#slave fenris

[teine-mallaichte]

Whumpmass in July day 21

At some point I really need to start whumping some other characters... but I saw this prompt and my first thought was far too well formed not to run with...

Fandom: Dragon age 2 Character: Fenris @whumpmasinjuly-archive day 21 - Prompt abandoned. Premise: When Danarius left Fenris in Seheron, when the only person he had every really known, and the only life he could remember sailed away leaving him alone in a world he couldn't possibly understand... as much as years later that could be framed as his escape from slavery, on that moment is was an abandonment.

The battlefield was chaos; screams, clashing steel, the hum of the arcane, the scent of blood, and the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground. Through the maelstrom, he moved with skill and precision, without conscious thought, his master's orders guiding his every action. Each strike, each parry, a testament to the brutal training he had undergone.

The tide of battle shifted, the call for retreat echoing across the field. He looked around desperately, he eyes finding his master amidst the fray, struggling against a relentless enemy. Without a moment's pause, he fought his way through, his body a shield, his sword an extension of his will. Blood slicked his hands, not all of it his own, and pain lanced through him where a blade found its mark. Yet, he pressed on, driven by the singular purpose of protecting his master.

They reached the boats at the edge of the shore, his master was usured aboard, but he was stopped.

"There is no room for a slave."

His eyes widened in disbelief as the guard's words sank in. The chaos of battle still raged behind him, but the true storm was within. He glanced at his master, hoping for a word, a glance, anything to suggest that this was some kind of mistake. But his master's eyes remained fixed on the horizon, cold and distant.

“Master?” He managed to choke out, his voice a strained whisper. He wanted to believe it was a mistake, that the master would call him aboard, that this was some cruel joke.

The master’s eyes briefly met his, an emotion flashing through them—a flicker of something distant, perhaps pity or regret, but it was gone as quickly as it came. The guard's firm hand gripped his shoulder, conflicting instints warred within him, to gight, to comply, he looked to the master, needing guidence.

"We have no space for an injured slave," the guard reiterated.

His world shattered in that moment, a crack that splintered his very soul. The words, the finality in them, were a hammer blow to his heart. His master’s gaze, once a beacon, was now a void, unfeeling and detached. The guard’s hands were firm, unyielding, as they pushed him back towards the shore.

“Move aside. You’re slowing us down.”

“Master!” His cry was a raw, desperate plea, but the boat was already pushing off, its oars cutting through the water with a relentless rhythm.

He staggered, the pain of his injuries forgotten in the face of this new, deeper agony. He tried to follow, feet stumbling over the wet sand as the waves lapped at his ankles. The wet sand clung to his feet, the waves lapping at his ankles, growing higher with each wave. But he could not swim—slaves were not permitted to learn such skills. The cold salt water stung his wounds, mingling with the blood, and the chill seeped into his very bones.

But the boat sailed on, his master’s figure growing smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a speck on the horizon. He had never known anything but his master’s commands, the cruel affection that had shaped his existence. Now, abandoned, he was adrift in a world that suddenly felt vast and hostile.

He stumbled back to the shore, the salty water mixing with the blood from his wounds. Each step was a struggle, his strength ebbing with every movement. Collapsing onto the wet sand, he lay there, gasping for breath, the agony of his injuries merging with the deeper pain of abandonment. His master's face haunted him, that final, indifferent look a knife twisting in his heart.

For a long time, he lay there, the sounds of the battlefield fading into the background. When he finally mustered the energy to move, the sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the shore. He forced himself to his feet, swaying unsteadily, and looked around. The beach was littered with the remnants of battle: broken weapons, discarded armor, and bodies of the fallen.

He was alone.

(accompanying art)

[andrewknightley]

Have your game in tevinter aka Elf Slave Country Where Human Mages Rules and then have the only relevant tevinter characters be Good human mages or Evil human mages was a choice for sure

[requiemforthestars]

DA:TV spoilers

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That scene they show where Harding is like, sad about something and Rook has the option to flirt with her at which point she's like 😥😥😥 welcome back dragon age and your horribly unhinged and inappropriate flirt options!!!

