#anders*

[proffbon]

NATHANIEL HOWE

[felixora]

I present to you — a cat

You know, this is a very painful character for me I love what the fans have come up with for him and how he's been reimagined in the community (the message of his storyline was understood) But I'm so fucking annoyed with the way his story was presented in the canon, I want to climb up the wall every time I play da2 and da3

You were almost there, you ALMOST GOT IT And the worst part is that if da2 hadn't gone through that development hell, we could have had a really cool representation of opposition to repressive regimes, of peaceful protests and what leads to riots and bloody revolutions.

But alas

Still love him

[traaanskimkitsuragi]

a handers comm i got by aer0spac on twitter!

[hug-kiss-marry-kill]

[just1gnome]

im currently allowing myself to exist in the world where they are happy and nothing bad ever happens to them c:

[the-cryptographer]

thinking about that banter where anders asks fenris if he's ever considered suicide and it's weird bc anders definitely started this conversation to upset and embarrass and trigger fenris, and a lot of fans are upset and embarrassed and triggered by it (myself included tbh. i remember it starting up in my game once and walking directly to the nearest stage change to make it stop.) but i think everyone gets too caught up in how shitty it was for anders to do this that they tend to miss fenris's actual response and that this banter becomes one of the most even keeled conversations the two of them have in the whole game. like fenris refuses to emotionally escalate. anders likewise backs down. the result is this incredibly morbid and melancholic little exchange where they ruminate on the differences between their values and characters - that fenris would rather submit than die and anders would rather die than submit - and for a moment they're both sharing the same sadness about where these limitations have gotten them. it's amazing. it's weird. it's a bit of concilation and compassion that never would have happened if anders hadn't been the most tactless person in the thedas.

[sweetmage]

This is probably just me with my pro-Anders goggles (and my "Orsino needed more depth" goggles) on but, after the initial shock wears off, I'd love for Orsino to recognize that Anders has done the one thing he was afraid to do. He crossed a line that Orsino was often toeing but never had the strength to step over himself.

There was no compromise and he knew it, but he was still too subconsciously bound to the Circle's teachings (its their job to break their mages after all, even Anders suffers this when not overridden by Justice), too bound to the idea of being an exemplary mage and a palatable leader to look that idea in the face and accept it. He had desperate measures in his back pocket that he could never get himself to pull out until the biggest step was already taken by someone else.

I will never accept the "Okay, we tried everything but then Anders fucked it up, time to bring out ✨The Harvester✨" ending they gave us. Orsino was radicalized by seeing his friends and peers driven to suicide through oppression and unlivable conditions. He saw the worst that the templars and Chantry could do, he saw the oppression and looming hammer about to come down on them.

For all the pain and loss he suffered and the good he tried to do, some part of him had to know they'd already reached the point of no return and protest and talking were no longer an option.

This (and the fact that Orsino being a boss fight was an EA decision, not an intentional writer choice) is all the more reason why I simply headcanon that he survived and Varric covered for him with a damning and conclusive end that distanced him from the uprising and Anders's views/actions enough to allow his escape.

I'd like to think he's still out there fighting the good fight and aiding mages during the war and aftermath.

[bluerose5]

When Anders didn't show up for supper that night, Gale tried not to worry.

Given all that he had been through, Anders needed time to himself, he tried to reason, but it was a futile effort.

He could only pour over scrolls for so long before he went in search for him.

Not that he had to go far.

Anders was still in camp at least, perched on an outcropping of rock that overlooked the nearby lake.

He waved his hand through the air in intricate patterns, and wisps of light burst forth in an array of colors, forming shapes as he willed it.

Before Gale had a chance to announce his presence, Anders angled his head ever so slightly to the side and spoke.

"Surprised it took you this long to come find me," he greeted.

After a split second of hesitation, Gale stepped forward to join him, taking a seat on the rock beside him as silver moonlight shined down on them from above.

"How did you know I was there?" he asked, watching the first wisp dissipate before Anders crafted another.

"I was what my people called a Grey Warden, remember?" he said as way of explanation. "Always had to be alert in case of a random darkspawn attack." His face scrunched up then, nose wrinkled in disdain. "And it always paid to be vigilant in the Circles."

Gale watched him closely, how he steeled himself at the mere mention of the Circles, how guarded his expression became.

It hurt in a way that he had no words for, to hear what he had suffered in that Thedas of his for simply possessing magic.

It was mind-boggling to Gale, the very notion...

In an attempt to turn both of their minds away to less infuriating subjects, Gale nodded at Anders' light display.

"Having fun?" he asked, glad to see it when Anders cracked a smile.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted in a small whisper. "It's calming, you know, to be able to cast for the sake of doing it. To not have to use my magic for battle for once. To not have to hide it for fear of the Templars or the Chantry.

