#ardyn comes back and the first thing he wants --- the very first thing he wants

[savage-rhi]

Friends to Lovers prompt with who other than the Beloved Ardyn!

Sharing clothes in a friendly way.

If you Ardyn lovers say you haven't thought about stealing his coat and wearing it, you're lying. I have had so many people come to the same consensus. We all think about it, HA!

@sillylittlevulpine Okay...I indulged A LOT on this one (in my defense, I needed it as much as it was requested). Hope you like it!

Y/N had been staring at Ardyn’s long coat for what seemed like an eternity, debating with themself. The article should’ve been put up a while ago. Instead, the coat was laid out on the floor along with other garments that had been cleaned and mended. 

Curiosity and resentment had built up in Y/N ever since they were assigned to this task. Folding and tidying up the Chancellors' wardrobe was not what they signed up for. Come to think of it, Y/N believed Ardyn didn’t make the request in the first place. From previous conversations, he seemed to pride himself on taking care of most of his personal items. The only time Y/N had encountered behavior to the contrary, was when Ardyn wanted to indulge in food and wine, especially when he wasn’t in the mood to make anything himself. 

This had to be the Imperial Keepers' idea…Y/N thought bitterly to themself. It made sense the longer Y/N thought it through. If Y/N didn’t know better, the Imperial Keeper probably did it to add further insult to injury them, on account they had come down with a nasty cold during the week and had been slow with duties. There was also the spat that happened between Ardyn and the Keeper. The latter having been slighted, purposefully by Ardyn to prove a rather crude point to his colleagues. In all honesty, with the rotten attitude the Imperial Keeper had that day, Y/N thought he deserved it. 

“The jerk weaponized me as a biohazard to the Chancellor,” Y/N muttered to themself, letting their conclusion sink in. It made sense. Why else send an obviously sick attendant to take care of a higher-ups personal items even though it was out of character for those services to be requested? 

“I should leave. Have someone else do it. Screw points getting docked.” Y/N said aloud, but then they found themself back in the conundrum that had them stuck on Ardyn’s living room floor in the first place. The resentment had come and gone, now curiosity came flooding back. 

Y/N’s tired eyes combed over the material of the jacket, admiring the stitchwork and the different textures complimenting each other. They recalled Ardyn telling them long ago that it was customized just for him. He certainly wasn’t lying. The tiny details here and there was evidence that whoever made it had very careful hands and machine-like focus. 

The coat wasn’t the most expensive thing Y/N had come across while being in service to the empire, but the reputation it got from its owner was enough to make Y/N scared of ruining it by touch, even though the poor garment had seen better days. Y/N lost count of how many times Ardyn had to get the coat mended because he got into an altercation, or didn’t bother to take it off when going into hostile land. One would think he didn’t care much for it, but Y/N remembered Ardyn’s wrath when someone tried to pawn it off for gil after stealing it. He was stuck in his chambers for two whole days while people searched for the thief. It was quite the tantrum over a material good, however, Y/N figured it held some strong sentimental value. Plus, it looked warm and inviting. Something Y/N desperately needed at the moment. 

Y/N’s body shuddered from the fever they had been enduring. They hated this. How one moment their body would feel boiling hot, then would feel so cold it was as if Shiva herself resurrected and brought another age of ice upon Eos. The goosebumps down their arms felt like tiny mosquito bites, and they coughed into their arm horribly as their temps began to cool off once more. 

Ardyn and the rest of the Imperial Council were currently in session. Those meetings tended to last several hours. There were still two hours left before Y/N’s next assignment would be put in place by the Imperial Keeper, so they had plenty of downtime. Maybe…Y/N thought to themself. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt anything if they put it on for a bit, just to get warm again. 

“Gods be damned,” Y/N sighed, closing their eyes and bitterly huffed before grabbing the coat. 

Ardyn let out a deep breath when he approached the doors to his chambers, rubbing his eyes for a moment. After enduring a half hour of old men fighting over scraps when it came to the war budget, he promptly conjured a tall tale to get out of staying put. Somehow Aldercapt approved and he made a beeline for the doors.

“You are not leaving me alone with senile degenerates,” Verstael whispered with contention as Ardyn walked past his chair. The infighting was so loud, that no one paid the side conversation any mind. 

“My dear friend, you're an old-timer among the flock yourself!” Ardyn mused, putting a hand on his peer’s shoulder, earning a raised brow from Verstael as he looked up to meet Ardyn’s mischievous grin. “You might as well be insulting the years of wisdom that show decadently upon your wrinkled face!” 

“Hmpf,” Verstael narrowed his eyes, shaking his head and he slapped Ardyn’s hand away. His right eye twitched from the chuckle that escaped his colleague. “Funny you call me such a thing when you should be dust at this rate.” 

“True as that may be,” Ardyn began. “Between the two of us old men, I’m the better-looking one.” 

“You better leave before we not only have a mutiny among the council, but a homicide as well.” 

“And I’m off!” Ardyn chuckled, giving a sarcastic wave with his right hand before departing. 

The memory had Ardyn amused for a time in the present. It was enough to pull him out of his negative thoughts from before, now focusing on things that gave him pleasure. Taking a nap after nursing a bottle of wine was starting to become more enthralling by the second, and he wasted no time venturing into his abode. 

Ardyn had done this so many times, that he didn’t initially know he wasn’t by himself. He started going through his routine; taking off his vest and discarding it followed by his red scarf. He hung them up on a hook nearby, then started thinking about his jacket; wondering if it had been returned from the cleaners yet. That’s when Ardyn stopped midway taking off his hat, hearing a noise coming from his television set in his living room. He put his hat back on, and cautiously began to tiptoe toward the noise, bracing himself for the possibility of a fight. 

To Ardyn’s surprise and shock, he saw Y/N sitting on the couch, leaning forward toward the TV. His coat snugged around their body like an oversized blanket, as if he had never been its proper owner. To say he was speechless was an understatement. No one ever had the gall to get this comfortable in his personal quarters and he became greatly amused at the sight. 

Ardyn decided to let the silence play out for a little while, making observations while he ventured close without making a sound up until he cleared his throat. 

“I see you’ve made yourself at home.” Ardyn sarcastically stated, making his presence known upon arriving at the back of the couch. 

“Shit!” Y/N exclaimed. They attempted to scramble off the couch, only to fall over themselves in a clumsy fashion, while quickly grabbing for the remote and turning the television off. Panting heavily, they quickly spun and looked up at Ardyn. Y/N watched him raise a brow, smiling like he caught someone red-handed while he crossed his arms. 

“I--can explain this,” Y/N gestured at the coat. “I promise I wasn’t going to steal--”

“My attire looks rather fetching on you,” Ardyn interrupted. His eyes scanned Y/N over and his smile grew. “I’m almost jealous you’re outperforming me.” 

“What?” Y/N flatly blurted and furrowed their brows.  “You’re not upset?” 

“Far from it,” Ardyn smirked. “Of all the things I could’ve come home to, I’d rather deal with an Imperial Help trying on my clothes for kicks than an assassin wanting to present my head to the King of Lucis. Although I’ve grown fond of our conversations, Y/N, I don’t recall requiring your services for the day. Come to think of it, I don’t believe we were to see one another until the weekend. Did you miss me that much?”

"You wish..." Y/N rolled their eyes playfully and sighed, feeling relief wash over them at the fact he wasn’t enraged. Had this been Verstael, or anyone else, the consequences would’ve been costly. 

“The Imperial Keeper said you needed help with your laundry today. I figured he was lying, but I came out of obligation.” Y/N shrugged. 

“How dutiful of you,” Ardyn quipped. He briefly glared, making a mental note to have a word with the Keeper at a later date. Ardyn focused suddenly on Y/N’s features, noting their color looked more dull than usual, followed by their body tremoring under his coat. 

“What’s wrong?” Y/N asked, breaking Ardyn out of his observations. 

“You’re unwell.” 

“Am I that obvious?” Y/N teased, then sniffled and almost felt themself sneeze. 

“You’d certainly give a fresh corpse a run for its gil.” Ardyn chuckled darkly, enjoying the brief glare Y/N shot at him before they began coughing, and instinctively he took a step forward. Ardyn only stopped when Y/N gestured with their free hand for him to halt. 

“I don’t want to get you sick,” Y/N said in between fits. “I can take your coat to the cleaning center, and get it decontaminated.” 

“There’s no need for such hysterics,” Ardyn waved them off and approached Y/N’s personal space. He didn’t give them any time to react before he felt their forehead and then checked their pulse. “I don’t get sick easily like most. However, I am curious as to why the Imperial Keeper would send someone of your ailment my way. Feeling hot and cold?” 

“Uh huh,” Y/N nodded, recoiling a little from Ardyn’s touch due to sensitivity. “I think he wanted me to get you sick if I’m being honest. He didn't take too kindly to being thrown under a bus at the emperor's reception.” 

“Well, he’s going to be in for a rude awakening,” Ardyn said as a matter of fact. His tone was bordering between sinister and playful. He took note of Y/N’s fear, and his expression softened after he finished assessing. “Do you have other obligations today?” 

“I have a councilmen’s filing cabinet to clean out, and a few beds to make.” Y/N breathed. “Why do you ask?” 

“I must implore you to stay and rest here.” 

“Here?” 

“Why not? You seemed to be getting on quite well making use of my home for your own enjoyment.” Ardyn said playfully with a shrug. 

“The Imperial Keeper--” 

“Can kiss both our asses for all I care,” Ardyn finished, leaving Y/N speechless at his bold proclamation. “I’m not sending you away when you clearly have a fever. That wouldn’t sit well on my conscience.” 

“I thought you didn’t like people. You said so yourself a few days ago that company drains you.”  

“That remains true as ever, alas,” Ardyn paused and he smiled while his right hand cupped Y/N’s face. His thumb carefully stroked over their cold skin and his eyes sadly glanced over their features. “You are in no such category.” 

“Oh…” 

Dumbfounded didn’t quite capture how Y/N felt at the moment, but it was close. The only thing Y/N could really focus on was how warm his touch was, and how their pulse seemed to skyrocket at the act. As soon as it began, Ardyn retreated his hand away and took a step back, and Y/N foolishly found themself missing the contact. 

Their eyes focused on Ardyn as his right hand began rubbing at his chin. His gaze became scrutinizing as if he was judging a piece of art. Y/N didn’t know if they should’ve felt flattered or scared. Maybe both. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Ah, it’s nothing too drastic I assure you, but I am finding that although my coat suits you well, it’s missing something that ties it all together,” Ardyn said as a matter of fact. He wasted no effort in taking off his hat, and with care, he placed it on top of Y/N’s head.

“There we go! The wardrobe crisis has been averted!”  

The hat sunk a little on Y/N initially, and they used their left thumb to prop it back up. They laughed, feeling their face turning red at Ardyn’s action. He too chortled, looking impressed with himself up until Y/N appeared to be frightened. 

“You look as if the Gods will smite you at any second.” Ardyn pointed out. 

“You're more open minded to classes mingling than others. I think we both know had this been any other councilmen or the emperor, I wouldn’t be standing. Especially if I was caught trying on their clothes.” 

“True,” Ardyn nodded. “Yet here you are.” 

“Here I am.” 

