#and prompto wants revengeance

[sageteapost]

Hi! It's the same anon that requested the expanded dating hcs and I LOVED it 🤩💕

I'm hoping you don't mind me requesting more 😭 This time headcanons with all the Chocobros (separately) about their protectiveness levels? Maybe how would they react if someone threatens/ poses as a threat to their s/o or anything like that 👀

Tysm in advance and have a great day! 💖

| Protectiveness With the Chocobros HCs |

[ Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia x GN! Reader ]

Content: Self-explanatory! Mentions of violence, though not in graphic detail. Very small spoilers for a small piece of dialogue at the end of Episode Gladiolus, but nothing too significant. (All established relationships. All separate parings. Gender neutral reader.)

author's note: HEYYY ANON!! I'm so glad you like the headcanons for the Noctis post. And no worries!! I'm always happy to post about these boys. I love them dearly haha. If you wanted me to talk more about the threat being something towards their relationship/jealousy, let me know and I can do a separate post about it since that in itself is a different can of worms.

Noctis

Poor guy. The thought of that even crossing his mind makes him reel.

He's the Prince of Lucis, and while that helps in terms of security it still makes him very anxious. People who may not have the highest regards for him could go after you to get at him, which scares and angers him.

However, if someone or something made a threat against you for any reason, he's going to be pissed.

Majority of the time, he's going to get the Crownsguard on that person's ass for it. They're not getting out of this easily and Noct is not afraid to use his position.

Though he's not opposed to throwing hands himself, but you didn't hear it from me.

Protectiveness levels: Very High

Prompto

Let's get this out of the way first, if someone put you in a dangerous situation, he's abandoning what he's doing and probably his regard for his own safety to help you.

He's panicking, unlike Noct who's the prince and could easily get the help he needed instantly, Prompto would have to find it. Likely will drag in the guys (who will help him in return).

Compared to Noct, he doesn't have much of a reason to be extra protective since he's not royalty or born of a line of nobles like Gladio or Ignis.

He's less on trying to get any revenge on the person who did it, but more focused on how you're doing.

So, unless that person did something so damning, he's not going to tear them to pieces. Probably.

Protectiveness levels: Medium to Low

Ignis

Silently fuming and trying so hard to maintain his composure to not find them. And no, he's not going to kill them. Unless on the very rare circumstances he loses it, he won't.

Yes, he will try his best to remain calm and take the situation with caution, though part of him says otherwise.

Since he was Noct's caretaker when he was younger and swore to protect him, he had the experience of receiving threats like that. While that got personal sometimes, when it happens to you it's a whole different feeling he's not accustomed to.

Similar to Prompto, he's immediately tending to you first. Reassuring you (and himself) that you're okay and safe. But unlike Prompto he will definitely get people involved to bring that person to justice.

It's better for him and everyone in the end, just to preserve his sanity and integrity. Though he won't be opposed to be involved in some "personal" investigations.

Protectiveness levels: High

Gladio

Really hope whoever did threaten you knows how to defend themselves.

You know how Prompto mentions in Episode Gladiolus how he saved Noct from a bully one time and beat them up? Yeah, he's gonna rip them to pieces.

Not only is he serious when it involves being Noct's shield, but yours as well. Whoever dared to threaten you is not coming out without a black eye or some other injury because holy shit, he's furious.

You'd have to plead with him not to accidentally kill them or hope the guys are there to hold him back from going any further. Only then, thanks gods, he might back off.

He'd still be very upset afterwards and the harsh words from Cor will not help. But eventually with your presence, he'll cool off and apologize to you for seeing him like that.

Protectiveness levels: Very High

[dysfunctional-family-fight]

Propaganda for the Lucis Caelum Family

Spoilers for Final Fantasy XV

CW: murder, electrocution, suicide

"Phew boy. There’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s start with our alive kings (at least during chapter one of the game.) Regis and Noctis are father and son and Regis is the current king of the Kingdom of Lucis. Aulea Lucis Caelum is the late mother of Noctis and the wife of Regis. The dysfunctionalness starts here since well we’ve got mommy issues right off the bat. Regis also has daddy issues thanks to Mors and decides to try and give his son a relatively normal life. Leading to Noctis moving out at 15 and effectively falling out of touch with his dad because Regis is dying trying to uphold the wall and finds he has less time for his son than he thought. An unavailable father yippee. Couple that with ye good old childhood trauma and that’s one messed up 20 year old Regis sends off into the world. He then promptly dies a chapter into the game having lied to his son. The next Lucis Caelum we meet is Ardyn Lucis Caelum who in the space of what is presumably a couple of months, helps Noctis escape the wrath of another god, steals his car, stabs Noct’s fiancée Lunafreya, forces Noct’s right hand man to give up his eyesight in order to have the strength to fight him off, tricks Noct again into pushing his best friend of a moving train, manipulates said friend into killing his father/creator and then proceeds to capture and torture him, separates Noctis from his retinue and forces him to traverse the literal corridors of hell alone, while having to rely on the life draining magic ring you get free with king hood instead of weapons since oh yeah. Ardyn took them. He then tries to kill Noct via electrocution only to have his retinue save him in time on PURPOSE. Cause more trauma? They find our good old best friend Prompto who’s a clone. And then the whole gang is forced into fighting a corrupted version of Noct’s nearly-Brother-in-Law who’s begging him to kill him. Forces Noctis to confront him alone only for him to be absorbed into a magical crystal sleep for ten years. What for? Revenge of course. On his brother. Somnus! It doesn’t stop there! Long story short Ardyn was magic and healing while Somnus was a prick and a murderer so naturally he baited Ardyn into fighting him, killed Aera (Ardyn’s fiancée. Seeing a theme yet?) and quite happily killed Ardyn too when the Starscourge he’d been healing people of by absorbing it into his own body turned him into a monster. But naturally he didn’t die and so Somnus stole the throne and imprisoned Ardyn on Angelguard which is basically just a cool ass island. Ardyn and Bahamut have a chat and it’s revealed that Bahamut (who blessed the Lucis Caelums and they literally all look like him.) planned all this. Back to the present. Noctis is hanging out in Bahamut’s crystal dimension where the big man himself tells him that to save the world he has to die. So when Noctis wakes from the crystal ten years later, he knows what he has to do. And so he goes from Angelguard and summons his old friends (boyfriends), who all turned into DILFS. So yeah they go to their ruined hometown, Ardyn is hanging out there with Noctis’ loved ones’ corpses hanging from chains above the throne (lovely decor) and then they have a fight. And Noctis wins. And kills Ardyn.

Now here’s the best bit. To save the world Noctis summons all of his ancestors who are just hanging out in the magic ring (???) and guess what. They STAB HIM! THIRTEEN TIMES!!! HIS DAD IS INCLUDED IN THIS HIS DAD KILLS HIM! Just so that Ardyn can die in the afterlife too? It’s not fun and very painful 0/10 and that’s why they’re dysfunctional they all kind of want to kill eachother? And it’s all thanks to the guy that might as well be their pseudo God ancestor? Yeah fun. Also I gave all their names but collectively it just be the Lucii. The dead ones. That is."

[lunarlegend]

i need some happiness, so i'm gonna share a wintertime Brotherhood idea from my AU

it's Stella's first winter in Insomnia, and everyone has a snow day so they go outside to have a snowball fight

the participants (and their ages) are: Gladio (19), Ignis (18), Noctis (16), Prompto (16), Stella (14), and Iris (11). Ignis & Gladio are secretly seeing each other and have been for a couple of years.

they all draw straws to pick teams, and it ends up so that Ignis, Noctis, & Stella are on one, while Gladio, Prompto, & Iris are on the other. this creates the following hilarious dynamics:

Gladio - absolutely does not want to hit Ignis. will do anything to avoid hitting Ignis. actually wants to target Stella because she goes out of her way to annoy him every single day, but she is also a child so he can't really do that. which leaves Noctis, but he can't really target Noctis either, because...

Ignis - will constantly guard Noctis (and sometimes Stella, but he knows no one will actually target Stella). his entire strategy revolves around dodging and defending. he is also aware that Gladio will not aim for him, and has no problem using this to his advantage.

Noctis - is used to Ignis protecting him anyway and isn't really thinking too much about it. is more interested in antagonizing Gladio like an annoying little bro, and helping Stella pummel him with snowballs. also intent on going after Prompto, his secret crush.

Prompto - eager to prove himself with his long-ranged snowball attack skills. has an arsenal ready by the time the fight begins, and tries to cover all his bases but is secretly mostly aiming for Noct, his secret crush. likes to be dramatic when he gets hit.

Stella - runs around like a little ball of chaos, flinging snowballs in every direction but especially at Gladio, her arch nemesis. thinks she is just really good at dodging but really no one wants to hit her because she's an idiot and it's too easy. takes a snowball for Ignis at one point and has a dramatic 'death' sequence.

Iris - has secretly been in cahoots with Noctis' team the whole time and planning to turn on her big bro in favor of her crush. acts all sweet and innocent right up until the very end, when she switches sides like a tiny traitor and helps pummel Gladio with snowballs.

in conclusion, Gladio accepts his team's defeat like a good big brother, but not before getting his revenge by chasing and play-fighting with everyone in the snow. by the time the day is over, they are all soaked and freezing, and Ignis later ~warms Gladio up~ as a thank you for being such a good sport. <3

also, Stella never forgets this day ever, and 15+ years later she will still bring up what a badass she was and how she led her team to victory.

[fae-of-the-rose]

I posted 1,247 times in 2022

That's 602 more posts than 2021!

