Magnus studied his dark blue glittering nail polish. In the dim light which the limo let in through its darkly tinted glass, they shimmered and gleamed whenever he moved his hands even the slightest bit. They were bright and unique, no other male celebrity he had met would dare making such a statement, but then again, Magnus wasn't like most other male celebrities.
He supposed it was what the people loved best about him.
It was a pretty color, he mused to himself, looking at his slender fingers, each painted the deep color. Yet, maybe it was just a bit...dull. Magnus Bane hated being dull. Perhaps he would repaint them later, maybe a bright shade of scarlet or perhaps violet. Of course, he had people who would do it for him, but this was something he quite preferred to do on his own. It was his own way of relaxing, he supposed, it was a way for him to get away from all the attention and work he had to deal with. He observed his nails more carefully, then again, he hadn't used green nail polish in a while.
He was still thinking about the colors his nails should be when the limo rolled to a smooth stop. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the soft, familiar dark spikes which had been caked with glitter for the occasion. Glitter was perfect for any occasion.
He heard people outside hurry to open his door, and the second the door was open, he was met with the bright, blinding flashes of cameras. An orchestra of cheers and questions came rushing into his ears all at once, thundering and chaotic. Magnus remembered the first movie premiere he had gone to, Catastrophic Magic, in which he had played the main, dashing character, a young prince with a flair for adventure. When he had first stepped out for the first time, he had been a bit overwhelmed by all the commotion. He could barely hear himself think all over the loud shouts, and he had wanted to back up immediately into the limo and order the driver to drive away as fast as possible. He was used to it now, though, and put on his usual confident smirk for everyone.
Magnus strode down towards the looming building in front of him, which was known as the Institute. The Institute was a very famous hall, where all the finest and fanciest parties, balls, and galas were all held by only the most famous celebrities. The entire place was a work of art itself, and Magnus took a bit of time to admire its fine architecture as he walked down towards the door. It loomed over him, made out of thick concrete and engraved with elegant designs, all the way down to the double, large mahogany doors. Pretty statues of people clothed fancily sat by a couple of the balconies, waving out wordlessly to him.
He blocked out most of the sounds, ushered along by his bodyguards.
"I have no clue why they go insane over you," murmured one of them, the voice was gruff and familiar. A small smile curled his lip when he recognized it instantly. It was one of his bodyguards, Mr. Ragnor Fell, shoving a few rowdy limbs and microphones out of the way as they made their way. Ragnor had been guarding and protecting Magnus since his third movie premiere, and had always been a very major nuisance to Magnus. He was also one of his very best friends.
"I am fabulous," he replied, lowering his voice and leaning in more towards Ragnor to be heard over the cheers of his fans and the loud questions of the reporters. Ragnor grumbled something back to him, but his words were swept away abruptly with the sounds of the crowd.
One reporter, a little thing with fiery red hair, rushed over to him. Magnus recognized from the microphone she held in her hand that she was from Shadowhunter Gossip, but he knew that company very well and had never seen her before.
She turned to her loyal cameraman, which was a thin, rake-like young man with curling brown hair.
"Move the camera a bit closer, Simon!" she told him, and the cameraman, Simon, Magnus guess, obliged immediately.
"Clary Fairchild here," she said brightly, she really did remind Magnus of a little fairy. Seriously, all she was missing was the pixie dust and diamond-like wings.
"Clary Fairchild here with Shadowhunter Gossip," she said again, holding her microphone steady, "And here we are with Mr. Magnus Bane, about to head to the annual Accords Party!"
Her green eyes flashed as she turned to Magnus, and he gave her a little smile. He supposed she was endearing, unlike some of the other reporters he had encountered, which had been nothing but far too perky. This girl, Clary, sounded like a true reporter, trying to get the latest scoop for the viewers at home.
"Tell us, Mr. Bane," she said, "What are you wearing?"
Magnus looked down for a moment on his outfit. He always personally chose his outfits, although more than once his manager had insisted that he let the professionals choose for him. For the Accords Party he had decided on a shimmering, violet blazer which fit neatly and curved nicely into his broadened shoulders, and a white T-shirt with a graphic design of a crown on it. He wore leather pants, and his belt dangled with lovely golden chains, hooking around his waist and swaying gently and gleaming whenever he took a step. On his feet were black dress shoes, polished until they were almost gleaming. He smiled into the camera, leaning down slightly to let his words fall against the microphone Clary was holding up to him.
"Well Clary," he said calmly, "If you must know, I'm wearing something that's a bit of a combination. This wonderful, elegant blazer you see before you was designed by a close friend of mine and a tasteful designer, Ms. Camille Belcourt. The pants were designed by Mr. Alexei De Quincy, and my shoes by the fabulous Mr. Woolsey Scott."