A calm silence fell between Y/N and Ardyn as they fondly looked upon the other. It was only when Ardyn guided Y/N to the couch did both break away from the spell. He lay down and got comfortable, and calmly guided Y/N to lie against him. He could sense their apprehension and spoke up. 

“I can run cold unlike most people,” Ardyn paused, reminding himself not to get too comfortable revealing his secrets. “Between the coat and myself, you’ll have an easier time resting.”

“Isn’t this overstepping several boundaries?” Y/N murmured against his chest. Sure enough, he was true to his word: it was as if on cue, Ardyn had gone from feeling like a warm furnace to a cold sheet that had been left to dry in the bitter wind. It was eerie, the whole thing, but their mind and body were too tired and miserable to think any deeper about it. The exhaustion from the long day, on top of the excitement from earlier, had Y/N feeling drowsy.

“Yes as a matter of fact,” Ardyn murmured and closed his eyes. “Alas, no one’s here to bear witness so it doesn’t matter. What happens in my chambers, stays in my chambers. However, if you’re uncomfortable, you can retreat to my room. I won’t disturb you while I remain here. I was planning to take a nap anyway.” 

“I can’t hog your bed,” Y/N’s eyes fluttered open and closed. Their mind was being lulled to rest by how cool Ardyn felt, and how cozy his jacket felt against them. “What about the Imperial Keeper?” 

“I’ll deal with it. You won’t receive consequence, I assure you.” 

“What about--”

“Y/N,”

“Yes?”

“Be a dear and hush. You're not the only one who had a long and dreary day dealing with men who are vultures.” He commanded bluntly. 

Y/N’s eyes finally gave into the weight and shut, all the while their lips smiled so big from his remark it began to hurt for a time. The last thing they could recall before drifting off into unconsciousness, was the rumbling of Ardyn’s chest when he laughed at their weak chuckle.

As soon as Ardyn felt Y/N fall asleep, he opened his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose. Frustration graced his amber hues while his right arm wrapped around Y/N’s body. This little friendship wasn’t supposed to get to this point. Ardyn had a feeling Y/N thought the same thing. He wondered how much longer it would be before someone in court caught onto the special treatment he freely gave to them. He also wondered how long it would be before Y/N would discover what he really was. That made Ardyn more uneasy than the former and his mind began to travel. All it would take is one slip-up, one mistake to undo his mask.

It became clear that Ardyn wouldn’t get that nap he yearned for after all, and he resided himself to his fate. 

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[itsgeecheebitch]

TITLE: Until Darkness Descends

CHAPTER: 24

FANDOM: Final Fantasy XV

MAIN PAIR: Ardyn Izunia x Reader

SEC. PAIR: Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader

RATING: Explicit

       “Feeling well enough for visitors I hope.” Ardyn said, the top of his head nearly touching the ceiling. Your bottom lip found its way between your teeth. You didn’t know how to feel about seeing Ardyn in the caravan with you. Unease unfurled in your gut like a serpent rousing from its slumber, demanding that you leap out of bed and put miles between you. But a part of you wanted to hug him and relish in the company you had been missing for far too long. 

        He was a major part of your life after all, and not seeing him for the past two years had made a part of you feel empty, as though there was a piece of you that was missing. 

       “Y-yeah.” You said and he took a seat on the bed. An unbearable silence settled over the room like a torrential storm, battering your body with rain and making you shrink into yourself. You picked at your nails, you’ve never felt uncomfortable around Ardyn before. He was a comforting sight for many years, but a nagging feeling hammered the back of your skull, and made you want to run and hide. 

       “I must say you gave me quite the scare back there. I suppose your affliction hasn’t gotten any better over the years”. Ardyn said, seemingly unaware of the stifling tension in the room. 

        You shook your head, “it did but it came back.”

       “Any idea why?”

        None that you wanted to share so you said no. Silence invaded the room once more. It was so quiet you were certain you could hear the blood rushing through your ears. The relationship you and Ardyn shared was always an easy one, so why was it so hard to speak? Why did your veins shrink at the thought of being alone with him?. He did nothing to slight you and you did nothing to hurt him as far as you knew, yet there was a chasm between you. It felt like you were worlds apart. 

        You hung your head low and seized the blanket in your grasp. You let out a question you held onto for the past twenty-five months “So…why did you stop visiting me?”

        “It was business, I’m afraid.” He said. “It came at such a short notice I hadn’t the time to bid you a proper farewell. But I kept you in my thoughts, nevertheless.” The admission warmed your numbed skin. A smile crept over your face despite yourself.

      “I must say,” he began, giving you a smile of his own, “the years have treated you well, my dear. You have come a long way from the girl I knew who needed help with her calculus homework.”

       You snorted at the reminder. “I didn’t always need help.”

        “Only most of the time.” He replied. A sad sort of happiness closed the distance between you. You remembered those nights spent hunched over your desk, your table covered in a heap of calculus notes. In that very Ardyn way of his, he  appeared when you least expected him but needed him the most. He made sense of the confusing equations in front of you. His voice was soothing, coaching, and he hadn't lost his patience with you, no matter how many times he had to rephrase an explanation. 

          When you received your first ‘A’ in the class, he was the first person you ran to, not your adopted parents, not your friends, but Ardyn. You couldn’t think of anyone more important to share the news with than him.  The memory fluttered in your chest and made you mourn the old days, where your relationship with Ardyn wasn’t sullied by a nonexistent conflict.

           “Good thing I had a good tutor…I missed you, you know.” You said.

         Ardyn chuckled, “I missed you too, Aera. But I’m sure I wasn't missed too terribly, not with all the friends you’ve made. Especially that Amicitia that carried you here, is he your boyfriend?”

       Just like that a chill slammed into your chest. Adrenaline seized your muscles and made your tongue squirm with a lie. You picked at your cuticles, trying to ignore the goosebumps that raised on your arms. ‘Because you belong to me’. What would Ardyn do if you told the truth? Fearful eyes landed on his hands, your throat bobbed from the memory of how they felt around your wrists.   

       Realizing you were taking too long you gave him a shaky, “y-yeah,” before you could stop yourself. Your hands flew to your mouth, your eyes wide with the fear of what’s to come. 

       But he did something you least expected, he smiled and squeezed your knee. “Young love is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? I suppose an official meeting is in order, but of course for another time.” Flabbergasted, you rescinded your hands and suddenly felt very silly. Of course he wasn't going to react the same way he did in your dream, this was reality, you needed to learn how to separate the two.

       His eyes fell on the silver chain around your neck. “Is that the necklace I gave you?”

       You looked down at the glinting accessory and touched the chain with your fingertips. “Yeah, I started wearing it again after a while.” You said. It was a gift he gave you so many years ago and one you cherished for just as long. Once you realized Ardyn wasn’t coming back you started to wear it everyday. It was a comfort to you while he was away. You took solace in the happy memories it brought you, and hoped it would wash away the nightmare that arose in his absence. But of course It didn't.  “It goes good with all my clothes.”

        Ardyn wrapped his fingers around the tiny heart that accented the necklace. His fingers grazed over your chest, sending bolts of electricity where his skin touched yours. You weren’t sure if it was a good feeling or a bad one. 

       He rescinded his hand, a small smile still on his face. “I see, it becomes you even more than it did before.”

         Thirty minutes after Ardyn left, Gladiolus returned, announcing his arrival with heavy footsteps upon the stairs. His skin was sunkissed after spending hours beneath the tropical sun. “How’re you holding up, babe?”

          “Fine, just needed a little rest is all. Any news on the ferry?” You didn’t get a wink of sleep in fact, after Ardyn left you were wired like you drunk six shots of espresso. Never in your wildest dreams did you think you would react to Ardyn the way you did, with a mountain of distrust and fear on your shoulders. It was a mundane encounter, yet it left your good hand trembling like you were waiting for the second shoe to drop. You had no idea how the reunion would play out, you weren't even sure if he was still alive during the last two years, but you most certainly didn't expect that dream to play a role.

        Now it ruined what should've been a happy encounter between two friends, you would always hate yourself for it. Gladiolus leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms folded over his chest. "Yeah, turns out that creep was right, the docks are closed".

       "They're closed?! Bu-what are we going to do, the wedding is in six days!" In a panic your hand flew into your hair. Missing the wedding would have dire consequences, not only would it bring shame upon the crown but it could nullify the peace treaty between Lucis and the empire, that could mean the end of the kingdom as you knew it.

       "It'll be fine." He promised, not showing an ounce of the panic that bristled out of your skin. Seeing his lack of concern pacified your anxiety some. "We found a guy who could snag us a few tickets for the next ferry. We just gotta find a couple of gems for him."

      That sounded way too simple to be comfortable. "Sounds reasonable I guess, I just hope it's not too dangerous." You were 100% certain the task would be dangerous. Why else would a total stranger barter expensive ferry tickets in exchange for gems he could get himself? They were either too hard to find or too dangerous to covet, either way it meant trouble for your friends and there was nothing you could do to help. 

        Gladiolus gave you an unceremonious shrug. "If it is, we could handle it."

         "I guess." You said. "So where are the boys?"

          "Out fishing with Noct, that should give us plenty of time to ourselves." He sauntered over to where you laid on the bed and sat next to you. The cheap mattress groaned under the added weight. "Been meaning to check out that massage parlor if you’re still interested."

        "What about Noct?"

         "He'll be fine for a few hours." Gladiolus said. "If anything Ignis is with him, he'll keep those two knuckleheads outta trouble. Besides," he slid his hands over your denim clad hips , "I would rather spend my time with you than with those three mugs."

         Your smile came easier this time and you pressed your lips against his. Euphoric thrills rolled over your skin and you carded your fingers through his soft raven strands. A masculine groan whispered over your mouth as you deepened the kiss. Peaches was wrong. She was wrong about everything, there was no darkness to worry about, no betrayal in your future, only happiness because Gladiolus was your future.

         His full weight completely settled over you. You shivered as hard planes and chiseled muscles touched your soft  and smooth flesh. Gladiolus’ lips moved over yours in a synchronized dance. His fingers glided over your shoulder before cupping your cheek and pulling you in for more.

         “I love you.” You confessed against his lips.

          You could feel him smile against yours. “How much?” He asked in a teasing voice rough with desire.

           “This much.” You wrapped your good arm around his neck. His clean spicy scent only spurred the insatiable urge to feel his naked skin against yours, to be consumed by him so completely you forget your woes for all eternity. 

          His lips found its way to your jaw, pressing open mouth kisses on the unmarked skin there. Electrified need pulsed throughout your body so fervently it blotted out everything else that wasn’t Gladiolus and your need to be touched. 

         Cool air tickled your stomach as he lifted your shirt for his awaiting mouth. Your stomach muscles fluttered beneath his lips and you tugged on his hair. 

        Hooking his fingers into your denim shorts, he pulled them over your legs till you were only left in your lacy red panties. Hunger darkened his eyes and made your whole body throb, vying for a release only he could give you. 

         Gladiolus found your neck once more, kissing and sucking your pulse point till it bloomed red. Your eyes fluttered open and found a small window on the opposite side of the caravan. Your heart stopped in your chest, the bed collapsing beneath you. 

         Amber eyes glared back at you, trapping your very soul in ice. You gasped, your body flinching off the bed. “What’s wrong, is it another migraine?” Gladiolus lifted his head from the crook of your neck and searched your wide terrified orbs. 