[skaterboisims]

Can't stop thinkin bout Fenris we need more elf characters that'd tear someone's throat out with their teeth, I fear

[grapecaseschoices]

i know some of the shit fenris says to anders is shitty [a lot of it is shitty] but some of the shit anders says is wholly out of pocket

[akermanch]

Scrapped DA2 Dialogue

Hawke: So tell me, Fenris: What is Minrathous like, really? Surely it can’t be all misery and death. There must be something you wish you could’ve brought with you to our fair Kirkwall.

Fenris: It was a prison, Hawke. But it had its moments. If I could bring one thing … reality television, I suppose. Most of it is reprehensible nonsense, of course, but were it not for the lessons of the learned explorer Ursus Gryllus I would not have lasted a day on Seheron.

Hawke:

Hawke:

Hawke: …what the fuck are you talking about?

[antiqua-lugar]

I think basically everything that can be said about that interview regarding Gale has been said but I did see some people be like “Well, but Gale is annoying and his stans are just woobifying him” and like. 

Like, okay. Gale is annoying. And Lae’zel is mean, Shadowheart is a bitch, Astarion is a cunt, Karlach is happy all the time all the time and Wyll is boringly well adjusted. That’s…the first impression you get of them in Act 1. That’s not even their full arc in Act 1, that’s literally the first few minutes you get with them! And then all of Act 1 is just undoing all of that.

In Gale’s specific case, being annoying isn’t even his main flaw. Like it gets brought up, I think because the writers wanted to make sure we would know this is a flaw he actually has in case you, like me, did not even notice you were supposed to be annoyed by him. But it’s not a serious issue or something it’s even remotely implied he has to work on. They still all end up liking each other and working together and flirting at each other. He’s a nerd that talks a lot and unless you end up in a jealousy convo no one really cares. His blissfully happy ending is to become a professor. His infodumping is so good the narrative lets him do it forever.

Gale being annoying (or being bothersome for eating your artifacts) is the player’s problem. You don’t have to like him, you don’t have to like anyone, but the narrative is not there to make a big deal out of it. Why should it? Everyone is flawed and then they get better. If you ignore Gale for being annoying or stake Astarion for being a vampire or forget to save Mizora condemning Wyll to the hells it’s a you problem, just like it’s a you problem if you push Shadowheart to embrace Shar and then Shadowheart is cold to you. 

Which is why the writers saying “Well, Gale is annoying so the fact that he sacrifices himself helps him redeem himself” is bonkers (just like rewriting Lae’zel lines to be more palatable is bonkers). Like it’s not just a bad take, it’s a “Gale was annoying so I ignored him the whole game so I don't know what his deal is” take. From the writers. Of the game.

And the rest applies to other weird instances of writing during the game. Like yeah, you can treat Gale horribly, you can treat everyone horribly. You can take advantage of Astarion, you can sell out Shadowheart, you can cheat on Wyll with Mizora and then tell him it’s his own fucking fault for not “pulling out”. But the game doesn’t try to imply that it’s funny that Astarion dissociates during sex. But it somehow is when Gale has to be persuaded into group sex, bolts and then the morning after he is like “Can we just never talk of this again”. And like Gale isn’t special in this regard, there is some stuff with Halsin, Wyll (no seriously what was that short) and even Raphael that is frankly appalling, but it really doesn’t help with the “we just never talked to Gale” vibe. Like if you romance Gale there is a line in the brothel where you can say that if you wanted boring sex you would have just had sex... with Gale. 

Gale “I read tons of erotic books and I have so many ideas. Let's do it in the Weave so we can try as many as possible” Dekarios. 

Also, nevermind all the serious implications, “He wasn’t ready for [his sacrifice] before but now he is” it’s like not even what happens. Like it’s not even what he says. I should not be reading an interview with the writers of a game and be like “did they just skip all of the dialogue”. 

(That interview was also very weird about Karlach but also I just feel like that interview was weird in general, like they just were in a rush and couldn’t really talk in depth about anything so it was vague lines for everyone, it's just that those about Gale particularly sucked).

