away from her disaster of a hair. Had she forgotten to turn off the kitchen stove?
"Crap, crap, crap, crap," she chanted, as she sprinted down the hallway and into the kitchen. A dark, putrid smoke filled the space, making it quite hard to see. She eventually found her way to the stove to find that her poison had boiled over, burned quite thoroughly, and now resembled tar. Turning off the stove and turning on the stove's fan, Emma slid down to the floor, completely disappointed in herself.
"Damn. I almost had it. I guess that makes Take 15 on the world's easiest to make potion."

"Really Ki, couldn't you have at least waited a little bit? Hmph, just don't drink too much I don't need you loopy on me quite yet. And don't even think about carrying me around like that again, next time you'll regret it." Luna’s words made Kieran laugh, a loud and melodic sound as he dramatically rolled his eyes at her.
“Me, loopy? Don’t be silly.” When the waitress brought their drinks, he immediately took a long drink of the brew, finishing half of the beer before setting it down and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Hey LuLu, you know why these Americans serve their beer cold?” He asked, smirking and not waiting for her to answer.
“So we can tell the difference between it, and piss.” He chuckled at his own joke, winking at the pretty blonde who was still waiting to take their food order.
“Aye, fish ‘n chips for the both of us, lass.” He offered the waitress a dazzling smile that made her blush before she wobbled off on her high heels to put in their order.
“So, what’s this about a bed then? I suppose you’ll be wanting other things as well?” The idea of spending their first day in the new city shopping wasn’t very pleasing, but he figured if they got it out of the way and he let Luna do as she pleased during the day, he would meet much less resistance when he wanted to drag her out to do what he wanted at night. Finishing off his beer, he ordered another as their food arrived. Looking down at the basket in front of him, he wrinkled his nose at what was suppose to pass as fish and chips.
“Next time, we’re getting pizza. S’only thing these people know how to do properly.”

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X



"Honestly? I suddenly decided I wanted to look more like a chicken than I already do,” Zane frowned at her words, reaching forward to pluck a feather from her hair, though the effort did little good.
“I’ve never liked chickens, nasty little things. You should never strive to look like a chicken.” Her apparent sarcasm obviously lost on him. He had just begun to pull his black t-shirt over his head when the beeping of the smoke alarm and Emma’s sudden disappearance from his room made his freeze. Sniffing the air, his silver eyes went wide for a fraction of a second, an unusual seriousness washing over him. Tossing his shirt to the floor, he dashed after her, his long legs carrying him to the kitchen in a flash.
“Hold your breath.” He demanded, in a stern voice he was sure Emma had never heard. Snapping his fingers, he made the pot and the thick black smoke that clung in the air disappear before crouching down in front of her, taking her face in his hands to examine her eyes.
“How much did you breathe in? Do you feel dizzy, sick to your stomach?” As an afterthought, he snapped again, making the entire smoke alarm disappear as well, sending silence crashing over them.
“Emma, my love. Breathing in the smoke of potions like that can be almost more deadly then ingesting them…” He said with a sigh, pulling her against him into a hug.
“You may be immortal but that doesn’t mean you can’t be killed… You need to be more careful.” His voice was soft as he murmured into her hair. Fear was not a feeling that visited Zane very often, at least not until he had taken in Emma. He had never much cared for his own life but the thought of losing her, or any harm coming to her while under his protection made his blood run cold. Pulling back and examining her face once more, he finally let the lazy smile slip back onto his lips.
“You really are terrible at that. Maybe we should move onto another lesson for a while.”

