[Video] un: arcarius

[angelic_archer]

[Normally, Alec wouldn't broadcast video to whoever had their phone on, but he needs to ask as many people as possible about the friend he picked up while patrolling the night before. It takes him a few seconds for the camera to focus properly. When it does, Alec can be seen holding a very large tabby patterned ball of fluff.]

Did anyone lose a cat? I found him last night curled up in an alley. He looked like he'd been outside for a few days and is eating like he hasn't been fed regularly.

[He can't quite hide the disapproval in his tone. If someone did this to the poor cat intentionally, Alec is not going to be pleased.]

If he's yours, I'll return him. If not, my family would like to keep him.

Comments

[greatflame]

Can we really keep him?! [Max looks very happy about this.]

[angelic_archer]

If he doesn't belong to anyone, we'll keep him. [The cat seems pleased with the idea, batting at Alec's ratty sweater.] If we can't, we'll find a shelter and adopt a cat. I think we all miss Church and Magnus and I miss the Chairman.

[greatflame]

Who's the Chairman?

Can I help take care of him? How old do you think he is?

[angelic_archer]

Chairman Meow was our cat back in New York. [Belatedly, he realizes that Max didn't know that Alec had moved in with Magnus.] Magnus let me stay with him whenever I needed to get away from the Institute so the Chairman became our cat.

You can help. I think he's young. Maybe a year? Not as old as Church.

[Which is an understatement since Church has been around for generations.]

[greatflame]

Oh. [Makes enough sense to him.]

Do you think he'll scratch us if we try to give him a bath? [If the cat's been outside for a few days, Max figures he might be in need of one.]

[angelic_archer]

He might, but he's been mellow so far. He let me brush him to get some of the tangles out of his fur.

We'll have to get some things for him. I only got enough for a few days since I didn't know if he belonged to anyone.

[greatflame]

What about toys? Does he like playing with them? [Church never really seemed to want to do that much.]

[withstyle]

[Izzy's amusement is more than apparent. She, honestly, can't help it. The cat is adorable, of course, but it isn't so much his family as him that seems to be getting attached to the cat already.

He wants to keep it. And Max and the others probably will too, so he isn't wrong, per se, but to her it is funny that he's focusing on them as a unit.] Translation: you want to keep him. [Izzy grins, unable to help it.] You found him and you want to keep him because he's cute and fluffy and you're a cat person.

Oh, and you are really hoping that nobody claims him!

[angelic_archer]

[Izzy may have caught him snuggling the cat. He'd been planning on getting Magnus a cat when they were in Wayward Pines, but he'd put it off... and then they'd been too busy settling in here for Alec to go to one of the shelters.]

You know me and strays... especially ones with pretty, gold cat eyes.

[Magnus will probably zap him for that later, but it'll be worth it.]

I am hoping no one claims him. Magnus and I miss the Chairman. [Alec misses Church but he knows that their cat is happier in his new home.] I'm assuming you're not going to complain if we keep him since you'll have both Max and me pouting if you say no.

[withstyle]

Yes, I know, but I don't think that the first stray with pretty, gold cat eyes would appreciate the label. Comparing your husband to a cat is a new one, though.[Alec, you're just making it too easy for her to tease you. And she'd never pass up the opportunity, especially since it's not a serious conversation. Though, Izzy can't complain about the strays her brother has brought into the family either.

Magnus was a great addition. And the cat, well, he is cute. So, Iz can't complain overly much.] And nobody is surprised by that, least of all me. [Jace is probably the only person that might know Alec better.]

I won't complain, he is cute and he seems sweet. Just keep him away from my closet and I think I can live with our new furry friend. Deal?

[angelic_archer]

He might not mind. He doesn't exactly hide the cat-like tendencies. [They may not be as obvious to the rest of the Lightwood family, but Magnus slips often enough for the rest of them to notice a few feline traits.] I feel bad that the Chairman is back home, but I'm sure that one of Magnus' friends is taking care of him.

Deal. He hasn't wanted to claw anything yet. I think Magnus will be able to keep him out of closets. I doubt he'll want his clothes shredded either.

