speak gently to the erring

[circlejerked]

Who: Anders (circlejerked), Robyn Cousland (heroica), and Nathaniel Howe (noble_son).
Where: Room three, fourth floor.
When: March 4th.
Rating: PG.
Summary: The Thedosian Wardens come together to investigate a new lead on Wonderland. Also known as: a cautionary tale in what not to do with a powerful artifact.
The Story:



<sub>[It's time for Wonderland's Wardens to have a meeting.

How did Anders come to this conclusion? The minute he stepped out of the shower that morning and saw that a tiny, delicate-looking locket on his table--a permanent fixture these past few months--was sitting wide open, front panel flicked open as if my an invisible hand, he knew it was going to be one of those days.

Making a national crisis out of jewelry like an Orlesian desperate to fit five diamonds on their specially-handcrafted diamond ring instead of four isn't his usual style, but when said locket had originally belonged to the Duchess, whose exact words as she'd handed it over had been "it will open when it is ready"...

... Under those circumstances, well, having a crazy lady's magical, mysterious locket suddenly sitting open on his coffee table raises a few questions. Just a few.

Thus, private messages go out, one for Nathaniel, and one for Robyn, inviting them up to his room after breakfast. (He's not so cruel he'd expect anyone to ponder riddles before they've had their coffee.) When they arrive at Anders' snugly appointed apartment, subtly sprinkled with the kind of simple charm afford to Fereldan farming cottages or the like, they'll find him in an armchair with the locket still in its place on a corner of the table in front of him, next to a bookmarked novel and a bowl of incense.

Embossed with a flower design on the lid, the locket might not look like much at first glance--until you consider the small golden key sitting inside it with a note tied to it that reads Eat me.

Wonderland symbolism, gotta love it.]</sub>

Bet you're wondering why I called you here. Come on in, make yourself at home.

_{[He may have neglected to bring up the locket until now. So there's that.]}

Comments

/steps in first

[noble_son]

[Nathaniel might have considered facing this kind of thing before coffee, though it would entirely depend on the contents of the message and exactly how urgent Anders sounded at the time. He does not, however, resent the fact that he was allowed to wake up first.

As he seated himself he doesn't really know why he's here, but Anders had managed to sound serious enough while telling him absolutely nothing that he didn't just ignore the message entirely.]

'Wondering' is a word for it, Anders. [He says, only then noticing the locket. It doesn't register as anything particularly notable, until he sees the writing on the label.]

Have you got yourself into some kind of trouble?