       A cold sweat peeled away your skin as you looked back at the window, only to find nothing but a darkening world beyond it. With a mouth full of cotton you sat up. Gladiolus sat beside you and grasped your hand, the warmth from his skin bringing a calm to the storm. 

      “Yeah, it just came out of nowhere.” You lied, but it was much better than admitting to a hallucination. Your stomach roiled, the moment ruined beyond repair.

         Sighing, Gladiolus climbed out of the bed and combed his fingers through his tousled hair. “I’ll see if I can find some pain killers for you. Need anything else while I’m gone?”

         Your sense of normalcy, perhaps? A tight smile stretched over your teeth, you hoped he wouldn't see right through it. “No, thank you babe.”

[ivorydice]

hello, hello ^^ could i please ask about 'the memory of you' or 'mineshaft' for ffxv of your wips ? i low-key am curious about all of them xD but those titles i named piqued my interest most

The Memory of You, like nemo, is an older fic of mine and one I adore very much. It's about Noctis and Ardyn getting de-aged by a daemon's spell into their 7 and 10 year old selves, and they have to adventure across the country together as kids, from Cleigne all the way to Hammerhead, to reunite with Noctis's friends so that they can help them turn back into adults. The first 3 chapters have already been posted to AO3 here.

It's basically an enemies-to-friends adventure fic, with Ardyn redemption and big canon divergence. Fluffy cute times and angsty hurt times ensue. It's a long, dangerous journey across the country for two adults stuck in their kid bodies. And on the way they not only learn to cooperate but they learn more about each other. Noctis learns that there's more to Ardyn than just his annoying attitude, and Ardyn sees that Noctis isn't just the instrument of his own vengeance.

Noctis feels guilty about the whole thing because getting turned into kids is basically all his fault and so he wants to help Ardyn return to his adult body, and obviously Ardyn needs Noctis alive and as an adult again to exact his revenge, so of course they're both going to try and protect each other along the way. But then looking out for each other turns out to be a bit of a tricky thing because that leads to caring what happens to each other, that leads to worrying about each other.

And I've really come to love the title for this fic because it just fits so well. Ardyn, while he's in his child form, isn't under the influence of the starscourge. So there's less of a madness to him, it's harder to lose himself in the anger and the hatred without the scourge adding fuel to the fire. Of course, as they start to bond through their adventure, Ardyn has to keep reminding himself why he shouldn't care about Noctis, this doppelganger of his little brother. He has to remember that Somnus betrayed him, he has to remember that the gods and the people "betrayed" him, he has to remember that Aera "betrayed" him--but then he also has to remember why those were betrayals in the first place.

It's a mixture of angst and fluffiness, and I love this fic very very much! Pity it ALSO likes to fight with me AHHHHHHH.

Also, I have to shout out this cover of Somnus by Celestial Aeon Project because it's gorgeous and inspires me so much for this fic and it inspired a major scene and I get goose bumps every time and now Somnus's theme recurring through my fic's playlist is super important lol.

Also here's a little snippet (first drafty writing):

Ardyn didn’t doubt Noctis had at least some adequate skills when it came to combat and, to an extent, espionage. He was a Caelum after all, of royal blood, and Ardyn had gathered enough intelligence from Insomnia over the years that he knew how they worked. They would have trained the boy from the moment he was old enough, practically groomed him over the years to become a soldier.

The problem was, he was clearly used to putting a certain amount of energy into a body that was a lot bigger than the one he currently had. The unfortunate outcome was him stumbling along now, clumsy and uncoordinated, eyes screwing up in embarrassment and frustration.

It was terribly amusing.

Ardyn stayed with him, feeling a surprising and genuine curiosity in watching the scene play out. He crouched down with him in the long grass and pressed his palm to the top of Noctis’s head gently, keeping him down. “No sudden movements,” he said, keeping his voice hushed, his eyes forward on the small rabbit in the grass. “It has large ears, remember, it can no doubt hear us already.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Noctis bit out, just as quiet. “I got it.”

“The last several attempts betrays that statement.”

“They were just practice runs.”

Ardyn nodded, humouring him. “Of course.”

They moved forwards together, the grass brushing against them with soft sounds, heads barely peeking out. Ardyn froze at the right time, kept his hand on Noctis’s shoulder and squeezed to indicate for him to stop. He obeyed silently, body tense and ready, waiting on Ardyn’s word.

He glanced down at the boy, and promptly wished he hadn’t.

It was a familiar sight. Far too familiar for his liking. Those memories should have been buried down, lost amongst all the others, but it stood out in his mind now, stark and bright and fresh. He’d taken Somnus out hunting just like this, when he’d been old enough to try. Ardyn had shown him what their father had taught him, had begun and encouraged the spark for hunting Somnus had within him, until he’d no longer needed Ardyn to teach him any longer.

Ardyn clenched his jaw and swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth as he squashed the image down.

[glaivenoct]

if the story followed the same as in the game, what would happen to nocts dragon when he gets pulled into the crystal?

[prev Dragon AU ask]

ngl I think Noct's dragon would legit go into a depression. Well, maybe first a rage, then a depression. As in, I want the dragon to tear the crystal from where it stands and absolutely demolish Zegnautus Keep. Aulea's dragon gets Nyx and the bros to safety, and Noct's just burns everything down.

I really want Noct's dragon to take the crystal because, when I think about how it happened in the game... the crystal ends up with Ardyn in Insomnia and Noct wakes up in Angelgard. So when everything in Zegnautus happened... did the bros just leave the crystal there? Is there something I'm not remembering? lmao idk, it's been sooo long. But, I've always wanted to entertain the idea of the crystal staying with everyone rather than Ardyn. And this feels like a good excuse to do that.

Like, once all the destruction is over, Noct's dragon comes back, sets the crystal down and just curls around it. Like a shield. Like it's still protecting Noct and no one's really sure about what to do. They're processing what just happened as it is, asking each other "He's not dead right?"

He's not dead but he's not here. If he's in the crystal itself, is there some way they can pull him back out? That seems like the best question to try and start answering, but they need more eyes and brains on it (Cor, Sania). Except, again, Noct's dragon won't budge no matter how much they try to coax it. Maybe they even get snarled at a few times if they get too close. Nyx gets frustrated and yells and Prompto has to remind him that the dragon is as angry and confused as they are right now.

So all Nyx can think to do is ask Aulea's dragon for help, but then before she can try - Noct's dragon flies off with the crystal.

Now here's another idea I've always wanted to entertain when it comes to the World of Ruin. WoR in Galahd. If we go back to the ask where I mentioned wanting dragon origins to have some connection back to Galahd, and the headcanon you mentioned connecting the crystal with Galahd, I feel like that would be a neat reason/excuse for Noct's dragon to fly back to it's origins. To safeguard Noctis there. But also - what if, rewinding back to Altissia, Luna is back in Galahd. She was injured by Ardyn, yes. The Leviathian trial very much did almost kill her and a lot of people think she's dead - but Crowe and Aulea's dragon took her down to Galahd for some very old school but potent Galahdan healing magic. And she's been gradually healing since.

So, back to origins and to Luna.

Of course, when Nyx hops on Aulea's dragon to follow Noct's he has no idea where this is going at first. He doesn't understand why Galahd, either. But it seems like this is where Noct's dragon intends to stay, and Nyx is willing to work with that for the time being. Well, for however long it takes for them to figure out a way to get Noctis back. The dragon will be more cooperative this time around too. Still furled around the crystal and guarding, but cooperative, because at the end of the day they all want the same thing.

They want Noct back and maybe possibly probably I can mess with canon more and say it takes less than ten years to do that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[heartlessfujoshi]

second best - a promnis one shot

Title: Second Best Fandom: FFXV Pairing: Promnis (Prompto Argentum x Ignis Scientia) Rating: General (Heavy Feels - Mild Angst - Happy Ending) Word Count: ~2,665

Summary: Prompto finds Ignis drunk in the library, and attempts to console him. 

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, @lavendartwine. They requested some angst, so here I am to deliver on that request. Please enjoy!

---

The Citadel is quiet - for once. Prompto strolls down the hall, finishing up another late night as one of the key members of the King’s task force, helping to get Insomnia back onto its feet after the light had returned to Eos. It’s a very challenging time - not only because of the work that needs to be done to bring Insomnia back to a more liveable situation, but there are also still a few daemons lurking in parts of the city that see no light. It’s difficult to assess where they are, and it’s up to Prompto to figure out the best way to do it. 

Which is why he’s still at the Citadel, when everyone else has retired for the day, as he’d been going over scenario after scenario, trying to find the best way to get rid of the pests that Ardyn left behind for them. Prompto loosens the tie around his neck, and begins to walk towards the elevators when he smells a very distinct smell. One he knows he shouldn’t be smelling, because it’s been years since he’s smelled it. The elevator arrives, and rather than get on it, he turns around and begins to walk towards where the smell is coming from, the scent becoming stronger the closer he gets. 

He comes to a door that is partially opened, the smell at its strongest behind that door. Prompto sighs, shaking his head. This is not what he wants to deal with tonight, but it seems that the Six have other plans for him. He knocks on the door with a light tap, and waits for the person that he knows is inside to invite him in. 

“Go away.” 

Prompto’s shoulders drop as another sigh leaves his mouth. “You know it’s me.” He speaks through the opening, keeping his head turned away, lest he be seen as someone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. “Can I come in?” 

“I said to go away.” The voice sounds slightly slurred, which causes Prompto’s eyebrow to raise up. That is not a good sign, at all. First, the smell of smoke, and then now this? 

Not waiting for another retort, he pushes the door open and walks into the library. Prompto sees Ignis sitting in a chair, the chair facing the western wall where there is a bank of windows looking out at the destroyed building across the way. Prompto sees that he’s balancing a glass of what he assumes is whiskey, since that’s always been Ignis’ drink of choice. A puff of smoke billows up towards the top of Ignis’ head, the strong scent of the cigar smoke now surrounding him. 

“What are you doing?” Prompto asks, keeping his distance. He knows not to upset Ignis when he’s like this, but he’s pretty sure he’s already done that by forcing his way in here. “What happened?” 

He expects to hear him speak to him in a harsh tone - too many nights he’d bore the brunt of Ignis’ anger while Noctis slept in the Crystal. Memories of smelling cigar smoke, and equating it to having to be on his best behavior, as he didn’t want to upset Ignis. But Prompto always stood his ground, and in the morning, Ignis would always apologize for his behavior. While that didn’t really excuse it in any way, Prompto understands that people deal with certain things in certain ways. He has his own issues, and won’t ever look down on someone for their poor behavior. He knows Ignis well enough that there must be something seriously wrong if he’s smoking and drinking again. As far as he knows, it hasn’t happened in over a year - since the King had returned to them. 

Five minutes pass, but Prompto remains quiet. “Do you think that maybe I shouldn’t have gone to Zegnautus Keep with Ardyn?”

“What?” Out of all the things to come out of Ignis’ mouth, that isn’t something he expects. At all. 

“I said, do you think that it was a mistake that I went to Zegnautus Keep? What if I had stayed there and fought, rather than gone with him.” The words were slightly slurred, Ignis taking another sip of his whiskey, before puffing on his cigar. “I think so. I think it was a mistake, because I shouldn’t be here. I was meant to die for him.” 

