#IGNI! Highlighter

[ignicomic]

Pose studies that spiraled into madness

[ignicomic]

Top two chars are relevant here-

(Thanks again Aettovon)

More AF attacks!

Characters courtesy of Personwho1s, @maggotea​, and JustAni !

[ariseur]

hi!! could i request ignis with a reader who's super flirty? i just think iggy is so attractive and want to know how you think he'd react to being told that lol

the crickets around you chirped in tune with the inner melody playing in your head, a soft song muttered under your breath and a tap of your fingers left you satisfied while you watched ignis work. his back was facing you; his sleek, dark grey button-up hugging on him while he made another dish. after the day you guys had, he couldn’t help but make some more food per your request— especially since gladio and you had gathered some herbs nearby. observing the man in front of you some more, you stared at him with no shame. after all, it wasn’t everyday that ignis didn’t gel his hair.

the brown color of his hair now parted with an acacia orange as it accentuated even the tiniest strands of hair. pieces of it covered the back of his neck and what you presumed was the front of his face. silently, you prayed for some water to come his way so you’d see more of this side of him. he looked so content, ignis always did when he was cooking.

you couldn’t stop the next words tumbling from your mouth. “have i ever told you how pretty you look with your hair like that?” even through the distant crackling of the camp fire and the chattering of gladio and prompto talking about only astrals know what, your voice cleared its own pathway throughout the faint noises and wiggled its way into ignis’ head, hoping his soon heating cheeks would be covered with an excuse of the fire.

he still faced away from you, hand languidly stirring the pot in which contained a stew from whatever ingredients were able to be gathered in the seas surrounding the galdin quay, provided to you guys by noctis’ skilled fishing. ignis cleared his throat, swallowing thickly before responding, “thank you, although i wouldn’t have thought that ‘pretty’ was the right word to describe a man such as myself.”

getting up to help him clean up, you watched him out of the corner of your eye; his glasses glinting with the warm glow of the nearby fire. you hummed mindlessly, almost dismissing his claim. “nonsense, anybody can be labeled as pretty.” and to that, he chuckled—brushing off his pink ears. “i suppose.”

letting out a giggle, you made ignis’ heart flutter once more. his head turned towards you, an amused smile resting on his face. he admired the way the auburn flames lit up your face as it highlighted your features; he sunk in the way your eyes crinkled when you beamed, along with the way your shoulders shook with your soft laughter. looking back at him, you pointed at his face. you paused a bit, turning your attention back to cleaning the cutting boards and cutlery which had been used by the brute of food known as noctis. always such a messy eater, you recalled. even gladio ate cleaner than noct did.

blinking up at him, you huffed again, “c’mon iggy, you know it. you’re even heating up— at the truth, might i add.”

hearing the familiar nickname laced with your sweet tone of voice fall from your lips made his heart beat a little louder— ( even if he’s heard it plenty of times before from his friends, hearing it from you felt different. almost strange. )

he scoffed amusedly. “it’s quite hot out here if you haven’t noticed.” blaming his pink cheeks on the vennaugh haven you lot had made yourself comfortable in, he brushed off your comments as you rolled your eyes at him with a mumbled, “whatever you say, iggy.”

“don’t start with that now.”

“what? what’d i do this time?” you grinned, tilted your head at him with a tone intertwined with feigned coyness. he sighed, shaking his head. “oh,” you said, dragging out the vowel perhaps longer than you needed to, “you just don’t wanna give into my super charming character. i get it.” putting your hands up in a defensive manner, you pushed more. he groaned, eyes still focused on the pot. “yes, quite the charmer.”

you scoffed dramatically, “why did that sound sarcastic?” he hummed in denial, shaking his head at your silly questions. “admit it,” you said, “you’re just salty i made you blush.”

“you did not.”

“i did, too.”

and before you could keep going on with this foolish game of who’ll crack first, a voice cleared their throat behind you. the two of you turned your heads only to see noctis with a hand on his hip and cocked head. ignis and you exchanged a glance as you both paused your movements. noctis grinned lazily as he teased, “what’re you guys talking about?”

[deception-united]

Hello there. I wanted to know what's a good fantasy term for a race of humans that can wield the natural elements. (fire, water, earth, etc.) I already have something in mind, but I'm still not fully convinced to use it. Some examples would be great.

Hi, thanks for asking! Here are a few ideas:

Aetherians: Suggests a connection to the elements as fundamental forces of nature.

Arcanians: Implies a deep understanding and mastery of arcane energies, including elemental.

Thaumaturges: Though this technically suggests the ability to perform miracles or wonders through magic, it can suggest mastery over the elements through context.

Eldritchians: Again, this doesn't specifically relate to elemental powers, but evokes the sense of ancient power and mystery.

