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

Cooking

[ombranera]

"You know? Fresh baked bread just isn't the same without a good knob of butter, wouldn't you agree?" Zevran had more or less snuck up upon Nathaniel (out of habit) To offer said butter.

[pinprick]

Thaaat gets an epic eyeroll.

"Such wit," he retorts, though he can't pretend be grumpy for too long. He's in a good mood. He has Zevran to thank for that. "Here to gloat?"

[ombranera]

"That depends- is there much to gloat over?" All seemed well in hand when they spoke last.

[pinprick]

"Some." The conversation right after had been sobering. Nathaniel is still reeling from it. "The sex was amazing," he adds.

[ombranera]

"...and that's it?" He blinks, puzzled, before sighing. "Let me guess- complications? With his having the spirit and whatnot."

With Anders what else might there be?

"I suppose it was foolish to assume that nudging the two of you into bed would do the work that familiarity couldn't."

[pinprick]

The mirth leaves him.

"Maker's breath, is it that obvious?"

[ombranera]

"Why do you think I swapped from genuinely trying to seduce you to trying to be as different from Anders as possible to winding you up for Anders?" He crouches down near the fire, offering the knob of butter. "Much as it is not my way, I know sentiment when I see it- I was trained to mimic it and inspire it, after all."

[pinprick]

Nathaniel's gaze drops away. Did everyone know but me?

A heavy sigh.

"The spirit...doesn't like me. And I don't like him. And if the spirit and I don't agree on something, Anders suffers."

[ombranera]

"The spirit is a sanctimonious, condescending asshole." They've met. Clearly.

"This is where I would say 'then you must kill the spirit' and you must say 'that is the plan but Anders and his trust' and I say 'he'll forgive you later' and we go around that circle forever. Or." He nudges Nate with his elbow, brows lifted. "We ignore the asshole in favor of the jackass we both happen to be somewhat fond of. The most important question I ask, and I ask you for I am fairly certain I will get no straight answer from him- he suggested I seduce you properly which is how I know the truth of it- is if you wish me to no longer lay with him."

[pinprick]

"...I can't refuse to court him and then tell him who he can or can't sleep with."

A huff. "And how did you know that is the plan, and...can you read minds?"

[ombranera]

"When Connor at Redcliffe was possessed we used a ritual to send someone to the fade to kill the demon. Justice is a spirit and I assume it's somewhat similar?" He shrugs. "Ancient Elven Magic- I know men and their manly stoicism well enough to know when they are being foolish, and likely why they are being foolish."

[pinprick]

"Killing Justice in the Fade is a last resort," Nathaniel sighs. "There are other things to try first. It's still the only method we know works."

He folds his arms, looking uneasy.

"You think I'm being foolish?"

[ombranera]

"The world is falling down around our ears, there is a blighted dragon in Coriccilo's service and as a Warden you know what that means and what the cost to kill such a thing truly is, all Wardens hear the call one way or another at the moment and you have been a Grey Warden for a decade. Nathaniel, we are all on limited time to begin with. As a Warden? You have less time still." This is not so complicated a thing, truly.

"Take what joy and pleasures you can in the time you have. You have taken your pleasure. Marvelous! Go team, hurrah, well done you. Now you must take your joy."

[pinprick]

"And then when Justice is fed up with me, he will take Anders away from me."

[ombranera]

"Then appease the spirit by doing something Just now and then. You are a Grey Warden, it should not be so difficult a thing to manage."

[pinprick]

"I represent a threat to Justice's control over Anders. It doesn't matter what I do or don't do; he can't have someone becoming as important to Anders as he is. That's the nature of controlling, abusive people."

[ombranera]

Zevran narrows his eyes somewhat, trying to put these words in an arrangement that makes sense, but nothing is forthcoming.

"What?"

[pinprick]

"Justice." It's coming to him, slowly, now that he's said the word abusive out loud. "He controls Anders. He uses Anders' most vulnerable moments as an excuse to take lives as he pleases. He has him convinced that it must be Anders who gives everything, that Anders is unimportant, and only their shared cause--Justice's cause, which Anders had no interest in before they met, and I can testify to that--is worthy of consideration. He denies him food, sleep, company, friendship, love, because Justice does not need them. And when he does something terrible, it is Anders who pays the price. Only Anders will ever take the blame. Justice hurts him. I could see it clear as bruises when I came to Skyhold, the gauntness, his disheveled state. Did you know Anders is quite vain?

"Then I turned up and made him eat, and Justice does not think Anders needs to eat more than will keep him alive. How can I appease him there? I won't stop giving Anders food. And yet that is the very thing Justice takes issue with--that I am threatening his control."

[ombranera]

"...and we haven't killed him yet because...why?"

Waiting now seems all the more cruel, to be certain.

[pinprick]

Finally someone who understands.

"Because Anders wants it done so that Justice doesn't have to die. He feels responsible for his possession, as if it didn't take...two." Three. "If there's a way to do this without violating Anders' trust and leaving him even more damaged than before, I'd like to give it a chance."

[ombranera]

"And should that fail?" Killing a man for the sake of their sanity- Zevran can do that. He probably won't TELL Nathaniel as such since...Howes tend to hold grudges and he'd rather avoid that. "What then?"

[pinprick]

"Then we will do what must be done to save Anders."

[ombranera]

"And in the meantime fuck idly on the side and pretend there are no emotions involved regardless of your feelings on the matter and how it might hurt him in the long run." A beat. "Excellent plan."

It isn't. Nate knows this.

[pinprick]

"Being with him might hurt him in the long run. We cannot save him if Justice decides--"

If Justice decides. Justice decides far too much. Now it's not just Anders who is treading lightly, trying not to set him off.

"I just want him to make it until then. How will that hurt him?"

[ombranera]

"Yes, because enduring and surviving is the same as living." This Zevran knows all too well. "Do as you like, I will say nothing one way or the other."