Prompto walks forward, and goes to stand in front of Ignis. He sees that his glasses are off - discarded on the table next to him where there’s a text that Prompto recognizes has the Crown’s seal on it. He reaches for the book, and tosses it to the side. “You’re being ridiculous right now, Ignis. Do you hear what you’re saying? What would you rather have happened? If you’d stayed, maybe it could have been one of us that wound up in Zegnautus Keep.” 

He often thought about that himself, and always assumed that he would have been the one to fall. The one to return home. Home. The thought makes him sick. No, Insomnia is my home. Always has been and always will be. Ardyn had always seemed more interested in him than the rest of the group, probably for that very reason. 

It has been a long time since he’d seen Ignis this morose. Not since the King had gone into the Crystal- back when they all struggled to keep an upbeat attitude with the coming darkness. That had been a really rough time for him, and now that Ignis seems to be returning to that, he isn’t sure if he likes it. “Nonsense. You can’t possibly know that.” Ignis sets his glass down, the whiskey now gone from it. “And what are you doing here? I thought I said for you to go away.” 

“Stop acting like this.” He reaches for the cigar, which Ignis holds up high away from him, like that’s going to stop him from taking it. “What’s put you into this mood? Did Noctis tell you no?” 

The silence that follows has Prompto feeling sick to his stomach. So it’s going to be one of those nights. Again, it’s been years since he’s had to deal with Ignis being like this - he thought he’d gotten over it but apparently those feelings linger on and on. The cigar leaves Ignis’ fingers with no resistance, and he hears him sigh. “I should go.” 

“You need to sober up first.” Putting the cigar into the ashtray, he stubs it out and leaves it there, as he remembers from years past that the cigar is still good to smoke again later. The first time he’d tossed out an unfinished cigar, Ignis had yelled at him for a good fifteen minutes. The stress of Noctis leaving them, and having to deal with the world without him had put a huge strain on Ignis. He’d apologized later, which Prompto had accepted, but it still brings back somewhat painful memories of a friend who shouldn’t have behaved like that. “You want to borrow an elixir?” He reaches into his pocket and pulls one out. 

Ignis doesn’t say no, and so Prompto stands near him and releases the elixir over him, watching as it spreads over his body. Ignis pushes his glasses up onto his nose, and gives him a firm stare. “Why are you here so late?” 

“The same reason you’re here.” 

“Noctis told you no?” 

There’s a smirk on Ignis’ lips now, which causes Prompto to roll his eyes at. “You know what? You’re being a real jerk tonight. I thought this part of you was gone.” He turns to leave, but stops when he feels Ignis’ hand close over his wrist. 

“I apologize.” The sincerity is there in Ignis’ voice, but Prompto still has difficulty believing it. “Please - stay for a few minutes?” 

He goes to sit down on the chair opposite Ignis, but the hand around his wrist pulls him to where Ignis is sitting, and he finds himself being pulled down to sit on his lap. His stomach rolls as a small wave of panic goes through him. Prompto puts his hand on top of Ignis’ arm, but doesn’t move it down towards his hand like he wants to. “I’m here late because the King wants me to do the impossible. And I’m trying to figure it out on my own.” 

“It’s not the same with him back, is it?” Ignis rests his chin on Prompto’s shoulder, another touch that comes back to haunt him. On those first few nights, when the Prince had left them, he’d found himself in Ignis’ arms, the two of them consoling each other with the loss of the Prince. It had all been innocent, until one night when Prompto had worked up the nerve to kiss him. But that’s all it had ever been - one solitary kiss, and a pat on the back, Ignis saying he was sorry he couldn’t reciprocate those kinds of feelings towards him. And here he is - seated on his lap, with Ignis’ lips dangerously close to his ear, sending him more mixed signals than he cares for. “He’s different.” 

“He’s been in a Crystal for ten years, Ignis. Of course he’s different.” Prompto looks at the bottle of whiskey, tempted to grab it and pour some directly down his throat. “He’s never going to be the person he was when we last saw him together. Everything changed after the Covenant. For all of us.” 

The arm around his waist pulls him a little closer. “You were always a constant, though. Weren’t you, Prompto?” Ignis’ lips hover close to his neck. So close that Prompto can feel the heat of Ignis’ breath on his skin as he speaks. “You haven’t changed, have you?” 

“What does it matter?” He looks out the window, and sees the pained expression on Ignis’ features, coming through clear through the reflection. “You seem to want to wallow in misery tonight. I want to help you, Iggy, but you won’t let me.” 

“I’m trying.” The words are whispered into his ear, with the weight of the world in them. Prompto turns his head, and sees there are tears on Ignis’ cheeks, his eyes closed. “This is very hard for me, Prompto.” 

Reaching up, he takes his left hand and wipes away some of the tears falling off of Ignis’ cheek, then brings his forehead to rest against his, shifting the weight on his lap to better accommodate the position. “You always close off from me. You don’t want what I want to give to you. You’ve made that pretty clear.” 

“It’s not the same now.” Ignis shakes his head, Prompto holding back his own tears as he listens to Ignis. “Those were different times. While the King will always-” 

He doesn’t want to hear anything else. He doesn’t need to hear it, because he knows it’ll be the same song and dance that Ignis always gives him. But not tonight. Prompto brings his mouth to Ignis’ and kisses him with the slightest touch of his lips, afraid that he will push him away. Ignis, however, seems to be into the kiss this time as he pulls him to be flush against him, parting his lips so that his tongue can slip into Prompto’s mouth. 

Moaning into the kiss, Prompto quickly resituates himself on Ignis’ lap, his knees now on either side of his thighs, pushing against the arms of the chair. He doesn’t want this to end, but he also doesn’t want Ignis to push him away. After a few more seconds of their tongues touching each other with soft, assured strokes, Prompto ends with the kiss by pulling his head away. Ignis’ arms wrap around his body, as he rests his head on his shoulder, too afraid to say anything that might ruin what had just happened. 

“I’m sorry that my heart will always have a piece that wants it to be with Noctis.” Ignis whispers into his ear, Prompto squeezing his eyes shut as he tries not to cry. “But the other pieces - they know what they want now. And it’s you, Prompto. It’s been you since the beginning.” 

Now the tears start to fall, a soft sob leaving his mouth. “Iggy, all I want to do is give you the happiness you deserve.” 

“I know. And I know that’s why you refused to leave, when I told you to go.” Ignis hugs him tight, Prompto refusing to let go. “You’re always there for me, aren’t you?” 

“I try to be.” He lifts his head, and looks into Ignis’ eyes, the scar above his eyebrow a reminder of what had happened a decade ago. “This isn’t pity, is it?” 

A gloved hand touches his face, Prompto resting his cheek against Ignis’ palm, the familiar scent of leather somewhat calming. “It could never be pity, Prompto.” 

“Iggy, I want to believe you. But you were just lamenting about wanting to die.” Prompto reminds him. 

“I don’t want to. I didn’t want to then, and I don’t want to now. Do I wish to explore a relationship with you?” Ignis asks, looking him in the eyes, Prompto holding his breath as he waits for his answer. “Yes. But I’m warning you, it’s not going to be easy.” 

Prompto is fully aware that it won’t be easy. It never is. “We can try. And if it doesn’t work, then at least we tried?” 

“Are you sure?” Ignis asks, caressing his cheek with his gloved thumb. 

“Yes.” Prompto nods his head. “I know your heart wants the King, but I’ll keep it safe. I’ll love it, and make sure that you receive the love and attention you deserve.” He puts his hand over Ignis’, holding it against his own face. “But I don’t want you to drink in solitude, and lament alone. If you need to be sad, come find me and we can go and be sad together.” 

Ignis laughs softly, then brings their joined hands up to his lips to press a kiss to the back of Prompto’s hand. “Whatever have I done to deserve someone like you? You’re too good for me, Prompto.” 

“You’re damn right I am.” Prompto grins. “Now, enough of this moping. Do you want to go and get some dinner with me? I don’t know about you, but I forgot to eat earlier, and now I’m starving.” 

“How can you be upbeat all the time?” Ignis asks, as Prompto slips off of his lap and the two of them stand up, looking at each other. “You must feel sadness too, don’t you?” 

“All the time, Iggy.” His grin turns to a somewhat sad smile as he stares up into eyes that reflect the color of the forest. Where, a long time ago, he’d stared into them and had almost confessed his love back then but instead had opted for the easy way out - holding each other at night. Now, though, it seems that his feelings might actually be reciprocated. “But I don’t let them get me down. I save them for a really bad day, and then I hide and cry.” 

“But now, you’ll cry with me?” 

“I will.” He closes his eyes as Ignis kisses him again. It lasts for almost a minute, and then he pulls away. “Come on - let’s go find some food.” 

“I’ve got food back at my apartment. I could make you some green soup curry?” 

Prompto’s eyes lit up. “You do like me!” He nods, and listens to Ignis laugh - the sound a much nicer one than the anger that he’d heard earlier in the evening. “Yes, please!” 

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” 

He doesn’t know if this may only be for the night, or if Ignis is serious and wants to try and be together. He laces his fingers through Ignis’, the two of them heading the bank of elevators together. What the future may bring, Prompto hasn’t a clue, but that’s okay. For the moment, this is enough. 

xXx

Cross-posted to AO3

[saratogaroadwrites]

Toxic (2/3)

Toxic | saratogaroad rating: G+ wordcount: 2682 characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ardyn Lucis Caelum relationships: background Promptis other tags: background relationships, Canon-Typical Violence warnings: Canon Typical Violence, vomiting, blood chapter: 2/3

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Ardyn has the habit of appearing when he's least expected or wanted. But grief is a spiral staircase and Noctis must learn to take the first step on his own.

=

The Fodina Caestino, Noctis grumbles to himself as he stabs his sword through the head of the last Gurangatch, can go to hell and stay there. It's wet, muggy, and slippery as the inside of a Gigantoad's mouth. He's lost count of the number of times he's fallen over and his boots are full of mud and swamp water.

Still, it's worth the quiet. He feels only the slightest bit guilty about leaving the others back on the platform without so much as a note, but the past few days of fighting...it's just been too much. He needed time, space, and peace without Gladio trying to bite his head off. Without having to worry about Ignis, without having to deal with Prompto's sad looks and understanding sympathy.

His thoughts are company enough as he trudges through knee high swamp water, churning and spinning like a Leidan storm. He's enjoying the quiet, and maybe his friends are too. Maybe they're better off like this, with him finally pulling his weight.

Noctis stops mid-step at that, wiping a hand across his face. He's tried to ignore the thoughts, tried to stomp on the feeling that the others will be better off without him, but it's hard. He can no longer chase them away with memories of Prompto's smile as he caught just the right angle, Ignis' prideful recreation of the Tenebraen tarts, Gladio slinging an arm across Noctis' shoulders after training had gone well.

The memories are too bittersweet to help now. Prompto hasn't smiled like that in weeks, his camera packed carefully and then abandoned in his bag. Ignis hasn't gone near so much as a tea kettle, let alone the oven, and Gladio...

Guilt curdles in Noctis' belly as he forces himself to move again, sidestepping an oddly circular rock in the mush at the bottom of the quarry. In the span of a month, they've gone from closer than brothers to being at odds, barely talking to other another, and it's all his fault.

