#ardyn spice

[savage-rhi]

Mending Shadows // Chapter 24

Summary:

Y/N was a simple Scavenger of Lucis, until meeting a deadly blow at the hands of an infected creature. At the crossroads of death, they are found by Niflheim’s cryptic Chancellor with his own agenda. Now bonded to Ardyn Izunia, and tossed into the world of Niflheim, Y/N struggles to cope with their new life as an Imperial Icon all the while battling their feelings toward their fate and that of Ardyn’s.

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The inside of the bathhouse was quiet. Steam rose from the natural springs that the establishment was built around. It was complimented by low lighting, and soothing ambiance that screamed Altissian decorum. Y/N gazed over the walls while their body soaked, admiring the craftsmanship that went into some of the tile decorations. The blue and turquoise greens glimmered from time to time against the warmth of candles nearby. A thick fog of incense smoke slithered through the air, intermingling with the hot steam coming from the surface of the water. The scent was sweet and earthy, and not one Y/N could recall to mind. Nevertheless, they liked it. 

Inside the springs was like being cocooned in another world. For a while, Y/N didn’t think about anything. The scourge, the war, and all their obligations might as well have been a million miles away. Even the attempt at Ardyn’s life almost forty eight hours ago seemed distant. 

The heat of the water numbed their aches from the scourge, and their mind of discomfort. It was funny in a way to Y/N. If they could live twenty-four-seven in a hot tub or something equivalent, they could see themself surviving the scourge and its full misery. Then again, this plague was one that loved to adapt to a challenge. It took Ardyn 800 years before he settled with his lot, and Y/N doubted they had the same endurance as he. 

The scourge seemed to have read Y/N’s mind about their little plan, for they felt their shoulders tighten. They gasped aloud. Perhaps this was a warning, or at the very least it felt like an underlying threat. Y/N took this time to gaze downward at their right shoulder. Near the collarbone was a scourge patch, followed by a deep rash that every so often ached like a burn. They noted the color was more pale in comparison to the other day. Instead of violent reds, it had muted to lighter pinks and orange specks.

Y/N recalled how excruciating the mark was initially. It was almost as if they were being branded like cattle, with no warning for when the hot iron would stick to their flesh. Even after hunkering down at the lodge hours later, the rash remained. At first, Y/N chalked this up to a sign that the scourge was getting worse, but the heaviness of it felt like another matter entirely. 

The thought of the mildew texture of the scourge on their tongue, and how they choked on their own bile during the bleedthrough pulled Y/N out of their thoughts. With a shudder, they grimaced and shook their head. Even after all this time, it was strange to acknowledge something so putrid coursed through their body like a spare blood supply.

Their mind shifted toward Ardyn, wondering if he was alright from the attack. The situation was serious enough to where he couldn't budge from the House of the Courts, nor could he communicate with anyone until the entire establishment was cleared. Y/N reassured themself. If he was worse for ware, Ardyn wouldn't have broken protocol to send a message to Y/N about the Altissian Springs. Nor would he have dived into a history lesson via text on how the waters soothed scourge marks. Much less would he suggest they meet up after Y/N had their fill enjoying a private bath at said springs. 

It was easier said than done though not to fret after what Y/N experienced. They wondered what Ardyn saw on his end during the bleedthrough, and what sort of memories of theirs he had access to now. 

That can wait for later...The rash began to act up, and Y/N cupped some water in their left palm and splashed the area. Upon hearing footsteps, their actions ceased. Squinting their eyes, Y/N looked through the thick fog coming up from the spring water. A loud creak suddenly emitted from the entry doors, and the sound reverberated for a few seconds before the doors clicked closed. 

Save for the few workers in the main office, no one was allowed inside. It was all a matter of security, according to Ardyn. To keep Y/N safe for the remainder of their stay in Altissia while tensions were high. He privately booked this time slot just for they and they alone. 

So, who the hell is that…? Y/N thought to themself. Their answer soon arrived upon seeing Ardyn’s form come into view, and Y/N felt their heart stammer. 

He was naked save for a cerulean towel that was wrapped around his waist. It looked like the one Y/N wore earlier when they first ventured into the spring suite. Scourge marks littered his flesh and left him paler than usual. He was having an inflammation attack, much like Y/N had experienced numerous times. 

“Gods…”

“I’m afraid they didn’t wager a hand on this,” Ardyn quipped. His voice a tad too quiet in comparison to his usual grandiose. 

The closer he got, Y/N noticed the bags under his eyes. Ardyn looked so tired that Y/N was surprised he hadn’t fallen asleep right then and there. They wondered how something as old as he felt right at this second. That's when Ardyn locked his gaze with Y/N. Visible confusion dwelled in his amber eyes that had Y/N taken back. It was almost as if he knew what they had been thinking. 

Ardyn’s features quickly changed. He went back to neutrality, yet he did smile. 

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Ardyn said softly. He stopped near the edge of the spring tub Y/N was in, and carefully sat down. His right hand held onto the towel so it wouldn't slip off and expose him. Eventually, Ardyn put both his feet into the water and let out a deep sigh in relief. He leaned his head forward, letting his auburn hair fall over his eyes. 

He looks like he's on cloud nine...

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon.” Y/N sunk into the water. Though the pool was murky due to the natural minerals and was therefore dark, they felt self-conscious being around Ardyn in this state. They themself were naked after all. 

“Well, here I am. In the flesh.”  Ardyn mused with a dark chuckle. He closed his eyes, letting his body get used to the heat. Afterward did he carefully push back his loose strands of hair, and adjusted his posture so he was once more sitting upright. 

“Shouldn’t you be somewhere hiding out?”

“Why would I cower away?” Ardyn raised a brow as his eyes opened. 

“You’re a political figure who nearly got slain. I mean, isn’t there a protocol for that sort of thing?” 

“Yes,” Ardyn nodded. He let out a huff. “And I chose to ignore it after the dust settled and the perpetrators were taken into custody.” 

“Why?” 

“I couldn’t very well leave you alone. Not when those that wish to harm me know you're a guest among my company." Ardyn shrugged.

“There’s plenty of Niflheim soldiers you brought along on this trip,” Y/N countered. “You could’ve had them or even Loqui watch over me here while you recouped somewhere safe.”

“As much as I adore his excellency’s personal foot soldiers, the emperor's men proved incompetent during the court fiasco. I wouldn’t forgive myself if they allowed you to perish under my command.” 

Y/N wasn't sure if their body was overheating from the water, but their pulse rose from his words. Blood rushed to their cheeks at how sincere he was. At least he was attempting to be. 

“You could get yourself killed.” Y/N sighed in protest. 

Ardyn chuckled. “You forget that I am immortal. Such altercations don’t have me worried about my welfare. If I am vanquished by someone’s hand, I’ll wake up at Angelgard like it was all a bad dream sooner or later.” 

“You make it sound like it’s happened a lot.” Y/N let out a nervous laugh. 

“Oh yes,” Ardyn mused. “I’ve honestly lost track. It gets rather boring, you see.”

“I can’t imagine!” Y/N laughed, watching Ardyn’s lips curl into a genuine smile. He breathed while rubbing the back of his neck, and it looked as if he could already feel sweat trickling down his skin from the humidity. 

“I’m sure you have a thousand questions as to what transpired. I know I’ve been vague thus far.” 

“And I can tell you’re not in a mood to answer every one of them.” Y/N smiled amidst the worry that was no doubt being conveyed through their eyes. “At least answer me this: what’s going on with your body?” 

Ardyn mulled over their question for a while, rehearsing in his head before deciding to grace Y/N with an appropriate answer. 

“I overexerted myself,” he admitted. “Some of the protestors took to arms when they were not allowed into the main chambers to confront everyone. As soon as they cast the first stone and attacked, I took action while keeping the Imperial Representatives safe. When I battle, I sometimes experience a frenzy through the scourge. My daemonic tendencies like to creep through. However, given my predicament, I couldn't let loose since I had an audience. What you're seeing before you is a punishment for holding back. The body keeping the score as one would say."

Y/N swallowed. “Is it normally this bad?” 

“No,” Ardyn replied. “In the past, at most I’ve had nose bleeds, but never inflammation and not to this extent. Not with the pain. It feels like I'm on fire. I believe the serum MedZin infected me with brought my defenses down. At least that's what Verstael theorizes how it works."

“It’s my fault.” 

“Y/N,” 

“It’s got to be. What with the bleedthrough and everything, and our bond--.” 

“Y/N,” He raised his voice slightly so as to not spook them and yet command attention. Ardyn gave a reassuring nod toward Y/N after catching wind of the sadness in their eyes. “Even if our bond contributed, it’s but a fragment compared to what the serum has done to my body. Please relax your conscience, and trust me.” 

The cadence of Ardyn's voice gave no reason for Y/N to be suspicious he was lying for the sake of pacifying. It didn’t subside all the guilt Y/N had, but his word was enough for now. They didn’t want to argue with him either. Not when he was hurting so bad. 

Y/N sighed. “What were the protestors speaking out against?” 

Ardyn was surprised at the change in subject, assuming Y/N would move on to the bleedthrough. Nevertheless he indulged them. 

“With surprise, it wasn’t because of the betrothal ceremony,” he chuckled. “The majority were Lucian sympathizers and anti-imperials. They were enraged over the agreement Madam Secretary made with Niflheim some months ago. Allowing more of our navel fleet to pass through Accordo’s seaway to reach Lucis. Apparently, some of our men have bullied the sea fairing folk along one of the waterways, thus causing strife.”

“What’s to be done about that?” 

“Nothing for now. It’s all hearsay until evidence is gathered. Obviously, they didn’t take kindly to our commitment of due process.” Ardyn had an epiphany as he decided to change the course of the conversation. “Speaking of evidence, did you get on well with Betrys D’Bhara regarding the tomb?” 

For a moment, Y/N looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Ardyn was tempted to repeat himself, but he held back to give Y/N a chance to recalibrate. He slightly smirked, knowing that sometimes Y/N's mind liked to jump ten steps ahead before their mouth could catch up. 

“I’d say we hit it off a little too well,” Y/N murmured and snorted under their breath. Before they’d allow Ardyn to question their statement, Y/N continued. “Betrys said the tomb was located off a small island near Avem. She stressed that if you want to have a look for yourself, you gotta do it ASAP. From what it sounded like, it’s going to be closed off indefinitely once Lucian officials catch wind.” 

“Ah, what fortune!” Ardyn sighed in relief. Hearing the news caused some of the tension he had been holding in his body to die down. “I think after another day of recuperation, we should make haste for Avem. The wedding isn’t for another week, so there’s plenty of time to tackle the tomb.” 

“We?” 

Ardyn nodded. “I wouldn’t mind you accompanying this little excursion of mine. Unless of course you’d rather be frolicking about with Higher Imperials and socialites?” 

“As if!” The blunt disdain of Y/N’s tone caught Ardyn off guard and he laughed. Life seemed to return to his eyes, and it almost pained Y/N for what they were about to drop on him. 

“I hate to kill the vibe,” Y/N began. “But the information came with a price.” 

“Price?” Ardyn furrowed his brows. “Did Betrys put you up to something incredulous?” 

“She said you owe her a night on the town. A date.” Y/N coughed, trying to ignore how cute it was that he was concerned for them. “I tried to redirect her on your behalf, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She made a big deal out of you not paying your dues as of late.” 

Y/N had never seen a man look so humored and mortified all at once. It took courage to not even so much as let out a giggle at his expense. 

