Nikolai files into the room, his head on a swivel and checking everywhere he can, but as his gaze roams the room they fall upon some fresh sushi being prepared and his eyes seem to stick there. He notices the tension and assumes much of it has to do with Alexi being held captive. ”Not to call away from everything that’s happened, but perhaps we could get some hot tea and some food. I’m starvin.”  He gathers everyone around and draws out one of the cards from his deck and tosses it into the air, where it hovers above his head and the filth from the sewers seems to suddenly disappear. He looks at his companions. “Anyone else?”

"OH Nikolai... I adore you!" Alaris cries out as the wretched funk of the sewer is scoured away by warlock arcanery. "And yes - I could eat my weight in spicy tuna right now!"

Nikolai smirks at Alaris’ adoration. “They are do, darlin’.” He adds with a wink. He turns to Ling. “My magic can remove the dirt and the smell, but not so much with your hair. You may want to freshen that up a bit in the restroom.” He gives her a knowing, fatherly look as he glances down quickly at her shaking hands. “Go on now! Quickly! I’m not waiting on you to order!“ 

“Julia, somewhere to sit and talk... privately? You called us to your meeting and we were assaults by demons... twice. AND we missed dinner. You might assume that I’m not entirely enthused by these turn of events.”

As they climb out of the sewer, Ling breathes a sigh of relief. The noise and smells of the busy restaurant wash over her. At Nikolai's words, she makes a point of looking at her hair which is indeed pretty dishevelled at this point. "Ugh, you are right! Order me some chicken udon please!" She makes a beeline for the restrooms where she pushes open the door of the first free stall. Fishing the small mother-of-pearl inlay pillbox out of her jacket pocket, she shakily rolls up her sleeves and applies some balm to the back of her hands and her underarms. Ling lies her head back against the cool tiles and takes a moment to breathe. Okay, you're alright now. She feels the world glide back into focus, the raw edge of her restlessness fading away until she is completely calm again. She can now hear her friends talking in the restaurant and her stomach makes a loud rumbling noise. The shadowhunter takes a little time fixing her hair and outfit in the mirror and then rejoins the others.

The group is shown through to a dingy, but spacious, back room with a single oval-shaped table in a pool of light in the middle. Six chairs stand vacant around it and the shadowy edges of the hall are strewn with wooden crates and cardboard boxes. Most of these are marked as restaurant supplies. Rice. Cutlery. Tablecloths. Atop and about the containers loiter ten figures, some in the attire of kitchen staff or waiters, others dressed in street clothes. The Newsky pack, or those who are present at least.

"Sit." Evgeny instructs the new arrivals, gesturing to the table. "Food come soon."

Julia struts in like she owns the place and the way the body language of those watching shifts makes it seem like this is likely.

"They tell me Maxim did make it out," she announces, stripping her feet out of her filthy boots and propping them up on the table. "He knows the tunnels better than any of us. Sofia tells me he took another path."

She stretches her aching arms and twists her neck in an effort to loosen the tension.

"Leo says hobgoblins warriors have Alexi in silver shackles. They're bringing him to Sosnovka. If they pass with him into the faerie realm we'll never get him back. Will you help us? He's the only one who knows where in the city these 'Bastards' are based."

As she talks Evgeny returns with a platter of steaming Japanese food.

Alaris glances at the rest of the Shadowhunters. Being the new kid in town, they're not about to speak for anyone else, so Alaris takes care of the problem in the short-term by focusing on the task of setting a personal record for spicy tuna consumption.

"Udon, gyoza, sushi - YES! All my favourites!" Ling piles her plate high with food and tucks in. Even though shadowhutners are known to train hard and thus eat lots, the quantities that her and Alaris wolf down within minutes seems impossible for their small frames. Before serving herself some mochi for dessert, Ling takes a moment to talk to Julia. "I'm glad Maxim made it out. We know Sosnovka park - and we will help you. Any information you can give us now could be important: how many warriors took Alexi? what weapons did they have?" She pauses to think. "We'll be at a disadvantage in this area, it belongs to the faeries and nature will be on their side. But I agree with you, we have no choice. If they take him through to Faerie, there is nothing we can do."

"Ling, if we don't stop, we're both gonna birth these food babies right here and no one wants that!" Alaris groans, rubbing their belly and smiling. "No wait, I need that dumpling right there!" The shadowhunter skewers the last gyoza off Ling's platter with their hashi and pops the evasive smackerel of deliciousness into their mouth with glee.

"Ahh... corners all filled up now. So where we going?"

Ling pauses with her chopsticks mid-air, holding a soft, delicious chocolate mochi. "I was saving that!" She snaps the mochi in half and flings it at Alaris' hair. "You did not just steal my last gyoza!" She grabs another mochi and aims right for Alaris' face, grinning. "Thieves must be punished, by the Angel, it is the law!"

Caio is equally relieved to be out of the sewers and cleaned. He listens to the conversation while scarfing down food, not quite as vocally as the others but with equal fervor. The emerging food fight between Ling and Alaris elicits an eye roll from him before he clears his throat in a pointed effort to get things back on track. "Julia, you said he's the only one who knows where the fey are based? Do you think that's why they took him?"

Alaris holds up a finger. "Ah ah ah - the gentle man of wisdom speaks and we must honor him with our attention." The young paladin turns and gazes at Caio rapturously, worshipfully -- but watching for Ling and her treacherous mochi attacks out of the corner of their eye. Somehow, they seem unaware of the sticky rice dumpling full of ice cream melting into their hair.

Ling giggles and considers flinging a piece of mochi at Caio, but decides to listen to Julia instead. "Alright, alright! Careful Alaris, don't drool on the table." She sticks out her tongue at her friend.

Julia takes a swig from a bottle of sake and wipes her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket.

"Not the fey. The so-called 'Bastards of Edom'. The coven of Warlocks that has been causing trouble in the city. The fey are working for them, but I expect the Bastards just want Alexi gone. Leo says there are at least four of them. A hobgoblin captain and his warriors."

"Well, hopefully there's nothing more to it. I guess we'll rest tonight and hunt them down tomorrow?" he asks to his companions.

"We can take out four fey warriors! And we can't wait until sunrise, unseelie prefer to move at night, so they're probably doing this tonight" Ling smiles at the others. "I do pay attention to Anatoly, you know, sometimes." She turns to Alaris, but she is almost intelligible as she bursts out laughing and points at their hair: "Are you going to finish that mochi or are we good to go?"

While the younger members of this little group indulge in food-based shenanigans, Nikolai spends some time thinking about the names of these warlocks while enjoying his dinner. "I don't know these warlocks directly, but obviously their name is a reflection upon the lower planes. Perhaps I could return to my shop and do some digging around to find a little more information on these Bastards. I do wonder what their specific issue is with your pack, Julia. Have you crossed any Underworlders recently? I have heard no rumors."

"It's territorial," she explains. "They started out further north, but have been moving south onto pack turf and we don't take kindly to their disgusting behaviour where we could be held responsible. Alexi has worked hard for a good working relationship with the Clave. He has no desire to jeopardise that."

Nikolai nods his understanding. “Simple enough. That is good, it means we have something with which we can work.”

Alaris stares daggers at Ling, then smiles sweetly and swings their head to make their hair flip towards the front. They pop the mochi-laden hank of hair into their mouth and suck the dessert right off of it.

"Ready when you are, darlings!"

Ling's facial expression is somewhere between disgusted and impressed as she gets up: "Let's go save this puppy then!" She catches Caio's eye and goes straight for the door, seemingly enthusiastic about the prospect of another battle. Perhaps, she is also trying to avoid Caio asking any further questions, one can not be sure.