"And your shirt?" Clary pressed him, just like he had known she would.
"Why this is just a little something from my own collection," Magnus couldn't help flaunting a bit, "Don't worry, soon my entire new line will be available everywhere. Designed all by yours truly."
Clary beamed up at him, by the angel, he thought to himself, she was just the cutest thing. Too bad she wasn't his type.
"Thanks," she had lowered to microphone to speak softly and privately to him, "I'm new at Shadowhunter Gossip, and I really want to impress them. Hopefully this impresses them."
"Oh you're doing great," Magnus told her, and he really did mean it, "Just keep it up."
Clary opened her mouth to say something else, but her sharp eyes shifted over and fall on something else. She let out a quick gasp, clutching her microphone tighter.
"Simon, get over there!" she told her cameraman, who looked equally excited right then, "I think that's William Herondale!"
Magnus couldn't help chuckling to himself right then. Will, the young spritely newer actor he had met on the set of Broken Hearted was quickly catching the attention of everyone, with his blazing sapphire eyes and ink-black hair. He had no doubt that the young actor was going to be one of the biggest heartthrobs in the celebrity world for quite some time.
He was still chuckling to himself as he strode into the Institute. Inside was much calmer, and Magnus let out a small breath of relief he hadn't realized that he had been holding. There was a man in a crisply folded white suit with neatly parted there, in his hand was a thin tablet, his other hand poised over it.
"Name?" he asked, keeping his tone indifferent.
Magnus tossed his head, "I think you already know, but if you must, Magnus Bane."
The man nodded approvingly at the tablet, tapping at something. No doubt he was signing Magnus in. Once he had the gesture of approval, Magnus entered the party, his signature smirk still stuck on his face.
Instantly, a few servers rushed over, balancing sparkling glasses of expensive champagne on platters. He selected one, thanking the eager servers and taking a small sip. Music softly drifted out through the room, pleasing to the ear. People winded around each other, a couple were dancing but most of them were simply talking and gossiping among themselves. He grinned to himself, even the famous relied on the latest news to fuel their world to go round.
"Magnus!" came a familiar female voice. He turned sharply to see a pretty girl, only a few years younger than him, maneuver quickly around a couple of dancers and actors to get by his side. She had smooth brown hair that had been let loose over around her face, spilling over to her pretty willowy shoulders. Her skin was the color of a lily's petal, and the large gray eyes that dominated her face made her look almost childlike. She was dressed a bit simpler than some of the other guests, in a lovely light gray, sleeveless dress that shimmered around as the fabric swished around her delicately. It fit to her figure nicely, and made her seem a bit more mature, and it really did bring out the mixed shades of her eyes that glittered beautifully.
"Tessa Gray," Magnus said, pleased, "Glad that you could make it."
Teresa, or Tessa Gray was a teen fiction author. Her latest romance novel, which had been a huge hit had been made into a movie. Will Herondale had gotten the lead male role in the adaption, and Will's best friend, Jem Carstairs had gotten a role as well. He remembered interviews on different talk shows with them, and how the three of them seemed to all flow with simple energy, and how they could be so comfortable with each other. There was some sort of odd connection between them, one that Magnus didn't see very often in this world. Yet, he couldn't help wondering to himself if it would bring them even closer together against the cruel, cold parts of this earth, or if it would tear them apart and destroy each other.
Magnus and Tessa had met when they had both been on a popular talk show on the same day. The pretty, but plain young author hadn't really caught his attention at first, and it had been her to try and strike up a conversation. It turned out that she was smarter than she looked, and was able to pick up any subject of conversation easily and make it interesting. There was simply something, something natural and easy about her that made her so likeable. After that talk show, he had invited her out for a bit of brunch, and she had agreed. And so, their friendship continued to grow.
"My first Accords Party," Tessa said, brushing a bit of her dark hair behind a small ear, "It's a bit much, don't you think?"
Magnus looked about at the fancy party, smiling to himself.
"In this world of fame and fortune," he told her, "Nothing is too much."
Tessa laughed lightly, amused, "I'm just going to have to get used to it."
They talked more for a bit, until she drifted off when she noticed Jem Carstairs, a rising actor as well as musician, enter the party. Magnus set down his now empty glass of champagne, and let himself be pulled into the beautiful and serene mood of the entire place. He noticed that there were a few reporters and photographers from different companies and TV channels scattered about, hurrying to talk to some celebrities or snapping away in a craze at everything they saw.
He noticed one quiet figure, standing out more in the shadows, with the most enchanting blue eyes.