#<...you save everyone but who saves you. alitlantern - anders...>

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern Anders where he does rescue Karl but is desperately trying to reverse his tranquility

[onlyinthedas]

Karl had never met anyone who spoke with such a fervor, so rapidly, letting the words just fly from their lips at a startling pace. It wasn't so simply that Anders spoke quickly when excited, but he came alive and launched into a whirlwind of conversation that threatened to sweep Karl right up into it... and a part of him - a large part admittedly - wanted to let it happen. Though he went silent while the other apprentice went on about the flowers, Karl smiled, beamed even. How could he not? There was such elation in Anders' voice as he spoke of the sights on his jaunts outside the tower. Much as Karl worried for the man and his numerous daring escapes, well he'd be hard pressed to ignore just how he lit up like the sun itself shone through him whenever he talked about things on the outside. Truly, it was no wonder he always fought so hard to be free of this place...

a beautiful bloom only withers in darkness

He cut off the thought before it could fully form and lead down dangerous paths. It didn't matter what Karl thought, or felt, or anything. Even if hearing the way Anders' father so flagrantly discarded the flowers in favor of the more practical crops. Practical was the key word, naturally, Karl understood that flowers were really only good for looking at if they didn't possess any medicinal or edible properties. Still, it was a harsh lesson for a child and it brought the ghost of a scowl to his face, one he dismissed as swiftly as it formed, replacing it with more of a curious expression.

"Before the Circle? You mean at home, with my parents? Hm." Contemplation gave him pause before he smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid my life was, well, rather uneventful. There was no grand spectacle which landed me here, I'm afraid. Just accidentally setting alight a book...it had to be my favorite one of all things." A huff slipped out and Karl wrinkled his nose, as if annoyed with himself but there was no true admonishment to it. "If could believe it, my father was a cobbler and my mother sold her pies at the market to pull in more coin. It was simple living, but we had everything we needed..." There was another pause, a more reluctant, tentative one. "If... if I promise to tell you more, to share more, will you promise not to make any more escapes. At least for a month?"

          ━━━ ANDERS' FACE LIT as though the sun itself had shifted its gravity just to shine on him. An eager energy budded in his chest at Karl's question, manifesting in animated hands; the interested cant of Karl's spine leaning forward just enough to goad him on rushing the words to his lips like a burst dam.

          ❝ Oh, all sorts! Dandelions, to be sure, yellow and fluffed up between the jewel-toned Bluebells and a rainbow of Pansies, ❞ he feels ten years old again; face covered in gravy at the dining table, recounting his day of adventures to his grinning mother.

          ❝ All underneath the bushiest Mulberry tree! You'd swear it was a Willow the way its leaves hang, but the fruit is unmistakably Mulberry. Just the juiciest and sweetest things you've ever tasted. ❞ His mouth waters at the memory and he curses himself for not grabbing extras before the Templars had found him.

          Though they probably would've gotten smushed in the dungeon...

          Anders reins himself in, once again feeling self conscious under Karl's perception. He laughs a breathy little sound and forces himself to sit back against his chair, as though his father's voice in his head held true threat.

          ❝ We grew mostly food on the farm, ❞ Anders said, shaking his head. ❝ Nothing pretty, just a bunch of squash. Father tore up any of the flowers that dared encroach on his soil. ❞

          He thinks over Karl's words and realizes in the beat of silence how strange and rare they were. His head tilts in curiosity, a renewed gleam in his eyes.

          ❝ You don't talk about before the Circle much. ❞ It wasn't the question he wanted to ask, but there were too many of those to choose from; so he settled on the observation instead, hoping his tone was enough prompting for the man to indulge him.

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern - starterrrr. the man has plans.

Wyatt was not unaccustomed to change, to new things, to taking things in stride and following it through for the sake of letting it all play out. He was adaptable, or so his mother liked to claim from time to time. The thought did amuse him, but it also made him ponder.  New things were both thrilling and terrifying at once. There was logic in that - it was anticipation of the unexpected, not knowing what was going to happen for good or for ill. 

Fleeing their home and starting over in Kirkwall, of all places, had been unexpected and more than a little nerve-wracking. Even before he and his family realized what sort of place this was, and how heavy the Templar presence was within the city. That being the least of their woes, of course. The twins contracting the Blight while on the expedition never even crossed their minds, but once again, the Hawkes proved to be ever flexible, meeting the newest challenges head on.

It was that subject which brought him to Anders - rather - the clinic's door where he lingered, allowing the healer time enough to finish with his current stream of patients before deigning to disturb his work. Work that was so admirable, respected, selfless- Wyatt sneezed, irritants within Darktown setting him off. He was not used to the setting, even now. The Undercity was only a hair less gloomy in the daytime, but at night it was haunting and unforgiving. It was cold, damp and drafty at best - dangerous to let your guard down within at worst. Another subject that brought him here. He had a plan, but it wouldn't due to execute it without consulting his friend...