More specific to an element:

Lumians: From the word "luminous". Suggests their ability to harness light and energy.

Umbrals: Derived from "umbra", the Latin word for shadow. Hints at their control over darkness and the unseen elements.

Geomancers: Focusing specifically on their mastery of earth and stone, with "geo" meaning earth.

Hydromyths: Combining "hydro" for water with "myth", showing their mythical status and connection to the seas and rivers.

Pyroclasts: Evoking images of volcanic eruptions and fiery power whilst emphasising their control over flames and heat.

Ignisians: Rooted in the Latin word for fire, "ignis".

Aquarans: Derived from "aquatic" or "aquarius". Suggests their affinity for water.

Terranites: From "terra", the Latin word for earth. Shows their bond with the land.

Aerians: From "aer" (the Latin word for air), indicating their mastery over this element.

Or you might want to stick to something more simple:

Elementari: Combines "element" with "-ari" to give it a mystical flair.

Vitalians: Suggests their vital connection to the elemental forces that sustain life.

Naturans: Highlights their innate connection to the natural world and its elements.

Celestials: Suggesting a divine or otherworldly origin, with powers over celestial bodies like stars and moons as well as elemental forces.

Overall, a good way to go about it is to find a root word (either English or derived from another language), and add a suffix that denotes a group or race of people, like "–ians" or "–ials". Hope this helps ❤

Previous | Next

[primamchorus]

any time ignis comes up with a new recipe since getting into cooking has always been a highlight for any of the nobles.

[fyoggo]

sorry to get into your reblogs like the little freak that i am but i also read that the german localization was supervised by yuriko nagata and differs from the other translations bc of it... so in german ignis is even more adamant... shouting, "he's suffered enough! the cost is too high! i will never allow for noct to sacrifice his life for us! i will do everything i can to change his fate!"

(lt. "Er hat genug gelitten! Der Preis ist zu hoch! Ich werde es niemals zulassen, das Noct sein Leben für uns opfert! Ich werde alles tun um sein Schicksal zu ändern!")

and if you pair that with the game's main theme of like... unavoidable destiny and prophecies that all come true, and knowing that all characters are highly aware of these things, including ignis, i think it makes his devotion even more powerful

and if that's not enough, then later when noctis finds him he questions that destiny itself (the gods that they serve as well) he says "why was i picked by some fate? why does it keep taking my loved ones from me? i'm not letting some 'destiny' steal anyone else from me", ultimately later replacing the 10 years later line in english that says "stand tall, friends" with "remember, friends, we choose our own fate"

love and devotion and friendship that transcends duty and destiny and all of that yknow how it is...

it's always "i love you" but never "this world means nothing to me, do with it as you wish. but i refuse to let noct sacrifice his life to save ours. i won’t let you take him away."

[fluffypichu876]

i love how ff15 not only has a camera mode (which is very much appreciated) but also automatic photo snaps as part of the hobby system, it's such a nice addition to the traditional camera mode!

it's also really cool to see prompto improve his photography skills as you progress through the game with him constantly recording every moment with his camera. camping would not be the same without looking forward to see the photos he takes.

and of course i can't just not share my screenshots here xD here are some of the auto-snap highlights in my playthrough so far!

starting with a silly one of course xD this is what i assume to be prompto stopping mid-battle to eternalize some slip-up of mine on camera. he's got his priorities straight i guess...

i love this one so much. straight-up badass!

two silly guys :D

this one is so nice. love it!

quite the intimidating horse! (the wildlife in this game is crazy)

a short break from the road :)

whatever happened to that lady xD

galdin quay is such a good place for photos!

and finally, probably the nicest photo so far! i swear any photo of ignis is guaranteed to be good heh

[squiggleboo]

OC-tober Day 6: Past

Day 6!!! Today is some art I recently did involving one of my antagonists of my story. Her name is Ignis and she is the High Priestess of the Enlightened. Below her reference is a picture her parents took of her on her 5th birthday, right before she was selected to join the Enlightened.

She was taken from her family at the age of 5 because of her advanced abilities, and whisked away to become apart of an elite group of a clergy that serve the sun god Solarius. She endured a lot of trauma from the people above her, and that turned her into a shell of a person that exists today nearly 60 years later as head of the church of the Enlightened. She can no longer see or speak, and communicates with telepathy. She is also seen as cold and heartless and bound to her duty to her god above all else.

Her story makes me so sad, but honestly I thought it would be a perfect highlight for today's prompt. :)

[zzpromptosides]

i believe that prompto being different from gladio, noctis and ignis is just always there in ffxv, if it isn't mentioned until near the end of the game.

(some of these reasons may be quite out there or make no sense lol)

ffxv spoilers under the cut!

