i. victory born

nathaniel  elias  adley   (   previously  known  as  alexander  the  great   )   /   written  by  red

[montferrat-blog1]

hello everyone !   there’s a starter call for both elijah and nathaniel ( @kephale ) in the discord, and i’d love to get things moving again so please let me know there !

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: margaux astor, nathaniel adley

Bend wasn’t just some city in Oregon, but a Beacon for Dreamers, a place to gather in, to really get to know one another. Each of them had lived a life of prestige, alas mostly war and death, but glory too. Alexander the Great, not just someone she could read about on Wikipedia, but a (sort of) real man wanting to meet her. Surreal, to be reborn after having one’s head chopped off – which is why Margaux so lovingly refers to herself as the woman with two hearts and one head. A mother, a ‘concubine’, a Queen, a wife, a sister and a daughter – she could’ve described herself in so many ways, but this, Margaux, the badge on her hip pinned to her jeans, was everything she stood for at the moment, at least until Nathaniel entered the scene, surprising her. 

“A Queen, naturally,” Margaux held her breath “a woman way ahead of her time, too,” although she spoke with a certain sadness, Margaux recovered rather quickly, snorting slightly before a giggle escaped a lips. “I’ve dealt with kings before, please prove me wrong you’re not like all the others, will ya?” she winked. She couldn’t remain serious or really in hiding all that much. “Please tell me you’re as great as everyone says you are.”

"Naturally,” Nathaniel replied with interest. The royal Dreamers always caught his attention, something about them being of his ilk and the whispers a mother in another life fed him, sustained him with. To be both royal and to live again, it made it clear that there was something special about their souls. “And where did you rule, my Queen?” he asked, a half smile painting his lips. “Some place far far away...”

“You haven’t met a King like me,” the man says with a confidence that cannot be taught. It’s the product of two lifetimes of getting what you want, despite your actions not being completely calculated, it’s the belief that fate wants you to win. It’s the confidence of a man who sees a tied knot and thinks that hacking it apart rather than working with the twists to untangle it is the the most elegant plan of action. There’s something mythical in the way he sees himself. “I’m not just a King either. ”

[randomroleplaymemes-blog]

Send "🙋" + any headcannons you want to know about my muse.

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: nathaniel adley, oliver molina

After a night filled with strangers and loud music, drinking shot after shot to try to forget himself and lower his inhibitions, Oliver decided to skip out on the hookup that night. He wanted to go home, curl up in his bed, and go to sleep. Where things were always just a little bit better. He got into the taxi and mumbled his address, leaned back, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he realized they were going in the opposite direction of his house. Going to the part of town where there wasn’t a condo in sight, only mansion after mansion. He squinted his eyes as he watched the houses going past, or more so, the gates of the houses going past, and wondered if this taxi driver somehow knew where Nate lived. Because it looked a lot like they were going there. 

He lifted himself up from the seat, leaning forward to talk to the driver and ask where they were going. When he repeated back the address, he had realized he had asked to be taken to Nate’s right off the bat. He shrugged. Despite the time, he knew that Nate would probably awake. Somehow know he was coming to see him. Or maybe he was asleep in bed and would wake up to the sound of his bathtub turning on like he had many times before. Either way, he had a key, and could get in if he wanted. And it would be a lie to say he wasn’t excited to see him and spend time in his massive bathtub. 

Slamming the car door shut, Oliver walked up to the front door and clumsily opened it, Nate’s graceful walk toward him enough to make his jaw drop slightly in awe. Too intoxicated to even be able to begin to process everything Nate was. Sometimes it hit him more harshly than others, and this was one of those times. He smiled and leaned against his chest, not moving away when Nate did, his intoxicated body somehow unable to move anymore. “I’m glad you’re glad I’m here,” he replied, pushing himself off of him to wipe at his eyes. “Were you wandering again or were you just waiting for me like an eager puppy?” He shook his head. “Don’t answer that. I’m gonna keep option two in my mind for now.” He turned around to go to the stairs, “I’m gonna use your bathtub.” And, as he started climbing them clumsily turned around and quirked a brow. “Are you coming or is there someone else you’re waiting for?”

Oliver was clearly drunk, but that wasn’t anything surprising, considering who they were. The pair had been drinking together in their dreams long before it was legal in their waking life: as boys in Pella, and as teenagers in his father’s campaigns. However, it was also clear that this was a night where Oliver had maybe gone further than he intended, pushing beyond the bounds of controlled chaos, thought Nathaniel couldn’t be quite sure what was going through his head. The other’s body was heavy and warm against his own, and even as he released, Oliver lingered, pressed against him. He didn’t mind that feeling at all. In their dreams the positioning was normally inverted, the smaller Alexander pressed against the man who looked to all the world like a Macedonian Prince, and quietly Nathaniel fight he might prefer that, but that didn’t make this quick shared moment anything less than comforting. 

