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lov3nerdstuff · 4 years

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Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 7.34}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student, blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 3.3k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

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As was to be expected, they didn't come across anyone on their way back down to the ground level, where they parted ways to see matters through more quickly now. Snape went ahead to get Robin's belongings from the office and then proceeded to his rooms already, perhaps starting on the parchments if there was time. Robin meanwhile went into the opposite direction for now, to collect the girls from the astronomy tower and return them to their dorm. They'd been up in the cold long enough at this point, and she also needed them to confirm her alibi that wasn't quite what they thought tomorrow morning. Everything else would look suspicious.

"You've got twenty seconds before I'm up there, so better hide what you don't want me to see." She called up the stairs in advance to ascending them, after she'd locked the door to the tower behind herself, just to give the girls a fair warning and evade the possibility of having to scold them. Then she made her quick way up the tower and soon was met by four innocently smiling faces. Four, because obviously Jorien had somehow managed to find her way to this little gathering as well once she'd been done with her work.

Surprised, Robin quirked an eyebrow at the girl in question. "How did you get up here?"

"I told McGonagall that you'd sent us all up here to do something important for you, and she let me know that the door would be locked and how to open it." Jorien shrugged easily, but with a bright smile up at Robin. "Now you're not the only one anymore who knows how to open classrooms."

"Congratulations." Robin huffed in irony, and obvious amusement over the girl's excitement. Then again… when she'd first learned the spell herself, she had been quite excited as well. It didn't matter now, she had an alibi to construct. "Either way, I'm back now, so you won't have to hold watch anymore. Thank you though, all of you, for helping me."

"You're most welcome. It was our pleasure, and I'm sure the boys will freak out when they hear about all this tomorrow!" Cas grinned in an instant, but still none of the girls made any move to get up.

"C'mon then, we should all be heading back down into the dungeons. It's nearing one o'clock if I'm not mistaken, and I don't want to be responsible for any casualties tonight." Robin added on after a moment of having all four girls grinning at her with too much mischief on their faces.

"Actually…" Cas started innocently, and Robin already knew this wasn't going to end well for her. "We were hoping that you'd play a round of truth or dare with us. We were just in the middle of that when you came back, and it's a Saturday after all. Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Guys…" Robin sighed in nigh defeat when all four girls looked up at her with desperately hopeful expressions. "Another time, okay? I really don't have the energy nor the mindset for that right now."

"Oh, but we've been waiting for you to come back and sit with us all night!" Cas whined, making the best puppy dog eyes she was capable of. "You'll be gone soon and then we can't have any girl nights at all anymore, not with you at least, and you've never even had a real one! Pleaseeee…"

"Cas…"

"Please Robin, it's not even that late… And you're done with your challenge now, aren't you? Surely you have ten minutes to play a game with us before you go on to do whatever important thing you have going on this time." Melissa picked right up where Cas had stopped, much to Robin's dismay.

"We don't want to hold you up long, really…" Lisa added more carefully. "But we've all really been hoping that you would play a round with us at least."

"We have so little time left with you still here at school." Cas took over the argument again, still looking at Robin almost reproachfully. "You deserve some fun memories! We all do, together…"

When nobody else made an attempt to add any more words of protest, Robin closed her eyes for a second to fight the urge to cry out in frustration. Gods, didn't they understand that she had more important things to do than to play a stupid little game?! Of course they didn't… how could they after all? All they knew was that she was their friend, and that she spent ridiculously little time with them nonetheless. They really did deserve better than yet another adult in their lives who kept on choosing other, more important things over them. Robin had seen enough of that behaviour in her own parents to know how much it could hurt. Perhaps that's why she couldn't make herself say no now.

"Fine." She said instead, more tersely than intended, but it would have to do. "Ten minutes will be alright." With that she dropped down on the blanket they had spread on the ground, and elegantly crossed her legs underneath her while keeping her eyes on the girls around her.

"Alright, if we just have ten minutes then we will have to change the rules a little." Cas was quick to clap her hands with a gleeful smile. "The four of us take turns asking Robin questions, and if you don't want to or can't answer one, then we all have to answer a question of yours in return. Would that be amenable?"

"I honestly don't care." Robin sighed, but her indifference passed by the girls unnoticed. "You have ten minutes, and in those I will comply with anything you make me do. After that however you will return to the dorms with me without protest."

"Agreed." Cas grinned, and Melissa and Lisa nodded eagerly in return. Only Jorien currently seemed to prefer spectating over participating, but Robin let her be, in the knowledge that she would oblige without protest either way.

"Go on then, ask me all you please." Robin said, keeping her back straight and her hands calmly clasped in her lap. "Not that you couldn't do that at any other point as well, but since you obviously prefer this game format, get started then."

For the first few minutes, the girls asked only questions Robin had no problems answering. She didn't deem her answers particularly interesting, but the girls seemed quite content with their game, so she kept on patiently obliging to their every inquiry. It wasn't terrible, but certainly holding her up longer than she had time for currently. Snape wouldn't be all too concerned by her delay, seeing as she'd already told him when they'd parted that the girls most likely wouldn't be brought back down into the dungeons without a discussion. The problem was rather that she currently couldn't focus on much but the sheets of parchment down in the dungeons that likely held the answers to her future.

"Next question!" Cas announced with mischievous grandeur, then turned to her right. "Melissa's turn, isn't it?"

The girl nodded, then thought for a second, and finally smiled broadly. Obviously the topics were about to change from easy to hard now. "Do you have a crush on someone?"

"No."

"Are you currently in a romantic relationship?" Cas asked, obviously based on her prior knowledge and the previous question, and Robin would have glared at her if she hadn't been too tired to.

"Yes." She simply said instead, keeping her facades neutral as ever. Cas, Melissa and Lisa seemed to be rather taken aback by the honest reply in an instant, while Jorien however merely gave Robin a very subtle smile. The girl definitely knew way more than she had told anyone, and Robin was honestly glad for that.

"What is one thing you love, and one thing you don't like about your boyfriend?" Lisa was next to ask, and her question took Robin a few seconds to think about, and even longer not to cringe over. Somehow, the term 'boyfriend' seemed terribly inappropriate to her ears.

"I love who he is. And I don't like that nobody actually knows who he is. In every sense of the statement." She finally replied, which made the three girls frown, but they didn't get to dwell on it.

"Have you ever committed a crime, and if yes, was it by muggle or wizarding standards of legality?" Jorien asked before anyone else could comment on Robin's previous answer.

"Yes." Robin didn't even need to think about the answer to that one. "And both." Again, jaws dropped and eyes went wide.

"What crimes did you commit?" It was Melissa's turn again, and she went straight on with Jorien's clever diversion. "If it's too many, name a muggle one and a magical one."

"A muggle one would be breaking into a gym on multiple occasions. A magical one would be messing with time."

"Have you ever stripped for anyone?" Of course it was Cas again who had to ask a question that was so vague and intimate it would've made Robin blush if it wasn't for her facades.

"Specify." She returned instead, in an attempt to thereby make things better somehow.

"Have you ever willingly undressed for another person who's not you?"

"Specify."

"Gods, Robin, what's so hard to understand about that?! Have you ever taken off your clothes so that another person could look at your body?"

"Yes. And you probably have as well, in the infirmary, at some point." Robin replied neutrally, and Cas only rolled her eyes but went with the vague answer nonetheless.

"What was your first kiss like?" Lisa was next, and that question wasn't even too bad, in Robin's opinion.

"Nerve-wracking. Intimidating. Unexpected." She couldn't help smiling at the memory at last, facades or not. "But also breathtaking, magical, perfect… everything I'd never dared dream about."

"Awww…" Both Cas and Melissa sighed, while Lisa smiled and Jorien smirked. Somehow it surprised Robin that neither Cas nor Jorien, who both certainly knew at this point who her first kiss had been, seemed to care about that fact in the slightest. Obviously there was still hope for bringing them into the same place at some distant point in the future.

"What's the most awkward situation you've ever had at home? With your family, I mean." Jorien's question was next, and while Robin knew that it was only an innocent attempt at changing the theme of conversation to safer territories again, the topic brought a lump to her throat nonetheless. She hadn't thought about her parents in a while now… but perhaps it was time to prove to herself that she was over it indeed.

"My parents invited strangers to live in my room while kicking me out of the house, and when I didn't leave immediately, their guests called me a useless greedy whore, to which my parents said absolutely nothing. During the last dinner before I left, they said that traveling alone with S...someone would result in people assuming I was dishonored, to which I merely replied that it was bold of them to assume that I had any honour left in the first place. That was rather awkward." She explained with a shrug, and unsurprisingly it was all four girls who stared at her incredulously now. Wasn't that something other families did too? No? Well damn.

"They… they just kicked you out of your home?" Lisa ironically was the first to ask in a quiet voice, and Robin immediately felt terrible for spoiling everyone's fun with her story. She'd just meant to answer honestly… Not such a good idea, as it seemed.

"Yeah, well, no, I mean yes they did, but then we all agreed that it would be best if I left and earned my own money." She explained, as if that would make anything better and not worse. Good job, idiot.

"How awful! How old were you?" Melissa went on, as both Cas and Jorien obviously knew better than to ask at this point.

"Seventeen. It all happened just at the beginning of last summer, actually." Again Robin answered truthfully, but more thought through this time. "It really wasn't as bad as it sounds now, that wasn't the point of the story. I just wanted to say the dinner was rather awkward from that point on."

"Right…" Jorien said slowly, then once more was the first to catch on to the desperately needed change of topic. "Next question! We've got one more minute of Robin's ten, so let's do one more round, yes?"

The other girls nodded, then Melissa once more made the start. "It's odd that nobody's asked you this before, but who is your boyfriend anyway?"

"I'm not going to answer that." Robin replied in a surprising ease, as just another fact that she didn't even have to think about. "If I'm not mistaken, that means I get to ask you guys a question now?"

"Yep."

"Alright…" Robin sighed, and the first idea she had was already a decent one, even if it ran at the risk of confusing the girls. "If you had to describe Professor Morgan with one word, which would it be?"

"Handsome." Melissa was the first to blurt out, cheeks tinting red to a degree that was visible even in the very limited light.

"Charming." Cas added next, without even a hint of such embarrassment.

"Nice." Lisa shrugged. "Not quite as much as some other people, but still… He's one of the nicest professors around the castle, to me at least."

"Enigmatic." Jorien finally concluded the round. "I have absolutely no idea who that man really is. I like him, but his ambiguity is odd sometimes."

All girls nodded in accordance with Jorien's statement, but also the previous three descriptors seemed to fall upon common agreement. Robin was both content and unsettled by this development. They really did like him, but except for the strange ambiguity, Robin's perception of Morgan was nothing like theirs. Interesting, from a somewhat objective kind of viewpoint.

"Great, so now I'm next!" Cas announced, and broke Robin out of her pondering. "What's the most intimate thing you've ever done with someone?"

Robin inwardly rolled her eyes, but kept up her neutrality on the outside no less. She might just give them her newfound truth, even if they wouldn't understand it. "Looking into someone's mind and having them look into mine at the same time. I think it's the most intimate you can get with someone, by allowing them to see absolutely everything of you, see exactly who you are without any facades or defenses. To be one for a while, exactly the way you are. And being loved just the same, if not all the more."

"That sounds amazing." Jorien commented quietly, with a serene smile that was nothing of what Robin had expected.

"That sounds boring as hell!" Cas rolled her eyes, which in return was exactly what Robin had expected. "Don't you have any spicy stories?"

"That's not what you asked for, and it's not your turn to ask anyway." Robin gave Cas a pointed look and a humoured smile. Sometimes the imprecision of Cas' language use was a saving grace. Thank the gods the girl hadn't asked for Robin's most erotic experience, because then Robin would've seriously considered jumping off the astronomy tower before she'd turn into a flustered mess. Not that there would've been much to share in that regard anyway, at least not in a way the girls would understand. As of the current moment, Robin's relationship hadn't been on that kind of… physical level just yet. Not because they didn't want to, gods no, but the time had never been quite right for it. Too many late nights working, too many early mornings and other problems, other people, other concerns. Besides, they weren't the kind of people to rush things, especially not when any form of intimacy was new to either of them in the first place.

"Exactly, it's my turn to ask now." Lisa's words came as the next saving grace to Robin's thoughts. Or… something of the sort, at least. "What's one thing that Cas and Jorien know about you but Melissa and I don't?"

"That I was stabbed last summer and almost died from severe blood loss."

"Wait, really?!"

"Yes." Robin replied with a sigh under her breath, and her two roommates nodded in accordance. This at least was a somewhat easy topic to talk about by now… it simply was a fact that wouldn't harm anyone anymore.

"My turn!" Jorien announced before anyone could make a big deal out of it, and once more Robin was more than glad for the girl's brilliant intuition. "What's one thing you wish will happen in your more distant future?"

That was a nice one, actually, and a small smile graced Robin's lips in return. Perhaps she could end this silly game on good terms with the girls after all. "I wish that some day in the future, when certain things are different, everyone I care about will be able to sit at the same table happily. That also includes you guys, just so you know."

"Aww, that's sweet." Cas smiled happily, and the others seemed equally content with the answer. Thank goodness.

"Now, I answered all of your questions and played along nicely." Robin said, then rose up to her feet even as her muscles protested in stiffness from the cold. Bloody hell, she should've cast a heating charm before coming here… At least, other than her, the girls were all wrapped up in their warmest clothes. "Let's get you back down to the dungeons."

"So, you aren't coming to the dorms with us?" Melissa asked, while the five of them made their way down the staircase at last.

"No. I still have something very important to see to, and that really can't wait any longer." Robin sighed as she locked the door to the tower back up behind them, then ushered the girls on into the direction of the dungeons. From now on it wasn't unlikely that Morgan might return, and she wanted to be safe in Snape's quarters before that happened.

They made their way down the stairs and through the corridors the same way they always did, with Cas entertaining the entire group and Robin following silently behind them. To her luck, Robin remembered to say goodnight earlier than she had to, to conceal just where she was heading, but she still let the girls walk a good bit ahead before she herself went on to take a detour to her own destination. Better safe than sorry, after all. Mere minutes later nonetheless, she finally arrived in front of the door to her safest haven, and let herself in like she did so often. What first greeted her on the inside after locking back up behind herself was a welcoming wave of the fire's warmth and golden glow, followed immediately by the sight of papers strewn everywhere across the floor. Most surprising however was the fact that Snape was sitting right among them, knees bent and arms propped up on them while he stared off into the flames with an empty expression. Robin froze in her spot immediately, and her eyes remained fixed on him while everything within her squeezed together with a start.

"I'm going to die, am I not?"

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secret-engima · 4 years

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missingmywing

Okay, but imagine Ignis as Rufus. Who looks around, and sees everything that he fought against in a previous lifetime, now in power, now with the expectation that he would endorse it. And Ignis knows politics, he spent a childhood previously elbow-deep in the thick them, learning to protect his prince. He knows the games, the moves. Sharp minded, ever practical Ignis looks around and says "No. This will not stand."

missingmywing

And every move he makes has several layers of purpose. He plays the son of the President to a T- all the while doing everything in his power to undermine Shinra. And he looks at the Turks, and sees potential. (I could also see him as Lazard, but I feel like Rufus would be more fitting, somehow.)

missingmywing

As for Gladio: Angeal. A complete 180 from his last life, he grows up with nothing but his family, and he loves them even as he aches for what isn't there. And then he meets a redhead boy who's all swagger and tough-talk with a temper that he can't fully fight back and suddenly has the thought "Is this what Ignis felt like dealing with me?" Suddenly Gladio is the braincell, arguing against a boy who feels he has something to prove and will do reckless things to prove it.

missingmywing

And he follows after a boy who he feels doesn't take things seriously enough, and is too immature, but this time it's not out of duty. It's to keep this boy who's a reflection of himself at his absolute worst, with none of the growth or maturity he grew into, from getting himself killed taking on something he can't handle. (And then he meets Sephiroth. And then he meets Ignis. And things suddenly get very complicated. And about twenty times more stressful.)

Me: Oooo this is GLORIOUS. @swiftyue suggested Ignis as Tseng, which is ALSO glorious, but I will admit this one is more tempting. Just-

Ignis is reborn and for a while he doesn’t remember. But then there’s a kidnapping attempt that is both successful and also not, and the Turks find “Rufus” two weeks later out in the wastelands outside Midgar with shaking hands and too-keen eyes, because Rufus almost died and now Ignis has WOKEN UP.

Only to find that now HE is the royalty (in all but name). HE is the child of a cruel empire, destined to sit on its throne and he hates it, he HATES it.

He looks out upon all Rupert Shinra (not father, NEVER father, that bloody, apathetic tyrant will never be Ignis’s parent) has built and decides he will tear it down. He will rip it up by the roots and if nothing can be salvaged then he will burn it to the ground.

But he is (was) the Hand of a king, he knows better than to rush out like a revolutionary, causing collateral left and right, hurting the innocent people. He will not be one of those angry, shortsighted vigilantes who tear down businesses, ruin livelihoods and break families of the ordinary citizens who’s only sin is that they, like so many others, live and work in the shadow of Shinra’s sins. Oh no.

Ignis stands to inherit an empire. He has a lifetime of political training and experience and patience to back him up already. He was a CORNERSTONE of the survival of mankind during the Long Night.

He will play the long game, he has the time. He will sit on his throne and move his pieces across Rupert Shinra’s board.

And he will win.

He wears the name and skin of Rufus Shinra like a theater mask, a tailored suit. He listens to everything his tutors can give him and then sneaks off to the library for more. The mayor finds him endearing really, with his gentle manners and his lust for knowledge of history, arts, and sciences. He watches the Turks that guard him and in them he sees the keys to all of Shinra, and so he plays that game too. The Turks underestimate him, even as they watch his “prodigy mind” absorbing information years ahead of what he should be. Rupert is thrilled to have a genius child, but even he doesn’t know how vast Ignis’s mind is. Only the Turks get that glimpse, and only the ones he thinks are worthy.

Tseng quickly becomes a favorite, he reminds Ignis of himself, and they get along splendidly. Reno and Rude come later, a matched pair that reminds Ignis of things from his past life and make him smile (the first time Tseng hears Rufus laugh out loud, he goes still in shock. Reno, a new rookie Turk at the time, has no clue what a miracle he’s created just by trying and failing to make hot chocolate, how the young child of the president hasn’t openly laughed or smiled since his kidnapping and two week disappearance.)

One by one, Ignis draws the Turks in. He is charismatic for his age and smart, he knows how to win people over, especially people who know that he was “up to something”. Some of them he wins over by being “endearingly bad” at manipulation, like a Coeurl cub being cooed at for its clumsy pounces rather than feared for the deadly killer it is teaching itself to become. Others he wins over with his mind, impressing the keen sighted with his intelligence and drive and work ethic.

Some, like Tseng, he wins over by being the most of himself he’s ever been. It’s Tseng who discovers Ignis’s cooking obsession, how baking from scratch and making filling dishes for others to eat relaxes him like nothing else. It’s Tseng who realizes one day that his charge wears the name “Rufus Shinra” like an suit that is tailored wrong so that it chafes and wears.

But Ignis knows he’s won the Turks the day Veld comes to visit (as he sometimes does, for the head of such a deadly division, the man has a heart for children and Rufus is the only one he has any reason to visit during his long months of work) and catches Tseng calling Ignis “Ignis”, because Tseng had asked what name he would prefer over “Rufus” and Ignis had dared to answer honestly, and doesn’t tell Rupert. He just watches Tseng and Ignis interact with sharp eyes, accept the muffin Ignis bossily pressed into his hand, and then let it slide.

An identity crisis is something Rupert would have wanted to know (should have been told). But Rupert never speaks of it and Ignis is certain he doesn’t know. Veld has kept the secret. And it’s only a little one really, but it’s one of Ignis’s secrets Veld is choosing to keep. It’s foot in the door.

Ignis can do a lot with a foot in the door.

And then of course later, Ignis learns he’s not alone. He reunites with Gladio first, and the Turks sit up internally at how FAST their young vice president bonds with the Soldier, how quickly they fall into a rhythm around each other that speaks of years of partnership rather than a few months of friendship.

And then he learns there are OTHER. Prompto and Luna and NOCTIS and Ignis could cry from relief that he is not alone anymore in this second lifetime. He is not the only one anymore.

...

And YES. GLADIO AS ANGEAL LET’S DO THAT. I just- I love this idea so much. That Gladio wakes up when he’s young, and he remembers- being someone else. Being a Shield and a Crownsguard and a leader and a brother and now-

Now he’s an only child, an ordinary child in an ordinary orchard town and he loves his parents, he does, and he loves the lazy days of BEING a child without having to train for an inherited duty but-.

But it still aches.

He walks in the shadow of someone no one can see, and he watches the sunrise and thinks he hears a camera clicking when there is none, and sometimes he can barely swallow his mother’s apple pie because it’s GOOD but it ISN’T IGGY’S. It tastes WRONG, like it’s less somehow than Ignis’s familiar (safe, home) cooking and- and it hurts. It makes him quieter and steadier than most kids, more patient and more honorable. He has been a leader of men, a Shield of a King (a brother who failed), a warrior who helped hold back the darkness of the Long Night. The problems of children seem awfully small compared to all that.

And then he meets Genesis. Genesis who is too smart and too immature by turns, who is BRIGHT and brilliant and has something to prove wherever he goes, because his rich parents may love him, but they do not pay attention to him in the way he needs and all Angeal (Gladio) can see is himself. Young and stubborn and angry at a world that already has his destiny laid out, eager to prove himself in any way he could an Astrals is this how Ignis felt dealing with him? No wonder his brother in arms got so impatient sometimes. Angeal feels like smacking Genesis upside the head more than once, but instead he bites it back and channels his adult side into keeping this kid from doing something dumb.

It takes him a few years to realize he is now Genesis’s Ignis and inside he’s a bit of a Scream™.

Angeal has no interest in Shinra, he can smell the corruption from a hundred miles away, but Genesis is obsessed and not willing to budge on this no matter how Angeal wheedles, so the day Genesis runs off to sign up, Angeal is on his heels sighing bitterly that he is once again signing himself up to a military life.