“I should’ve known that heifer of a woman would resort to an uncouth tactic,” Ardyn bitterly remarked. He canted his head with fascination. “How do you feel about it?” 

Y/N blushed. “Why would my opinion matter? It’s your ass on the line!” 

Ardyn chortled, biting the inside of his lip as he cheekily pressed forward. “What if I were to say I value your opinion at this stage of our companionship?”

“I’d say what’s the catch this time?” 

“That does so hurt my feelings,” Ardyn slyly feigned hurt. He smiled upon seeing Y/N roll their eyes at him albeit playfully. “I am nonetheless curious, and it would be an honor if you’d indulge me.” 

There was a strong part of Y/N that wanted to tell him not to go through with the arrangement, but they had no clue how to justify themself. Not without looking crazy. Not when Y/N didn’t know why they felt overprotective of him. Nonetheless, they couldn't leave him in silence.

"I’ve come to find rich and powerful people of Eos do weird things with and to each other. It’s not my place to judge since I didn’t grow up in this world. But given your history, I’m worried about you.” 

“My history?” Ardyn huffed. “You don’t think I can court?” 

Y/N’s mouth dropped. “I never said you couldn’t, but…”

“But? ” He said it so salaciously that if he weren’t practically naked, Y/N would’ve found a way to drag him into the spring and dunk his head underwater. 

“2,000 years is a long time to not be in the dating scene.” 

“What makes you believe I haven’t had my way with numerous charming women or men who have been taken with me?” He almost looked appalled even with his sly comeback. 

Y/N hesitated. “Because of the loyalty you had for Aera.” 

Ardyn narrowed his gaze. He felt strange as mixed feelings flooded him. Anger at being called out, and joy that someone understood that old side of himself so deeply. He felt he should've known better. That Y/N would see through his coltish pride. 

“I didn’t mean to offend you. I just know because of the bleedthrough.” 

“It’s quite alright,” Ardyn gently dismissed. He sighed through his nose, and loosened his features. A faint smile pressed itself upon his lips as he tenderly recalled a memory of his beloved. How Aera plucked up the courage to tell him she had feelings for him, and how he had been clueless. It felt like both an eternity ago, and as if it happened yesterday. Time was a cruel temptress. 

“You know,” Ardyn murmured delicately. “I remember being surprised when she fell for me.” 

“Why, don’t you like yourself?” Y/N sarcastically quipped. His laugh made their body jump, causing the water around their chest to slosh. 

“I do, I just didn’t think it was contagious!" 

There was a moment of silence that arrived after the laughs died down. The only noise that dwelled within the room was the sound of moisture droplets meeting the water's surface as the humidity increased. 

Ardyn cleared his throat and gestured with his head toward Y/N. “Mind turning the other cheek so that I may submerge?” 

“Uh,” Y/N did a double take, then nodded while tucking a strand of their hair back. They averted their gaze downward. “Yeah, go for it.” 

Y/N didn’t dare look up as they heard the towel hit the tile floor and the sound of water splashing. They felt their body sway from the small waves Ardyn created after he jumped in. As he walked along the bottom, Y/N could feel the movement of his legs underwater. A weight fell upon their chest, and their heart rapidly sped. 

“There are other pools available,” Y/N said before they could stop themself. They glanced between the water’s dark green hues and Ardyn who was now chest deep and making himself comfortable a few feet away.  “You could have one to yourself.” 

Ardyn swam toward the pool ridge, leaning his head against the edge while he contently closed his eyes and laughed at the remark. “I don’t much care for large bodies of water. It gives me, shall we say, apprehension. Though if my presence offends you I could--”

“No!” Y/N interrupted. They realized how desperate that sounded especially when they met Ardyn’s eyes and the mocking expression he gave. “Forget about it. I just didn’t want to embarrass your honor, as the socialites say.” 

Ardyn snorted. “Embarrass my honor?”

“You know, see you naked.” 

“I took you for being shy but not a prude.” Ardyn teased. 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“Take from it what you will.” Ardyn shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not my place to solve every riddle for you.” 

“At least I’m not scared of open water like some people.” Y/N quipped.

“At least I acknowledge the primal fear,” Ardyn said bluntly. “Unlike someone who is terrified of potentially seeing a naked man in full. It’s quite telling of your lack of maturity.” 

Y/N scoffed. Embarrassment was close to how they would describe feeling at this particular moment. Ardyn's chortles after the fact didn’t help. He definitely won this battle of wits, much to Y/Ns chagrin. 

Y/N was thankful Ardyn didn’t seem to have anything else clever to say at the moment. He began to clean himself, his hands splashing water against scourge ridden skin. That was when something red caught Y/N's attention from the corner of their eye. Something unsettling. 

There was a large dark scab upon Ardyn's right shoulder. The exact spot where Y/N's own rash was located.

Y/N's eyes nearly bulged, wondering why they hadn't noticed until now. 

“Ardyn,”

“Hm?” He canted his head curiously as concern began to take root against his features. 

“Is that from the attack?” Y/N lifted their right hand out of the water and gestured toward the injury. 

Ardyn looked down. “A rather embarrassing moment on my part. Prior to the full brawl, a protestor managed to knife me mid-handshake. Oldest trick in the book and I fell prey to it!” 

Ardyn smiled. He was about to say something wittier until he caught onto how scared Y/N appeared. Before Ardyn could ask what was wrong, the rash and scourge markings on Y/N's shoulder came into his peripheral. His features became cold, almost stoic while he put two and two together.

“You felt what happened to me, didn’t you?” Ardyn asked quietly. He swam over to Y/N until he was standing in front of them. 

“Yeah,” Y/N muttered with a nod. “I think I might’ve.” 

“I see.” Ardyn glared and cast his gaze to the tiled wall not far from them, blinking a few times while he contemplated. 

Y/N let out a breath. “During this last bleedthrough, it popped up. I felt like my arm was being ripped open, and the rash appeared. Of all places, it happened at The Serpent Society's headquarters.”

“Did Tuti come to your aid during this blight?” 

“Yeah, Tuti made sure I was safe when that happened. She shielded me from everyone.” Y/N paused for a moment to think. “Ardyn, what do you--”

“Did you feel or sense anything else?” His eyes were serious, poised as if to strike.  

“No,” Y/N shook their head while they recalled the odd wave of emotions that overtook them when they, Loqui and Tuti made it back to the residence.

One moment they felt anxious, and the next they had a strong urgency to protect what was around them. Loqui at one point had to step in and snap them out of it because of how irate Y/N had become. The anxiety felt natural. It was a common symptom Y/N experienced when the scourge flared. However, nothing could explain the overprotectiveness. It finally dawned on why Y/N felt at odds: the hypervigilance was Ardyn's feelings during the riot, not their own. It scared Y/N at how far they had blended into him without knowing. 

Y/N knew deep down their response was a lie, and they hoped Ardyn wouldn't catch onto it. 

“Good,” Ardyn sighed in relief as if his secrets remained under lock and key. He once more looked at his wound. The sharper edges were starting to seal up from his regenerative powers. He mulled over questioning Y/N further, then decided to speak his mind. 

“I’ve never had this happen before,” Ardyn began. “A physical manifestation of one’s wounds carrying on to another is unprecedented." 

"You felt your bonded die though when he killed himself." 

Ardyn frowned. "Though I felt the pain of the blade, and the sensation of my innards tumbling outward, it didn't truly happen to me. Not like this occurrence." 

“So,” Y/N let out a breath. “This is truly new for you?” 

“Yes,” Ardyn admitted. “It explains much on my end of things.” 

Y/N was curious as to what Ardyn meant by that. They wondered if he had been experiencing emotions that were out of place, or weren't exactly of his mind's own making. As much as they wanted to recant their earlier answer, Y/N didn't dare broach the subject. Now wasn't the time. Not when he was exhausted from what happened at the House of the Courts, and not when he was perplexed at what was going on between them.

Speaking of...Y/N's eyes widened a little. They thought back to some of their intrusive thoughts regarding Ardyn. Y/N hoped through their bond he hadn't picked up on such feelings. Especially the ones that had been more inclined to intimacy versus wanting to tear his head off. They were so caught up in worry, that Y/N didn't noticed how close Ardyn was to them. When it finally hit them, Y/N felt their skin tremble. 

Goosebumps began to prickle their way down Y/N's arms when Ardyn's calloused fingertips gently felt over the rash. A look of regret washed over his features that had Y/N confused. He looked guilty of something, but Y/N couldn't pinpoint the reason. 

“You must keep this information only between us,” Ardyn warned. His hardened gaze held a quiet plead. “I know you don’t speak with Verstael, but he can’t catch wind of what's going on. This is something we'll figure out together. In the meantime, I’ll do my part to not be as reckless so you won’t suffer for my actions.” 

Y/N’s breathing became unsteady. The humidity from the springs, and their nerves being contributors. That's when they felt a compulsion begin to manifest. Y/N wasn't sure if it was of their own volition, or from the peculiar bond they shared with Ardyn, but suddenly their hands reached for his body. Their palms rested against his chest before their fingers traveled upward, and smoothly traced over the wound; nearly mimicking the same motions he had applied to their own rash. 

“I promise I won’t say anything,” Y/N murmured. They noted how Ardyn winced from the contact, but he didn't back away. Nor did he demand they stop. 

Ardyn had every intention to back away, yet he remained in place. His thumb continued to rub circles near Y/N's rash. He couldn't help but lean more into the touch Y/N provided in turn. A wave of mixed feelings began to brew in his gut and spread out. All the while, Ardyn could've sworn he could hear two pulses ringing in his ears. That of his own, and that of Y/N's. He felt the danger that presented itself right then and there, and yet he couldn't resist the devil pulling him further into the shallows. The entities within his body rapidly spoke. He couldn't distinguish what was being said, but could feel something urging him on. 

The scourge wants this... As soon as his own voice broke through his psyche, the others drifted away, little by little. Until it was only he and he alone. 

I want this...

“Y/N,” He muttered their name quietly, hoping they wouldn’t hear but he watched their expression change to concern.

"Yeah?" 

Ardyn gestured his chin toward them. “That pin in your hair. Take it out.” 

Y/N was speechless. The request was odd, but they found themself doing as he said. They pulled the small object out from their head, allowing their dampened strands to fall and cradle their face. Further surprise came when both of Ardyn's hands cupped either side. Y/N felt nervous, seeing the way he looked at them. It was like his eyes were beholding something he had lost, and now having found it, wasn't sure if he could let it go again. 

The million and one questions Y/N had all but disappeared and were replaced by a sudden urgency; a strong desire to be close. As if the scourge needed to be at home with its own kind. As if Y/N needed to get this flighty feeling out of their system.

"Even with the scourge, your light remains." 

A somersaulting flutter in Y/N's stomach grew when he leaned forward, and pressed his nose to the crook of their neck. Y/N closed their eyes, feeling a million questions fly by along with a yearning. They were surprised that he didn't attempt to feed. Instead he pulled away, his eyes boring into theirs while he whispered. 

“My morning sun." 

Y/N's mind went blank as their hands reached around Ardyn's head. Their fingers entangled into his dampened locks, and they captured his lips in a deep kiss.

Ardyn gasped into Y/N's mouth. His body remained in freeze, until the soft warmth of Y/N's lips pulling against his own made him return the affections. Every part of himself was screaming to stop, but it felt too good. Y/N felt too good. 

The pulsing beat of both his heart and Y/N's in his head drove Ardyn mad with hunger. Quick pecks began to devolve into something more primal as Ardyn's right hand left Y/N's cheek, wrapping around their waist and pulling them flush to his chest. He felt so intoxicated that he hadn't noticed himself tempting one of Y/N's legs to hook around his waist. 

