entranceway | 002 ↯ video

Um. All right, no one panic, but I may have underestimated these magic closets of ours and accidentally... done something.

_{[Anders' voice, sounding contrite. In the background, an unremitting stream of noise threatens to drown him out--it's meowing, rising and falling at different pitches like a tone-deaf a cappella group trying to harmonize and failing miserably.

The camera settles unsteadily on the hem of his robes before he sets it down and steps back. The source of the caterwauling then becomes apparent: in his arms are four young cats of various shapes and color, two tucked under each arm.

By the sounds of it, more are audible off-screen. Many, many more.]}

I wasn't thinking... Well, I was, I was thinking how much more homey this place would be with a cute cat or two, and then--and then they were just there, and everywhere, and now there are a few more than two. If you have cat allergies, stay off the fourth floor.

_{[As if on cue, a kitten on stubby legs capers across the floor behind him. Anders, noticing movement on the screen, squints closely for a second, then looks for the real thing over his shoulder.]}

One's making a run for it. Alistair! Alistair, catch it, my hands are full.

_{[From somewhere off among the caterwauling comes a response, the owner appearing shortly after--]}

I see it!

_{[Alistair runs past in the background, two cats under one arm and what is presumably another squirming about down his shirt. He comes back into view a moment later, the escapee cradled in his free hand. Shoving the kitten in Anders' face--where it proceeds to bat at his nose--he frowns at the other man.]}

This is getting ridiculous. We can't keep track of all of them. Is anyone coming to-- Ow!

_{[The yelp comes as the squirming under his shirt grows more energetic and with a slightly panicked look Alistair disappears from view again, kittens in tow. The only hint as to his fate comes as an increase in the mewling and the sound of fabric ripping mercifully out of sight.]}

I'm getting to that part!

_{[Anders stares after him, eyebrows drawn up in alarm, before dragging his eyes back to the camera.]}

Uhhh, it's okay, everything's fine, we have things completely under control, but as you can tell, we're in possession of some cats who could use a loving home! Soft, furry cats! Adorable, see? They're domesticated, easy to care for, and make excellent house pets. That one doesn't appear to be a fan of Alistair's shirt, but some are more fashion conscious than others.

I don't know if I can take care of them all. If you'd like to take one, we'll be giving them away free of charge in the ballroom. First floor, you can't miss it! _{[Anders then points a finger sternly, though the effect is mitigated by the wide-eyed kittens holding onto his arm.]} But no funny business. If you consider cats a delicacy, I'm warning you now, we're both heavily armed. People wanting to make mittens out of their fur need not apply.

_{(OOC: Come find the log over here!)}

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Sch... mooples?

_{[Okay, that gets his attention. Anders is momentarily distracted from the kitten debacle by a name that manages to put the Circle Tower's apprentice and her naming of the tower's mouser to shame.]}

You had a nug named Schmooples?

_{[Anders is learning something new about you ever day, L.]}

I did! He was a gift from a dear friend and traveled with us for a while.

[ ah, those were the days... ]

Is it so hard to believe?

_{[She doesn't sound like she's joking. Well, well, you learn something new every day.]}

I don't have any reason not to believe you. My Ser Pounce-a-lot was a gift from a friend, too. Unless you're having me on right now--and if that's the case, good on you. I'm just... surprised, I suppose.

_{[It's the polite way of saying he has a hard time imagining a nug wearing a collar with Schmooples written on it.]}

What happened to him?

[ it was a ribbon, not a collar. ]

He died. Old age, I suspect. I had him for nearly a decade before he passed.

[ but that's not the interesting thing here-- ] I assume Ser Pounce-a-Lot was a cat? [ ... is a cat? ]

_{[Ah, a ribbon makes all the difference. A ribbon with Schmooples stitched on it, then.

It sounds as though this nug had been well-cared for as a beloved pet, whatever the case. He feels a touch of pet owner solidarity. It'd been a sad day when the templars had had to kill Mr. Wiggums in order to kill the demon inside of him.]}

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope the old fellow is enjoying himself in the Fade.

_{[Leliana's question is met with a smile and a nod.]}

Yes, my cat! He was back at the barracks when I came to Wonderland. My Commander gave him to me and he's been a fine addition to the team. I suppose the truth is I was missing him a little, and then this happened.

'A little'? This is an awful lot of cats to come out of missing yours 'a little'.

[ not that she's complaining, mind you. cute things are always good in her books. it's just... a lot of cats. ]

Okay, fine, you caught me.

_{[Anders rolls his eyes with a tolerant sort of chagrin. A genuine smile of affection sits at the corner of his mouth, threatening to break out into a full smile. Yes, he's quite fond of his cat, judge him if you must.]}

I might miss him a bit more than "a little." But I wasn't aiming to repopulate Wonderland with cats, that was purely the work of the closet and whatever generous power supplies it.

I suppose that old adage is true here more than anywhere else I've been. Be careful what you wish for.

[ and that is... mildly creepy, actually. even if it did result in lots of cute fluffies this time. ]

I can't argue with that... And I don't even like putting the closets to the test if I don't have to.

_{[Playing with magic this powerful has its risks and underneath the joking surface, Anders clearly knows this from the shadow of resignation that passes over his face.]}

But it's a little late to regret it now. They aren't stuffed back in the closet as easily as they came out of it.

I would be worried where they went if the closets did take them back.

[ this magic is hella weird and leliana does not trust it at all. ]

Beats me. I'm not inclined to try and find out. Using cats in an untested magic experiment is just plain wrong.

_{[Granted, bringing them into existence isn't much better if they're talking risks of using untested magic, but he maintains that had been unintentional. Leliana's right; Wonderland magic is weird and not to be trusted.]}

But the backs of closets acting as escape hatches back to our proper world would be a neat trick.

[ someone clearly needs to introduce these two to narnia. ]

If only it were that easy to get home.

_{[Aslan vs. the Old Gods, place your bets now.]}

It'd make about as much sense as anything else in this place. For all we know, we have to solve a riddle by writing it backward on a mirror to open the right portal out of here.

_{[Those are the sorts of hoops Wonderland appears to enjoy making them jump through. Likewise the cats represent a harmless bit of mischief--just the thing Wonderland is known for. The problem is that this magic operates on such a grand and lawless scale that it becomes dangerous.]}

[ my money is on jesus lion ]

Ah, but which mirror? There are more here than I can count. Which, given what I have heard, is not a little worrying.

_{[Jesus lion would know which mirror to pick.]}

Oh yes, the spies.

_{[Who could forget the peeping toms reputed to keep watch over them in perhaps the creepiest use of a two-way Anders has ever seen?]}

Cats have sharper senses then we do. Maybe they'll be able to tell when a voyeur is present like they do other things. That'd be handy. Like an early detection system.

That would be nice. I'm getting a little tired of having my mirror covered by a sheet all the time.

[ of course, there's no real way to tell if the cats are actually accurate. but it's a nice thought. ]

A lady should always be able to enjoy her reflection whenever she likes.

_{[Agreed. Covered mirrors are depressing and makes it feel like they're living in a ghost story just waiting to happen.]}

I have every intention of finding out who's leaving messages on mine and eventually giving them a piece of my mind. Some of us would like to use the little boy's room in peace. _{[But that's a strongly worded letter for another day...]} But for now, I'll be sure to get these little sweethearts ready for your visit. It'll be a pleasure to finally speak in person.

_{[It's not easy being this smooth when you're holding onto a bunch of squawking cats, but he tries!]}

002 ↯ video

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is that... the sexy tevinter robe???

it is, in all its glory

[cailan voice] GLORIOUS [/cailan voice]

truly a majestic thing of beauty

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