And then he meets Sephiroth, who is so clearly abused and weaponized and lost in a world outside the labs that it HURTS and Angeal can’t stop himself from being a Shield again. From standing between Sephiroth and the world with a steady, controlled ferocity that unknowingly takes Sephiroth’s breath away.

(Sephiroth meets them in Wutai, two more recruits to the war, and at first he has only eyes for Genesis, who is loud and competitive and confusing and annoying)

(He doesn’t really notice the bigger one with black hair and knowing eyes trailing along behind)

(Until another Soldier starts getting too pushy and angry over something Sephiroth did that he doesn’t understand and his control over his instincts to lash out is shaking and then suddenly there’s someone standing between them, a wall of muscle where there was none before, a broad young back of another Soldier, a rookie, who looks the older Soldier in the eyes and growls at him to back off while Genesis orbits nearby with a fire materia and a gleam in his eyes.)

(And Sephiroth learns that the wall’s name is Angeal)

Angeal gets attached, and during one of his leaves, he comes back with a tender back and arms from the tattoo of an eagle with spread wings (and the style is wrong, not like his old one, he’d gone to a Wutai parlor and they had a different art style, but it is HIS. His feathers and his promise. When Sephiroth runs curious fingers down the feathers on his bicep, Angeal tells him it’s a promise to his friends and Sephiroth looks surprised to realize that he is included in that promise).

Then they are recalled to Midgar, to a city that stinks of corruption and Angeal-

And Gladio-

Finds Ignis again.

And that is stressful, because what if that means Noct is out there alone somewhere, but it is also a RELIEF because he never knew how exhausting being the group Braincell was until now and he needs to vent, even if it means Ignis gets to laugh at his misery.

#Secret Engima Rambles #Sunshine and Clouds verse

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lightisdays2k · 4 years

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Day 1: Role Reversal

Hi. Burning Phoenix here. So I lack a tumblr but I still wanted to share this. My take on Day 1: Role Reversal

He loved fishing. It was no secret that when he was not working on his duties, he would either be at the arcade, or by a lake with his gear. It was relaxing and enjoyable, no matter what his friends say. There was just something about enjoying a good, clear day while standing by the water’s edge and waiting for the perfect catch to come along. And the power struggle between angler, and the fish.

“Again with the fishing…”

Noctis nearly jumped at the voice and turned to face the culprit. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Hey Light... I thought the princess needed her beauty sleep.” He teased.

Princess Éclair ‘Lightning’ Farron gave the dark-haired young man a frown. “You’re the one who enjoys sleep more than a cat does. Makes me wonder how you of all people managed to make it into the Guardian Corps.”

“That hurts my feelings,” Noctis pouted, and reeled his line in. “I’m pretty good at my job, and you know it.”

Lightning crossed her arms. “Right. The guy who enjoys rushing off to grab his gear whenever he sees a body of water that’s deeper than a swimming pool, spends his gil on arcade machines, can’t keep his own apartment clean, and sleeps the day away.”

“You know you love me anyway,” He teased with a boyish grin.

Although Lightning would never say it out loud, she could admit that she did find him decently attractive. She did have eyes after all. But far be it from her to just babble like a school girl with a crush. She already had Fang for that, who enjoyed catching the eye of both men and women alike.

“Don’t push it, Noct.” Lightning sighed and moved to stand beside him.

He grinned and cast his line again, hoping for better luck. Especially now that Lightning was beside him. He enjoyed her company; she may have been stern and sharp-tongued. By-the-book and no-nonsense, but he had seen the other side to her shine through despite all that. Though he had to admit they did not really have the best first impressions of each other. Especially after she had learned he was one of the Guardian Corps, and bodyguard assigned to her.

Lightning had protested, stating she already had her retainers in Oerba Yun Fang, Oerba Dia Vanille, and her own sister, Princess Serah Farron.

As the older and protective sibling, Lightning had strongly protested against her younger sister acting as guard and retainer. But the Farron bloodline was a stubborn lot, and Serah argued against the firstborn heir until Lightning had to eventually give in. Somehow.

“Why don’t you try it? We’re here in the Sunleth Waterscape, the place is all…uh…’naturey’, and the water’s clear. Perfect for fishing.” Noctis said and offered her the fishing rod.

“You’ve been spending too much time around Vanille, I see.” Lightning raised an eyebrow, but accepted the offered fishing pole and took Noctis’ place as he stood back to let her do the fishing herself.

The guardian chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…better than hanging around Fang too much.”

Unable to help it, Lightning let out a chuckle. “Yeah. I think we can all agree to that. She’s a bad influence enough already.”

Noctis blushed, knowing what his charge was referring to. He waved her off defensively. “Those magazines weren’t mine! Fang shoved them into my hands…!”

“I didn’t say they were,” The princess said calmly, never taking her eyes off the line and the lure bobbing in the water. “Before you came along, she dumped the same crap on me back then.”

Noctis stared at her and blinked. Had he heard that right? “She…did?”

Lightning nodded. “She did. I once punched someone who was…let’s just say, coming on too strongly, and Fang decided I probably didn’t realize how flirting and sexual intercourse worked so she tried giving me erotic magazines, then started giving me graphic details of how to please someone’s genitals and other body parts, as a way to ‘educate’ me about the birds and the bees.”

The guardian snorted. “The stone-cold princess…keeping erotic material and listening to details of how sex works?”

Lightning nodded. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Great… Damn it, Fang.” Noctis muttered.

“Don’t let it get to you. She’s always been wild and shameless. Be glad it wasn’t condoms from her secret stash that she threw at you.” The lure was suddenly pulled under and Lightning began reeling in her catch, her arms tensing as she began her struggle.

Somehow, Noctis was too distracted by the idea of Lightning owning dirty magazines and the fact Fang had a stash of condoms—for Etro knows whatever reason and activities she gets up to—to even react to the fact the princess was reeling in a seemingly big catch. He shook his head from any unsavoury thoughts.

Lightning was a grown woman; it was none of his business what she did in her spare time. Not that any of it mattered to him. It was just his instinct as her personal guard to think on it, he reasoned to himself. He was just thinking cautiously, that was all. At least, that was what he believed.

The sound of splashing finally snapped him out of his daze and he looked over to see Lightning pulling something in, close to the shore. She dug her heels in as the fish began to fight even harder. She looked so focused that Noctis dared not interfere, though he was tempted to.

When the catch finally made it to the shallows, Noctis stepped out into the water to help with pulling it as the fight left the creature.

It wasn’t a giant, but it was an impressive catch nonetheless. Once it flopped onto dry land, Lightning exhaled and lowered her arms. It had been quite the workout, but nothing she wasn’t used to. She looked over at Noctis who was grinning at the prize.

“This is awesome! It’s pretty big one too. Good one, Light!” He sounded very eager and excited as he pulled it over to her. His eyes sparkled with joy at seeing such a great catch. Fishing really was such a passion for him…

Lightning turned her head away as she handed him the rod. “Yeah well…thanks for letting me try it out.” She knew how protective and clingy he was over his fishing gear.

“I bet Serah will have a blast in cooking this!” Still happy with Lightning’s results, Noctis turned to his charge.

Lightning shrugged. “I’m sure. After all, there’s no way Serah would allow Fang near the cookery.”

Noctis laughed. “Well her behemoth ribs are pretty good. I guess it’s her homemade barbeque sauce. Even if it’s the only thing she can cook up.”

“Oh really? Then I guess there’s no need for me to cook up extra of my behemoth steak. Then again, it means more for me,” Lightning mused to herself.

At the remark, Noctis’ eyes widened. “That doesn’t mean I don’t like your steaks! They’re great, really! Please don’t take away my steak privileges…”

It was one of his secret little pleasures, tasting Lightning’s cooking. Or rather, her steaks. Like Fang, it was all she knew how to cook, but it was rare for Lightning to even bother with the cooking since Serah was the better chef between them.

Lightning pretended to think about it. “I don’t know…”

“Please?” He gave her the best puppy eyes he could muster.

“Fine. On one condition though…” Lightning faced him, crossing her arms.

Noctis smiled hopefully and stared at her. “Sure. Anything.”

The princess gave him a look. “Eat your vegetables.”

Now that was a deal-breaker. Noctis hated vegetables; they were evil in his eyes, terrible things that should never be put in anyone’s plate, let alone mouth.

“Anything except that.” Noctis huffed.

Lightning shrugged and turned away. “In that case, I’ll head back to camp. You can bring the seafood back.”

Noctis pouted at her retreating back. Lightning always did like playing hard-to-get. Stubborn Farron; it was in the blood. Serah could be the same as well, but Lightning was like a stubborn cat. Good thing he liked cats.

He hastily picked up the fish and grunted as he felt its weight. Thankfully it was not too heavy, but it still had an impressive bulk. Once got a hold of the catch, Noctis went after Lightning.

The princess paused and looked over her shoulder, letting her bodyguard catch up. She had to internally admit, she was rather fond of him. He was endearing at times, despite how much of a lazy bum he could be. He was indeed a skilled fighter, even able to match Lightning herself.

Not that she would ever admit that to him out loud. She did not need him growing a big head; his hair did enough of that already.

When they reached camp, Fang and Vanille were up and about, while Serah was just leaving her tent.

“Good morning, lovebirds!” Vanille waved in greeting.

Fang smirked when she saw the two walking back. “Hey you two! Where’d ya sneak off to? Went and got busy?”

“Shut it,” Lightning snapped and went to greet her sister.

Noctis groaned at Fang’s words and dumped the would-be meal down on the table set up beside the tents. It made a big thump as it made contact with the surface.

Serah made her way over to inspect the catch. “Wow, now that’s something. Good job, Noctis.”

“Actually…your sister caught it.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

The youngest princess turned to her sibling and smirked teasingly. “Did she now? Well, I’m glad you managed to find time to enjoy some recreational fishing, Sis. Especially with Noctis around to teach you.”

“Don’t push it, Serah. There’s only so far your sister privileges can take you,” Lightning warned with a frown.

Serah grinned and pushed Noctis towards Lightning. “I’ll get to work on making us a meal. In the meantime, you two play nice, okay?”

“Ohohoho! Rose Junior’s got ya there! Don’t be shy, Light. It’s normal to give in to one’s feral needs.” Fang winked at the two.

Vanille nudged her longtime friend. “Don’t tease, Fang. Let them have their moment.”

After the redhead pulled Fang away, leaving Lightning and Noctis with some breathing room. Of course Serah kept her head down, keeping herself busy with cleaning and cutting up the fish for the day’s large breakfast. However, that did not stop a grin from forming.

Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m surrounded by…”

“Uh…yeah.” Noctis sighed. “Well except for your sister.”

Lightning shook her head. “She’s lucky I care about her so damn much.”

“Well, I care too. She is the other princess and all.”

An awkward silence followed the two. But thankfully, none of their companions decided to say a word. For now.

Noctis could not help but steal a glance or two at the princess. It still boggled his mind that a princess preferred to be referred to as ‘Lightning’. Despite the fact she did have a proper birth name, this moniker she took up was the name she preferred over the one she had been given. Strange, and yet it did suit her. She moved like her namesake and she even acted like it.

She had the grace and elegance of a wild cat and though she lacked the proper manners of a lady, that same fierce grace allowed her to seemingly get away with it.

But if anybody was even less of a lady, it was Fang. She was the definitive definition of a ‘wild woman’. Shameless and just full of teasing comments. Ever since figuring out Noctis’ infatuation with the eldest princess, Fang could never resist poking fun at the dark-haired guardian. Even Lightning was not safe from the relentless teasing. Only Vanille was their saving grace, but even she seemed to have caught wind of the hidden affections and enjoyed having her chance at a little tease or two.

Sometimes Lightning wondered how any of her companions, with the exception of Serah, managed to even reach the titles and ranks they had achieved. But it did prove despite their…sometimes childish tendencies, they were not ones to be trifled with.

“So…” Noctis began but trailed off awkwardly.

“So…?” Lightning raised an eyebrow at him.

Serah rolled her eyes at the sad display. She was well aware of her sister’s fondness for Noctis, but being the eldest Farron heir, and a Farron in general, Lightning was ever-so stubborn about it. She could openly feel like a regular woman and not someone of royal blood, thanks to the dark-haired bodyguard of hers, and she was able to enjoy the company of someone she could trust and treat her well as a person. Despite the growing affections, it seems even Lightning herself was either unaware of them, or she merely tried to push it to the back of her mind.

However, Serah could say the same about Noctis. The man clearly had a crush on her sister and Lightning was well aware of it. Noctis may be what one would typically describe as the dark and handsome type, though he acted anything but. He was sweet and shy and was an everyday man. Despite his duties as the personal guard of the princesses of Bodhum, Noctis enjoyed the simple pleasures life had to offer. He could make friends easily if he wanted to and he was capable of being serious when the situation called for it. And yet he was unable to properly confront Lightning with his affections without stumbling like a schoolboy.

Serah added the finishing touches to her seafood dish and decided that the two lovebirds had enough embarrassment for the day. For now.

“Alright, everyone! Time to eat!” The youngest princess announced.

Lightning and Noctis glanced over at her before exchanging looks at each other. They’ll get a chance to talk. Later.

The princesses and their entourage then found themselves at the center of their campsite, enjoying Serah’s home cooking away from home. They still had many miles and days before they reached Eden, but the journey itself was definitely going to be a memorable one.

#day 1 #submissions #lightisdays #lightisdays2k #lightis #nokurai #noctis x lightning #lightning farron #noctis lucis caelum #submission #fanfiction

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secretariatess · 3 years

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So for those who want to and haven’t yet played FFXV, this will contain spoilers. But I have to . . . . go on, for the lack of a better term . . . . about this.

So I finally completed chapter 10 of the game (somehow I drew up enough emotional resolve to finish it) and the relationship dynamics of the characters are something that I absolutely love, but in during chapter 10, I absolutely hated it.

I hated seeing Gladio getting all up in Noct’s face about not being able to move on from the events surrounding getting Leviathan’s blessing, and just staying mad at him. I even hated how he threw Ignis’s injury at him. The entire chapter, I was seething at Gladio for not having enough compassion for Noctis. And was glad when Ignis finally shut him down at the end of the chapter.

But for Noct and Gladio’s relationship and characters, it absolutely made sense in retrospect.

I have no doubt that the two of them were really good friends at the start of the game. But the background information given in the Brotherhood episodes show that out of the three of Noct’s close friends, Gladio and Noct were the ones who got off on the wrong foot at the beginning. And it’s because their personalities didn’t naturally mesh.

Noctis does not communicate well, and on top of that, he tends to bottle up his emotions. So he comes off as aloof and apathetic, even kind of flippant about his upcoming role as king. Some of this could probably be explained by the fact that Noctis was traumatized rather young. Gladio, on the other hand, was raised in a house with a history of protecting the royal line. A strong sense of duty was instilled in him from the very start, even the understanding that he may very well have to give up his life for the king (or prince, as it started out) despite his personal feelings of the royalty in question. This sense of duty was coupled with a strong and aggressive personality. Which all in all, works well for a bodyguard. But it didn’t sit well for him to see the future king acting rather reluctant about any kind of training required to be king and showing little care about the people around him. (Didn’t help that Noctis’ contrast was Regis, who was a well respected king.)

That dislike of Noctis wasn’t resolved until Gladio saw Noctis willingly take blame and punishment for sake of Iris, Gladio’s little sister, just so she wouldn’t get in trouble. It was then that Gladio realized that Noctis wasn’t everything he thought him to be, and that Noct wasn’t just a spoiled, lazy brat of a prince. (Though in fairness, and Noctis does get his fair share of teasing, he does have a lazy streak.) Thinking back on it, after that incident Gladio has a different approach to Noctis’s training. Gladio’s personality didn’t change, but his view of Noctis certainly did.

That being said, it did not mean Gladio had a perfect understanding of Noctis and everything that went on in his head. Nor did it mean that he and Noct shared the same perspective.

For Gladio, he could see that it was, yes, upsetting that Luna died, but Noctis now had the duty of wearing a powerful ring and continuing on in order to make sure Luna’s death wasn’t in vain. In Gladio’s eyes, the best way to mourn Luna was to tackle kingship head on. After all, that’s what he would have done.

But Noctis wasn’t Gladio. And he certainly didn’t process emotion like Gladio. Story-wise, he likely hadn’t gotten over his dad’s death (a fact that the marshal Cor recognized), the obliteration of his home still felt fresh, and he turned around to lose Luna, and woke up to find Ignis had been severely injured during Noct’s battle with Leviathan- something he blames himself for. To top that all off, he inherited his father’s ring of power; a ring that he had seen sap away Regis’s life. And he was expected to wear said ring. Emotionally, he had imploded. His entire life people had been preparing him to be king. But very few people, if any, actually prepared him for the emotional damage that would come with watching the people around him sacrifice themselves for his sake.

A fact that Gladio couldn’t understand and Noctis couldn’t explain.

As a result, Noctis’s drive and motivation to continue skidded to halt as he grappled with loss and fear. And Gladio saw that as disrespectful and cowardly.

The only person of that friend group who actually understood what was going on with Noctis was Ignis. Ignis had been one of those people who constantly pushed Noctis to be prepared to inherit the throne while Regis was still alive. But he was the only one to see Noctis have an actual breakdown from the stress and grief. And in that breakdown, Ignis found out that Noctis wasn’t trying to shy away from his duty of becoming king, but was having a hard time dealing with the fact that inheriting the throne meant having his father die. He and Noctis developed a relationship where Ignis recognized when to back off and when to give nudges.

Because of that, it made sense that Ignis was the one to end the fight between Gladio and Noctis. I mean, even if Prompto knew the full weight of what Noctis was feeling, he did not command enough respect from Gladio to get him to chill out. He tried at the start and was literally pushed away. I think Ignis may have let the fight carry on as long as it did because he was trying to cope with the fact that he wasn’t regaining his eyesight, and because he was probably hoping that the two would reconcile on their own. Or that if his eyesight returned, the tension would ease. It was only after he accepted the fact that his eyesight wouldn’t return that he shut down the fight.

Honestly, the whole thing felt rather natural. (I may or may not have been muttering under my breath every time Gladio said something to Noct in that episode.) And I found it particularly interesting how the tension between Noct and Gladio affected the whole group. There wasn’t any chipper banter during battles or while walking around. The photo quest Noctis was given wasn’t deferred to Prompto like those quests usually were.

And the writer in me is just giddy with the relationship dynamics between these characters. Like I said, I hated it in the moment. But I love how I can look at it go, “Yeah, that felt very true to their characters.”

So I don’t know if this was a rant, breakdown, analysis, or if I was just describing what was very easily extrapolated, but I just wanted to go on about it for a while.

#Adventures in Altissia

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ragewerthers · 4 years

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Mucked Up

Summary: While on a frog hunting mission for Sania, Noct gets into a little trouble with the bog and with Ignis.

Will he be able to fix this? Or did he really muck things up?

A/n: Hello all! This fic was created from another lovely prompt from my friend @bgn846! She asked for: 'Noct and Prompto go frog hunting for Sania. One of them gets stuck in the mud. Hilarity ensues.’ This fic grew sentient about halfway through and went in a different direction then I expected, but I hope everyone can enjoy the silliness, the whump and the fluff that will ensue! You can also read on AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27018892 Enjoy! :D

Word Count: 3822

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The squelch of mud beneath their boots made Noct’s nose crinkle slightly.

“Why do Sania’s frogs always have to thrive in the muddiest part of the swamp?” he grumbled, slapping at his neck as another mosquito buzzed and landed on him, intent on stealing more of his royal blood.

Little bastards.

“Did you ever consider that it’s because they’re… ya know… frogs?” Prompto teased as he followed carefully behind Noct on this little adventure Sania had set before them.

“You’re hilarious,” Noct deadpanned, growling as another mosquito swooped down to avenge his fallen brethren only to meet just as grim a fate by the Kings hand. “And what is with these bugs?! Why don’t they go after you?!”

“Because when Mama Ignis told me to put on bug spray I listened,” Prompto said, pointing to himself with his thumb as he puffed out his chest proudly. “You, on the other hand, were too busy trying to make sure your tackle box had those new cactuar lures because we both know you thought you’d get to fish. Which, surprise surprise, you can’t do in a bog.”

“There could be fish in there!” Noct tried to argue, looking out into the murky water only to watch as a giant bubble of swamp gas burbled up and belched into the air.

“... if there’s a fish living in that then he is a monster and should probably be left alone,” Prompto said honestly before gagging and covering his nose as the scent of the rancid swamp gas finally wafted over to them. “Blegh! Scratch that! If a fish is living in there it’s probably a daemon and we definitely need to leave it alone!”

Noct nodded quickly as his own hands came up to cover his nose, his eyes watering from the smell now surrounding them. “Oh… oh my gods… did the swamp just die?!” he gasped, waving one hand in the air to hopefully dispel some of the smell and succeeding in sending it back toward Prompto.

“Dude! Not cool!” Prompto cried, retching slightly as he turned tail and fled from the smell.

“It’s not like I did it!” Noct argued, trying to get away quickly as well, only to find himself listing forward as his upper half moved but his legs refused.

Arms wheeling in the air like a windmill, Noct failed to keep his balance and fell forward regardless of his valiant attempts. His hands sank into the squishy swamp mud, the force of which sent a good few glops splattering onto his face. “UGH!”

Prompto turned just in time to see the almost faceplant and honestly after getting bog gas wafted at him he found himself giggling at the swampy vengeance.

“That’s what you get for being terrible!” Prompto called from the firmer footing near the edge of the swamp. “Now come on! I think I heard something croaking over by that willow!” Turning on his heel Prompto began to walk away, leaving a glowering Noct to try and stand up.

