Magic Box, Sunday, 04/30

[not_every_mage]

Giant snake or no giant snake, the class of 2017 -- Anders included -- had graduated. And now he was squeezing in one last shift at the Magic Box before he headed off on a road trip with Dante. He hummed cheerfully to himself as he organized the shelves of herbs and swept the shop floor.

As he worked, he wondered about something from the day before. He had thought he spotted Karl during the ceremony, but hadn't been able to spot him after. (To be fair, the giant snake rather worked against an orderly end to the proceedings.) Anders wasn't sure whether he'd really seen his old friend, or it was just a trick of the light.

[OOC: Open shop, open post!]

Comments

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

Karl hadn't found a chance to approach Anders during the ceremony. Last night, he'd slept in the local hotel, who had been willing to put him up for what little there was in his pockets.

Today... he was making another attempt to find him.

He stopped in front of the store, studying it. It looked open, at least?

So he strode forward and opened the door.

[not_every_mage]

Anders heard rather than saw his friend enter, and didn't glance up from his work.

"Be with you in a moment," he called. "Anything you need help with?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"Anders!" Karl dithered by the door for a moment. "It really is you."

[not_every_mage]

Now there was a voice to take Anders back.

"Karl?" he said, not hiding his shock. "I can't believe this. I thought I saw you during the ceremony yesterday, but then there was this giant snake and I got a bit distracted. How in the world are you here?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"My best guess is there is still a rift of sorts in the space through which you left last time," Karl ventured.

He shook off his momentary paralysis and crossed the seemingly endless between the door and Anders. "Locked myself in a cupboard and wound up here."

[not_every_mage]

"You're insane," Anders said, voice warming as he crossed to offer Karl
a hug. "Why were you in a cupboard?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"Almost got found out sneaking to the library after curfew." Karl was happy to hug him, wrapping a warm arm around his shoulders and pulling him in. "The templars are antsy of late."

[not_every_mage]

"Bastards," Anders grumbled, though he could only grumble so much when Karl was around. "And of course whatever's wrong, it's getting taken out on the mages."

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

Karl gave him a final squeeze, then retreated a few steps. "It sounds... grim, whatever it is," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Rumors of darkspawn outside the Deep Roads, and all that."

[not_every_mage]

"I can see where that'd put them out of sorts," Anders frowned. "That might mean a blight, wouldn't it?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps, or perhaps a few stragglers have managed to make it past the dwarves," Karl said, but he was frowning as well. (He kept hoping it was that.)

[not_every_mage]

"Maybe," Anders said, uneasy. "Not that that would be good news either."

Why were there even dwarves if they weren't killing the darkspawn before they reached the surface?

"Are they saying anything about the Wardens yet?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"They say the Ferelden Wardens are on the move. I heard Cullen grumbling," Karl said, tugging on his sleeves. "But that is all."

[not_every_mage]

"I hope it'll turn out to be nothing," Anders said. "It usually does, doesn't it?"

He wasn't sure there was a 'usual' when it came to darkspawn on the surface, but he needed to believe his home wan't facing a blight.

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"I... I'm not rightly sure," Karl said, after a moment. "This is the first time in my lifetime I've heard of darkspawn being on the surface."

[not_every_mage]

"That's still only 20-some years," Anders said, but his face was going more serious . "No, I know. I just don't want to think about a new Blight starting."

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"Let's just hope it's an incident," Karl said. "The last one was centuries ago, wasn't it?"

[not_every_mage]

"Exalted age," Anders said, frowning as he tried to remember. "I don't remember much. I think the Anderfels got the worst of it, but if you listen to my father they usually do."

There were Reasons Anders' family had moved to Ferelden, after all.

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"Can't throw a pebble without hitting a terrible atrocity in the Anderfels, so some young mage told me," Karl said, shooting Anders a wry (and somewhat relieved, for the chance to joke a bit) smile.

[not_every_mage]

"That was a very wise young mage," Anders nodded, ever so serious. "I wonder what ever happened to him?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"He legged it to some strange island and started getting full of himself," Karl said. "... You've been all right, have you?"

[not_every_mage]

"Better than all right," Anders said, glancing around the store as he thought about what he could tell Karl that he'd understand. (He wished he'd been better about writing; the last letter he could remember sending had been shortly after Nathan left.) "There have been rough spots, but I seem to have come out of it well enough. What have you been up to, besides breaking curfew and hiding in cupboards?"

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"Studying. Helping one or two other stubborn mages with their heart set on fleeing. Trying to avoid Wynne's accusing looks," Karl said wryly. "You know how life in the Circle is. It ebs and it flows, but it never truly changes.

[not_every_mage]

"Probably why they call it a Circle," Anders said, equally wry. "You go round and round and end up in the same place. I wish the island was likely to let you stay this time."

He didn't expect it. He was wiser than he'd been some years before.

[no-tranquility.livejournal.com]

"I believe it only wants me here in small portions," Karl said, a wan smile on his face. "I could fill you in on all the gossip, I suppose, but you haven't been there for years, it might not make all that much sense."

[rebelseekspizza]

ANDERS. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cameltee/charm-kitty-cafe-baltimores-cat-cafe

... Some things needed to be shared as soon as they were seen.

[not_every_mage]

HOW DO I GIVE THEM ALL MY MONEY?

Some things demanded immediate response, too.

[rebelseekspizza]

think kickstarters funded but their opening in august.

Talk about a good welcome-to-post-student-life gift for Anders, right?

[not_every_mage]

guess I know what we're doing in august, Anders returned.

[rebelseekspizza]

they say no timelimits at this one + cat yoga.

Not that Dante was into yoga.

[not_every_mage]

what would cat yoga even be?

Obviously this was an important thing to puzzle out.

[rebelseekspizza]

yoga while cats jump on u

That was Dante's best guess, anyway.

[not_every_mage]

sounds prickly, Anders returned. Might be funny to watch, though.

[rebelseekspizza]

mb we shuld stop by 4 coffee n leave a camera.

All the fun, none of the prickliness.

[not_every_mage]

you're smart, Anders informed him cheerfully.

[rebelseekspizza]

thats me Dante texted merrily.

And then decided to finish up his end of the conversation by sending a picture of Blondie and Lachlan napping on each other.

[not_every_mage]

To which Anders responded with heart gifs and a ROAD TRIP TOMORROW!