Were you waiting for me like an eager puppy? Had anyone else spoken those words to him, comparing him so flippantly to such a docile and submissive animal, Nathaniel would not have remained quiet. He was the son of three father’s between his lives, and none had instilled in him the instinct to react kindly to such belittlement. Yet, from Oliver, it was different, a term of endearment almost. He was content to let the other enjoy the image of himself waiting by the door for Oliver. Nathaniel liked that something like that could make Oliver happy, it made Nathaniel feel wanted. He would likely not admit he craved something like that; Prince Reincarnate that he was, he shouldn’t be bereft of it in the first place. Large brown eyes completed the illusion that Oliver had created, looking at him with care and following as his frame moved towards the stairs. 

He paused for a moment, staying still and choosing just to watch the other, but it seemed Oliver had other plans. “Waiting to see if you can make it up there by yourself, actually,” Nathaniel replied, moving with the intent to ascend the stairs. “Looked like you might fall for a second there.” He quickly caught up to the other, ending the distance between them, and placing his arm around him slightly. The action was twofold, bringing him closer to Oliver while allowing Nathaniel to make sure he didn’t tip backwards as he seemed inclined to do. “Is the invitation to join you, or just to stay with you?”

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: nathaniel adley, oliver molina

Nathaniel did, though he might not admit it, enjoy aspects of Bend. Being somewhat removed from the bustle he had grown accustomed to in the other half of his life. Tucked away in the mountains, the young business man had found himself a modern palace. It didn’t compare to the grandeur of Pella, but it had modern comforts and charm. 

However, despite this comfort, Nathaniel couldn’t sleep. Instead, the former King found himself wandering around the empty house. He appeared so different than his usual persona, usually so put together but now slightly disheveled and adorned in a tee shirt and loose fitting sweatpants. He moves slowly, without real purpose, through the rooms, almost as if he’s looking for something missing. Nathaniel’s mind was clearly elsewhere, though he wasn’t sure it was anywhere in particular. His head buzzed some nights, like the din of battle was haunting him, a general and ever present sound that surrounded him. He would have gone on like this, wandering aimlessly through the same rooms and pretending to have slept well in the morning, if it hadn’t been for another noise catching his attention. The turn of a key in a lock, the sound of that missing thing being found.

Nathaniel moved towards the door with a lazy smile upon his lips, hands buried in his pockets. The smile grew slightly at the sight of Oliver, happy to see him and thankful for his presence. They were a constant for each other, in this life and the previous, in reality and in their dreams. Gentle and fluid movements brought him close enough to the other to embrace him. “It’s good to see you,” he says, honestly, holding Oliver for a moment before letting him go. “I’m glad you’re here.”

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: nathaniel adley, sage dubois

Dreamer meetings helped them organize their thoughts. Hearing people speak who had similar problems to them was comforting, often helping ease some of the anxiety they were feeling about feeling disconnected from their body for the first time in their life. Sage usually had a lot of control of everything in their life. But it seemed, as soon as their mother died, they quickly lost all of the control they thought they had. Now they were in a quiet town with a small population, doing nothing but hiding away in the studio. They had told people who had asked about them they went away to heal from their accident, which was partially true, but it seemed like there was more healing to be done now. 

There was also the problem of seeing problematic historical figures in the flesh, something Sage couldn’t quite get past. Nathaniel, of course, was one of them. They glared at him at meetings, their heart filled with rage that could finally be directed at a person. He had caught on to them, and, after a meeting, when both of them held each other’s gaze, their chin raised slightly to show him they were unafraid of them (in the past and future), they raised a brow when he finally spoke. “Really?” They asked, leaning forward and resting their elbows on their knees, “Alexander the Great, the pioneer of the west fucking up the middle east. Pillaging villages and holy sites, ruining an entire civilization more advanced than yours? And for what?” They shook their head and leaned back, crossing their arms over their chest. “All men in power are the same, they take and destroy but do not give. And you’re still standing there acting like a leader. Like you have no remorse for the shit you did. So no, I don’t like you. In  present, past, and future.”  