Emma's head immediately flicked up as the sound of hurried footsteps reached her. Zane came bursting into the kitchen, a strange look on his face; she couldn't quite place the expression. Maybe Panda had escaped and she just hadn't seen him run past.
“Hold your breath.” Zane's tone sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Emma had never once heard him sound this serious, this intense. The way he'd spoken had seemed to carry a certain type of magic, one that did not allow disobedience. Without even consciously deciding to, Emma snapped her mouth shut and pinched her nose closed. Zane quickly strode over to the still smoking pot, snapped his fingers, and the pot and it's putrid smoke disappeared. He then turned his surprisingly lucid gaze back to her, sliding into a crouch before her.
She had it all figured out, now. He was probably angry with her for so thoroughly screwing up her project, so angry that he'd left his usual bubbliness back in his room. Emma knew she should have seen this coming. Squeezing her fists into anxious balls, she could almost hear his next words. They'd be full of disappointment and it would all end in him kicking her out. Who was she kidding anyways?
“How much did you breathe in? Do you feel dizzy, sick to your stomach?” Emma exhaled in surprise at Zane's words, her previous thoughts flying out the window. She inhaled even quicker when he placed his cool hands on either side of her face, confusion making everything that much harder to take in. Was he worried about her? His eyes searched hers, trying to seek out any abnormalities.
“Emma, my love. Breathing in the smoke of potions like that can be almost more deadly then ingesting them...,"Zane said, pulling her into a hug that she had definitely not seen coming. He sighed deeply, pulling her closer into the embrace. Emma had never been more surprised, but had amazingly stopped questioning his motives. As silence filled the kitchen, Emma found herself relaxing into his arms. Zane's hands had been cool, but his body was so warm. It covered her like a blanket, causing her to hum softly with satisfaction. She'd surely be embarrassed about that later, but, for the time being she was enjoying this hug. Was this what it felt like to be truly cared about?
"You may be immortal but that doesn’t mean you can’t be killed… You need to be more careful," Zane said, speaking softly into her hair. He was right. She had given no thought to what that smoke could have done to her. Zane slowly pulled away from her and gave her face one last once over, before transforming back into his usual demeanor. His lazy smile was back, but Emma wasn't fooled. She'd seen a side of Zane that had definitely sent her mind for a spin.
“You really are terrible at that. Maybe we should move onto another lesson for a while.”
Emma executed her typical laugh-blush combo perfectly on queue. She was slightly happy to be back into the familiarity that Zane's jokes brought about.
"Maybe I'll be the one warlock in all of time that doesn't have a poison on tap," Emma supplied, using the side of the counter to pull herself up. "Wouldn't I be a fearsome foe?"

Luna made what she presumed was a very unattractive face at Kieran as he laughed at her, knowing that he would never take her threats against him seriously. She watched with a slightly disapproving look in her gaze as Kieran quickly downed half of a beer while she sat there and slowly drank her own beverage. It really wasn't that good at all, Americans were shit at making their tea properly. Hopefully the food would be a different story.
"Hey LuLu, you know why these Americans serve their beer cold?" His sudden question caused her to glance up and smile, she knew there would be no point in answering, in a second Kieran would throw something silly back at her as an answer.
"So we can tell the difference between it, and piss." Luna laughed out loud, her laughter like the sound of beautiful music playing. When she laughed her entire face lit up, her pearly white teeth flashing and blue-green flashing with delight. There was never a dull moment in her life with Kieran around.
"Well, let's hope that the food is better than the drinks, yeh?" She glanced over at the waitress whom Kieran was trying to win over with his smile and shook her head. He was such a player, and sometimes she felt quite bad for all of the poor girls he swooned. She was glad she would never have to worry about that, as his parabatai she wasn't allowed to have a relationship with him beyond friendship. Plus, they were such good friends she didn't imagine either of them felt anything more than just a strong bond and need to protect one another. Still, she wished he wouldn't be so damn promiscuous all the time. However, she wouldn't scold him about it, his sex life was none of her business.
"So, what’s this about a bed then? I suppose you’ll be wanting other things as well?" Kieran's voice rang once more, but this time it didn't sound as playful or excited. She knew how much he hated shopping, so she didn't want to bore him with so much of it. "No a bed should be fine for today, so's long as we have a place to sleep tonight. I can do the rest of the shopping on my own, I wouldn't want to bore you to death. You poor thing." Luna shot him a winning smile and laughed softly. She would be fine with shopping by herself, after all it wasn't like she was going to buy much. She always tried to keep it as simply as possible in case Kieran decided that he no longer enjoyed where they were staying and wanted to leave.
The clicking of high heels signaled that their waitress had returned and Luna's stomach growled in excitement. Sadly though, when she turned her eyes to the dish in front of her, her face showed her extreme disappointment.
"Next time, we’re getting pizza. S’only thing these people know how to do properly." Kieran sounded just as disappointed as she was. She didn't even know if she wanted to risk trying what was supposed to be one of her favorite dishes because it looked like a young child had thrown whatever they could find from the fridge together in order to try and mimic fish n' chips. "Eh, this looks minging! These American's can't do anythin right." Sighing softly Luna picked up a fork and stabbed the food with it viciously before taking a bite, cringing slightly.
"You know what Ki, I think I may skip this meal and eat something later tonight. Not even I am hungry enough to eat this rubbish."

