"So, what's it like working as such a successful actor?" Alec looked down at the next question on his notebook. His pencil remained steady at the blank lines he had left below so he could jot down Magnus's answer as quickly as possible. So far, the interview was going smoothly, and Alec could feel himself relaxing slightly, and the edge that had seemed to be chipping into his shoulder before had almost completely disappeared.
Magnus, Alec was beginning to realize, had a very...flamboyant taste in fashion.
For the interview, and apparently what he thought was more appropriate was a sky-blue, V-neck sweater and tight white jeans with a large symbol of a black paw print over one thigh. Magnus had tossed on a hot-pink scarf as well, embroidered with silver thread in the pattern of diamonds dotting across the vibrant fabric as if they were little jewels. He was barefoot, but on his feet were pale yellow socks with a design of fluffy ducklings across them. Alec guessed that Jace would've disapproved of those socks a lot, maybe even attempt to burn them. Jace had a strange, irrational dislike of ducks, and even he himself didn't quite understand it. Still, the strange and irrational things about Jace were what made him so interesting to Alec, and so wonderful. He shook the thoughts off quickly, he shouldn't have been thinking of Jace right then, and he managed to catch Magnus's answer just in time.
"It's very interesting," Magnus replied, pausing every now and then to give Alec enough time to jot down notes, "it's never boring. I get to travel to all sorts of beautiful places around the world to work, and I'm always playing different characters with all sorts of different personalities. I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world."
Alec nodded, his scrawling letters covering some of the page. He moved on to the next question. Magnus shifted into a more comfortable position, propping himself up with one bent arm and sprawling out across the champagne-colored couch across from the dark red armchair Alec himself was sitting on. Magnus reminded Alec a bit of a leopard, lounging across the furniture like a large, lazy cat, waiting for his next unfortunate prey to stumble by him. Alec could feel Magnus's bright and enchanting eyes focused on him, but he tried to ignore the stare he got from him.
"And how about the other people you work with? What do you think of the directors and your co-stars that you work with?"
"Oh most of them are great to be around," he said, "Most of the directors and other actors and actresses I have worked with are really amazing. They take their jobs seriously but make working on different films a lot of fun. Some of them, though, can be a bit annoying at times..."
Alec remembered a couple of snarky comments that Magnus had once made about the famed beauty, Jessamine Lovelace on a TV show once about her upbringing and sense of fashion. He also recalled Magnus's looks of boredom and thinly veiled annoyance in a couple of photos that they had taken together when Jessamine had written part of the soundtrack for one of the movies Magnus had been starring in. He decided not to comment, though.
"And what about the people you work with?" Magnus asked suddenly. He swung his legs below him on the sofa and leaned towards Alec slightly, his hands folded and braced beneath his slender chin.
"Um, pardon?" Alec looked up from his notebook, his eyes widening slightly at the smirk Magnus was shooting him. This had happened a couple times in the interview, where Alec would ask Magnus a few questions, and Magnus would reply with a few questions of his own for Alec. In the end, Alec was usually able to steer the interview back on focusing to the famous actor, though, and Magnus would try again a bit later in the interview.
"You know," Magnus told him, "How are the people you work with? Little Clary Fairchild and her cameraman, stunning Isabelle, and Trace?"
"You mean Jace?" Alec looked confused.
Magnus waved his hand carelessly, "Yes, whatever Mr. Gold-and-Smoking's name is."
"They're great," Alec decided it'd be better if he just simply went along with it and answered Magnus's questions. Besides, from the glint in his green-and-gold eyes, it seemed as if he was truly interested.
"Isabelle's great on the TV shows and televised interviews," he went on, Magnus nodding his head slightly, "And she's always super supportive. Mom, she can be a bit harsh at times, but she always wants what's best for us, she just is not the best at showing it, she means well. And Clary and Simon are new to Shadowhunter Gossip, but they're friendly enough, and always trying to be helpful."
"And Jace?"
Alec paused for a moment, the boy's familiar features that he had all memorized glazed his vision, and for a few moments, it was all that he could see. He laughed softly, hoping that the nervousness and hidden secrets didn't show through in his softened voice.
"Well, Jace is Jace. I think you can already tell that I'm pretty much always in his shadow, but I don't mind. He's my best friend, and I don't think I've ever known anyone else I can really count on. Sure, he's a bit reckless sometimes, but that's what I'm there for, to help him clean up any messes he's made."
"You're not always in his shadow," Magnus said firmly.
Alec smiled at him, "Well, I pretty much am. No one really notices me when bright and shining Jace is around. It's okay, I like things the way they are."
