#﴾ ARDYN ⸨ IMAGE ⸩

[hotnhowling]

having UNHINGED THOUGHTS about that Ardyn guy today

  and i cant seem to shut up about it??????? SO?????????????

time to SILENCE MYSELF by getting extremely invested in more ridiculously dirty nsfw art of said guy

[mjm5655]

tag drop.

[fire-of-the-sun]

Noctis and The 'Black Moment' That Never Was

Given the recent discovery of an earlier version of a Final Fantasy XV scene featuring Noctis being imprisoned by Bahamut in Angelgard instead of the Crystal and him showing genuine fear about his destiny (here), I'm reminded of how unfortunate it is that the final game didn't explore the reaction to his fate as well as it deserved and how it could have been one of the most significant scenes in the game. In light of this new scene, I want to use it as an opportunity to address this vital plot point, how it affects Noctis' arc and the story as a whole and why what we got just didn't quite hit the mark.

THE 'BLACK MOMENT'

In typical story structure, this plot point would represent the "The Black Moment" or "The Dark Night of the Soul" among other titles. Taking place before the climax of a story, this pivotal moment is intended to feel like all hope is now lost and showcase the protagonist at their lowest and, in many cases, physically alone. To overcome this, these scenes demand that they gain new insight and understanding - essentially to realize the lesson meant to be learned that defines the thematic core of the story - to pull them out of their despair and carry them across the threshold to the final act. In the above image, you can see that this event precedes the "Road Back" which, in the case of this story, is obviously represented by Noctis returning to the world and regrouping with his allies before entering the climax to face Ardyn and fulfill his calling. Of course, everything leading to the end hinges on the 'Black Moment' beat, so let's explore how each version of this scene tried to tackle this and how they could have been improved:

SCENE COMPARISON

In the original version of the scene, Noctis is physically imprisoned in a dark and gloomy cell in Angelgard - a fitting choice that helps to highlight the tragedy of his circumstances and reflect how he feels trapped by his destiny as well as parallel Ardyn's own imprisonment. Noctis verbally lashes out at Bahamut and expresses genuine anger and fear towards the newly discovered truth of his impending demise.

"'Returned to naught'? I just... fade away? Wait - no! Lemme out of here! - Noctis

Though this missing scene does a better job portraying a stronger reaction from Noctis than the final game, it does still fail to give credible evidence to validate his decision to accept his fate beyond the player simply selecting an option to continue. As such, Noctis and the player may feel more coerced into saying 'yes' here without actually going through the time and processing necessary to truly accept it. Though I'm sure this scene doesn't fully represent the developer's initial intentions and there could have been far more to it, as it stands, it's still not enough to create a successful 'Black Moment".

"Only at the throne can the Chosen receive [the power] and only at the cost of a life: his own. The King of Kings shall be granted the power to banish the darkness, but the blood price must be paid. To cast out the Usurper and usher in Dawn's light will cost the life of the Chosen. Many sacrificed all for the King so must the King sacrifice himself for all. Now enter into Reflection, that the Light of Providence shine within." - Bahamut

In the final version of the game, the essential elements needed for this scene to work are... present to a degree but could have been greatly improved as these aspects are implied rather than explored. After being told the news of his impending death, Noctis does make a distressed expression, but he never gets to voice or process his feelings about it and the moment quickly moves away to show him being forced into slumber.

This is supposed to be a huge turning point. A gut punch to the character and audience and it deserved a stronger reaction - one more akin to the panic and anger that is showcased in the original scene. On the heels of this devastating news, discovering Ardyn's true identity and nefarious intentions and finding himself utterly alone without his friends, Noctis is understandably at his lowest and we need to feel that. Light shines brightest in the dark and the darker we allow this scene the be, the brighter hope can shine after and the more satisfying it will be.

By way of processing, we see a brief montage of footage from previous moments in the game to show Noctis reflecting on them and then he awakens 10 years later having completely worked through all of his trauma, grief and guilt and the sudden transformation naturally feels a bit jarring. Progress is assumed through the passage of time and the natural maturation that comes from age, but this simply isn't enough. There is a lot to unpack here and it deserves to be. The game can't simply rely on a time skip to produce a grudging acceptance. It needs to be a choice - one that he makes wholeheartedly and that the audience fully understands.

I will say, I do like physically seeing the power entering Noctis via the Ring of the Lucii in this version rather than implying he's powering up off-screen, but it's something he should earn after accepting his fate rather than it being forced on him without his consent. Gaining the power he needs to save the world needs to act as the reward for choosing to do so.

DIGGING DEEPER

So, what is necessary for him to grow here? What is the thing that truly awakens the inner King in Noctis and brings him out of the depths of his despair? What makes him choose to willingly sacrifice his life? Though it's an amalgam of a number of things, above all, it is love. Love for his father, love for Luna, love for his friends, love for the people he's met and the world he lives in. Love that counteracts his fear. He has to remember what and who he's doing this for. Though the cost is steep, he has to determine it's worth it to fulfill his duty and save the world.

Of course, Noctis' opinion about his calling changes throughout the story. After Luna first introduces him to the reality that he is the Chosen one as a child, he's hesitant at first, but promises he won't let her down. He has no real idea of what his task will truly be but shows enthusiasm anyway most likely because it was Luna herself who showed such belief in him. As an adult, Noctis begins to struggle with his new reality after the death of his father and shows great anxiety about the mounting responsibilities thrust upon him including his kingly duties, upcoming marriage and the growing burden of his calling. After the loss of Luna, his dedication to continue feels largely driven by immense guilt and need for revenge. In Episode Ignis, after Ignis suggests they end their quest due to suffering so much loss (and now knowing about Noctis' fate), he responds:

"Are you kidding me? That's exactly why I have to keep going - because if I give up now, their sacrifices would have been for nothing!" - Noctis

Though not wanting their sacrifices to be in vain is noble, this should not be his main driving force, especially if his desire to press forward comes from a place of pain and contrition more than anything else. He even refuses to put on the Ring - the symbol of his Kingship and destiny - which shows his lack of true commitment to what is expected of him. At this point, he still has a lot to process and understand before he can fully accept the reality of a fate he is still largely unaware of and truly let go of the fears and anxieties surrounding it.