Luna is gone because of him. His father is gone because he'd tried to protect his son instead of himself. Who'll be next? Ignis is already blind, Gladio already wants to leave...Prompto, then? Will he finally turn away? It's not the smell that permeats the air that nearly makes Noctis retch, it's that thought. He can't lose them, too, and yet...with no one to hear him, he chokes on a sob. His vision blurs. His eyes sting.

He swipes the back of a muddy arm across his face and keeps moving. The door to the tomb is here,blocked by more of those oddly circular rocks that seem to hang suspended by plant growth. He reaches out to touch one; it's warm beneath his fingers and almost seems to pulse. His stomach churns again but for a very different reason this time.

There is something watching him. Noctis whirls around in time to see a monstrous creature, all teeth and tentacles, rear up from the deep water across the way. The magic in his chest does not respond; it's not a Daemon, but it's definitely a monster. Behind him, there's a cracking sound. Noctis turns in time to see a much smaller tentacle pop through a ragged hole in the shapes blocking the tomb.

Not rocks. Eggs.

"Oh, come on!"

He rushes out of the little alcove before he can be attacked from behind, but up close the Malboro is even more massive than his textbooks said they'd be. It towers over him, a mass of waving tentacles, eyestalks, and sharp teeth. Already he can smell the noxious fumes that make up its legendary bad breath and he scrambles to remember what the books said to do about these things. He darts away, cleaving a tentacle off with a strike of his broadsword before warping clear as it tries to grab him with those teeth. The water ripples as its spawn draw near; one latches onto his arm and bites down hard. He cries out, calling a dagger instead and stabbing the thing so hard his blade nearly pierces his arm as well. It shrieks, falls back in a death throe, and Noctis warps again.

These things are all teeth, he notices, with the tentacles far too short to be used as grabbers. If he goes around the back--yes! He calls his broadsword once more and slices clean across the soft, wrinkled flesh on the largest Malboro's back. It roars, slumping forward. He has to warp clear as three of the little ones try to take him at the knees, but a quick slash cuts them clean in half.

By the time he turns around, the largest is back on its proverbial feet and has turned around to face him. With a roar that shakes the stone around them it lets loose a dark mist, the noxious cloud of toxins and spores making Noctis' stomach do cartwheels in his gut. One breath of the stuff and his lungs sieze up; he warps away on instinct, sword catching in the mud as he falls to his knees and heaves up the remnants of breakfast. His insides want to be outside, and he reaches back to take the antidote from Ignis but then--

Ignis isn't here. He's on his own.

He doesn't have an antidote on him.

Noctis heaves again, spits up bile, and forces himself to his feet. He turns around on shaky legs, his grip on his sword wavering, and stares down the Malboro that's coming his way. Its mouth is wide open, just waiting to chomp down on him. He steps back. The little one surge around the bigger one, all teeth and waving vines.

Wait. Vines.

It's a plant!

Noctis scrambles to grab at his Flasks; Blizzard cools his feverishly hot fingers, Healcast Thundara crackles against his palm but he doesn't want either of those. He's after--there!

Firaga booms as Noctis tosses it, straight down the mouth of the largest Malboro. It swallows reflexively and then--the spell booms again, a column of green-tinged flames reaching towards the sky straight through the creature's head. It little ones are caught in the blast and die with shrieks, little tentacles curling up like insect legs. The big one roars, writhing in pain, and falls back towards the deep water.

It doesn't make it.

Noctis does not feel at all sorry as the creature collapses into a limp heap, tentacles like overcooked pasta--the thought makes his stomach churn all the more, threatening to come up again--as it finally, finally dies.

On shaky legs, with the thing's poison burning his insides, Noctis walks around the corpses and heads for his ancestor's tomb as the sun begins to set. Despite the knee high water, the doors open smoothly. His birthright awaits, accepts, and then he's done. He's done it. He's claimed the Royal Arm and taken down a Malboro all on his own.

Somehow the victory feels hollow. He swallows back more bile, cheeks flushed with fever, and turns to leave. He wonders what his ancestors would think of this mess. He also wonders why the hell they'd build their tombs all the way in Nif territory, in the bottom of a swamp!

Shaking his head Noctis steps out into the fading blood red of twilight, the green water and increasingly putrid corpse of the Malboro dimming quickly. Stone gives way to mud as he steps out beneath the thick tree roots and into the clearing. The walk back is going to be long and--

"Hello there, Prince Noctis,"

Ardyn.

Noctis reacts instantly, reaching into the Armiger for a weapon. Blue crystalline shards pierce the gloom, cast Ardyn's face into shadow and light Noctis' path. He charges forward, reckless but beyond caring, and Ardyn sidesteps with ease he shouldn't have in this terrain.

"Goodness!" He steadies his hat as Noctis slips, nearly turns his ankle as he turns around to attack again. Again, Ardyn sidesteps with grace. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"You son of a bitch!" Noctis shouts in reply, pushing off damp stone. "Why are you here?!"

"Why," Ardyn sidesteps another attack, headed for drier ground with rippling footsteps. "I saw you head off all alone and thought to myself, "I'd best keep an eye on him,"" He smiles, but it's not warm. Noctis bellows and charges again. Ardyn doesn't seem to care and he continues, "Clearly you need a bit of help, hmm? Not so used to fighting without your friends, are you?"

Noctis' stomach siezes for a reason that is not the poison still coursing through him.

"You leave them alone!" He shouts, words breaking in his throat. He can still see Luna and her bloodsoaked dress. If Ardyn has so much as touched the others then--

"Oh, you wound me!" Ardyn puts a hand to his chest as he continues to back up, "They're perfectly safe. Doubtlessly safer than they would have been here with you." His smile gains an edge. "But of course...you already knew that, didn't you?"

They've reached the drier ground at the edge of the lagoon. Noctis shouts, all rage and pain from the past week, and charges. His boots slip on the slick mud and he can't turn fast enough as Ardyn sidesteps again, then grabs him by the arm and pulls him back around with a grace that Noctis knows he'll never achieve. He has a single second to think that this is going to suck, another to think this is oddly like a dance, before Ardyn plunges a dagger between two of Noctis' ribs and holds it there. White hot fire lights up inside him, the pain of sheared muscle and impaled tissue coming out in a breathless wheeze. Ardyn holds him up, one arm around his back and that hand cradling the back of Noctis' head as his legs nearly give out.

"Ah-ah," Ardyn chides, his eyes a gleaming daemonic yellow in the remnant of twilight and crystal light, "Careful there. You may just trip and hurt yourself."

Coppery blood wells in the back of Noctis' throat. His attempt at a growl comes out as a pained whine. Blood trickles down the side of his mouth. Ardyn's smile is razor sharp as he, almost gently, shifts his grip and lays Noctis down on the muck. Noctis gasps for air, glaring up at Ardyn, but Ardyn peers at him like a child peering at a bug that's missing a limb. He crouches down and pats Noctis on the cheek.

"You do look exhausted, you know." There's something in his eyes, something...dark. "Have a bit of a rest, hmm?" He's almost kind. He swipes his thumb through the mud on Noctis' cheek as if trying to comfort a child. "Sweet dreams, young prince." He says, "Say hello to Lady Lunafreya for me."

Then he pulls the blade out from between Noctis' ribs.

Noctis screams.

Awareness fades out into white, white hot pain all-encompassing and spreading down his side, curling around his ribs. He can't think, he can't breathe, all he can do is scrabble against the mud for purchase, for anything to hold, for anyone to grab onto and make it stop.

But there's no one there. He's alone.

At least the others won't have to watch him die.

When awareness returns, one cheek is blessedly cold. There's a familiar whine in his ear, and though it takes more strength than he feels he has left, Noctis slowly forces his eyes open.

Umbra whines at him again, licking his face.

"Hey, boy..." Noctis rasps. He can't catch his breath but his side has stopped hurting. That's not a good sign, is it? Ignis would know, but he's not here. Tears blur Noctis' vision as he tries to reach up, tries to pat Umbra, but doesn't have the strength to lift his hand. It flops back into the mud. "...sorry. Messed up."

Umbra barks softly. He whines again, then ducks his head and noses something forward. Noctis nearly crosses his eyes to try and get a clear look at it, but it hits his forehead first. It's glass, so cold it burns, glowing from within with a soft blue light. He blinks at it a couple of times.

It's a Potion. One he didn't make. Is it from Ardyn? No, Umbra wouldn't be giving it to him if it was. But where did Umbra get a Potion that's this cold? He doesn't have the time to wonder. Darkness encroaches. He's lost too much blood. He's still poisoned.

His side aches as he reaches up to take it, the bottle nearly frozen beneath his fingertips. It still shatters beneath his hand and then he can breathe again. Umbra whines again, wriggling in under his arm as he lays still and catches his breath. His fur smells like sylleblossoms and clear water, the same way Luna's pages in their journal always smelled. Her perfume, he thinks, and he buries his face into Umbra's scruff. Only the Six will know how long he stays that way, choking sobs into dark fur. Umbra whines but does not move; he lets Noctis hug him close, not caring about the mud and monster-muck that must be getting into his fur. His ears pin back as Noctis' sobs grow in intensity, a month of pent up grief that aches worse than the blade between his ribs had.

That could be healed. This...this won't ever heal. He pulls Umbra in close, the last remnant he has of Luna, and doesn't let go. Umbra whines again, and he swears the sound is sympathetic.

They must stay there for an hour, maybe more, before Noctis' sobs abate. His face aches. His throat is sore and his nose is runnier than a leaky faucet, but his eyes are clear. His breath shakes but his chest doesn't ache nearly as badly anyway. Slowly, he pulls away. Umbra gets to his feet and barks at him. Night has fallen. The Daemons are going to come soon. They have to go.

"Okay," He breathes. Dripping mud and swamp water, blood sticking his shirt to his side, Noctis forces himself to his knees, then his feet. He stumbles back and takes a deep breath of putrid swamp air. HIs father is gone. Luna is gone. His friends may not care anymore. That's all true.

But he is alive. And he won't let that change until he's killed Ardyn.

"Okay," He says to Umbra, "Let's go."

Umbra barks and sets off at a trot through the muck. If godly messengers turned into dogs can complain about mud between their paw pads, Umbra does not. He leads Noctis back up the pathway with an odd grace and ease, back to the dimly lit path to the lift, back to the elevator itself. The little Snaga demons that would normally approach do not come, though he hears their laughter as they approach the elevator. Above, Cartanica waits. The train, and his friends, wait there.

Noctis wavers. He looks down as Umbra bumps his knee with his head.

"What?" He asks, "You telling me to go?"

Umbra barks. Noctis smiles just a little and ducks down to ruffle the dog's ears. Umbra barks again, licking the underside of Noctis' wrist. Then he pulls away and darts off into the foliage, leaving Noctis alone. It hurts, but he understands. Umbra will be around if he's needed, but this is still Noctis' fight to win.

With a breath the prince stands up as tall as his poisoned body will let him and strides into the lift. It creaks, begins the journey up.

"Because he is our King!" Ignis' shout carries down, full of worry and alarm and anger. Noctis looks up, startled. Ignis never shouts. Why would he--oh.

Maybe he's never been alone as he thought.