Hopping up into a standing position once more, Zane chuckled at her joke as his smile spread into a grin.
“Hey, you could always just invite your enemies over for dinner and kill them with your cooking. Not,” He added ruffling her hair so that more small feathers escaped into the air.
“That anyone would dare cross the fearsome chicken woman.” With one more snap of his fingers and a small burst of bright yellow sparks, two champagne flutes appeared on the counter. Handing one to Emma and taking the other one for himself, he lifted his glass in a toast.
“Here’s to almost killing the both of us instead of our enemies, and to a bright future of a less dangerous lesson plan. Oh, and to poor Panda of course. May he live on fondly in our memories.” Clinking her glass, he downed his drink before clapping his hands together with a small jump of excitement.
“Oh, neighbors. I almost forgot! Shall we go have a look?” Not waiting for her consent, he took off out the front door of the apartment, nearly skipping up to the door next to theirs. Pressing an ear against the wood, he listened for a long moment before trying the handle. Another burst of yellow sparks and the lock clicked open, the door swinging wide to reveal a still empty apartment. He wouldn’t have believed that anyone had moved in had it not been for a single black duffle bag and a new scent that decorated the air. It was a familiar smell that spoke of strength and vitality.
“Nephilim…” He whispered to himself, kneeling down to unzip the duffle bag. There was a meager mixture of clothing for both a male and a female and a few weapons that didn’t look like they had seen much action.
“Very interesting.” He mused to himself, a smile dancing at the corners of his lips. From the looks of it, these weren’t shadowhunters that lived strictly by the covenant but if there was one thing he had learned in all of his many years, it was to never underestimate children of the Claive. Standing up, he pointed his finger at the farthest wall in the empty room and began to draw as if his finger was a pen. Words began to appear on the wall in what appeared to be yellow fire that read,
“Welcome, children of the Angel. Party next door, 8pm. Leave your weapons in the bag.” Taking a step back to admire his handy work, he grinned, calling out to Emma.
“Tonight will be a going away/ house warming party! We should get to work on sending out the fire messages.”

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X
Kieran rolled his eyes at his Parabatai as he started in on his next beer, making shorter work of it than the first. Luna was always trying to spare him the things she knew he disliked; he figured she would know by now that if he was unwilling, he wouldn’t even have brought it up. Though, if she was going to give him a way out of it, who was he to argue?
“Aye, alright. Just a bed then.” He paused, picking up a chip to nibble thoughtfully.
“Where exactly does one get a bed?” At her announced disdain for the food, he frowned at the piece of battered fish in his hand. It was pathetic, yes. Though it seemed to grow more enjoyable with each beer. He considered suggesting that Luna start drinking so she could enjoy it as well, but decided against it. Shoving the fish into his mouth, he signaled the waitress for the check, not even sparing a second glance at the phone number the blonde had left at the bottom of the bill as he pulled the correct amount of cash from his pocket.
“Where to then?” He asked his partner as they slid from the booth, casting one last sorrowful look at the bar and all the alcohol he wasn’t currently able to consume.