[withstyle]

He doesn't run around comparing himself to a cat either, Alec. But maybe he won't mind. The stray part might make it a bit worse, though. [Though, technically, that is sort of what Alec does. Jace was a stray and he really brought him into the fold. Then Magnus. And now the furball.

It's not the longest track record, but it is a pattern.] I'm sure. Magnus makes good friends. I suppose a kitten makes for a fair distraction, at least. And obviously Max'll love him.

[It isn't that Izzy doesn't like animals. She likes them just fine. She just has some different interests that fall ahead of pet ownership.] Yet being the key word there, he has claws and that's what they're for. Magnus does understand the attachment to clothing that I have, though. So, you have a point there. But you made the deal so I'm holding you to it.

[angelic_archer]

[The 'stray' description is probably more accurate than Izzy realizes, but it's not something that Magnus shares with everyone so he turns it toward himself.] Technically, I was the stray that Magnus found.

Do you think we need a distraction? [Alec had been hoping that everything was settling down and everyone was happy. But if Izzy wasn't, or if she'd noticed something he hadn't...]

They all claw, Iz. You didn't worry about Church and he was more vindictive that this guy will be. [As if to prove the point, the cat begins to purr.] If he ruins anything, I will replace it or find you something you like better.

[legendary_hands]

[He doesn't normally just pick up when the phone rings, but part of him is curious now an' again when a public call rolls in. Taking in the sight of the giant pile of fluff, he smirks a little and shakes his head.]

Never seen it before, 'cept maybe when I was younger and back home. Had an' old barn cat bit like him. Looks like it could use a little love. Always good to see people takin' care of others... people and animals alike.

[The doctor pauses and lifts a brow at the other man on the video screen.] Take it your family likes cats?

[angelic_archer]

[The cat, who really does need a name, takes over most of the screen before settling back against Alec's chest. Instead of looking annoyed by the feline's antics, he seems amused and resigned. Years of sharing the Institute with Church means he's willing to let himself be bossed around by cats.]

My little brother will be thrilled that you're not claiming him. [Alec is too, but he's trying to hide that fact.] He's demanding love, but he doesn't seem to have been out on his own too long.

[Thinking of Izzy's teasing, Alec smiles wryly.] We do. I had one when I was growing up and my husband and I had one back home.

[legendary_hands]

He'd likely eat Petunia, and I get the notion Jim would be rather sad if we lost the chicken. Don't tell no one, but I kinda like the bird myself. [The doctor sends him a wink then chuckles at the look of the cat demanding the man's affection and obedience.

Well, he's not the best cat person, they remind him a bit too much of his ex-wife anyhow.] So you think he was someone else's? Hope that doesn't mean some bastard tossed him out cause he didn't want to take care of him no more.

[A slight smile pulls at his lips.] Cat people all around. I got so busy when I hit college and medschool, I forgot what it was like to have pets. They're good for the soul. I almost want to find a dog or somethin' for my... [He pauses a moment, then clears his throat. It can't hurt none to tell the truth now could it? It just feels... so new still.] For my boyfriend.

[angelic_archer]

You have a pet chicken? [Alec's guessing that it's a pet since he can't imagine liking something that might end up dinner. Not that he has much experience with that. Grocery stores and take out is the only type of chicken he's been around.] I won't tell a soul.

I hate thinking it, but it looks that way. He's too tame to be feral and not dirty enough to have been abandoned for long. [Which meant that the owner either lost the cat or really had tossed him out.] If they did throw him out, he's not going back. Magnus will probably turn the owner into a rat if he tried to get the cat back.

[The hesitation almost causes him to ask how long they've been dating, but he knows how awkward and strange that'd felt during the first few weeks after he came out. Leonard will tell him if he wants to.]

Why almost? It sounds like getting a dog would be good for both of you unless you're afraid it'll hurt Petunia. [There has to be a way to train a dog not to attack a chicken. Doesn't farms usually have dogs or is that one of those details Mundanes add to stories like vampires sparkling?] Or your boyfriend's secretly a cat person.

[legendary_hands]

Strange, isn't it? A friend gave it to Jim. [It was the strangest thing, no doubt. But he's long learned to roll with it.] And I appreciate that. Got a reputation to uphold.