“Hey! Wait for me!” he called, pausing a moment as he realized what Prompto had implied about his fate. “And I didn’t do anything!” When all he got back was a cackle Noct decided that as soon as he caught up with his friend he was going to give him the swampiest hug of his life! Once more he made to step forward and almost immediately repeated what he’d just done. His body tipping forward as his legs stayed firmly cemented in the…

“Uuuugh!” Noct groaned, looking down at the mud now encasing his boots and around his shins. He only just stopped himself from running his hands through his hair in agitation considering they were covered in mud, dead plants and whatever else the bog had claimed as its victim. “Prompto! Hey Prom! Come back! I… I think I’m stuck!”

“What?” Prompto’s voice called from somewhere in the thicket of the surrounding forest.

“I’m stuck!” Noct shouted back, reaching down to try and somehow yank his own leg out of the muck and mire. It wasn’t until he heard a shuttering click that he knew Prompto was back and he groaned, looking up to find his friend with the biggest smile on his face and his camera in hand. “.... really?”

“What? You know that I have to document our adventures no matter what!” he teased, only just keeping a giggle out of his voice.

Noct was less than impressed. “Is that so? Where was this camera when you got poison ivy on your butt? Or the time you spilled curry on your pants? Or the time you kissed your Chocobo?” “That was one time! And I was asleep!” Prompto squawked back, his cheeks going pink at the memory. “And don’t think I don’t know that Gladio took a picture of that moment!”

This time Noct did laugh, smiling innocently. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about? Gladio? Do something like that? Oh what will the Shield of Lucis think when I tell him what you think of him?”

Prompto squeaked at that and shook his head, waving his arms wildly in front of him “Nonono! Don’t say anything! Then he’ll definitely be on the hunt for more embarrassing photos!”

Shaking his head at his Prompto’s reaction, Noct pretended to give a deep hum of thought. “Well… if you can stop taking embarrassing photos of me and help me get out of here, I’ll consider it,” he said with a nod, causing Prompto to grumble even as he dismissed his camera back into the armiger.

“You’re a real stick in the mud, you know that?” Prompto mumbled though he smiled at the word play and glanced around for some sort of vine or stick for Noct to grab a hold of.

“Oh my god! You’ve been hanging out with Specs too much,” Noct said with a light smile making Prompto chuckle as he knocked a stick against a rock to test its strength.

“More like not enough. He would’ve had at least seven bog and mud induced puns at the ready,” the gunner joked, trying to carefully make his way closer to Prince, picking his way along the more sturdy edges of the swamp.

Noct contemplated that as he tried to twist a little to better face Prompto as he moved. “I mean… you’re not wrong. He would’ve been having a field day here,” he said, imagining Ignis with that look of slight disapproval at his mistake mixed with delight at such an easy target to tease. For all that people thought they knew about Ignis, no one ever pegged him for having a wicked teasing streak.

“Yeah. He probably would’ve said something like… ‘Oh Noct… I do hope you aren’t feeling ‘bogged’ down.’” Prompto said, pitching his voice a little lower and trying to go for Tenebrean, but hitting something that sounded more like the worlds most obnoxious snobbish royal.

Noct instantly snorted into a ridiculous laugh and shook his head. “A-Astrals that’s terrible!” Noct laughed, shaking his head. “Besides you didn’t add enough Iggy into it.”

“Oh? Well then go ahead, master of impressions. How would Ignis respond?” Prompto chuckled, looking down at his feet as he finally found what he considered to be as a good a place as any to brace himself.

Noct hummed in thought for a moment before puffing his chest out a bit and putting his hands on his hips, one of his hands coming up to push up non-existent glasses. “Noctis, do you know how terribly terrible those stains are going to be to get out?” he spoke, his own voice tipped into a deeper Tenebrean accent that sounded like a drunk version of Ignis.

Prompto instantly burst into a cackle at the sound, the force of his laughter making him hunch over and needing the support of his rescue stick to keep him upright. “O-Oh my gahahads! What was thahat?! It w-wasn’t even a pun! You were j-just berating yourself!” Prompto wheezed.

Noct couldn’t help laughing a bit as well and smiled over at his best friend. “What?! Tell me I’m wrong!” he called over Prompto’s laughter. “And you know that’s what I’m gonna hear when I get out of here! ‘Oh Noctis, what am I going to do with these socks? That’s it! Vegetables for a week! Beans and shame for you!’”

Prompto was crying he was laughing so hard, sending Noctis into a giggle fit of his own, though once he had enough breath he couldn’t help adding to the banter.

“Noctis Lucis Caelum! How dare you ‘swamp’ me with all this cleaning?”

“Noctis, this is ‘moss’ unbecoming of a royal!”

“Oh Noct, I can only ‘lichen’ you to a bog monster right now!”

“‘Marsh’ you be so messy?”

“Come now, surely I don’t sound that harsh?” a cool and accented voice broke through the laughing fit the two younger men were having and it was like they had been visited by Shiva herself and frozen in time.

Turning to look up at a small incline that led to the swamp, Prompto and Noct were both met with a rather unamused looking Adviser and a slightly smirking Shield.

Quickly, Noct ducked down, starting to dig his hands into the muck around his legs and startling Prompto. “Noct?! Dude, what are you doing!?”

“Digging my own grave, obviously!” he shouted, getting a snort from Gladio which was quickly silenced by another look from Ignis.

“That’s enough,“ Ignis’s voice spoke calmly, but with enough behind the words to still the motion of the other two. “Would someone care to explain what is going on here?”

Prompto turned his head back to Ignis, feeling the color drain from his face as those green eyes locked on him like a Coeurl ready to pounce. “N-Noct’s stuck,” he squeaked, feeling just a little stupid now for holding onto the stick he’d found to rescue the prince.

Ignis arched an eyebrow at this and turned his attention back to the young Prince who had finally stopped digging in the mud and was looking anywhere but at them with his arms crossed over his chest. “Is that true, Noct?” he asked.

“..... maybe,” Noct mumbled petulantly, mostly a front to hide how embarrassed he was over the fact that he really was stuck and also how he felt a bit of guilt for making fun of Ignis without him knowing.

“I see. Well. While I’m sure you both have an extensive knowledge of what I would say in a time like this, let me impart a bit of advice. Just three simple words,” he said, his voice eerily calm in a way that had Prompto and Noct shrinking back a little. “Noct can warp.”

And with that, the Adviser turned on his heel and headed back towards the direction of the haven, leaving Gladio still standing on the small hill. The man looked down at the both of them and shook his head.

“And let me impart three little words as well,” the Shield said, lifting his hand and counting off the words on his fingers. “You. Fucked. Up.” With that he turned and followed the same path the Adviser had just taken.

Noct stood there for a moment, watching his two advisers… his friends… leave. In that moment he felt more gross than any swamp gas bubble.

“You made Mama Ignis mad at me!” Prompto shouted from the sidelines, snapping Noct out of his thoughts as he turned to see a flushed and angry looking Prompto glaring at him.

“What?! You’re literally the one who started it!” Noct shouted back, narrowing his own eyes and watching as Prompto huffed at that.

“I was joking about his puns! You were making him sound mean!”

Noct opened, closed then opened his mouth again only to close it for a second time. After a moment he sighed, letting his shoulders droop. “I was,” Noct said after a moment, rubbing a hand on his arm and shaking his head.

Prompto’s glare slowly fell at that and he ran a hand through his blond hair. “Yeah well… so was I. I just… don’t like upsetting Iggy. He doesn’t deserve that. And… we really do have terrible Tenebrean accents, dude.”

Noct winced at that, realizing that not only had they both teased Ignis behind his back, but they’d also made him sound like that. Oh god, did Ignis think that’s how they saw him?!

Noct groaned and ran two muddy hands over his face, not really caring anymore what he looked like. “We gotta make this right. We will make this right.”

Prompto gave a little smile at that and nodded. “Yeah. We will. But uh… you might want to get out of there first. I can’t believe we didn’t think about you warping out.”

This time Noct groaned for a different reason and dropped his hands. “That’s because we were too busy being idiots. Specs always has our backs… even when we mess up.”

That knowledge only strengthened his resolve as he picked up a glob of mud, readying it to lob toward the edge of the bog.

Once he was free… they were going to make this right.

---------------------------------

“I thought your clothes were supposed to warp with you?” Prompto said as they made their way back toward camp. Nocts boots, trousers and one sock now trophies to the swamp.

“Yeah well… so did I. I wasn’t focusing properly,” Noct grumbled a little as Prompto giggled, but soon he felt a soft bump to his shoulder and he glanced over to see the gunner smiling gently at him.

“It’ll be okay, Noct. We can right this with Iggy,” he promised, making the Prince give him a small smile in return.

However, as they got closer to the camp, both of them could hear Gladio and Ignis talking. It looked like they were both facing Ignis’s camp stove, their backs turned to them as they neared and unaware of their presence.

“Iggy? It’s okay,” Gladio said, his voice soft making Noct and Prompto frown as they glanced at each other.

”No. It’s not,” Ignis’s clipped tone answered back, shoulders hunching a little. “It’s not okay. It’s not alright. It’s not fine.”

Prompto and Noctis paused as they watched Gladio frown, his hand coming up to rest against the Adviser’s back. “It is. Or… at least it will be, right?”

Noct definitely frowned at that. Of course it was going to be okay!

Ignis’s shoulders slumped and he shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve ruined it.”

What?! Their friendship?! No, no! Noct couldn’t believe what he was hearing! He was the one that had ruined everything!

Gladio ducked his head a little, his hand coming up to hold onto Ignis’s shoulder and gently moved him so the man would look him in the eyes. “Hey. None of that. You haven’t ruined anything, I promise,” he tried to reassure, but the way Ignis turned his head away showed how little he believed in Gladio’s words.

“It appears I can’t do anything right today,” the Adviser whispered and then… and then, to Noct and Prompto’s horror they watched as he brought his hand up, wiping at his eyes.

They.

Fucked. Up.

“Iggy NO!” Prompto shouted, darting ahead and startling Noct, Gladio and Ignis, the latter two both turning to look with bewilderment as Prompto raced toward the haven.

Noct watched for another second before his mind caught up and he took off as well, his chest feeling heavier than he’d ever felt it before. “Ignis please, I’m sorry!” he shouted, quickly clambering up the rocky face of the haven to get to where Gladio and Ignis still stood stock still.

Prompto was the first to get to him and quickly wrapped his arms around Ignis, burying his face against the man’s chest. “I’m so-OOF!” His words died on his lips as he soon felt Noct running into them as well. Sadly, Prompto’s first attack had left Ignis unbalanced and so with Nocts extra force there was no stopping them tumbling back and into a giant heap on the haven floor.

“Wh-what’s gotten into you tw-!” Ignis began before being silenced by a litany of apologies.

“Ignis I am so, so sorry for what I was saying back there and it wasn’t fair or funny of me to make fun of you like that!” Noct spoke quickly.

“Yeah! What he said, Iggy! I never meant to upset you and you know we don’t think of you like that!”

“Guys?” Gladio began, but paused as Ignis shot him a look before glancing back at the two still hovering over him with the most earnest faces he’s ever seen.

“You really mean that?” the Adviser asked and Prompto and Noct instantly nodded.

“You’re the best, Specs. I’d literally still be in the swamp if you hadn’t showed up!” Noct tried to explain.

“Exactly! Did you see what I was trying to use to save him? A stick, Iggy. A stick!!!” Prompto lamented, covering his face with his hands.

“I hope you know that you haven’t ruined anything,” Noct spoke up again, leaning back a little and nudging Prompto to do the same so that they weren’t crushing Ignis. “We… we were just being stupid, ya know? Teasing and joking, but it was unfair to do that and about those things. You are only ever looking out for me.”

Prompto nodded as well, giving Ignis a small smile. “Not to mention you also have some of the best puns. We never meant to make you feel bad or like you ruined anything. I’m sorry we made you feel that way, Iggy.”

Ignis looked between the two of them, the equal looks of uncertainty and worry still in their eyes and as they moved back he slowly sat up as well, rubbing his lower back a little. “While it definitely isn’t fun to walk up on two people whom I consider to be my friends talking about me in such a fashion, I can assure you that it would take harsher words then that to truly hurt me. I have had to deal with the Council since I was sixteen, remember?” he asked, looking between the two as they ducked their heads a little.

“Still… you shouldn’t have to compare us to the Council in terms of how much we hurt you,” Noct mumbled, still unable to look up at Ignis, Prompto nodding from the other side of Ignis where he still knelt.

With a little shake of his head, Ignis leaned forward, resting his hands on both of their shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze. “What I was trying to say is that I’m fine. I promise. And I really did find some of those puns to be good, though the accent was a bit offensive,” he conceded, watching as they both turned their heads so quickly toward him he thought they were going to snap something in their necks.

“But… but you… you said that things weren’t alright?!” Noct quickly tried to explain.

“You looked so sad! And… and you were crying!” Prompto pointed out before jumping as he heard Gladio let out a bark of laughter from behind them. “What’s so funny?! We hurt Ignis!”

The man in question shook his head with an almost fond sort of exasperation on his face. “While I appreciate that you two were so quick and so willing to right your wrong, I’m afraid to say that my lamenting was over what we are having for dinner.” “... what?!” Ignis chuckled a little and brought a hand up to cover his mouth. “My apologies. I was working on a new recipe before we realized you two had been gone too long. By the time we got back it had already overcooked and needless to say after trying it again it just… wasn’t coming together quite how I wanted,” he explained, watching as dismay appeared over their faces. “As for the tears you can attribute those to some rather pungent wild onions. As I said before it would take more than what you two sa-..!” Ignis was knocked back once more as Noct and Prompto launched at him, enveloping him into the biggest hug he could remember.

“I’m sorry if I made you two worry,” he said quietly, but was instantly silenced by two pairs of eyes looking up at him with slight annoyance.

“No… you don’t get to apologize. We messed up. And we’re sorry,” Noct reassured and Prompto followed it up with a nod before hugging him a little tighter.

“Can you ever forgive us, Mama Ignis?” Prompto asked, and Ignis really couldn’t stop a snort of laughter from escaping, making the other two relax a little at such an honest reaction.

“Of course. I forgave you both before I even made it back here,” he said with a nod. “Now, while I really do appreciate the hugs I think it’s best if I get up and get cleaned up considering Noct has decided to honor me with a bog hug.”

Noct instantly squawked as he sat back in horror, realizing that he had indeed coated the Adviser in mud and schmutz. “Oh Astrals, I’m so sorry, Specs,” he apologized again, only stopping as Ignis sat up with another chuckle.

“It’s fine, Noctis. I assure you,” he said, carefully getting back to his feet as Prompto and Noct followed suit. “It’s nothing a little soak in some... ,” His words stalled out as he finally took in the other two. “Noct… where… how… what..,”

Gladio snickered a little at the look of confusion, walking over to Ignis and wrapping an arm around his waist as he looked at the Prince. “I think what Ignis is trying to ask is… what happened to your pants?” Noct looked down, face turning red as he remembered where they now resided.

“... the bog ate them,” he said quietly, the campsite quiet for only a few beats before a snort from Ignis shattered the silence.

The poor Adviser was laughing so hard he was squeaking, having to take off his glasses to wipe tears of mirth from his eyes.

Gladio, meanwhile, was chuckling beside his partner and turned to look back at the other two. “I think you broke him,” he teased, getting a small swat from Ignis who still was trying desperately to stop laughing, but was failing miserably. One look at Noctis had him wheezing again and turning away with an apology as he continued to laugh.

Noctis couldn’t help smiling at that and shook his head. No. If anything he felt he had finally fixed things. And if that meant standing like a pantless bog monster to get his friend to laugh then it was worth it. Click “Prom!”

“I told you I have to document everything! And Ignis cry laughing over you in your underpants is top tier material!”

Still worth it.

#ffxv #my fics #f3s #gladiolus amcitia #ignis scientia #Noctis Lucis Caelum #prompto argentum #non-tickles #I hope you like this my friend!#I loved getting to write a little silliness and h/c!!!

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a-world-in-grey · 4 years

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Take My Breath au - Altissia II

Added some of the thoughts I had about Altissia after playing through that part of the game, that I shared with @secret-engima.

-Sola shakes her tails easily, joining up with Axis and Prompto and making it back to the Maahgo uncontested. Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis are waiting for them at the bar. They relocate to the Leville, where Noctis tells them how the conversation with Camelia went.

-Not terribly, all things considered. Actually, it went very well, Ignis' sharp eyes and Gladio's intuitive sense of people picking up that Noctis somehow managed to win the woman over. Camelia has agreed to allow the rite to proceed. In exchange, Noctis will lend some of his people to help evacuate and protect civilians during the rite.

-Sola eyes Noctis and asks if he really promised that. Because four or five people won't be much good for more than a symbolic showing. Gladio dryly states that Sola says that like she can't personally hold off a dozen airships on her own. Noctis snorts. Sola counters that is not the point. Nor is it something Camelia knows or even needs to know.

-Ignis states that Noctis did promise aid to evacuate civilians. A necessary concession to secure the Secretary's aid, but nonetheless it will make it difficult to aid Noctis during the rite… he trails off when he sees how Sola is eyeing Noctis. Not with anger, but dawning suspicion, because Sola can feel the smug curl to Noctis' magic - suspiciously similar to Abyssus whenever her glutton of a cat manages to con more food out of the cooks. Sola asks what Noctis did.

-Noctis smirks and says that he promised to lend Camelia some of his people. He never said who those people are, or that they're in the city currently. So he called Cor, and then talked to Cid and Weskham. Two full squads of glaives will arrive in Altissia the night before the rite. He told Cor that he'd have Sola call Pelna to sort out the assignments, so Sola should probably get on that.

-Everyone stares at Noctis. Then Axis starts quietly laughing and Sola groans, calling her brother a sneaky little shit. But she does get up and call Pelna.

-Weskham calls in a favor and asks them to take care of a series of hunts that have popped up in the last few days. He's the only tipster in the area, mostly because prior to a week before there was no need for a tipster. Altissia simply isn't plagued by beasts and daemons the same way most of rural Lucis is, eliminating the need for hunters.

-Except it seems there are several daemons who haven't got the memo, because they've been appearing within the city limits. Weskham heard about it, recognized it from his own road trip with Regis three decades back, then talked to Camelia and set up a hunt system. Only, since there is no Hunter Organization outside of Lucis, and Camelia is trying to keep the surge in daemons discreet to avoid panic, Weskham hasn't been able to find anyone to take care of the daemons. At least, not until Noctis and his retinue showed up.

-They take on the hunts. Sola and Axis take on the single daemons while Noctis and the others go after the groups, because Altissia's streets are tiny. Fitting six people into an area is hard enough without adding hostiles and weapons.

-(Except for the cursed painting. They all go on that one, because Prompto wants a picture of it for that magazine reporter back in Lestallum and everyone else is curious. To be fair, a daemon painting is a new one.)

-Sola is concerned. Altissia isn't Insomnia, but it's brightly lit. Daemons shouldn't be manifesting inside the city limits. But they are, and with Camelia trying to keep a lid on things there aren't any orders for people to stay inside once it gets dark. Sola and Noctis and everyone won't be in Altissia forever. What does Camelia plan to do once they leave? Does the First Secretary know anything about daemons?

-Probably not.

-Sola borrows Ignis and goes to talk to Weskham and Cid. Weskham because he'll be able to both talk to Camelia and have her listen, as well as be the one most likely to recreate the Hunter and tipster system here in Altissia. Cid because Sola might have to reveal some painful truths and her uncle has been her emotional support for such things ever since her hanahaki.

-It takes hours, but Sola tells Weskham the truth behind the Starscourge - that it turns those infected into daemons and the only known cure is the Oracle's healing - and that Niflheim has been using daemons to fight Lucis for years now. They've studied the Scourge. The High Chancellor knew Sola was Scourge-infected at a glance and is enough of an expert to be able to guess what sort of daemon she'll turn into if she isn't cured.

-Then Ignis, Sola, and Cid write up dossiers on all of the daemons they can think of off the top of their heads. Sola provides quick sketches while Ignis provides what analysis he remembers of the daemons' strengths and weaknesses, as well as their general ranking. Cid's knowledge is more general than anything specific, but he has thirty years of knowledge from listening to Takka and hunters passing through Hammerhead.

-They give the information to Weskham, to do with it what he will.

-Then, the day before the rite, Sola finally works up the courage to wander by the shop displaying her wedding dress.

-She knows it's on display. She and Axis overheard gossip about it the day they arrived in Altissia. And it's not like Sola doesn't know what it looks like - she helped design it. She was there for the fitting.

-She's always been too curious for her own good.

-In her raincoat and with a small umbrella, Sola blends in with those few surrounding the shop. Just another person out to see the sights.

-It is a beautiful dress. Floor length, wide skirts made of white silk and embroidered with a net-like pattern of gold. Sleeveless, straps sitting wide on the shoulders and letting the collar dip low on the fitted bodice. No gloves, but a gold and diamond diadem and sheer white veil embroidered with more gold. Made exactly how she imagined it.

-Sola hates it.

-And as she stands there, listening to those around her chatter, Sola finds she hates them too. These, these Outsiders who understand nothing. Who see the white and the gold and don't think of what it means. Or who do think, who know that Lucian brides wear black but think this a show of support for the marriage.

-She hates that they look at the dress and are happy.

-"Is it not to your liking?"

-Sola doesn't look away from her wedding dress. Doesn't look to where Ravus stands at her right, no umbrella and blatantly in uniform, drawing the attention of the few people present.

-Some people have no concept of discretion. At least Ravus has the sense to keep his voice down.

-"No." Sola says. Silence falls, thick and uncomfortable and Sola has no inclination to break it. She can't stab Ravus, not yet, so she'll settle for making him as uncomfortable as possible.

-Ravus shifts slightly, but doesn't leave. Why is he here? After their last encounter Sola thought Ravus would prefer to have nothing to do with her. "I was led to believe you designed it yourself."

-"I did."

-"…I don't understand."

-Sola smirks bitterly. "Of course not."

-"Sola." He says her name so quietly she barely hears it over the rain, but there's no mistaking the weight Ravus puts into it. "Please."

-For a minute, Sola debates not answering out of spite. Then she sighs, lowering her umbrella to better obscure her face. "I had a life, Ravus. A future. I gave all that up. For a promise you never intended to keep."