The water sloshed around both their naked bodies, and Ardyn felt Y/N’s teeth begin to pull and suckle his bottom lip. Before his tongue could beckon for entrance into Y/N’s mouth, that’s when Ardyn felt the bile of darkness creep through his veins. Feeling the scourge leak from his gums, Ardyn violently tore himself off of Y/N and pushed them to the side. He panted heavily, as if he had been drowning in a sea that he wished would've taken him elsewhere. 

He slowly glanced toward Y/N, seeing they too looked just as confused and shocked. There was also an underlying fear in Y/N’s eyes that made Ardyn look at them questionably. He caught his reflection in the water and saw his eyes were pitch black, save for the dying embers that were his irises. 

“I’m-” Ardyn began, but he couldn’t find any words. There was nothing he could say to fix this or save his own skin regarding his actions. Shame was one of the many emotions he felt as logic and reason returned. 

Y/N swallowed regrettably and reached out toward him. “Ardyn, I'm so sor--”

"Don't!" Ardyn recoiled away. He averted his gaze, and with haste wiped the side of his mouth and quickly swam for the edge. As he got out of the spring and grabbed his towel, Ardyn ignored the pleads of Y/N asking him to come back as he ventured to the exit.

Ardyn slammed the doors behind him, and Y/N was once again left alone. 

[sillylittlevulpine]

I've got an Ardyn Body Pillow that I've just commissioned and I'm so very excited about it! ^^

I'm literally feeling so happy about it. I got the concept sketches tonight and sent payments over. It's official!! Lineart is being done this week

Go support @savage-rhi

I had no idea where to even look and guess who helped me look. Also if you hadn't posted your body pillow I wouldn't have been brave enough to ask anyone lmao

Why is everyone in Ardyn hell so nice??? We're all heads over heels for the creepiest Bastard I've ever seen in a game. And yet literally the chillest Fandom space I've had the pleasure to walk in. Like lots of adult content over here but there is absolutely no disrespect towards anyone ever over here. Such a breath of fresh air. This is the first Fandom I've joined in on the adult side. I've been so pleasantly surprised. I absolutely LOVE all you guys with my whole heart! Everyone I've interacted with is a sweetheart!

💜💜💜💜💜

[nosydogsoaps]

BLACK SUN (ardyn) - FFXV Inspired Soap

Spiced patchouli, old cologne, dark, musty, and mysterious, with just a touch of vanilla and a glimmer of bright citrus, remnants of sweetness and light from an age long faded from memory.  There is nothing that can be done to wash away a thousand years worth of plotting, malice, and spite-- but why not try?

.

mr. nasty trash hat man himself <3 the fragrance for his soap is so dark and musky but also Very Sensual, kind of a charred sweetness to it. :'3

[a-world-in-grey]

This is gonna be pretty much stream of consciousness because I Have An Idea But Words Are Hard. Anyway.

In Spark verse, if Ramuh is aware that the prophecy was irreversibly derailed because Ifrit happened, he might be willing to intervene more directly in the world. Not by showing up in his Astral form, oh no. But, more subtle stuff could be happening. (Let it be know that Astrals have a different definition of "subtle" than humans.)

Like say. Niflheim's initial invasion, the one right after the Wall got pulled in, getting completely wrecked by some storms.

Everyone thinks that it's just hurricane season starting early but still. The emperor can't just order another invasion right away, because they just lost a huge amount of resources with literally nothing to show for it. In fact, if Besithia's research was sufficiently derailed by Ardyn and Ifrit's escape, those were human soldiers and not MTs who died in the invasion. So the support for war is also low.

Anyway, this is where your post about Lucis-Galahd fealty comes in. Because this Galahd still has access to their copies of the treaty. And they are not above bringing out diplomatic guns to get some help from the Mainland. They don't think Mors will actually send soldiers but sending some financial and medical aid would be nice.

Mors' answer is Very Much Not Diplomatic.

In fact, it's pretty much just saying "you are on your own" but with fancy wording.

The Chiefs all look at each other, look at the treaty and shrug because it that's how Mors wants to do it then ok. Hard way it is. They send another message, this time stating that they consider Mors to be breaking the terms of the treaty that assured Galahd's conditional fealty to the King. (Copies of this message might be send to various regional governors of Lucis. And to Tenebrae. And to Altissia.)

And then they put stop to all export of Galahdian goods to Lucis. Because if we are not part of the kingdom anymore then all those trade agreements are not valid anymore, you know how it is, they say to all traders who complain. This all will have to be negotiated again.

Meanwhile nobles and commoners alike are side-eyeing Mors, because they might not care about some island savages but the price of chocolate just increased 10 times. And prices of spices, and of silk, and of gemstones, and of exotic hardwoods and...

(Basically Mors gets screwed over but Eos' equivalent of brexit)

Not sure if this is the direction I'll take this fic in, but I am always entertained by Mors getting screwed over by his own poor decisions. Now, if only more of his poor decisions affected him instead of everyone else that would be fantastic.

[seradyn]

First Line, Last Line, Best Line

Tagged by @blossom-adventures for this (sorry it’s late 😅)

Doing it for A Dream Come True - Chp 12

I’ll tag @savage-rhi cause I know you’ve been cookin up some spice 🤤 Anyone else is free to do it too!

First Line

“>> What do you mean you won’t be able to play games with me today >:((((((

>> Satus, I do have a life, you know.

>> Life shmife! You always play games with me on Saturday!

You sighed down at the little device, your breath coming out as a wispy cloud under winter’s crisp sun. You were standing outside your apartment, waiting for Ardyn’s attendant to come pick you up, the glow of your phone illuminating your face. A restless crowd shuffled around you, the city alight with the excitement of a freedom the weekend promised.”

Last Line

(not technically cause I haven’t finished the end but here’s a snippet)

“Nuzzling his cheek against your forehead, Ardyn wondered how he was going to wake you. Part of him wanted to say to hell with the emperor, but he had too much left to do for that just yet. Still, he was quite sad what little peace he’d found that day was already coming to an end. Moments like that were so rare, he wanted to prolong it for as long as he could. Alas, the emperor was not a patient man.

“Darling…” Ardyn whispered, nudging you with his cheek. When you have no response, he said your name, a little louder now. You roused slightly at hearing it, whimpering as you began to regain consciousness. Stubbornly, you burrowed yourself deeper into the folds of his clothes, hiding your face from the setting Sun. Ardyn smiled at your defiance, but he knew you couldn’t stay there forever.”

Best Line

“It was green. So wonderfully, organically green. The white tiles gave way to a lush field of grass, whose neatly trimmed blades were left just tall enough to tickle your ankles. The wet dirt squished under your heels, welcoming you with its embrace.

And there were flowers. Rows upon rows of flowers, organized by species and all in full bloom. In winter, no less. Orchids, tulips, roses, sylleblossoms, in more colors than there were in a rainbow. There were hundreds - no, thousands, it must have been. Some with blossoms that hung like bells, and others whose petals were spread wide, reaching upward towards an absent sun. Butterflies and bees took advantage of their vulnerability, gorging themselves on the nectar kept in their blooms.”

[sparklecryptid]

Ardyn/Regis for ship bingo

Ah yes, the crack ship I like more than I should. The whole ‘Trying to kill each other at least once’ is an integral part of this! They have to try and kill each other to find any common ground! Murder is a spice and Regis is pissed off that he can’t kill Ardyn!

He’s tried of course. He had his sword pierce Ardyn’s chest but the fucker still won’t die.

(But I can make this ship sooooo stupid. So stupid.)

[itsgeecheebitch]

Until Darkness Descends

CHAPTER: 22

FANDOM: Final Fantasy XV

MAIN PAIR: Ardyn Izunia x Reader

SEC. PAIR: Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader

RATING: Explicit

WARNING: Brief mention of suicide

          Spices and the earthy scent of incense was potent in the air when you walked in. There was a tiny bell above the door that chimed when you opened it, announcing your arrival. Scarlet tapestries fashioned the brown walls, depicting intricate geometric shapes. The rest of the shop was shrouded by translucent red curtains. Parting them, you slipped through and made your presence known. 

             Peaches looked up from her desk and flashed you with her award winning smile. “Welcome, I’m so glad you decided to stop by.” She said, “Sit, git comfortable. Would’ya like some tea, sweetie?” Just as the words left her mouth, the shrill cries of the kettle wailed behind her.

            “No I’m fine, but thank you.” You replied. Getting up, she disappeared behind a brown curtain and returned with a tray of two mugs, a teapot, and a side dish of cookies. Wisps of steam curled from her filled cup, the sweet aroma of jasmine leaves swaddled your nose. 

            She took a noisy sip from her drink while you looked around the shop. The room was illuminated by a dozen candles. Orange flames danced merrily atop white stems with an accumulating pile of wax at the base. A statue depicting the naked torso of a woman stood sentinel in the corner. 

            Clearing your throat, you took a seat across from her. “So how does all of this work exactly?

             “Real simple, hun.”Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a deck of white cards. “Just shuffle these cards for me and they’ll reveal all we need to know”.

             Your brow raised as you took the cards from her. Flipping the cards over revealed no graphics on them. You were no expert on fortune telling, far from it, but you were sure tarot cards were supposed to be filled with images. Except, these cards held no such things, not even simple designs, they were completely blank. The nagging thought to leave tickled the nape of your neck. 

            But you were already here, and even if this trip turned out to be a huge waste of time, as you expected, it was not like you were going to miss the five gil. Swallowing your criticisms, you shuffled the blank deck of cards and handed them back to the woman. 

            Placing her cup down, she laid the cards flat on the table. “So how will this help me figure out my dream?” You asked.

            “You’ll see.” She gave you a friendly wink. “Let’s see what we got here.” She flipped over the first card. You watched with rapt attention as an image washed away the blank nothingness of the card. Dark angry storm clouds brewed in the background with a tummy full of lightning. In the heart and center of the graphic was a sword embedded in a large boulder. Fissures and cracks blemished the smooth surface where the sword protruded.”Hmm, interestin’” Peaches said.

          “What does it mean?” 

          Sapphire eyes looked back at you, a dull solemness replacing the warm twinkle that usually appeared in them. “It means trouble, hun. Yer life won’t be an easy one movin’ forward.” She answered. 

          As though your life ever was an easy one. You didn’t put much thought into the prediction. Even if it coincidentally came true, you’ve weathered storms before. Life couldn’t throw you any hurdles you couldn’t overcome. Your childhood was proof of that.

         Another card was flipped over. Color soaked into the surface like blood, revealing the image of a heart. Veins protrude from the bleeding organ, it swelled in places where the chains didn’t reach. Its middle was completely strangled by its bondage, looking very much like a balloon ready to burst. A small dagger pierced through the muscle and made your throat bob with a thick ball of saliva.

       “You’ll be betrayed by the one you love most.” Peaches said. You wondered how she was doing this. What sort of spell was she casting to flood the cards with these disturbing images? You weren’t able to mull over the thought further as another card was flipped over. 

        An impenetrable darkness stared back at you, as cold and cruel as the nightmare that visited you while you slept. Standing before it was a girl, her lithe form swaddled in white garb. Black veins crawled over the back of her dress and looked like spindly fingers trying to grab her.  

         Oxygen froze in your lungs. A creeping sort of dread pooled low in your belly. You swallowed but the lump in your throat refused to disappear. It was a silly reaction to a fortune telling but you couldn’t stop the nerves from popping and scattering like a million atoms in your gut. 

