PARTY BANTER MEME

[faderifting]

In the Dragon Age games, as you travel Thedas with your best pals, they have a lot of short conversations about politics, the weather, butts, etc. So this is the Fade Rift equivalent, in four easy steps!

1. Imagine your characters are on a very long walk somewhere, or on a very long walk back after kicking ass, or standing guard together, or gathering herbs, or working in the library late at night, or anything else sort of boring. You can provide context if you'd like, like "[ On the way back from Antiva: ]," but it isn't mandatory.

2. Post a few different remarks your character might make—similar to TFLN, except spoken out loud and less ridiculous, maybe, or maybe not, I don’t know your life—while passing the time.

3. Tag around to reply to those general remarks or to start new/wildcard conversations! Threads should be pretty short and involve minimal action; there’s no need to turn anything into a big production. Threadjacking to create multiperson conversations is encouraged (unless someone says not to). Multiple different conversations between the same characters occurring on different days are also encouraged.

4. Gather up all of your little conversation snippets like a bouquet and keep them forever, because they’re game canon.

Comments

[notathreat]

The physical part, anyway.

... you said you forgave her. But I bet that wasn't easy.

[sparklequeen]

[ The last time they talked about this, Glimmer hadn't been sure if Ellie wanted to hear it. ]

...It wasn't. It was really hard. I just...

[ It was what my mom would have wanted doesn't sound quite right, not really. ]

I think I said it before, but... I didn't want to carry all that hurt and anger and pain around inside me forever. And I realized that... well, she was more like me than I'd known.

[notathreat]

Her being like you-

Did that make it harder, or easier?

[sparklequeen]

...I think easier?

[ She doesn't sound sure, though. ]

I just... we were on Horde Prime's ship together and we talked about Adora and... I realized she was just a girl. Like me. She was scared and lonely and didn't want to lose someone important to her. I knew how that felt.

So yeah. Easier.

[notathreat]

Oh.

[... a little heavily.]

[sparklequeen]

...sorry, we don't have to talk about this.

[ A weak smile. ]

[notathreat]

I asked.

[A weak smile back, and Ellie bumps Glimmer's shoulder with hers. Goes quiet again. After a long silence, she asks:]

Are me and Abby alike?

[sparklequeen]

[ Now that is a question, isn't it? Glimmer stiffens, tension in her shoulders. What does she say? How does she say it?

Ellie is asking, though. So she should be honest. She can't make herself look at Ellie's face, though. ]

Well... Yeah. I think you are. Not exactly alike but... Both of you have had hard lives and it's made you capable and stuff but it's also made you, like... Hard as people? You're both really comfortable with violence. You act first and think about it later a lot of the time. You both care about your friends a lot,since you know, I get to say I'm friends with both of you.

[ She takes a breath. ]

Neither of you like to talk about your feelings or yourselves.

[notathreat]

[Perhaps to Ellie's credit, she doesn't wince. It's more like Ellie's getting confirmation of something she already knows. She leans her cheekbone against Glimmer's shoulder with a sigh, letting it all settle.]

Part of it's just where we came from.

[Left unsaid is the obvious: it can't account for all of it.]

[sparklequeen]

[ Glimmer nods, leans into Ellie a little more as if to reassure her. Or perhaps because she wants reassurance. ]

I know. I... still have some of you rattling around in here, you know?

[ She points to her own head. She misses it sometimes, the strange intimacy of being able to just understand someone else with a touch. It's kind of a relief to be able to hold her friend's bare hand though. ]

Both of you have lost a lot of people, too.

[notathreat]

Yeah.

[Ellie resists the impulse to apologize for it, she knows that wasn't why Glimmer brought it up. Instead she presses her cheek harder into Glimmer's shoulder. Leaning's good. They can touch, here. They don't have to be careful. Ellie doesn't have to worry about being too painful to hold.]

Loss fucks with you.

[sparklequeen]

[ Glimmer curls in on herself and presses closer to Ellie. There's comfort in the touch of her friend, the comfortable way they can just share space. It helps her miss home a little less. ]

I feel like I've lost everything I can bear to lose already.

[ Her voice is quiet and tired, drawn thin. She doesn't usually let herself get like this, contents herself with saying she misses her mom but when she says this, she means the way she is mourning her home, which with every passing day she believes she'll see less and less. ]

[notathreat]

[Ellie's quiet, rubbing a hand over her back. Unfortunately, she doesn't think she has anything to say that might comfort her. Ellie's known a lot of loss in her life, and she knows there's more ahead. There's always more ahead.]

We're here today.

[Even if it's just for the day.]

[sparklequeen]

Yeah. We are.

[ Glimmer murmurs and presses closer to Ellie's side to laps into a thoughtful silence. They're here, that's the important part. ]