12 posts created (1%)

1,235 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@silvermuffins

@bealoideas

@glitteringnebulae

@nyctoheart

@perkynurples

I tagged 1,247 of my posts in 2022

#yes good - 315 posts

#inspiration - 176 posts

#reference - 173 posts

#oh my gods - 115 posts

#jojo's bizarre adventure - 100 posts

#twisted wonderland - 86 posts

#kingdom hearts - 67 posts

#mdzs - 58 posts

#grandmaster of demonic cultivation - 56 posts

#ensemble stars - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 75 characters

#how in the fuck are you not going batshit with your lab in that apartment??

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Urianger Augurelt/Thancred Waters, Minor or Background Relationship(s), minor Gaia/Ryne | Minfillia Characters: Urianger Augurelt, Thancred Waters, Gaia (Final Fantasy XIV), Ryne | Minfilia Additional Tags: others are mentioned - Freeform, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), for like two lines, Implied/Referenced Abuse, thanks Vauthry, goes into absolutely no detail but it is mentioned, disgustingly in love dads

Summary: Urianger and Thancred's home is always open to those who need a place to stay.

6 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

#4

So when I’m bored and unwinding for sleep apparently I make characters. Anyway @khttrpg posted a character sheet thingie to make characters with and I figured why the heck not I can always use more OCs.

Assuming I did my math right, Riley here has 5 Major Levels, is the Replica of a scientist’s son who’s father was very, very keen to see how far the human body could be pushed before being forced into Heartless/Nobody.....and look I based him on Prompto Argentum, taking characters from a video game or other media and building them in a TTRPG system is a really good way for me to figure out how the system works. Also he was the easiest to justify as a Cosmic Mage and I really like Cosmic Mage’s flavor. 

All of his stats should be right if I did my math right this late at night (I added +3 to HP and +2 to MP) and there were a couple of things I noticed missing from the doc but otherwise extremely fun to build out! His whole deal would, obviously, be about finding where he belongs and figuring out where the scientist is now and maybe getting revenge for the bullshit that guy did to Riley’s “brothers”.

EDIT TO ADD since tumblr’s ask limit means this is easier:  The things I noticed missing were: several Jobs give you free spells that don’t count against the number of spells you can learn but at no point in the doc does it say just how many spells you can learn aside from those; and some clarification on if a Talent can exceed a Stat if boosted by Reflex Improvement or other Class abilities.

7 notes - Posted August 5, 2022

#3

>playing Stardew Valley for the first time in a while >”btw Ginger Island is a thing” >unlock Ginger Island >oh...oh no

anyway I do not think I am likely to ever use anything on the island except that forge ever that is just TOO MUCH I am not a min-max/must make all the money type of player I am just a simple Fae who wants to marry cute boys and have a cute farm

11 notes - Posted July 18, 2022

#2

I’m gonna need an internet historian to compile this wild Nier Automata Church Saga once it’s all said and done this is just bonkers like. whatever it ends up being it needs to be preserved as both a wild time and also a prime example of the DrakeNier fandom and how willing we are to like. accept this shit

41 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

D23′s going on today and new Tron game holy shit yes

119 notes - Posted September 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[stonecoldmeme]

"Baby girl!" He gasped. "Husbro is just fine, thank you! My cuteness can also be weaponized, you know."

With a delighted laugh, Prompto gave Noct’s hair just the slightest muss with his fingers.  He didn’t want to inspire too much revenge, after all.  “Dude, I know.  I watch it work on Ignis all the time.”  Which pretty much diverted the conversation away from admitting that he was even more of a sucker than Ignis was when it came to Noctis’ weaponized cuteness, but he figured he didn’t need to admit it.

[leonmckennedy]

okay but?? but??? wouldn’t ignis be an INCREDIBLE thief???

like, his ability to devise plans could lead to some devastation, man. no stealing cars or robbing small town banks, nothing like that. the big ones. the diamonds, the precious gems. the one of a kind original paintings, sculptures, artifacts.

we’re talking about a man who has countless detectives running in circles because he’s just that damn good. who is he? what are his motives? how is he doing this???

and ignis is definitely, definitely not going to let himself get caught by some rookie detective. even a cute, blond, freckled one. he’s surely too good for that.

(he’s not)

[manias-wordcount]

How To Drive The Car (Noctis x Reader) - Fifth Gear

𝗔/𝗡: *𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝟮/𝟮𝟮 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘇 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿* 𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗹

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁: 𝗼𝗻𝗲 || 𝘁𝘄𝗼 || 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 || 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 || 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 || Full Stop!

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

“Are you okay?”

The very question you were dreading. 

Under normal circumstances, you’d be able to answer such a mundane yet open-ended question easily. Just say “yes.” Or say “no” and elaborate. To you- to anyone really- such a question never required much thought. A response would just flow from your lips in an instant. It was too never hard.

But that was under normal circumstances. 

Circumstances that don’t involve you bracing yourself again the doors of the Regalia on two shaky legs. They also don’t involve you trying to bite back moans and gasp that threaten to slip out as a certain Prince crouches below you, kneads the soft skin of your thighs, and makes a meal out of your pussy.

“M-mhm!” You nod, answering the three boys in front of you with a less than convincing smile as you bit down on your lip. Before you can give a follow-up comment, you feel Noctis give your thigh a squeeze before moving to suck on your clit. Immediately, pleasure shoots up your body like lightning. The sensation causes you to let out a squeak, causing the group’s looks of concern to deepen. “Umm... I-I’m just feeling a little off, that’s all, haha…” 

They don’t press you further as you trail off with an awkward laugh. Instead, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto turn back to each other to continue the conversation they were previously having before speaking to you. You watch their backs for a couple of seconds, half-listening in on their discussion but the words just go in one ear and out the other. It’s hard to keep focus when someone keeps insisting they tongue fuck you mere inches away from their friends. 

When you determined that the three unknowing voyeurs are too involved in their conversation to pay attention to you, you take the chance and look down with a glare twisted onto your face. In your view is half of Noctis’s face. The other half is conveniently making quick work of your pussy, trying so hard to make you come undone in such a public setting while his hands hold up your skirt. 

His eyes are really what get you. Those beautiful blue eyes of his that you previously adored have become nothing but a menace to you as arches a perfect eyebrow and looks up at you deviously. He doesn’t bother trying to play innocent. Not when he subtly guides your hips into riding his face. He’s more than ready to get proper revenge for all those times you spend toying with him. Whether it was taking charge or being a tease, he wanted to get back at you. No, he needed to get back at you. 

And what goes around, comes around after all. 

Your legs are really starting to quiver.  Both from his onslaught and from being in this position so long. It’s getting so bad that your thighs are threatening to close in on his head (though you have a sneaking suspicion that’s exactly what he wants from you). But every time you try to move- try to run away from him- his arms are right there. Circling your hips and tracing small patterns in your skin to calm you down. To distract you while your mind starts to slip. And when you try to fight against the feeling, his grip only tightens. 

You’re his. You’re his to do whatever he wants with. And what he wants now? Simple. 

His meal.

“Noct-” His name rushes out of your mouth breathlessly. It’s taking all your strength to keep your voice to a whisper and to keep your hands gripping onto the car door instead of burying them in his hair. “Wha- What are you-”

“Cleaning my cum out,” He answers easily as he pulls away from your poor, overstimulated pussy. You can’t help but shiver at such foul language coming from your sweet little Prince as you glance down at him. The area surrounding his mouth is glistening with your juices. It’s embarrassing to see just how wet and messy you are down there but it was even more embarrassing to see him slowly lick his lips as he refuses to break eye contact with you. “Or did you want to keep it all for later?”

He accents his question by flicking his tongue against your clit. You draw a sharp gasp, hips wiggling as he dives back in to finish what he started- and this time, he moves with purpose. Your mouth falls open into a silent gasp as your chest heaves up and down. Wave after wave, white-hot jolts of pleasure are sent through your body as he sucks and licks, and ohmygod, what is he doing to me??

The noises he’s making are sloppy and loud and wet. It’s too much. It’s way too much. Your eyes flutter shut as he supports you further by practically holding you up while he eats you out. You’re moving your hips wildly, just chasing every feeling that he gives to you as that familiar feeling starts to tighten in your stomach. You’re starting to get close to the edge and he can feel it too. 

“That’s it.” He pulls away just to murmur against your skin and press a kiss to the inside of your thigh. “That’s my baby.” 

He speeds up. Sucking harder. Licking faster. There’s no mercy in store for you. 

“Mmm, Noct!” You’re falling apart. You had always been the one on top. Always. So how did you end up here? Princes don’t belong on their knees. And especially don’t belong princes don’t belong on their knees for some tease like you. “Mmm, please, please please-”

No mercy at all. 

“You’re so good for me,” He muses fondly, and you're keening over, only seconds away from tears. “So, so good for me, aren’t you?” 

“Yes- yesyesyes,” You nod your head frantically, too far gone to even notice the attention on you. The attention that’s always been on you. “Yes, I’m-”

“Right, guys?” 

[secret-engima]

Cloud/Prompto doesn't want to know how Aerith/Luna got her hands on the exact same dress from so long ago, but his revenge will be swift and it will be sweet, when they least expect it. She and Zack/Noctis better watch their backs XD

XDDD *wheezes* I love this this is so perfect.

She absolutely had it tailor made from memory. She has no regrets.

Prompto is gonna get even somehow. Live in fear you two. Live in fear.