Luna took a few more bites of the food just to fill up her stomach with something before finishing off her drink. She wore a slightly disdained look on her face due to her disappointment. She had been hoping her first meal away from plane food and snacks would have been something to rave about, but alas it was not.
"Where exactly does one get a bed?" Kieran's voice brought her back to the current dilemma at hand. She was glad that he didn't mind her sparing him the difficulties of shopping. She knew he would have went with regardless of how bored it would have made him, however she could be quite difficult when it came to shopping. Then, there was the whole messy job of getting a bed all the way up to the eighth floor in the first place. She was starting to think that maybe sleeping on the floor would be a much more viable option.
"Well, I would assume we must make our way to some sort of furniture store. I'm sure in a big city like this they will have plenty of them. Shouldn't be too hard to spot one." She stopped speaking in order to shake some ice from the cup into her mouth, chomping down on it hoping to fill her stomach up the rest of the way with liquid instead of solid food. Luna watched with wondering eyes as the blonde sauntered back over to the table with their check, she noticed the number at the bottom and almost chuckled to herself. Kieran seemed not to care or notice and left the exact amount of money they owed, not even a tip. Hmph, not like they deserved it anyway, lousy Americans and their horrible imitations of other countries delicacies, they should stick to their own dishes.
Luna once again looped her arm through Kieran's, pulling him away from the bar and out into the city life. She matched her pace with his as the traveled along the city streets until a decent looking furniture store caught her eyes. Once inside her eyes scanned all of the beds until she found a wonderful king sized bed with a canopy overhead. She waved a store clerk over and spoke animatedly.
"I would like to buy this bed, could you bring it to our apartment? We can pay whatever the extra is for the shipping cost. You see, I'm just a tiny little girl and my friend here, though he is rather strong, is just as fatigued as me. We just traveled all the way here from Greece and arrived today. It would be greatly appreciated. We live in the really big nearby apartments, on the eighth floor." The clerk was clearly won over by her and agreed to her terms, even saying he would have it shipped over and taken up to their room free of charge. Luna quickly pulled out her own wallet and handed him the cash needed for the bed before pulling Kieran back outside.
"Okay, now that that's over with we can head back home yeh?" She smiled up at him and stuck her tongue out, happy with the fact that she had managed to successfully bargain with the man.
Once back in the apartment complex Luna stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out the key, quickly opening the door and enjoying the fresh feel of the air conditioned room opposed to the hot outdoors. However, she quickly stopped in her tracks, her eyes scanning the writing that was now on their new homes wall.
"Welcome, children of the Angel. Party next door, 8pm. Leave your weapons in the bag." She frowned slightly, not very pleased that someone had decided to come in uninvited and ruin the precious white wall. However, she could only imagine how pleased Kieran would be with this news.

Emma, as per usual, was left with the majority of the pre-party work; Zane always found some reason to sneak away, each excuse ending with "The world depends on me, my dear." She picked up the well worn black book, filled with all the names of Zane's closest friends. It was quite a large book.
Sending fire messages was one of the few things Emma had completely mastered, thanks to the never ending need for them. Still, she never escaped the process without multiple burns. Sucking on a particularly nasty one on her thumb, Emma moved onto to her favorite part of setting up: cooking. She had been delighted when Zane had given her an enormous tome, filled with the many favorite dishes of any and every creature that would be attending his parties. Poison recipes were vague because only the most powerful should be able to wield them, where as cooking recipes were meant to be easily followed.
Pulling back her hair into a tight bun, Emma immediately set to work.
Two hours later, every surface of the kitchen was occupied by colorful nibbles. She leaned back and took in the sight, letting out an exhausted breath. Wanting to make up for her earlier screw up, she'd tried even harder to made her dishes that much more delectable. The few things she'd dared to try had been even better than she'd hoped. All that was left to do now was to turn on the music and make sure the door was wide open; Downworlders took great offense to shut doors. A steady beat quickly filled the cavernous apartment, as Emma made her way back to her room. True, parties weren't necessarily her friend, but she always felt the need to look nice. After a quick assessment of her closet, she chose a colorful tank, a sequined, mini skirt that always made her feel a tad bit wild, and flats to match her shirt. She never felt like doing much with her hair, so, instead, she shook it out of the bun and accepted it's slightly wavy appearance. Emma hesitated with her hand over her small make up bag. Normally, she settled for natural, but for some reason she couldn't get the glowing faces of the faerie woman out of her mind; they always made her feel so mousy. In the end, she brushed on some blush, a tad bit of mascara, and a smidge of lip gloss. Looking into the mirror, she knew she was no Faerie, but it was definitely an improvement.
The party was in full swing when Emma emerged from her room, surprising her with how fast everyone had arrived. The music had been turned up, the lights had been dimmed, and apparently a disco ball had been unearthed. Chuckling to herself, she made the terrifying journey through the boisterous crowd in search of her mentor. A group of vampires was her first guess, but, after realizing Zane was not present and receiving far too many hungry looks, she quickly sidled away. Emma finally found the warlock in the living room/dance floor, in the midst of performing the YMCA dance with a very elderly woman and a scantily clad nymph. For all Emma knew, the elderly lady could have been human.
"Zane! ZANE," Emma shouted, trying and seemingly failing to get Zane's attention. "Have the Shadowhunters arrived?"
Emma had seen the weapons in the abandoned duffel bag. Zane had said they were harmless, but she couldn't get over her paranoia. What if they were the type of Nephilim who could be bought, who acted as mercenaries? What if Zane was their target? Emma knew she didn't have much in the way of offensive skills, but she'd be damned if someone tried to kill her nutty warlock.