Noctis has had little time to process his emotions on his journey thus far and the respite afforded by the 'Black Moment' now allows him the opportunity to do so. Whether through playable content that permits Noctis and the audience to tangibly explore his past and current emotions or a prolonged cutscene in either the prison or Crystal, we definitely needed to see him confront what's happened thus far - the good and the bad - and grow from it.

In the Dawn of the Future version of the story, we learn more about what Noctis was dreaming about in the Crystal which included witnessing some of the history of the world, seeing insightful pieces of the lives of characters such as Ardyn and Luna and even getting to interact with his father again. Given this was added to the book and therefore indicative of the developer's intention to feature it in Episode Noctis, I wonder if it had always been their desire to explore his time in the Crystal this way but never got the time to realize in the final game. Noctis actually getting to see and interact with the past and other significant figures would have made for a far more effective 'Black Moment' given its prolonged introspective and revelatory nature.

THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

To help guide and comfort him as she always has, I believe that somehow seeing or hearing Luna's spirit again in some way during the 'Black Moment' would have been essential given her narrative purpose and provide a satisfying reference back to her dying promise to him:

"When the world falls down around you and hope is lost. When you find yourself alone amid a lightless place. Look to the distance, know that I am there and that I watch over you always." - Lunafreya

Like the moon shining in his dark prison cell in the old version - the literal light in the night sky - she is the reminder of love and hope to cling to when the darkness threatens to swallow him. This dialogue is so accurate to this scene that I feel it was foreshadowing it specifically to payoff here. Also, if they had gone with the idea of Noctis drawing his power from the moon instead of the Crystal, her presence would be even more significant here and it certainly seems like the original version in Angelgard attempted to spotlight her to a degree as the translated dialogue after he accepts his charge reveals:

"No one tells me anything. I'm always late accepting. Luna, I'm sorry. I will fulfill my duty." - Noctis (Translated by K as in Kei)

This situation creates an even deeper connection between them as, to save the world together like they were destined to do, both Noctis and Luna have to die and surrender their personal desires for a future. As in life, Noctis has to continue to follow her lead and example to become the man she always knew he could be. If she could be dutiful and walk boldly to her fate, so can he and that knowledge would be paramount in helping to encourage him to complete his journey as he remembers his promise not to let her down.

Of course, to truly accept his death, Noctis would naturally have to mourn the life he won't get to live. So many aspects of his life have been derailed already and, after the loss of his father, his home and his fiancé, he now has to face that he has no future beyond being a sacrifice. This is a reality that Luna had to face as well, which would help him better understand what she had to go through and even come to terms with her death as he comes to terms with his own. By letting go of the guilt he feels and truly recognizing that it was an inevitable and accepted part of her calling and not a product of his own mistakes, can he start to forgive himself for everything else, too.

"[...] That may be but it's my choice. If only... if only I could hear his voice once more. If we could laugh together as we did as children. If we could live out our days together as we once dreamed. [...] Forgive me, I vowed to only cry where prying eyes could not see the tears in mine. [...] No, she is no different at all. She wants exactly what they do: to be with the one she loves. But want though she may, it is not to be." - Lunafreya

In a moving flashback, we see Luna grieve the life she wanted and knew she would never have but emphasize that, despite her sorrow, it was still her choice to "throw her life away" and one that she accepted fully with humility and grace. We see her persist to the end due to her strong sense of duty and, most importantly, her love and dedication to Noctis and the people of the world which is what he must use to guide him as well.

To me, this moment feels reminiscent of the campfire scene where Noctis also tearfully voices his acceptance of his fate while allowing himself to uncharacteristically reveal the pain of it, too. Though Noctis has had a decade to process these feelings by this point and fully come to terms with them, he's still a person mourning the sudden finality of his life and the now fleeting moments he'll get to spend with his remaining loved ones. The emotional strength of this scene could act as a reflection of his initial despair as the pain becomes fresh once more but, this time, Noctis is more readily able to tame it. As he stands and looks to each of his friends in turn, reflecting on their friendship and his love for them, he allows that love to outweigh fear and grief. As we watch his tears turn into a smile, it is a perfect display of how he's grown from the 'Black Moment' and a fitting final scene to the game.

"So, I... I've made my peace. Still, knowing this is it and seeing you here, now, it's... more than I can take. Well, what can I say? You guys are the best." - Noctis

All of this emotional progress would also lead him to simply start believing in himself and his worth. He has to remember that he has the support of so many who truly have faith in his ability to fulfill his duty and it's something he needs to accept in himself, too. If they had gone with the Angelgard prison version, a place once defined by punishment would herald Noctis' liberation and, instead of succumbing to darkness like Ardyn, he found light.