The lift comes to a halt at the station; his three friends are standing close together, Gladio facing him and Prompto and Ignis with their backs to the lift. All are pale, tense. He takes a deep breath.

"What's all the yelling about?"

[houdinicorbini]

Insecure reader being jealous of a women working at the empire with Ardyn ? (If you don’t mind) :^

I don’t mind at all! And I apologize in advance for the angst

Tw: hints of reader being in a bad relationship in the past/ angst with a happy ending

When it comes to jealousy, you were rather good at being very understanding and never letting things like that control you. Yes, there were times when you were insecure, but you had your reasons as to why.

Both you and your significant other were very respectful on the fact that you two had lives outside of your shared home.

But there is this one coworker Ardyn has that makes you very uncomfortable. One of the reasons being is that she openly flirts whilst already knowing that the man she is trying to seduce is already taken.

Ardyn has made it clear to you many times that she could never take him away from you, and you have complete trust in him, but you can't deny the fact that you're scared.

You know he'd never leave, but your insecurities are screaming at you, telling you otherwise, but it's not your fault that you think this way. Someone sadly conditioned you to be afraid.

Now Ardyn knew about your past and the repercussions it had on you, but you failed to let him know how bad it was and the impact it had on you. It was out of fear, because you were worried that you would become a burden.

Your brain wasn't being kind to you today, which has caused your mood to drastically lower, so you ended up hiding yourself away in bed until everything seemed to be fine again.

After noticing that you had not really left the bedroom in a while, Ardyn had grown slightly concerned. Today one of his coworkers decided to throw a party, and to keep up work relations and throw off whatever suspicions were on him, he decided to go.

He really wanted to bring you along, sometimes it can be days or the longest is weeks at a time where you two aren't allowed to see each other. This gives him the opportunity to spend time with you.

Hearing a knock on the door, you completely went under the blanket, like it would actually hide you from your lover. Though he might've gone along with it if he wasn't worried.

It was muffled since you were under a thick blanket, but you heard him call out your name while the footsteps also grew closer. Once the footsteps stopped was when you felt the bed sink in slightly.

Ardyn called out your name once more to which you gave a small little "yes" in response. You hoped that your mood would lift once it was time for the party.

"My rose, are you alright?" It wasn't hard to notice the concern within his voice. Ardyn didn't like seeing you upset or hurt because a part of him feels helpless, he'd give you the world if it was possible.

"I'm fine." You proceeded to lie, but it was once again muffled because of the blanket that was currently shielding your form.

Ardyn didn't want to push the matter, but he wasn't blind. He obviously knew you were lying to him, just didn't want to make things worse by forcing you to talk.

This isn't the first time you hide yourself away like this, so he knew to just let you come to him when you were ready.

"Do know that I am always available for when you need to talk, dear." Ardyn wanted to remind you that will always be free when you need him the most.

You uncovered your head just enough that he could see your eyes. "Thank you." You were trying to keep your responses short and simple, talking was not something you really wanted right now.

Ardyn got the message and got up, but before he left, he placed a short but sweet kiss upon your forehead.

You retreated back under the blanket once you heard the door close. It was just a waiting game until the party now. Not a game you particularly cared for.

Once it was nearing time to leave was when you decided to finally get out of bed, but Ardyn did come in here and there to give you food, which only made him worry even more.

Luckily, you were actually starting to feel better as you got ready, so you wanted to put in some effort to your outfit, which you nailed it on. While you were still somewhat struggling, you looked hot.

And the look Ardyn gave when you stepped out of the bedroom was enough to confirm it. His expression caused the heat to rise to your cheeks and a soft chuckle to escape your lips.

He looked rather nice himself. His hair was slicked back, he was wearing a rather expensive looking black suit and because of how far away you were from him, you could smell the cologne.

"My my, I just about want to keep you here to myself~" Ardyn complimented as he drew closer to you. Even though you two have been in a relationship for a long time now, whenever he made compliments like that, it felt like butterflies were in your stomach.

When he got close enough, Ardyn reached out to rest his hand on your cheek. "Darling, we can stay home if you're not feeling well, I don't want to forc-"

"I'm actually feeling better right now but thank you for worrying about me." You gave him a sincere smile that calmed his nerves down. You extended your arm out to him, "Shall we?" Your smile turned into a goofy one as you waited for his response.

The laugh that left him only filled you with more confidence and your smile grow even wider. "We shall." Ardyn intertwined his arm with yours and led you out of the house and to the car.

The car ride over was rather peaceful and your mood continued to improve. It helped that you and Ardyn were talking about the past and making jokes here and there.

It was enough to make you forget what had you so upset in the first place,,, until you got to the party and saw the person who made you feel so bitter today.

You just continued to stay close to Ardyn as the host greeted the two of you. Maybe if that woman sees you glued to the man that is clearly with you, she'll back off.

Or maybe you'd get lucky, and she just wouldn't notice that Ardyn was there, that would definitely make things so much easier on you if she'd just leave him alone.

Would definitely help your mental health.

While you were walking with Ardyn, he could feel how you were becoming tense, you were kind of stuck to him so that's how he noticed.

He opened up his mouth to ask what was wrong, but was interrupted before he could, and it wasn't by you.

"Ardyn! You made it!" The high pitch voice came from behind. You and Ardyn turned around to see the same woman you were trying to avoid like the plague.

A woman with long, curly black hair, forest green eyes and full lips, a dark blue dress that showed off some her features and just barely went down to her thighs, the same shade of dark blue high heels that looked like they'd break anyone's ankles. Not to mention make up that would make just about anyone jealous.

"Ah, Gloria!" Ardyn had to fake the enthusiasm in his voice when he greeted her. "I didn't realize that you would be here, I heard that you had other matters that you needed to attend to."

"I was able to get all that done this morning, so it seems luck is on my side!" She said in a rather high pitch tone that made you want to wince. It was like a whistle to dogs.

It sounded like Ardyn had to force out a chuckle. He really did not want to be anywhere near her, he just wanted to spend this night out with the one he loves.

"Why don't we head out later and grab a couple of drinks, I've been wanting to get to know you more~" She was really trying to flirt while you were standing next to Ardyn.

"I believe I will have to pass since I would like to spend the night with my partner." Even Ardyn was getting tired of her at this point. He sadly has to put up with her constantly.

"Partner?" Gloria seemed to be processing the information that was just given to her even though it was already given to her before. "I thought the two of you were just friends, or that a stranger was just standing way too close."

You didn't like how Gloria was taking this. She seemed to be upset upon hearing the Ardyn was taken, though was told before.

'This is my first time hearing about thi-"

That's where you snapped and didn't even let her finish.

"He is CONSTANTLY telling you that he's taken, it's not his fault that you just refuse to retain such simple information. Now I'd really appreciate if you'd stop hitting on him now that you REALLY know that it will never happen!" You weren't even controlling the volume of your voice at this point.

It wasn't until people started looking staring that all the adrenaline and confidence that was possessing you suddenly vanished. You looked up at Ardyn to see if you had crossed any lines, but you only saw concern in his eyes, no anger, just worry for you.

"Now that my darling has said everything that needed to be said, I think we should be taking our leave." He did a slight bow and grabbed ahold of you hand to lead you outside.

He had a feeling that you may need a moment of fresh air after that, he really thought that once he saw your expression. You looked like you were on the verge of tears.

"My rose, please tell me what's wrong."

That's when you finally broke down, you finally confessed why you didn't leave bed all day and why you had been clinging to him at the party.

"I was taught in the past that I can just be replaced so I was so scared that you would throw me away!" You were sobbing into his chest. He had his arms protectively wrapped around your frame.

"I never told you how badly I was hurt out of fear you'd abandon me, but I know those were just my own thoughts attacking me and you'd never leave like that." You continued to sob away as you explained yourself.

Ardyn began rubbing soothing circles into the center of your back while letting you get everything out. It hurt him so much to see everything that you had been keeping in.

You lifted up your head so you could like him in his eyes. Those eyes that you know would never hurt you, that would always hear you out without jumping to conclusions.

"I tried to not let it get to me when you first told me about Gloria. I knew you could handle it on your own, but then my head began to fill with thoughts that you'd see she was better and lea-" You were cut off when Ardyn gently placed his hand on your cheek.

"Now I believe I would have lost my mind if I left someone as incredible as you behind for someone like,,, that." The way he phrased it caused a soft chuckle to escape you.

"My dove, I'd never leave you, especially for someone who doesn't respect others like that. I have found the one for me and I will make sure that everyone around us is aware of that."

Ardyn's words just made you want to cry even more, and at this point you weren't sure if they were happy tears or not.

"I'm sorry for keeping this in for so long, I should have let you know sooner instead of letting this bubble up until I couldn't contain it." You felt bad for all of this, you felt as if you had ruined the night.

"Now there is nothing to apologize for, you had a hard past and I can see that it is still affecting you, I want to help you to the best of my abilities." He used his thumb to get rid of any falling tears.

"You're not mad at my outburst or the fact that I ruined your night or the fact-"

"Darling, shh" Ardyn was trying to get you to calm down before you gave yourself a panic attack, he was sure you were already close to one.

"You didn't "ruin" anything, I'm just thankful to see you open up to me, if only it wasn't under these conditions." He removed his hand from your face so he could grab your own hand.

Ardyn leaned down to kiss away any of the remaining tears, which you gladly welcomed. You even found yourself leaning into each kiss he gave your cheeks.

He leaned away just enough so that his face was directly in front of yours. You were either blushing from crying, or because of how close he was. Maybe both at this point.

"Since we are still out, I think we should go somewhere else and treat ourselves to some dinner, I'm sure I can find us a place better than what they have inside, what do you say?"

"Dinner does sound nice after all of that." You smiled slightly, starting to feel a little drained already.

"Excellent! Now, come along!" Ardyn's lightly squeezed your hand as he led you back to the car, he was going to make sure that this night ended in a good one. He knew your pain in his own way, so he just wanted to make you smile.

And he was not going to fail.

[savage-rhi]

Reverse Uno: now you do Karl and Ardyn >:3

I'VE WAITED ALL DAY TO COME HOME FROM A 10 HR SHIFT TO DO THIS SO DON'T MIND IF I FUCKING DO @seradyn

Karl Heisenberg

First impression: I thought he was going to play a significant role in RE8, perhaps even fall into the trope where he's truly the Big Bad (TM) versus Mother Miranda. I think I got that impression because Karl always came across as smarter than he lets on. Either way, I knew I was gonna fucking love this dude. Does he look like trash? Yep. Does he hold a grudge? Yep. Sign me up! 

Impression now: CAPCOM YOU FUCKED UP. WHY DIDN'T YOU UTILIZE THIS GUY FURTHER IN THE DAMN PLOT?! WHY DIDN'T HE AND ETHAN PARTNER UP?!

That's seriously my biggest gripe when it comes to Karl, he's a great character that didn't get used to his full potential. I mean, sure that gives fanfic writers such as myself a lot to play with and makeup, but he deserved better. Karl's character was fucking fun. I could tell his motion capture and VO artist had a great time playing hobo metal man (Neil Newbon you sold it, mother fucker).

Seriously, Karl is hot trash but he's my hot trash. I'll defend him all the way.