“You’re a bloody genius, Lulu.” Kieran mumbled into the fluffy pillow top mattress that now filled half of the master bedroom of the apartment. The mattress and frame had been delivered far quicker than he had expected, coming almost right after they had arrived back home to the awaiting fire message. The flickering words on their living room wall had thrilled him and the wide grin that had spread across his lips still painted his face. Not only did they now have a heavenly bed to crash on, but party throwing warlocks lived right next store. He figured he could get used to their new home very quickly. Rolling onto his side, he propped himself up onto his elbow to frown at his Parabatai.
“We should’a gone shoppin’. We have nothing to wear.” Clothing wasn’t exactly at the top of Kieran’s priority list, but he knew how trendy Warlocks were, the way you were dressed could be the difference between being turned into something unnatural or the more favorable response, being invited back. The music from next door had already begun to seep through the walls, the bass making the ground rumble. Rolling off of the bed, he crossed the room to where their duffle bag held their meager assortment of clothes and began pulling out the garments, tossing the unwanted items across the room. Settling on a black v-neck t-shirt and black jeans, he shot his friend a grin.
“You too, missy.” He instructed, pointing to the duffle bag before grabbing their bag of toiletries and disappearing into the bathroom to shower and dress.

Once they were showered and dressed, he pulled a small dagger out of their bag as an afterthought, slipping it into a small sheath on his ankle, hidden beneath his jeans. He tried to avoid fights when he could and weapons weren’t often needed for the two of them but he wasn’t stupid enough to go into a party of downworlders completely unarmed. Whether he lived by the Covenant or not, there were always those who despised Shadowhunters on sight and that could end badly for an unarmed Nephillim.
“Ready, Darlin’?” He grinned at his friend, grabbing her hand before pulling her out of the apartment and into the chaos next door.

X~X~X~X~X~X

Music had already begun to rattle the walls as the voices of party-goers filled the apartment as Zane frowned into his vast closet. He had been staring at the mountains of brightly colored, shiny material for nearly a half hour, none of the clothing seeming to jump out at him as a fitting outfit for the night. The clothes he had originally picked out had been a tasteful black suit with a canary yellow tie, figuring formal would be the most fitting considering this was technically an occasion of mourning for his dear lost Panda. Though he had immediately deemed the outfit far too depressing and had stripped back down to stare mournfully into his closet, hoping the proper clothing would pick themselves for him, but so far he had no such luck. With a sigh, he moved to his dresser to fetch the already half empty bottle of a neon blue liquid that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light of his bedroom. Not even bothering to poor the magical alcohol into a shot glass, he brought it to his lips and took a long drink. He could feel the burn of the booze slide all the way down his throat, warming him from the inside like liquid fire and the thought occurred to him that it was his party; he really didn’t need to put clothing on at all. It wouldn’t be the first time he had attended a bash with very little on. Though, the thought of the disapproving look on Emma’s face made him pull on pair of tight black pants that hung low on his hips but he decided that was all the time he was going to waste on getting dressed. With another glance in the mirror to make sure his black hair was spiking in the proper way and his patches of blue scales were glittering to his satisfaction, he grabbed the almost empty bottle from his dresser and sauntered his way out into the hall. Chuckling to himself about already getting a buzz before he even showed up at his own party after narrowly avoiding running head on into his door.