METAMORPHOSIS

By reflecting on and embracing his past and remembering what drives him, Noctis would then be ready to finally accept the reality of his calling and begin his metamorphosis, both physically and emotionally, into the King of Light. The man that emerges 10 years later is wise, mature and at peace with his fate. Though the sudden change may not feel as congruent in the final game without taking the time and necessary steps to get there, there are still many moments depicting just how far Noctis has come after the time skip that leave an impact regardless. Beyond the campfire scene, another great example that comes to mind is his conversation with Ignis, showcasing that he can now look back on his life fondly and doesn't hold onto negative emotions:

"You know, looking back, it wasn't all bad. [...] And our fair share of trouble too... but I don't have any regrets. Luna and you guys brought me this far and now I'm on my own." - Noctis

We can also see how much he's grown in his final battle with Ardyn. Not only is he physically stronger, but he's also gained the mental and emotional fortitude to withstand Ardyn's denigrations regarding his efficacy as the Chosen One and his guilt about his father and Luna. Though these barbs would have hit their mark in the past, Noctis is now resistant to them as he's fully processed those emotions and no longer gives them credence. Noctis has tasted the darkness Ardyn once knew but come out of it intact due to the strength of his relationships that ushered him through it. Unlike Ardyn, he is not alone and he fights for love instead of revenge and that is why he succeeds.

"Yet when your father died, you were off playing with your friends! When your beloved died, you lay watching powerless to stop it! You think 10 years is a long time? It is nothing to me! I have lived in darkness for ages!" - Ardyn

Despite what some might think, defeating Ardyn in the physical world is not the Climax. It's in the throne room that Noctis must face the true test of his calling and finally allow himself to be sacrificed. This is where the themes and the lessons he's embraced from the 'Black Moment' rise to the forefront and lead to Ardyn's ultimate demise. It is here that Noctis walks to his death without visible fear, summoning his own executioners with steeled resolve. There are no tears. No second thoughts. Just an unwavering determination to fulfill his calling and save the world once and for all as he assures his father to trust in his ability to do so.

"I'm home. I walked tall and though it took me a while, I'm ready now. I love you all. Luna, guys, dad. The time we had together, I cherish." - Noctis

Through dialogue, the scene reminds us that Noctis' relationships are his driving force and, in what could have been an even more moving parallel to the 'Black Moment', the flashback footage of his loved ones that he remembers at his lowest once more is what helps him endure the agony of his sacrifice and is enough to sustain his strength to continue to the end.

"It's finally over." - Noctis

As Noctis utters these final words at the culmination of years spent in turmoil facing the obstacles of his unjust fate, Noctis dies with a small smile on his face, relieved that his struggles are finally over. He has restored light and hope to the world, fulfilled his calling and can now rest with his lost love knowing he succeeded in safeguarding his remaining loved ones and provided a future for generations to come. It's a bittersweet conclusion to his life - one filled with great strife and heartache but also great love - love that was essential to save the world.

In another parallel between them, Noctis' end reminds me of Ravus' words regarding the death of his sister, Luna, in Episode Ignis and further showcases how much Noctis succeeded in following her footsteps:

"I always knew that [Luna] would face [her] fate without fear, fulfill [her] duty without regret. But part of me always hoped... she would get the chance to live and love as she pleased. [...] And, as in life, I know she will confront that challenge with a smile on her face." - Ravus

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, allowing Noctis to have a stronger reaction to the devastating news of his fate and exploring his passage to acceptance to provide necessary character growth would have been a huge improvement and further embodied and enhanced the heart of this story, one that, though touched upon to a degree, is lacking the immense impact it could have had. Though this game is full of powerful, moving moments, a more successful 'Black Moment' could have been one of the strongest and added more weight to an already emotionally resonant conclusion.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this meta, please like and reblog to help spread it around!

[the-alarm-system]

personal effects(Ardyn) of following the separation doc and practicing exercises from the tulpanomicon for around a month

-My blackout amnesia has changed, it used to be I wouldn't be able to remember events or images or anything but I'd have a "general vibe" of what happened, now I have nothing not even the vibe of when someone else fronts, complete full blackout

-I'm able to handle multiple headmates fronting without pain or blurryness or struggle due to imposition exercises and seperation exercises, we are able to even "flow into and out of the body" easily at multiple fronts without extreme headaches, headmates taking control of limbs at random was a lot easier for them to do

-I'm able to strongly impose multiple headmates at once and physically feel them better, smell them better, and etc due to both visualization techniques and imposition exercises from tulpanomicon

-my relationship with the body has changed a lot more, seeing the body more as a "vehicle/vessel" has made manual switching much easier and less painful, but i also no longer see it as solely just my body(may be a con for others but not really for me)

-going off the top point, my dissociation has also kinda changed? it's more physical, less mental fuzziness but i cannot feel physical sensations on the body that much. like if i touch something i cannot feel it as strong. if i pinch myself i cannot feel it unless i focus more. id like to say i never did much grounding exercises, but i might start doing them mostly for fun and experimentation. like basically what im trying to say is i dont feel the "highness" of dissociation that caused me a lot of trouble but i cannot physically feel the body, honestly preferred

-i can see the headspace extremely vivid and also remember headspace memories extremely well, in order to help this i also took the advice of a tulpamancer and stopped subconsciously seeing it as "a mere visualization technique" and more of "a real place within that headmates go to when they arent fronting" which also helped with trust in my plurality

-i hear my headmates voices a lot louder and more vividly, think this had a huge trust factor too

-my doubt has gone down significantly

-headmates are able to kinda "walk by" and say something to me a lot easier without us blending and blurrying, our distinction from another is so much better

-since i do not identify with the body as much, im a lot more comfortable and willing to let my headmates edit the body however

-system communication is better

-im more willing and comfortable to go inside for long periods of time and allow my headmates to front for as much as they like

-i more see myself as another headmate instead of subconciously seeing myself as a "host/realest one" which is good for our relationship

-i also use law of assumption with this, so seeing changes has also helped my confidence in myself and im no longer feeling as powerless

[teapots-and-hats]

So, remember the King Charles red portrait?

