Life in Camp Shady Fuckers

[unbrokenoath]

WHO: Everyone living in or visiting the Warden camp
WHAT: Just some low-key action-spammy stuff for a bunch of sketchy losers who got tossed into the camp for sketchy losers. And the people who come to hang out because sketchy losers are the coolest losers.
WHEN: Vaguely stretching around Cloudreach?? Nothing is set in stone, time is an illusion
WHERE: Camp Shady Fuckers The Warden camp
NOTES: Just throw whatever warnings necessary in the heads of your threads

Just throw opens or whatever up this is a low-key general mingly kinda thing for hanging out and shouting at each other. Feel free to interrupt other threads or whatever and idk man this is basically like a network post but in real life.

Comments

Alistair

[byblow]

BREAKFAST

Who ate all of the eggs? [ His tone, here, is more wounded than accusatory. Directionlessly betrayed. Groggy. He's still shirtless and draped in a blanket, because he has his priorities in order, and food comes before clothes. ] Those were my eggs. I listened to someone compare me to her dead son for a whole hour to get those eggs. Someone has to pay.

[ No one has to pay. ]

LOUNGING AROUND SOMEWHERE OR CUTTING FIREWOOD IDK

Say we are going to die. [ Hypothetically, for the sake of this light and pleasant conversation. He's probably talking to a fellow Warden, but it isn't out of the question that he could be asking the same thing of anyone else. There's still Corypheus, and all those rifts, and not a Hero or Herald or Hawke in sight. ] What's your biggest regret? Or the second biggest if the real biggest will make this awkward.

THE MIDDLE OF THE BLIGHTED NIGHT

[ Alistair isn't actually holding himself together very well. He's mostly being held together by other people. So at three or four in the morning, when he can't bring himself to wake anyone, he can occasionally be found out of his tent, being a weirdo—standing at the edge of camp and staring at one of the moons, maybe rhythmically striking flint to steel to make sparks with no aim or turning his pendant between his fingers. Humming, usually. Or talking to himself under his breath to stop himself from humming. But he does that even when he isn't being driven mad, so. ]

WILDCARD

[ Exist in his proximity while he's bored and he'll come visit you whether you want him to or not. Except Nathaniel. ]

The Middle of the Blighted Night

[doneisdone]

[Teren likes to keep watch at night. Usually nobody fights her for the shift, so she tends to spend it alone, though there is the occasional instance in which Alistair comes trundling out, fidgeting or making little sounds like an insane person.
On one such night she trails after him until she's several yards behind him, watching him stare at the moon(s), then she clears her throat.]

Would you like some coffee, [she inquires, with the unasked question of 'what in the Maker's name are you doing up, you ridiculous boy'.]

[byblow]

[ Fortunately it is not possible to literally jump out of skin, or this would be a super gross log all of a sudden. Instead he stays in one piece and turns around to squint at her, sleepy. ]

I'm not allowed to have coffee. [ He says it with the dutiful air of someone who is quoting someone else's orders. ] It makes me unbearable.

[ Or it did ten years ago, when the ban was instated. Maybe not anymore. ]

[doneisdone]

[Teren can't help but smile. Her expression is almost affectionate.]

Oh, Alistair. [She can't help it, he brings out the softie in her.] You know it doesn't make a difference.

[byblow]

[ Almost affectionate is good enough. Alistair's heart is warmed. It almost reaches his fingers. ]

And yet you bear me, [ he says. ] Is it because I'm the grandson you never had?

[ Because she's old, see? ]

Middle of the blighted night

[ombranera]

[ Zevran has a new roomate, hurrah. Mia is kind and warm and takes exactly none of his bullshit which is a marvelous change of pace from the rest of the applications-

But she is not Alistair. And on occasion, more than on occasion, he worries. And thus in the darkness and the chill he wanders down to the camps for another of their infuriatingly pointless conversations. What is said doesn't matter half as much as that it is being said at all.

And he misses the man. More than anything else, more than he'd expected. Zevran shuffles around to peer into the tent- which is empty. Grumbling and bundled in a fur lined cloak he continues to wander until he finds Alistair.

Not one word, just a half asleep shuffling until he's got his head butted up against Alistair's back. ]

[byblow]

[ The crunch of ice doesn't surface over the song in his head until it's only good for a half-second's warning, but that's enough he doesn't flinch too badly. He looks back over his shoulder far enough to confirm via hair color that it is Zevran and not some other person of approximately the same height randomly headbutting him in the back. He lowers his flint and steel, blinks a few times. However long he's been standing here, it's long enough for snow to have piled up around his boots. After another second to resurface from his head, he tips his head even further back in a futile bid for eye contact. ]

Now I really know you love me. [ Quiet—there are, presumably, people actually managing to sleep. ] Did you make it here with all your fingers and toes? Your nose?

[ombranera]

[ Whining does not become a master assassin. Never the less Zevran screws his face up against Alistair's back and leans up enough on his toes to rub his very cold nose against the skin of his throat. It is still there, but it is cold.

As are his fingers.

Which he thinks nothing of slipping under Alistair's shirt to rest against his ribs. ]

What do you think?