1. prompto is the character in the group with the lightest hair colour

- noctis and gladio have quite dark hair colours. ignis has hair lighter than theirs, but its not as bright as prompto's

- people are more drawn to look at brighter things, so they'd be drawn to looking at prompto because of his bright, blonde hair. prompto's attention is drawn more than the other character's because he's more 'bright'.

2. prompto's personality is also more 'bright' and different than the others.

- prompto is more of a 'brighter' person than the rest. they're all more laid back at times, whilst prompto is there singing, humming tunes and just spouting on about something.

- prompto's brighter personality makes players be caught off guard when the game reveals his backstory. his story is a contrast to his personality a lot - like light vs dark. this, again, highlights how different he is from the rest of the group.

- prompto also focuses on women in game like aranea and cindy. this could be him trying to fit in with the rest of the group and trying more to be normal, even though he doesn't know his past yet.

- prompto also mentions in episode prompto trying to fit in im pretty sure ? even then he was trying to fit in, which shows that he wasn't the same even when he didn't know that he was an mt.

3. prompto's choice of weapon

- prompto's main weapon in game is some type of firearm. everyone else uses a blade. yes, noctis can also use firearms, but the weapon he has first in game is a blade and the players ultimately decide what they make noctis use anyway.

- if memory serves me correct, the only other people who really use firearms in game are the 'bad' guys and antagonists. again, i could be wrong. but, this does ultimately show that prompto isn't the same as his friends. he's using the same weapons that the 'bad side' use.

4. prompto's name

- this is kind of out there, but the ending of prompto's name is also different (like him).

- noctis, ignis and gladiolus all end in 's'. noctis and ignis end in 'is'. prompto's name ends in 'o'. nobody else has their full name end this way.

- also, prompto's full name translates to quicksilver which is also a firearm thats in ffxv and also other final fantasy games. his name is about his gun.. which again brings me back to the whole weapon point.

hope anyone who read this enjoyed the ramble lol. i'd love discussing anything else related to prompto or ffxv - just drop it in the asks :)

[sanjismywhore]

Brain and Heart

Ignis Scientia x reader

Warnings: Fluff, rejection

Requested by @batsandbirdsposts

Tysm for making this request! I hope you like it!!! (I’m sorry it took so long 😭)

————————————————————————

Stepping outside, you stared out at the sky full of stars above. Even if they couldn’t deliver any comfort tonight, you needed this moment to clear your head.

Then you heard the soft crackle of the fire. When you turned your head, A small luminescent campfire glowed at the center of camp. Ignis was sitting next to the flame.

His features were softened by the glow of the fire. A soft streak of light highlighted his face. His hair was disheveled, contrasting with his usual spiked pompadour.

He looked content… almost ethereal, like some sort of celestial being. You approached slowly, to not startle him, “Hey there, Specs.”

He didn’t look surprised when he caught sight of you and simply said, “Care to join me?”

As he gestured towards the ground, you walked towards him and sat next to the small patch of grass he was patting.

Ignis shifted into a more comfortable pose before breaking the silence with his eloquence. “It’s not like you to be up so late…” Looking directly at the embers of the campfire, he continued. “Is something troubling you?”

“I could ask the same,” You tried to give him a smile despite the abrupt awkwardness in the silence.

For a short moment, Ignis said nothing. He kept his gaze firmly planted on the embers as they rose into the air. “It’s been difficult to fall asleep lately…” His voice softened, then so did his eyes as he looked at the sky.

A sigh left your lips as you ran a hand through your hair. “Same here… Something’s been on my mind.” You swallowed hard, almost too afraid to admit it.

You fiddled with your hands in your lap, staring at the fire alongside him.

His gaze drifted from the stars, towards you, and settled on your face. It seemed as though he wanted to say something else but he refrained. He merely kept his eyes on you, a silent plea for you to continue.

So you did, “It’s about Noct…” you paused, taking a deep breath. “How much I care about him.”

Ignis observed your face, his eyes boring into yours, which somehow brought you comfort. He sighed quietly, “I think we all feel that way…” He glanced at the flames dancing in front of him.

After a few moments, his voice returned to normal, sounding distant. “Perhaps you shouldn’t dwell on your feelings… But don’t forget who you are. We will never lose Noctis, but we should not hold onto him so tightly.” A faint hint of concern shone briefly in his eyes. “We all love him…” Then he added in a softer tone, “even if he has trouble showing it in return.”

That statement gave you pause.

“That’s not what I meant-“ You said, trying to explain your point of view to him. But then you realized that you weren’t even sure what you meant. “I just… wish things were different.”

“You wish he would’ve chosen you instead of Lunafreya? You have feelings for him, do you not?” He interjected with utmost speed and punctuation.

