#imasu

4. Imasu Morales (1890-1890) – Peru

They meet one night when Magnus is walking through the Plaza Republicana and he notices this beautiful man playing the charango. They like each other immediately and start a relationship. Magnus, at some point, is tempted to tell him everything about his past but he remembers how it hurts when someone rejects him or when he loses someone to death after loving them deeply (read more). In the end, he decides against sharing intimates aspects of himself.

This backfires somehow when Magnus, completely sure of his feelings, wants to ask Imasu to live together. Imasu breaks up with him instead:

It came as a shock when Imasu suggested, quite quietly: “Perhaps it is time for you and your friends to think of leaving Puno.” “What, without you?” Magnus asked. He had been lying sunning himself outside Imasu’s house, content and making his plans for a little way into the future. He was caught off guard enough to be stupid. “Yes,” Imasu answered, looking regretful about the prospect of making himself clearer. “Absolutely without me. It’s not that I have not had a wonderful time with you. We have had fun together, you and I, haven’t we?” he added pleadingly. Magnus nodded, with the most nonchalant air he could manage, and then immediately ruined it by saying, “I thought so. So why end it?” [...] “It’s you,” Imasu burst out. “It is the way you are. I cannot be with you any longer because I do not want to be.” “Please,” Magnus said after a pause. “Carry on showering me with compliments. This is an extremely pleasant experience for me, by the way, and precisely how I was hoping my day would go.” “You are just…” Imasu took a deep, frustrated breath. “You seem always… ephemeral, like a glittering shallow stream that passes the whole world by. Not something that will stay, not something that will last.” He made a small, helpless gesture, as if letting something go, as if Magnus had wanted to be let go. “Not someone permanent.” That made Magnus laugh, suddenly and helplessly, and he threw his head back. He’d learned this lesson a long time ago: Even in the midst of heartbreak, you could still find yourself laughing. Laughter had always come easily to Magnus, and it helped, but not enough. “Magnus,” said Imasu, and he sounded truly angry. Magnus wondered how many times when Magnus had thought they were simply arguing, Imasu had been leading up to this moment of parting. “This is exactly what I was talking about! “You’re quite wrong, you know. I am the most permanent person that you will ever meet,” said Magnus, his voice breathless with laughter and his eyes stung a little by tears. “It is only that it never makes any difference.”

The Bane Chronicles What Really Happened in Peru (1890)

The aftermath is disastrous: he gets extremely drunk and Ragnor and Catarina have to help him go through his (hangover and) broken heart.

 But, like love, fire didn’t last. “Do you think that eventually our kind becomes far enough removed from humanity that we transform into creatures that are untouchable and unlovable by humanity?” Magnus asked. Ragnor and Catarina stared at him. “Don’t answer that,” Magnus told them. “That sounded like the question of a man who doesn’t need answers. That sounded like the question of a man who needs another drink. Here we go!” He lifted a glass. Ragnor and Catarina did not join him, but Magnus was happy to make the toast on his own. “To adventure,” he said, and drank

The Bane Chronicles What Really Happened in Peru (1890)

This break up is probably the second one that hurt more, after the Camille one.

Positive aspects: passion, beauty.

Negative aspects: no honesty or seriousness.

Knowledge: Imasu knows nothing about him being a warlock.

Reason for breakup: Imasu was never in love and he was probably tired of the relationship.

5. In the books: Etta (1938-1950s) – New York

Etta is a singer and she meets Magnus in a club in 1938, where they dance and flirt. Their relationship becomes serious and Etta eventually discovers about the Downworlders and the fact that Magnus is a warlock. They share their love for dancing and music in general. Things start to change in 1953, when Raphael comes into Magnus’s life. Etta is talking more and more about the passing of time and how she would like to have a family one day (although not directly). Their relationship is still strong and they even talk about immortality.

“Would you want it?” Magnus asked at last, after a long time swaying together. He did not make the offer, but he thought it, that he could have it arranged. There were ways. Ways one might pay a terrible price for. Ways his father knew of, and Magnus hated his father. But if she could stay with him always— There was another silence. All Magnus heard was the click of his shoes, and the soft shuffle of her bare feet, on his wooden floors. “No,” said Etta, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. “No. If I could have it all my own way, I’d want a little more time with you. But I wouldn’t stop the clock for it.

The Bane Chronicles Saving Raphael Santiago (1953)

As much as honest and legit her answer is, it still hurts, because Magnus’s role in her life confirms to be fleeting and not substantial at all. This is confirmed by the reason behind their breakup: Etta wanted to move on and probably have a family. Magnus knows it and accepts it:

He was going home to an apartment that he suspected would feel slightly too empty, but soon he would invite Etta over, and she would dance with him and fill the rooms with love and laughter, as she would fill his life with love and laughter, for a little while yet before she left him.

The Bane Chronicles Saving Raphael Santiago (1953)

He continues to love her and keeps on visiting her, even when she is in a nursing home in 1977 and can’t recognize him anymore. She was Magnus’s last real lover before Alec.

He had spent the eighties in a strange cloud of misery, thinking of Camille, the vampire he had loved more than a century before. He had not loved anyone, not really loved them and had them love him back, since Etta in the fifties. Etta had been dead for years and years, and had left him before she’d died. Since then there had been affairs, of course, lovers who’d let him down or whom he’d let down, faces he now barely remembered, glimpses of brightness that had flickered and gone out even as he’d approached.

The Bane Chronicles What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway) (2007, same time as City of Bones)

Positive aspects: honesty, tender love.

Negative aspects: not too serious about settling down and accepting him completely.