The apartment was already packed by the time he made his entrance and an enthusiastic “Woooooo!!” washed over the crowd as they all saw him enter. Grinning, Zane threw his hands up in the air as if to say, ‘Yes I have arrived. All is right in the world!’ before shouting
“Shots for Panda!!” And finishing off his bottle. With another woo from the crowd, everyone else finished their drinks as the music got turned louder. He stopped to chat or take a shot with different groups of downworlders as he moved through the crowd but he couldn’t seem to find the set of wings he was looking for. It didn’t take long for him to get pulled out onto the dance floor by a nymph whose name he figured he probably should have remembered. Halfway through the YMCA, a familiar voice echoed over the crowd and he turned to grin at his apprentice but faltered for a fraction of a second when his gaze found her. The shimmer of the disco light was dancing off of the sequins of her skirt, sending sparks of light dancing across her pretty face. He had gotten so used to her comfortable presence since she had come to live with him, the familiar brown hair tied back as she cooked or made things explode in the kitchen, the soft flutter of her wings when she was nervous or anxiously awaiting his approval on a task. But her appearance now, underneath the flashing lights with the way her wavy chestnut hair spilled down across her shoulders or the way the unfamiliar makeup highlighted her face that was so often scrunched up in concentration or self doubt sent a shock through him that was anything but the normal sense of comfort he usually felt when he saw her. Finally recovering from his shock, he realized she had been trying to ask him something he was going to say no, he hadn’t seen them when a strange shift in energy washed over the crowd. His gaze moved to the front door where two young Nephillim had slipped in, causing a smile to spread across his lips. Turning back to Emma, he nodded in the direction of the door.
“They just walked in, my dear.” For a moment, he found himself torn between wanting to go greet his new guests or pulling Emma out on the dance floor with him, but he figured there would be plenty of time for the latter. Taking her by the hand, he began to weave them through the crown to the two shadowhunters, taking in their appearances as they approached. They didn’t look like your typical children of the Angel, they were both very attractive, which wasn’t surprising but they both had a sense of ease to them that was so unlike their kin. The boy especially looked thrilled to be there while the girl who seemed to be hiding behind her companion looked less sure.
“Well hello neighbors, so glad you could come. The name is Zane, you may have heard of my, most people have.” He flashed them both a smile and gave a little bow before pulling them both into a hug.

Luna beamed at the praise her parabatai shot at her, knowing she had done quite well in choosing the perfect bed. It would be much better than crashing on the floor for the night and as a bonus they didn't even have to drag it here all by themselves.
"We should’a gone shoppin’. We have nothing to wear.” Kieran's words shook her out of her happiness and she frowned looking down at herself. There was no way she was going to a party looking the state she was now. Although she didn't even like parties to begin with she knew how Warlocks were, they loved pretty things, as did faeries and most downworlders. Sighing to herself Luna searched her duffel bag pulling out a strapless white dress that was tight around the waist but flowed outward and down to right above her knees and had pretty lacing at the bottom. She quickly changed into it, put on a pair of silver flats, took her hair out of it's ponytail and let it down, and finally pulled out her array of makeup.
With a quickness that could only suggest she was used to getting ready fast Luna applied silver eyeshadow, black mascara, and black eyeliner. She had no need for cover-up or foundation because of the fact that her skin had always been pale and smooth with no acne or blemishes of the sort. Finally ready Luna scrambled over to look at herself in front of the mirror. She scrunched her face up and sighed. Normally, for an occasion like this she would have taken the time to curl her naturally straight hair, pick out matching jewelry, a better outfit, and possibly do something more fabulous with her makeup but sadly she didn't have the time.
"Ready, Darlin’?" Her friends voice rang out loud, clear, and full of excitement. He didn't even give her time to reply before he grabbed her and whisked her out the door. "As ready as I'll ever be, I look horrible you, you know. I wish we would'a had more time to get ready." Her voice made her disapproval apparent, however, there was no use in arguing or trying to turn back now, they were already inside the Warlocks home.
The first thing that hit Luna, as always at Warlock parties, was the noise. Second, was the array of beautiful and exotic colors. So many people...or well not really people as much as Vampires, Faeries, and other Warlocks were sauntering around getting as drunk as they could. Luna cowered behind Kieran, already feeling utterly shy and lost in a place such as this.  
“Well hello neighbors, so glad you could come. The name is Zane, you may have heard of me, most people have.” The Warlock standing in front of them suddenly was as magnificent at they come with his scaly patches of skin, bright keen eyes, gorgeous smile, and sense of self. Luna could tell right away by how comfortable he was that he did this kind of thing often. Before she could even utter a word she was pulled into a hug and could almost feel herself panicking. She hated how open Warlocks were sometimes, hugging strangers was not her forte.
"Uh..hello, nice to meet you. Thank you for inviting us, Kieran really does love his parties." Luna's small singsong voice rang out, but she feared it was drowned out by the music. Unsure if the Warlock heard her or not she contemplated on speaking out again, however decided to remain quiet.

