faderift | Life in Camp Shady Fuckers

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Life in Camp Shady Fuckers

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.

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[No he can't.]

Well, then we have an agreement.

[She looks at him for a long moment, before her voice softens.]

It still hurts, doesn't it? Losing Karl.

[Anders looks down.]

I don't know if it will ever stop hurting. It's not just losing him. It's...

[He takes a slow breath. Trust. He can trust. His gaze meets hers again for a moment as he gathers up his courage.]

I've been powerless a majority of my life. And that was emphasized over and over. Taking Karl away was the, the ultimate demonstration of how they could take everything whenever they wanted, however they wanted. They took him from himself, and they took him from me, because they could. They didn't have to. They could have copied his handwriting and held him in the Chantry and I would have come. I was... I was powerless again, but because I was powerless, someone else suffered too.

[Which is a large part of why he'd been complicit with blowing up the Chantry. For years he'd tried every peaceful option, every radical one that didn't involve taking lives, and even had killed a few Templars, Alrik included. It had done nothing.]

He's an active reminder of everything that has ever hurt.

[And everything that Anders may never find again.]

[Bethany pressed her lips together at all that, before she held the other man's hands together in her own.]

Anders ... some cruel and horrible people took Karl away. But they aren't going to take everyone away. You don't have to live in fear anymore. You have power right now. You've taken the power for yourself. We all have.

[She sighed softly, looking down at their hands together.]

I don't think we should live in fear any more.

[He takes a slow breath, eyes on their hands as well. He's spent so much time not talking because there'd been no relief, just the constant need to do more, but even when he'd spoken of his past before it had been jokes. Deflection. It doesn't fit here, no matter how much safer he'd feel.]

They took my family. My freedom. My name. My friends. My-- Karl. My first cat. My first chance at a new life with the Wardens. My underground in Kirkwall. And they would have taken my life if I'd not merged with Justice.

[Another breath.]

For so long my survival has been fear-based. I don't know how to not be afraid anymore.

[She looked at him, before she stated quietly.]

Because you're not alone, anymore. You asked for help, Anders, and we'll give it to you. We won't let them hurt you. If they try -- I will personally take the first templar to do so and push them so hard into the ground they will think they are mating with it.

And if it comes back to hurt you?

[His voice is quiet.]

It it comes back to hurt people I care about like the Wardens taking me in already has, how do I justify that? I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.

Anders, every aspect of my upbringing should have hurt me, dragged me down through the mud. I shouldn't even be alive right now.

[She gestured to herself.]

But I'm not dead. I work with the bravest men and women in all of Thedas. Yes, I may get hurt again ... but I'll survive. It's what I do best.

[She's made her choice, and that's what freedom is about. Anders takes a breath and nods.]

I'll try to remember I'm not alone.

[If he hadn't felt alone in Kirkwall... there's no telling if it would have changed anything, really.]

Thank you.

[That it is, Anders. Freedom is always about choice.]

Good. Because you're not.

[Being alone was something that could prey on the mind of anyone. Being alone with a spirit in your head? Could not be good.]

You are welcome.

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