Knowledge: Etta knows he’s a warlock and about Downworlders, but not about anything else.

Reason for breakup: Etta moved on to have a family.

5. In the show: Dorothea “Dot” Rollins (1920s?-1960s?) – New York

The show probably replaced Etta’s role with Dot as one of Magnus’s former lovers. Considering they refer to it as happening “almost a century ago” (2x13) and Dot not being with another warlock for the last “6 decades” (2x13), the dates should probably be correct, erasing Etta’s figure. They even share the same love for dancing and music.

What they had seems like one of those “best friends” relationships (similar to Climon) where the pair tries to make it work as a love relationship, without succeeding. They seemed to be honest with each other, with a tender love that feels more like friendship than passionate driven.

Positive aspects: loyalty, friendship, respect.

Negative aspects: no passion, too friendly.

Knowledge: Dot is a warlock as well but she doesn’t know about his family.

Reason for breakup: unknown. Probably they were more friends than lovers.

6. Kitty (1962-1962) – Peru

Kitty is (probably) a Spanish girl who meets Magnus by accident in Peru. Their relationship lasts only through the summer and it’s just about having fun: they steal from rich people and run from the police in different countries. She knows he can do magic because he used it to hide themselves. Neither of them were in love. It was a superficial and fun experience.

Positive aspects: fun.

Negative aspects: fleeting.

Knowledge: she knows he can do magic, but nothing else.

Reason for breakup: it was just about having fun for some weeks, so they mutually parted ways.

7. Alec Lightwood (2007/2016-?) – New York

Their relationship needs a meta of its own so I’m not going to be long here. It’s important however to notice that two people had a huge impact in his life: Camille and Alec. Etta/Dot and the unnamed woman mentioned at the beginning were surely relevant, but Magnus himself noticed how, with the passing of time, remembering them (and their deaths) doesn’t hurt as much as before. He’s, nevertheless, always bitter when it comes to Camille, even after more than a century; while we all know how important Alec is to him. Alec gave back hope to Magnus: hope to find love.

He had not loved anyone, not really loved them and had them love him back, since Etta in the fifties. Etta had been dead for years and years, and had left him before she’d died. Since then there had been affairs, of course, lovers who’d let him down or whom he’d let down, faces he now barely remembered, glimpses of brightness that had flickered and gone out even as he’d approached.

The Bane Chronicles What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway) (same time as City of Bones).

Or:

“I lost my keys maybe fifteen years ago,” Magnus explained. He really should get around to getting more keys cut. He didn’t really need them, though, and it had been a long time since there was anyone he wanted to have his keys—to have ready access to his home because he wanted them there anytime they wanted to come. There had been nobody since Etta, half a century ago.

The Bane Chronicles The Course of True Love (And First Dates) (same time as City of Bones).

At first, Magnus is afraid. First, he wasn’t ready at all. Second, after all the experience and bad situations he had to go through he’s not sure he’s ready to fall in love like he feels he will if he gets to know Alec Lightwood more:

It made no sense that his eyes had been drawn to Alec, over and over again. Alec had hung to the back of their little group, had made no effort to attract the eye. [...] Then Alec had smiled at one of Magnus’s jokes, and the smile had lit a lamp in his solemn face, making his blue eyes brilliant, and briefly taking Magnus’s breath away. And when Magnus’s attention had been held, he’d seen a flicker of returned interest in Alec’s eyes, a mixture of guilt, intrigue, and pleasure at Magnus’s attention.

The Bane Chronicles What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway) (same time as City of Bones)

Their falling in love is a slow and difficult journey, only in part because of circumstances (the Shadowhunters system); it is so mainly because of who they were when they started to know each other, and how they changed while falling in love.  Alec’s and Magnus’s character development, as two separate entities and characters, is extremely important to understand Malec, both in the books and in the show. The show manages to portrait that absolutely better, because they are more present and important to the main story. THAT is why Magnus’s relationship with Alec needs a whole meta of its own ;) Anyway, compared to the others, Alec feels like a “soulmate” and his true love, in the sense that he’s honest, pure and beautiful, and he can accept everything Magnus can offer, and give it back too. He doesn’t ask for favours for the sake of them but he genuinely wants to be with Magnus because he enjoys it.

[Magnus] waited, tense, and Alec said, “Can I see you again?” The words tumbled out in a rush, shy and eager and entirely uncertain of what Magnus would answer, and Magnus felt the headlong rush of adrenaline and excitement that came from the start of a new adventure. “Yes,” said Magnus, still lying on the floor. “I’d like that.” “Um,” said Alec, “so—next Friday night?” “Well...” Alec looked instantly worried, as if he thought Magnus was going to take it all back and say that actually he had changed his mind. He was beautiful and hopeful and hesitant, a heartbreaker who wore his heart on his sleeve. Magnus found himself wanting to show his hand, to take a risk and be vulnerable. He recognized and accepted this strange new feeling: that he would rather be hurt himself than hurt Alec. “Friday night would be fine,” Magnus said, and Alec smiled his brilliant, light-up-the-world smile and backed out of the apartment, still looking at Magnus.

The Bane Chronicles The Course of True Love (And First Dates) (same time as City of Bones)

This is Magnus’s most important relationship: he finally found someone whom he can trust with the knowledge of his family, his power and his vulnerabilities. Alec is not like the others, asking without giving, nor does he think any sacrifices wouldn’t be important. What they have is mutual respect and love.

Positive aspects: respect, passionate love, supporting each other.

Negative aspects: slow burn (could be considered as positive ;P).

Knowledge: Alec knows everything, family heritage included.

Honorable mentions