Emma had almost completely given up hope of ever getting across to Zane, when his eyes finally found her amongst the many party goers vying for his attention. Halfway between recognition and a response, something changed in his expression. The nymph pawed at his arm insistently, missing her now completely unfocused dance partner. But, Zane seemed to have completely forgotten about her, his focus was so clearly zeroed in on his apprentice. Emma felt the usual discomfort that came with any excessive amount of attention, and, yet, a sense of superiority started to form, as she glanced at the retreating back of the spurned drama queen.
Back in the quiet of the bathroom, she'd compared herself to the ethereal faeries and had found herself lacking. But, surrounded now with the erratic pulse of the party, Zane appeared to be really looking at her for the first time. And, he didn't look disappointed. It was a feeling she could see herself getting used to.
Before Emma had fully explored the meaning of his look, Zane's gaze flicked over to the front door, a smile on his face. Emma followed his gaze to settle on an attractive couple, apparently just now arriving. It only took her a second to figure out who and, more importantly, what they were.
“They just walked in, my dear," Zane replied, confirming her thoughts.
The two Nephilim seemed to be nothing like what she had imagined. The boy seemed as happy as a kid on Christmas morning, while the girl, what little could be seen from behind the boy's back, seemed almost as timid as Emma herself. Of course, Zane wasted no time, taking Emma by the hand and forcing her to tag along in what was surely going to be a very warm introduction.
“Well hello neighbors, so glad you could come. The name is Zane, you may have heard of me, most people have," Zane announced, his voice seeming to dwarf the monumental waves of chatter emitting from every corner of the apartment.
The boy Nephilim's enthusiasm was even more noticeable up close. Emma, however, was more focused on his companion, more visible now that she'd emerged from hiding. She was a tiny pixie of a person, her blonde hair and blue eyes making her look like the stereotypical image of an Angel. Peeking out from behind her lovely locks, the girl took a second to admire the prominent figure that was Zane. Though Emma had witnessed many such reactions before, the sight of the newcomers eyes roving over her mentor caused her stomach to twist ever so slightly, her expression taking on a slight frown. Zane, oblivious as usual, brought both into a bear hug, only letting them go after he'd swung them around a few times. Without even fully forming the action in her mind, Emma strode forward and hooked her arm through Zane's.
"I'm Emma. I'm a warlock too," Emma announced, immediately regretting her pathetic attempt to impress. "Well, more like a warlock in training. Zane's my mentor."
Emma's cheeks were burning, as she forced her gaze down to her hands....that were presently curled around the corded muscle of Zane's very bare bicep. She snatched her hands away in the space of a millisecond, her blush becoming even more pronounced. No wonder the girl had been staring. The sight of a shirtless Zane was very....debilitating.

Kieran couldn't help the delighted laugh that escaped his lips as the warlock twirled them around in a hug, part of his joy was from the embrace and the other from the look of terror he could only imagine was in his parabatai's eyes.
"I'm Kieran, and this is me mate, Luna." He said, placing a protective arm around his friend. His gaze however moved over Luna and to the female warlock standing next to Zane, her cheeks burning red from obvious embarrassment, the hue even noticeable in the dim party light. He offered her one of his dazzling smiles and gave a polite nod of his head.
"Nice to meet you too, love. I have to say, I've heard of the magnificent Zane but it seems the rumors have left out the beauty of his apprentice." He gaze Zane a wink and a smile.
"I'd keep her all to myself if she were mine as well, mate"