You shook your head vehemently. “Not really. I mean, yes. Of course, I do. But that’s not the point.” Iggy’s glass fogged up with surprise, but it was only faint. “What exactly is the point of this talk, (Name)?”

“I don’t know…” You replied truthfully, looking anywhere but at him. Silence descended on the two of you again. You leaned backward until you were laying flat on your back, staring up at the black sky. You felt yellow all over, going stiff from the anxiousness.

Neither of you spoke until Ignis broke the silence once again. “Do you love Noct?” His emerald gaze fell upon you once more. The question caught you off guard not because of its nature, but because of his tone when he asked. He sounded anxious.

It sent a shiver down your spine, making you want to curl into yourself even further. You wondered if you should lie. “Well… I… uh…” Words wouldn’t come to you. Cottonmouthed, all you could manage was a defeated sigh. “Yes, I love him…”

At that simple answer, Ignis visibly relaxed, although you could tell the tension in his shoulders wasn’t entirely gone. “I see,” he muttered softly.

The fire was beginning to die out, getting dimmer and dimmer. “And yet, you do not pursue anything. What happens to the relationship between you and him if you keep waiting?” The fire cast eerie shadows over both of you; the flickering light made it seem like the two of you were facing each other.

You slowly rose back into a sitting position. “I want to tell him, I do. But…” You paused again. The words stuck in your throat.

“But I don’t think it would go well.” You balled up your fists against your leg, looking at the ground sheepishly.

Ignis draped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you close to him. “A confession isn’t guaranteed to change the circumstances. All one can do is hope. That hope may be futile, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be attempted.”

You leaned your head against his shoulder, shrouding yourself in silence for yet another long moment. “How do you get to be so wise, Iggy?”

As expected, a warm chuckle escaped his lips. “Human nature I suppose.” He squeezed your shoulder gently before releasing his grip, “Though I’m not as knowledgeable as I seem.”

He turned his head slightly and looked at you. Although it might have looked innocent, it held the slightest trace of worry within it. “There are times when people need encouragement to make their way forward. And I am always here to assist.”

His expression softened, turning gentle.

You smiled weakly in response. Just after a while, he stood up from the ground, looking down at you and offering his hand. “Get some rest. Tomorrow might bring with it many chances for you.”

The next day, you woke up with a heavy feeling inside your chest. The sun shone brightly through the tent flap, painting everything orange and yellow.

It was a new day, and you were brimming with confidence thanks you Iggy’s encouragement.

Leaving the tent, you immediately searched for Noctis. Though he wasn’t at the camp when you searched around.

Noctis was sitting near the lake’s shore, holding a sword in the palm of his hand as he watched the water. He looked like he was roughed up pretty well; no doubt he was training with Gladio all morning.

Seemingly lost in thought, the prince had a vacant look on his face as though he was thinking deeply about something. Every so often his hand would run over the blunt end of the blade before looking at the lake once again.

His features were hardened by the reflection of the lake on his skin, shielding the scenery around him in a soft blue dye. His eyes were narrowed with a cold expression that gave you butterflies just by looking into them.

Hair disheveled, and skin covered in bruises, Noct managed to look as majestic as ever.

After a few moments of watching him silently, you took a deep breath and decided enough was enough. “Hey, Noct.” You greeted him in a cheery tone as you approached him.

At hearing your voice, Noctis looked up and blinked. “Hey,” he managed in an exhausted tone. There were dark rings under his eyes; not having gotten enough rest either. And didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk.

“Gladio beat your ass again?” You chuckled softly with an amused smile tugging at your lips as you crossed your arms.

Noct only scoffed and rolled his eyes at the comment, planting his sword on the ground. “Only cause he’s a monster. All about ‘power’ and ‘strength’… Stuff like that…” He groaned as he stood up, rubbing the hell out of his sore neck.

Stepping away from the rock you were just leaning on, you moved closer—leaving enough space between the two of you. “I could give you some pointers if you wanna try again-“ At the utterance of your suggestion, he cut your words short.

“Yeah right. I’m done.” He interjected almost comically, sitting on the grass and then falling onto his back. “I don’t think I can take any more of this.” He threw his arms out, causing the grass under his arms to rustle.

A small laugh escaped you as you sat beside him, looking up at the clouds in the sky, which appeared to be forming a perfect circle. “It’s only for a little while longer,” You turned to him with a hopeful look in your eyes.

“Once you get married…“

Suddenly the air was taken from your lungs. Your body went rigid as the words registered in your brain. “Married…” You repeated much quieter; your mood turned sour.

Noctis seemed to sense your sudden shift, as his gaze shifted towards you, softening as he studied your reaction.

For a brief moment, you saw confusion and uncertainty flash across his face before he completed your statement. “Yeah… Once I marry Luna, we’ll have an advantage over the empire.” He raised a brow at you as if you weren’t already aware of the fact.