"Maker, I can't even explain to you how happy I am to finally be able to wear robes out in the open again!" Anders laughed, even as his eyes started to glisten with unshed tears. "It might be strange, having to use a source of power other than the Fade, but..."

He trailed off with a shrug, then looked over at Gale, golden brown eyes drinking in the sight of him from head to toe.

Gale shivered when a nightly breeze trailed over him.

Goosebumps spread over his skin like wildfire.

Smirking, Anders leaned in and whispered, "But I had an excellent teacher."

Gale's heart skipped a beat.

"Is that so?" he breathed.

"Mm-hmm..."

Anders' eyes darted down to Gale's lips, and he sank his teeth into his bottom lip.

Gale swallowed thickly in response.

He couldn't help it. He was drawn in like a moth to a flame.

He leaned in closer as well, so close that he could feel Anders' breath upon his lips.

Their noses brushed. They adjusted the angle, but then uncertainty struck Gale at the most inopportune moment.

He averted his eyes with a bashful grin.

"I, uh, ahem." He cleared his throat. "Are we really about to...?"

"To kiss?"

"Uh-huh."

"I don't know," Anders answered. "Are we? Because I'm certainly not opposed."

"Neither am I," Gale said, perhaps a bit too fast, had it been anyone else, "but you deserve a more romantic display, surely!"

"Heh." Anders chucked and shook his head at him in disbelief. "Gale, what could possibly be more romantic than this? Here I am, embracing my freedom with a smart, handsome man such as yourself and getting swept up in the moment under the night sky. Let me spell it out for you: if there was ever a time for you to make your move, then this is it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, alright. On that note, I must confess," he told him, "that it has been a while since I've been with anyone physically. Turns out, self-imposed isolation isn't exactly conducive to matters of the flesh."

"No matter," Anders said. Reaching out, he grabbed Gale by the fabric of his robes and dragged him forward until their lips were only a hair’s width away. "I have to say it's been a while for me as well. Perhaps this is something we can explore again. Together."

"And Justice?" Gale asked, concerned. "Is he okay with this too?"

"Trust me," Anders said, huffing out a breath of a laugh, "you would know if he had an issue with it. He doesn't." Not now. Not when they had the luxury to focus their attention elsewhere. Not when they didn't have a current cause to consume their days. Anders tightened his grip, pressed himself against him. "Now, kiss me."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Their lips barely brushed when a voice pierced through the darkness.

"Mr. Dekarios!" Tara called out. "Mr. Dekarios! Where are y— Oh, there you are! And Mr. Anders, too. How delightful!"

They jumped apart, wide-eyed with shock, when their resident tressym made an appearance.

Their faces instantly flooded with warmth, neither of them quite able to meet each other's eyes.

Tara sat down a few feet away, staring at them intently.

"Mr. Dekarios! The gravest emergency has occurred, and I need your immediate assistance." It was then that she sensed the tension between the two, her ears perking up. "Wait! I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"

"No!" they both answered, but Tara was far from dumb.

"Oh, my! I was, wasn't I? Well, by all means, don't let me interrupt," she said, yet she made no move to leave, watching them as her wings fluttered.

Gale grimaced.

Anders had to slap a hand over his mouth to muffle his giggles, ignoring Gale's glare while he got to his feet.

"Why, Lady Tara, our conversation can surely wait in the face of what sounds like a dire circumstance," Anders said, bowing lightly to her. "May I?"

She tilted her head up and said, "You may."

Anders gathered her into his arms.

"What a gentleman!" she praised as he pet her. "Isn't he such a darling, Mr. Dekarios?"

"Yes, Tara, he is," Gale said, following their lead as he stood up with a groan. "Now, what is this emergency you spoke of?"

"Ah, yes!" She ruffled her feathers. "Sir Astarion left at the most inopportune time to go hunting. Usually, he is up for such a task, but my feathers need preening and my fur needs brushing before I head to bed. It is a task of the utmost importance, you understand."

"But of course," Anders readily agreed. "Let's see to that at once, shall we?"

"Leave it to you to encourage her," Gale sighed.

"Try not to get jealous," Anders teased, leading the way to his tent. "I'll make sure to spare some time for you later. We still have much to discuss, after all."

"That, we do."

[ones233]

the point of no return

[fippydarkpaw]

Don't know how this romance will end, but history tells me in tears.

[hats0ng]

may you find the forgiveness that you seek, my child; just not in my sacred walls

[aghostwithnoname]

I love characters who act selfishly to protect the people they love. Absolutely will 1000% hit that trope like a line of coke. I have no moral qualms about this.

[adactaaries]

Portraits! Of da2 characters, because I don’t have time for anything more interesting these days

[zuzartii]

My dragon age 2 relapse continues and has inflitrated my daily sketches 

[inferno92000]

INPRNT | REDBUBBLE | TWITTER

[l3irdl3rain]

anyways my rebranding is because I’ve been having so much fun with tiktok recently and I wanted my usernames to match.