I made a parody version of Ardyn (thanks Twitter for putting this idea in my mind - https://x.com/CoconutBiko_/status/1791065822955487709)

Edit: made a neat gif cuz sites like DeviantART suck and they don't allow me to post two images on same post/submission

[amidst-wonderland]

i feel like we don’t talk about it enough, and didn’t at the time but that fact ffxv worked the summons (specifically, knights of the round) into the story, outside of being “eternal gods” was so interesting (like, yeah luna is literally chilling with shiva and ardyn has captured ifrit, not to mention bahamut being the bad guy) and considering rebirth has been pulling from a few other games in the franchise, can definitely see the knights being worked actively into the story.

i mean, whilst we’re on seven, if you read into meta-commentary and “fridges” then seven, basically spoils the caelum’s not-so squeaky clean image, particularly somnus’. ever had a proper look that the unsymmetrical sword? you should.

like yeah, they aren’t a summon accessible but these are some of noctis’ key ancestors and you fight them, like you literally fight the knights of the round before they use noctis’ body as a vessel to rid the world of darkness and their own accursed flesh and blood and in doing so, killing their bloodline.

like, think about it. you don’t need the summon because noctis himself is the embodiment of it. you are collecting and summoning their thirteen weapons.

king regis is literally a member of “knight of the round” and you get to see them in all their cgi glory both in kingsglaive and during endgame.

“dad, trust in me.” is without at doubt my favourite line / moment in the game. you can literally see regis’ hesitation in his ‘kings of yore’ form as noctis hold’s out his physical sword to him, telling him it’s okay.

also, let’s not beat around the bush especially when square smacked you over the head with it but regis’ sword is excalibur.

[sparklecryptid]

Imagine how fem!Regis would work in AtB verse.

What I mean is that there are some very confused women because sure they had sex with an LC but that was a woman so how did they get pregnant and also why is their kid sneezing fireballs.

(Uncle Ardyn will have to add a new and very embarrassing part of the Talk for his nieces.)

Ardor's mother: You know I only agreed to teach Regis how to *ahem* perform well because I was certain I would not get pregnant. It seems however that was not to be the case.

Thanatos' mother: If my son destroys the world with whatever invention he makes blame his other mother not me.

Persephone's mother: *vividly imagining setting Regis on fire*

Mercury's mother: ........My kid just set a scientist on fire. With her mind. Well. Guess I have to murder that guy now so he doesn't snitch on my kid.

Bard's mother: *stares at her child who makes images come to life through song* I KNEW something was up when the birth control failed - fucking princesses and their big eyes -

Jules mother: *comforting her crying child because Jules at the age of 6 just sent a bully into a wall.*

Jupiter's mother (who is a member of Clan Bellum and Sonitus' mother as well): Well if shit goes sideways we can always go get the Khara's, huh Kat?

Katrina: *pretending that she does not know about another Lucis Caelum wandering the islands* As long as they don't touch our kids they can do whatever they want with the Queen.

[higharollakockamamie]

Hi there! I was wondering if you know where to get high res images of the ff15+dlc concept art? i've recently found some obscure ones like art of younger regis or ardyn chained at angelgard and there don't seem to be good quality versions available. :<

Hello, and thanks for the ask!

I don’t have the art book, so I can’t tell you what’s in there, but there’s this in the Official Works:

if those are any of what you mean. There’s also these, which I feel like I haven’t seen around much:

If anybody would like higher quality scans of those, or of other Official Works stuff, just let me know, and I’ll scan them at the conbini. There’s a lot of neat stuff that I never scanned in because I figured everybody else would.

Speaking of the Official Works, did anybody ever translate the interviews in there? I didn’t do much with them because I thought somebody else would do it faster and better than I could. There’s interviews with the main voice actors, the composers (including Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Nobuo Uematsu), and the directors of the main game and each DLC, if they still haven’t been translated and anybody’s interested.

[savage-rhi]

random headcanon about Ardyn go!

@vodkafolie THANK YOU. HOLY SHIT. THANK YOU. I'm gonna share 2 cause I'm in the spirit 💯✨(I might be repeating myself or shared these before, but it's been a hot minute and Imma do it again!)

Headcanon #1: Secret Artist

I imagine Ardyn is quite good at drawing (in my fanfics at least), and he picked up on it while studying medicine and healing way back in the day. He probably started drawing plants/herbs and labeling them in a journal so he had a reference to look back on if he needed a specific ingredient. As he developed a knack for the details, he moved on to drawing sceneries or places he's visited in Lucis, and naturally from there, began drawing people, enjoying the challenge of capturing the spirit of somebody with his hands.

In the present, Ardyn draws in the privacy of his chambers or when he's sneaking around Gralea alone. Drawing keeps him grounded, especially when he's overwhelmed by the daemonic energy coursing through him, and it allows Ardyn to be close to people again but without interfering (because even though he's beyond saving, the dude's still human and wants connection even from a distance).

There are ancient art journals of Ardyn's somewhere in Lucis that have yet to be lost to time or even hidden in libraries because he didn't typically sign his stuff. I imagine his followers tried to preserve something of him or even Somnus (the latter as atonement for what happened between them) thousands of years ago.

Headcanon #2: Poor Vision

Ardyn's vision could be better (another headcanon from my fanfic, he can't see too well up close), but no one would think twice about it because he overly compensates. He started having vision problems when he was a teen, and given his royal status, he hid it from most people except those close. Culturally, his poor vision could've been taken as a bad omen from the people of Lucis due to superstition (a blind king could refuse to see the people, the gods, and the land, thus purge everything), so he didn't receive much help for his ailment.

The power Ardyn got from the scourge offered some relief for his condition, but when he's in a regular state and not gassed up on daemonic energy, his vision goes back to being poor. When significant events are coming up, battles, etc., Ardyn's eyes will look more orange/yellow than usual because he's purposefully directing the daemonic energy in his body to fix his eyesight so that he's fully prepared for anything to go amiss. It takes a lot out of him though.