Favorite Moment: In every scene Karl is in, he just steals the damn show. I always enjoy the scene where he confronts Ethan with partnering up (Ethan, you should've taken the hobo's hand) and goes on a verbal rampage about the other lords and how much he despises Miranda. You can feel his passion and hate for what's become of his life, and even sense how desperate he is to get out of it by any means necessary.

Idea for a story: I've been working on a story with Karl called The Sacrifice that takes place years before the events of RE8. Karl falls in love with a gal named Sonja Ainsley, and this pushes him to wanting to break free from the village and Miranda's clutches.

The story is on hiatus, but I intend to finish it when I get the motivation again. I love him and Sonja very much.

Unpopular Opinion: For all his bravado, Karl is sensitive and cautious deep down. I’ve read many stories where is unyielding and very sexual (ngl I indulge in that cause I’m nasty like everyone else on here lol) but given the abuses he has endured, I think he would be quite reluctant to indulge himself with someone until several layers were peeled back and his partner gained his trust. 

Favorite Relationship: I ship Karl with happiness. I don’t care if it’s an OC, Reader, Canon, etc. etc. etc. I just want this fucking hob goblin to feel like he’s on top of the world and has support. I love reading material where he gets to just fucking live and be happy. 

Favorite headcanon: Karl is quite good at making jewelry pieces. 

Karl is artistically inclined and enjoys sketching, and doodling. He keeps most of his pieces to himself since he considers having a hobby like that could lead him to being taken advantage of (he’s kind of a victim of toxic masculinity there in that regard, where “men can’t like things like the arts without being seen as less than”). 

Karl struggled with reading well into his early 20s, but he taught himself and is quite fond of novels (Sonja helps him there in The Sacrifice, and he likes Pride and Predjudice). 

Moreau and he watch TV together, and they get invested and I do mean invested to the point where they both yell and scream at the characters on TV for fucking up. 

Ardyn Izunia/Lucis Caelum

First Impression: I want to preface by saying that my late grandmother bestowed upon me the knowledge to protect myself from peculiar people. She told me to never trust a man who has shaved off his eyebrows and never trust a man that wears a tunic. All her wisdom couldn’t prepare me for what the fuck to do about a man who wears over 5 layers of clothing, and looks like a homeless guy who walked into a thrift shop and picked out every item that screamed, “Hi there, I’m Johnny Depp.” I’m frightened, but I gotta follow my principles: does he look like trash? Check. Does he hold a grudge? Check. Okay everyone…let’s pray….

Impression now: Your honor, I love him. I love his quirkiness. I love his humor. I love his mannerisms. I love his darkness. I love his imperfections. I love his humanity and lack thereof. I love his daemon form. I love his charisma. I love how he carries himself. I love his ambition. I love how unsettling he can be. I love his wild hair. I love his piercing eyes. I love how he used to love and care for others. I love how he tried to hold onto himself despite failing. I love how he’s unapologetic. I love his faults. I love his flaws. I love that I see bits of myself in him. I love his bloodlust. I love his taunts. I love his sarcasm. I love how tragic his story is. I love how unyielding he can be. I love him. Break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat bar.

Favorite Moment: Pretty much everything he is in. However I adore his entire appearance in the Lestallum chapter. You can tell he’s clearly up to shit, but can’t necessarily prove it. Hell, I even felt bad for judging him after he goes through the trouble of saving everyone’s ass in a later part of that section. I even had a moment of second guessing. 

Idea for a story: I already wrote an Ardyn x OC (Caelan) story called Immortal Shield. I wanted to give Ardyn a happier ending, and explore his character if he were resurrected years after the final battle with Noctis (went with the Dawn of the Future ending). I think it turned out okay.

Cause I am not over him by any means, I’m working on a Ardyn x Reader story. It takes place two years before the events of the game. I’m 10 chapters in thus far. 

Unpopular Opinion: Ardyn is one of the best FF villains in the franchise. I’ve seen people complain about him being lackluster as a character (from his quirks/backstory, to the final battle cause he didn’t have a ‘final form’). Then there’s the camp that sees the adoration fans have for him and go, “tragic guy does tragic and terrible things and people make excuses for him”. I mean…yeah, to a degree? But what makes me still stand by my statement is the fact that unlike most FF villains: the guy actually fucking wins. We are talking about a man who spent YEARS and I mean fucking YEARS plotting, wearing various masks, and lining up pieces to ensure he would FINALLY get to rest in peace after all the shit he had been forced to endure. That is dedication and shows how he’s so damn dangerous and intelligent. A man that can bide his time for thousands of years isn’t someone to fuck around with. 

Favorite Relationship: Ardyn x Aera. Those two deserved happiness and peace. I also ship him with OCs, other canon characters, and readers/inserts. I love stories where no matter who it’s with, he is appreciated and cherished. 

Favorite headcanon: Ardyn’s love language is gift-giving. If he sees something that reminds him of someone, he’ll get it for them or even try his hand at making the thing himself if he wants to go the extra mile. Getting a gift from him says A LOT, and the people around him know it’s kind of a big fucking deal. 

Being a former healer, he’s very much in tune with people’s emotions that it’s almost like a 6th sense. Even being corrupted by the star scourge, he can never truly tune that part of himself out. He uses this natural gift to manipulate others to get ahead. 

Since sweets like chocolate and other delicacies were rare and quite expensive 2,000 years ago, Ardyn takes full advantage of modern decadence. The man’s got candy everywhere. 

[nightowlfandom]

Vampire! King! Ardyn Izunia!- Sadistic

Hey guys! Let’s kick off October with a bang!!! 

ANON ASKS (HEY FRIEND)

Sooo Ardyn is a guilty pleasure of mine. Feel free to do what you want with these prompts, I won’t judge lol. They are all from the prompt list.

7. You like when I choke you don’t you?

62. What a gorgeous dress…but it’d look better torn to ribbons don’t you think?

70. You know…it’s dangerous being out like this. A pretty little sla- I mean thing like you out here all alone.

Thank you for including the actual prompt in the ask!! I may or may not have made him slightly sadistic. Also I got a rude ask telling me to put a read more break...so on purpose I didn’t add one here. It pays to be polite.

CHECK OUT MY MASTERLIST HERE!!

X RATED PROMPT LIST| NON X RATED PROMPT LIST

Leggo!!

...

The hem of your gown was torn to shreds as you ran through the forest. You were barefoot running through the cold and wet dirt. Your feet were starting to itch from the scratching of small twigs against your skin. You were running away from your parents’ palace. 

You were to be married to someone. Someone you were disgusted by. You had two options. Marry or Be disowned. You chose to escape through your window and jump down. You almost hurt yourself on the way down, but it was worth it. 

You had been running for what felt like hours with the moon on your tail. You finally stopped as soon as your palace was nothing but a silhouette in the distance. 

“Guess I’m homeless now.” you sighed, sitting on a small log. “What am I supposed to do?” you groaned. It was dark and you could barely make out the moon amongst the smog. Lucky for you the wind was slightly picking up allowing you to feel the breeze on your skin.

“What’s this?” a low vibrating tone allowed you to come back to your senses. 

You instantly rose to your feet, turning to meet the face of tall man. He looked as if he was dressed for the middle of the winter time with his heavy trench coat and scarf. 

“A scared little lamb all by herself in such a place. You’re a long way from home aren’t you, young one?”

“Don’t speak down on me as if I’m a child, sir.” you narrowed your eyebrows at the strangers. “I’m far from it.”

“Hm.” he smirked. “My apologies.” he gave a slight bow. “What’s a young soul like you doing out in these parts so late in the night?”

“I don’t believe that is any business of yours, sir.” you took a step back. “Now I’ll be taking my leave now.” your voice wavered as you turned aroundd. But just as you turned to walk away, a man, the same man appeared before you.

“ You know…it’s dangerous being out like this. A pretty little sla- I mean thing like you out here all alone. “ he said with his hand held out. “If I may be so bold, I can escort you out of these parts.” his eyes practically glowed in the dark.

“No thank you.” you stepped back. “I know my way very well, thank you.”

Just as you turned around again, he appeared in front of you once more.

“Darling little girl-”

“Don’t call me a little girl!” you seethed.

“Hm, touchy are we. Young one doesn’t like being called a pathetic...little...girl.” he towered over you. “And don’t even think about grabbing the dagger I know is strapped to your thigh...you won’t get to use it.”

“What are you?” your voice slightly wavered.

“Ardyn Izunia...is what I am.”

Ardyn, where have you heard that name. The man seemed to laugh as the look of realization crossed your face. King Ardyn? The ‘Father’ of all vampires. He cackled at your fear struck expression. Your father had told you stories of his evil. 

“Ah the young princess Y/N knows of me?”

“How did you-”

“Know your name, love? Everyone knows of the, most beautiful, kindest and giving of her time. You should know better, how forgetful we are.” he raised an eyebrow.

“You stay away from me.” you warned. 

“Hm are you’re guards going to come and kill me, love?”

“I have no guards...not anymore.” you found yourself saying. You had your hand on your thigh under the slit of your dress. You wrapped your hand around your dagger. “Leave me...now.”

“Hm...anymore? Why? Was the little princess disowned?” he laughed. “Did their royal highnesses finally get rid of their problem child?”

You suddenly felt small and inadequate. “That’s none of your business.”

“Oh yes you have.” he took a step towards you. “You’re all alone, with no one?” he cooed. “Which means there’s no one to hear you scream.”

“Hear me sc-”

You were tackled to the floor, your weapon flying out of your hand. Ardyn bared his fangs towards you...” You like when I choke you don’t you? “ he cackled as he tightened his hands around your throat. You felt dizzy, very...fucking..dizzy.

”I must admit, darling girl...you look so delectable. It’s a shame I must kill you...but a vampire must drink.” he moved his hands from your neck allowing you to inhale sharply.

With his arm wrapped around your wrist and bought your shaky arm to his mouth. You were too frozen to even try and move. Adryn inhaled your scent, smiling sadistically down at you. 

You held in your pain as he sunk his needle like fangs into your skin. You wouldn’t scream or cry.

“...So...divine.” the man shuddered. “S-so...addicting.” Was that normal? 

You had no idea why, but feeling this. It was supposed to be painful, it was supposed to be what happened before you died a terrible death. So why were you seeing images...images you shouldn’t have seen.

...

“You look so beautiful in the sun, my darling.” the man beside you caressed your face as you both laid in the gardens. “You are the most beautiful of my fledglings.”

“I’d just better be the only one you treat like this.”

“Trust me darling, there are other people who will sire for me...my fangs will only ever touch your skin...when I’m not feeding or killing.” he smirked. “Come, it’s been a busy day. Lay your head on my chest...rest with me.”

You laid on his chest, the sun casting a glare over your naked bodies. “Can I ask you a question, Ardyn? Is this whole laying naked in the sun a regular thing?”

“Clothes are for humans with no free time...Now hush my dear...rest.”

...

and everything else went black.

...

You awoke on a plush surface. It was soft and velvety. A large, black comforter was covering your body. 

“Oh fuck, am I dead?” was your first thought. You swung your legs around the bed and planted your feet on the floor. Why were you so cold. You walked over to a vanity, standing in front of a mirror. Your arm was bandaged up. “No...I’m not dead.”

“You’re finally awake.”

You whipped around. Ardyn was sitting in an armchair wearing only a silk bathrobe. “I was beginning to think you’d never wake up.”