You swallowed hard, trying not to grimace from the embarrassment you felt at the moment. “Right…” You managed to breathe out, clearing your throat. “Then you’ll be leaving… With her?”

Noctis raised both brows and leaned in your direction. “Of course not. Where did you get that idea?” Even though he didn’t sound annoyed, but rather curious, it still caused you to shrink down a bit inside.

You looked away, avoiding his curious gaze. “Nothing... just wondering…” An intense amount of heat flowed to your face, making you sweat.

Silence engulfed the pair of you again, and tension continued to grow stronger by the minute. It didn’t help that tears were beginning to spill from your eyes, yet you didn’t know why.

“What’s wrong?” He prodded, scooting closer to examine you. However, you were afraid of what might happen if you looked back at him.

You sniffled, “Because…”

Your head hung low from the embarrassment you felt. Taking a moment to wipe your eyes until they turned dark and puffy, you sucked up every ounce of courage you had left, forcing out:

“Because I love you.”

Noct’s hitching breath was uncomfortably audible, “What?” He was taken aback by your words. His body went stiff as he sat there wide-eyed and genuinely surprised,

“You love me?” He repeated a soft utterance of your words, leaning back on his palms and continuing to look at you. “Like, really love me?”

You only managed to nod your head. A few more minutes of silence passed before you began to curl up into a ball.

“I know it makes no difference when I tell you,” Your eyes stayed fixed on the grass in front of you. You couldn’t stand to even imagine the look in his eyes anymore. “But I wanted to.”

He sighed, running his fingers over the grass as he stared straight at the lake, “I always saw us as just friends. You, me, and the guys…”

Visibly uncomfortable with his choice of wording, Noct searched for a better term for his feelings. “I like you all the same.”

“As friends…” You returned in a gloomy tone.

“No, more than that…” He shook his head and waves his hand out in front of him like he was denying your statement. With a frustrated grunt, he forced out the only thing he would think of:

“I love you as a family!”

It didn’t hurt as much as you thought it would. The word “family” hit you right in the feels and almost brought fresh tears to your eyes, but the heartache was soon replaced with a wave of relief.

“That’s the only way I can say it,” Noctis showed a hint of remorse for making you feel upset. “Sorry…” His apology was genuine, though I necessary since he wasn’t at fault for anything.

“I’m sorry for getting all mopey…” You uttered in a quiet tone, calming yourself down until your breathing was even again. “I knew what to expect and shot for it anyway,” You laughed softly, wiping your tears on your sleeve.

You felt pathetic crying over something like this, but Noct was surprisingly understanding.

He stood up from the grass, offering a hand to you. You accepted it, allowing him to pull you up off the ground.

After brushing yourself off a bit, you glanced back up at Noct and saw that his arms were outstretched. An invitation for a hug—something he rarely ever did.

You took the chance, hugging him tight. Closing your eyes, you used the time to lean into him and let your bodies sync in both pulse and movement. You sighed,

“Thank you for listening.” You mumbled into his shoulder, holding him tighter with a tender embrace. He patted your back gently, saying nothing before pulling away.

You could tell by the expression on his face that he probably wanted to say something else but decided against it in the end. “You gonna be okay?” He asked awkwardly.

You nodded, “I think so.”

Walking back uphill to the haven, you noticed Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis packing up the camp as they prepared for the next voyage.

As they spotted you walking toward them, they waved excitedly, “Yo! You’ve been gone for a while now. Did something happen?” Prompto inquired, dropping everything as he faced you.

“Was just talking to Noct over there…” You pointed behind yourself, continuing to walk towards them.

As Ignis stepped away from his makeshift kitchen space, he stepped towards you cautiously. “How did It go?” He whispered, placing his arm on your back and leading you away from the earshot of the others.

“Guess.” You groaned, leaning into his touch; eventually pressing your forehead on the upper part of his shoulder.

“You knew what would happen and told me to talk to him anyway. You set me up.”

Though your tone was more playful than hurt, a small part of you regretted even confessing to Noct in the first place. If only Iggy never talked you into it.

You felt his hand travel up your back, slowly making its way to your head—where he stroked your hair softly. “My apologies… it is simply impossible for someone to predict what will happen in a situation such as this.”

His eyes seemed to smile at you, yet you could hardly tell through the tinted lens of his glasses.

Sighing, you closed your eyes tightly, feeling your stomach churning... “I knew how it would turn out, and still told him like an idiot…” You felt nauseous.

Ignis gave a soft chuckle, “Well… I’m sure he won’t hold it against you.” His tone was hopeful and gentle as he squeezed your shoulders lightly. He always tried his best to make you feel better.

You nodded absentmindedly. “Still sucks though.”