[kirkwallguy]

kinda crazy the way people hate vivienne but fenris is a fan favourite. i just saw the party banter between bethany and fenris and. if i was living in a survival horror mode where there's catholic cops everywhere wanting to stuck me into a prison tower and some twink tells me "it's good for everyone and to yourself too" then ends it with "we don't sign up to our fate" I'd be taking a dump in their mouth right away. what the hell are you saying 💀

vivienne isn't even supportive of templars, she knows they're not a solution 😭 she's just highly political in her language, that's where the nuance and lies/covertly said thoughts kicks in. when she's divine it is noted that mages had seen rights they never had. its just ao crazy all it takes for people is a handsome *man* with a tragic backstory

hmm idk i think it's more complicated than that tbh. the hatred of vivienne is definitely due to antiblackness and misogyny, people's lack of empathy for vivienne in general is due to her being a black woman and if she was a white man she'd probably be one of the most popular dai companions. buut it's kind of hard to compare her to fenris when there's such a dramatic disparity in how well companion stories are conveyed in both games lol - fenris gets tons of cutscenes about his trauma, multiple companion quests including one where you meet his former slave master. meanwhile vivienne gets one quest that only vaguely implies what she's been through, and everything else has to be inferred banter that never triggers or deep in dialogue trees that lots of people won't exhaust because inquisition is like 100+ hours long.

comparing her treatment to characters like cullen or dorian (both flawed and you have to squint at them to extract the nuance) definitely does show how shit the fandom is tho. dorian defends slavery because he feels guilty about benefitting from it but viv isn't allowed to speak carefully about the system that oppresses her?

[villainanders]

Idc that David Gaider wrote Fenris and said that he would be susceptible to Solas’ ideology he’s wrong lmao. He would not fucking say that dot jpg

[martyrmarked]

sidri trevelyan, slavers' bane has a nice ring to it

[teine-mallaichte]

I am NOT a Slave

Fandom: Dragon age 2 Charater: Fenris

A rewrite of this older peice

“I am not a slave.”

The first time he says it, the words feel foreign, almost mocking, as if they were meant for someone else. Repeating it feels like an act of desperation, a futile attempt to reshape reality with mere words. He hopes that if he says it enough, it will one day become truth, but deep down, he knows it’s still a lie.

“I am not a slave.”

The mantra becomes a haunting refrain, echoing endlessly in his mind. Stating something doesn’t make it true; thinking it doesn’t alter the facts. His master’s absence doesn’t erase the memories or the chains that still bind him. True freedom seems like a distant dream, a cruel illusion he cannot fully grasp.

In Seheron, he tasted a semblance of freedom. Was taught to be more than an extension of his master’s will, to think and feel as a person. Was shown respect and care, guided through the process of becoming his own individual.

They told him he was not a slave.

But Danarius’s return shattered that fragile illusion of freedom.

The Fog Warriors paid dearly for their misguided optimism, their blood staining his soul like a permanent mark. Their teachings felt like a cruel joke, a temporary reprieve before the inevitable return of his master.

Even in his temporary freedom, the echoes of Danarius’s commands linger. His life feels like a masquerade, a fragile facade of freedom maintained only by his master’s whim. He follows the old rules instinctively, his body obeying commands even when his mind rebels. Trusting others feels dangerous, a risk he cannot afford. The fear of returning to his master’s control keeps him guarded, isolated.

“I am not a slave.”

Why then did he still follow the old rules of Danarius’s house? Why did his master’s voice echo in his mind? The fear of letting anyone near, of being forced to kill those who defended him, of the inevitability of being betrayed, or forced to betray. The fear of being cast aside, abandoned once more, of his utility being finite.

A slave was a possession, not a person.

“I am not a slave.”

The first time Hawke’s command rings out in battle, his body moves on autopilot, executing the kill. The reward and praise feel hollow, tainted by the knowledge that he is still bound by old habits. Slaves don’t celebrate—they follow orders without thought, a reality he struggles to escape.