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. I can wait!"

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern sent: ✂ but also wyatt in act one? before he has fancy people to do it for him lmao

Surprise pulled Wyatt’s brows high as Anders floated the offer past, but he sat on the cot as instructed. “I didn’t take you for a barber.” A trickle of mirth found its way into his voice. Anders was a man of many talents, it seemed, something Wyatt found to be admirable. He'd grown quite fond of the mage rather quickly over these past months. Having friends like this was more than anyone could ask for.

He released the mass of red curls free from the leather tie keeping it in a haphazard bun. "I've been slacking a little since we left Lothering...kind of hard to keep up with that sort of thing when you're running around the city doing favors for every man and their dog."

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern sent: [KISS]: sender cups the receivers face in their hands before drawing them closer for a kiss.

(so evil, yet so good, it’s about time they SMOOCH)

They were meant to be asleep, tucked into their beds with the lanterns dimmed and deafening silence permeating the dorm, yet here they were instead practically buried under linens and spare pillows. Karl was a fool, hopeless and drunk on emotions he had fought against for so long but for as much as he tried to chastise himself for it, he’d let himself be led to the back where spare laundry and linens were kept by an impeccably wilful, horrifically charming apprentice. Anders. It always came down to him. Every. Single. Time. 

Why was it so difficult to put the man from his mind? Why could Karl do anything else except follow Anders with his eyes anytime he walked past, while assured the man wasn’t aware? No, if he’d been aware Karl wouldn’t hear the end of it. He’d been lured in with a genuine-sounding need for assistance and the trap was sprung. “I should have known it was a farce,” Karl sighed but his voice was quiet and there was no edge of annoyance. Was there something else there? A sign of his relenting? Not that he’d admit it, but-

With his feet practically stolen from under him, he stumbled, scrambling to find purchase on something as Anders grabbed him, hands splayed across his cheeks, and pressed their lips together. Despite the unexpected action, Karl committed, molding right into him almost as if on instinct. He pulled back, more out of surprise than anything else and exhaled sharply, wide-eyed and bewildered. Karl frowned but his mouth betrayed his eyes which looked on at his fellow apprentice with uncertainty. “Anders…” the words floated away and felt too far to grasp for a few passing moments while his lips still tingled with the buzz of the fade and his tongue remembered how the other mage had tasted. “I’m not here for games, nor am I going to be just another conquest or notch on your proverbial belt.” Fingers gingerly brushed strands of hair from Anders’ face and carried on further to trace the angles of his jaw. “This is a terrible idea, dangerous and foolish but I would be the fool if I continued to pretend I didn’t feel anything. But those are my terms.”

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern asked: "Are you okay?" | I'm spamming you/the dash lamskjahskajh this one is Nate. ENJOY

Nathaniel sneered and scoffed, not because he was angry with the mage, nor because he was insulted by the question. Anders hadn’t done anything wrong, well not right then because the mage was often more trouble than he looked, but no. This wasn’t his doing, for once. By all rights, Nate should have been thrilled to have reunited with Delilah and he WAS, but the more he dug through her letters, letters she’d tried to send but never reached him, the more the anger welled up within him and the worse he felt. Guilt, frustration, disgust, all of them made a home within his chest. Nothing could have prepared him for what his sister had to reveal about their father. He’d been so bloody foolish to hold onto his denial - no it hadn’t been denial not fully, but a refusal to accept just what kind of man he had been.

“Are you okay?” He crumpled the letter in one hand while slamming his other fist into the table with a guttural snarl. “No, Anders. I am not. Can I help you?”

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern sent: ✂ karl!!! this is so cute, the mages probably cut their own hair

There were few occurrences where the mages could be left to their own devices without much or any interference by the Templars. Personal grooming seemed to have largely been put on their own shoulders. Karl never considered himself to be a whiz with scissors, but could typically manage his own short mane. Once he'd gotten it to the length he preferred it hadn't been very difficult to maintain. Yet here he was sat on a stool with a very cheeky blonde in charge of the clippers this time. Intimacy came in many forms, and putting one's grooming in the hands of another was something Karl considered to be on the higher levels of deep closeness, of complete trust...

"Anders if you don't stop giggling you're going to knick my ear." Ah, but the sound was a delight to his ears, a golden chime that rang with innocent amusement. What little amusement could be forged in their environs. "What exactly are you snickering about anyway?"

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern sent: shirt for Wyatt.........

(ahhhhhhhh. im gonna yell)

Wyatt fancied himself a quick thinker, but in truth, he was impulsive and not one to fully ponder the outcome of his actions or words. He was just fortunate that it often worked out in his favor. What he was, however, was quick on his feet. He knew how to recover and take back control over most situations.