        “Darkness will fill yer life and try to consume ya.” Air stuttered out of your nose. You could image the mist that swelled in the distance, the black tendrils that crawled like snakes underneath the surface of the muddy ocean, and the pitch black nothingness of being pulled into its depths. 

           Peaches turned over another card. The image of a naked woman on her knees jumped out at you. Her knees were scraped raw and oozed tiny beads of blood. Lacerations latticed the skin on her back and her face was buried in her hands. “You’ll be hurt for thangs you caint control.” 

          When the next card was turned, the first thing you noticed was a heart on an ebony altar. A pool of crimson cushioned the fileted organ and darkness loomed over the scene like a curious observer. 

          “Yer heart will be sacrificed for the lives of many and weaken the darkness. If you remain strong, it’ll only be yer heart you’ll lose” Peaches explained.

            You looked at her, perplexed. “What do you mean by ‘losing my heart’?”

             “Your ability to love.” She said. That only confused you even more. 

               Questions bludgeoned your brain, your hand trembling with a nervousness you couldn’t explain. “So I’m gonna sacrifice my ability to love for the lives of others? What does that even mean?”

              She shook her head, causing the spiraling curls to sway about her face. “Only the gods know, sweetie.”

              You leaned against the back of your chair, your mounting curiosity was a boulder on your lap. Inquisitive eyes met the image once more, as though you could find the answers of your questions in it. Another thought stirred the inside of your stomach, bringing a tightness to your throat. “And if I don’t remain strong after losing my ‘heart’?”

               Peaches took another sip of her tea, allowing the question to linger in the air like an unwelcome guest. She cleared her throat and flipped over the last card on the table.

               “You’ll die.” 

                 Unease carved open your gut as you stared at the card, at the rope gnawing into the limp woman’s neck, at the all consuming blackness of the background that watched the girl’s final moments. Jitters excited the nerves in your hand. Sickness raced down the back of your throat. You couldn’t understand why her predictions unsettled you so much. You weren’t a believer of fantastical predictions, only the Oracle was privy to the words of the gods, and not some fortune teller in the middle of nowhere. But that didn’t stop the fine hairs on the back of your neck from standing. 

            You swallowed the acrid taste in your mouth and looked back at her. There was no sanity in your reaction, no explanation for the nerves jumping out of your skin, only the ice cold dread of internal instincts and the unnerving whisper that it was true, as if you were born understanding this. 

          You licked your lips and opened your mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. Questions smeared across your mind, too many to ask, and too many to give answers to. But one stood out against the crowd. 

         With a knot in your stomach you asked, “what is the darkness exactly?”

         She tilted her head and gave you a curious look as though you should know the answer. The knot in your gut squeezed tighter. The answer echoed from a deep dark part of you before she even opened her mouth.

        “Why, the one you love most, hun.”

[adagaium]

☄

Send ☄ for one random headcanon I have for my muse!

while ardyn doesn't necessarily need to eat ( proven by 2000 years of being imprisoned with NOTHING to sustain him ), he sure enjoys it! he'll try anything at least once, and has a habit of trying local food wherever he goes!

on this note, sure, he decided to trash everything during the founder's day celebration and mainly disguised himself as mars sapientia, but he had points where he would compile an appearance from various traits of other people he'd daemonified ( to make a new unique appearance! after all, people were wondering where mars went )- just so he could go around and try various foods!

he misses a lot of the spices of the foods of solheim, though ...

[angelic-guardienne]

ardyn dumbification

this happened for no reason at all. not inspired by a dream or anything. just poof! woke up at 3 am and wrote it all in one sitting. i think it says something that the first thing i’ve written in months is ardyn smut, lol. 

Ardyn/F!Reader (2,185 words)

Warnings: super duper smut. edging, a little degradation, dumbification (fucks you so good you can’t think), overstimulation, orgasm denial, spanking, cockwarming, oral sex (male and female receiving), creampie/unprotected sex

Taglist: @mp938368 @valkyrieofardyn @zer0pm @sevansheart @bestchocobois @jaysfandomcorner @glacian-apocalypse @blindedstarlight @tales-of-a-fallen-star god. where the hell is everyone

--

ardyn makes the decision on a whim. you haven’t done anything to deserve the punishment he’s about to give you; he just wants to make you cry and beg for his cock

he moves forward with his plans that very night. you’re lying next to him, asleep. it all starts with his hand under your shirt. gently, so as to not wake you. 

he wants to make you moan in your sleep, just for him. 

and you do exactly that as he fondles your breasts -- you’re like putty in his fingers and he simply cannot get enough of you

when his touch gets rougher, you wake up. as soon as he notices that you’re more responsive to him, he sits up and pulls you into his lap. he tsks at your sleepy face, dazed and horny as he’s made you

he likes you like this -- malleable, still not awake enough to become bratty, where the first and only thing you direct your attention to is how much you need him. idly, he thinks he should wake you like this more often.

you don’t know what’s going on, but you lean into his touch like you would in any other circumstance

“you’ve been a very good girl for me,” ardyn mutters into your ear, “and good girls get rewards.”

it’s a simple enough premise that you nod along, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and mindlessly starting to grind against him. 

ardyn stills your hips, grinning down at you. “and you’ll get it, in time, after I have my fun.” he relishes in the way you just stare at him, completely unaware of the storm heading your way

he tells you to undress, so you do. he lays you over his lap and caresses your ass, squeezing and groping what belongs to him

it makes you moan. you know what’s coming, and you can’t help the way you squirm when he asks you to count for him in that gravelly voice of his

one, two, three, all the way to thirty. you’re fully awake now, voice hoarse, ass raw, and cunt absolutely sopping wet. 

ardyn just laughs at you, running his fingers through your wetness and admiring the way you shiver and hiss

he makes you lay on your back and you whimper at the feeling of the sheets against your tender skin. even though they’re cool, it provides little relief. 

he knows that what you need right now is him. he knows that you’re always incredibly sensitive after he spanks you. he knows that you could probably cum on his cock without him even moving.

ardyn knows all of this. so when he lays down at your side and presses light kisses to your neck, you know he’s just teasing you

it makes you whine and grab his hand to shove his fingers up inside of you, but he curls them so they just bunch up outside. you whine pitifully again, body shaking.

“it’s not fair,” you whimper, trying again to get him to at least use his fingers. “riling me up like this to not even fuck me…”

“in due time, my dear.” 

and then he rolls the fuck over and stops touching you completely. your mouth gapes as you just stare at him, offended by the sheer audacity

you know you could easily take care of yourself, but you also know that would upset him greatly. besides, you’re intrigued. you decide to play along with his little game, excited to see what the payoff will be.

ardyn teases you relentlessly and leaves you hanging every. single. time. 

he cycles through a lot of the same methods, doing all the things he knows will work you up beyond belief. you can’t find a rhythm with it because you never know what to expect, and it’s driving you crazy.

sometimes he’s got you on your knees in front of him, his hand digging into your hair as he holds your head down on his cock

he fucks your face fast and hard and deep and all you can think about, gagging and choking and whimpering, is how badly you want him to turn you around and fuck you just like this

he doesn’t cum down your throat or even in your mouth -- he knows better than to do that. the feeling alone has made you cum before, untouched, and as riled as you are now, it would defeat the purpose of all the teasing. 

so he spends himself on your chest, then leaves you there to clean yourself up.

sometimes he spanks you, hit after hit after hit

he goes until you’re shaking and moaning and barely able to contain yourself, mindlessly begging him even though you don’t know if you want him to stop or keep going

he decides for you, every time. and he knows from the quiver in your leg that you’re one more hit away from cumming, your body trained so nicely for him. so again, he leaves you there, body burning for him.

sometimes he’s got you on your back, face buried between your thighs, eating you out like a man starved. the first time he did it, you were relieved, foolishly thinking that finally, this torture was over and you were going to get your reward

you were wrong, of course

he stops when you get that same quiver in your leg, the one that lets him know you’re about to fall over the edge. he kisses the insides of your thighs until you calm down, and then goes right back to eating you out again. 

he starts and stops and starts and stops, over and over again, until you’re crying and begging him to let you go, the stimulation becoming painful. you don’t even care about cumming at that point, you just need him to stop. so he does, leaving you aching.

sometimes he’s got you in his lap, your back pressed against his chest, letting his hands roam your body freely. he whispers absolutely filthy things in your ear, enjoying how you squirm and whimper for him

he slides his fingers inside you and you already know that at this point, they alone would never be enough. but it doesn’t help that he seems to be deliberately missing your g-spot and is very careful not to brush against your clit. 

but the whole thing still leaves you completely wrecked, tears streaming down your cheeks as you look up at him and beg him for mercy. 

ardyn delights in the way you can’t seem to stop moving, your body desperately chasing any kind of proper friction completely on its own. he strokes your cheek and coos at you, watching you sob and hiccup and beg

and he leaves you hanging. again.

you don’t know how long he decides to continue this little game for -- you lost track of the time shortly after it started. it feels like it’s been weeks, and knowing ardyn, it may well have been. by the end, the only thing you can form a complete thought about is how badly you need him to fuck you unconscious

it seems like instinct, ardyn knowing that you were finally ready for your reward. he doesn’t say it outright, leaving it to you to figure it out.

when he puts you on your knees and tells you to beg for it, you grovel and whine and beg and plead like your life depends on it, and you’re so desperate for him that you might actually die if he denies you again.

luckily for you, he has no such plans

he sets you on his lap and tells you to finish yourself on his thigh. it’s not enough and you both know it, but you’re so beyond relieved at finally being allowed to cum that you follow his direction without hesitation. 

you cum so fast that it honestly takes him by surprise; in no time at all, your leg starts to shake, and then your whole body follows as you ride out your first orgasm of the night, clinging to him for dear life.

the sight of you like this is the most beautiful thing he’s ever had the joy of experiencing, and he commits it to memory as he finally, finally slides himself into you

you’re impossibly wet and he loves it, able to fill you completely in just one stroke

he lets you sit there and cockwarm him for now, admiring the way your body twitches at the euphoria of finally having the one thing you’ve needed this whole time: him.

you’re already seeing stars by the time he decides to move, and when he lays you on your back to fuck you properly, you shoot into subspace

you cum again after one particularly hard thrust, and ardyn chuckles low and deep right in your ear, grabbing your hips and pulling your body tighter against his

he fucks you just like that until you cum again, screaming his name as the tears start to roll down your cheeks at the sheer intensity of it

it’s overwhelming. his cock is hitting so deep inside you, it feels like he’s in your fucking stomach, it should hurt but all you want, all you can think about is more, more, more, and ardyn is all too happy to provide

he pulls out and flips you over so you’re on your knees. as soon as you notice the emptiness you’re pleading for him to fill you up again, wiggling and squirming and unknowingly making it more difficult for him to get you where he wants you

he smacks your ass to make you sit still but it only riles you more. with a dark grin, he keeps going until you cum once more

you feel too weak to even move, all you can do is take whatever he gives you

and when he finally gets you just where he wants you -- ass high in the air, back arched, face deep in the mattress -- and he slides into you again, you swear you’re seeing divine light.

he goes deep, deeper than before, deeper still when he leans down to press his chest against your back, and you can barely fucking breathe, much less think

he starts fucking you hard and slow, periodically grinding his hips in a circle just because he knows it drives you crazy, just to see how wrecked you become.

suffice to say he’s delighted with your trembling form, the sheen of sweat covering your body, and that the only things escaping you are moans, sobs, and his name. 