Ignis, still holding you close, brought you to his cooking space—he hadn’t finished packing it all up just yet. “It will get easier once you get used to it. If you need to talk, you know I’m always here.”

Your lips curved up a bit as you felt a warm feeling enveloping your chest. “Thanks.” You mouthed, stepping away from Ignis and taking a seat on a log.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw you sit down, anticipating your next action behind a blank stare.

“Gonna join me, Specs?” Tapping the space on the log beside yourself, you gestured at him expectantly. Ignis looked over at where the others stood, who were doing well on their own, before nodding and following your instruction.

As soon as he was seated, you reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. When you released it again, he looked down at his fingers and smiled faintly. The two of you sat together without saying anything, just enjoying a platonic moment of intimacy in silence.

The calm breeze gently blew through your hair, bringing with it a cool feeling, making you sigh content.

Once again you leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder. It did feel like Ignis was the only one in the group who truly understood you. You could tell him anything so easily and he would listen with or without reply.

He would just listen with patience and understanding. That alone made you believe he cared about you, which made it easy for you to trust him more and more.

With his hand wrapped around yours, Ignis continued to rub soothing circles on your wrist, hoping that it would calm your nerves a little more.

You closed your eyes, humming softly under your breath and letting out a long breath.

The two of you remained in silent comfort and warmth, enjoying each other’s company while being able to do nothing but enjoy it.

When the others started to make their way back to join you at the camp, neither of you made any move to get up.

Instead, Ignis kept looking at you and smiling fondly as he watched you relax further into him. His hand squeezed yours again as he turned his head to look up at the sky.

Your breathing was growing softer and eventually, you fell asleep right on his shoulder. With a soft chuckle, Ignis continued to hold you against him while uttering quietly to himself:

“I love you, (name).”

[lunarlegend]

what IS a better word for "projecting"? or can it ever be used in a different context?

(this is just me rambling to myself, lol)

i think of "projecting" as "empathizing with" or "deeply relating to", but it really means "placing one's issues on", and i don't know of a better word to replace it with.

like i guess i could say i do literally project on Ignis in SOME ways. i decided he's autistic because i am, lol. or rather, i like to draw attention to the things he does that make it seem like he COULD be autistic, when normally they probably just come across as character quirks. Ignis not understanding humor, rarely smiling, getting really attached to his comfort items, playing solitaire in group settings, needing order to function, etc. all of these are actual, factual things he does in canon, but nothing in canon says "this man is autistic". however, -i- am autistic, so i say he is, too.

same with his sexuality. there are many hints that Ignis could be ace: he is never seen showing any sexual interest in anyone, does not ever 'settle down' with anyone in canon, or express any interest in having kids, etc. could be because of his job! could be there is something going on offscreen and we just don't know! (he also chose the ace flag colors for his Crownsguard Fatigues, but that could just be a coincidence, after all). however, -i-, an ace person, see all that, and i say "oh hell yeah, this guy is asexual."

is that projection? i guess technically yeah, but i don't dislike my autism or my asexuality. i'm proud of them actually, and i like the idea of my comfort character sharing those qualities with me. especially when there is so much in canon to support the idea that he could.

emotionally, it's more about empathizing, i think. i find Ignis really relatable in a lot of ways, and he's also someone i would want to learn from. i admire him. his feelings matter the most to me; it's always his reactions i'm considering first, and his perspective that sits longest in my brain. i naturally gravitate to his mindset in any given situation i could put him in...i want to know what he thinks, moreso than any other character.

one of the ways i relate to him is his trauma. i also suffered emotional neglect throughout my childhood and adolescence, and i also have an emotional disconnect from my parents as a result. i also tend to cope by isolating and doing everything myself. much of Ignis' trauma gets glossed over in canon in favor of the larger story, so once again, i like to draw attention to it. why? because it resonates with me. and just like with the more fun aspects of Ignis that i highlight, there is plenty of canon evidence for it, it's just never outright discussed.

so i guess when i say "projecting", what i mean is, "focusing on aspects of his character that stand out to me because i personally relate to them". things that others maybe wouldn't notice, or might ignore in favor of something else, matter more to me because i do them too, and that's part of what makes Ignis my comfort character.

the power of recognizing yourself through your blorbo and wanting good things for him, which in turn makes you want good things for yourself. that's actually self care, i think.

[ignicomic]

Some emotes I made bc for the longest time Seika was the only one with an emote

Immediately after making this that Nouva emote became outdated bc I finally fixed up her design. Vibe still fits though. She is very knife cat.