This was a little different.

He'd only turned his back for a moment and now struggled to fight back the flush of red that crept up his neck at the sight of Anders standing there with a tunic two sizes too large hanging off one slender shoulder. There'd been others in his past, other dalliances and fleeting romances but nothing that ever stuck. No one that made his heart race quite the same way, or who disarmed him and shook his confidence without even trying. None of them had ever looked so beautifully vulnerable and tantalizing at once, while wearing a piece of his clothing either...

"Damn."

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern sent: [ APPROVAL ] + showing up at the estate with absolutely no pretense just to spend several hours placing defensive wards around... well, every single entrance into the estate that he can find. (Wyatt <3)

(oh my god you're going to kill him lmfao)

It was raining. Pouring, even. He could hear it pelting the glass windows even from deep inside the study. It was enough to lure him out to look down at the streets of Hightown as the weather chased a few of his neighbors back indoors. There was something soothing about storms, always had been. Wyatt stole another glance outside before turning back toward the kitchen when heard a loud rap on the door. Someone had braved the squall, it seemed. Forgoing his venture into the kitchens to find Orana he followed the sound of Bodahn’s voice into the foyer as he opened up.

"Bodah-" The flash of blonde hair immediately disconnected any other thoughts or words and Wyatt stood there, eyes wide and face suddenly overtaken by a healthy flush. "Anders?!" He'd already set to work - wards. He was setting wards- Internally, his mind was reeling rather excitedly. "Here, let me help," he rattled off, jumping into action to join the mage. To say that he was giddy was to vastly undersell what he was feeling.

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern asked: PINNED FOR KAAARRRRRRLLLLLL

(AShgAHSGa I should have known, but I have no complaints hehehe)

He was growing bolder and Karl was growing - what? Weaker? Wary? Dare he say fonder of the mischievous mage? All of them would be true at once, not that Karl was likely to admit it beyond the coy smile he leveled on Anders. After his initial shock and bewilderment.

They were in a dimly lit corner on the ground floor - not a seldom visited floor either - deep inside in one of the baths. Karl had made a trip down to bathe after a spell mishap in their afternoon lessons when he'd been ambushed. "Anders," Karl warned with a subtle, amused warmth to his tone. "I'd invite you to join me, but I believe that would be frowned upon."

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern asked: [ MEND ] // wyyyyyyyatt /

(oh you’re in for it now)

Beneath the blurry haze of consciousness, Wyatt remembered shouting, a muffled chorus of voices both familiar and not. And then an anguished cry that had pierced the crowd once he felt his strength fleeing him. With his senses dulling, the world spun aimlessly, and a quiver in his knees had pulled him down. He could remember Anders’ hands as well, shaking as they searched him, roamed all across his torso in a feeble attempt to hold him together.

He had fallen just after delivering the killing blow to the Arishok, one foot in the Void with only the stark memory of Anders’ face as he had done so before the world went dark. Wyatt had no way of knowing how much time passed between then and now. He fought against the agony to adjust his position enough that he could see the clearly wrung out healer at his bedside. “Anders?” How much of himself had the man poured into keeping him on this side of the Fade? Too much, surely. “Oh shit,” he groaned weakly. “Are you okay? What happened?” Yes, he was far more concerned with Anders’ safety than his own. It was a bad habit, really.

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern ❝ wait are you jealous? ❞ //for wyatt or karl heheheh

(KARL TIME AHOY)

"Jealous?" Karl parroted back at him, avoiding answering the question directly by focusing on his supper. "Jealous of what exactly?" He was also avoiding Anders' gaze, quite poorly but deliberately nonetheless. He tore into a biscuit on his plate, lost in the recollection of something he'd heard earlier.

Anders had one of those unmistakable voices, even at his age, something Karl truly had no business paying so close attention to, yet he'd committed it to memory. To heart.

"Are you sure? Once we start, I won't be able to stop."

"Did you just …!"

"Don't be so rough; there can't be any marks-"

Karl had been on his return to the apprentice dormitories to redress in clean robes after a magical mishap. The halls of the tower were typically sparse at that hour, as most of their fellow mages were in the midst of afternoon lessons, so voices drifting from one of the rooms could be heard that much easier. Yet despite the overwhelming urge to investigate further, Karl had swallowed his pride and left, feigning ignorance well after the mage joined him in the mess hall.

He had no reason to be jealous. None. At all. It was all the better that he had no distractions, or a need to take risks. It was fine.

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern asked: "Are you okay?" | Here's Jonas!!