he’s asking you a question and you know he is, but you can’t even grasp a coherent string of thought to begin to answer him. you start crying again, whimpering out some completely garbled nonsense

ardyn outright laughs at you -- you’re so fucked out you can’t even speak correctly

“seems i’ve fucked every single thought out of that pretty little head of yours. you just need your dumb cunt stuffed full, don’t you, dear? have i fucked you stupid?”

he shifts and you feel like if he goes any deeper he’ll come out of your mouth, and the pure euphoria is too much to handle

he reaches around and starts to rub your clit, but just the first touch is enough to make you cum again. if you were in a better state of mind, you might have felt ashamed for being so easy, but right now all you can think about is the dick filling you beyond the brim, giving you more than you can take

he doesn’t slow down or give you any room to think or breathe, just starts pressing kisses and little bites into your neck 

“one more,” he says, breath ragged as his own orgasm quickly approaches, “one more and i’ll let you rest.”

somewhere deep in your mind, you think that you couldn’t possibly recover from this -- from the intensity of the buildup, from so many orgasms in one go, from ardyn rearranging your pussy to form to him and only him -- it’s all too much

but when he yanks on your hair and practically abuses your poor clit and demands that you cum on him so he can breed you like the whore you are… who are you to deny him?

so you cum, screaming, crying, jerking, shaking, and you can already feel your consciousness fading as he twitches inside you and fills you with his cum. the heat is unbearable

by the time ardyn pulls out, you’re long gone, having already passed out from exhaustion. he smiles at you fondly as he cleans the both of you up

he thinks back on the experience as a whole, and he knows this will not be the last time. seeing you that desperate for him was something he will never be able to pass up again. 

he caresses your cheek, thinking that you still look absolutely peaceful even with the dried tears and the drool beneath your chin. you’re radiant just like this, and he can’t wait to do it all over again.

[savage-rhi]

Immortal Shield  Chapter 12: The Battle of Formouth

**DM or comment if you want to be tagged in updates on tumblr

**To read previous chapters, hit this link

Tagging: @seradyn​

Caelan let out a depressing sigh as she tucked her cell phone into the pocket of her pants. She had attempted to call Ardyn several times. Each time it went to voicemail. Though there was a trickle of worry Caelan had regarding him, she assumed Ardyn must’ve been asleep. Night was beginning to make its presence known in the Leide region as the colorful skies disappeared and made way for greys and blacks. Caelan assumed it was darker over in Duscae given the more forest and swamp terrain. She wasn't going to lie to herself, it did hurt not hearing his voice this evening. Her nerves were beginning to show. Ardyn's voice had grown to become a comfort for such emotions.

As Caelan pulled the Scepter over and got out past the Three Valleys, she could see several constellations as the moon began to take over for the sun. Caelan readied the camera that Florens had let her borrow for this mission, making sure the settings were night friendly. She didn’t want to risk screwing up the photoshoot while she had a rare chance to see what the Lucians at the stronghold were up to. Once complete, Caelan took in a deep breath and summoned Raksasha, making sure the blade would be ready to use if worse came to worse before willing the sword to disappear again. As the sword popped back into it's own dimension, Caelan's thoughts ventured to Ardyn. A part of her wondering if he was ignoring the calls on purpose.

"He's a grown man. If he had a problem with you, he'd straight up say something. It's Ardyn for crying out loud." Caelan said to herself, attempting to self soothe all the while subconsciously psyching herself up for what the night would entail as she went back to her vehicle and started the engine up.

Later on, Caelan parked the Scepter far away behind some trees in the desert off a dirt road path. She walked the rest of the way towards the ruins of the Norduscaen Blockade, where the Formouth Garrison didn’t lie too much further. It was a fifteen minute jog, and when she arrived at her destination, Caelan was surprised to see how the ex-Niflheim base was bustling with life. There were lights as far as the eye could see. Many Lucian troops lurked around the perimeter as well. They were armed to the teeth, and whatever was going on behind closed doors she couldn’t make out. Walls sealed away all of the bases secrets, and Caelan muttered a few curses knowing this wouldn’t be enough evidence to get anyone higher up to do anything.

Crouching down behind a hill, Caelan kept her stomach to the ground and crawled with the camera. Once she got to the top and felt safe, she rose the upper half of her body and snapped a few shots of the entry point. The camera was silent as the lens clattered away, and after she checked the screen to make sure she got a few clear shots, Caelan began to scout the entire area of the base.

It was hard to say how long Caelan traveled around the strongholds entirety, but she collected almost a hundred shots. The most damning of them all, she got from a high point of a rock formation after climbing it. The photo showed there were hundreds of refugees in brown garb, mining material and doing other kinds of hard labor in a courtyard. Nevertheless, it wasn’t absolute proof of something heinous. Caelan understood how her evidence could easily be spun as a Lucian prison for people that committed crimes. If the shoe were on the other foot, Caelan could see even herself falling for it. Her gut told her to press on. The stories Florens shared, and the local gossip Caelan had picked up on about the stronghold when she needed gas was enough to convince her something was amiss.

Caelan arrived back at the hill where she started snapping photos. Her mind debating with itself. She did tell both Ardyn and Florens she would only be there to get evidence, nothing more. As Caelan did another once over of what she had discovered, there was no way any of this would bring closure to the elderly woman she was helping. A sigh left Caelan as she argued with herself, looking over the hill to see Lucian troops coming and going from the bases checkpoint. The impulse to venture inside began to dominate whatever second guesses she could feel attempting to rise. Ardyn’s warnings for her not to do anything hasty ran rampant for a time, until Caelan all but silenced his voice.

“I’m sorry Ardyn,” Caelan muttered in resignation. Her eyes started to scan for someone she could easily dispatch and steal credentials from, eventually pinpointing a soldier who seemed new at their job. A faint smile crossed Caelan’s lips as she carefully snuck towards the base, and waited to strike.

An hour later, Caelan walked out with her new garb. The Lucian helmets these troops in particular wore hid the lower half of her face. To further obscure her identity, Caelan donned a few small braids to the right of her hair, each accompanied by gold clasps that ran through the strands. There was a sick feeling that twisted in Caelan’s gut, knowing she had no right to put on display she was an honorable member of the crownsguard in this fashion. It was despicable on her part, as bad as spilling another crownsguards guts. However, there was no time to beat herself up despite years of indoctrination telling her otherwise.

Caelan approached the entry gate into the Formouth. Two men and one woman approached her as she signaled the formal crownsguard salute. The woman looked to be a chief with the bright red ribbons intertwined in her own braid, a few ranks below a commander. Caelan could tell from her dark eyes alone she meant business.

“What entry are you from?” The woman asked.

“The Haraakis unit, chief.” Caelan answered swiftly as she handed over her security cards for verification. She thanked whatever was listening that there was no photo IDs needed for these clearances. Most Lucian prisons required such things. This planted some seeds of doubt in Caelan that perhaps there was nothing monstrous occurring after all.

“Funny, I don’t recall the base summoning anyone from Haraakis. They were strictly put on Insomnian grounds for city watch.” The chief said as a matter of fact.

“That’s true,” Caelan nodded, playing into the role further, her brain drudging up facts and core memories of crownsguard men and women her father had trained her to memorize as if her life depended on it. “I was sent specifically by lieutenant Amshel. He's retired but still holds grounds over my unit. There’s an Accordo official working alongside us wishing to know if a war criminal is being harbored here.”

The chief handed back Caelan her credentials and sighed. “These Accordo assholes, I swear this alliance is doing more harm than good.”

“Tell me about it. I have to work with them quite often.” Caelan huffed with amusement, catching a smile from chief.

“So Jericho, you’re a war veteran.” The chief pointed out, gesturing at the braids and gave a few nods of approval. “Same unit you fought with?”

“Yes ma’am.” Caelan responded. “I was in infantry with the Haraakis unit when Niflheim seized Insomnia.”

“You must’ve been pretty young to be dealing with such a mess.” The chief expressed her sympathy as Caelan nodded.

“Yes, but that’s what we’re trained for, right?”

“No doubt,” The chief nodded to the male troops alongside her to go notify the gatekeepers they needed to let folks into the base. “What’s the name of the criminal?”

Caelan felt herself freeze. Kurt's last name wasn’t ringing a bell. Her mind searched through her memories rapid fire, but alas couldn’t come up with the proper response. Not wanting to gain suspicion from the chief, Caelan cleared her throat.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t given a last name. His first name is Kurt. He’s a refugee from Niflheim last I saw on record.”

“No worries, we can easily search the database once we are inside.” The chief motioned for Caelan to follow.

Caelan kept her eyes forward as she walked alongside the chief, minding to always be at least a step behind to show respect. There were several times Caelan wanted to look around when she heard the rumbling pulse of the doors begin to open, but she knew better. If at any point she started to show curiosity, it would jeopardize her disguise. She had to be simple minded.

Easier said than done once the ghastly moans and desperate pleas for help started to echo throughout her ears.

Caelan felt every hair on her body stand at attention when she saw the inside base. Wall to wall. Back to back. There were hundreds upon hundreds of humans crammed together like discarded things in the back of ones closet. There were some Lucian troops forcibly removing men from their posts, children being ripped away from each other, and women pleading to be set free only to meet the end of a fist or baton. Whatever was convenient for the guard on post.

Cells were overflowing with people in different conditions. Some skin and bone, and others barely holding onto the muscle and fat left on their bodies. The stench was the worst, and Caelan couldn’t help but grimace as bile, blood, and other grotesque bodily fluids carried through the atmosphere. The sounds never once died down, not even when the chief led Caelan to an elevator, the two venturing inside. The wails and cries carried on even as the elevator began its ascension.

“Where did you find all these people?” Caelan couldn’t help but ask once the doors closed.

“Anywhere we want,” The chief smirked. “Pay no mind. Most of these Nifs will be sent back home to where they belong. This is only temporary. The rest, well, they will have to endure servitude until we get orders that say otherwise. It’s only fair given what they’ve taken from us during the war.”

“Ah,” Caelan nodded, doing her best to keep her emotions in check. The impulse to reach over and choke out the chief was growing. “The lieutenant neglected to inform me if this was off the record or not. Could you confirm? Would hate to let slip something I’m not supposed to say to the higher ups when I return to Insomnia. For the sake of not getting you into trouble.”

“Of course,” The chief began, ever so cordial. “Yes, this place is off the books. As far as anyone else in the kingdom is concerned, the Formouth is a supply storage where we navigate the provisions for the Nif refugees that were displaced during the war and Dark Decade. The kings treasury sends a monthly stipend and we get the supplies needed to fulfill orders, then spend what’s left taking care of the rats you saw earlier.”

“Is the king aware of what’s happening?”

“No, and we intend to keep it that way. For the safety of his highness and all Lucians.” The chiefs tone held a threatening pitch to it that Caelan took heed of. She did her best to come off as submissive as to not draw suspicion.

Caelan’s act seemed to work as the chief eased up and returned a more neutral stance. While taking a moment to compose herself, Caelan swallowed as she could feel and hear the screams and cries outside of the elevator blend in with the ones that were resounding in her mind.

“That’s the last of them!” Tempus hollered to Julian. He stood by his commanders side, and awaited for further orders.

Julian Zamfir’s cold stare met with every single Niflheim citizen that was on their hands and knees before the Einherjar. He ignored their muffled cries, the pleads of men and women begging for their lives and or children to be spared. It was all mere static to him. Noise that needed to be cancelled out as he motioned with his head towards his right.

“Zamfir, come here.” Julian ordered, his voice carrying far and wide.