[tickleraptorss]

Asking For It

Prompto and Noctis have always been great friends, and as it turns out, they seem to have similar tastes... at least when it comes to tickling.

a/n: hi i had this rly soft idea in my head and i- (worms fall out of my pocket) oh god oh shit fuck im so sorry goddammit fuck

It’d been a rather innocent question. A question that Noctis found intriguing, adorable and relatable all at the same time. A question he’d never dared to ask himself, in fact. Even during the times where he was feeling extremely touch-starved, or just wanted some affection in his own... Noctis way. 

He would’ve never guessed Prompto was the same. 

Both Gladio and Ignis knew about Noctis’ and Prompto’s weakness, and even shared similarities. Tickling wasn’t uncommon between the four of them, although most of the time Noctis or Prompto would end up being the victims. Compared to Gladio’s strength and Ignis’ wit, the two of them were nothing but a ticklish mess of nerves. Not to say that they never got back at them, because of course they did, but more often than not these revenges would end up as failed attempts. 

But as time went on, and so did the frequent tickling, Prompto and Noctis found themselves starting to feel differently about the whole ordeal. While at the beginning of their trip they’d constantly try to thrash their way out of, say, Gladio’s bear hug (which was impossible), now they’d hardly try. Noctis had just thought he was getting used to being tickled nearly daily, or that his body was naturally reserving his strength for fighting. And then... a spontaneous 3AM realization hit him.

He liked being tickled.

Not in a sexual way, of course, it was more of an... intimate interest... as he would put it. Something he would only trust his romantic partners with. And since he was dating Ignis, Gladio and Prompto, there was no worry there. But they’d always tickle him until he was wheezing with silent laughter, which made Noctis’ mind wander.

Before he knew it, he’d started craving it. He would purposely stretch his arms over his head, leaving himself wide open for attack. He would attack the others in hopes that they would get him back (which usually worked). But after a while, he started to crave something more. Or... something less, depending on who you asked.

He started to find himself staring at loose Chocobo feathers for a little too long, and luckily the others just thought he was staring into space. He noticed he would stare at his companions’ hands quite often, and before he knew it he could feel the ghosts of fingers scribbling at his tummy, which would make him visibly shiver. It was only a matter of time until he realized exactly what he wanted. 

He was way too embarrassed to ask any of his boyfriends, though. He knew there wouldn’t be any judgement, and that they’d happily do it... but still... there was something stopping him from asking. And so... he tried to ignore it.

He thought about it a lot, though. 

He just loved to imagine fingers sliding across his tummy, wiggling so gently and teasingly. A voice teasing him about how ticklish and adorable he is. Gentle kisses to his neck as hands roamed around-

“Hey, Noct!” Prompto peaked his head in through the tent, causing the prince to startle. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Got a minute?”

Noct blinked. He’d almost completely forgotten where he was. Ignis and Gladio had gone out to get some ingredients for dinner, and so Prompto and Noctis were left to their own devices. 

Without giving the prince time to reply, Prompto entered the tent and cuddled up to his boyfriend’s side, a content sigh escaping him.

“Someone’s affectionate today,” Noctis chuckled.

“I’m affectionate every day, dude. Gotta meet my cuddle quota!” Prompto exclaimed, tackling Noctis to the floor and nuzzling against his neck.

“Hehehey!” Noctis giggled. “Th-that...”

“Tickles?” Prompto finished the sentence, raising his head up from the prince’s shoulder to look at his boyfriend. “Actually... I didn’t come here just for cuddles... there was something else I wanted to ask...” 

Noctis tilted his head,  waiting for Prompto to ask his question, but in response Prompto’s face flushed a bright red and he averted his gaze.

“I-I... um...” He stuttered, before hiding his face behind his hands in embarrassment. “This is so embarrassing!” 

“Prom... whatever it is, I promise I won’t judge you,” Noctis reassured.

“I know it’s just... it’s silly...” With that, Prompto took a deep breath, and...

“Canyouticklemeplease-”

“Huh?” The words came out jumbled and quiet, but Noctis definitely heard the cursed word in there somewhere. “C-Can you repeat that?” Prompto whined, and then took another deep breath.

“C-Can you... uh... t-t-tickle me... please?” 

So that is what he said after all! 

“You want me to tickle you?” Noctis asked, and Prompto nodded sheepishly.

“Y-You don’t think it’s... weird... do you?”

“No! Of course not! It’s just that...” Noctis awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, shooting Prompto a shy smile. “I thought I was the only one.” His face flushed a bright pink as he said that. 

Prompto blinked, then smirked, quickly shifting their positions so that Noctis was pinned on his back. 

“You too, huh?” He scritched underneath Noctis’ chin, earning a surprised squeak from him. “I wouldn’t mind taking care of that for you,” he whispered.

“B-But what about you? You asked first!” 

“I can wait, you look too cute right now!” Prompto wiggled his fingers in the air, and Noctis squeaked and turned his head away from the wiggling digits, closing his eyes so he didn’t have to look at them. 

“Wait!” Noctis grabbed Prompto’s wrists for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath. “I-I don’t just... want to be t-tickled... well I do, it’s just, in a specific way...” Carefully, he guided Prompto’s hands to his stomach. “Just... be gentle...”

Prompto smiled sweetly, and kissed Noctis’ forehead before his hands slipped underneath the prince’s shirt.

“You’re adorable!” He exclaimed, giving a slight giggle of his own. “Anything for you, Your Ticklishness~” There was that teasy, sing-song tone that Noctis had been hoping for. He knew Prompto was big on teasing while tickling, but he had no doubt that he’d be more ruthless with it now that Noctis had asked.

Fingers began to move, and the prince’s body jerked in response to the slight movement of fingers. As they continued, Noctis tried to contain his giggles, keeping a hand over his mouth to hide his growing smile.

“Don’t be like that, Noct! I wanna see you smile!” Prompto’s fingers sped up ever so slightly, lightly scratching at the sides of Noctis’ tummy. Giggles began to pour out of the ticklish prince, and Prompto moved Noctis’ hands over his head, chuckling when he didn’t put them down again. “Keep your arms up the best you can for me, ‘kay?” 

Noctis obliged, keeping his hands above his head just like Prompto asked. Noctis looked at Prompto, who was smirking at him with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

Slowly, his hands descended onto the prince’s sensitive ribs, scritching gently at the lower area of the spot. Noctis squeaked in response, his face flushing a bright red when Prompto traced the lowermost ribs. 

“Ehehe- Prompto!” Noctis aimlessly called out, twitching in response to the light tickling. 

“This seems like a preeeetty good spot!” Prompto announced. “Think I’ll stick around here for a bit~” The blonde’s fingers kept tracing along the ticklish skin, watching as Noctis quivered underneath his fingertips. The prince’s giggles became squeakier, and he was wiggling involuntarily, but his hands stayed above his head. 

That was until the gunman’s hands moved to his sides.

Noctis yelped, his arms immediately coming down to defend the ticklish area. 

“Noct!” Prompto laughed. “You’re supposed to keep your arms up!” He teased, poking Noctis’ sides repeatedly. The prince’s laughter increased in volume as he desperately tried to lift his arms up, but instincts told him to keep them at his sides.

“I cahahan’t!!” Noctis squeaked when Prompto moved his arms above his head again. 

“Too ticklish?” Prompto teased, before giving Noctis a quick peck to his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll be nice and gentle!~” With that, his fingers were on the move once more. Wiggling slightly, the evil digits traced up and down Noctis’ sides, gliding from the sides of his ribs to just above his hips. The ticklish prince had buried his head in his shoulder to attempt to hide the blush and smile on his face, but there was no denying that he was extremely flustered right now.

While he did try to control his laughter somewhat, giggles still flowed out of him quite freely. Those giggles turned into laughter when Prompto located a particularly ticklish bundle of nerves just above Noctis’ hipbones, and began gently circling his fingers over the spot, making Noctis arch his back slightly. And of course, there was that cute, squeaky laugh that came out whenever a sweet spot was being tickled. 

“Aww, does that tickle?” Prompto taunted, chuckling when Noctis shook his head. “No? Well I guess you wouldn’t mind if I moved on to your tummy then!” 

Prompto’s fingers glided over to Noctis’ stomach, which made the prince’s entire body shudder. Oooh, this was gonna be a fun spot...

“Promptohoho!” Noctis’ giggles were now a full stream of squeaky laughter.

“Yes?”

“It- ahah! It tickles!” 

“Well, yes, that’s the point,” the gunman chuckled. His fingers continued to work their magic around Noctis’ tummy. They skittered around the sides, circled around his bellybutton, even traced along his waistline, which earned the cutest squeals. 

“Who’s my ticklish little prince, huh?~” Prompto sang, his fingers idly tracing random shapes over Noctis’ stomach. “You loooove this, don’t you? Sure sounds like you do~” 

“Shuhuhut up!!” Noctis could barely handle the teasing, in fact, it made him feel even more ticklish than before. 

“Well, that’s not very nice,” Prompto stopped the tickling, but still rested his hands on Noctis’ tummy. “I think you should apologize, after all...” he leaned closer to Noctis to whisper to him.

“You did ask for this~” 

Noctis groaned, flustered out of his mind. His face felt impossibly hot, and the tips of his ears were red at this point. He hid his face in his hands, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he was enjoying every moment of this.

“Don’t hide!” Prompto’s hands were back on his tummy. “Kitchy kitchy kooooo~” 

Noctis wasn’t sure exactly how long Prompto tickled his belly for, as he knew it was Prompto’s favourite spot (that and his feet). But it wasn’t much longer until Noctis tapped out, panting and letting out tiny residual giggles, which made Prompto coo at him. The gunman rolled off of Noctis and lay next to the panting prince.