X~X~X~X

Zane's grin spread from ear to ear as he took in the two young shadowhunters in front of him, both so exquisitely beautiful in their own way. He could tell right away that he meant to keep them as his own. He could do that right? Taking in stray Nephilim couldn't be much different then taking in stray animals. They acted much the same. As long as he kept them out of his bedroom and away from the abyss that had swallowed Panda, they would live long happy lives with him. Zane was so enthralled in his new pets that he had hardly noticed Emma's touch or that she had spoken at all, his eyes focused on the pair in from tof him.
"Your mate, Luna? Like mate as in mates for life destined only to breed with one another in a boring monogamous relationship like penguins. Ooooor, mate as in the charming way of saying simply non-sexual, she may want more but you're too much fun to notice kind of way? Because I much like the second one." He and Kieran shared a laugh as the boy clearly stated that they were mates not mated and wrapped an arm around each of the newcomers shoulders as lead them to the bar.
"Splendid! Then let us drink and maybe by the end of the night I will end up mated to one of you!". Zane was so excited to get the two of them beverages that he walked right past his apprentice without notice, humming merrily to himself as he led the way. He didn't even turn around when Kieran looked back over his shoulder at Emma to offer her a small apologetic smile, the boy obviously being the only one that noticed that the eccentric warlock had left his apprentice standing alone in the entrance hall.
"Coming?"

Luna noticed the look that Kieran was giving the warlock's apprentice and shook her head ever so slightly, not so that anyone would notice but more so for her own benefit. She could tell already that this girl would be her friends next conquest, if that was the right word to use for it. She only hoped that the girl wouldn't be hurt in the process, though it didn't seem like she was really all that interested in Kieran. Luna watched as the girl grabbed on to her mentor possessively before showing obvious embarrassment at her actions through the very noticeable blush on her face. So this girl had a thing for her mentor...Luna wondered if the great and almighty Zane would notice. Soon however her thoughts were taken away from the girls feelings for Zane as the Warlock spoke.
"Your mate, Luna? Like mate as in mates for life destined only to breed with one another in a boring monogamous relationship like penguins. Ooooor, mate as in the charming way of saying simply non-sexual, she may want more but you're too much fun to notice kind of way? Because I much like the second one." Luna's cheeks burned a bright red, not from embarrassment as much as from anger. She may want more? Why would it have to be her who wanted more? Because she was the woman and Kieran was the man? Or was it so obvious that Kieran would never and could never think of her as more than a friend? She had to admit, the thought of being with Kieran had never really occurred to her. They had always just been friends and nothing more. Not that he wasn't funny, charming, and handsome. It was just that he treated her more as a sister than anything, and she treated him as more than a brother than anything. They never once had flirted, and the notion of that thought struck her as a bit odd now that she really examined it. Did Kieran find her repulsing? Was she uglier than she had imagined?
The laughter that both the warlock and her parabatai shared made her feel even more uncomfortable. It was as if they shared some kind of inside joke on why she could never be considered as a mate. Why was she even allowing something like this to bother her so much? Luna huffed quietly, her eyes scanning the crowd of people trying to find some kind of excuse to get away from the two men.
"Splendid! Then let us drink and maybe by the end of the night I will end up mated to one of you!". Zane's excited voice rang through the air and Luna allowed for her eyebrows to arch up in amusement. This time when she spoke her voice was loud and clear, she did not worry about whether anyone heard her. "Oh, I'm sorry sir but I didn't come to this party to mate with anyone, let alone a warlock whom I barely know. I'm not interested in mating now, or anytime soon." She smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes in an innocent way though her voice portrayed otherwise. This man was so full of himself that he didn't even notice how his own apprentice was so obviously infatuated with him. The poor girl, Luna would be damned if she ended up mated with the likes of someone like him.
"Though I'm sure Kieran would be delighted! He loves having a good time, so why don't you go ahead and have him all to yourself? I'm going to wonder around and see if I can find something interesting to do." As quick as a cat Luna slithered out from under the warlock's arm and disappeared into the crowd. She suddenly didn't want to be here, among all of these strangers, feeling totally and utterly out of place. A pang of homesickness filled her as she envisioned the rolling hills of Scottland, of home. The safe institute, not moving around every few months. She wanted to be anywhere but here, however, until Kieran was ready to leave she supposed she would be a good friend and stay.
Luna's eyes scanned everything around her until she spotted a glass full of a magenta colored drink. She usually wasn't one to be found drinking but she needed something to calm her nerves. Picking up the glass her blue-green eyes stared into it wondering whether it was a safe choice to drink the concoction. Shrugging her shoulders Luna tilted back her head, lifted the drink to her lips, and quickly downed it all within a few gulps. Now then...to find something to do..