In the present, Ardyn wears glasses, but mostly in private because despite knowing the omen is a dated belief (and quite frankly, horse shit, as he'd put it), it's hard to break out of something that's been ingrained into him since birth. He also may have been caught wearing them in the Imperial Palace before, and a few paparazzi photos later, it attracted the unwanted attention of admirers who thought he looked "cute" (not precisely the image he's trying to uphold while plotting to overthrow a kingdom and fuck over gods).

[ardynzunia]

@somnus-lucis-caelum  “No.”

It was a quick response. Almost too fast, in fact. But Somnus had a reputation to uphold – and a duty. He slayed those that were too far gone. To save others. Once infected there was little hope – his brother, of course, thought he knew better. But Somnus knew that his healing could never outpace the infection. And it weakened him.

Still, he slowed in his work at cleaning blood of his leather armour.

“I did. Once. But it is no use. It makes me hesitate. It makes me think too much. They aren’t human anymore, Ardyn. They are just Daemons. And the humans, if they are still inside that, only suffer. It is merciful to end that.”

----

"There is plenty of use!" Ardyn huffs.

He pulls a dagger out of the ground and begins to clean it, looking at the mess of bodies Somnus' men will need to clean up. All monsters, all once citizens of their homeland. He thinks about the whispers calling Somnus a monster, who thinks he only cares about killing monsters and not protecting his people. Ardyn brushes a had through his hair.

"Look. Aera heals, you kill those who've turned, and I kill the ones that are in between. Too far gone but not transformed. All of it necessary and good work," He explained. "But I seem to be the only one thinking about my image while doing it!"

He waves his hand in frustration. He doesn't understand how two such public figures don't understand how their actions affect their image.

"It doesn't matter for little miss white magic, but me and you? We have to make them understand it's needed." He said. "They aren't scared of me cause I make it painless, because I talk the families through it. It's not really an option when they are already monsters but. I don't know. If we could figure out who they were, we could send some condolences? Show them you care beyond pest control."

[zzprompto]

hi ! I hope this isn't too much 😭 I'm the same anon as before and I loved the ignis fic so much it made me cry a bit /extremely pos

I was thinking if you could do another one of the reader meeting ignis for the first time after he became blind, and how ignis would act? also the reader worrying about him and comforting him

thank you sm in advance I love your writings so much 😭

im so glad you enjoyed it! ofc i can write you some more :)

☆ together

ignis scientia x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

- slight episode ignis spoilers and mentions of fighting & injuries.

fighting, bloodshed and chaos. those words accurately described what had happened at altissia a few days ago. a day that many, such as [name], had never experienced before in their lives.

yet, everything seemed like it just happened in a flash. [name] barely remembered what happened, it was almost as if he was not present during the event. unfortunately, he was. he absent mindedly witnessed such tragedy.

it had been a few days since the group had been truly together. the group consisting of gladio, ignis, noctis, prompto and [name] had been all seperated after the fight, but they luckily all found eachother in the end. even if that meant that half of them were gravely injured.

noctis had gotten gravely injured, and so had ignis. nobody had spoken to noctis yet as he was still knocked out, and similarly so for ignis.

ignis had used the powers contained within the ring of lucii to try and defeat ardyn. however, he didn't know the consequences it would bring. he had scarred the left side of his face and he had gone blind. it was horrible, something nobody imaged would happen to a person like ignis. yet, ignis risked everything just to make sure his friends were safe.

[name] was anxiously sitting outside of the room where ignis was resting. the man hadn't seen how ignis looked like yet, he was just waiting outside whilst biting his nails out of nervousness.

[name] was scared, and saying he was scared was truly an understatement. he was terrified, really. he doesn't know what has happened to the man he cares about the most, the man he loves the most. it was unbearable just sitting there waiting on the floor. too unbearable.

a few footsteps caught the attention of [name]'s ears and a door opening. then, someone cleared their throat to alert [name] and it was none other than gladio.

"you can go see him now, he's awake." gladio said, his voice hoarse. it was different to how he usually sounded, [name] noted. this was definitely taking a toll on gladio, and everyone for that matter. everything that had happened those few days ago was affecting everyone.

[name] immediately stood up and nodded at gladio before rushing into the room. he couldn't wait a second longer to see ignis, or what had happened to ignis. [name] knew he had to brace himself for what he was about to see, because it could be rather unsettling. luckily for him, it wasn't.

[name] walked into the room and his eyes immediately scanned the room. every wall, every corner and every surface was looked at before [name]'s eyes finally met ignis' face.

"ignis.." [name] whispered out loud, taking a few, small steps forward towards the man he had just mentioned. [name] then finally got to the bed ignis was laying on and he crouched down besides it.

"hey." [name] continued to whisper. "are you alright? are you feeling any pain?" [name] asked, gently stroking one of ignis' palms. he was being as careful and as gentle as he could possibly be to not injure him any more than he already was.

ignis groaned a little before he sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes and staring into practically nowhere. "i'm alright, just a little sore." ignis sighed, trying to make his injuries seem better than they actually were. in reality, they were worse. that fight with ardyn, using the ring, it hurt like hell. it didn't help that ignis could no longer see anything, not even [name], anymore.

"that's good." [name] hummed, his voice gentle, just like his touch. he tried to be as soothing as he could be, if that was even possible. he wanted to make sure ignis was okay, but it didn't seem like that was really the case.

ignis sighed again and he closed his eyes. it wasn't as if it made a difference anyway, his vision had gone and his whole world was shrouded in darkness - just like eos' fate.

"actually, i'm not alright." ignis admitted. his voice was unusually quiet, and shaky. [name] was starting to get worried - this wasn't the ignis he knew.

"i can't see, [name]." ignis confessed, his voice growing more and more shaky as he continued to speak. it was as if he was on the verge of tears, getting ready to cry at any given moment.