Caelan approached her father with her head high despite her face giving away she was beyond uncomfortable. As she passed the families that had been rounded up by the Einherjar, a woman grabbed a hold of her leg. Caelan gasped, looking down into the dark brown eyes of the girl who couldn’t have been more than a few years older than she.

“Please, you don’t have to do this! Please, we had no part in the war!”

“Shut up!” One of the female troops of the Einherjar screamed, gesturing for Caelan to move out of the way before kicking the young girl in the face.

The girl immediately dropped with a snap, her breathing ragged as she reached for her nose as blood pooled everywhere from her nostrils. The scene was horrific yet Caelan looked ahead, her gaze fixed on no one else but Julian who held disappointment on his strong features. It became obvious to Caelan the closer she got, that Julian didn’t approve of her looking the girl in the eye when she reached out for Caelan’s boot. Nevertheless, when Caelan was not more than a few feet away from him, Julian’s expression softened.

“Zamfir,” Julian began. “Select one Nif.”

“May I ask why--”

“I won’t say it again.” Julian uttered.

Caelan swallowed nervously, giving a firm nod. She could feel her heart pounding erratically against her ribcage, knowing there was something sinister about the ordeal as her eyes rapidly glanced across face after face. The crying never ceased.

When Caelan had been caught by Tempus and Rux assisting Niflheim children who were mourning the loss of their parents Julian had killed the night prior, she thought her leg nearly being snapped would be enough for disobeying. Now, it seemed that was but a bitter taste of what was to come.

Caelan knew on a gut level, no matter who she chose, something bad was going to happen. She had been through this time and time again. Julian had grown unpredictable since the fall of Insomnia. His horror knew no bounds as he ransacked and pillaged any who were associated with the empire. One wouldn’t think a man such as he would be capable of cruel acts by looks alone, and that was likely how he and the Einherjar managed to get away with the bloodshed for so long.

Caelan gestured an arm towards the girl that had her nose crushed in. Two members of the Einherjar dragged her away from the rest of the crowd. Without warning, Julian nodded to his troops and in a matter of seconds, guns went off and blades pierced flesh. Cries and screams carried off into the air, yet nothing would return the call nor come to save them. All Caelan could do was watch. Her body shuddered, eyes formed into a tight glare as she tried not to show any emotional attachment whatsoever, but alas tears fell as over time the cries became fewer and fewer and the rich copper scent of blood became faint as her nose adjusted to it.

Caelan was trying to process what the hell her mind had bore witness too, when she felt something heavy being shoved into her right hand. Looking down, she saw the gun in her hand. Her eyes meeting Julian’s as he pointed to the girl that had been saved from the carnage. The girls eyes squeezed shut as she let out bellowing cries.

“Show it mercy,” Julian commanded.

Caelan didn’t say a word as she, without emotion approached the girl from behind and pressed the tip of the gun to the back of the girls head. The crying became worse, and all Caelan wanted was for it to end. With a yell, Caelan raised the gun and fired off to the side, prompting the girl to take off sprinting as a last ditch effort to survive. She didn’t get far. Tempus having cleaved the girls back open with one of his ax’s he tossed. She fell like a rock into the mud. Movements ceasing.

“Leave us!” Julian shouted at the Einherjar, and like shadows the unit of fifty men and women dispersed and retreated away from the area, not bothering to pick up the slaughter they left behind.

“Again, you deliberately defied me!” Julian shouted as he approached Caelan. His eyes were seething with rage as she flinched, her head bowed down. “What is it with you helping the Nifs? You know what they’ve done, and what they’ve did to our home, Zamfir and yet you still hold a torch for animals?! What have I done wrong?”

“You said we were going to get justice for everyone. You promised!” Caelan retorted, feeling a burst of anger that had been long welled up inside herself breaking at the seams.

“And I delivered!” Julian yelled. “And yet, it seems that this isn’t good enough for you!”

“No, no you won’t use me as an excuse for why you’re doing--this!” Caelan gestured to the bodies around them, a few desperate final chokes and groans still permeated the area as she continued.

“You’re unhinged! It’s been three years since Insomnia fell and no amount of blood you spill can fill you up! Have you no shame? If this was truly about justice, we would’ve stayed in Insomnia and fought back! You were looking for an excuse to kill because you didn’t have the guts back home because the crownsguard, not the Einherjar, would’ve held you accountable!”

“You have no right to speak to me in that--!”

“Look at this! It’s madness!” Caelan interrupted with a scream, once more gesturing at the carnage. Her voice desperately trying to appeal to whatever bit of humanity resided in her father.

“Daylight has gone extinct since prince Noctis disappeared! The darkness is slowly consuming Eos, and all you continue to think about is killing imperials? We should be helping people and uniting, not rounding up humans and butchering them like cattle! Shame on your blood!”

“That blood is also yours!” Julian bellowed. “And you do well to know your place, daughter! If anyone is to blame, it’s you! Had you stayed by Aila and August’s side when I told you to--!”

“You can’t use me as an excuse!” Caelan screamed, repeating herself from before. “Killing Niflheim families won’t bring back the one you lost! Mom and August are dead! Get it through your fucking head! They’re dead! And they aren’t coming back! I’m still here, dad! I’m. Still. Here!”

Caelan felt her whole world turn black for a brief second. A searing pain encapsulated the entire left side of her skull as she flew back. Her body landing in the dirt a few feet away. She slowly began to rise the upper half of her body, her hands clamoring to the side of her face that was throbbing with a terrible ache. Caelan winced as Julian stepped forward, hovering above her as she could only stare in fright. She was met with silence and a wounded glare. The likes of which had goosebumps forming on her arms. Caelan couldn’t tell if Julian was going to kill her or not, and the odds were not looking in her favor.

“Burry the dead if you feel so inclined towards them,” Julian said firmly. His tone morose as he shook his head. The disappointment and dismay he had earlier returned. “This is the last time you disobey an order, Zamfir. If you pull another stunt like that in front of the Einherjar, I’ll put you in the ground myself. I'll treat you as I've treated them.”

Julian stepped over Caelan, departing to find the rest of his unit, not before he gave a chilling and final proclamation to Caelan.

“Don’t return to base until every body is covered.”

Caelan was beside herself. Alone, and with the dark enclosing the final rays of the sun, Caelan felt a sickening and horrible weight upon her shoulders as she looked at the masses. There had to have been over forty people dead. Her eyes meeting the lifeless orbs of the girl she had unintentionally condemned, Caelan started to sob and throw up.

“We’re here.” The chief’s words broke Caelan from her descent, eyes blinking as she took in a deep breath and followed the Lucian troop into the command center of the base.

Caelan nor the chief said a word to each other while the chief dug through the archives on a large screen that was built into an oversize table. Caelan glanced around, getting a feel for the layout of the room while her brain attempted to cease the memories that had decided now was a good time to awaken. The contempt she held towards the Lucian troops at this stronghold was continuously growing. Every ounce of willpower she had left went towards keeping her emotions in check. It was one of the hardest things Caelan had to do in a long time. She knew what was at stake though if she were to burst from rage.

“Found him,” The chief said not long after. “Looks like he’s in the lower level. I can have some troops fetch Kurt and provide you with an interrogation room. You’ll be granted privacy to carry on whatever orders Amshel requested.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.” Caelan said sincerely, trying to use flattery to cover the disgust she felt.

Twenty minutes later, Caelan was in a small interrogation room with an elderly man. He had been tossed right in front of her before the guards retreated out of the vicinity. Aching breaths left his body as Caelan knitted her brows, feeling pity towards the sorry condition he was in. If this was Kurt, he looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. His hair was matted and his long beard tied in knots. Purple blotches were scattered here and there over his body indicating he had been pushed around or even hit multiple times. The guards didn’t seem to bother making sure the upper half of his form was sheltered from the elements as goosebumps traversed over his naked skin.

Caelan looked around the room, checking for cameras or anything of the sort before she crouched down. The old man visibly jumped at her action, and Caelan was quick to gesture with a hand.

“I come in peace,” She murmured, trying to make her tone as gentle as possible. “Are you Kurt? Florens is looking for you. My name is Cael--Cahl. I’ve been looking for you.”

“W-what?” The older man coughed, clearing his throat as he forced himself to look up at Caelan. He was visibly startled, his voice pleading as he spoke up.

“Whatever it is, I know nothing. Be done with this and let me return to my cell.”

“No, no,” Caelan shook her head, minding her distance as she snapped her fingers to keep Kurt’s focus. He looked as if he was going to pass out at any second, too scared to carry on a conversation. “Is your name Kurt?”

“Yes, yes it is.” He nodded, his eyes squinted at Caelan. The rush of fear he had seconds ago seemed to calm. “You don’t look like them.”

“Pardon?” Caelan raised a brow.

“You don’t look like the typical guards here. Your eyes aren’t lifeless.” Kurt’s voice was numb, as if whatever gave him courage to rise everyday had been vanquished.

Caelan swallowed. “That’s because I’m not one. Your wife, Florens, do you remember her? She sent me to find you. She’s in Duscae, waiting for you to come home.”

The fear and uncertainty that consumed Kurt’s features, now gave way to wide eyes and awe. The beginning sparks of hope were starting to take root in his somber eyes. When Caelan spoke of Florens, it looked as if life was being breathed back into the decrepit old man.

“You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“Why would I?” Caelan shrugged. “I have no reason to fuck around like that. We don’t have much time. I have a plan to get you out. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

“Not like I am being given much choice,” Kurt murmured, letting out a sigh. He was contemplative for a long time, his exhausted mind trying to decipher if there was any deception. He quickly laid out the pros and cons. Either way, he felt that his life would be forfeit at this rate. If this woman didn't get him killed, he had a feeling come next week the guards would finally lay into him. They had upped the beatings, only doing that when they were set on getting rid of refugees to make room for more. Kurt witnessed it more than once during his year at Formouth.

“Can you help me up?” Kurt murmured with hesitation.

“No problem,” Caelan remarked, taking the old man’s hand into her own as she helped hoist Kurt onto his feet. Pained sounds fell from his mouth as Caelan muttered apologies here and there.

“Can you tell me how you met my wife? Is she safe? How did she even--” Kurt swallowed, trying to get his dry throat to clear as Caelan shook her head.

“I can explain later, but we gotta go. Stay behind me.” Caelan said firmly before she opened the door to the hallway. After checking the coast was clear, she motioned for Kurt to follow.

Caelan retraced her steps from where the guards and chief had led her to the interrogation rooms. Because she had to play her role to a T, Caelan neglected to take in some of the key areas. At the very least, she knew they were on the third level and needed to get to the second floor. From there, Caelan swore she saw an emergency exit flight of stairs. If they could take those down to the bottom, there might’ve been a way out besides heading to the entrance. As much as she wanted to take the camera out and look at the pictures she took of all corners of the facility to confirm, Caelan knew better. Time spent on such a tedious task would add more opportunity for them to get caught.

“This place is like a maze,” Kurt murmured. He was having difficulty understanding how vast the facility was. “Are you sure you know where to go, what’s the plan anyway?”

“Truth be told,” Caelan muttered back with a sigh.  “I’m making it up as I go.”

“Are you insane?!” Kurt exclaimed as Caelan turned around to shush him.

“You can yell at me later,” Caelan looked up, seeing a couple of Lucian troops coming their way. “Quick, I need you to put on an act with me. I’m going to grab your arms and fling you around a bit. I promise I’ll try not to hurt you.”

“Done.” Kurt said bluntly as he glanced from the corner of his eye and saw the men approaching.