-Ravus says nothing.

-"You are Luna's elder brother," Sola says softly, "so you get one warning: cross me tomorrow and I will kill you."

-She leaves him with that.

#Take My Breath au #ffxv #Sola Lucis Caelum #Axis Arra #Chocobros #Weskham Armaugh #Cid Sophiar #Ravus Nox Fleuret #I was going to cut the wedding dress side quest #because obviously Luna's wedding dress doesn't exist in this au #but then I thought hey #I can stick Sola's wedding dress here instead

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nachocici · 4 years

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Ardyn Dreams

I am no means a writer.. so please don't be so harsh on me :/

@pokemontrainerjenny8 , and @ire-in-reverence

(Saw your tags thought maybe you liked to see!)

Doodles based on dreams here below!

https://nachocici.tumblr.com/post/617592447817613312/pokemontrainerjenny8-im-always-ranting-about-my

Dream 1-

Surrounded by endless darkness, tiny slivers of light spilling through the ceilings, The lights are fading one by one, I'm terrified of the darkness, I reach the beam of light, I'm hopeful but terrified, I clasp my hands in a silent prayer, my prayers go unanswered, as a gloved hand reached into the light, grasping my chin, My eyes meet the darkness and it smirks, I realized I wasn't scared of the darkness, I'm scared of what resides in it.

Dream 2-

I'm in a high quality room, I have everything I could possibly want, But I'm empty, The things brought to me only reminds me of how limited my freedom is. How lonely I am. One person is allowed to come, and go as he pleases. He weaves stories of his travels and his conquests. It leaves me envious. There are times he's gone for days, or weeks at a time. The help usually comes but, their not very talkative. I miss my home, my friends, and my old life. But, it's all gone with the click of a lock. I check the door handle every day; hoping, and waiting. It finally turns, I'm trembling. I swing it open all that greets me is an empty, vast hallway. No one is sight; this is my chance. I'm hopeful. My steps slow and cautious, soon turned into slight jogging. I'm almost around the corner. A sharp exhale leaves my body as I collide into a another body. Heavy hands grip on to my shoulders, trapping me. Shock, disbelief, anger his eyes read, but it all vanished as his signature mask comes into play and he smirked. He chuckled saying he wasn't expecting such a surprising, warm welcome as he held me close and escorting me back to my prison. I knew there would be consequences. I felt guilt clawing at me, for whoever had to take the punishment in my place.

Dream 3-

I'm out of the room, but I can only wander so far on my short leash. Eyes are always on me, even when I can't see them. I'm never alone. I'm surrounded by rows of bookcases, mostly history, research, and war, sadly none interest me. I'm merely enjoying a stroll, until a book spine stood out to me on the very top shelf. I felt a pull, an urge to read all of its contents, but, I'm vertically challenged. I see no ladder and, I can't ask for help because of him people avoid me. I slowly climb on the shelves, clinging to the boards best I could. The book just out of reach, my finger tips on the spine. "Well now, it looks like you may need a hand?"

My head snaps to the side to see him there, that sly smirk and over confident posture. I'm embarrassed, no telling how long he was there. Watching me struggle, he's a sadist. He reached over and helped me off the bookshelf but, instead of putting me down, his arms just cradle me. He just held me looking into my eyes, I squeak trying to push away, but he just held me there, smiling finding my distress utterly amusing. He just continued to hold me and walk away from the bookcase. Whenever he returns from his endeavors, he wants my absolute attention and I don't know why..

Dream 4-

I'm in deep in the heart of insomnia, working at a small hardly know coffee shop near a school campus. My usuals came in to prompto and noctis lugging their book bags, Prompto greets me cheerfully as always and Noctis offers a casual hey. This is their usual hang out spot after school, I felt like I've know them for a while now, enough to consider us as friends. Enough of platonic teasing at least, we chat till they leave, and go on with the rest of my shift, somehow ended up vacationing?? Well enforced vacation (I'm usually a workaholic they have to force me on breaks) Me and friends ended up pitching in to vacation at galdin quay for a couple of days, beach fun scenarios ensue.

Night 1- My eyes open all I see is the golden violets skys of a sunset. I sit up and see I'm laying in a field of golden wheat that goes on for miles. I'm confused, I stand up and look around wondering where am I. My eyes turn towards the sky again the sunset, I'm mesmerized and lost in my situation, I hear shuffling near me I turn and see a man he's too far away to see his face, he's just as stunned to see me, he calls out to me then I wake up forgetting the dream entirely,

Night 2- I open my eyes. I'm in the same field again but, this time I see a lone tree in a small clearing. I walk towards the tree feeling its bark under my palm, until hear a voice shout right behind me. I flinch and zoom behind the tree, I'm awake now

Night 3- I'm here again, but next to the tree, I see a man sitting there, his back facing away me. He doesn't sense me, he's lost in thought. I slowly make my way towards him, scared to startle him or myself. I slowly reach his side, wondering why this man is a constant presence in my dreams. He looks at me shocked his golden eyes piercing mine, he speaks "it's you.. ", I smile and sit next to him to me "it's me?" I say awkwardly. We sat there exchanging introductions, asking each other questions. Making small talk it's hard to follow, since our dialogue feels decades apart, but we managed since it was very new and strange experience for the both of us. We continued this for a few more nights when I finally asked him why is he always here? In this dream? He looks at me quizzically, "You think it's a dream?", he utters it's more of an escape for him. With his eyes looking so worn and distant, I stare at him "escape from what?" He chuckles sadly "my chains.. ." I asked him why doesn't he brake these chains and free himself. He then glares at me scoffing at my naivety saying he's tried time and time again with no success. We go back and forth a lot on the topic of hope, until somehow I convinced him to try again and if we ever met outside of this dream I'll help him anyway I can, I told him I considered him a friend worth helping and it's time he starts believing in that at the very least! He just stares at me bewildered, he smiles softly and speaks but I couldn't hear because I'm awake once again.

I returned home, a few days pass, no more weird dreams, life back to normal, I'm back at work greeted by prom and noct asking about my trip, they leave, finish my shift, and head home. The sun is setting, reminding me of my strange dreams. I see my apartment complex just half way down the street, I stop all of a sudden. Not sure why but I turn around and he's there, he looks worn out, as he staggers towards me. I'm in shock I couldn't believe my eyes he's here right in front of me! He throws his arms around me, crushing me into him, he whispers, 'it's you.. ." into my shoulder.

End

#ffxv #ffxv x self insert #ffxv x reader #ardyn izunia #ardyn lucis caelum #ardyn x self insert #ardyn x reader

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theharellan · 4 years

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THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. tagged by: stolen from @dansiere tagging: @ghiassan, @deathsreflection, @altuspavus, @windrunnerrs (velanna), @hopewrought, @willbeshot, @seahaloed (iron bull), @asterfed (noctis), @ anyone who wants to steal it! also multis feel free to choose a different character

My muse is: canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated (i’m open to roleplaying with non-dragon age characters, and have AUs for other fandoms)

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. solas is both wildly popular and wildly hated. he’s been more consistently popular than the controversial women in the series, like sera or vivienne, who have only recently begun to get to the point where their tags are less vitriolic (although i’m sure it’s still out there), but there’s still a sizable hatedom that can’t have his name breathed in their vicinity w/o them talking abt how much they hate him. even if you’re currently cosplaying him!

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK. again, you have ppl who are super into him and ppl who think he’s ugly. my personal opinion is that i think he’s weirdly pretty, and wish ppl would commit more to his unconventional features rather than try to chisel him into sb more traditionally attractive and that ppl who don’t find him attractive would maybe chill w/ calling him ugly. find him unattractive by all means, but lets embrace the fact that inquisition let their love interests have skin flaws etc and accept that some won’t be our cups of tea.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK. its hard to deny at this point tbh.

Are they underrated? YES / NO / IDK. frustrating as the hate in the tags he has enough fans that i couldnt say he’s underrated w/ a straight face.

Were they relevant for the main story? YES / NO. he’s the reason the game starts with a bang and not the inevitable dissolution of the conclave b/c the sides are disparate.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. regardless of solas’ relationship with the inquisitor, there are parallels and contrasts in their stories and he also is the reason they survive inquisition.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. fen’harel is well-known and revered, if feared, among the dalish, yet at the same time he’s not remembered for a lot besides locking the gods away-- and the context of that decision has also been lost. as solas he’s relatively unknown until inquisition and especially trespasser.

How’s their reputation? GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. again, polarising!! he has loyal agents and people are willing to speak well of him despite everything, including his enemies sometimes (depending mostly on the inquisitor).

How strictly do you follow canon? — generally i try to have a canon basis for my interpretation, even if i interpret the text differently than the author.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals. — solas is an immortal who is simultaneously jaded and very much invested in the small moments of life. far from being weary of the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, it is systems and orders he is most tired of. he walks an interesting line that feels far less misanthropic than other immortal characters i’ve experienced, yet still he’s quite cynical. as a character who has fought against religious based tyranny before, but in a completely different era, he is in a unique position where what he sees around him is both horrifyingly familiar and yet completely new. it allows an exploration of the wrongs of thedas’ society from an outsider’s perspective. his motivations are complex and multifaceted, often condemnable and yet also understandable. his character arc in inquisition (if befriended, or regardless in the case of my solas) takes him from a dispassionate, disconnected antagonist to someone deeply invested in the people of thedas, deeply conflicted and actively hoping he will be proven wrong again. i think his story is a testament to human (or elven, or dwarven, or-) connection and how even when we resist we can’t resist creating bonds with the people in our lives. i personally see this bond going beyond the inquisitor hence why i play low-approval solas as conflicted as high-approval, if not when it comes to the inquisitor.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?). — solas is selfish and motivated solely by revenge, he’s clinging to a past that clearly no longer exists, if you ignore all the people from it who are still alive. he’s totally unaware of all his flaws and never owns up to any mistakes ever. no, i haven’t listened to a single word solas has said in my life why do you ask. he’s also critical of my faves which means he’s #cancelled, there is clearly no validity to what he’s saying. ksjdf no but in all seriousness i think a lot of reasons ppl don’t find solas interesting are just... weird readings of his character that sometimes have no basis in the text of inquisition, but also there are plenty of perfectly valid reasons to not find him interesting. usually those ppl don’t like... talk abt how much they don’t find him interesting constantly tho. they just chill and aren’t invested in this particular villain. for one thing i think the game missed out on opportunities for exploring how someone who may not have even had a body at the beginning of his existence would feel about gender and sexuality, so making him presumably straight and cis was a boring choice. i also think that the dragon age games being very protagonist-centric hurts solas’ character, there’s no real reason why the inquisitor is the only one who can throw his plans into question but making the player the center of the universe means he’s not allowed to change due to the effects of other companions or NPCs. thank god this is rp and i do what i want.

What inspired you to rp your muse? — i have a history degree so when the inquisition companions were being teased, solas describing bias in primary sources from the memories he’s seen got me interested in him. but my first playthrough i didn’t actually take him with me all too often, i think my main party was dorian-blackwall-varric. i liked him, and i think he or dorian were my first friends in skyhold, but my initial interest was in other characters. between his dialogue that appealed to the historian in me tho and how his spirit opinions sort of turned everything i’d felt about spirits in the last two games on its head, i started vibing with him more the farther i went in. like merrill set me up for the “spirits are people” thing and solas hit it out of the park. then temple of mythal happened, and i did bring solas with me there. i found his dialogue fascinating and also suspicious, i’d just finished masked empire like the day before da:i came out so i definitely thought solas was an ancient elf in the same vein as felassan. it was after temple of mythal that i actually decided to make his blog, although like as one idk linchpin to cement my status as solas trash... i was hit BAD by the banter bug on my first playthrough, probably got like a dozen banters total. but then at some point late in the game i took solas to the forbidden oasis and he wouldn’t stop talking to people, and i really loved his banter with the rest of my party at the time.

What keeps your inspiration going? — replaying inquisition, new DA content when the bioware gods deign to grant us a lifeline, but the biggest thing is my rp partners. i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the people i write with, new and old. my activity of late hasn’t been the best, work and the summer heat has really been sapping me of energy, and does even during years when we aren’t going through a pandemic. but it’s the thought of my rp partners and love of solas that keeps me coming back.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice? YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? i have my doubts sometimes, but i think i do ok.

Do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO / SORT OF? there is no headcanon too small for me.

Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO. but not lately * gestures to the low activity * i’ve been in this cycle where i get anxious abt late replies, so prioritise them, then burn myself out and can’t write the fics i want. i’ve had two i’ve been DYING to write tho i just... need to find the space in my brain to let myself.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. i mean it depends on the day. if i work closing shifts at my store it gets very quiet and boring around 8:30 so i spent the next 90 minutes thinking about character stuff.

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF?

Are you confident in your writing? YES / NO / SOMETIMES.

Are you a sensitive person? YES / NO / SORTA.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal? — i’m going to say ‘no’ because like, i don’t ask for criticism. this is a hobby based on my interpretation of a character, if you think i write solas too soft then you’re welcome to think that, but i’m happy with the balance i’ve struck with his internal versus external behaviour and how he changes based upon who he’s speaking to. if you think i’m erasing straight people by making solas pan then ksjdfs. ok.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character? — yes!!! even if they retread ground already trodden, a) my interpretation may have adjusted since the last time i played or b) a reminder is nice. if it’s new stuff then it’s fun to think about.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why? — it’d depend on why they disagree. if they just disagree on a subjective opinion about what i took from a certain line, then they’re welcome to their opinion but i don’t necessarily care to hear it. if it is unintentionally hurtful then i would like to know. although rather than a comment i’d rather a non-anonymous message.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it? — same as the above.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it? — if they’re vocal about it i typically just unfollow / softblock if i was following in the first place. people can feel how they want about solas, but i’ve found over the years that if people really hate solas ooc it can often bleed into their ic interactions. it’s really weird seeing your character being brought up repeatedly in threads with others specifically to dunk on, for no reason other than i guess solas is living rent free in their heads, so at least we have that in common. but anyway unfollowing is just the best choice to avoid getting kinda pressed if i’m having a bad day.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors? — roleplay is the wild west of writing, so i think it’d depend on what the error was. coming at me like “you shouldn’t start a sentence with a preposition” would get a laugh, but i don’t edit my replies much if at all and mistakes will 100% happen. pointing out typos is chill so long as you do it politely.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun? — it depends! i’ve learned that being too easy going actually just means i’m subjecting myself to negative emotions to please people. so i’ve gotten less easy going as the years go by. how does one define “easy going” anyway? does asking that question mean i am objectively not easy going? the longer this thought goes on the more the answer seems to be “probably not,” but i like to think it could be a lot worse.

#( long post )#( ooc )#( about me )

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heartlessfujoshi · 4 years

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xvtober day 13: reversed fate au

Title: No Escape Fandom: FFXV Pairing: Promptis (friendship) Rating: General (Mind Torture - Angst and Feels - Reversed AU) Word Count: ~2995 Prompt: Reversed Fate AU

Summary: Noctis finds himself separated from his friends, stuck in a winter wasteland. He has to find a way to get back to his friends, and winds up going through hell in order to make that happen.

A/N: Here’s my next offering for XVtober! :) Since I’ve done different people being blind, I thought it might be fun to try and write Noctis going through what is essentially Ep Prompto. Please enjoy! :)

***

Noctis was freezing. The clothes he’d managed to find in this winter wasteland did little to stop the bitter chill that was all around him. The snow wasn’t an element he was used to being in, and right now, the white wind that whipped around him was slowing his progress to an absolute crawl. He could see a building in front of him, his feet trudging towards it in some last ditch effort to get out of this awful, horrible coldness.

The last thing he remembered prior to waking up in a ditch full of slush and ice was being on top of the train, heading towards Tenebrae. He’d been fighting with Prompto - oh Gods - and had wound up falling off the train thanks to the tricks of one Ardyn Izunia. He still couldn’t understand how Ardyn had done what he’d done, and now he was miles away from his friends, having no idea where the hell he was. The only thing he knew was that he was in Niflheim, and had to protect his identity at all costs - they couldn’t know that the Prince of Lucis was here.

“Please….” He muttered to whatever Astral would listen to him, as he struggled to get his feet to work again. Stuck in the snow, the building was right there, but he couldn’t make it. Falling to the ground, he stared up and could have sworn he saw a pair of pinstripe slacks, but that was probably his mind playing tricks on him again. The world around him went black as he succumbed to the bitter cold, hating that he couldn’t survive without his friends.

***

“Ah, you’re awake~.” Noctis blinked again, struggling to return to consciousness when he heard a familiar voice that made him instantly wish he was anywhere but where he was. “Now, now, Your Highness. I think that you owe me a thank you for saving your life out there~.”

Ardyn Izunia stared at him, a smirk on his lips, as Noctis looked around and saw he was sitting on a cot. “You!” He seethed, trying to control his emotions as best as he could, but the urge to use his powers was making his hands itch to attack. “I’m here because of you!” He shouted, looking around the facility they were in. “Why?? Where are we??”

“All will be explained, as you make your way through this maze~.” Ardyn stood up, bowing his head towards him. “If you survive, then you really are the true King of Lucis.”

“Do you doubt who I am?” It was always a game with this man, and he was getting tired of it. “You know who I am. You know who my father was. Do not play dumb, Chancellor.”

“You would do well to learn to keep your mouth quiet.” Ardyn looked over his shoulder. “There are secrets inside of this building - secrets that someone close to you probably would rather you not see. But, that’s neither here nor there, is it~?” He clapped his hands, a lecherous smile appearing on his lips. “You have exactly twenty-four hours to make it through this test, Your Highness. If you fail, then I’m afraid the Lucians will be without a King.”

He stood up fast, but by the time he reached where Ardyn had been standing, he was gone. Noctis punched the wall out of frustration, groaning as his knuckles took the brunt of the hit against the metal wall. He shook his hand out, then looked around him. He could do this - it was a test. He could get out of this building, and find his way back to Tenebrae. Somehow. He had to. There were no other options for him.

Squaring his shoulders back, he began to walk through the dark corridors, noticing that there were plenty of MT parts that were scattered around. He kept his guard up, afraid that a squad of MTs would sneak up on him. But as he rounded another corner, it was another long hallway. This facility was giving him the creeps. Ignis - Gladio - Prompto - I hope you all are okay. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to send his thoughts to his best friends, who he could only imagine were panicking as much as he was right now. Or, maybe the three of them were fine. Maybe they made it to Tenebrae, and were on their way to Gralea to get the Crystal back.

All Noctis wanted to do was go home.

A squad of MTs finally appeared, and without thinking, he relied on his Armiger to take him through the motions of combat. His sword clashed with each robot, watching as they dropped to the floor, dead to the world. It felt weird to be seeing them in their home environment - Noctis hoping that his training would stick with him as he applied all that he knew to successfully get through these fights.

He came to a room that had tanks full of bodies. That made him feel sick, knowing that the Nifls were experimenting with humans in such a way. “I see you’ve made a lot more progress than I thought you would, Your Highness~.” Ardyn’s voice came through a speaker, Noctis’ head snapping to the left to look at the square box on the wall. “Do take your care in this room, and do not - I repeat, do not go taking a closer look at those tanks. You might not like what you find~.”

Noctis knew that he should not listen to him - Ardyn was baiting him. He knew this, but because his curiosity couldn’t be quelled unless he went and did what Ardyn said not to do, he approached one of the tanks and felt his heart stop in his chest. No. No no no no no. “No.” He whispered, his hand laying flat on the glass as he stared at the face that he was very familiar with. “This is a trick.”

“I assure you, it is no trick~.” Noctis turned to his left and saw Ardyn was now standing next to him, that devious smirk back on his face. “What you see is the truth. Someone hasn’t told you what they really are, have they?”

Staring at the clone of Prompto Argentum, Noctis shook his head as he felt tears beginning to cloud his eyes. “This can’t be. He’s not evil. He’s not.”

“Does one necessarily have to be evil if they’re from Niflheim? I would argue that that would not be the case, but what do I know~?” Ardyn shrugged his shoulders as he took a step closer to Noctis, trapping him against the glass. “Look at that face. The face of an angel, yes?”

“Shut up.” The fight had gone out of him - he couldn’t be bothered to be upset with the man that was doing a good job of psychologically torturing him right now. “This is a trick.” He blinked a few times, hoping to take away the vision of a bald Prompto floating in the tank. “You are doing this, you monster.”

“Go and check the other tanks. Even I don’t have the capability to deceive your mind in such a way, Your Highness~.”

Again, he knew that Ardyn was baiting him, and going against his instincts he fell for it again. He walked over to another tank, and there was another clone of Prompto floating there. He walked to the next, and it was the same as the first. “This proves nothing.”

“Are you sure about that?” A hand touched his shoulder, as he was brought over to a medical table where it seemed there was a clone resting there. “Why not take a look at this one? Perhaps he’ll speak to you, and can become your new best friend?”

Noctis made his sword appear in his hand and went to stab the area beside him, but all his sword made contact with was air. “Ah, ah, Your Highness~.” Ardyn’s voice now came through the speaker again. “You will not be having your way with me, I’m afraid. You still have quite a ways to go until you reach the end of this journey. Do hurry up, as I’ve got a busy evening.”

His skin crawled as he listened to Ardyn, the weight of his sword disappearing from his hand. He looked back at the table and saw that the clone was not breathing. So you made it die to show me who Prompto really is? You sick bastard. He turned his head and walked out of the room, heading down a long corridor that began to slope down. Noctis had to get out of here, otherwise he would go insane. His friends - his real friends were waiting for him. So what if Prompto was really someone from Niflheim? It didn’t matter to him, because Prompto was his best friend. He grew up in Insomnia, and stayed by his side through all this bullshit. An enemy of his would never do something like that.

It took a few hours, but he got out of the labyrinth, and then came face to face with the ghost of Verstael. A machine that he’d put his entity inside of, Noctis using a snowspeeder to fight him. It was a grueling battle, but he was victorious because it was the only way he was going to survive. The only thing that kept him fighting was the thought of his friends waiting for him, hopefully staying put in Tenebrae as he figured out a way to get back to them. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would have to fight a giant robot with the conscience of a mad man - never mind the other atrocities he’d faced inside of that facility.