“Sooo, how’d I do?” He asked.

“P-Pretty good,” Noctis answered. 

“I mean, it’s not exactly hard to tickle you,” Prompto smiled. “You’re a walking tickle spot, dude.”

“It’s not like you’re much better!” Noctis sat up, looking down at Prompto, before grinning. “Besides, I think it’s someone else’s turned to be tickled~”

Noctis pounced on the blonde, proceeding to tickle him to pieces, before they got themselves into quite the tickle fight. 

When Ignis and Gladio returned, the found Noctis and Prompto cuddled up together, napping away in their tent.

[bonjovian]

Never Let Me Go: Chapter Ten

Masterlist Chapter Nine Chapter Eleven

Word Count: 1,788

Tag List: @ocfairygodmother @oddballunicorn

Another Imperial base was destroyed, but the group didn't get their proper revenge. Now they are on their way to Caem, making sure Iris gets there safely...

I waited outside for Noctis to wake up, writing in my journal. I overheard people talking about the imperial base nearby being attacked. I didn't say a word, just smiling slightly. They seemed to be quite impressed. It felt strange, in a way, hearing whispers and being praised by Lucians for attacking an imperial base. Even if it wasn't a victory in the way we wanted, we still succeeded in taking out another base.

It wasn't long before Noctis woke up and walked over to me. "Hey, you alright with riding behind us for just a bit more, or do you want to kick Prompto out of his spot?"

"What?" I asked. "No, I'm fine. I just have to make sure I don't lose you guys."

Prompto walked over as if on cue. "Hey, are we almost ready?" He asked. "I have a good idea."

"What's the idea?" Noctis asked.

"Since Gaia isn't able to ride in the Regalia, she wouldn't be able to know when exactly we plan on taking a break or something. Maybe one of us could give her our phone so that we can talk to her?"

"Not a bad idea," I nodded. "Plus, then I can talk to you guys. I should probably get my own phone now that I think about it."

***

Soon, we were out on the road again, Prompto's phone sitting in the pocket of my jacket. Before we took off, Prompto made sure to call Noctis, so I was just listening to their conversation in the Regalia.

"I could have gone another round," Gladio said after a moment.

"Given her prowess, you should be glad you didn't," Ignis responded. They were talking about that woman from the imperial base.

"Yeah, that Loqi guy was nothing compared to her," Prompto added.

"Loqi? Loqi Tummelt?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's the guy," Noctis responded.

"We may not have fared so well without the marshal," Ignis added.

"Think things would have gone differently if he were here now?" Prompto asked.

"She offered to play again. Maybe we'll get the chance to find out," Gladio chuckled.

"How far are we from Caem, do you think?" I asked.

"I would estimate we're only a few miles away. Shouldn't be too long," Ignis said after a moment.

"I hope so," I laughed. "I would rather not be left to the daemons if it gets dark."

I continued riding, waiting for a sign that we were slowing down.

"Is it just me, or is this place begging to be explored?" Prompto asked. There it is, I thought with a laugh.

"Guess we're taking a bit of a break?" I added.

"Never been one to turn down an invitation," Noctis responded. I caught up to the Regalia and looked over at the others.

"If what they say about the Malmalam thicket is true," Ignis seemed to be pondering the idea.

"Then we might just find what we're looking for here," Gladio looked over at Iris. "You coming along?"

"Of course!" She chimed.

"Sweet, a party of six," I laughed, letting Ignis pull the Regalia off to the dirt path that led into the woods, following soon after.

Prompto's tone quickly turned from curiosity to nervousness as we continued to a parking spot. "I don't like the woods, too many monsters."

Gladio snorted, "You kidding? What could be better than roughing it out here?"

"A million other things could be better," Prompto responded quickly.

"I had my share of sleeping in monster-infested areas for the next few weeks," I huffed, getting off my chocobo once we reached the parking spot. "Guess it's time for us to look for another royal tomb?"

"You bet," Noctis chuckled as we made our way further down the path and deeper into the woods.

"So Noct, what are you going to do when we get to Caem?" Iris asked, looking up at him.

"Me? Get ready to go to Altissia, I guess," Noctis shrugged.

"Right. Can't keep Lady Luna waiting." I picked up on a hint of sadness in her voice.

A few seadevils stood in our path, Noctis quickly warping to attack one.

"Alright, no plan of attack?" I asked with a laugh, summoning my axe and charging at another one.

"Don't get hurt, that's the plan," Noctis responded.

I jumped out of the way of one of the seadevils trying to snap at me. "Easier said than done when that's all we have to work with!"

The battle wrapped up without injury, luckily.

"You guys kick ass!" Iris praised.

"You mean it?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah! And you look cool doing it, too!"

Prompto chuckled. "Yeah, we get that a lot."

"Don't take it to heart," Gladio responded as we continued further down the path, sneaking past any wildlife that could attack. Soon we arrived at the entrance to the thicket.

"Are you up for it?" Gladio asked, looking over at Noctis.

"I'm down," Noctis responded. We made our way through, quickly encountering our first enemy. A single Mandrake. Should be easy enough, I thought as the others got ready to attack. Easy felt like an understatement, the mandrake barely getting the chance to retaliate.

"Wouldn't want to squish some slimy bug and ruin my nice kicks," Prompto said as we moved forward.

"Then watch where you're walking," I laughed.

"That isn't helpful," Prompto rolled his eyes. As we continued, I looked around the area we were in. The sun was blocked out by the sheer amount of trees. I could only assume we would be facing more mandrakes further in. We rounded a corner, so to speak, and Prompto continued speaking.

"Find anything rare or exotic yet?"

"Slow down. We just got here," Noctis laughed.

"You know, if rare treasures were easy to find, they wouldn't be rare," Gladio stated. I couldn't tell if he sounded annoyed or not.

"Yeah, if it was like that, then anyone could wander in here and take it, so of course, it would be hidden somewhere further in," I laughed. "Mandrakes don't make good guards for fancy treasures."

"We'll see about that," Prompto smirked.

We reached a small incline, the sound of a river becoming clearer as we made our way up. A shieldshears stood in our way, but behind it a haven was visible.

"Hey! I know those runes!" Prompto exclaimed as he fired a shot at the oversized crab before us.

"It's a sign. We should set up camp," Gladio said as he joined the battle.

"You a fortune teller now?" Noctis asked.

"Gladio? Fortune teller? If he was he'd know a lot more," I quipped. Gladio glared at me in response.

"Like you still being suspicious?" He snapped back.

Ignis shook his head. "Both of you, enough."

Once the shieldshears fell, it was time to continue. "Aw man, we have to go through the river?" I groaned. "Why can't there be a bridge or something with another way around?"

"You sound like Prompto," Noctis teased.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Prompto put a hand to his chest, pretending to be hurt. The others started making their way forward, and I quickly rolled up my jeans.

"Hey, wait up!" I yelled, trudging through the water after them.

Prompto looked back at me. "Whoa, you got a metal leg too?"

"Yeah, wasn't finished, remember?" I laughed, finally catching up to them. We approached a waterfall, a small strip of land that I could only assume was the path running next to it.

Noctis quickly ran ahead, complaining about how cold the water felt.

"Freezing cold!" Prompto whined as he followed.

"You oughta stand under that waterfall and let it toughen you up a little bit," Gladio stated, unphased by the temperature.

"Yeah, no. That's a hard pass from me," I said, running past to avoid the cold water.

"I don't think that would be good for my camera. Or me," Prompto added. We continued through a cramped area but soon reached a clearing.

"Man, am I glad to be out of there," Prompto sighed in relief before we saw what was waiting for us. "Not so glad anymore!"

A large, vaguely lizard-like creature was pacing around the clearing. A bandersnatch. Just great, I thought. Just behind it sat a royal tomb, so it was clear what we had to do. Unlike the creatures we fought on the way here, this one posed an actual threat. We still kept at it though, and it wasn't long before it was knocked on its side and vulnerable. Noctis yet again summoned his armiger, the rest of the guys all taking a weapon. I joined in with my axe, and the bandersnatch was finally defeated.

"Score! It's all about that treasure!" Prompto yelled as we made our way to the royal tomb. Unlike the swords I saw before, the weapon in this tomb seemed to be a scepter.

"So the old kings all had different types of weapons?" I asked, watching Noctis add the weapon to his collection. "Kinda cool! Wonder what else there is in store."

"Who knows?" Noctis chuckled. "Come on, let's get back on the road."

***

I waited for the others to lead the way in the Regalia, once again having Prompto's phone calling Noctis.

"Are you guys excited to visit Altissia or what?" Iris asked.

"I guess," Noctis responded.

"I'm so jealous!"

"We're not going on vacation," Gladio clarified.

"Oh, yeah. You're right." Her tone sounded somber.

"Iris?" Ignis asked gently.

Prompto seemed concerned as well. "Something wrong?"

"What? No, I'm fine. I'm not jealous," she stuttered, "I just had a lot of fun hanging out with you guys. But that'll all be in the past once we hit Caem."

"What are you talking about?" Gladio scoffed at the idea.

"We can hang out any time! Right?" Prompto reassured.

"Yeah," Noctis agreed.

"I'm down for that. It's nice having another woman to hang out with," I added. I looked around, feeling a jolt of excitement when I noticed the coast. "Damn, are we almost there already?"

"We should get a closer look!" Iris offered.

"The sun is about to set," Ignis voiced a bit of concern about the idea.