Caelan, recalling her days of helping Julian arrest Niflheim citizens, easily pinned Kurt’s arms behind his back and began shoving him about. A few profanities slipped here and there. She went so far as to slap the old man upside the head, getting a yelp out of him to the amusement of the troops that walked by. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world with what was happening as they bounded around the corner, talking amongst themselves about happenings outside of work.

“Coast clear,” Caelan said firmly, letting go of Kurt as he winced. She furrowed her brows, remorse crossing her features as she looked him over. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you too bad did I?”

“Nothing I’m not used to,” Kurt sighed, rubbing at his wrists where Caelan had him pinned. There was a nervousness in his steps as he walked behind Caelan again. “You’re not one of them, but you sure know how to man handle another human being.”

“Former crownsguard,” Caelan responded, walking ahead and checking down a hallway before motioning for Kurt to follow. “All part of the training sad enough.”

“How long were you with them?” Kurt curiously asked.

“I started when I was 10. Joined ranks and a unit by the time I was 14. My dad was a commander, family tradition and all that.”

“So young, so damn young.” Kurt shook his head in disbelief. “In my country, kids weren’t allowed to go fight in their parents wars.”

“In Niflheim?” Caelan was taken back from the information as Kurt grunted.

“When you turn 18 within the empire, you have to dedicate a year to a service to help your country. Military is one path, but if you were academically inclined, there were other options. It was like that ever since I was a boy. After magitek troops became a thing, well, we had less children to bury during the war compared to Lucis.”

“Man,” Caelan shook her head as she mentally digested the information. “Over here its quite common to start training for crownsguard when you hit 14, if your family volunteers you for it. Then when you become fully initiated, you’re assigned to another part of the Lucian kingdom or you stay within Insomnia. You don’t know until graduation where you end up.”

“Quite archaic,” Kurt sighed sadly.

“Speak for yourself. Having zombies do the fighting for you wasn’t a wise choice in the grand scheme of things. Pretty grotesque and inhumane, especially after word got out how they were made.” Caelan mused, shaking her head as she recalled Kurt mentioning magitek troops.

The ghoulish creatures, once men, were hollow weapons that followed higher ups within Niflheim’s ranks. Even after all these years, Caelan still shuddered at the thought of them. Their unnatural movements nearly got her killed many times during the Dark Decade. Ardyn confessing to her during a camp out that he played a hand in their creation came to mind. She gave him hell for days over it.

“If you’re so critical of us Nifs, why are you helping me?” Kurt huffed, not taking too kindly to Caelan’s counter argument.

“Besides making a promise to your wife,” Caelan began. She paused for a moment, recalling the hollowed face of the Niflheim girl she had inadvertently killed. Her pulse began to rise, until images of Ardyn slowly began to trickle in. A sense of comfort washed over Caelan as she breathed, managing to keep the darker thoughts at bay.

“A good friend of mine is from your country. If he were in your shoes, there’s no way I’d leave him to rot here.” Caelan said honestly. “The war between Lucis and Niflheim was awful, but I don’t hold it against you or anyone from your home.”

“Did you lose many people because of us?” Kurt asked, his voice somber as he too recalled everything he had lost back home before arriving to Lucis.

“Yeah, more than I can count.” Caelan admitted sadly.  “It doesn’t matter though. The Dark Decade came and we all had to get along. We’re all human.”

“If only more Lucians like you thought that way,” Kurt murmured.

“Trust me, there’s more of us out there than the assholes in this hell pit. You were unlucky to get caught up in this--mess.” Caelan stated as a matter of fact.

Caelan let out a gasp, seeing another guard coming by. She quickly motioned for Kurt to put his hands behind his back, which he complied with. Grabbing onto his arms, she marched with him in tow. Kurt keeping his head low and murmuring pleads to not be hurt to further add to the deception. As the guard looked to his right at Caelan, observing what was going on, he squinted his eyes as if suspicious. Caelan merely saluted, to which the guard gave a nod and decided to be on his way.

The sigh of relief that escaped both Kurt and Caelan after the fact couldn’t have been more needed.

“Your friend from Niflheim,” Kurt continued while Caelan led him to an elevator. He got in quickly before another group of troops approached, the door closing behind them fast. “What part was he from?”

Caelan combed through the conversations she had with Ardyn regarding his time as chancellor. She had asked him lots of questions during their first month together. There was a lot of information about Niflheim he willingly gave, much to her surprise and sometimes irritation depending if Ardyn was attempting to drive her up a wall or not. It had her recalling a night Ardyn had her in hysterics.

“You’re lying!” Caelan said in between fits as Ardyn made a face, feigning he was hurt by Caelan’s accusation as he tried to contain his own bouts of laughter.

“I’m telling the truth, I had it made in Gralea!” Ardyn exaggerated. “I had a beautiful pent house where I could see the whole capital. Unfortunately, it came with a price. A VIP viewing of Verstael wiping his ass in his own home across from mine. The man loved to have his blinders open. Didn’t care if he scared off birds or children.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t become an alcoholic seeing that.” Caelan laughed, cringing at the vivid imagery Ardyn had planted in mind based on what she knew of Bethesia.

“Oh, but I did! A very expensive habit, I wouldn’t recommend it. My tastes in wine did spare me funds that would’ve gone to therapy, however. For which I'm grateful.” Ardyn’s sarcasm and the way he presented his stories of living within the high ranks of the empire had Caelan in hysterics. His own laughter not too far away from hers, catching up in between explanations and tall tales.

In the present, the memory had Caelan chuckle in the elevator, until she caught herself and relaxed for the time being.

“Gralea. He lived in the capital. He’s waiting back home with your wife for us to return. Maybe you two could talk.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Kurt nodded. A sigh of relief escaped his throat as he started to feel more at ease in Caelan’s presence. “Sounds like you hold him highly.”

“He’s not someone you can easily avoid,” Caelan joked, shaking her head with a slight huff.

Before Kurt could ask anything further, the elevator came to a halt. It began to shake from side to side. Both Caelan and Kurt braced themselves with what little they could hold onto. The inside of the elevator turned pitch black, the lights going off.

Kurt gasped. “D-do you think they know?”

“Shh,” Caelan whispered. “Don’t move, hold your ground.”

As quickly as it came, the lights on the elevator returned. With a final jolt that nearly had Caelan fall onto her knees, the elevator began to move once more. No warnings or alarms went off. There was no indication they were changing course. It seemed they were out of the woods. Caelan couldn’t help but feel something was amiss. She could feel a chill go down her arms when they reached the second floor, the elevator making a distinctive beep.

“Alright, let’s go.” Caelan motioned with her head at Kurt for him to follow as she hit a yellow button to the left for the doors to open.

Clicking sounds like a chorus of rocks being broken ignited the atmosphere causing Kurt and Caelan to cease their movements. There were at least forty gun barrels staring them down with a man or woman behind the triggers. An additional five showed up soon after, accompanied by the chief. The scornful glimmer in her eyes along with a signature smirk told Caelan one thing, and one thing only: they were caught.

[starscrowns]

@scourgeborne​ | sc

  -- The magitek facility and its staff went on as if it were a normal day, minding to their tasks, unbeknownst to a thief, a pirate, carving through its underbelly and engines in the shadows, and moving with breath.  And something, the likes of that only existed in stories and fairytales.  She knew she was not alone. Something worst than Myst seeped in the shadows as she went deeper. Standing before a wall of technology and weapons, she’d face it.

The tall figure felt his presence before he made himself known. She turned quickly, arm out, a finger reaching to press against the Chancellor’s mouth to keep him quiet in a daring move. While she carried no weapons at her belt, her nails are more than enough to warn.

”  You follow me and choose to hold your speech ‘til I at my goal? Save your tongue of noble introductions. The foul stench through this place could belong to no other.  For what is your purpose, ”  Her hand slide away. “ in allowing me to continue all this way?”

[nothing-but-dreamy]

CONNOR

One-Shots:

DEADLINE - DEADLINE PT. 2

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

COFFEE

SECRET LOVE

GLANCES

CAN I HUG YOU?

HAUNTED (one shot - D:BH! Connor x gender neutral!reader)

BODYGUARD (one shot - D:BH! Connor x gender neutral!reader)

Something in between:

AFTERLIFE - Part 1 - Part 2

Series:

TRUE COLORS

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3

Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 (The End)

Game night (DBH:Connor x Reader - headcanon)

GAVIN REED

Series:

ON THE EDGE

PT. 1 ~ PT. 2 ~ PT. 3 ~ PT. 4 ~ PT. 5 ~ PT. 6 ~ PT. 7 ~ PT. 8 ~ PT.9 ~ PT. 10 ~ PT. 11 (The End)

Game night (Gavin Reed x Reader - headcanon)

MEOW (Gavin Reed x GenderNeutral!Reader - one-shot)

JAMES 'BUCKY' BARNES

One-shots

OLD MEMORIES

Resident Evil

STAY (one shot - Leon S. Kennedy x Reader)

WOUNDS (one shot - Leon S. Kennedy x Reader)

COMBAT TRAINING WITH LEON (one shot - Leon Kennedy x Reader)

THE NIGHT UNFURLS (one shot - Leon Kennedy x Reader)

DRINKING SHOTS WITH CHRIS AND LEON (one shot) ~ PT. 2

OATH (one shot - Leon Kennedy x Reader)

Headcanon: Leon meets your parents for the first time

Headcanon: Being Friends With Leon Kennedy

BLACK TIE (one shot - Leon Kennedy x Reader)

Headcanon: Heisenberg x Reader

Headcanon: Leon and his long hair (x Reader)

Headcanon: Carlos Oliveira's hair (x Reader)

HC: s/o is dying in their arms (Leon Kennedy; Chris Redfield)

MISSION: FAILED (Leon Kennedy x Chris Redfield x Gender Neutral! Reader)

INTERRUPTION (one shot - Heisenberg x Gender Neutral! Reader)

AERIAL DANCE (one shot - Leon Kennedy/ Chris Redfield x Female!Reader)

Final Fantasy

LOVE-ATTACK (one shot - Gladio x Reader)

DRUNK CONFESSION (one shot - Gladio x Reader)

STORM (one shot - Gladio x Reader)

VALUED (one shot - Chocobros x Reader)

SPICE UP THE NIGHT (one shot - Ignis Scientia x GenderNeutral Reader)

LEGACY (one shot - Titus Drautos x Male!Reader - father/son)

CONNECTION (one shot - Titus Drautos x Cor Leonis)

ICPD BLUE (one shot - Titus Drautos x Male!Reader)

ELEVATOR (one shot - Ardyn Izunia x GenderNeutral!Reader)

TROUBLED HEARTS (one shot - Vincent Valentine x GenderNeutral!Reader)

VAMPYR (one shot - Vincent Valentine x GenderNeutral!Reader)

BONDING (one shot - Vincent Valentine x GenderNeutral!Reader)

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS (one shot - Nyx Ulric x Reader)

FOREVER (one shot - Nyx Ulric x Reader)

RECKLESS (one shot - Nyx Ulric x Fem!Reader)

BROKEN (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

COMRADES (one shot - Nyx Ulric x Male!Reader)

MESSAGES (one shot - Nyx Ulric x Male!Reader)

QUARANTINE (one shot - Nyx Ulric x Male!Reader)

HC: You telling Nyx you could imagine having a family with him (Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

ROYAL SIN (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

FAREWELL (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

DREAMING (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

THE MOON AND THE WOLF (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

CRASH (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

ISEKAI (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

CARD KISSING CHALLENGE (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

SHOOTING STAR (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

FRIENDS WITH BENEFTIS...OR SO (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

FAKE DATE (short story - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

REGRET (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

ALWAYS (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

BY CHANCE (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

ADMIRATION (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

NOTES (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

BACK HOME (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

RISK (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

pt. 2 / pt. 3 / pt. 4

MISTLETOE (one shot - Nyx Ulric x GenderNeutral!Reader)

Deus Ex

STUBBORN (Adam Jensen x GenderNeutral!Reader) - pt. 2 - pt.3 - pt. 4

Sekiro: Shadows die twice

CARRIER OF THE BURDEN (Sekiro! Wolf x GENDER NEUTRAL!READER)

FREE (Sekiro! Wolf x GENDER NEUTRAL!READER)

A PEACEFUL MOMENT (WOLF!SEKIRO x GENDER NEUTRAL!READER)

Venom

TRUST (Eddie Brock/ Venom x GENDER NEUTRAL!READER)

[seraphielaa]

I'm here to provide more Ardyn spice~

[sparklecryptid]

Prompt!! Because christmas is for family (by blood or choice, fortunate or unfortunately)-- Ace making spice drinks or just generally looking after and being looked after by his husband and/or his glaives and/or Ardyn and it being bittersweet but good? And just generally them being warm and not hurting for once??