Back out in the snow, the sun was shining bright, the day looking to be a lot better than it had in a very long while. He slowed his snowspeeder down, and then brought it to a stop. Looking out towards the horizon, he could make out the familiar cliffs of Tenebrae off in the distance. “Almost there…” He whispered, hoping that there was enough gas in the snowspeeder that he could make his way to Tenebrae on it. Or at least get him close enough that walking the last bit wouldn’t totally annihilate him.

“Congratulations on escaping and putting an end to that monster, Your Highness.” Noctis turned and saw Ardyn standing beside him. His eyes widened as he tried to speak, but then was hit on the back of his neck, the world going black as he heard Ardyn speak again. “Time to go to sleep, Noctis~.”

He did as he was told, and fell fast asleep with a pained expression on his face.

***

A slap to his face woke him up sometime later, a groan falling from his mouth as he felt his head lollying to the side. “Time to wake up, Your Highness~.” He groaned again as that voice that had been following him the last few days was tickling his ear. “I said, wake up.”

Another slap to his face caused him to become dazed, his eyes refusing to focus as he tasted blood on his tongue. “Awake…” Noctis spit some of the blood out of his mouth, and tried to lift his head but found that it felt heavier than it should. It was at that moment he noticed that he couldn’t move his arms or legs either, his body strung up in a T-pose position. A crucifix.

“Good. Your friends will be here soon, and I would hate for you to be asleep when they find you.” A quick pat to his cheek had him wincing again. “It won’t be long now, Noctis.”

“Why do you care?” His voice was thick with the pain that was coursing through his body. Whatever Ardyn had done to him after leaving the facility, and bringing him here, it had done a number on him. “We’re going to win. We’re going to take the Crystal, and you won’t be able to have your way anymore.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” His chin was grabbed roughly, Noctis staring into Ardyn’s eyes, black miasma now dripping from both of his eye sockets, the normal color of his eyes gone and replaced by yellow and black. “You have no idea what I’ve suffered through until now. It’s time you learned a little pain yourself, Your Highness~.” His voice grated every single nerve in Noctis’ body, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

He was forced to stare at him, the hand on his chin holding him firmly in place. “You will die. We will win this together. You will never get what you want.”

“Maybe I want to die.” Ardyn hissed at him, gripping his chin a little more firmly before dropping his hand. Noctis coughed, his head hanging low as he could feel the strain in his arms. An alarm began to go off, his spirits rising temporarily as he saw Ardyn narrow his eyes, the miasma gone, his face looking normal. “Ah, there they are~.”

Noctis wanted to shout, but then he was hit again, a broken sob leaving his throat instead. “F-Fuck you…” He muttered, praying to the Astrals that his friends would get here soon.

“No, I don’t think that will happen. Sorry to burst your bubble, Noctis.” Ardyn laughed, the sound making a chill race up his spine. “Take care of yourself, Your Highness~. Don’t let that precious Crystal out of your sight.” Ardyn gave a wave of his hand, and then disappeared from the room he was trapped in.

He strained his ears, trying to listen for any sound that might mean his friends were close. He heard someone running, and then the person he’d last seen laying on a medical table was standing front of him. “Noct!” Prompto exclaimed, worry laced in his voice. “Guys!! I found him! He’s in here!! Oh Gods, Noct….”

“P-Prompto…” Prompto got his arms free, and he fell forward, holding onto him as he hugged his best friend tight. “I’m so sorry…”

“Not as sorry as I am.” He could hear Prompto crying, his own eyes leaking as he felt Prompto drop to his knees, and was taking care of the restraints around his feet. He fell to his knees, but before he could hit the ground, he was embraced by Prompto, his arms holding onto him tight. “Gods, Noct…”

“Is he alright?” He looked up and saw Gladio standing at the door with Ignis beside him. “Noct!”

“I’m...okay…” Noctis rested his head against Prompto’s shoulder, not at all ready to stand up on his two feet. “It’s been….a time.” He gave his friends a weak smile, but then closed his eyes and groaned softly.

“Iggy!”

“Here, Prompto.”

Something cracked above him, and then he felt the healing properties of an Elixir spreading throughout his entire body. It took away all the aches and pains he’d picked up since being stuck out in the snow, suddenly feeling more normal than he had before he’d fallen off the train. He turned to Prompto, and grabbed his arm. “You have something to tell us, don’t you?”

Prompto blushed, and looked down at his arms. “H-How…?”

“Let’s just say that I had the unfortunate experience of having to fight Verstael.”

“No shit?” Gladio asked, as he was hoisted up off the floor, having both Prompto and Gladio support his weight. “How’d that go?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” He looked up at his Shield, and saw a pleased look on his face. That was a look that had helped him get through those awful fights. “Prompto - do the others know?”

“Know what?” Ignis asked, as the four of them made their way out of the room, and headed towards the center of the facility, where Noctis had a feeling they were going to find the Crystal. “Prompto - has something happened?”

The conversation came to a halt as they arrived at the elevator, but couldn’t open it. Noctis turned to Prompto, and saw him look away. “Prompto.”

“I’m sorry.” His best friend whispered, as he pushed the leather bracelet he always wore on his right wrist up, exposing a barcode that was scanned. The elevator opened, and he heard Gladio gasp. “I didn’t….I didn’t mean….”

Noctis stepped forward, and put his arms around him. “You didn’t have to keep this secret from us.”

“What is happening, Gladio?” Ignis asked.

He held Prompto in a tight embrace, and felt him return the hug with an equal amount of force. “You shouldn’t have fallen off the train. It should have been me!” Prompto cried against his neck, as they clung to each other. “I swear, I never meant any of this to happen, Noctis!”

“I know.” His own voice was thick with emotion, as he kept hugging Prompto. “You’re a good person. I don’t care where you’re from - you are, and always will be, a Lucian.”

“Your Highness…” Prompto sobbed.

They stayed hugging one another for a good long five minutes, Noctis refusing to let go of him. “You might have been born here, but you are not from here.” He looked at Prompto, then looked at his two retainers. “We’re going to get the Crystal. This ends today.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It was the first time that any of his friends had addressed him as the King, and it felt strange, but it also felt right. He squared his shoulders back, and walked into the elevator. “Let’s go reclaim what is ours.”

Noctis knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy feat, but now that he was reunited with his friends, nothing was going to stop them. They were an unstoppable force, and Ardyn was going to find out soon that while his games might have been effective in some way, the strength of their bonds outweighed anything else.

It was time to put an end to this madness.

XxX

Cross-posted to AO3

#promptis #my writing #fanfic #ffxvtober2020 #xvtober #text post

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bgn846 · 4 years

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Good things come in small packages FFXV Fic

Summary:

Prompto isn't sure what's going on with Noct, he's not heard from him all day. However, when he stops by to check Prompto is in for a big, or rather a small surprise.

Work Text:

Waiting for the bell to ring for the last class of the day was excruciating. Prompto was trying not to freak out, but it wasn’t working. His anxiety was due mostly to the fact that his best friend hadn’t answered any of his texts since yesterday afternoon. Noct would normally tell him if he was going to miss class, but so far he’d heard nothing.

Once the bell rang, his worry hadn’t eased up as Prompto raced from the school and towards the bus stop. He had to go see if Noct was home, at least that way he’d know if he was alright. Prompto had Ignis’ number but he was honestly too scared to call it. The advisor had assured him it was okay to call anytime but Prompto was still nervous. Ignis was an intimidating guy and he didn’t want to upset him.

The funny feeling in his gut was still making his chest tight. Something had occurred, he was sure of it, but Prompto was loath to figure out exactly why. Once you had knowledge it was hard to forget it. When Prompto entered Noct’s building, he could barely stand still as the guard checked him in. The elevator ride was torture as well, being trapped in a small space was bad enough but today the ride took forever.

When the doors swished open Prompto found himself running down the hall. Without pause, he pushed the buzzer at Noct’s apartment and waited. A noise erupted from behind the door followed by what sounded like Ignis’ raised voice. Prompto had no time to dwell on the matter when the door swiftly unlocked and whooshed open.

Nothing in his short life could have prepared him for what lay on the other side of the door. A small child not more than six was standing there smiling up at him. The thing that nearly caused his heart to stop was who the kid resembled. Dark hair, blue eyes, the unmistakable smirk he was sporting. However, that was impossible, this kid simply looked like Noct, it wasn’t him.

Unable to do much else besides stand and gape, Prompto flinched when Ignis suddenly appeared. “Hey,” he uttered weakly.

“Noctis, what have I told you about answering the door when you don’t know who’s there?” Ignis chided as he glared at the small child.

“But it’s funnnnnnn,” the little kid replied with a wicked grin as he bounced around hanging onto the doorknob.

“Good thing it’s your friend Prompto,” Ignis added. “Otherwise, you’d be in big trouble. What should we do now that he’s here? Shall we invite him in?”

The kid nodded and looked back over to him, “Wha’s your name again?”

“P-Prompto,” he managed in a hoarse whisper.

“Cool, wanna come in?”

Prompto couldn’t think of what else to say so he merely nodded and focused on not tripping over the threshold. It was impolite to stare, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the kid walking in front of him. A touch to his arm broke the spell and he looked up to see Ignis quirk an eyebrow.

“You seem pale; please tell me if you feel faint.”

Gesturing towards the kid, Prompto grimaced and shrugged.

“It’s only temporary, I’ll tell you more in a moment,” Ignis offered as they went towards the kitchen. “Noct, why don’t you sit down at the bar so I can feed you a snack?”

“Don’t stick anything icky in it like last time.” Noct chastised, I won’t eat it, no matter what you say!”

Ignis rolled his eyes in a familiar fashion and began rummaging around in the drawers, “So, would you like to explain to your friend what happened, Noct?”

“Oh yeah!” Noct shouted gleefully as he turned in the bar seat he’d somehow managed to climb up onto. “I have magic!” The smile on the kid's face was nearly too much, Noct looked so excited by this development.

Swallowing hard Prompto thought of what to say next, “Can – can you show me?”

“Uh, I dunno how, but Specs says I do, that’s why he’s bigger than me right now.” Noct enthused as he swiveled in the seat and held his arms out.

“Do you remember me?” Prompto asked with a hint of worry. None of this made any sense, but it didn’t stop him from trying to find some common ground.

Noct scrunched up his nose and shook his head, “Nope, but Specs says you’re my friend right?”

“Yes, yes I am. We go to school together.”

“What! I have to go to school? That sucks!”

“Language highness,” Ignis called out from near the fridge.

“I’m not going to school!” he pouted.

A long-suffering sigh erupted from Ignis as he turned and stared at Noct. “What a pity I was going to send you to school after our snack, but now you don’t want to go. What shall we do instead? I can make you clean up your room perhaps?” Ignis pondered with a smirk.

“NO! I’m not cleaning up my room either!”

Some things hadn’t changed it seemed. Still terribly confused as to what had actually happened Prompto tried again to find out. “Uh, why are you, why is he – Ignis?”

“Someone tested out a new magic technique and didn’t get it right,” Ignis announced calmly.

“How? What did he do?”

“What’d who do?” Noct asked with wide eyes. “I wanna know too!”

“Prompto and I are merely discussing another friend of ours, highness.”

“Which one? It’s not daddy, is it? He looked different when he was here earlier but he seemed okay.”

“Your father is fine, do you want a cookie or a granola bar?”

Noct instantly forgot his initial question and asked for the cookie. Prompto could only sit and watch as his friend happily munched on the item. It really was Noct, all his mannerisms were the same, even the way he ate. “How long will it last?” Prompto asked quietly, hoping Noct wouldn’t notice.

“The king suspects only a few days at most,”

“And there are no memories from before, right?”

“None, only what he had up until this point in life.”

“That is so trippy.”

“Agreed, though he seems to be happy eno--,” Ignis stopped mid-sentence when the door buzzed and Noct perked up. “Don’t,” Ignis admonished.

The advisor's words meant nothing as Noct giggled and jumped off the stool, half eaten cookie still in hand. Ignis went to make chase but stopped when he heard the door unlocking. It was someone with keys, therefore Noct was safe. Unsure as to whom it was exactly, Prompto waited to see what would happen next.

When a high pitched squeal erupted from the hallway, Prompto nearly got up to check. However, a second later Noct came bounding around the corner, a bright smile on his face. Gladio appeared right after, chasing the prince with an equally silly face.

“I’m gonna getcha!” he shouted as he chased Noct around the living room.”

Prompto realized that this must have been how Gladio acted when Iris was younger, always the big brother, no matter the circumstance. By the time the shield had captured Noct and flipped him upside down Prompto had a smile on his face too. Watching Noct laugh and kick his legs made him happy.

Gladio tickled and tossed Noct around for a few minutes until he went limp. “Too much for ya huh? That’s what you get for answering the door without Iggy,” he added shifting Noct’s now pliant frame around so he could hold him better. The prince easily melted into the embrace and rested his head on Gladio’s shoulder.

Ignis groaned at the statement, “You have to stop telling him that, he ran to open it earlier when Prompto arrived.

“Is that why he looked so excited?” Prompto asked finally understanding the behavior.

“Yes, he thought you were going to chase him like Gladio.”

“Ahh, I see.”

“Can I have another cookie?” Noct asked as Gladio sat down at the bar with him.

“No, you may not, you didn’t even finish the first one.” Ignis made a face when Noct whined pitifully and leaned away from Gladio to catch his shield's eye better.

“Gladdy, I want another cookie.”

“Oi, don’t ask me, princess, that’s Iggy’s decision not mine.”

Noct sighed and flopped his head back down on Gladio’s shoulder.

“I was going to suggest you play some video games with Prompto but since you’ve indicated you want a cookie instead, I’m not sure what to d--.”

“I wanna play video games!” Noct shouted as he squirmed to get away from Gladio’s hold. The shield eased him down to the floor and Noct took off towards the tv. “Somebody help me!” he added a second later as he stood staring at the controllers.

Realizing that this was his cue, Prompto got up and went over to Noct. “So uh, you wanna play some video games with me?”

“Yeah, can you make it work?”

“Sure thing, have a seat and I’ll get us up and running.” Prompto watched as Noct plunked down on the floor and watched eagerly as he selected a game. It became readily apparent that Noct couldn’t actually play any of the games he owned. He was too young. After some initial confusion, and general huffing and puffing Prompto landed on a good compromise.

Noct was now settled on his lap holding the controller but not actually doing much. Though he thought he was. Prompto had his hands wrapped around Noct’s and was mashing the buttons that needed it. Wondering if Noct would actually consider this playing, Prompto was relieved when his friend quickly started shouting with delight anytime they won.

This version of gaming lasted for about an hour until Ignis came over to pause their efforts. They had another visitor arriving soon it seemed. When the king showed up five minutes later, Prompto nearly bolted. He’d met Noct’s father a few times but this felt different, more private in a way. Noct instantly abandoned the game and ran over to see his father when the king walked into the living room.

“Daddy, I’m winning you should see,” Noct enthused as he collided with the man and sent them backward slightly.

“I’m glad to see that son, what else have you been up to?”

Prompto was treated with quite a show after that. Noct went into every little detail of his day thus far complete with a pantomime performance. Getting to see this side of his friend was truly surreal. Noct was so laid back most of the time, the kid before him was animated and got excited by everything. Though Prompto figured most kids his age probably were the same.

The king stayed for dinner and didn’t even make a fuss when the prince wouldn’t eat his vegetables. It was almost as if Regis was caught in another time, one that was far less serious and threatening. After dinner, they all attempted to keep Noct entertained. Video games worked a little bit but were soon abandoned in search of another cookie. Ignis wouldn’t relent but the moment he turned towards his father, Prompto knew Noct had won that round. The king easily agreed and smiled as his son ran around on a mini sugar high.

However, they were all about to get a reprieve. Noct began yawning. A lot. It appeared his never-ending stream of energy had its limits after all. Not that Noct noticed, mind you.

“I think someone’s getting sleepy,” Ignis announced as Noct stumbled over the ottoman and tried to hide his yawn.

“M’not! I’m gonna stay up and play more.”

“I doubt that,” Ignis added with a smirk.

“Son, come on, you’re tired, lie down and rest,” Regis tried as he leaned forward and held open his arms for a hug.

Noct shook his head but went and got a hug anyway, though he did squirm to get away when it became clear Regis wasn’t letting go. Prompto would swear he saw tears in the man’s eyes. He had to look away before he started crying too.

After a beat, Regis let go and Noct bounded off to pick on Gladio, he wanted another chase. The shield merely smiled and shook his head, citing his own tiredness as the reason. Scowling the youngster looked around the room. One quirked eyebrow from Ignis sent Noct as far away as possible from the advisor.

Noct was now staring at him and pointing to the gaming console again. “I wanna play more games.”

Glancing up Prompto waited for the faintest nod from Ignis before he crawled on the floor and turned on the system. Noct flashed him a toothy grin and threw himself in Prompto’s lap. Grunting at the added weight and Noct’s boney limbs jabbing his legs, Prompto pulled up the last game and hit play.

Prompto could tell the exact moment the prince fell asleep, his little hands went slack and his head listed to the side. Smiling, Prompto slowly put down the controller and leaned back slightly. “He fell asleep,” he whispered.

Gladio snickered and got up to see for himself, “Yep, out like a light.”

“What should I do?” Prompto asked not knowing if he should carry Noct to another room or simply sit there with his friend napping in his arms.

“You’re more than welcome to take him to his room Prompto. Though you may want to leave the door open in case he wakes up again,” suggested Ignis.

Nodding Prompto carefully got up and held Noct close. His friend looked so peaceful and happy. Unable to stop himself Prompto leaned down and nuzzled the side of his head against Noct’s soft black hair. That was when the little sleeping bundle in his arms suddenly became a lot heavier.

Where there had been a cute napping Noct, there was instead the grown version of Noct, still sleeping of course. Stumbling to the side due to the added weight Prompto cried out. He was about to fall over. More shouting followed and then Gladio was by his side taking the extra weight.

“You okay? You didn’t hurt your back didja?” Gladio checked as he manhandled Noct into his own arms.

“I’m alright,” Prompto managed as calmed down.

“Come on, you can help me get his stinky shoes off so he can sleep.” Gladio laughed as he turned and carted Noct off to his bedroom.

Spinning around revealed Ignis and Regis both smiling at him. “I’m glad you were able to see Noct in a different light today,” said Regis as he stood up.

“Yes, of course, your majesty, I was worried about him, but I’m happy everything worked out in the end.”

“As am I, though I will say I may try and trick him into messing up his magic training in the future if this is the reward I get.”

Prompto didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t sure if the king was kidding or not.

The king must have sensed his confusion and grinned, “I’m only teasing Prompto, go help Gladio. He’ll be upset if you leave him to deal with Noct’s stinky shoes alone.”

“Yes sir,” Prompto laughed before running away down the hall. He could hardly wait until Noct woke up so he could pick on his friend. According to what he’d heard magic status effects were odd things. Sometimes you remembered what happened and other times you had no idea. Prompto was so going to tease Noct about his wild ways!

#ffxv #fanfic #smol!noctis

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lov3nerdstuff · 4 years

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Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 7.14}

*Severus Snape x OC*

General warnings: professor x student, blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 5.7k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

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The first few weeks of classes went by in a breeze. With potions and herbology out of the picture now, Robin had a lot of time to study for those four classes that she still had left to take, and she also got around to doing plenty of work on her own research on the side. The evenings however remained reserved for working in the lab or the office, for chatting and overall for spending time with Snape. Their work was either of a more experimental nature these days, or consisted of basic tasks imposed on them by the school. At the same time they tried to slowly work their way through the almost countless ingredients they had gathered over summer, experimenting with different modes of preservation and use.

During the day however, Robin soon found herself with an underwhelming amount of work to do, while Snape was obviously busy, as were her roommates, and she often found herself already bored by noon. Four classes… it wasn't a lot, even if she read ahead and did her assignments more thoroughly than anyone could expect of her. So she picked up an old habit and read up on random things in her freetime, whenever she had seen enough plants and dead animals on dusty book pages for a day. Whether it was books and articles on the dark arts, ministry decrees and political dealings, or something as pathetic as Cas' collection of glossy magazines… Robin read anything she could get her hands on.

Surprisingly enough, there had been no further issues with Morgan after the welcoming feast as of yet, and he merely gave Robin poor grades one day and the highest scores the next, as if he himself couldn't even make up his mind about what the situation between them was supposed to be like now. He did throw Robin the most bone chilling glances at times though, full of yearning and hatred and craze that even the other students commented on occasionally, but that was it. Honestly, Robin was glad about it and she knew that Snape was too. As long as Morgan stayed subtle in his insanity, they wouldn't bother with him either.

In the third week of term, Dumbledore had invited Robin to tea indeed, like he had announced before the holidays, and Robin had accepted for the sole purpose of finding out more about what the man was playing at. Of course it hadn't been that easy though, it never was, and she had left his office no wiser in the end, and with more questions than she'd started out with. The headmaster truly was ineffable by default, a mystery she just wasn't able to solve and that grew more complicated the longer she pried. But it had been painfully obvious to her at least that he knew something he was keeping from her on purpose, something that wasn't as simple as a reason for ignoring the assault on a student. However she had quickly come to realise that if she called out Dumbledore for protecting Morgan, she would cut into her own flesh, seeing as he was protecting her 'ties' with Snape just the same. In a way, Robin had admired Dumbledore for getting her caught up far enough in his system of liabilities that she wasn't in a position any longer to call him out for his wrongs. She had become a threat to him somehow, or an unpredictable factor in his game at least, and he had easily put her on a leash to keep her under control. It was a brilliant move, to her disadvantage admittedly, but brilliant no less.