"Yeah, we can set up camp by the coast," Gladio responded. "I'm sure there's a haven if we look."

"And if there isn't?" I asked, watching the Regalia come to a stop. I ended the call and had my chocobo sprint over. I dismounted and we walked down to the coast.

"Maybe there's one this way?" Prompto asked, running off.

"Hey, wait up!" I ran after him. He was right, as we soon came across the familiar runes of yet another haven.

"Guess we're sleeping out under the stars," Noctis said as he walked over to us. We set up camp, already preparing to finish the drive to Caem in the morning.

[megashadowdragon]

What Noctis Learned: a tl;dr essay

So I've been thinking about this for a while and seeing so many posts/articles/character analysis on this game has finally prompted me to put it down in words. This is going to be a giant spoiler for the whole game so if you haven't finished it or Episode Ardyn yet then do that before reading this.

Everybody good? Okay.

I've heard lots of people look at FFXV as a coming of age story, with the main character changing and growing from a somewhat lackluster teenager to a responsible adult and in some respects that's absolutely right. It is a story about Noctis' growth from a reluctant and poor leader into a Kingly King like his dad (get it? Regis? Kingly King?). But then people usually follow that up with stating that Noctis started out as a selfish guy who didn't appreciate his friends thought he was too good for them and....wha? Were we playing the same game? Were we watching the same story?

Noctis has always appreciated his friends. Noctis has never thought he was better than them. That was never his issue. In fact, the issue is somewhat the opposite problem. Here me out:

The lesson Noctis needed to learn was about sacrifice. Not just self-sacrifice, although that's certainly part of it. But the heavy burden of sacrifice that only Rulers experience. He needed to learn how to sacrifice others or let them sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The theme was laced throughout the game from the beginning.

Everyone sees Regis as a great King. What makes him so great, though? Well, he knows how and when to sacrifice, not only himself but others for the sake of the future. He takes on the burden of knowing that people are dying for him, and for his kingdom. The Crystal is just a big old reminder of that burden, and so is the Wall, a physical representation of what it means to sacrifice.

Everything outside the Wall has been sacrificed to the enemy so that everything within the Wall may have peace. And then when it's revealed that Regis must sacrifice his only son in order to save the world, he accepts that burden too. He also accepts than in order to let his son realize his destiny, all of Insomnia must be sacrificed.

When Noctis rages at Cor in the tomb, it's because he doesn't agree with his father's sacrifice, both of himself and Insomnia, in order to save Noctis. He doesn't accept that noble burden. He rejects it and is plainly not ready to take his rightful place as ruler. He sees that a bunch of people just died for him, including his family members, and he doesn't think he was worth that sacrifice at all.

When Gladio demands to know before the fight with Titan if Noctis is "of Royal blood or not" it's because he feels the weight of his own father's sacrifice and needs Noctis to understand that he is ready and willing to do the same. If you'll note in the scene, this happens after Noctis has recklessly tried to dart ahead of Gladio and prevent him from doing his job (i.e. shielding and sacrificing his own body for the King) and he wants it reaffirmed in Noct's mind to accept that duty. To accept that yes, he might actually need Gladio to die for him and since Gladio's going to that extent he needs to know that Noctis will actually be worthy of that sacrifice and continue on to fulfill his destiny.

Luna's sacrifice in Altissia, followed by Ignis' blinding and then his moment of doubt where he actually asks Noctis to halt their journey basically represents the lowest point for Noctis, where all his fears seem justified. Noctis fears that he's actually not special or "chosen" at all, he can't save everyone, he couldn't even save the one person he thought he was meant to save, and now Ignis who already sacrificed his eyesight for him is voicing out loud his fear that all this sacrifice might be too high a cost.

So Noctis falters. He doesn't put on the ring. He doesn't head for the Crystal right away. And Gladio becomes upset, not because he thinks Noctis doesn't care about Ignis, but because him not pushing on despite the sacrifice kind of renders it pointless. And Gladio doesn't know that Ignis himself kind of tipped the scales on Noctis' reluctance to sacrifice others for the good of the kingdom here.

Then Prompto gets yeeted off the train, Gralea happens and the sacrifice of Noctis' last real link to his dad, the Regalia. And Noctis has to go it on his own, using the ring's power to survive, and here's where people like to say that being without his friends makes Noctis appreciate them. But I think being without his friends actually makes Noctis realize that he HAS to continue on without them, that his destiny still needs to happen with or without his friends and family surviving to see it. He's starting to accept the true burden of being a leader.

The scenario before he enters the Crystal has him needing to choose between fighting with his friends or possibly leaving them to die in order to fulfill his Calling. Ardyn taunts him with this choice, calling him selfish for abandoning his friends.

Ardyn himself never learned the lesson of sacrifice, which started the entire problem in the first place. As a healer, he refused to accept the deaths of others, and thus kept taking more and more Scourge into himself rather then letting a single person be sacrificed, even to the point where it would damage the future envisioned by the Gods. While we're obviously supposed to regard Somnus as the other end of the extreme; sacrificing people pointlessly for his own gain, I don't think we are supposed to view Ardyn's refusal to sacrifice anyone as a good alternative either. A good leader is supposed to know when and how much to sacrifice for the good of the nation, so when the Crystal rejects Ardyn it's because he hasn't learned how to sacrifice.

So we get to the timeskip, Noctis baked in the Crystal and now he's all done and ready to accept the true burden of being King. No turning back, no preventing his bros from sacrificing their own lives for the effort, no changing his mind about whether it's "worth it" or not. Noctis finally learned the burden of sacrificing for the future, one that he won't get to be a part of.

Originally, the Lucis Caelum line was meant to be a sect that worships Etro, Goddess of Death. Some remnants of the story still show this, what with the Ring of the Lucii requiring blood sacrifice or at least a sacrifice of lifeforce in order to gain its power, the theme of skulls and the significance of the colour black for the royal family.

All this long rambling is meant to say is that FFXV is a story about the main character learning how to accept the burden of noble sacrifice and not really about a lazy slacker learning how to stop whining and appreciate his friends.

source: www . reddit . com/r/FFXV/comments/ol3te6/spoilers_for_the_entire_game_what_noctis_learned/

comments :

Noctis's lesson is also exemplified when he has to encourage his own dad to deal the final blow that sends him to the void. It mirrors Noct's own reluctance, and the choice to push onward anyway, when the sacrifice feels too great to bear. It solidifies the fact that he deserves his seat on the throne.

I agree overall, though I'm also inclined to think that sacrifice itself is intended to throw value judgments into the starkest possible relief by demanding the loss of a lesser good for the sake of a greater good.

Regis makes the astoundingly vast sacrifices that he does because the salvation offered by the Chosen King is the greatest available good. And it takes Noct a long time to understand that because his value judgments are off -- he can't bear being responsible for the loss of an individual even if the alternative is the loss of every individual.

And yes, I think that Noct's choice to let his friends hold off the daemons while he went ahead to reach the Crystal is the point where he truly understands what's required of him... and that it is a very effective reflection of the difference between the point he had finally reached and Ardyn's continuing rejection of that dynamic.

One interesting thing about Ardyn is that he is willing to sacrifice others for his plans, but his value judgments are still really wonky. He went from valuing individual persons to such an extent that he risked being completely ineffective to valuing nothing but himself and his own desire for revenge. Somnus' value judgments are wonky, too, of course, because he over-values his own ambition.

As for the ultimate conclusion of Noct's growth, he develops a quiet confidence in his value judgments that allows him to take risks and accept sacrifice without second thoughts. ("A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back.") Just before he ascends the throne, his friends have to stay behind to cover for him again... and he doesn't think twice about allowing them to fulfill their duty by doing so. Then he willingly endures an agonizing self-sacrifice knowing that doing so will bring about the much greater good of the world's salvation.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter IX

Safely driving out of Aracheole Stronghold, the group head in the direction of Lestallum. As they drew closer to their destination, Prompto turned on the radio just as a newscaster broadcasted the latest news. "At long last imperial blockades of Duscaen roadways have been removed. The imperial army has also demolished all related facilities erected around the region. The provisional government of Insomnia anticipates increased traffic congestion along most local highways, and encourages all citizens to refrain from any unnecessary travel for the time being."

At that moment, Prompto remembered what Ignis told him about Ravus. "So help me figure this out-that was Luna's brother?"

"The high commander himself-wartime makes for quick promotions," Ignis answered.

"Even a son of Tenebrae can rise to the top," Gladio added.

"But why would he want to lead their army?" The sharpshooter questioned.

"Who cares?" Noctis sighed.

"Certainly formidable enough on his own. We are fortunate (Y/n) intervened when she did," the tactician said.

"With that cool sword!" Prompto pops out of his seat and propped himself up on his knees, turning to face the backseat. "I had no idea you carried a sword with you, (Y/n)."

She curled her hands up in her lap, staring down at the middle console. "I haven't had it for long."

Ignis, who's eyes were still glued to the road, chimed in. "The Creator's Blade, if I recall what the high commander uttered."

She was hoping they hadn't heard Ravus use the sword's true name. "Yes. It's, well...um..."

Prompto noticed her distress as she clasped her hands tightly together and shifted uncomfortably in the seat. He leaned over the side of the seat and placed one of his hands over hers, squeezing them tightly. "You don't have to say anything if you're uncomfortable."

She looked up and stared into his eyes. "Thank you, Prom."

Eventually, the royal retinue and the guardian arrived back in Lestallum. Once parked, they headed to the Leville. As they walked into the lobby, they found Iris waiting for them. She had a devastated look on her face as she did her best to hold her tears at bay. "Oh, Gladdy."