The first time he argued with the mage, the conflicting instincts made him feel nauseous. The anxiety of speaking back, the fear of punishment, gripped him tightly. The absence of punishment flet alien, unsettling. His training to suppress emotions clashing with the reality of his new life, leaving him disoriented.

Had he spoken back to the master he would have expected at least a week in the pit, at least a week of no rations, and of Hadriana preventing his sleep. Had the master been in a particularly bad mood perhaps then a physical punishment would have been deemed necessary.

“I am not a slave.”

He could no longer repress the flinch when people shout, his master would be mortified. He can no longer ignore the glances and stares from others, no longer bite down the reaction as he had been trained.

He pulls away from touch now, allowing his body to react to the ghost of pain and discomfort, the years of training to suppress his bodies instincts going to waste. He still held the mask that had been forced upon him, holding himself tall and repressing as much as he was able throughout the day, but once alone in the dark of the stolen mansion would allow the cracks to show.

Drink and tears became the norm each night, hearing his master berate his weakness, feeling the magisters hands upon his flesh, seeing the blood magic sacrifices when he closed his eyes. If his master could see how his training had fallen away he would be furious, likely killing his once cherished slave rather than start the training again

“I am not a slave.”

His entire existence felt like a lie, perpetuated by those around him who cling to the illusion of freedom. One day the truth will be revealed, his master will return and reclaim his possession.

“I am not a slave.”

One day his master would return, command him to kill his “friends” and he knows he wil obey.

[queenbol-of-baldurs-gate]

Okay sound off, who do you think from current DA media is going to become a companion in DA:D and do you think they will be romanceable?

I will bet and eat my Left Shoe that our boy Marius (ostensibly from Magekiller) is going to be a romanceable companion. The build up in the comics around him and his past and his sad wet intense personality- he's a perfect set up for a "I Can Fix Him" companion. I can smell it.

[zevranunderstander]

just went into reading dragon age 2 trivia again and i know they only had like 16 months to make the game, but im still sooo mad that fenris and anders just. never get over their biases against each other. especially anders? the guy thats all about justice can not in 10 years of friendship learn that slavery is bad and that fenris is a victim of abuse? anders???? are we talking about the same character?? like fenris' aversion to magic and towards mages is at least loosely comprehendable. but. anders? youre telling me anders would spend 10 years being cruel to fenris and merrill about things he can ENTIRELY relate to? you're telling me fenris can not - in a friend group with like 3 mages - learn that mages are literally actively going through the same systems of abuse as he did for most of his life? you are telling me that neither fenris nor anders would see themself in merrill??? not blaming merrill for anything though, she didn't do anything wrong lol

[dentalcaring]

me with fenris in 2014: boy im doing ungodly things to this man’s pussy you wouldn’t believe the headcanons i have. he’s a father of three from a previous extremely dubious relationship but NOW he’s in a secret relationship with a gay communist blond who he does not get along with initially due to fundamental ideological differences but maybe they can put that aside and have a healthy relationship. maybe.

me in 2023: haha, oh i was such a silly child making up my little aus and such. what a great time i had.

me with vulpes inculta in 2024: boy im doing ungodly things to this man’s pussy you wouldn’t believe the headcanons i have. he’s a father of four from a previous extremely questionable relationship but NOW he’s in a secret relationship with a gay communist blond who he does not get along with initially due to fundamental ideological differences but maybe the blond can fix him and they can have a healthy relationship. unlikely tho. he is a piece of shit

[thatrandombystander]

Dragon Age 2 is my favourite relationship management simulator

[stayatsam]

wait, what did david gaider do that was ableist?

oh, not david gaider! Anders was written by Jennifer Hepler who based him off her ex-boyfriend.

and the ableism is specifically how anders is written, specifically that romancing/loving anders is a burden (because he is written as mentally ill)

EDIT: she actually received a lot of pretty dirty harassment over it, and i obviously don't condone that at all. the game came out 10 years ago so she might've changed how she views bipolar people but anders is still a very "yikes" experience for me to play in a game as a bipolar person