Ace is busy, he has been busy for the past week; dealing with nobles who want a say in what Ace can and cannot do. Busy dealing with the aftermath of the death of Iedolas and his Council and the way Ravus and Luna seem adamant that Ace is now family and should be visited at least once a month.

It’s not that he isn’t fond of them - Ace will reluctantly admit he is - but he wishes that their visit hadn’t been for business.

All this is to say that Ace is exhausted and while Ace will be the first to admit that it’s rare that he gets a chance to just stay in; he will also admit that when he does get a chance to stay in - as he is now - he feels a bit aimless.

There is only so much to do around his apartment while all of his friends and family are out at work or school in Selena’s case. For a moment Ace debates leaving to do some shopping but a glance at the temperature reading on his phone burns that idea up quickly.

It’s minus forty-five degrees celsius outside and Ace is from an island where they rarely got any snow at all. Despite the fact that his past life was accustomed to the cold Ace can now surely say that he hates the cold.

He spares a moment to hope that his friends manage to keep warm on their way home before he sighs and flops backward on his couch.

Blueberry - the Messenger that refuses to leave Ace alone - appears on his chest, digs a paw into Ace’s stomach causing Ace to wince as the cat does a small circle on Ace’s torso before settling down and blinking slowly at Ace.

“Was that necessary?” Ace asks, raising an eyebrow. Blueberry doesn’t respond, just looks down at Ace as though he’s expecting something.

Ace sighs and reaches up to run his hand down Blueberry’s back. Blueberry starts purring and Ace can’t help the smile that crosses his face.

Slowly, with the warmth of a cat on his chest and the snow falling softly outside as the wind howls it’s horrible song, Ace falls asleep.

-

Ace wakes to the door opening and closing, the sound of many feet crossing the threshold makes him open his eyes and he finds Tredd grinning down at him.

“You’re adorable,” Tredd says gleefully as Ace blinks the sleep away, “I got pictures.”

Ace goes to lunge for Tredd only for the cat on Ace’s chest to dig his claws into Ace’s chest and past the fabric of his sweater.

Ace stills, and Blueberry gives him a look.

Tredd cackles and dashes away, Ace can hear the ‘aww’s’ coming from the kitchen and he can’t help but glare at the cat on his chest.

“You don’t need to be here,” Ace says to the cat, “And I need to get up.”

“You don’t,” Nyx disagrees as he comes with a blanket to toss over Ace. Ace protests, thinking of Blueberry but Blueberry is gone as quickly as he came and Ace is now covered in a terribly warm cream colored cable knit blanket.

Nyx grins at Ace, an echo of the troublemaker he can still be etched in his smile.

“You’ve have a busy week,” Nyx says, leaning down to press a kiss to Ace’s forehead, “Just sleep, the rest of us will take care of dinner.”

“If you let Tredd cook I’m kicking your ass,” Ace informs his husband as sleep drags his eyelids back down. Nyx laughs as Tredd protests from the kitchen. Tredd’s love for almost burnt food and too much spice even by Galahdian standards is well know in their group of friends.

“We wouldn’t dare,” Nyx promises, eyes crinkling with a smile, “Now rest.”

-

Ace wakes up again to find his Uncle sitting on the floor beside in front of the couch and he can’t help the smile that comes to his face at the sight.

“Nobody burned down the apartment,” Ardyn says, gold eyes fond as he glances at Ace, “I suppose you taught them better than that.”

“I didn’t teach them anything,” Ace disagrees, “They’re all good people.”

“Because you gave them a chance,” Ardyn says, “Because you offered them a home.”

Ace thinks of the traitors they could have been and his heart aches.

“A single action can change anything,” Ace says and grins tiredly at Ardyn, “It did for me.”

[bikkimuses]

Headcanons for my portrayal of Ignis are under the cut.

The main one is that Ignis has anxiety. It became apparent in his teenage years while he was undergoing training for his position. Though he’s on antianxiety medication, there are times it does not work for him. It’s more apparent when he has to take initiative and talk to others.

It is most apparent in Altissia. That’s the major panic attack, where Ignis is desperately trying to get to Noctis and everything is going wrong. Though it doesn’t hit him until after he loses his sight and wakes up a couple days before Noctis does, he is dealing with his anxiety at a height it has never been before.

After the 10-year Timeskip, Ignis has it mostly under control and is no longer taking medication for it. This is mainly due to the fact that the medication can no longer be produced under the dire circumstances that the world is in. He still deals with panic attacks, but they are far and few between, the last one happening five years before Noctis returned.

Another is that Ignis would not care if he died protecting Noctis. Noctis is his brother in all but blood, his Prince and the person his life revolves around. He has known him since the two of them were younger, and Ignis knows how much more important Noctis is than he is. Though he knows his way of thinking that his life doesn’t hold much meaning is wrong, he can’t see it from any other point of view. He would rather sacrifice his life to stop Ardyn and keep Noctis from dying than to let Noctis sacrifice himself for EVERYONE. 

Noctis is important, and if Ignis lost his life in his line of work... he would think it was better him than his prince. It is a bad way for him to think, but he knows no other way.

His talent for cooking started young. His parents were often out of the house, dealing with political stuff in the Citadel, and Ignis had to fend for himself. It started with microwave meals and later grew into him cooking his own foods. This means that Ignis can stomach most anything, as he had to eat his own food growing up without complaining about the taste. It was all he could eat. Baking came later on, when he was living with Noctis in the prince’s apartment. At this point, he’d been cooking for years and it was easy for him to start baking. Uncannily easy for him to. 

Ignis was made to bake, though he cannot get things right at the first try. It still takes him several tries to get something right. But cooking and baking are relaxing for him, and it helps him plan how he’s going to make Noctis eat his vegetables.

He was diagnosed with Parasomnia at age 12, exhibiting signs of different forms of it. Ignis will sleepwalk and do things like sort the laundry, redo the way the cabinets are done or sort the spices in a different order than he had them. 

There are times where, during the time he’s about to wake up, he will end up having night terrors and wake himself up by screaming. He has no recollection of this, regardless of what scared him at the time and cannot actually say what’s wrong.

The last one is sleep-related hallucinations. If he’s not waking himself from night terrors, he’s hallucinating during the time he’s waking up. They are generally terrifying, so Ignis will move as far away from it as possible. There are some uncharacteristic whimpers of fear from him during this time until it passes.

Ignis has no knowledge of Nyx Ulric’s usage of the Ring. This makes no sense in canon, as he would have no way of knowing that Nyx had done the same thing as Ignis did when he put on the Ring of the Lucii to save Noctis’ life.

[secret-engima]

the line about oz's healing is making me side-eye besithia SO HARD right now. is oz like a somehow escaped test tube baby besithia decided to just whip up and hey why not give the baby magic. for spice. if ardyn ever hears about oz, he's gonna math lady meme so hard because... gold magic. he can pull injuries onto himself. he's got light colored hair. gold eyes... besithia. what did you DO.

You are correct to side-eye Besithia, for his crimes are many and extremely useful for making reincarnations related to main characters. >:)

-It starts with the desire to make a straight clone of Ardyn for the Science™, but the samples always die or daemonify in gestation. He tries to extract the daemon dna first, but doing that leaves giant gaps in the sequences that will ruin any cloning attempt. So- he needs to mix the sample with something else. Something resistant to the mutative effects of the Scourge.

-Besithia eyes Tenebrae and its sacred burial grounds, and grins. It takes time to find the right now, but eventually he tracks down the tomb of the First Oracle and extracts the needed dna from ancient bones. Fitting, he thinks, as he carefully coaxes the samples together.

-But it still doesn’t work. The two samples don’t restrain the Scourge, they eradicate it, which destabilizes everything all over again. So he adds a *third* sample, this one nothing special, merely there to slot into the gaps left behind by the Scourge when it is purified.

-This one makes it through the initial crucible, the purging of the Scourge with innate magics. This one *grows*. Besithia is so pleased, even if the features are not as balanced as he wished, it is only a prototype, there will be time to refine the process, to study how the sequences merged to create the dark skin and silver hair and sluggishly blinking gold eyes. He’s already planning *so many tests*. Even without the Scourge, there are so many questions. Does the clone have access to both magics? Or only one? Which magic is dominant. The likely hood of Lucis Caelum magic being dominant is high, considering there are no *male* Oracles, but there is always room for outliers with such undiscovered ground as this. Will the clone be resistant to the Scourge because of the original purification process? He has so many plans for when the subject is large enough to survive the process. To that end, he keeps it in the tank for longer than he has other ones that he intended to run tests on. Four years the clone stays in the tank, drifting and kept carefully sedated, only the most basic tests run and procedures done to ensure the subjects muscle structure does not wither away.

-Then someone steals it.

-Besithia is *furious*. He rails and snarls over this, because it shouldn’t have been POSSIBLE. No alarms were set off, even the glass of the tank is unbroken, wires and tubes drifting through the liquids inside as if the body they had once been attached to had just VANISHED with no trace. There is nothing on the security cameras, no way to tell HOW someone stole his only living clone of the Accursed or where they went.

-Far away, Ramuh gently lowers the slumbering child into Leviathan’s waves just offshore. He watches as Leviathan grudgingly pushes the child up onto the jungle shores with the vestiges of a storm, just another ocean sent child for the Clans to find. Leviathan doesn’t approve of this plan, but Ramuh is adamant and the TideMother is easily tempted by the chance to pull one over on Bahamut.

-Besides, Ramuh views things ... different from the other Astrals. When his children come from every shore and every blood and past before joining to his, he does not hold the sins of the ancestor against the soul of the child nearly as often. He did not intend to steal away any child from Niflheim, from that dark, cursed place, he had merely been drawn there by the flickers of old-new-tired magic coming from within a place where usually only the Accursed’s magic resides. He had seen the reborn soul struggling weakly against the confines of the tank and the sedatives, reaching out toward the greater world in a silent plea for aid and he had been intrigued. Those Who Walked Twice are often the bravest and most interesting children to have in his Clans. So he stole the child away and let the waves push him the last few feet onto shore so that the Clans would not question his origins.

-Ozpin wakes up for the first time, truly awakens without being drugged to the gills moments later, and beholds the edges of a stormy sky and rough sand and verdant green jungle.