[gattmammon]

ETA: hewwo I am running a social experiment called my life currently testing if being a man is for me pls put up with me

header & pfp from "it was all getting a bit much so we decided to just ignore it" by mars black

"The palindromic Latin riddle "In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni" 'we go in a circle at night and are consumed by fire' describes the behavior of moths. It is likely that this palindrome is from medieval rather than ancient times. The second word, borrowed from Greek, should properly be spelled gyrum." [From Wikipedia]

I'll have pleasant dreams forever now

My blog at this point is like. Cute cat pic. Cute cat pic. Weird horny art. Cute cat pic. Occult shitposting. Normie shitposting. Cute cat pic. News on international crisis. Cute cat pic. Meme. Cute cat pic. Discourse. Weird horny art. Cute cat pic

Anyway. Secret Italian Supercat

ETA: "the meow option" - cat tag, "meow hall of fame" - cat tag highlights

[quibbs126]

I was watching this guy play Pokémon Conquest (well more accurately his highlights), and I tell you, I was in agony over his decisions

He did not recruit more allies or strengthen his forces before going to challenge a kingdom. He goes in April to face Ignis, which fair, and then he recruits Rikyū. Then immediately the month after he goes to challenge Greenleaf, with only three forces. And then after recruiting one more person with a Cottonee, since all he got during the challenge was the Sewaddle guy, he immediately goes to Fontaine. And then right after that, he goes to Violight. And then immediately after that, he gets the idea to challenge Chrysalia and Pugilis! By this point he starts losing bad, first to Chrysalia, then he tries Pugilis, and afterwards he stops playing

And the entire time post Rikyū, I was like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???”, because I’ve been playing this game for years, and you need proper forces and strength before you go challenge a kingdom, you don’t go challenge them at the first opportunity! Yeah sure maybe I play it safe, getting as many as I can, but it’s like, you can’t do this, my guy, you will get beaten!

Sorry I just wanted to relay my agony over this experience

[woodsnweaves]

Weave & Wood Chapter Two: Another Day, Another Goblin

Gale/Tav | Slow Burn | Read on AO3 | Chapter One

Summary:

Gale rediscovers his love of classical music in the middle of a swarm of angry goblins.

"He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way she moved during battle was hypnotizing, almost like watching one of his beloved operas at the Lightsinger Theater in Waterdeep. Every arrow singing as it sailed through the air toward its mark, the cries of the enemy an orchestra, the clank of steel the applause. She, the conductor. "

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way she moved during battle was hypnotizing, almost like watching one of his beloved operas at the Lightsinger Theater in Waterdeep. Every arrow singing as it sailed through the air toward its mark, the cries of the enemy an orchestra, the clank of steel the applause. She, the conductor. 

“IGNIS!” he bellowed, his voice taking on an echo as he fired off a basic spell at the goblin a few feet behind her, taking him down easily. She looked behind her shoulder, then at him and tipped her head in thanks before firing off another arrow into the courtyard. 

It felt like they’d been in this godsforsaken goblin camp for an infinite amount of time. How could so many goblins be in this one location? He had never seen so many in one place at one time at home, and never so many absolutely filthy ones - True Souls apparently didn’t require their followers to bathe. The only benefit to having a literal camp full of goblins, hobgoblins, drow, and ogres all intent on turning you into minced meat is that it allowed their group to become more cohesive in their fighting, like they’d been together on purpose and not solely thrust into each other’s lives. They weren’t quite a well-oiled machine, but they were getting there. Trust was forming. Especially for him. He’d taken the first step toward trusting Auroria after they left the grove on their mission to rescue the druid Halsin. After she stepped in to save a tiefling child from a power hungry, misguided druid intent on shutting out the world rather than protecting its most vulnerable. After he decided he was in enough peril to realize that he was vulnerable. 

That the group was vulnerable.

******

The group was taking a break in the shade on a rather warm afternoon as they embarked on their journey toward the blighted village between the grove and the goblin camp. He had been feeling the weight of his secret for some time since the crash landing of the nautiloid, and it was becoming unbearable - both the pain and the anxiety of his newfound group abandoning him. His intuition told him that the ranger would not judge him, so he found himself tapping on her shoulder as she took a drink of water from the barrel they had found in yet another busted cart on the road (Who was leaving all these supplies unattended in barrels and crates? He thought).

“I was wondering if I may have a word with you about something rather pressing…maybe a bit away from the group” He asked quietly, noticing a look of concern flash across Auroria’s face as the mask of his easy confidence and good humor showed a small crack. 

“Of course, Gale, what is it?” Auroria said, leading them a little further off the trail, so they could speak behind a tree. It did not pass by his awareness that she always seemed to seek out the comfort of the woods. The sun, dappling across her face as it made its way through the leaves, illuminated her features. The copper highlights in her hair, always twisted out of her face into a low tail at the nape of her neck, the golden flecks in those green eyes, the dotted tattoos on the high points of her face, the long scar down one cheek - the entire picture almost distracted him, catching himself staring. Perhaps one day she will trust him enough to share her past. 