[name] looked at ignis a little confused. "of course you can't see.. your eyes are closed, ignis." [name] replied, trying not to laugh at his comment.

"no, [name]." ignis sighed again, a small frown on his face. he then opened his eyes and tilted his head towards [name]. "i can't see, [name]. i've gone blind." ignis admitted.

[name] was now in a state of panic and confusion. he didn't understand. how did such a thing happen? ignis could see without his glasses.. but now he had gone totally blind?

unbeknownst to [name], ignis had used the ring of lucii to try and fight ardyn. it led to him gaining a scar on his face, and his loss of vision. the power was too much for him that it deteriorated his eyesight and painted his skin with a memory he'll never forget.

"i.. got myself into a fight with ardyn trying to protect noct." ignis explained, trying his best to keep his composure and look strong infront of [name]. "i used the ring's power, [name]. it was too much and this is how i ended up." ignis shook his head. he didn't enjoy the situation he was in, but he would live with it no matter what.

"oh.." [name]'s voice dropped along with his face. he couldn't believe what he had just heard. he didn't even know that ignis had gotten into a fight with ardyn. why did he not know sooner? ignis was meant to be the man he loved, and cherished, and cared for but he didn't even know that the other had been seriously injured.

"ignis, i'm.. i'm sorry." [name] mumbled, letting go of ignis' hands. he then burried his face into his own hands, feeling as if he was about to cry. he couldn't believe such a thing had happened, and all he could do was apologise for something he hadn't done.

"[name], it's alright." ignis frowned as he felt the mood shift suddenly. he knows he shouldn't of dropped something so heavy, but [name] was bound to find out anyway. "i'll get used to it. it's fine." ignis sighed. in reality, it wasn't fine. nothing was fine about this situation, but ignis just wanted [name] to stop worrying.

[name] shook his head, biting his lip whilst he was at it too. none of this was fine, when ignis said it was fine he lied. how could [name] trust him now? everything was going to be so different, [name] couldn't help but worry. he had to worry for himself and ignis, there was nothing else he could do.

"it's not alright, ignis. i know you don't think this is alright, you yourself said earlier you were alright then you lied." [name] spoke, his voice cracking as it filled with various different emotions. he felt so distressed, yet angry, yet worried at the same time. he was so confused. why wasn't he there for ignis?

ignis felt the area around him before he grabbed [name]'s hand and held it close to him. "yes, i'm afraid you're right. i'm not alright, [name]. i'm far from it." ignis admitted, feeling vulnerable speaking about his emotions so openly.

"i'm scared, terrified even. i don't want to live the rest of my life in darkness. i won't be able to see you, or the others anymore. i won't be able to cook or drive the regalia." ignis started to break down, letting all of his emotions flow as he spoke to [name]. "i'm useless now, [name]. my lost vision had made me useless." ignis sighed.

[name] shook his head and he gripped onto ignis' hand tightly to try and somewhat reassure him. "no, no ignis. you're not useless." [name] said, frowning as he heard how negative ignis was about himself and his situation. "you're far from it, being blind doesn't make you useless! we'll get through this, ignis. i'll help you, ignis. i'll do everything i can to help you." [name] continued, practically on the verge of sobbing.

"[name], it would be pointless." ignis mumbled, still thinking of himself as useless because of this situation. he didn't believe that anything good could come out of this situation. "my vision won't magically come back if you help me, and nothing good will come from this!" ignis groaned.

then, [name] cut off ignis with a kiss. he couldn't take ignis speaking of himself so negatively. it hurt him too much to hear the love of his life speaking so negatively about himself. he couldn't stand it, and he wouldn't stand it one bit.

"ignis." [name] stated as he pulled away from the kiss, brushing a few stray hairs out of ignis' face. "you are far from useless, and me helping you won't be pointless." the male continued, doing his best to reassure ignis.

"we'll get through this together." [name] carried on speaking as he slid onto the bed to lay next to ignis. "no matter what, we'll always be together. i'll guide you until we're old, help you navigate the world when all you see is darkness." [name] hummed, speaking more and more sweet promises into ignis' ear.

[name] carefully traced the scar that was under ignis' eye. it was so beautiful that it looked natural on ignis. [name] loved it already.

"ignis, i love you. i'll love you no matter what. if you're blind, unable to get out of bed, or even unable to do anything. i'll always love you." [name] whispered into ignis' ear before placing a kiss on ignis' scar.

"it's me and you, together forever. you got that?" [name] smiled, placing a few more kisses along ignis' face. he wouldn't stop, even if ignis asked him to. he loved him too much to ever stop loving him.

ignis sighed, giving up all of his protesting now. he wouldn't even try to stop [name], because he knew [name] wouldn't stop if he asked.

"fine, yes. it's us together, always." ignis smiled himself, leaning into [name]'s touches and kisses. he didn't want this feeling to stop, ever. he wanted to truly stay with [name] forever and for as long as possible.

"now that you said that, i'm never letting you go." [name] chuckled to himself, leaning in and making himself comfortable against ignis' chest. "we're staying by eachothers side no matter what."

it was true, [name] never let go of ignis. the two faced the impossible and [name] did whatever it took to help ignis face the darkness he was surrounded it. the two stayed by eachother's sides, together, forever.

☆ author's note : i hope you liked it, anon :) i really enjoy writing for final fantasy characters so keep the requests coming! im sorry this took a bit longer, i'll try get more requests done near the holiday time.

☆ requests ▪︎ masterlist

[veryace-ficrecs]

Prompto Argentum Hurt/Comfort Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

strike a match (make me disappear) by ty_gospodinov - Rated T

Prompto is just trying to keep it together. But when he's falling behind in school, feeling like he doesn't deserve Noctis, and his electricity gets cut off in his empty apartment? His cheerful, devil-may-care image is breaking. And Ignis can see right through it.