One good outcome of having tea with the headmaster was that Robin had been asked to occasionally assist the professors in a few of the more practical classes for the lower years, such as herbology and care of magical creatures, but not potions however, which Robin had taken immediate notice of and was honestly glad about. She couldn't imagine working with Snape as anything but equals at this point, and it probably wouldn't be the best idea to showcase just how close they were in their friendship in front of a class full of his students. But assisting the other professors from time to time when they needed a hand would certainly take some access time off her hands and perhaps prevent her from going through Cas' collection of YA novels next, and that definitely was a gain more than a loss. Maybe she could mention it in her CV at the end of the year, when she would be done with school and left to find a job to pay for a living. Gods, she had no idea what she would do then… she didn't even know what kind of job she could do at this point. But she still had a few months to figure that out after all, and for the moment, she preferred to remain in blissful ignorance of the more distant future.

… … …

Before long it was the middle of October, or more precisely, the nineteenth thereof. A day prior to Robin's birthday, and in remembrance of the last one, she actually found herself excited for it this year. Not because of presents she might or might not receive, she honestly still didn't care about that all too much, but mostly because she'd actually had such a lovely day last year, and she hoped that she would have an even better one this time around. Actually she was quite sure that she would, because for the first time in all her years at this school she wouldn't have Morgan's class on her birthday, which in itself was already a huge improvement to any other year before.

For days on end, however, Jorien and Cas had pleaded Robin to celebrate into her birthday together, if celebrating even was the appropriate word for spending the evening in their room together doing whatever it was the two girls were thinking of, and after days of hearing their begging, Robin had finally agreed on a compromise. That's why in the evening of the nineteenth, Robin found herself in a sudden hurry upon catching a glimpse at her watch at half past ten at night, and she finished her coffee in one big gulp in return.

"Are you alright?" Snape quirked an eyebrow at her in question, obviously startled by her sudden jump into action after hours of calmly sitting across from him with her legs crossed on the chair.

"No, I'm late!" She sighed in return and gave him an almost sad half smile. "I told you I promised the girls to spend the latter half of the evening with them for once, didn't I?"

"Right… I merely hadn't realised that it was quite so late already."

"I feel like I should be more excited for this evening than I am. After letting them pierce my ears last year, I'm honestly not sure what they will try to do to me this time, and I'm not all too eager to find out. Especially since they insist on staying up until after midnight."

"Most likely they simply want to spend the evening with you because they care. But you obviously believe that whatever they have planned won't be all too enjoyable for you."

"Would you like to spend an evening with two overly excited fourteen year olds who have been planning this evening for weeks?!" She asked with humour in her voice. She liked the girls, very much so… and she was happy that they cared about her enough to want to spend this evening together. But she also knew how overbearing they could be in situations like this, and how they had a very much different idea of 'fun' than she did herself.

"Actually, I would rather drink poison." Snape replied in absolute neutrality, and only when Robin let out a snort he allowed himself to smirk as well. "Good luck. You have my utmost sympathy."

"Thanks…" She groaned under her breath in exaggeration, then smiled and finally made for the door. "See you tomorrow morning?"

"Obviously. Have a good night despite their efforts, yes?"

"I'll try. However if I don't show up for breakfast tomorrow, you should start being concerned." She turned around to him once more, and a part of her wished she didn't have to go. "Have a good night yourself. Perhaps you could use the opportunity to actually go to bed before 3 in the morning, it might do you good to get some rest after that almost-explosion in class you mentioned."

Snape rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, making Robin smirk as she forced herself to leave the office at last. While she made her way down the hallway towards the dorms, she tried to recall when she'd last parted from him this early. She couldn't actually remember; usually it was way after midnight when they decided to call it a night. Returning to her room this early now just felt oddly wrong. But on the other side, the closer she got to her inevitable fate of whatever sleepover scenario the girls had planned, the more she actually felt happy at the prospect of spending some time with them. Whatever immature things they were going to force her into, she promised herself to try enjoying it at least. Who knew… perhaps they would surprise her.

The very moment she entered her room, she was already welcomed by the smell of tea and chocolate cake, mingling with the always lovely fragrance of a burning fire in the oven in the middle of the room. So far so good! While both girls immediately started complaining that Robin was two minutes late, she moved to drop her bag by her bed, then undid her robes and finally flopped down on her bed and caught a pause in their rambling to bring out her own apology. Her sincerely apologetic expression along with it obviously appeased the girls quickly enough, and they moved on without dwelling on her miniscule delay. Both of them were in their pajamas already, but they didn't give Robin an opportunity to change into hers as they ushered her onto the only empty bed and already pressed a plate of cake and a teacup into her hands, then sat down with her to enjoy their own. Admittedly, tea and cake in the middle of the night was as normal to Robin as reading before bedtime was to others, and thus she enjoyed the start to their little celebration more than she had anticipated. They chatted about nothing particularly important, mostly about the remarkable mishap of a student in their potions class that day, which Robin had already heard about from the other perspective. Getting a full picture now however proved to be highly amusing to her, and together with the cake and tea, she actually felt quite comfortable in the situation. Happy, even. Perhaps she had underestimated the girls' taste in having fun… they weren't kids anymore, after all.

She stayed in that mindset until right after tea, when she realized that they weren't kids anymore indeed, but something far worse. Teenagers. Because as soon as her plate and cup were out of her hands, Cas supplied them all with some odd kind of facial mask, which she plastered thickly onto Robin's face before the latter could even put her hair up. It really was a messy endeavour; sticky, weird smelling, dripping onto her clothes and getting stuck in her hair, which perhaps was more due to Cas' less than expertly way of applying it to Robin's face than because of the substance itself. Meanwhile Jorien decided that it was absolutely necessary to paint Robin's nails, luckily deciding that Robin would probably prefer black over the glittery blue she herself wore, and thus got started on that while Cas was still busy smearing the mask onto every path of Robin's skin she could find. It was a living hell on earth in a way, but Robin just let the girls do and actually found herself so very amused by it that she actually had to try not to laugh out loud. It was such a cliche thing to do, such a stereotypical situation… but she would let them dress her up as much as they wanted tonight, for it was humouring either of them after all. Robin just happened to be amused by it in a different way than the girls.

For quite some time they continued their work on Robin, and finally also on each other in such a practiced manner that it left Robin guessing if they did this regularly. She never was around in the evenings after all, she had no clue what their nights looked like. Before long it was almost midnight, and Robin was sitting on the shared bed again after she had been allowed to wash off the mask as good as possible once the girls had been sure that her nails were dry enough for that by now.

"Say, do you ever miss your best friend these days?" Jorien asked Robin out of the blue, after previously discussing something entirely different. "You said you spent all summer together, so… you must be pretty close."

"Of course I do, I always miss him when he's not around." Robin replied with a small frown, probably sounding as surprised by the inquiry as she felt. "Why the odd question?"

"Oh, you know…" Cas shrugged in feigned indifference. "We were just wondering if we should keep trying to find you a date, or if perhaps you aren't interested in a relationship because you already ARE in a relationship."

Robin's jaw dropped for a second, then her brows furrowed to act over her rising embarrassment. "I can assure you that I'm not in any relationship other than entirely platonic ones, but I'm still not interested in you finding me a date."

"Well, you aren't getting any younger!"

Now Robin just straight out laughed at them. "Guys, I will be eighteen in five minutes, not eighty! You don't have to push me into any kind of relationship just for the sake of it, I'm not interested in that kind of thing."

"But you are interested in something else?" Jorien quirked an eyebrow at her, a smug expression on her face as if this entire conversation had been one big trap for Robin to fall into. And she most definitely just had, going by the grins on both girls' faces.

"Look, this really isn't-..." She tried, but was cut off immediately.

"Oh come on! You can't tell us that in eighteen years of being alive you've never had a crush on someone. Not even YOU despise people that much!" Cas argued, and Jorien nodded her approval to the statement. "This is a girls' night, which obviously is something you haven't done much before, alright, but let me assure you that we are supposed to talk about boys now!"

"I don't know any boys other than my classmates." Robin shrugged. "And they're all idiots not worth talking about."

"But what about your mysterious best friend, then? Tell us more about him. About your summer together."

"I already told you many of the stories of what we experienced in summer. I even told you about some of it twice!"

"Yeah, but you never spoke of what happened between you and him, only about the things that happened to the two of you."

"Nothing happened between us! Why do you even want to know about that? I'm sure you have plenty of stories about Simon to tell… And hasn't one of his friends been oddly nice to you lately, Jorien?" Robin tried to change the topic, feeling more discomfort in the current situation than she had while they had 'beautified' her. Not only was it already difficult as it is to keep her existing friendship with Snape a secret, but the girls' prodding about what exactly she felt for him just made it almost impossible to keep her feelings locked up. Perhaps they didn't understand that… couldn't know that having a crush was entirely different from truly and desperately loving someone. Hell, even that had to be different for everyone, love surely didn't work the same for all people. Either way, Robin didn't want to talk about it. Not with them, and not with anyone else.

"You always say you speak the truth no matter what… and you insist that you never break your promises. So tell us straight out that you're not crushing on anyone, and we'll leave you be." Cas argued back, entirely ignoring Robin's attempt at a change of conversational direction.

"I swear that I do not have a crush on anyone." Robin insisted seriously, locking gazes with both girls respectively. "And I would very much appreciate it if we could use the one minute left before my birthday to talk about something else now."

"Fine." Cas sighed sadly. "I believe you. Too bad though, crushes are fun. I honestly don't understand why nobody ever asks you out, you're amazing."

"Change of topic, idiot!" Jorien hissed at her friend and nudged her in the side. "It won't do to make her feel unloved!"

"Oh, I feel very loved. You painted my nails and smeared goo on my face, what more could I want?" Robin gave them a teasing half smile, and the girls couldn't help giggling in return. "And I really appreciate the efforts you made to make this evening a small celebration. Thank you."

"Oh, but it's not even over yet!" Cas grinned, and scrambled off the bed, almost tripping over the way too long tracksuit bottoms she had probably borrowed (or stolen) from Simon. Poor boy… Cas really was a handful, but as far as Robin could tell, he really did like her a lot, and he was absolutely lovely to her. The thought made her smile, just when Cas jumped back onto the bed with a surprisingly large box.

Just in time, the clock hit midnight and both Cas and Jorien started singing a desperately off-key but very much heartfelt happy birthday, which made Robin smile even more. Yeah, she did feel loved indeed.

"Happy birthday, you old person!" Cas practically squealed at her, then dropped the box on the bed and wrapped Robin into a tight hug to which Jorien followed, and both girls together squeezed all air out of Robin's lungs, which she happily let happen.

"Happy birthday Robin." Jorien added in barely audible words that were muffled by Robin's blouse.

"Thank you guys. You really got me to start liking birthdays." She smiled, then frowned a little as the two still wouldn't let go of her. "You're not trying to suffocate me, are you? I'd like to make it to nineteen as well."

"Oh, sorry." Cas said, and both finally let go of Robin to sit back down in front of her. "It's just… this is your last birthday we're celebrating together like this. And we want you to remember it in the future."

"I most definitely will, don't worry."

"Good! But to help you with that nonetheless, we got you a different gift this year. Not jewelry for once." Jorien explained, while she handed Robin the large box in an almost festive gesture. "So you will remember us."

Robin already felt sad before she opened the box. It was true, this was her last birthday they would celebrate together. Or was it? "Just because it's my last year doesn't mean we won't see each other again afterwards, you know that, right?" She asked even before she opened the box. This was supposed to be a cheerful occasion, not one filled with sadness about a future that wasn't as depressing as they likely made it out to be in their heads. "Perhaps we can't celebrate my birthday for a while, but you won't be in school forever either. And there's no rule saying that I can't come and visit you guys on Hogsmeade weekends."

"That's true…" Cas sighed, and her smile quickly lost the sadness to it. "But right now you're still here in the first place, and you're the birthday girl. So open the present already!"

Rolling her eyes for show, Robin still obliged and took a peek first before opening the lid entirely at last. Inside, underneath a layer of colourful paper, lay a beautiful wooden picture frame that held a moving photograph of her little group of people. Jorien, Cas, Simon, his two friends who Robin had actually almost grown somewhat fond of at this point, and also Robin herself right in the middle. They were all seated in the great hall on both sides of the table, smiling into the camera.

"I remember this…" Robin heard herself saying in astonishment. "A classmate of theirs… what was her name again…"

"Patricia." Cas was quick to reply, and Robin's smile widened.

"Right… She asked if she could take a picture of us because we looked so happy. That was just recently, in the second week of term, wasn't it?"

"Yep. It actually was Simon's idea to give this to you as a gift." Cas went on to explain. "He got Patricia to make a copy of it for him, and Jorien and I got the frame."

"Thank you, honestly, this is… wow."

"We actually managed to leave you short for words for once, hell yeah!" Cas laughed, giving Jorien a high-five. "It's probably not the most extraordinary present, but-..."

"It's perfect." Robin was quick to interrupt. "There hardly are any pictures of me as an adult, other than those in the paper, and none at all of my friends. Nobody ever bothered taking a picture with me, least of all frame one with me in it, and I honestly love it more than anything else you could've given to me."

"You're most welcome." Jorien replied with a smile. "But a third of the effort was Simon's, don't forget that."

"I'll thank him too, first thing tomorrow morning. But now we should probably call it a night, it's gonna be a long Friday for you guys and I don't want you to lose any more sleep over me."

"Yes, mom." Jorien rolled her eyes with a snort. "Morning's gonna come no matter when we go to bed, you know. But Morgan's announced a test for tomorrow, so we probably should go to bed indeed."

"Great!" Cas clapped her hands, grinning. "Now that we're talking about tomorrow morning, or rather… today's morning anyway, I have something fun to tell you guys!"

"There's something fun you haven't told me about yet?!" Jorien fake-protested with a glare at Cas, while Robin moved off the shared bed and back towards her own, where she placed the picture frame on her nightstand.

"Chill, I was gonna wait for you to see it yourself, but it's just too funny not to tell you." Cas giggled to herself, and Robin frowned when she sat back down with the girls. When Cas found something funny it was usually at the expense of others, and that always should make one weary at least.

"Out with it now!" Jorien nudged her friend in the side to stop her from giggling, while Cas almost rolled off the bed just laughing to herself. "C'mon, don't do this to us!"

"Yes, fine…" Cas sighed, as she tried to regain some composure. "So you know how Parker is friends with Dave, and Dave is Martin's friend, and Martin is friends with Gideon."

"Get to the bloody point already!" Jorien groaned, and the only thing Robin had understood was Gideon's name, who was one of Simon's friends. The one who didn't fancy Jorien; that one was Michael.

"I was about to!" Cas rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Simon told me that Parker and his friends are setting up this practical joke for tomorrow morning, and it's going to be absolutely hilarious!"

"What's it about?"

"They will put salt into the tea and coffee for the head table, and charm it so that people will only taste it two seconds after drinking it!" Cas was back to giggling to herself. "Just imagine, all the professors spitting out their drinks!"

"That's horrible!" Robin replied instinctively.

"That's hilarious!" Jorien laughed at the same time, and all three girls looked at each other for a moment of hesitation.

"I think it's going to be bloody hilarious indeed." Cas finally sighed, and made her way over to her own bed at last. "Our entire class could need the laugh before Morgan's stupid test, and I think he's set one for the sixth year NEWT class for the afternoon, too. But Simon isn't taking defense classes anymore, so I don't particularly care."

"Yeah… it's gonna be great." Jorien smiled and made for her bed as well. "Especially since nobody can hold us accountable for it."

Robin stayed sitting on the empty bed for a moment longer and didn't say anything at all. Practical jokes weren't her thing in general, but this one just seemed absolutely childish and unnecessary. Sure, it wouldn't do any harm either, but still… knowing about it now left her in a position she didn't want to be in. She could tell Snape about it and prevent him from getting pranked, but on the flipside that meant she would betray the girls, in a way. And it would be painfully obvious that she had been the one talking, at least to Jorien and Cas and Simon. For a moment, Robin felt angry with Cas for putting her into this situation in the first place. Then again, the girl hadn't meant any harm, and probably only wanted to share something she thought would humour her friends. But geez, couldn't they have done this any other day?! This kind of predicament wasn't such a great start to her birthday…

"Robin? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just… thinking." She replied evasively and finally snapped out of her head, only to see the girls already all settled into their beds. "I think I'll take a shower before going to sleep, some of that goo is still stuck in my hair. I'll be quiet when I come back, as always. Don't wait up for me."

"Alright." Cas sighed softly, and even as Robin got up and made her way to her own bed, she could see the girl smiling. "You're gonna have an awesome birthday, Robin. Don't worry."

Robin returned a quiet hum, not wanting to lie nor to spoil their enjoyment of this complot, and then she quickly gathered her things to make for the showers. Once alone in the dark bathrooms, she first tried to scrub the goo out of her blouse so that she could wear it again tomorrow without any pinkish stains, and once that was accomplished half manually and half magically, she finally went to scrub the goo off herself under the steady stream of hot water in the shower. Really, as soothing as the water was, as soothing as the night was, she still felt torn about the situation with the practical joke. Why, just WHY did that one piece of information have to put an otherwise very entertaining night on the line like that?! If she was honest with herself, Robin knew what she was going to do. But she still felt bad about it nonetheless. Then again, she shouldn't! It was her birthday and besides that she was very much in the right to spare her best friend from whatever kind of agony he was facing unknowingly. Telling him was the right thing to do.

Once she was cleaned up and dry again, she put on her pajamas and twisted her still wet hair up into a bun to fix it with her wand like she did so often by now. Then she grabbed her things and was on her way back to her room, still in full determination that she would find Snape before breakfast tomorrow and warn him of the impending doom at the head table. But after she had silently stored away all her items and taken a seat on her bed, that plan of action was shaken with a start.

"Robin?" Jorien's whisper carried over to her so very quietly that she barely even heard it in the first place.

"Huh?"

"Can… can we talk? While Cas is sleeping."

"Yeah, of course." Robin was quick to reply, frowning to herself however as she motioned to the door before stepping out into the hallway herself, with Jorien following two seconds later. Only once the door was closed entirely, the girl came straight to the point.

"I don't want that prank to be played, Robin…" She said in a quiet voice for they still could be overheard, especially out in the dorm hallway at one o'clock at night. "And I know you don't either."

"You seemed to be quite fond of the idea just an hour ago…"

"I certainly don't need to tell you out of all people what an act is." Jorien rolled her eyes, but the almost pleading expression still remained predominant on her face. "Sometimes getting along with people just requires adaption, and if it's not gonna be sincere, then an act will still do."

"Consider me impressed in that case." Robin raised her eyebrows at the girl in surprise for a moment, then came back to the problem at hand. "But why do you tell me this?"

"I know there is some weird understanding between you and Professor Snape… and I'm fairly sure you will want to warn him in advance, probably tomorrow morning. You see, I would like to spare Professor McGonagall the unpleasant experience, too, if I can… I really like her."

"Right… I remember that." Robin sighed under her breath, and then was back to frowning to herself. "And yes, I'm going to tell Snape about it tomorrow morning. Would you like me to tell McGonagall as well? I'm sure I can find her before breakfast."

"See, there exactly is the issue. You can't tell anyone before breakfast tomorrow."

"You can't talk me out of it, I-..."

"I'm not trying to talk you out of it, Robin! I'm trying to tell you that you literally will not be able to talk to Snape before breakfast tomorrow, because there's this plan that Cas and Simon and I have made, because of your birthday, and we will be around you at all times before the meal. You understand what I mean?"

"You mean I won't have an opportunity to tell him without Cas and Simon knowing what I did."

"Precisely." Jorien nodded, then sighed. "I know you can do things like this… And you've done things like this before…"

"Out with it."

"You have to stop that prank. Please… I know you can do impossible things, and I know you have way more to say in this place than anyone else I know."

"I don't have anything to say around here, Jorien. I wish I did, and I wish I could just call that Parker kid out without any evidence, but if I'll be caught up in you guys' scheme from my waking point tomorrow, I don't see how I could prevent it from happening without putting a serious strain on my relationship with Cas, and on hers with Simon."

"I know it's complicated… But that's why I need you to take care of it!" Jorien almost looked like she might start crying any moment now, and honestly Robin found herself surprised by how much the girl seemed to care about her favourite professor. It wasn't something she had seen in anyone but herself before now. "Please, Robin… I know it's silly to be so upset about it, but I know that letting it happen would make you as unhappy as it makes me. That's why I told you that we have these plans for the time before breakfast. Maybe play surprised at least when we tell you about it again tomorrow morning."

"Of course…" Robin nodded, then sighed, and her mind was already working on a solution. "I'll do what I can to stop the prank, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Jorien let out a long breath in obvious relief, then tired a half smile. "I mean, at least you can be sure that Snape is still up at this time of night, huh? You usually return from your work with him way later than this."

"Yeah…" Robin replied absentmindedly, tracing the scar on her neck with her fingers as she frowned ahead at the hallway. Perhaps it really wasn't the worst idea to find Snape now and save him from the joke at least, if she already couldn't stop the entire thing; Jorien was right when she said that one o'clock at night was still early for them. He certainly wouldn't mind another brief visit from her even at this time, especially if it was to his own advantage. And if Robin bargained correctly, she could get him to warn McGonagall in the morning indeed, which would keep her ends with Jorien sealed. It wasn't even such a big deal now that she thought about it, and a decent solution to the problem. Why hadn't she thought about that right from the start?

"Earth to Robin!" Jorien said in that moment, drawing Robin out of her freeze even at the quiet sound. "You're daydreaming again."

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about why I was once again being weird and trying to make things more complicated than they are."

"It's just who you are. But it always ends in something great, so don't worry about it. I should probably go back to bed now though, if I don't want to give myself away entirely tomorrow. You won't tell Cas that I actually hate this stupid joke, will you?"

"Of course not. I promise."

"Thanks…" Jorien sighed, then opened the door and waited for Robin to go in first, which however she didn't.

"You go to bed, I'll deal with the prank." Robin whispered to her, giving her an encouraging smile. "Goodnight."

"Night… And Robin? I love that you're weird, and so does Cas. Don't ever change that."

