faderift | Open Post

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Open Post

WHO: Cole and anyone who needs or wants him
WHAT: The move is official and starting and Cole is Not Happy.
WHEN: This month
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Not at present

Before it was official, Cole was getting twitchy.

Now it is official, Cole is decidedly unhappy. Even the name Kirkwall sends jarring ache through him, a thousand lines of suffering going taut straight through him.

He's still trying to help people, but he's decidedly more absent than he has been and can often be found hanging out near the stables, above the tavern or down near the hot springs (though never in the water).

But, if you hurt or need him enough to be heard over the name Kirkwall... He'll still come and do his best.

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Iskandar could be found in the stables more often right now since he was looking after two other horses besides his own. At his side (well technically one of them liked to ride on his shoulders) were a small cat and a mabari puppy. They were interested in everything he did and loved the horses. It was like a fun game for them and he laughed softly as they looked at the large animals with such curiosity.

"You are still so curious about these animals, Hephaestion Alexander? You have been around Bucephalus for weeks now!"

The kitten mewled in response and he laughed softly, pausing when he saw a familiar face. "My friend! It is good to see you again! Come here and you can help me give treats to my beast while I brush him."

By beast he meant the gigantic black horse he was currently stroking.

Cole emerged slowly. he looked paler than before, the blue veins on his jaw and cheeks visible through his nigh translucent skin. "Hello, Iskandar."

He came a little closer, gripping onto the beam of a stall. "Why do you give him treats while you brush him? Hello, little one, we've met before, you were chasing that mouse in the hallway on the full moon, your belly was round with milk and dinner."

"Why? Mm...I would say because we are partners and I wish to gift him with good things to show my appreciation to him."

He noted the look of Cole and lifted a brow as he gave a long stroke to the horse. "Oh? You have found the courage to chase mice now, Hephaestion Alexander? Good! You must be practicing to handle Achilles Alexander."

At the mention of his name, the puppy gave a bark. Iskandar chuckled then nodded to a bag nearby. "The treats are there. Bucephalus loves them. You can use this time to perhaps think about other things than whatever has you in such a state."

"Well... it was a pile of fluff blown by the wind, but in his mind, it was a mouse." He drifted a bit closer to reach up to the kitten, offering a fingertip for investigation.

"Is Alexander their family name? Like... Rutherford is Cullen's?" It was the first example he thought of. He moved with a flicker of smoke, barely appearing before appearing back at Iskandar's side with the bag in question. "Are you going to leave?"

"It is my name actually." The large man didn't even react to what Cole had done. Likely because he'd seen Assassin to something like that in his own world so it wasn't really that new for him. As for the cat, he certainly seemed intrigued by Cole, jumping onto Bucephalus' head so he could look down at him from that perch.

"Hephaestion Alexander is named after my oldest and dearest friend and myself. Achilles Alexander is named after my favorite hero from my world and myself." He gave pause then laughed. "Ah I forgot that you may not know. Iskandar is the name Alexander in another language. I took in on when I conquered the lands of Persia."

He smiled at him then nodded to the bag. "Go on, you can feed him. And I will but I am going to be one of the last to leave. I dislike the idea of keeping my animals on a ship for that long. I'd rather they travel then be able to get off immediately and stay off."

Cole looked at the bag and back up again. "Why did you name them after yourself as well?" He can understand wanting to remember a beloved friend by naming a beloved companion the same. Or naming after someone you respect. But naming it after yourself seems... weird.

"I don't know how. Usually I just see horses eating from the trough. Or eating grass."

"Why not? I like my name. It is a strong and noble one. I named cities after myself as well." He laughed, obviously seeing nothing odd about this even though everyone else he'd ever met seemed to think otherwise.

"Ah you don't know how? Here, I will show you!" Setting the brush down, he went to fish out one of the treats and gently took Cole's hand. Placing it there, he brought it before Bucephalus then made sure his hand was out flat. "Keep it open and flat like this. He will take it gently from you."

Sure enough the horse moved forward and lightly took the food, munching on it with joy.

"... sounds like Pride to me." Maybe Conquest was related to Pride? That would make sense. Pride was often related to Valor as well.