Where Your Kind Are Kept by Asidian - Rated T

At first, Prompto doesn't understand. Then he turns to get a better look where Ardyn's pointing, and he feels the blood in his veins turn to ice. Because there, on the edge of a middle row, one of the pods is sliding open. An MT is stepping out, mechanical steps a jerky imitation of human motion. Behind it, Prompto can see the interior of the pod – a tiny scrap of a closet. Less than a closet: just enough space for one of those things to stand up in. The shock rushes over him so sharp and sudden that he feels dizzy. "You're joking," says Prompto. "Right?"

we'll give ourselves new names by mushydesserts - Rated G

"Just, you... you don't have wings."

Noct gives him a funny look. "Who says I don't?" he laughs.

In the world of Eos, legend has it one's wings are the physical manifestation of one's soul.

Prompto does not have wings; instead he has two large scars on his back.

Tempered Plastic by saltslimes - Rated T

Prompto has a higher pain tolerance than his companions anticipated. So that goes about as well as can be expected.

Running Behind by Asidian - Rated T

There's a tag hanging on his storage pod, instead of the clipboard that documents his progress. On that tag, there's a single word stamped in red: defective. NH-01987's feet stick on the metal of the catwalk. Behind the ever-present metallic mask, his eyes grow huge. He knows what that tag means. It means that, in the morning, while the other MT units are collected for training, a guard will come for him. He'll be restrained and escorted down the metal corridors toward the east wing, into the double-doors that house the correctional facility. But he won't be up for re-programming, not this time. This time, they'll strap him down to a table for the last time ever. They'll pick him apart, to try and learn what caused his failures – and he has so very many of them, no matter how hard he's tried. When they're finished, they'll take what's left to the crematory. That will be the end of him: a pile of ashes and a wisp of smoke.

Terms of Affection by Starofwinter - Rated G

Ignis only uses pet names when something is very very wrong.

Wilting Leaves in the Jar by LadyLilaBlue - Rated G

While camping Prompto comes across a strange flower. It leads to a peculiar situation where Prompto sustains any type of pain sensation Noctis acquires. And we all know instead of telling the guys about what's going on, Prompto is up to his usual shenanigans and decides to keep it to himself and sustain all of Noctis' injuries because, that will make him useful to the group right?

Weak Point by GibbousLunation - Rated T

They told him it was a ‘practical exercise’, to test his loyalty to the Crown under pressure. Cor’s exact wording had been something more along the lines of gruff ‘hey you did the easy part, so. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but everything goes to hell in a handbasket from here on out.’ Prompto was pretty sure somewhere in there was the insinuation that he’d be fine. It was a practice after all.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by MsChievous - Rated T

Prompto gets Hanahaki...

Because of his unrequited love for his parents.

The Way They Were by Asidian - Rated M

Ten years ago, it's the middle of the afternoon. High above Alstor Slough, the sky is a brilliant edge-of-summer blue, so bright it hurts to look at. Clouds make tiny white smears against it, like whipped cream on top of one of Iggy's meticulously constructed cakes. And there, hanging in the vault of the heavens, is the sun. Prompto stares up at it, stunned into silence. It burns his eyes, but he squints and raises a hand above him and peeks through the fingers, not quite able to look away. He stays like that for a long time – so long his eyes water. He tells himself that's all it is.

A helping hand by Sinikka_von_Wolperting - Rated T

Stress can do a lot of things to your body and your mind. Prompto hadn't had it easy the last days.

Over Many Setting Suns by countingpaperstars - Rated G

“I wish… for human legs,” Prompto says, eyes averted as shame burns hotly in his cheeks. It sounds like a silly fantasy, fragile as it’s spoken into the air outside the tender cocoon of his heart.

“Well, I daresay you’re in luck. You’re hardly the first I’ve helped with such a request." Ardyn saunters to the shelves and trails his long fingers over the dried plants. The glass jars full of viscous liquids slosh when he taps them. "I can give you what you want." He pauses, shadows cutting fierce across his wide smile. “For a price.”

Memories of the Past by Asidian - Rated T

Noct wipes his brow with his bare forearm and returns the magic flask that contains his other fire spells to his pocket. He turns, a smile quirking the corner of his lips, words of congratulations for Ignis half-formed on his tongue. They die unspoken at the sight that greets him. Because there, back pressed against the damp stone of the wall, is a small blond boy that looks about six years old. He's absolutely swimming in Prompto's vest and coeurl-print jeans; the top comes down past his knees, so long it looks like a dress on him. Prompto's wrist band has slipped all the way up to the boy's bony elbow, dangling with room to spare, and Prompto's gloves swallow his hands and most of his wrists completely. One of Prompto's guns rests on the ground at the boy's feet. He's got the cylinder of the second open, while his free hand digs frantically in his pocket. But even as Noct watches, he does a quick sweep of the cylinder's contents with his eyes, snaps it closed, and brings the weapon up, two-handed, barrel trained on Noct.

Shiva's Favorite by S4_League - Rated G

Prompto has had the uncontrollable ability to create ice, snow, and frost (etc.) since he was a kid. When it comes to a point where he can no longer guarantee the safety of others, Prompto decides to leave Lucis for good. However, he never gets the chance after a final goodbye to his best friend, the prince, goes awry. Or... my angsty take on what if Prompto had Elsa's powers from frozen.

As Far As You Need to Go by Asidian - Rated T

It takes him a minute, after he's at the bottom. He just kind of sits there, face pressed to the rock, trying to convince himself that he needs to get moving. From up above, he can hear what sounds like combat: the clash of metal on metal, and the bellowing roar of a pissed-off Gladio. He licks his lips – tastes blood. Every breath brings in new pain. Then he remembers: Noct.

