[Open] Time for some enjoyment

[conqueredhearts]

WHO: Iskandar and OPEN
WHAT: Iskandar is here to have a good time. Join him?
WHEN: Throughout Drakonis
WHERE: Skyhold and other fun places
NOTES: Probably lots of cute times. Maybe some sad times depending on the threads. But mostly a lot of cute and loud affection. Because Iskandar.

A. It's a new dog!

He'd been wanting one since first seeing the mabari. Now he had one of his own. A fine pup who tended to spend much of his time tripping over his own feet but was ever eager to be with and please the large man. Really he'd been told that an older dog would be recommended but they'd laid eyes on each other and that had been that. After all, once that bond was formed there simply was no going back.

And so one could find him with a puppy in one of the more open areas. They were training and it seemed that the puppy was at least rather intelligent at picking up on things! So long as Iskandar used his native tongue for the commands, something he'd decided to do just to solidify their bond further.

"Heh. What a clever boy you are, my Achilles Alexander!" The pup gave a bark and then happily ate up the piece of meat that he was given. And yes, Iskandar sure had named this dog after himself.

B. Training is important

The best way to perfect how one used their adjusted powers was to, well, use them. So he was around the training grounds to work with the couple of them that he felt could safely be done here. Name the teleportation and invisibility ones. So it was easy enough to spot him standing in one location only to reappear in another. At times he frowned and rubbed his beard as he considered what he'd been doing before trying again.

One could feel free to interrupt him though. He wasn't needing the concentration to do this really.

C. Memories rise to the surface

There were times when even Iskandar needed a moment to reflect, to think on the sadder days. Though he never regretted any of them that hardly meant they didn't weight on his heart. Many had been lost under his command or had given up much to follow him. Then there were times when he remembered Hephaestion and how perhaps he would never see him again. Or that his son would be someone he'd never lay eyes on.

So he was in the gardens with a kitten and a mabari pup curled up together on his lap. Both were sound asleep as if they'd been playing hard until that moment. He smiled down at them fondly, stroked their soft ears as he admired their pure innocence.

"It has been long since I had your purity, little ones."

Wildcard

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[ooc: This is an open post but there will definitely some top levels for some people! If you would like one and don't happen to see one feel free to hit me up.]

Comments

[el_tybs]

Sam lets out a heavy sigh, leaning more into Iskandar's side as he listens to him talk. Perhaps a bit more just listening to the sound of his voice then the actual words, soaking in that he was still alive and sitting next to him, but listening nonetheless.

"Before that... I only had to witness one other person I cared about perishing before me. I couldn't do anything then either, no matter what power or skills I had. Everyone else... passed on when I wasn't even present..." He's quiet for a few moments after that before Sam gives a huff and rubs at his eyes tiredly. "Sorry. We didn't go on this trip for this."

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione was a little startled by the sudden appearance of Hephaestion, but if nothing else, realizing that it was another friendly creature put a small, if absent, smile on her face. Moving from a crouch to sit herself down on the ground, she reached out to pet the cat with her free hand as she tried to think over how to reply to Iskandar.

"And what happens to those different futures?" Because really, would it have really made much of a difference in anything at all if there was still a world where the Inquisition had been forced into hiding, especially after making that last stand that had left so many injured or dead? What if, upon seeing her and the others go back through time, Jamie had stood by and waiting for things to change, only to be struck down by a lingering Venatori?

And, of course, that made her wonder about Jamie, and about what he'd told her (or will have told her, as grammatical tenses get so complicated when the future was involved), and about whether or not she should tell the Jamie of today what the Jamie from five years down the line had told her about his feelings for her. It was a serious topic, but that was a much more personal sort of serious rather than the vague severity of her previous broader question.

"And should we use future knowledge on a smaller scale, such as when it comes to helping our friends and with other... relationships?"

[universal_charm]

"Can you just imagine what would happen if they had your name?" he inquired, looking down at the general with a quirk of his eyebrow. Not that expected Iskandar to actually come around to seeing why naming everything after himself was a confusing and somewhat terrible idea. That would be like asking the sun to start rising in the West instead of the East.

"Hopefully he understands how nice a name he has," he looked to the kitten, smiling quietly.