______________________________

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@ayamenimthiriel @chibi-lioness @t-sunnyside @alex4555 @purpledragonturtles @istrugglewithphilosophy @meghan-maria @hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall @darkestacademiaaa @nizem8

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secret-engima · 5 years

Note

I know you probably had too many bastard LC AU OC, but I can't help but entertain with the idea of Lightning Farron as one of them. Light probably not interest of being royalty and just being her lone wolf self and do whatever she please. Then the knowledge of what the prophecy entail come up and when 'no.' Like this is someone who sister being turn into crystal and decide 'let fight god then'. Or maybe I just like the idea bahamut realize who Light is and just 'oh no, not her' XD

I don’t have near as many as I COULD so sure let’s open a slot for one more. Also-

Ohhhhhhh.

OOHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I am not particularly “Up” on anything FF13 since I never finished the first game let alone played the other two but like- I LOVE HER. I love her from what I’ve seen in Dissidia NT and what I know from the game before I quit playing.

ohhhhhhhhhhh. I need to think about this one.

Some initial thoughts-

-This is a world after … whatever went down in FF13-2 and FF13-3 which I’m fuzzy on the details but I know it led to the making of a new world and stuff so we’ll all pretend that world was Eos.

-Regis’s road trip Oops Bby. Born to Altissian mom, doesn’t know about her magic or remembers her past until an accident nearly killed her when she was …. let’s say 8. Her magic reacted to the danger and saved her (probably the incident was a fall and her magic reacted on instinct to do that lightning float thing Lightning can do in the beginning of the first game). After that, she passed out for about three days while all her memories loaded. Woke up and freaked out over having magic because, you know, LC magic looks A LOT like l’Cie magic and for a while she was super paranoid about being saddled with a Focus. But the world she’s woken up in is … not like her old one. Not really. There are similarities but not ENOUGH.

-Starts training because she’s not an idiot, magic wants to be used and if it isn’t it will react Badly™. That, and she knows the bedtime stories of this world, the only two lines with magic are LCs and Oracles and while she’s blond, she REALLY doesn’t think this is Oracle magic.

-Weskham finds her about a month into her training, catches her trying to figure out how to use tiny bursts of ice to cross a body of water and goes “Oh dear”. Takes her under his wing and finds her … worryingly mature and paranoid. Lightning’s mom is a “lady of the night” to use the more polite Alitissian term and isn’t really … a bad mom, but is busy a lot and tired a lot and doesn’t have time to spend on Lightning more than necessary. Considering Lightning is so self-sufficient, that means Lightning is on her own a lot of the time. It makes Weskham angry.

-Weskham contacts Regis. He HAS TO. It’s his duty and this child needs a proper guardian. Lightning just about runs away into the hills, but Weskham HAD warned her beforehand and Lightning knew that she … probably wouldn’t get very far if she tried to survive in the wilds as a “wayward LC”. She knows about the Empire, she can put pieces together. Especially since she’s physically EIGHT and it would be impossible to get around without a “guardian” of some kind.

-Of course, to make it a little easier on her (and funnier for him) Weskham doesn’t CALL Regis when he contacts him, no, Weskham packs his bags and carts Lightning all the way to Insomnia to meet her dad in person (Lightning does take time to say goodbye to her mother in person, her mother is … understanding and kind, but doesn’t fight it, Lightning isn’t sure how that makes her feel).

-Weskham takes her to Insomnia and because Lightning is only 8 rn that means Aulea is still alive and Gladiolus is just born (I think). On the way to Insomnia, Weskham stops in Hammerhead to say hi to Cid. Cid takes one really long look at the pasty blond 8 yr old at Weskham’s heels with piercing armiger blue eyes and sighs. Because there’s no way that kid is Weskham’s, but something is clearly going on and Cid isn’t stupid.

-Cid: “Reggie’s kid?”

-Weskham, smiling serenely: “I’m on my way to introduce them now. Care to come?”

-Lightning, watching the unholy gleam in Weskham’s eyes and the protective, righteous wrath blooming in Cid’s: “You did this on purpose.”

-Anyway yes much drama ensues and Regis needs to sit down with a tall glass of water. Lightning is unsympathetic (Lightning in all her deadpan eight year old glory: “It’s called protection, idiot. Maybe use it next time.” Regis *chokes and sputters that an eight year old KNOWS THAT*. Aulea *coos over the sarcastic snarky bby*). Weskham is enjoying this PROBABLY too much as Cid delivers a blistering lecture and Cor smothers his snickers in the background.

-Cor and Lightning get along like a house on fire. They are fellow Murder Children. Cor can feel it in his bones.

-Aulea doesn’t die in this au because Lightning is there and she doesn’t treat LC magic the same way other LCs do so if she wants to use a healing spell to fix Aulea post Noctis being born then SHE’S GOING TO FIX AULEA. This is the woman who threw hands with multiple so-called gods. Mere post-preganacy complications are no match for her sheer levels of Stubborn.

-Regis has a minor crisis when he realizes his daughter can basically use Oracle magic without being an Oracle.

-Queen Sylva probably comes to visit because WHAT. What is going on.

-Lighting, unimpressed: “Magic is will. I wanted to heal. It’s not that hard.”

-Is the most Doting Big Sister Ever to Noctis. Her bby sibling. HERS.

-When Lightning is 14 and Noctis is 4, Regis comes back from communing with the Crystal, shaken and near tears. Lightning eavesdrops on the adults and learns that her brother is the fabled Chosen King and will have to DIE for his cause (Focus, her mind hisses, this is a FOCUS JUST LIKE L’CIE HOW dArE baHAmUt-).

-Regis and Aulea and Cor and Clarus all have joint heart attacks when a guard rushes in to say the Princess just BROKE INTO the Crystal chamber and DISAPPEARED INTO THE CRYSTAL.

-Lighting, in the blue void of the Crystal, chasing a terrified Bahamut around with her sword and all her l’Cie powers of old because SHE was the one who helped rewrite the world and now Bahamut’s gone and done the very thing she sought to wipe out: “I DID NOT SUFFER A LIFETIME OF THIS NONSENSE AND NEARLY KILL MYSELF FELLING AN ENTIRE PANTHEON JUST SO YOU COULD BRING BACK FOCUSES AGAIN.”

-Bahamut, only Just Now realizing that the legendary Lightning has been reborn and he just GAVE A FOCUS of sorts to her BABY BROTHER: “I’M SORRY I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. THE SCOURGE IS TOO GREAT FOR US TO CURE ALONE.”

-Lightning: “GET BACK HERE YOU SCALY LIZARD AND LET ME GUT YOU.”

-Ramuh in the background: *passes astral popcorn to Odin, who is very Pleased and Smug to see his former mistress still kicking butt and taking names* “Bet she gets him to finally listen to our alternate plan.”

-Odin: “Bet she comes up with an even better one and browbeats him into it.”

-Ramuh: “Deal.”

-Six hours of angry chasing, much groveling from Bahamut, and much PANIC™ from the adults who have no idea where Lightning went other than into the CRYSTAL SOMEHOW and Lightning reemerges looking irritated and smug at the same time.

-Regis: “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???”

-Lightning, calmly putting away her sword: “Fighting the Draconian over the Prophecy.”

-Regis and Co, all having simultaneous heart attacks again: “YOU WHAT.”

-Lightning, unfazed: “Well he was being an idiot. And threatening my baby brother. So I fought him.”

-Cor, in the back, mentally: Is this what it felt like for the others when I ran off to fight Gilgamesh oh Regis I’m SO SORRY-.

-Lightning, misinterpreting the horrified looks on everyone’s faces: “Don’t worry, I won. He’s been demoted and Odin’s in charge of the Astrals now because he actually has some common sense. We’re working on an alternate plan. Noctis will be fine. I just need to go fight the Accursed now and fix him.”

-Regis, still having a heart attack: You what. They WHAT. BAHAMUT’S BEEN WHAT. YoU neEd tO WhaT-.

(pssst @oliverslewty any ideas on what to call this shiny new AU?)

#SE asks #anon asks #Secret Engima Rambles #NEW AU #Risk the Fall (We Have Felt It All) verse

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amarabliss · 5 years

Text

Oath and Hearts - 14 (Ignis Scientia/Reader)

So this is a crossover between FFXV and Dragon Age Inquisition.

You fell through a rift into the fade fighting the demons you swore to protect your world from. When you popped out you were no longer in the lands of Ferelden instead trapped in Insomnia. The gracious king allowed you to say recognizing power when he saw it. One thing led to another and now you were part of the procession of the prince to his wedding years later. Before the final battle, after years of fighting, losses, and love…your friend…your king…Noctis has asked you to change it all…

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

Rain…

It trickled down your face as you watched the Chocobos pull each heavily decorated funeral cart. You shivered looking down to your hands. You looked up when you felt a warm coat fall onto your shoulders. Nyx smiled at you, “It’s almost done.”

You smiled at him pulling the Glaive coat around you tightly, “What about you?”

He shrugged a little, “I’ll manage. I can’t let you get sick. Specs would hang me for sure.”

“What about getting reprimanded for not being uniform?” You glanced at him as another cart passed by carrying caskets dressed in Glaive and Crownsguard insignias.

“Funny thing…when you save the city…they promote you.” He smirked a little, “Only person who can dress me down is myself and the king…Noctis doesn’t seem like one who is tight on protocol.”

You chuckled to yourself nodding a little, “You’re not wrong…”

“Rarely am.” He smirked more and laughed when you nudged him in the side with your elbow.

“I’m really glad you’re here.” You looked at him finally before looking at the final cart moving past them, “And not on one of those.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He put his arm around you, “Might lose a limb or two…but you’re not going to lose me.”

“Does it hurt?” You glanced at his left side where his arm use to hang.

“A little phantom pain here and there…and a burning sensation from time to time…” He sighed as you both took your place behind the carts walking in the rain along with the rest of those that lost someone, “A price worth paying…”

Warmth spread through you when you walked into the citadel. Still broken in places but structurally a masterpiece that can be restored. Nyx stood by your side helping your through the crowd as people consoled one another.

“There he is…” Nyx smiled as you pointed across the way, “I’m surprised he didn’t come see you first.”

“He has a duty to his king.” You smiled as you saw Ignis speaking with Gladio and Prompto. They seemed eager to push him away and even pointed back at you. Ignis turned and smiled at you.

“No no no…that’s too easy…” A dark voice spoke behind you, “No happy endings here…”

You turned seeing Ardyn walking toward you, “…no…”

“Yes. Let’s try again…shall we?” Ardyn grabbed your neck squeezing it tightly. You gasped trying to get air as you clawed at his hand that lifted you from the ground, “Thank you for all the details this time…you must be getting tired…This next go around I think we’ll play more on hidden desires…”

“What’s happening?” Cor watched the heart monitor go crazy as Dr. Reed rushed over. You were seizing shaking in the bed.

“I don’t know! Get back, we need to work.” Dr. Reed ordered as help moved in, “Where is Scientia? He may need to make some decisions.”

“I’ll find him, but no matter what you need to protect that child!” Cor barked at him as nurses ran inside, “Do you understand?”

Reed waved him out of the room as he began ordering for sedative to be administered. Across the city Ignis was frantically running upstairs trying to reach his apartment with Prompto.

“Why are we here?” The blonde asked huffing and puffing behind him.

“I need a book.” Ignis shoved the fourth-floor door open running down the hall to his apartment. He had the greatest sense of surrealism one could have as he opened the door.

Everything was exactly as he left it. Being on the northeast end of the city had been a blessing as most of the attack was near the center and west quarters. He didn’t waste any time to dwell on that fact and rushed to his bookshelf.

“Aw man…whew…” Prompto leaned against the door, “What…what book is so important it’s going to help Y/N?”

“It’s a book about her…” Ignis began pulling out thick journals quickly opening them and then discarding them to the floor.

“Her? I don’t follow…” Prompto leaned forward putting his hands on his knees, “I’m…I’m gonna…sit…”

Ignis glanced back at him briefly sitting on the ground as he pulled out another one, “You’re aware that I interviewed her for a time when she first came…”

“Uh…kinda…I was wrapped up with exams…” Prompto scratched his head thinking back, “Had a lot of training with the guard too…”

“Well I did…” He let another book fall, “I had asked her about how she got here…her response was the Fade.”

“The place she said before zonking out. Where is it?” Prompto was beginning to focus in now.

“That’s hard to explain…” Ignis scanned the book in his hands finding what he needed, “She explained that is was a space between worlds or realities…”

“I don’t follow.” Ignis leaned forward picking up his coffee taking a sip.

You stood up walking toward the window of his office thinking to yourself. Finally, you turned back to him, “Look at the window.”

“Alright.” He adjusted in his seat watching you.

You turned back around looking at the window, “We’re here…and you can clear see the world outside, which can be anywhere else…your city, my home…. The fade is everything in the glass.”

He looked at the glass seeing your reflection as you continued on, “It’s this strange place that is exactly like here, but different. It’s a place you can experience your greatest desire and your deepest fear all at once. You can’t trust anything you see, but you want to so badly.”

“I follow that…but how is it you passed through there to here. Just like the window it’s a barrier from one world to the other” You looked down at your hand as he spoke.

“I was given a mark by chance.” You held up your hand to him showing what looked like a strange dark burn, “It allowed me to open and close rips in the veil. It gave me a link or something…you’re not supposed to go to Fade physically, you’re only supposed to let your mind go there.”

“Why can’t you go physically? You obviously have…” He began writing down some notes glancing up at you as looked down to your hand tracing the pattern.

“Going there…it’s a nightmare. In a dream your mind allows you to rationalize things. When given the impossible…” You started to say.

“Your mind fills in the blanks.” He finished for you, “So when your mind goes there it looks more real?”

“Yes, actually. Accounts say you’ll have a hard time distinguishing it from reality. We can lose a lot of mages to the Fade if they aren’t prepared enough.” You crossed your arms looking back at the window, “But physically…you only see parts of reality…if you were to actually be part of the glass do you think it would look this clear?”

“No, of course not.” He tilted his head, “It’s made of several different particles and substances…”

“So, you would see that…and the chair you sit in…the table would be encrusted with glass fragments. Your coffee would look full, but it would be all solid.” You frowned looking back to him, “The monster you saw that day in the courtyard comes from there. Demons of all varieties, all strong enough to take over the strongest minds and feed off of them until you become part of the Fade.”

“We have something similar here…It’s more like a sickness for us though derived from a substance called Miasma. It’s why at night and dark situations deamons show themselves…Miasma can’t flourish in the light. I wonder if it’s related to your Fade.” He thought absently before writing something down again as you turned to the window, “Tell me, do you think you could find a way back into the Fade?”

“Why?” Your head snapped back to him worry lines creasing your face.

He looked at you as your tone shifted, “I don’t intend to go there…it’s sounds like an unfit place to be. I simply wanted to know if there was a way, and if you were looking for it.”

You stayed silent for a long time before stepping back over to your seat, “There’s always a way. It’s…in a way a substance that pierces through the world. Back home…the barrier, we call it a veil, has thinned so much it’s easy to accidently fall into the Fade by making camp in the wrong spot. It’s not the same here, so I’m not sure what it would look like.”

“How so?” He watched you grip the back of the chair tightly.

You looked at him trying to find the words, “I can’t really explain it…back home it looked like…like a shimmer. It’s a wave, but not…I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” He smiled at you thinking back to your arrival, “I think I saw what you meant your first day here. It was like a green wave of light…”

“If you walked toward a dense part…you’d more than likely slip into it somehow, but I haven’t seen or felt it here…I certainly don’t glow anymore…” You told him quietly looking back to your hand, “It’s like your veil is whole. I’m sure we could find a weak point, but I wouldn’t want to subject your people to the risks of opening the Fade up. It’s kind of a relief actually…”

“I understand, I wouldn’t mind hearing more about it someday.” He smiled at you trying to set you back at ease.

“She’s in the Fade.” He pointed to the open page, “She must have found a thin part of the veil in the city somewhere, probably caused by all the magical energy used during the attack.”

“Okay…that explains what is happening to her, but how do we pull her out.” Cor looked at him not liking the look on Ignis’ face.

“I need to go back where she fell in…and I need to go after her.” Ignis told everyone.

“Out of the question.” Cor shook his head.

“I’m not asking you…any of you.” Ignis looked at his friends who insisted on being part of the explanation, “Noctis has already released me for the time being. I don’t need anyone’s permission.”

Noctis shifted on his feet glancing over to Cor, “I did…but Iggy…”

“I can’t let her stay there…I love her and she’s the mother of my child.” Ignis shook his head speaking firmly, “I’m not going to lose her to something as trivial as a dream that I can pull her out of.”

“Sounds a lot worse than just a dream, Ignis.” Gladio sighed as he crossed his arms, “More like a potential nightmare.”

“All the more reason I need to get her out. The longer she stays the harder it is for her to break away from it.” Ignis told him, “And the more likely it becomes real and affects her out here.”

Cor took in a deep breath looking at him, “It already has…”

“What do you mean?” Ignis looked at him eyes filling with worry, “What happened?”

“The only thing the doctor came up with was she felt like she was drowning or suffocating…” Cor told him, “It was brief…but enough to be troubling.”

Ignis looked at them all before nodding, “I’m not going to waste any more time…I’m going to get her home.”

You took in a deep breath as your eyes slowly began to open. You hadn’t felt so comfortable in a long time. An arm slithered around your waist making your smile, “I thought you would have been up hours ago.”

You turned freezing for a moment at the face you saw. Nyx smiled lazily at you, “Me? Really?”

“Wha…” You moved away from him, “Nyx…”

“Babe, what’s wrong?” He sat up as you moved off the bed away from worry filling his eyes, “Baby…”

You stared at him as your chest rose up and down as you shut your eyes, “I don’t…something isn’t…”

“Y/N…what is it?” He moved to the edge of the bed reaching for your hands.

“Don’t!” You slapped his hands away opening your eyes looking at him, “I-I…Nyx….”

“It’s okay.” He raised his hands calm coming over his features. He reached out to you holding his arms open, “Baby, it’s okay…”

You started to shake as tears filled your eyes, “Nyx…I…”

He stood up moving to you wrapping his arms around you tightly, “It’s okay…the doc said this might happen for a while. You hit your head really hard.”

“I don’t…I don’t remember…” You shook your head as you hugged him feeling cold as you did, “Why can’t I remember?”

“Shh…” He rubbed your back in soothing motions as he spoke, “It’s okay, we got this. Things will start coming back slowly. Just…just take a breath and tell me what you remember?”

You took a deep breath in through your nose letting it out through your mouth before you spoke, “I…don’t…”

“Let me help.” He pulled away looking at your face, “You were on the way to the citadel to meet…”

“…Ignis…” You nodded a little shutting your eyes, “we had a meeting. I took a cab…”

“Yeah, you did.” Nyx smile showed in his voice, “What happened next?”

“We didn’t stop and…” You looked at him as he touched your face sending shivers down your spine, “and…there was a truck…”

“Yeah.” He nodded before resting his forehead against yours, “Thank the Six for airbags…it could have been a lot worse if you had been flung from the car.”

“It rolled over.” He nodded again frowning as your head came to rest on his chest, “Why didn’t I…”

“Like I said…” Nyx took your hands in his kissing them, “you hit your head…”

You stared into his eyes and nodded. There was this strange sensation buzzing in the back of your head as he kissed your forehead, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re fine, babe.” He looked over to the clock on the bedside table, “I do have to go though…”

“Fine…” You frowned a little as he squeezed your hands.

“I can stay…” He looked at you worried, “I’ll tell them, they’ll understand.”

“No, you need to go work. The king needs you.” You told him taking your hands back, “Go.”

“Sweet Shiva…” You heard him say as he turned away. It made your skin crawl. Every syllable sounding wrong in your ears, “you’re too understanding.”

You watched him freeze before turning to you again, a smirk coming to his face, “I said something wrong, didn’t I? Damn…I thought for sure this would be the one. Handsome gentleman…potential for you to screw it all up by having an affair…death destruction fighting…”

“What is this…” You started to back up slowly away from him.

“Haven’t you pieced it together yet, Inquisitor?” His eyes blackened as ooze began to drip from them, “You brought me here…and I’ve met so many friends who’ve taught me how this place works.”

“Ardyn…” You hissed as you ran toward the door.

“We have a winner!” He shouted after you, “Using this form is so much fun…You did love him didn’t you, almost as much as that retainer.”

You grabbed the handle and it disintegrated in your hand. Panic started to fill you when you turned around. A monster in Nyx’s body strode toward you, “You make it too easy girl!”

You shut your eyes awaiting whatever was about to happen, when a deep burly voice sang out, “Not this time!”

“Who are you?” You opened your eyes seeing Ardyn in his true form holding off some sort of energy attack.

“Never you mind.” The voice was familiar as it spoke with cocky confidence, “It’s time for you to go.”

The light faded for a brief second letting you see a silhouette wielding a staff summoning for another string of bright energy attacks. Ardyn cried out in pain before shimmering away. Your eyes adjusted slowly at the approaching person.

“Inquisitor, are you alright?” They asked as you sank to the floor the façade around you began to fade away with each of his steps, “Y/N?”

“H-Hawke?” You grabbed onto his arms feeling how warm he felt. This is what a person was supposed to feel like, “It’s really you?”

He smirked a little despite looking tired and ragged, “Who else would it be?”

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absolutelynoct · 5 years

Note

Hello! I absolutely love your work (no pun intended, what a spork I am) Anyway, if it's not too much trouble, I wanted a request from the touch-starved prompts post you made. A Promptis one with "Do you mind if we stay like this for a little longer?" It sounds so sweet! One of them says it after their first time and they just want to stay in that moment. I don't mind which one says it, it's just really cute. It can be NSFW or SFW, I don't mind. Whenever you have a chance, no rush! Thank you!

[Thank you so much for loving my work so much

Noctis heard Prompto crying once when he thought he didn’t hear it. It was a soft sniffle that, at first, Noctis thought was just a fluke. But then he heard him sniffle again and peered into the classroom at school to see what was going on. Prompto didn’t see him since his back was turned, but Noctis had watched Prompto sob almost silently. He saw him flop onto the desk, tears streaming down his face, and he watched as he put his head in his hands and cried.