Cole's hands were cold, the same temperature as the air around them, thin and pale and grimy. But he let himself be handled, offering no resistance. And then squeaking, a startled sound almost like a laugh wrenched from him. "It feels funny!" Made his fingers twitch. Tickling wasn't something he really understood.

"Very likely so! I am a man of pride as well."

The squeak from Cole brought laughter to his lips and he patted him on the shoulder. Gently. He had this feeling that a stiff breeze could blow him away right now and he didn't want to do that to him. "Yes. It tickles doesn't it. But I like to think it's a good feeling."

Cole looked up, eyes gleaming with wonder and the veins just that little bit less prominent. "Tickle... yes. This is tickle. It's- nice? Not bad? I don't know. It doesn't hurt."

"It isn't meant to. It is why parents tickle their children. Such things bring laughter and smiles." He grinned then offered another bit of food, placing it on Cole's hand. "Try again. Remember keep your hand flat."

"I don't remember if Mama ever tickled us." Maybe she did, but the happy memory is gone under the weight of his childhood horrors.

"Hand flat, fingers can be sheared off with those teeth, all right." He tried again, offering it up and giving another startled sound that it tickled again.

He laughed softly. "Yes. He would not mean to bite you either and I am certain he would regret the action too. Best to make sure it simply doesn't happen."

Leaving Cole to feed his horse, he went over to return to brushing him down. "My mother was not one to tickle me when I was a child. I think my first experience was during one of the times I spent with Hephaestion instead actually."

"Yes." He kept his hand flat as he carefully fed the horse, bringing his other hand up to rub along his snout gently.

"There weren't many soft touches in Cole's life. After Papa killed Mama, there were none. Not until me."

"Mm. I see." Iskandar knew that he could be one to feel sorrow for that but letting himself get lost in a past he'd never even known was rather pointless. Whatever had happened had happened. He could mourn those people some but for now his focus should be the Cole here now.

"May I ask what happened to Cole that led him to becoming you as you are now?"

"Cole died."

Cole leaned in, his hat sliding back on his head a bit as he rested brow to muzzle with the horse, listening to the tiny changes in his colours. "You can't eat too much. The other horses get hungry too."

"Mm. I see."

Rather than question that part though, he allowed it to be let go. There was always more to the story but he knew that if he was patient he might get it a little bit at a time. Even if it might take days so he wouldn't make Cole too uncomfortable. "Ah don't worry. That food is his alone. I make sure to get my own supplies for him so that way there is more for the other horses here. Since he came with my from my world, I felt it would only be right if I made sure I did not have him taking from those who need it more here."

"Oh. Then I guess you do get to keep eating more," Cole said to the horse, digging out another treat for him and offering it out to him on a flat hand.

"Cole was an apostate," he offered to Iskandar, still watching the horse instead. "He died. I became a different Cole. A Cole without magic."

Bucephalus immediately ate the treat then took a step forward so he could nudge and sniff at Cole. Apparently he'd decided he liked this person. Perhaps if he coated him in his scent that would make him his. Animal logic.

Iskandar chuckled at the antics then went to start brushing out the tail. "Ah. So the magic did not linger when you became Cole?"

Cole leaned into the horse, stroking along the side of his face and then unerringly against a spot that had started to itch a bit.

"I'm not the same Cole. I was Compassion who became Cole. He was Cole who became dead. He was a mage. He wished he wasn't. So I wasn't. I became Cole without magic."

"Like you respected his dying wish. That was good of you."

Not everyone would respect a dying wish so thoroughly actually. Then again, Cole wasn't human and was beyond that. Of course he wouldn't think of things the same way.

"You know, I'd like to think I would do the same if I had been in that position but I cannot be sure since I've never had to face that."

"I couldn't do anything else."

He had had to help. And that was all he had to help him, beyond sitting next to him, holding a dying boy's hand.

"I don't want to talk about that." He would, but he didn't want to.

"Then we won't."

He immediately switched topics as if he was turning a page in a book to a new chapter. No big deal at all.

"Would you like to know what Bucephalus means in my native tongue?"

"Yes."

The change was clearly welcome; Cole slumped slightly, relaxing.

"It means Ox Head. For he is far larger than the average horse."

He gave him a solid pat on the neck and the horse shook his head before going back to gently nudging at Cole.

"He is one of my truest friends."

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