They were expressive, direct in their hatred towards the myth he had made of himself. He held their gaze, waiting patiently for them to finish — could it be called that when you were only waiting for your turn to speak? “To use your language, people were already fucking up the middle east, so I wouldn’t be so quick to pin it to my person entirely.” It was one of a few moments when the soul of this restless and power hungry man had deferred credit to another. Another version of him, one without modern insight, might have been flattered that expansion was his idea. He knew he shouldn’t now, but knowledge had only made him hypocritical. He still didn’t understand no one really cared who started it.

“Have you heard of Alexandria? I liberated Egypt from Persian rule and left their culture intact. It became an intellectual capital.” A wonder of the ancient world, yes, but he would leave out that he was just another external ruler. “And Macedonia itself was not the underdeveloped state you might believe.” In another lifetime, in his dreams, he fought the accusations of being a prince of barbarians, despite a formal education from Aristotle himself. This idea of his people being lesser was a battle he had fought before. For that was what he heard: not that someone else was more advanced, but that he wasn’t good enough.

He could try to explain that he wasn’t just another man, tell them all the things Olympias told him in his dreams, but he wasn’t sure they wouldn’t understand. Though maybe they had a better chance than others. “Joan.. You hear the divine in the dreams of your dreams, or is that part of the myth?” he asked, looking at them pointedly, but genuinely curious.

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: leon bard, nathaniel adley

Nathaniel had, unintentionally to some extent, isolated himself from the other Dreamers. Manhattan was a world away from Bend, and Nathaniel had a tendency to unevenly spit his time between two, favoring the home he knew over the one he had been forced into. He had a few friends from his time at the program, but there were a great deal of those living in the past he still didn’t know, and many he didn’t even recognize. Nathaniel had realized early on that his lives had one of the largest gaps between them, yet he wished often for a familiar face from his dreams to appear. Then again, maybe Hephaestion was enough. Still, he wondered what it might be like to see your dreams living around you.

He was pretty sure the man who had walked in after him was familiar. Not from his dreams, but from the Jennings’s meetings, or maybe a waiting room back when Sko-Labs was still standing. “You going to this meeting?” he asks, looking over to the other. It was a simple enough question, one that blended into everyday life. Imagine, two coworkers commiserating the mundane. Yet, if he was correct, it would start a conversation about lives that were anything but. 

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: anya popov, nathaniel adley

、. * THE CAFE WAS BUSY - nothing new. however, Anya found her attention drawn on her old friend. As they had both found themselves in the curse of a form of monarchy they had managed to keep their relationship less than toxic. Offering a smile to Nathaniel before swiftly moving away to place a muffin in front of a local before she manages to take a moment to herself. Placing the towel on her shoulder - a single brow raised and even then she cannot fake her worry about the threat that many dreamers had feared: rouse. 

“You know small towns like these ones: everyone is bored and need something to talk about.” Leaning against the counter almost to mirror the young man she deemed her older brother figure all can be managed is a sigh. “Everything has been same old. How about you?” A playful smirk forms on her red stained lips as a distracted hand grabs a muffin from the swollen pan. She places it neatly on a red plate before pushing it forward. “On the house. Mack won’t notice.” 

“I don’t know small towns and would prefer to keep it that way,” Nathaniel quipped, giving his friend a wry smile. It was no secret that the young businessman returned to Bend on an as needed basis. There was a chance he might have enjoyed it, but Nathaniel had written the town off as unexciting before he had ever set foot on it’s soil. “I do know people though, and people just look for things to make their lives exciting. You would think the number of royal affairs per capita would be enough for these people to talk about. Daytime television — ” he taps his temple with a grin, “ — at night.”  

He smiles at the gesture. She was quite different than him, younger to start, but genuinely kind and caring. Nathaniel found it easy to be callous, and things were sometimes easier when he didn’t care. Yet, Anya, despite the hurt he could only imagine she dreamt of, remained a soft soul. “Same old,” he agreed, picking the muffin off the plate, not bothering to let it cool. “Are you sure?” he asks, already ripping a piece off and tossing it into his mouth, “I don’t think he likes me.”

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: anya popov, nathaniel adley

They were a somewhat unusual pairing, she one of the last daughters of a dynasty and he a prince trying to secure his own.. legacies are funny things. The two had found each other in a waiting room ages ago, and bonded as they learned what their dreams actually meant — as she became a Grand Duchess and he became a King. Nathaniel had a younger sister, both in this life and the previous one, and Anya felt like that. Whenever he came to Bend, he made sure he had time to come and bother the girl. 

“How’ve things been here?” he asks, leaning on the counter to talk to her. “Everyone seems paranoid, like they’re always looking over their shoulder.” The tall Dreamer didn’t understand it. Sko-Labs had shut down and they had left. Surely it wasn’t more complicated then that? The paranoia that some big brother conspiracy was still watching them wasn’t something Nathaniel had time for. “More importantly, how’ve you been?”