Noctis didn’t know why he was crying, but his heart hurt for Prompto. All he wanted to do was take his pain away. It was strange. At that moment he knew he loved Prompto, and because of that, he didn’t quite know what to do with his tears. Instead of walking over to Prompto and seeing what was wrong, he walked away instead. He was too dumbfounded by his own love that was hurting his heart, his own longing that made his chest ache painfully. He didn’t notice that Prompto had sensed he was there and had turned around only to see him leave.

It was a faux pas that Noctis didn’t know he made. Prompto was smiling the next time he saw him, and Noctis didn’t see him cry anymore. It concerned Noctis, and several times he tried to ask Prompto what was going on, why he was so sad, but Prompto would only change the subject before he had a chance to get the words out and turn it into something more lively. Every time Noctis reached out to touch him, a friendly gesture or a kind hug, Prompto would somehow shirk away from it.

At first Noctis thought it was just Prompto naturally moving away from him and towards whatever his attention was focused on. But then when they were hanging out with Gladio and Ignis, he noticed that they could easily give him a hug and joke around with him with physical affection that Noctis couldn’t. He didn’t know what was going on. The last time they spent the day together as a group, Noctis tried to hug Prompto and he had somehow slipped through his fingers in favor of jumping on Gladio’s back for a piggyback ride.

It hurt Noctis, and a few times he considered confronting Prompto about it. But how could he when it meant admitting that he loved him? What if Prompto didn’t return the favor and that was exactly why he was avoiding his touch? His heart ached, and there was an uncomfortable longing deep within his bones, demanding to be touched. He craved Prompto’s touch, needed it, his body aching for it day and night. But Prompto wouldn’t touch him for whatever reason, and it bothered him to the point where he ended up crying himself to sleep several times, cradling himself for comfort.

Noctis was determined to figure out what was going on. He was either going to get a hug from Prompto or confront him on the matter. The perfect opportunity presented itself when Ignis and Gladio proposed a trip to Galdin Quay for the weekend. Noctis was on board, but Prompto looked nervous, even more so than usual. He reluctantly agreed, and Noctis felt angry that Prompto avoided looking at him at all when Ignis discussed the rooming situation. Noctis volunteered to share a room with Prompto before he could disagree, and Prompto didn’t really have a reason to object.

They went to Galdin Quay with Ignis at the wheel as usual. Noctis had tried to sit next to Prompto in the Regalia, but Prompto took the front seat before he could offer Gladio the front. The car ride went well enough, as usual, the four of them chatting excitedly with Prompto turning around to show them the most recent photos he had taken. Noctis noticed he was leaning so close to Gladio and wondered if the reason why he avoided his touch was because Prompto had a crush on Gladio. What if they ended up dating instead? The thought horrified him.

When they parked at the beach, they all got out and stretched, admiring the fantastic view, the calm waters, and the warm air. Noctis watched Prompto as he stretched, enjoying how lithe his limbs looked, desiring more than just to touch his stomach peaking through as his shirt rode up while he stretched. It made him want to reach out and just hug him right away, his body aching for him in a way that was all too familiar at this point.

Instead, he walked with the group to the hotel. Ignis checked them in, and the four of them quickly changed into their bathing suits and went to the shores. For the longest time, the four of them were in the water, splashing and playing around. Noctis was all too aware of where Prompto was, and Prompto seemed to be aware of him too. Each time Noctis reached out for him, he would find a way to seamlessly swim away or splash around. It was almost effortless and natural at this point. Did Prompto plan on avoiding him forever?

Eventually Noctis got tired of swimming and ended up on the shore, sitting on a beach towel under an umbrella with Ignis reading a book next to him. He watched Prompto splashing around with Gladio, trying not to be jealous as Prompto mock tackled Gladio and Gladio picked him up and vaulted him through the air and into the water. Prompto came up for air a moment later, splashing and giggling, his bare chest beautiful, his shoulders freckled like his cute face.

“You’re staring,” Ignis commented without looking up from his book.

“So what if I am?” Noctis sulked. “It’s not illegal to stare.”

“No, I suppose it’s not,” Ignis said with a sigh. He closed his book and looked at Noctis. “We should consider getting some dinner.”

Ignis called the other two in, and Noctis figured now was as good a time as any. His pulse was racing, his heart beating erratically as he watched Prompto and Gladio come out of the water and join them on the shore. He stood up and immediately went over to them, not hesitating. He had to be brave, and he had to at least try. There was no way he could let this rift between Prompto and him continue to grow.

“Get enough water action?” Noctis asked with a smile, ignoring his anxious heart, as he wrapped his arms around Prompto in a friendly hug with a calmness he didn’t feel.

“No!” Prompto shouted unexpectedly, shoving Noctis away to the point he fell on his butt in the sand. He expected Prompto to be uncomfortable, to squirm a little even. Noctis didn’t expect Prompto to so forcefully shove him away, like he was a hot burner that shouldn’t be touched. Tears came to his eyes unexpectedly as he looked up from Prompto, unsure of if it was from his shock or from his heart breaking.

Prompto looked at Noctis, shocked by his own reaction, and Ignis and Gladio stared on with equal surprise. There was a long moment of silence while they all stared at Prompto. Whatever was going on was out in the open now. There was no avoiding it from either of them. Prompto looked at them, a blush in his cheeks, tears in his eyes.

“Prompto,” Gladio tried, but Prompto reacted quickly. He ran away from them, towards the hotel, fleeing before any of them could say anything. Gladio held a hand out for Noctis to take, and the prince gratefully accepted. He pulled him to his feet as they all awkwardly looked towards where Prompto had run to, already inside the hotel.

“Well that was awkward,” Ignis said. “Perhaps I should talk to him.”

“Don’t bother,” Noctis said, rather grumpily. “I know what’s wrong.”

“Then why haven’t you talked it out with him?” Gladio asked, perplexed.

“Because it’s not going to change anything,” Noctis reasoned. “Can I sleep in your hotel room tonight?”

“No,” Ignis replied. He looked at him, shocked. “Gladio and I want some time alone.” Noctis didn’t quite understand, and Ignis sighed. “We are dating, Noctis. I want to sleep with my boyfriend while we’re on vacation.”

“Oh,” Noctis replied, his eyes wide. “Uh… Yeah. Sure. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Didn’t think we had to,” Gladio replied. “We thought it was pretty obvious.”

“Yeah,” Noctis replied with a shrug. “I guess you’re right.”

“Make up with him, Noct,” Ignis insisted, turning their attentions back to Prompto. “Sort it out.”

“Fine,” Noctis replied, still particularly grumpy and bitter. When they got back to the hotel rooms to change, Noctis noticed Prompto had locked himself in the bathroom. He showered in Ignis and Gladio’s hotel room, much to their dismay. It wasn’t his fault that Prompto wouldn’t even be in the same room as him.

Ignis attempted to talk to Prompto, but he came out of the hotel room and only told them that Prompto wanted to get some rest and didn’t want to talk. It made things awkward, and there was a tension between the three of them while they ate dinner without Prompto. Noctis felt like the third wheel, and he decidedly didn’t like it. But how was he going to make Prompto talk to him when he didn’t even want to be in the same room as him?

They returned to their respective hotel rooms after dinner, the sun already long set for the night. Noctis looked at the two with a silent ask, but Gladio wrapped his arms around Ignis from behind as Ignis tried to open their hotel room. Noctis didn’t need to see anymore to know they would be wrapped up in each other all night. He was both glad for them and jealous of them. He wanted that with Prompto, but Prompto wanted nothing to do with him.

As suspected, Prompto was in bed, either fast asleep or ignoring Noctis’s presence altogether. Sighing, Noctis changed into sweats and a tank top then got in the bed next to him, angry that they had to share one bed while Prompto didn’t even want to so much as look at him. He stared at the ceiling, contemplating what he should do, when he heard a small sniffle. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there. Prompto was crying.

“Listen Prompto,” Noctis said, his heart aching painfully. He turned to Prompto, whose back was to him, and reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. When he remembered how Prompto had reacted so negatively to his hug, he pulled his hand back before he could touch the blond. It was killing him not to be able to touch him, but he has to respect his wishes.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” Prompto said, his voice thick with tears. Noctis felt his heart shattering, knowing that he had made Prompto so sad. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’m sorry I touched you when you didn’t want me to,” Noctis said quietly. “I just miss your touch. Why won’t you even shake my hand?”

There was a long silence, followed by a despairing sigh. “You saw me crying,” Prompto said tearfully.

“Is that it?” Noctis asked, confused. “I don’t care about that.”

“Y-you don’t?” Prompto asked. He shifted a little bit, but he didn’t turn around. “I thought you would be disgusted for sure.”

“Why?” Noctis asked. He really didn’t get Prompto sometimes. “You’re my friend, Prompto. I treasure you more than anyone, even myself. I would do anything for you, no matter how much it hurts.”

“Friend?” Prompto asked. It confused Noctis. Hadn’t they been friends for so long? Didn’t Noctis want to be more than friends with him? Why was Prompto so anxious about it now? “I… I’m sorry. I can’t see us as friends.”

“What?” Noctis asked, his heart lurching into his stomach painfully. Prompto got out of bed as Noctis sat up, looking at him in dismay. Did Prompto never see him as a friend? What chance did he have with his love for him when he couldn’t even consider them friends?

“I’m sorry,” Prompto said. “You deserve better than what you get from me. I’m going to sleep in the Regalia so I don’t make you uncomfortable.”

“Wait!” Noctis said.

Prompto was almost to the door, and Noctis knew then that if he let him go now then he would lose him forever. Noctis warped over to him quickly, pulling a small blade out of the armiger to give him a point to warp to. He ended up next to the door just as Prompto reached it, and put the weapon away. Decisively, Noctis wrapped his arms around Prompto’s waist and held him close.

“What are you doing?” Prompto asked. He struggled against Noctis’s touch. “Let me go!”

“No!” Noctis replied. He gripped Prompto tighter. “I won’t let you go. I know you might hate me but I love you and I won’t give you up just like that!”

“I don’t hate you!” Prompto argued, struggling against him. “Wait… Love?”

“Yes!” Noctis snapped tearfully. Prompto stopped pushing on his arms, trying to detach him from his waist. “I’ve loved you for a while now, but I haven’t even been able to hug you, let alone talk to you. It’s been killing me that you haven’t wanted to touch me, and now you hate me? I don’t think I can take it.”

“I… I don’t hate you, Noctis,” Prompto said quietly. “You… You heard why I was crying right?”

“What?” Noctis replied. “You mean in school? No. I didn’t hear. I just didn’t know how to react to your crying because you were so upset, and I realized then that I loved you.”

“Noctis,” Prompto said softly. “I was crying because I am in love with you and didn’t know what to do. You’re a prince. How can I be with you when you’re destined to be a king and I’m just... Just Prompto?”

“Because I love you,” Noctis insisted, hugging him tightly. “I love you, Prompto. No one else. If I am going to be king, then I don’t want it without you by my side. Prompto, I love you. Please believe me. Or better yet, don’t. That way I can spend my entire life proving that I love you.”

Prompto’s arms were reaching out for Noctis now, reaching around him to pull him into a hug. Noctis’s heart was beating erratically, and he felt like he was going to collapse from his touch. It had been so long that his tears turned into an overwhelming sense of love, a sweeter heartache from what he experienced. Prompto’s arms were around him, his face buried in his neck, and they both cried. Noctis realized that Prompto craved his touch just as much as he did Prompto’s.

They held each other for a long time, neither of them willing to move in fear that being apart meant being separated. After a time, Prompto started to shift, and Noctis knew he was getting antsy. He never could stay still for too long, and Noctis only rested his head against Prompto’s neck, stretching just the tiniest bit to reach.

“Do you mind if we stay like this for a little longer?” Noctis asked.

“It’s getting late,” Prompto replied. “We can always cuddle in bed.”

“I like that idea more,” Noctis replied with a smile.

Awkwardly, unsure of themselves, they got into the bed with each other, both of them smiling and laughing with breathless nervousness. Their nerves melted away as they wrapped an arm around each other, pressing their bodies against each other. Noctis looked at Prompto’s lips, and a moment later they were kissing, holding onto each other with their tongues explored their mouths hungrily.

At one point they stopped kissing, but Noctis couldn’t really tell how late it was. They only stopped when both of them were too tired, too emotionally drained, to continue. Instead, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, neither of them willing to let go. That night, Noctis had the sweetest dreams, dreaming of holding Prompto for the rest of his life.

When he woke up and saw that his dreams were coming true, still cradled in Prompto’s arms as Noctis held Prompto in turn, he nuzzled into him more, enjoying the warmth radiating off the person he loved more than anything.

#ffxv #Final Fantasy XV #promptis #prompt #prompto #prompto argentum #Noctis Lucis Caelum #noctis #final fantasy xv fanfiction #ffxv fanfiction #ffxv fanfic #amitiel writes #thank you for asking anon!#brief gladnis in here #gladnis #ignis #gladio

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rentfreecat · 4 years

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Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts Fanfic Recs

so yeah I figured I should get around to making a list of some of my faves to promote them, I’ve got a big enough collection of bookmarks now. in no particular order. not all of them are necessarily complete or alive

Final Fantasy VII

The Gold Saucer’s Golden Arches by belderiver

Before he doomed the world to ash and ruin, Sephiroth wanted a burger.

note: Sephiroth + sudden hunger pang = mcgold

Meetings by Yinza

Aeris reflects on her few encounters with Sephiroth over the years since her escape from the lab.

note: Aerith having known Sephiroth before is just one of my favorite headcanons

lather, rinse, repeat by annperkinsface

She knows she shouldn't confuse this act of kindness for anything else, but it's hard, when Aerith is draping a towel over her shoulders, when Aerith is warm at her back, humming as she works a thick lather across her hands.

note: adorable Aerti. Aerith being a weirdo. Tifa blushing and being kinda horny. perfect. in case you couldn’t tell I ship it.

In Circles by Larissa

Tifa hates Midgar, and yet she stays, and she stays, and she stays.

Character study/pre-game gap-filler. Written for the Tifa Zine.

note: beautiful mood piece

the nodding golden tansy by Kieron_ODuibhir

“You think this troubles me?”

“Yes,” said Cloud, without looking up from his tea.

note: one of my fave takes on Seph and Cloud’s relationship. wonderfully quiet and melancholy.

not one before another by Kieron_ODuibhir

1) Sephiroth almost corrected the first person who called Aerith his sister, a woman they’d met before they were even out of Midgar’s slums complimenting him on taking such good care of her, while their mother shopped.

2) The other half of Project S took after their father.

3) Blue eyes contemplated him narrowly for several seconds, and then Genesis’ smirk came back, lying on his face more easily, somehow. “So brothers-in-arms to the skirmish shall we hence?”

4) It felt wrong to be relying on anybody but Mother, but Mother…only cared about Sephiroth, and it wasn’t fair. Loz sniffled. “Will she take care of Yazoo, too?”

5) “I’m glad he’ll have a big brother,” she said, as Sephiroth crossed the room. “Little ones always need someone looking out for them.”

Sephiroth nodded, and bent forward, and peered at the squashed little pink thing until it stirred, objecting probably to cool air on its face. “What’s his name?”

“Cloud."

(Five times in five worlds where Sephiroth was somebody's brother, and one where he wasn't anymore.)

note: exactly what it sounds like. personal fave is 4.

Angels Still Have Faces by Kieron_ODuibhir

On the fourth day, Sephiroth looked out a window and spotted his two friends together on one of the outdoor training fields, once again exchanging harsh words, only for Angeal to wheel around and storm off at the end.

note: fics where someone other than the main character time-travels are amazing and this is that and also outsider pov mother bear Sephiroth who doesn’t know what pizza is

Final Fantasy IX

puppet play by zalzaires

starting a drabble collection for ffix. i mostly just write about kuja so hence the name.

note: my personal fave is "curtains, bookends, stars of the show” because Kuja is such so... Kuja in there

Final Fantasy XV

ffucc the wedding by Givethemtriumphnow

Gift for Victortor, inspired by their fabulous ffucc Universe.

Noctis and Luna are the same person, one soul split into two bodies.

In a world where everyone lives and nothing hurts, the wedding is still a symbol of the peace, and the show must go on. Noct and Luna just can’t wait for what comes afterwards: the Big Reveal.

note: I just really like the one person two body trope okay? pretty entertaining read!

Poor Wayfaring Stranger by lithos_saeculum

Out on a mission, Cor Leonis finds a teenager, lost and sick and partway to becoming an MT. Against the advice of all and sundry, he brings him back to Insomnia. There's not a lot of love lost for MTs in the Citadel, but some of its inhabitants may still be young enough to put aside their prejudices.

note: also on my list of likes is MT Prompto trope, and honestly fuck canon that’s just there for inspiration. TW for implied pedophilia and stranger danger in one of the later chapters.

Will You Be There, Standing at the End of the War by Adel Mortescryche (Mortescryche)

When they're attacked by the Imperial Forces at Tenebrae, Regis wasn't prepared to be rescued alongside Noctis, Lunafreya and Ravus by the Commanding General of the enemy forces. Not after the man already cut Sylva down before them.

He was even less prepared for the face lying in wait behind the mask.

He dropped down to one knee, and rather pointedly cupped the left side of Drautos’ head, delicate, making no move to actually hide the fury raging through him.

“Talk, Titus.” Regis whispered. “Before I take this airship down from the sky.”

note: Drautos time-travels and is an absolute bastard. I like seeing his and Regis’s exchanges!

For Want of a Flan by magicgenetek

For want of some patience, Ifrit never freed Ardyn from Angelgard to rebel against the Astrals.

For want of Ardyn, Nifleheim never invented MT Troopers.

For want of MT Troopers, Lunafreya and Ravus were able to escape with Regis, and Nifleheim never cornered Lucis in their war.

For want of a kidnapping, Luna, Noctis and Prompto were able to work together to get ready for the prophecy, and Ravus is ready to suplex an Astral to make sure someone survives the prophecy.

For want of separation, the four of them go to Angelgard to figure out what secrets lay there, and accidentally adopt Ardyn into their plans to save the world.

For want of 2000 years’ prep time, Ardyn’s going to have to get up to speed on the modern world fast if he wants revenge or to fulfill his half of the prophecy.

note: has a good deal of worldbuilding and linguistics nerdery. I like that. I also like the recovery element of Ardyn’s arc.

A Little More Time by Asidian

The sun is brilliant overhead – set in a blue sky dotted with clouds that float like wisps of spun sugar through the high arc of the heavens.

It's more than lovely. It's entrancing, and Noctis takes one long, final look before he turns his gaze back earthward. His vision dances with sunspots for a moment, afterimages from the blinding light – but when it clears, Noctis sees a small black dog there, patient and watchful as always.

Umbra has been waiting.

"Alright," Noctis says. "We're ready to go back."

note: short, punchy, and absolutely chilling

Eschaton by nirejseki

Sure, it's the end of the world, but that just means someone's got to fix it.

And then the world found its somebodies.

(aka, with Noctis gone into the Crystal and no one sure when he'll be back, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto end up saving the world one piece at a time)

note: I like worldbuilding and MTs alright? and schoolteacher Gladio will never not be funny/great

Astra Inclinant by thekindmagic

“Look,” Aranea laughs, shaking her head. “I’m not trying to shit on your destiny. But the way I see it? A lot of the time, there’s no big mystery. You either keep going, or you don’t.”

note: how could I not rec femslash? beautiful melancholy mood. I’m so sad for Luna

Starlight and Shadow by ohmyfae

While Noctis and his friends are setting up camp, Ardyn Izunia happens to accidentally stumble onto the runes of their haven. The magic of the haven pulls him into two halves; One is Ardyn, a small child with a bit of an ego and a limited knowledge of the world at large, and the other is the Scourge, shambling and groundless, determined to seek out its former host and consume the light it finds there.

note: fun read!

On the Care and Keeping of Prompto by ohmyfae

Congratulations! You have been chosen to ensure the well-being of PROMPTO, who is: 1. An absolute darling. 2. Of more intrinsic value than you, your significant other, your ancestors, and the world at large. 3. Two years and four months old 3a. This is very important to remember 4. Behind you.

note: also a very fun and fluffy read! also the fic that introduced me to the amazing crackship of Ardyn and Cor, and I say crackship but... I want more of it

Kingdom Hearts

The Price of Melodrama by LawnNinja

Xemnas never imagined that one of the hardest parts of his plan would be the stupid names.

note: deny it all you wish but you know this happened. also XULORD

(i don’t need you to) Worry for Me by Cygna_hime

In a fit of defiance and desperation, Vanitas disobeys his Master's orders and goes looking for the missing half of his heart. He finds it, and something else as well, something he never expected to find anywhere...

note: I absolutely love this I’ve read this like... 3 or 4 times? go read it now

Bleeding Heart by keelahselai

Xemnas was fundamentally a bad person. Born from the fracture of Xehanort's heart, he had only caused pain to those he banded together with under the promise of finding a way to return all their hearts. He shattered the Organization he'd founded for his own gain, and he understood this with cool indifference. But beneath everything, carefully kept folded away and hidden from Xigbar's prying eye, he was also made from the other inhabitant of Apprentice Xehanort's body. And as troubling as it could be to their plan, he kept it hidden from all.

(Or, how Terra managed to keep his head above the water for thirteen years)

note: I absolutely love the.. I don’t know what it’s called, but let’s say Terramas even though that sounds like a ship name... I absolutely love that trope. this one has such just a great mood y’know?

By Choice or Chance by Six_Piece_Chicken_McNobody

Lazy afternoons are a universal phenomenon.

note: I just love Xehaqus’s tragedy. this is nice, fluffy, and one of them is going to murder the other in his own selfish lust for power. (I know III said Xehanort had other motivations but I just love the “he’s such an utter bastard that all his relationships are going to end disastrously” interpretation)

Whatever Will Be by NanakiBH

Once I tell you the words I've been unable to say, it will be goodbye.

note: more explicitly melancholy mood than last one, still great.

#fanfic recs #final fantasy vii #final fantasy ix #final fantasy xv #kingdom hearts

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