[conqueredhearts]

"Perhaps we did. This has weighed heavily on your heart and perhaps you needed someone to hear the words." Iskandar smiled at him warmly and ran his fingers through that dark hair to soothe him. True he'd just been told that he sacrificed his life to save him but he was still going to be the one to offer the comfort here. Obviously that was his place in this.

"I have lost cherished people before. One in particular that I could only watch fade away. It didn't matter that I was King and it didn't matter that I had the best healers in any land and it didn't matter that I had prayed to the gods for nights on end. I still had to watch him slip away from me. And I have lost many other friends as well. It is never easy."

[conqueredhearts]

He'd been about to speak more when he heard the second question. Blinking, he studied her a moment and considered what she could mean. Other relationships? Besides friendships? He frowned a moment as he thought about it when...

Those red eyes of his widened.

"Did someone give you their heart in the future?" Really he had nothing else to say yet. He was more invested in finding out who had confessed to this young woman he'd decided to adopt in some manner of speaking.

[conqueredhearts]

"Hm? They both have my name actually."

He lifted a brow back up at him. Though some (everyone) people couldn't understand why he named everything after himself, he still continued to do it. And so he'd named these two after himself as well. Certainly they had unique names too but they both held the name of Alexander as well.

[conqueredhearts]

The puppy had immediately pounced to his feet when Garahel had run after the ball. He was baffled but it did look like so much fun! Looking up at the people, he did a little turn towards them then back to where the dog was running back. "Ah I think he would enjoy that. Look at the interest he has already! You would enjoy this greatly, Achilles Alexander! And I am sure the boy would appreciate you tiring yourself out as well."

[conqueredhearts]

The light was brilliant and he squinted while lifting his arm up. It was what allowed him to block the swing of the sword with his own. An accidental save but he was not about to hate himself for that. If any accident was successful then why be upset about it? Whatever worked in the end still had the privilege of being what worked! "Ah that was clever! I will have to make sure I don't fall for that one again!"

[conqueredhearts]

He made a swipe with his sword, intentionally forcing the mage to move more. Of course he held back a little (well more like a lot) so he wouldn't end up hitting him but he still wanted Waver to see that he was truly pushing him here. He wanted Waver to show him what he'd learned since he'd been wanted him to take him more seriously. After all if he wanted that then he was going to have to earn it.

What he didn't expect was the hand to reach out for his cloak. It was quite startling and his massive size made it so he didn't see it right away.

"Ah what are you doing there?" he asked as he tried to turn and lift his arm up to look under for a better view.

[universal_charm]

"I meant in that you called them that exclusively," he clarified, remembering when they had first been introduced and hearing their, to what his mind sounded like, "last names".

"The poor things would get terribly confused," he shifted his fingers to comb them through Iskandar's hair rhythmically, humming just under his breath.

[conqueredhearts]

"Ah. Hermione named Hephaestion Alexander actually. Or rather she named him Hephaestion and I added my name to make the name grander. So I thought that Achilles Alexander should have a similar name."

That seemed a fair thing. Especially since they were siblings as far as he was concerned. Ah but then he heard the humming and he allowed himself to just listen in on that, smiling some. Not that it was a tune he recognized but he still liked the sound of it.

[universal_charm]

He rolled his eyes at that, not quite shaking his head. At least in this case he could find Alexander's ego charming, though his mind clicked away on a way to try and show Alexander naming everything for himself wasn't always smart. Well, plots for another day. Looking down, he was glad to see the man so relaxed compared to the more gloomy expression from earlier, relieved to be able to alleviate some of his aches.

"Feeling better?" he asked after switching songs a few times, brushing his fingers across Iskandar's brow.

[kartereo]

Waver let himself be swept along with the cloak's movement, his one hand hanging on for dear life. Once he was on the opposite side of Iskandar, he moved the practice knife to Iskandar's side, pleased to have gotten a hit.

"Using momentum to my advantage."

[conqueredhearts]

"Ah I felt better the moment you arrived." Romantic as it likely sounded it was also true. That Jim would arrive and see his expression then simply come over to offer comfort meant a great deal to him. Iskandar had felt some measure of affection for the man for a good bit now but this had simply sealed that for him.

"I should sing for you sometime as well."