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: margaux astor, nathaniel adley

He recognized her from meetings, and before that form brief glimpses in the halls of Sko-Labs. He took a seat beside her, always one to prefer asking for forgiveness rather than permission, if he asked at all. Nathaniel knew to some extent they were supposed to be blending in, but there were enough of them and he didn’t see the harm of speaking openly about the dreams they all had in non structured events . They might as well actually get to know one another better. 

"So who are you in for?” He thought he was clever, changing the nature of more commonly heard question. The implication, however, had not been intended — that their old memories were something comparable to an illness or a crime. The thought hadn’t crossed his mind, for unlike a good number of the Dreamers, Nathaniel didn’t find pain in his previous existence, in fact he longed for it. He hadn’t come to the hurt yet. He hadn’t lost his dearest companion, hadn’t carried his ashes to Babylon, hadn’t spent a fortune giving his general a funeral that would eclipse his own. He hadn’t yet wept knowing there were an infinite number of worlds, he hadn’t been able to tame even one of them. In his dreams, everything had been of better fortune. 

[kephale]

era: present day

location: bend, oregon

subjects: nathaniel adley, sage dubois

Nathaniel was never sure how he felt about these meetings. They seemed like they might be important, but once he got there he found himself regretting his choice. It would bother him less if Bend wasn’t only a temporary home, a quaint place that was too far away from the rest of his life. He knew that, after Sko-Labs had been shut down, they were supposed to come together — strength in numbers — yet Nathaniel wasn’t going to run his business remotely.  Besides, his heart remained in the city her grew up in, much preferring it to the quiet and unassuming life of Bend, even if those qualities were the point. 

The other thing he disliked about these meetings was them. Perhaps it was simply their natural appearance, but reincarnate King had a tendency to take things personally. The meeting ended but he didn’t move, instead holding their eye contact. “Have I done something to upset you?” A pause. “In this life... the previous one? The next? Because you’ll have to refresh my memory.”

[kephale]

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

what is or was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

to alexander, his mother was one of the most influential figures in his life, the driving force behind his ascent to the throne. where she was supposed to be a queen, she was an outsider, called a sorceress and even a serpent. yet, she was the one who assured alexander of his destiny, made him believe that he was, quite literally, divine. 

when your soul expects a kingmaker to raise you, and instead you are given just a mother, your perception can be quite skewed. nathaniel idolized his mother for quite a long time, but eventually became disillusioned with her. he still plays the part of the good son, but his heart isn’t in it. 

[kephale]

late night self reflective asks 🌙

cosmos: what's one thing you wish you could say to someone you are no longer friends with?

galaxies: what are three things you want to do before you die?

waxing: what is your proudest accomplishment?

waning: what is your biggest regret?

full moon: what type of person do you hope to be?

contemplation: if you could wake up one morning and everything in your life was perfect, what would that look like?

night light: who/what makes you feel safe?

ponder: what do you want to do with your life?

sunset: who is someone you thought would be in your life forever, but you no longer talk to?

midnight: are you a different person late at night than in the early morning?

candle light: are you an indecisive person?

reflection: have you ever changed something you liked about yourself to satisfy someone else?

sweet dreams: are you happy?

nightmare: what are you most afraid of?

constellations: who is someone you could talk to for hours and never stop?

reminder: who is someone you will never forget?

11-11: what's something you want, but feel like you will never have?

shooting star: who is someone you trust to help you make the right decisions?

earth: where do you feel most at home?

soothe: what's one thing that always makes you feel better when you're upset?

slumber: what's one thing that helps you fall asleep when it feels impossible?

[i-see-light-blog]

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

What does your character like in other people?

What does your character dislike in other people?

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

How does your character behave around children?

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

How does your character behave around people they like?

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

[sagamemes]

crucial muse development questions.   send a number in my inbox to find out more about my character as a person  ( because often, the most important things about character development have nothing to do with their shoe size or netflix queue ).

what would completely break your character?

what was the best thing in your character’s life?

what was the worst thing in your character’s life?

what seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character?

does your character work so they can support their hobbies or use their hobbies as a way of filling up the time they aren’t working?

what is your character reluctant to tell people?

how does your character feel about sex?

how many friends does your character have?

how many friends does your character want?

what would your character make a scene in public about?

for what would your character give their life?

what are your character’s major flaws?

what does your character pretend or try to care about?

how does the image your character tries to project differ from the image they actually project?

what is your character afraid of?