[nirgilis]

SRNHNR Extra 2 - Ravus/Hope and Lauriam/Baldr

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Extra 1

Lauriam and Baldr's similarity to Ravus, mostly due to tragic siblings stories, was pointed out by many people, but through FNC there might be more.

1) Lauriam

1.1) Both pairs of siblings have a degree of flower-theme.

1.2) FNC myth states that Bhunivelze killed his mother Mwynn and when created Etro in Mwynn's image gave her no power, as due to recembling his mother he feared her.

Etro recembles Mwynn and narratively sometimes they interchange. Loss of the mother is a rather major theme for both Ravus and Hope, and around both of them there're characters who are Mwynn or Etro, or both at a different time.

Lauriam and Strelitzia in a way look like inverted Lightning and Hope, with Strelitzia being "Mwynn/Etro" like Lightning, as she says very similar words to Lauriam to the ones Lightning once said to Hope.

Hope's response to Lightning about her fulfilling her side more times than she knows might be somewhat fitting in KH too, as in the form of Marluxia Lauriam wields a scythe like Bhunivelze with them both having "Doom" among their abilities.

While Angel of Death Strelitzia might be similar to Etro, who's often depicted with wings as an Angel, but she's the Goddess of Death, who in a way might be "watching Bhunivelze's back" by sustaining the cycle of death and rebirth.

1.3) Larxene might've been based on FF7's Elena, but given her relationships with Lauriam in some way Elrena might be similar to Hope's assistant in FF13-2 Alyssa. It might be that in VS13 character analogous to Elrena/Alyssa was supposed to be Aranea.

Alyssa wasn't supposed to survive events of FF13-1 and existed only because of time paradoxes, while Elrena wasn't chosen as a Dandelion but survived due to crossing paths with Lauriam. Both cases feature traveling to the future in capsules.

1.4) Ventus under darkness' influence killing Strelitzia is reminiscent of Noctis killing Luna in "Omen" trailer.

Lauriam and Ravus both blame and lash out at Ventus/Noctis when they learn they sister died because of or for them, to the point that Lauriam gets in a fight with other Dandelions and Ravus with Ignis.

But as they calm down they forgive Ventus/Noctis and come to understanding that they care about them.

Bhunivelze didn't initially know/understand that Chaos was needed to sustain the world. Lauriam saying that he needed a "tanglible" target of his anger might be similar to Bhunivelze who hated/feared Chaos because he couldn't see and control it.

In a way what Lauriam says to unconsious Ventus might be what Ravus couldn't to Noctis.

2) Baldr

2.1) Baldr and Hoder resemble KK-L and KK-D, what like with other pairs of siblings makes them complimentary opposites. Since Hoder apart from Red has Blue outline of her dress, it might make her recemble both.

2.2) Hoder protecting Baldr is reminiscent of how Queen Sylva/Aera protected Ravus/Ardyn.

2.3) Baldr being isolated and consumed by darkness thinking of Hoder's death might be similar to how Bhunivelze tortured Hope with illusions of Lightning, isolated him in the Ark and eventually merged with him.

2.4) Lower classmates going to Underworld to search for Upperclassmates but also finding Hoder there, might be in a way along with FNC myth, that Bhunivelze wanted to enter Unseen Realm to finish his fight with Mwynn, and FF15's Pitioss Ruins, which are supposed to tell a story of someone going to underworld/Unseen Realm.

Hoder asking Xehanort for a favor, possibly to "save" Baldr, might be similar to how Yeuls/Shiva asked Lightning/Noctis to save Caius/Ifrit from their sufferings. Hoder/Yeuls/Shiva are all dead but still by different means linger in living world and some were part of the reason why Baldr/Caius became this way.

[fire-of-the-sun]

Fan-made Final Fantasy XV Posters

CREATOR'S NOTES:

Petition for Square Enix to release the high-quality versions of these renders, please? I really wanted to make some kind of poster for this game, but the only images I could find were so small and low quality, I almost didn't bother. Couldn't resist messing around in Photoshop anyway though and my tinkering spiraled into this, so I'd thought I'd share regardless.

I love Noctis' kingly raiment, so I really wanted to Photoshop him to be wearing it. I know it's technically flipped but I had to match the light source. I also gave Noctis his blue eyes back and cleaned the dirt off his face and clothes.

I really wanted to use Kingsglaive's Luna over the version from the game as I personally think that version pairs particularly well alongside older Noctis, just saying...

Creating Ardyn's magic was tricky and took a lot of experimentation to find the right custom brushes, but I hope the final result is close enough. I also edited one half of Ardyn's face to look corrupt with black dripping from his glowing yellow eye and some 'damaged' looking skin.

To create the floating crystals, I took images of actual diamonds, cut them into small pieces and placed them individually around the image before adding lens flares and glowing effects... which was about as tedious as it sounds.

If anyone knows where I can get my hands on some high-quality versions of these images, please let me know and I'll happily remake these posters! Hope you guys enjoy these regardless of the poor quality and let me know which version is your favorite!

(Please do not edit / steal / repost elsewhere without permission)

[noctglaive]

AI images in the Ardyn tag, get fucked

[hiddeneosbymrsflowerpot]

Fans of Final Fantasy XV will be all too familiar with Ignis's facial scars after he puts on the Ring of Lucis and sacrifices his sight to save Noctis. As well as the scars on his left eye and right eybrow he also has scars on the bridge of his nose and his lower lip. I was going through some old screenshots of Episode Ignis when I noticed that immediately after his fight with Ardyn he doesn't have any marks on his nose or lower lip. He does, however, gain those scars in Verse 2 when he follows Ardyn, but that ending is not canon and he wouldn't end up with those scars later in the main game. I'm sure I'm not the first to spot this discrepancy and as Ignis is my favourite character I'm surprised I didn't notice it sooner.

All images copyright Square Enix Co Ltd.