[Of a giant teddy bear under all the gruff, but he's not going to openly admit that.] Well, however it turns out, I hope the little guy gets a good home. As for your friend turning this person into a rat... is that permanent? [Call it clinical curiosity more than anything else.]

Well, I'm trying to imagine taking care of two hyper active puppies running around and getting into things. [Yes, he just compared his best friend and boyfriend to a puppy. A fluffy lab in his head to be exact. Blonde. And he doesn't know if he's ready for two sets of puppy eyes just yet.] I honestly don't know which he'd prefer, but I think he'd like the energy of a puppy better because of his own high energy.

[angelic_archer]

I've never heard of anyone keeping a chicken as a pet unless they were on a farm. [He hopes that Jace doesn't hear about it. Chickens might be close enough to ducks that he might think he has to save the city from the 'danger'.] I hope you don't take her for walks.

Being a rat lasted overnight, but I'm sure that if Magnus wanted to, he could get the spell to last longer so that the owner learned to treat their pets better. [And Alec wouldn't let anyone stay that way long-term. Eventually he'd convince his husband to turn the person back into their original form.]

Your boyfriend sounds like my parabatai. If he has that much energy, then a dog. Cats don't usually like all the activity, unless they're causing it. [The Chairman had his own 'parties' around the loft, running around and getting into things, but hated it when they'd brought excitement into 'his' space.] Unless you're hoping the purring will slow him down.

video;

[appetitive]

[Cue Magnus smiling at the camera, both towards his lovely husband and the miniature lion in his arms.]

Oh, he's gorgeous. If someone's misplaced him, he deserves a better home with us. [His fond smile focuses in on Alec, and Magnus wishes he wasn't currently in his office at the bar because being home with the pair on camera sounds wonderful.] We'd talked about adopting cats when we had the house.

[angelic_archer]

He wasn't quite gorgeous when I found him. [But the cat hadn't been in too bad of shape. A careful bath and some brushing had fixed even the worst that living in an alley had caused.] But he is now.

If they misplaced him, then they should have a chance to get him back. [Alec doesn't like the idea. He already knows he wants to keep the cat, but the Chairman had tried to get out often enough that he can't blame the owners if they'd tried to keep the cat inside.] We may not be able to have as many as we wanted in Wayward Pines, but we could have a few. He could be the start of our pride.

[appetitive]

All cats are gorgeous, even if they're a bit dirty or skinny. [Magnus is definitely the kind to coo over wrinkled hairless cats as much as pure-bred Persians.] You're more gracious than I would be. If anyone comes forward, we'll let the cat decide.

Do you need me to pick up anything on the way home? We don't have the same yard space, but I like the sound of a Lightwood-Bane pride to fill the apartment.

[angelic_archer]

[The cat seems to know that Magnus is talking about him, nosing at the screen to get a closer look.] He is skinny under the fluff. He may have left on his own and let me find him.

[It wouldn't surprise him if that's what happened.]

I have some food, but we should probably get more. I wasn't sure what would be best. Church didn't care what we fed him.

As long as the Lightwood-Bene pride doesn't take over the apartment and doesn't shred Izzy's clothes, everyone should be okay with a few cats. [Pausing, he looks slightly embarrassed.] I promised you'd cat-proof her closet.

[appetitive]

[Magnus immediately makes a soft cooing noise as he leans in as well, meeting the cat for a close-up camera session.] We'll get him nice and healthy again, won't we?

[Smiling and leaning back, unashamed about his display of feline friendliness, he waves his hand to conjure a pen and paper to jot down some notes as they float beside him.] And would our knight in shining armor like me to bring anything home for him?

Consider it done. I cat-proof just about everything when I have one. I love the little dears, but I prefer my vintage furniture to be scratch-proof and potion ingredients un-spilled.

[angelic_archer]

We will. [Even if most of the screen is filled with fluff, Magnus will be able to see the adoring smile Alec is giving his husband.] I didn't realize how much I missed our cat until now.

Me? [Sometimes it still surprises him that someone is attentive to his needs since he's always taken care of everyone else.] Uh - I think we're out of the chai tea that I hide in the back of the cupboard. I need to find a better place for it.

You can do all that without being in the apartment? [Alec had assumed that Magnus would have to be within a certain range of what he was casting spells on to make them work.]