[byblow]

Hey.

[ But that's all—the word and a slight flinch, and then he's just as quickly folding his arms over his ribs to trap Zevran's hands and warm them up. Maybe. To try. ]

I think you're rude. Very rude. Up there with Oghren.

Middle of the blighted night

[justice_is_blond]

Is this when I tell you it's a nice night for an evening? I hear that's a very popular pick-up line.

[He's awake sometimes, this time of night, stressing to no end, and tonight playing with Purrelden hasn't helped. Walking around the camp is clearly in order until he runs into Alistair.]

[byblow]

[ Alistair lowers his pendant-fidgeting hand until it, too, is hanging from the chain around his neck, and looks at Anders like he has a second head. For a moment. It shifts into a smirk quickly enough. ]

You're either going to need a better line or to come back with flowers.

[justice_is_blond]

[After a beat, he gives Alistair a faint smile.]

I'd go for flowers, but I'd break Beleth's heart. And Zevran's. You're quite the popular catch, it seems. Maybe I'll skip any more lines too, because I think the two of them could quite effectively teach me a thing about messing with their bedwarmer.

[byblow]

They're only using me for my body heat.

[ Rightly so. He isn't wearing a coat or cloak now, and his nose is red but otherwise he seems unbothered. ]

How are you holding up?

[arlathvhen]

[ It takes a little bit, but the lack of familiar warmth at her side rouses her from sleep, and when he hasn't returned after a few minutes, she frowns and gets up. She pulls a blanket around like an impromptu cloak, and heads out. When she finds Alistair staring at some pendant, she plops across from him, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. ]

I thought I didn't snore.

[ Her tone is light, but her face concerned as she watches him. ]

[byblow]

[ Alistair glances up, eyebrows and small smile both asymmetrical. ]

Like a dragon. [ Or, you know, not at all. He lowers the pendant a little and sits back to look at her better. ] A dragon that ought to be allowed to sleep through the night now and then.

[arlathvhen]

I can't help but wonder how you know how a dragon snores.

[ She smiles, but then ducks her head, shrugging. ]

It's not so bad. And I can help. I'd rather be where I'm woken up, and I can help you, then somewhere I can sleep but know that you're still suffering. I think that'd be harder to deal with then missing out on a little sleep.

LOUNGING AROUND SOMEWHERE OR CUTTING FIREWOOD IDK

[failedfirst]

[Velanna has a lot of regrets. However she doesn't start listing them off, instead she gives Alistair a cool look.]

This conversation.

[byblow]

Really? [ Wood. He's chopping wood. He takes a swing, unfazed; people being annoyed and exhausted by his existence is nothing new. ] But I know you've seen a broodmother. This can't be worse than that.

[failedfirst]

Maybe not worse, but I do not regret seeing a broodmother. It is inspiration for me to not become what I saw.

[unbrokenoath]

[ Kaisa is doing the lounging, at least, and if Alistair wants to work or whatever, that's all good for him. She looks up at his question, and raises an eyebrow. ]

Do you want a light-hearted and amusing answer, or do you want the real one that's all...dark and super personal? I mean, I can tell you, but, I just want your permission before I grab your hand and drag you into 'deep shit' land.

[byblow]

Kaisa, [ he says, while working or whatever, ] you can drag me aaanywhere you want.

[unbrokenoath]

Aw, don't say that, or I might take you up on it. Then I'll get your elves all on my ass.

[ She grins, then ducks her head, expression turning thoughtful. You want serious shit, huh. ]

I regret not staying in Denerim. When my mom got married proper, she planned to move on off to Amaranthine. My dad--my real dad, the elf dad--told me I could stay with him if I didn't want to go, but. I was a teenager and I was dumb and who would want to stay in a slum when they could go off and pretend to be normal?

But if I'd stayed--I think it would've been easier for my mom. Dragging my ass along with her while she tried to turn respectable wasn't real easy. And if I'd been there when the darkspawn attacked the alienage... [ She twists her lips, glancing up at Alistair. ] He had no idea how to fight, he'd never even held a sword. I'd have been--19, I think, by then. Plenty old enough to protect him. And I think that I'd have still joined the Wardens. So, life would've been better for both my parents, and I'd probably be about where I am.

That said, I regret it, but I don't...guilt trip myself. I was an idiot teenager, of course I made the selfish choice, who wouldn't? Not like I knew there was gonna be a damned blight.

the most important thing, breakfast (not family)

[bunko]

I saw it happen.

[Scipio takes a big bite of bread and chews, gravely, delaying further elaboration. In fact, he looks very grave indeed. Don't you want to know more.]

[byblow]

[ Alistair turns on him brandishing a spoon like a poorly-held dagger. ]

Did you see it happen because it was you?

[bunko]

Ser.

[Scipio has the grace--or perhaps the acting ability--to look a little offended at the accusation. He touches a hand to his chest.]

Would I steal your hard-earned eggs? I think I would not. I do not even like eggs, for eating. For other purposes? Maybe, yes. But no: it was not me. It was a culprit hairier.