Gladio was taken aback at his sister's forlorn expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I let you down. I never made it to Caem," she confessed melancholically. "The empire came while you were gone."

Deciding to speak somewhere more private, they headed upstairs to their hotel room. Everyone gathered around the distraught Iris as she explained the situation to them. "None of us said a word about Noct. They just showed up and then...poor Jared."

"What do you mean? What happened to Jared?!" Gladio demanded.

"There was nothing we could do!" Iris wailed back. "H-He...He tried protecting us and another woman. B-But the empire killed him and her!"

"They killed an obscure civilian?" Ignis asked.

She nodded, a single tear trailing down her cheek. "Th-They cut her down without even blinking and dragged her body away..."

Just then, the door to the room slowly opens. All eyes fall onto Talcott as he walks into the room, crying. Noctis gets down on one knee to speak with the weeping boy. His voice was full of sorrow as he spoke. "It's...not right. We should've been here."

"I... I couldn't stop them," Talcott mumbled between sniffles.

"But I won't let the empire get away with it. They'll pay for what they've done. I promise."

The little boy nodded. "I believe in you, Prince Noctis." He then walks away followed by (Y/n).

She followed him out into the hallway. She listened to him sniffle a few more times before squatting down in front of him. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Talcott."

"I-I miss him..." He wiped his tears away, but they were promptly replaced with even more tears. Through his blurry vision, he saw the golden gemstone in her arm. "Grandpa tried protecting a lady who was really nice to us when we first arrived here. Her name was Cynthia and she helped us with so much. You have a gem just like she did."

(Y/n) blinked in surprise. Now she knew the empire wasn't just here for Noctis, but to kill any spirits dwelling within Lestallum. "Really? Was it pretty?"

He nodded with a faint smile. "Mhm. It was blue just like the sky. And yours is yellow like the sun."

The spirit smiled back at him, taking his small hands in both of hers. "How about we get outta this stuffy hotel and have some fun?"

Talcott's smile widened, his tears vanishing. "Yeah!"

While (Y/n) escorted Talcott out of the Leville, the conversation inside the hotel room changed. Iris noticed the spirit when she walked out of the room to check on Talcott and couldn't help but admire her beauty and somewhat strange features. Prompto noticed the girl's perplexed expression and decided to clear the air. "Oh, right! You've never met (Y/n) before."

"I didn't know you guys had someone else traveling with you," Iris said.

"Neither did we until a month ago," Noctis commented.

The young Amicitia wasn't sure what he meant, but pushed it aside. "(Y/n)... She has a gem just like Cynthia. And her eyes are weird, too."

"Cynthia?" Gladio inquired.

"She's the woman Jared tried to protect. She helped us when we first arrived in Lestallum. We were shopping together when the empire showed up."

"Wait, y'mean this Cynthia person was a spirit?" Prompto questioned.

Iris' brows furrowed together, showing her puzzlement. "Spirit? I don't know anything about that."

"By the way you described her, she sounded like one."

"If that indeed is the case, we know for a fact Noct wasn't the empire's only target," Ignis chimed in.

Iris glanced between her brother and the other boys. "What're you talking about?"

"Guess an explanation is in order." Noctis turned to Prompto. "You probably better take this one. You would know more about guardians since you have one."

The blonde nodded and took the lead. He explained to Iris who (Y/n) was and what spirits were, remembering what the golden-eyed girl told him earlier during their journey. He even used pictures to help explain. Concluding his explanation, he examined Iris' expression and saw disbelief in her eyes. "You...don't believe me..."

Iris shook her head. "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just...hard to wrap my head around it. Geralt didn't even say anything about Cynthia being a guardian."

"Who's Geralt?" Gladio asked.

"Cynthia's husband. He sells vegetables in the marketplace."

Prompto blinked in surprise, his heart racing. "Her...husband? C-Can I go talk to him?"

"Don't you think the man needs time to mourn?" The shield sighed.

"Actually, I think he'd enjoy your company, Prompto. His stall is located near Tostwell Grill," Iris said. "Just try to keep talking about Cynthia to a minimum."

"Thanks, Iris!" Prompto dashes out of the room, leaving the others behind.

Noctis crosses his arms, leaning back against the wall with a smirk. "Wanna bet it's about (Y/n)?"

Ignis adjusted his glasses. "He is quite smitten with her."

"At least he's found someone who likes him," Gladio chortled.

Meanwhile in the marketplace, Prompto searches for Geralt's stall. He asked each stall owner their name until stumbling across the man he'd been searching for. He swallowed nervously as he grabbed the merchant's attention. "Sorry to bother you, but are you Geralt?"

The crimson-haired man nodded. "That I am. What can I do for you?"

Prompto held out his wrist and showed him the bracelet with the golden gemstone. "I was hoping to talk to you."

Geralt examines the gemstone, eyes widening when realizing what it was. "So you've got yourself a guardian. By the state of the gemstone, they're still alive."

"Huh?" The merchant held out his hand to show the boy the ring on his finger. Prompto gasped when seeing the gemstone adorning it was black and cracked. "Is that...?"

"The gemstone of my lovely Cynthia. After she was killed by those imperial bastards and dragged away, it turned black and cracked. Not only that, I could feel our connection shatter. It was as if someone had stabbed me in the chest."

The marksman frowned melancholically. "I'm...sorry you had to go through that. I-I don't know what I'd do if I lost (Y/n). She means so much to me..."

Geralt leant forward against the wooden table, staring into the blonde's cerulean eyes. "Listen, she may be your guardian and has sworn to protect you, but you've gotta protect her too. I failed to protect my Cynthia. Don't make the same mistake I did."

Prompto nodded with a determined gleam in his eyes. "I will protect (Y/n), I promise."

A smile appeared on the man's face. "I can tell there's not only determination in your eyes. You love her, don't ya?"

He lowered his head. "I do."

Geralt chortled. "You remind me of myself when I was younger. I fell in love with Cynthia and before I knew it, we were married."

The boy lifted his head. "Did you ever question your relationship? Y'know, since she was your guardian?"

"A buncha times. I don't know how many times I heard my sweet Cynthia worry about her status as my guardian. She feared how she wasn't human and wouldn't be able to satisfy me. But after we got married, all her fears vanished. We were living happily until..."

"The empire attacked," Prompto muttered.

"If I could get revenge for Cynthia, I would." Geralt leant over the table and patted the boy on the shoulder. "I wish you luck with (Y/n)."

"Thanks."

The marksman left the marketplace and searched for (Y/n). He wandered the streets of Lestallum until he found her at the outlook with Talcott. They were sitting on a bench, laughing with one another. The little boy was no longer feeling down thanks to the guardian cheering him up. Prompto froze for a second before snapping a picture of the scene. Checking the photo, he saw it was perfect. Lowering his camera, he walked up to the two with a brilliant smile. "Heyaz!"

"Hey, Prom," (Y/n) greeted him with her usual smile. "Talcott and I were just sharing some funny stories. And while we were out, we happened to overhear hunters talking about spotting a royal tomb atop the Rock of Ravatogh."

"We better tell Noct the good news, then!"

Talcott crosses his arms with a pout. "Man, I wish I could go with you guys. Your adventures sound so fun!"

The spirit patted the top of his head. "Trust me, you'll have your own fun adventures someday. Just keep enjoying being a kid for now." She stood up, stretching her arms into the air before lowering them. "Anyway, we should head back and tell the others what we learned. Right, Talcott?"

"Yeah!" Talcott hopped off the bench and dashed off towards the Leville.

Prompto chuckled at the sight. "Little guy sure has spirit."

"I'm glad he's feeling better," (Y/n) commented. Taking a closer look at the blonde, she noticed his joyous expression was replaced with melancholia. "What's wrong?"

Unconsciously, he'd been fiddling with the bracelet around his wrist. "I, um...I talked to Cynthia's husband, Geralt."

"Oh, Talcott told me about Cynthia. She was the spirit who Jared was trying to protect. He didn't say she was married, though. What made you want to visit Geralt?"

"Just wanted to ask him some things. That's all." Prompto glanced away from the girl, fiddling even more with the bracelet.

(Y/n) placed a hand on her hip, a single eyebrow raised. "Like what?"

"W-Well..."

She closed the distance between them, grabbing his chin between her thumb and index finger. She turned his head so he had no other choice but to look down at her. "You asked him about their relationship, didn't you?"

Prompto's eyes widen as they were still locked hers. "How'd you know?"

"If I had known earlier about Geralt, I would've sought him out myself to ask about his relationship with Cynthia. They're the first human/spirit couple I've heard of." She released his chin. "What did he have to say?"

"He said Cynthia had the same doubts about herself like you do. She was afraid she couldn't make him happy because she wasn't human, but all that fear went away when they got married. They were happy until the empire came to town and killed her." Prompto took her hands in his, entwining their fingers together. "I know you're supposed to be the one protecting me, but I want to protect you too. I-I can't bear the thought of losing you."

She smiled gently at him. "You won't lose me, Prom. I'll always be by your side, even when you don't want me to be."

Prompto laughed, leaning his forehead against hers. "There's no way that'll ever happen." He placed his lips over hers, kissing her gently. He squeezed her hands when the kiss deepened, drowning in the blissful moment. His heartbeat and hers picked up in speed as the kiss became heated. Before it could turn into a full make-out session in broad daylight, they pulled apart. The boy glanced down at their connected hands before quickly looking back up at (Y/n). "Guess we better head back."