"I notice you," Magnus replied, watching Alec intently, "Even when Jace is around, I just see you."
At this, Alec's face reddened. He could feel the sudden, unnatural flare of scarlet heat color his cheeks brightly. Embarrassment swelled inside of him, making his heart beat too fast for his own good. Magnus didn't seem flustered at all, or even slightly nervous after the words had slipped out of his mouth. If anything, he seemed even more pleased with himself, his mouth turning upwards even more than it had before. Alec felt flustered and odd, but there was also a bit of flattery, and he was surprised when he realized that he felt almost pleased by it. He cast his eyes downward, still feeling Magnus's unbreakable, silent and serene gaze on him, but there was a small, quirked smile lighting up Alec's face as well. It was an unusual feeling, rising and falling like butterflies in his chest that he had never encountered before.
They stayed like that for a moment before Alec let out an uncomfortable cough. He turned his face down, hiding slightly behind his notepad and hoped that Magnus didn't see that his face was still bright red.
"Well then," Alec tried to keep the tone of his voice steady and professional, that would've been what mother or Jace would've told him to do, "Let's continue with the interview, shall we?"
He flipped to the next page of his notebook, taking in some of Isabelle's looping, larger letters than his own. Izzy had helped him write some of the questions, and Alec hadn't had a lot of time to skim through all of them. She hoped that she hadn't written anything too demanding or awkward, but knowing his younger sister, he couldn't really tell. Alec would just have to trust that Izzy understood exactly how important this interview with Magnus would be to Shadowhunter Gossip. He couldn't afford to say anything that might accidentally alarm or offend Magnus.
"What's one of your favorite places you've been able to work at?" Alec felt relief blow in like a small wave in his chest. At least some of these would be normal questions.
Magnus tapped his chin, looking up to the ceiling as if he was thinking hard about the question.
"Well, I've had the incredible chance to work at a lot of cool places," he told her, "But I have to say my favorite must've been Peru. During Storm Breaker 2, the rest of the wonderful cast and I were able to stay at a couple of small towns there and admire the beautiful scenery and check out some of the coolest animals."
Alec noted a couple of the things Magnus told him, and encouraged him to go on, "Do you think you'll visit Peru again during some of your free time?"
Magnus grinned at him like a sly fox, "No."
"May I ask why?"
"Well, because soon afterwards the filming, I was informed that I was banned from visiting any of Peru ever again."
"Oh," Alec said uncomfortably. He figured that it'd be better not to ask.
"What's one of the favorite places you've been to then?" Magnus had once again returned the question directed towards Alec.
Alec couldn't meet Magnus's eyes, and felt strangely embarrassed. It was as if it was just suddenly dawning on him that he was in a room with one of the most successful actors of his time, someone who's life was so much more exciting than his own. The two of them came from entirely different worlds, and there might've been a chance that Alec would've never met Magnus at all under different circumstances. The two of them had never meant to meet, Magnus wouldn't even know that Alec existed if they hadn't just happened to meet during the Accords Party. He looked down at his old, worn sneakers, the scruffy laces had once been white, but grime and age had worn them down with patches of dark gray and frayed the edges. He would probably need a new pair soon. Alec mumbled something under his breath when it seemed as if Magnus was still waiting for an answer.
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Magnus said patiently, "what was that?"
"I've...never been anywhere else besides New York. I've never been out of the country or even the state."
Alec looked up to see Magnus's softened gaze. It wasn't pitiful, but it was one of full sympathy, making his eyes brighter than they had been before. He offered him a small smile, which Alec returned. No one had looked at him like that before, with so much patience and understanding, not even Jace or Isabelle.
"I would love to take you sometime," Magnus grinned at him spritely, "Venice and Japan are simply amazing, and Malaysia has some of the best food I have ever encountered."
Alec shook his head quickly, Magnus must've been joking, "It's okay, I love New York, it's my home."
"Just another quick question," Magnus leaned in once again more towards Alec, "How old are you exactly? Seventeen?"
Alec nodded, he saw no harm in answering another simple question, "Actually, yes, well, I'm turning eighteen in two weeks."
Magnus's eyebrows raised slightly, "Well, happy early birthday, Alexander."
"Oh, thanks."
Alec usually disliked being called by his full name. It was something that was more private to himself, something that he didn't want a lot of people using. Even Jace and Isabelle rarely called him that, and mother only ever used it along with his middle name if she was ever angry with him. Still, he found that he didn't mind Magnus using it. He liked the way it sounded in Magnus's mouth, and the way he seemed to say it so gently.
Alec wondered if there was something seriously wrong with himself.