[conqueredhearts]

"Clever! Good!"

He laughed and went to block the blow with his arm. The blade was dull due to being used for practice so he wasn't worried about an actual cut. Then again he likely would have done something similar in a real battle too.

"This is what I mean by finding your advantage! If you always wait you may lose your opportunity!"

[kartereo]

With the arm movement, Waver moved the dull knife upward, as to hit exposed flesh if this was a real fight. It wouldn't be much of a blow, but on Iskandar? Any kind of result counted for a lot.

"Yeah, well, sometimes it takes a damn long time to get people where you want them."

[universal_charm]

"My, you're a man of many talents, aren't you?" Kirk teased his lover, gently twisting a lock of red hair around one finger to curl it. "But I would like that."

He gazed down at him, his smile ever so slightly crooked, but warm and adoring at the same time. As much as Iskandar could rile him up with his strange habits, they also gave him a quirky charm, and his unwavering honesty was refreshing, and something Kirk very much needed in his life.

"Any requests for now, though? I only know songs from my world, but I can try and match a theme."

[conqueredhearts]

"You simply lack the experience to force people where you want them. You will learn with time and practice."

Iskandar moved them to slash at him with the flat side of his blade. He'd never use the sharp side against the mage like this, after all. "Now find an opening as I move to attack you!"

[conqueredhearts]

"Sing me your favorites. Those are the ones I would like to hear."

It would prevent confusion when trying to figure out songs Jim would know of the list he was familiar with himself. Besides that it would also teach him some of the songs that his lover enjoyed. Just the sort of thing to help him surprise him with them another time.

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione had thought she was being vague. After all, there were different types of relationships besides friendships and romantic relationships. But at Iskandar's question, she froze, realizing that she might have to talk about this more blatantly than she'd really anticipated. After all, she could easily lie to Iskandar, but... somehow, it just didn't feel right to do so.

After a moment, she glanced up at him, not quite knowing how to proceed. Finally, she slowly reached under her blouse and withdrew a small pendant she had hung around her neck, showing it to him.

"Not quite his heart," she murmured softly. "But if this could come back with me from a future that should no longer exist, I have to wonder how real it is here and now."

[kartereo]

Waver ducked immediately, the dulled practice knife trying to drag down alongside Iskandar's flesh as he did. It wasn't a good attempt, mostly because Waver's attention was on his own reflex to the knife rather than the making any kind of hit.

"Fuck!"

There was no disentangling from Iskandar though, so he tried to get behind the man's back as quickly as his legs would allow.

[el_tybs]

Well he couldn't argue that he didn't need this, because obviously he did; having someone there to talk to and just let it out rather then keeping it in. Course it felt a little weird to tell Iskandar considering he was talking about his future self in all this, but it also felt... nice because the man could also relate to what he was going through in a way.

The fingers running through his hair is definitely helping and Sam leans more heavily into Iskandar, pretty much the only reason he was sitting up at all at this moment. "Never easy, I agree. I know this, but at the same time I'm... very conflicted. Everyone... and you, it all happened, I witnessed it, and now I'm back and... I'm stuck with this sense of mourning but at the same time everything is fine, you're all here." He couldn't quite place the feeling.

[conqueredhearts]

He leaned over and down so he could look at the pendant. It was so carefully crafted. Truly someone had spent a lot of time on it and poured a lot of their soul into it before giving it to her. This young man must feel strongly for her and he wondered if that held true in this time as it had in the future. If so then he wondered why he wasn't saying anything already. Hermione was a fine catch, after all!

"Mm. I would say it may be more complicated than real or not. However, I would say that you do hold his heart in your hand as you hold that pendant. Not everyone of those who went forward received such a gift, after all."

[conqueredhearts]

"Trying the same move again? But this time I have seen it!"

Swinging with Waver, he tried to use the hold on his cloak to his advantage to cause the man to trip. It meant it pulled some and choked at his neck a little but he didn't actually mind. To see Waver having to think so fast on his feet was a wonder to him! Anything to push him harder!

[kartereo]

Waver did fall, but he went with it, stabbing for Iskandar's feet before trying to bounce right back up. It was a scrappy move, probably not one that would work, but it was something worth trying.

"Doesn't mean I can't do some variations on it!"