"Then let's go." She released one of his hands, but continued to hold the other one. They held hands all the way to the hotel and weren't even ashamed when they walked into the lobby, grabbing everyone's attention.

Iris was the first to react, flying to her feet. She was aware of the couple holding hands, but she was more invested in introducing herself to (Y/n). "We haven't formally met. I'm Iris."

"I'm (Y/n). A pleasure to meet you, Iris," the guardian smiled.

The young Amicitia glances at the gemstone in the girl's upper arm. "Prompto told me everything about spirits earlier. I'm...still trying to wrap my head around it, especially since Cynthia was one too." She them looked over towards Talcott with a smile before meeting the spirit's gaze again. "Thank you for cheering Talcott up. He told me how much fun he had with you today."

"I'm glad I could bring his smile back."

"Oh!" Talcott suddenly shouted. He looked over at Noctis. "(Y/n) and I overheard some hunters talking about another tomb."

The raven-haired boy blinked in surprise. "Really? Where?"

"At the top of the Rock of Ravatogh."

"Well, looks like we know where we're heading next," Gladio commented. "Best head out now if we wanna beat the daemons."

"It is in our best interest to restock our supply of curatives before departing," Ignis said.

Iris and Talcott remained behind as the others left the Leville. They restocked their diminishing supply of curatives before heading to the parking lot. Before they climbed into the Regalia, they could hear the frustrated yells of someone nearby. They all exchanged glances with each other, deciding to check on the frustrated person. They came across the President and CEO of Meteor Publishing, Vyv. He was complaining about the heat, which is what caught the group's attention.

After calming down, Vyv explained to them how he wanted pictures of a cave located at the Rock of Ravatogh. Prompto gasped in excitement at the request. "We'll do it!"

"We will?" Noctis asked.

"I am not passing up this opportunity. Besides, we're already heading that way!"

"Prompto and his pictures..." (Y/n) mumbled.

"Indeed," Ignis said after overhearing the girl.

"Get a good shot and I'll pay you," Vyv said.

"We do need the money," Gladio stated. "And it's only a picture. Blondie'll handle it."

"Aw, yeah!" Prompto cheered. "You can count on me!"

With that, the group headed back to the parking lot and climbed into the Regalia. They left Lestallum and headed towards the Rock of Ravatogh. Ignis pulled the car over to the side of the road when they got as close to the pathway leading up the volcano as they possibly could. Hopping out of the vehicle, they trek up the path until they reached jagged, uneven ground. (Y/n) watched where she stepped to avoid tripping. "So, we're really going to trek up the side of a volcano for a picture and a royal arm."

"Why do you sound excited?" Gladio asked.

She grinned from ear to ear. "I thrive in environments of extreme heat. Makes my magic more powerful."

"You wanna take the lead then?" Noctis asked. "I wouldn't mind, especially if you burn all the monsters we come across. It'd make this whole trip easier."

"And let you guys miss all the fun?" She gasped in feign shock. "Never. Lead the way, Noctis."

Noctis groaned at her answer. "Ugh..."

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || Masterlist

[imagined-comfort]

Update: Current Requests!

Hello Lovelies!

Here's the list of current requests in the inbox in the order to be answered:

Kashuu Kiyomitsu and Yamantonokami Yasusada (Touken Ranbu) - your a non-binary person struggling with gender dysphoria and you'd like a bit of comfort.

Silco (Arcane) - Comfort for the fact that you're in college and you're also working at your family's RV company and you're afraid you can't keep up with both school and work.

Prompto and Ignis (FFXV) - You've been trying for months to lose weight, then gained it back and you feel horrible. You've started to not eating in hopes of losing weight.

Gojo Satoru (Jujutsu Kaisen) - You've been having a hard time with school and motivation, you're just looking for a bit of affirmation.

Ignis (FFXV) - You're looking for a bit of comfort as the person you confessed to didn't return your feelings, and called you physically unattractive.

Lilia and Malleus (Twisted Wonderland) - You're wondering what the meaning to all this is, from two people that have been around for many years...

Draken and or Rindo Haitani (Tokyo Revengers) - You've been going through a few things and you just want someone to be proud of you.

Adaman (Pokemon Legends Arceus) - You're looking for a bit of comfort cause you feel like you're crumbling underneath the stress of everything you've had to do lately.

I hope to have these completed for you soon!

Thank you again for your patience, and letting me write for you! ♥

Much Love! ~Admin Manda

[oldbaton]

Some more detailed thoughts on FF XV now that I've beaten the main quest:

I love the concept of a buddy road trip final fantasy and this one suceeded in some ways and didn't in others- but a great jumping point

The dynamic between all four was fabulous. Again, that mid credits cutscene just. Reduced me to tears. The issue is only prompto is actually interesting on his own. The other three are just not compelling when separated from the others. My roommate and I commented that they just sucked all the good writing and likability into prompto. I'm gonna watch the extra episodes on youtube but the only one I'm purchasing and playing is prompto because he's the only one compelling enough to spend that solo time with. But their banter in the car was great and endearing and I loved spending time with them as a group. But Prompto is the only one with the design and the writing for me to like. Carry with me.

Some really great design. Eos is gorgeous and it made me want to take a road trip through the west. And most of the towns were decently designed. Loved the throne room particuarly. But you could tell it was RUSHED. Tons of scenes with awkward animation that just paled in comparison to FF VII which was released jus a couple years later.

I loved that Chocobos are heavily present in this one

For me the most fun here is in the sidequests. I loved driving around (even tho the manual controls are shit) and doing these quests and customizing the car and it was just by far the meat of the experience for me. The main quest felt a bit like a chore.

And the lore.... oof. Confusing. Every scene I always feel like I'm missing just a tidbit of information that would allow me to know what I'm seeing. I still don't really understand who or what Ardyn is. And that's a bad thing. We should need ALL this supplementary material to figure that out. And even though Ardyn was present from early on it still took all the steam out of the battle because I... did not know WHAT I was fighting or what he wanted revenge for? And I asked the gods to explain it too!! And I was still like... huh? It was incredibly hard to follow. I was always confused on what was empire territory and what wasn't. And if Tennebrae is independent then how was the marriage supposed to- you get my point. They drenched it so heavy in politic that there were so many loose ends. And not in a ~mystique~ way. In a confusing way. I thought bar none the world building was the game's biggest failure. (Also don't get me started on the oracle thing and how Luna being from Tennebrae made me ask a ton of questions about how they were allowed to interact as children without like a diplomatic negotiation? idk)

I will give it credit for bar none going for a sad ending. Despite my misgivings it managed to hit. I was not expecting them to go desolate like that. But very few characters really make it out of this alive.

Some of the dungeons had some cool design! But most were just like. Some caves.

I dont know why they wanted me to be invested in noctis and luna when they met ONCE as adults like

It was fine. When it was good it was REALLY good. But you can tell this was pushed out. And I'm looking into all the supplementary stuff and getting... overwhelmed. The game should be able to stand on its own without all of this.

[ladyhallen]

Holding Secrets Like a Crystal Chapter 3

Read on AO3|FFN

Monica never did get her answers.

Despite being the second to the Marshall of the Crownsguard and basically the one who ran the entire place when the Marshall wasn’t there, she still wasn’t the Marshall. There were some things that were confidential even to her.

And Cor’s mission that took a year…that was clearly beyond confidential.

She decided to keep the name, and Cor’s secret grief, close to her heart.

Occasionally, she would hear his musing on what Prompto was doing. Finally, years of waiting, and the image of a blonde baby held in Cor’s arms surfaced and Monica immediately broke into a coughing fit.

By Bahamut’s fucking shield, did Cor get a kid? And what happened to him? He was clearly alive. Perhaps he was adopted out.

No wonder Cor mourned. He had to give away his son.

Monica had a headache. That was what she got for being so curious.

.

.

“Dustin, I swear to Bahamut, don’t you dare – “ Monica started.

“I triple double dog dare you,” he said. “To a drinking contest, lieutenant.”

Oh Astrals, and he did it in front of witnesses too.

Monica sighed. “Fine. Fuck. Fine.”

.

Ten drinks later, and Monica stared at the bottom of her glass with a quiet expression of immense sadness.

“Cor’s just so nice,” she told Dustin earnestly. “He’s so nice. The best person ever. And not one of you fuckers are nice to him.”

Dustin blinked. “You’re related?” he asked because he was drunk too and selective hearing was a thing.

“By brain!” Monica announced. “We’re related by brain. The brain cell.”

It made immense sense to her. Must have made sense to Dustin too, because he nodded.

“Yes, the brain cell,” Dustin mused. “His sword is so cool.”

Cor arrived at one point, because Monica noticed the rhythm of his brain radio.

“Thank you,” Cor said dryly, making Dustin jump a foot in the air. “For appreciating my sword, Ackers.”

There were several wolf whistles at that, as Dustin blanched at the unintended double entendre.

“S-sir, I didn’t think,” Dustin stammered.

“No you did not,” Cor glowered. He ushered Monica up, who at that point was seeing double. She staggered and he supported her firmly.

“Come now, to bed with you, kid,” he murmured.

Monica blearily looked in his direction with a drunken smile. “Best human ever,” she muttered, before passing out.

.

.

Monica was used to intense headaches that caused her to vomit due to her telepathy. Hangovers were nothing.

The guard, who had expected her to take a leave of absence after the ten shots she did, looked awestruck as she worked like nothing had happened the night before.

“Don’t you get hangovers?” Dustin demanded.