An audible gasp from nearby made his heart leap into his throat and a spike of anxiety shot through him. Yet when he dared himself to look, expecting the worst, no one was staring at him, shooting accusatory looks as though they knew what he was or could do. A woman on a thin cot nearby had woken from rest, startled by something (nightmares?) but settled again after a few moments. Jonas drew the threadbare blanket tighter around his shoulders and hung his head, still reeling from everything.

“Are you okay?”

Him, the healer, Anders (the name from Karl’s letter). His voice was soothing even if it made him jump at first. Jonas was grateful to the underground, but he was still shaken by the events which led to his getting out. As was evident in his voice. No. Not at all. Nor will I ever be.

“As okay as I can be, thank you…” It was strange meeting the man like this. He almost felt guilty for having this opportunity where Karl could not. All he wanted was to curl up and hide, pretend like he was still in his room, tending to his plants...

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern "Are you okay?" | I picked a few people for this one, Wyatt, Jonas and Nate. This one's Wyatt hehe. Jonas and Nate to come.

The memory of the fight against Decimus and his fellow blood mages was so visceral that the coppery taste of blood in the back of his throat still lingered. Alright, it hadn't been more than ten minutes ago that the void-damned blood mage put him on the ground, but still. Wyatt stirred and moved to turn over onto his back after he spat out a mouthful of dirt that is.

"Are you okay?" 

Ah, Anders, ever concerned. Wyatt groaned and grimaced once the world caught up with him and consciousness hit full force like a charging druffalo. Shutting one eye, he squinted up at the healer. "Hm. I'm alive, so could be worse, right? Least all my blood's still in my body." He sputtered a laugh, dragged his palm down his face before thrusting his hand out. "Help a man up?" He knew he shouldn't have gotten so close, should have fallen back when told, but a part of him truly thought he could get through to the man. They weren't a threat, even Grace, Decimus' wife tried to plead with him. She understood the nature of their, his and Anders', presence there in the cave. Ser Thrask might have been a kindly man, for a Templar, one of the better ones amongst Meredith's rank and file but the facts remained that he was still a Templar and his peers had still tried to insist they flush the mages out. They were frightened, cornered animals practically and it made sense for them to lash out...he wished it hadn't ended the way it did but at least those who remained got away safely. Grace included.

[onlyinthedas]

alitlantern answered:           ❝ Sorry, ❞           ━━━ ANDERS CHUCKLES AND doesn't sound the least bit sorry, actually. He tears his eyes away from the giant mage for a brief moment, but soon catches his gaze tracking the man again, another smile twitching at the corner of his lips.           ❝ It's just... You know the boxes aren't going anywhere, right? There's no need to carry half the damned things in at once. What am I going to do if my personal pack mule pulls a muscle? ❞

@alitlantern (this scene popped into my head lmao)

Cheeky. That was Anders' brand, it seemed, when he was in better spirits (figuratively, though Justice was a curious one that Wyatt quietly wondered about and had desires to know more of but he worried expressing such curiosity might be taken...awkwardly?) For the now, Wyatt satisfied himself with this moment, even as he fought against the creeping flush threatening to color his already tanned cheeks.

"They weren't going anywhere until I got my hands on 'em. So now they're going over there," he gestured, chin jutting out towards the far corner, away from the cots and Anders' general work space. It kept his idle hands full, busy, and his body in motion. Better this than tracking down some nobleman's lost signet ring, or fetching his son from the Blooming Rose so he didn't tarnish their family's reputation... "Anders, I'm offended," he quipped, trying to maintain a straight face but hardly keeping it together. "It's pack mabari. We're Fereldan after all." The facade was dropped quickly with the last box and a hearty chuckle.

He turned to assess whatever task his friend set himself to when the smear of residue across Anders' cheek, likely from working with herbs, caught his attention. "Oh, you've got something- hold on." Wyatt muttered something only half audible and fished around on the man's desk for until he found a clean scrap of cloth. "Here I can just-" Awkwardly he attempted to wipe away the smudge, acting solely on instinct and not thinking of either the intimacy of the act, or the sheer suffocating intensity of being so close to someone so-

Beautiful.

Fuck.

[onlyinthedas]

@alitlantern “Why do you have that look on your face?” //kaaaaarl

He had a look? If he had a look it was only because of the question. Anders had a certain penchant for poking at him, and others let's face it, to garner reactions. From him, from Karl it was always a specific kind of attention and once the other mage finally got what he'd been angling at there'd been no stopping him.

And yet, now at least, Karl had little mind to do so. He would still play at resistance, for the fun of it, for amusement sake if nothing else. Like right now where he maintained a cooly neutral facade and tucked another text under his arm before moving to the next stack of shelves. There was some difficulty in not smiling at the ridiculous man beside him, following him from stack to stack. "Don't you have study materials to find? They certainly aren't on my face." Maybe, just maybe, there was the hint of laughter in his tone.