Nerves he hadn’t felt in ages hit his stomach like five thousand butterflies. Vulnerability was not associated with as powerful a wizard as he was. This damned tadpole made him feel like his abilities were that of his 10 year-old self again, both magically and personally. Breathe.

“Right…well, you see, I have a…predicament..that has become rather urgent right now. The thing is, I need a magical artefact to consume,” he grimaced as a lance of pain went through his body,  “and I need one now.” He almost pleaded, hunching over and clutching his chest, beginning to pant as sweat beaded on his brow above his tightly closed eyes. He heard rustling, panic starting to worm its way into his chest.

Is she leaving? Please don’t leave.

He continued, “I know…it’s strange….but I — ” 

Silence.

I knew it. It was too much. It was too soon.

He opened his eyes, terrified to see nothing but empty space. A gold locket was in front of him, Auroria holding out the gift Arabella’s parents had given her for saving their daughter from the druid’s interrogation. 

“Will this work?” She asked. 

He nodded and took the necklace from her, gently as if it were a priceless gift. Indeed it was to him, a physical manifestation of gratitude and loss - the gratitude involved in both the tieflings and Auroria giving the locket away, the loss of its magical value, the implicit trust shown by not asking further questions, instantly looking for it in her pack - he would treasure this moment for the rest of his days, however many he had left.  As he held the locket up to his chest, the purple orb that was just barely visible above the lining of his robs starting to glow intensely. The locket started to shine, black tendrils of magic swirling around it, tighter and tighter until suddenly, they were gone and the locket was left dulled without it’s magical energy. He was able to breathe again, the sharp pain eased to a dull and manageable presence. The artefact worked. He felt her hand lightly touch his shoulder, and looked at her face, which was making that jokingly mocking expression that came so easily to her - mostly at his expense, he noted. 

“I don’t know what that was and while I hope you’ll share with me when you’re ready, I believe that’s now…” she held up two fingers on her free hand, “two favors you owe me now, right? You're really racking them up!” She laughed quietly, then took on a serious tone. “Take the time you need, though we should leave shortly. I hope this helps you feel better. If you need help again, please come to me. A magical item is not so irreplaceable as Gale of Waterdeep” she smiled and turned around, going back to the group, no questions asked. No prying. Just concern about him. The person, not the powers. 

An invisible weight lifted off his shoulders, one that he didn’t even realize he had placed there on his own accord during his year of solitude, his year of pushing everyone who may have wanted to help him away. 

He stood up straighter than he had in days and returned to the group.

******

Another arrow sang as it flew by, this time aimed toward a group of hostile goblins who were standing close together in a puddle of grease thanks to Astarion. The arrow turned into a volley of thorns, exploding, setting the grease on fire to deal additional damage. An aria of her own design, her personal cadenza - she could have chosen to simply cast Ignis to light up the grease, but a hail of thorns? That sends a message. A confident message. He could see her satisfied smirk as the shouts of surprise and anger joined her symphony for a brief while, then died out. Already she was moving on to the next target, the next movement - a rather large ogre Karlach was slowly whittling down. Gale followed, aiming his magic missiles at the heart of the ogre, adding to the coloratura of arrows, axes, swords, and curses (magical and vocal).

Gale of Waterdeep had lived in a world muted by his own doing for over a year. Now, he was beginning to hear music again. 

It was beautiful. 

Heavens help them all. 

[plethoraworldatlas]

YouTube Recap Highlights

My song of the year. (Totally incorrect listening time because I've listened to it way more offline)

The only non- Smiling Critters song in my top 5 is the damn country Gummigoo Song

Longestsoloever had a great year, plus I discovered their piano Bendy song Hide.

Onto games

Not surprised. Hope he plays the Next Dark Pictures game

I'm shocked on this one since I've skipped so many of @phisnom streams. I guess watching 3 separate 8 hour long Resident Evil lore streams tilted it a bit. Plus obviously the saga of "why can't I play Poppy Playtime, the game specifically hates me!"

I have become a hermitcraft fan. Hard to believe that I started watching Pearl solely because I was watching Martyn's POV in Secret Life and I found her sleep deprived ramblings so funny I had to check her out. Doc I bet is because of how long his videos can get. Rtgame cause obviously. Superhorrorbro because he captained the ship through Bendy, and I'll follow his still. Surprised Sheeprampage, Itslightning, or IGP didn't make top 5.

Those lore streams were so long, they put RE in the top 5 (4). Poppy counted twice because of fan comic dubs probably. Arma because of RubixRaptor and his Ignis group, SCP level antics (can't wait to see what nonsense they do for Christmas this year)