His loud voice made her head throb, but Monica didn’t even show it. She was used to the pain.

“Of course,” she said. “But my pain tolerance is especially high for headaches.”

What the fuck, Monica. “Monica, you must have a head made of steel,” Dustin said.

Cor, who she hadn’t noticed lurking because of the distraction provided by her hangover, loomed. “Monica, why do you have a pain tolerance for headaches?” he demanded. What the hell, kid?

She sighed. “I am prone to debilitating headaches, ever since I was a child. No medicine has ever helped, so I’ve learned to work through it.”

A spike of pain made her brow wrinkle involuntarily before she smoothed it over again. It was too much to hope that Cor wouldn’t notice. Because he did.

“Monica, come with me to medical while we get you diagnosed with actual competent doctors,” Cor ordered.

Monica hated doctors. With a passion. After one doctor had recommended her to be exorcised, she wanted nothing to do with them.

“I’m fine,” she said. “But if you insist sir.”

“I insist.”

Astrals, he was so stubborn.

She radiated extreme dislike the entire time they were in medical. Even if the doctor diagnosed her with better, stronger medication, Monica stared at Cor.

Fuck, this kid is so stubborn. “Have a rest day, Monica,” he said. “If you continue working, I’ll extend it to five days.”

He was absolutely serious. Monica finally allowed a scowl to cross her face. “Sir,” she saluted with a frown.

Monica packed her things and passed by his highness with his retainer. Monica saluted him while stepping aside, and Noctis smiled and waved.

Despite being a very reserved boy, Noctis’s mind was loud. Louder than his father and certainly louder than Dustin.

Oh, it’s Monica! She’s so cool. Scary cool. “Hi lieutenant! You’re going home?” he asked, looking at the bag on her back.

Monica smiled at him, ridiculously fond of the boy. “Yes, your highness. I have a terrible headache and the Marshall has ordered me home.”

She says she has a headache but looks as unmoved as a cucumber. Wow that’s a crazy pain tolerance, Ignis Scientia thought.

“Oh, you’re sick!” Noctis exclaimed. “You better hurry home so you can rest and feel better.”

Monica saluted again. “Thank you, your highness.”

Man, the last time Prompto had a headache, he had to stay home for a week. Monica is really cool. Noctis said, turning away.

Monica’s feet only faltered for a second before she continued walking.

She was giddy with amusement and probably high from the pain and medicine. But still, she had finally found a lead to Prompto.

.

.

Prompto, it turned out, was a blonde teenager with a smile like sunshine and a very cheerful disposition.

Monica, looking at him, realized that Prompto’s everything must have come from the other parent. Because even if the Marshall was in a good mood, she had never seen him smile that much.

“Are we sure we’re authorized to do this?” Dustin asked as she commandeered several city cameras to stalk the boy on his way home.

“Nope,” Monica said blithely. “But if anyone asks, just blame me.”

Hot damn. “Alright boss, as you do. Why are we taking pictures of him though?”

Monica smiled. “It’s for an early birthday present. Also, get me a file of Prompto’s parents.”

Dustin did so with a frown the entire time. Well, maybe she hadn’t said anything when she made Cor sign the forms for Monica to do monitor duty but since Cor didn’t ask, she didn’t say anything. If Cor didn’t know, the King couldn’t scold him.

“Boss,” Dustin said, dread in his voice. “His parents…are the Argentums? But. They’re hardly in Insomnia. I checked their travel records and…”

Monica looked over Dustin’s monitor and frowned. “Check their bank accounts. Are they hiring anyone to take care of him the entire time? And when did this start? Prompto’s what, fourteen?”

Dustin searched and brought up their bank accounts, probably hacking into the Insomnia’s banking guild. But he didn’t say anything. Which was one of the reasons why she really liked Dustin. He didn’t ask unnecessary questions like Cor.

“They started leaving regularly when he was six, boss. No records of anyone hired to watch over him.”

Monica wanted to curse. She wanted this to be a nice surprise for Cor. A little bit of info on his kid. Maybe he signed stipulations that he couldn’t voluntarily seek out the child. So Monica did it for him. But if his kid was being neglected - !

“I’ll back check the camera records of the ones near his house. Is he – “ Monica brought up old files. It was a good thing that the Citadel recorded everything.

“That could take days!” Dustin complained even as he did as he was told.

“Luckily, I already signed our overtime forms,” Monica said.

Dustin sighed. This is revenge for the hangover.

Monica had to hold back giggles.

.

.

It took reviewing the tapes for three days with overtime, but they had everything.

It wasn’t pretty.

“This is a neglect case,” Dustin sighed. After the second day, he’d gotten pretty invested. “Monica, we can’t even report it because the evidence we gathered isn’t authorized by anyone!”

Monica waved that complaint away. “That’s fine. I can just get Cor to sign it and backdate it for me.”

Dustin stared, wide eyed, as Monica did just that.

She presented the files to Cor while Dustin watched from safe distance. Cor’s frown went from his normal frown to a glowering thundercloud that he usually wore blowing up bases in Niflheim.

“Monica,” Cor finally said, tone foreboding.

Monica crossed her arms. “Your kid, sir.”

Cor stood up and Dustin bit his fingers, very sure that Cor was going to - ! Hug her. Cor hugged her.

“Thank you,” Cor said, voice very soft and gentle. “Thank you. I’ll take care of this now.”

Monica nodded, her face flushed. “Yes sir. Don’t worry about the guard, I can take care of everything here.”

He smiled at her, and Dustin blinked. “Best human ever,” Cor said, patting her head.

Dustin and Monica stared blankly as Cor walked away with purpose.

As one, they looked at each other.

“Did he just – “ Monica asked.

“Yup.” And like that, Dustin started to laugh at the awestruck look on Monica’s face.

.

.

Monica still wasn’t sure if Cor knew she could read minds.

Cor didn’t ask, and Monica never said anything.

Still, it was reassuring that Cor never doubted her at all. If she said anything, Cor would believe it without hesitation. Dustin took this as Cor playing favorites.

“That just speaks of my track record,” Monica said. “How many arrests and cases have I solved while working for the guard?”

Dustin dully repeated, “More than any guard has ever done since Cor Leonis himself.” I should know, I checked the facts myself.

Monica nodded. “There. So you see, it is not favoritism.”

“You’re a brat, boss,” Dustin said, to everyone’s resounding “Oooohh’s!”

Monica held a shit eating grin in Dustin’s direction and said, “Still your boss, Dustin.”

.

.

Prompto moved in with Cor, and Monica knew this because the blonde baby that Cor usually imagined when he thought of Prompto, morphed into a blonde teenager with a wide smile.

Not that Cor said anything after he stalked off with the intent to skewer the Argentums with his sword.

“Just to you know,” Cor said. “Prompto will be staying with you when I have my solo missions from the king.”

Monica stared. “Am I equipped to babysit teenagers?” she asked.

“More than I am,” he said. “I didn’t even have a guest room when he moved in.”

The image of a sword storage rose in Cor’s mind and Monica had to hold back a gasp. Fucking Astrals, that was a lot of swords.

“Of course sir,” Monica said after a moment. “He seems to have settled in well despite the swords.”

Which. Uhm. Was a mistake. Because Monica just either a.) admitted to stalking them or b.) read Cor’s mind about it.

Cor stared at her for a long time. Eventually, he slowly said, “Yes. He did.”

Both of them stared at each other, before going back to their respective paperwork.

Honestly, this don’t ask don’t tell policy they had going on was sometimes very awkward, especially if Monica slipped and forgot to pretend to be normal.

Fuck I need a drink, Cor thought, which Monica echoed fervently. Damn, she needed new hobbies.

[stonecoldmeme]

[From here, because Tumblr’s... Tumblr.]

@lightwithinthenightsky​​:

Sidus was beginning to get sick of this crowd. The function had been going on for about two hours now, and he was ready to return home. Unfortunately, this political advent was set to go for another two hours. He really had to talk to Ignis about this, see if the man could shorten them. He was sure his brother, the king, would be all in for it. Speaking of which…

Sidus looked around for his twin, only to find him surrounded by nobles with Gladio as his only shield- fitting.

Nox was just about to make a run for it when he himself was bombarded by eager attendees.

Great.

Nox smiled and nodded as they did their little dance for his attention, it kind of reminded him of the functions back in Niflheim- except, no one’s trying to stab you in the back… Yet.

Just when Sidus thought he would never get away, Prompto came to the rescue stating that the king needed to speak with him. Perfect!

“Gentlemen, if you would excuse me.” Nox gave the group a small nod and let the gunman lead him away.

“Thanks, Prompto, I owe you one,” he whispered once they were out of earshot.

“Could see you drowning at a distance, dude.”  The blond grinned, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed.  “I bet Iggy’ll actually get Noct out pretty soon.”  Unless Ignis had some kind of revenge plot in mind, but... those didn’t usually happen at official functions.

It caused Prompto to cackle to himself just a little anyway, turning a corner next to Sidus.  It was kind of just a random thought, but one he wanted to express anyway.  “I get that it’s kinda tough in a lot of ways.  Going from none of this to all of this.  Citadel stuff, meeting people, talking to folks you never thought you’d meet.  Or never wanted to, in some cases.”  He flashed a grin, but he could remember some people who were just... rude.  To him, specifically, but in general too.  For the most part, at least, people seemed nice enough.  He could deal with politeness, anyway.

Not that he had anything profound to say, really.  Nothing smart, nothing new.  “I just know even when you get used to it, it’s still a lot sometimes.  So no problem, is all.”