“W-what? What did you do to me?”

“I didn’t kill you, I know that much.” he rose from his seat.

“What?...Where am I??”

“My home...well. Our home now.” he walked towards you. “I know what you’re thinking-”

“You saw it too didn’t you?” you cut him off. “I know you know what it means...so tell me.”

“I’m not sure...all I know is that I couldn’t kill you. Before I knew it, I bit my own hand and made you take my own blood...I’ve never done that when changing someone.”

“Changing?!” you widened your eyes. “You...you PEICE OF!” you raised your fist when you realized just how clearly you could make out every crevice and divot on your hand and nails. “N-no this isn’t real!”

“Oh it is, my sweet.” he tiptoes his fingers up arm. You took a small step back, staring down at yourself. 

“ What a gorgeous dress…but it’d look better torn to ribbons don’t you think? “ he grabbed your hands in his. “Stop resisting and accept your new fate.”

“I feel strange.” you expressed honestly. “Is it supposed to feel like this?” you stared up at him.

He tilted your head up, staring at your innocence. 

“It can feel even better. Vampires are godly lovers...very few have laid with me...if you agree, you can be mine.”

(HAVE ANY MONBSTER REQUESTS? LET ME KNOW!!! IM TRYNA POST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THIS MONTH!!)

[cute-angi]

Tagged by @esperata​

Rule: list your favorite (male) characters from ten different fandoms

That's very difficult

SSDD - Same Shit Different Day

Stephen King's Dreamcatcher - Douglas Cavell

Duddits! There's no explanation there. It's Duddits! Love him!

The Riddler: Edward Nashton (Nigma)

I don't think it needs a big announcement that this was coming. As soon as I lost myself in Arkham and heard his transmissions, I was blown away. That's when I fell in love with him.

Final Fantasy XV - Verstael Besithia

I know what everyone is thinking right now. Why doesn't it say Ardyn? He's the cool villain after all. Or where are the chocobros? Nope... I already liked grumpy Verstael and then episode Ardyn just made me see pink-red as soon as I saw the trailer. (My interpretation of him, of course, has only become so "cold-hearted" over the years. You know how it is with fangirls...)

''The artist has a duty to seduce the ear and delight the spirit.... Say hello to an evening with Sander Cohen!''

Bioshock - Sander Cohen

I thought about it for a long time. And first I wanted to mention the Lutece twins. Those two are always my favorites. Then I thought of Augustus Sinclair. A man of honor! I love Sinclair. And Bioshock contains so many more brilliant characters. There are no bad ones. But then I just had to go with Cohen, because Fort Frolic won't let me go. Especially after reading Rapture and having more insight into his character. This man just so often reflects what most of us are like at our core. We are artists of the world and so vulnerable because of it. We walk the narrow path between madness and genius.

Because we're talking about artists...

The Evil Within - Stefano Valentini

I am, after all, someone who likes Tchaikovsky. And yes, of course the first game, was often better than the second. The second one didn't cost me much effort. I hardly managed the first one on easy at first. And Ruvik is one of the most interesting characters ever. But Stefano, like Cohen, has something ... strangely great about him.

Strange... I'm about to be hated by everyone.

Avatar The Last Airbender - Long Feng

Okay... okay... listen to me, please. Of course Iroh is the best character in the series and has helped me through so many stages of life.But I have a thing for really bad guys and as I get older, tastes change. Well, Long Feng is just sneaky? But he runs the Dai Li and through it he owns Ba Sing Se!  Hello? Of course I watch AsianDramas and yes please make me your queen. So I finally live behind safe walls.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se" Okay... can the Dai li please adopt me as a lost princess?

Now that we have the embarrassing behind us, here comes something all too understandable:

Resident Evil (Village) - Karl Heisenberg

Instead of Male Characters, the rules should say, "Favorite Daddy Characters."

Okay...I have to do it...break the rules....

Mommy? Can I please stay up late and play with Bela, Cassandra and Daniela? I love this woman. Mommy!

Okay...don't forget the love for Donna!!!! Donna Beneviento~!!!!

Let's get serious again.

1, 2, 3, 4... Did you miss me, Monte d'Or?

Professor Layton - Descole

I triggered you guys with that quote, didn't I? Randal is really wonderful.I have just replayed Miracle Mask. But I've been in love with that damn guy since part 4. Descole is My childhood love that comes back every year.

Kingdom Hearts - Xehanort (And Eraqus)

Here again my love for evil. I never dared to admit that I love "Ansem" so much in the first game. Well..... now I'm allowed to and it's just the character around Xehanort that enchants me. But Xehanort doesn't exist on its own either. Only with the best of the best: Eraqus!

And now we come to the anime track:

Attack on Titan - Willy Tybur

I really like Levi a lot. But I'm also someone who tries to jump off the hype train. I like Levi. And I love Zeke Yeager. But with the first appearance of Willy Tybur in the manga... phew my heart. I was hoping at the time that he would still be the Warhammer. There' s a lot of content lost on his family.

Because we are talking about manga:

Naruto - Tobirama Senju (and Izuna Uchiha)

It's been a long time since I watched or read Naruto. But it helped me through my "most difficult time". I have the sign of the Senju clan tattooed on my back. And it always gives me strength to get through everything. And with Tobirama you also have to like Izuna. With him you love Madara and with this Hashirama. Oh these four... my heart.

[sylleblosscm]

@avulsusprinceps:

Send you a character: Noctis

---

Opinions

First impression • Funny story: my introduction to Noctis wasn’t through XV, but actually Dissiada NT. Since I’m a relative newcomer to the FF franchise, there were quite a lot of characters I didn’t recognise. But Noct stuck out to me thanks to the cover art. I remember looking at all the swords and armour and crazy outfits, and seeing Noctis in the front wearing clothing I could have pulled out of my wardrobe at 15, and remarking to my brother: “If you gave me this out of context and told me to guess the plot, I’d say that this guy here is some 20-year-old NEET with severe depression who’s major character flaw is that he doesn’t want to participate in society and would prefer to stay home and play videogames instead. But then he gets Isekei’d into his favourite game, and the fate of the real world somehow hinges on his success in the game world.” My brother looked at me and said, “Well, you’re not right, but you’re not wrong.” Years later I stand by this assessment. Anyway, I loved him then, I loved him when I first booted up XV, and I love him now. That end scene was the first time I’ve ever properly straight-up bawled at the end of a videogame. I’m talking face-in-hands, full-on sobbing, texing said brother a string of obscenities through blurry vision, blaming him for letting me walk head-first into this wall of pain. (His response was pretty much just ‘yeah’.) For as many problems as I have with the story and execution, watching him die absolutely broke my fragile little heart. 

Impression now • Noctis began his journey completely apathetic to his place in the world. He was dealt a hand he couldn’t cope with, and honestly, it’s a pretty relatable way to give us some Super Duper Fancy Prophesied King for a protagonist. My take on Noct’s Kinghood is that he’s able to accept it in the end, because of the journey he’s been on. Because he falls in love with his country and his people, the full breadth of which he’s never really been exposed to before - and as he does, he finds there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them. And this, to me, is the core of why he makes such a great character, and why I keep coming back to this game. I’ve complained enough today about the narrative treatment of Ardyn. And I stand by my assessment that it takes something away from Noctis, being chosen to serve such a despicable purpose. What saves him from it, for me, is the way he offers Ardyn peace. Despite his righteous anger after Ardyn killed his fiance, despite all he’s been through, he still can offer the man his God absolutely tore to shreds, some compassion in his final moments. Just like Luna did. We’ve all seen the “royal who doesn’t want to be royal” trope done to death and back again, but Noctis does it well. He’s the kind of guy who’d waste an entire day trying to feed a random cat, and help anyone do anything as long as they ask him. He occupies a soft spot I have for a certain type of protagonist, who’s internal struggle is not to overcome their own bitterness and learn that Being Nice Is Good, Actually. Noctis was already a good person. Irresponsible, sure. A little lazy, maybe. He was 20, for goodness’ sake, this is exactly what I’d expect from a traumatised 20-year-old with the weight of the world on their shoulders. But he was good. That goodness what sets him apart from the likes of Ardyn and Somnus. No matter what fresh hell he endures, no matter how cold and angry and hurt he gets, he always has room in his heart for other people. His struggle is not to become kind, but remain so. And even at the very, very end of it all, the very last thing he chooses to do is to tell his friends, his fiance, and his father that he loves them. Suffice it to say, Noctis has cemented a pretty permanent place in my heart, and I just wish he got the game he deserved. 

Favorite moment • ❝Off my chair, Jester. The King sits there.❞ I quote that several times a week easily. What an iconic moment in gaming history. 

Idea for a story • If they really wanted to end the game as they did, I really, really wish Noctis could have chosen to die. He never really had agency in his own story, and as much as - as I said - that end killed me, that was due to my love of the character, not a result of good storytelling. I remember sitting there afterwards feeling utterly empty, because his end had no purpose. It served nothing. It was horrible. It was a horrible experience.  I don’t like the whole, “Live for your heart, stand by your friends, do what you feel is right. Unless this unjust god says otherwise, then fucking die. That’s a good ending, right??” I wish that he won the fight, and then chose to die so that the power of the Crystal would die with him and the Gods would lose their hold over the moral realm, or some such thing. Noctis has always craved freedom from his destiny, and has always been at his best when left to act according to his heart. This would have been an exercise in agency in line with his values, and would have delivered that absolute punch to the soul they so clearly wanted. It would have been both devastating and hopeful in equal, overwhelming amounts. And it would have made sense. Honestly, Square, what are you doing? Just call me already.

Unpopular opinion • I actually really liked Noct’s english VA. I think he did a great job. I love that you could audibly hear Noctis melt whenever Luna was brought up, especially during the whole Titan thing, when he goes from screaming to that all-too-soft “you spoke to her??”. I loved the way his performance progressed as Noctis’ character evolved. You can hear it especially in battle, when using Techniques. In the beginning, he sounds like he’s calling for help, or having to shout over the commotion. Over time his voice grows calmer until the very end, which takes on a regal, commanding quality, whilst retaining that gentleness that was always in him. I loved that Noctis in the beginning and end sound the same enough to be recognisable, but different enough that you could hear every single second he spent in that crystal. (I have even more of an appreciation for it now after reading Dawn, knowing what he was doing in there.) It sold an otherwise hard-to-swallow timeskip, an underdone ship, and a boatload of character development. He did great, no I don’t take constructive critisism, thanks. 

Favorite relationship • Easily his relationship with Luna. I could talk forever about the incredible bonds he has with his friends, but there’s something about this ship that has me in a hold. I’ve already talked so much about the things I appreciate (the most recent thing being about Noctis’ self-flagellation at not fully understanding Luna’s circumstances being in vain, because he obviously knows her better than anyone; how that misunderstanding is a product of her upbringing more than his negligence, and how his love and compassion for her runs deep), and I could keep going for an eternity. Once again, I feel the flaws in it are flaws in execution above all else, because when these two are given the spotlight, they absolutely shine. I just want good things for them both please and thank you.

Favorite headcanon • Anything that gives him catlike traits, like how he’ll comfortably sit in small spaces or stare at someone he likes. Mostly because I think these are Very Funny. For real, though, I’d be hard-pressed to choose just one. I’ve heard a lot of great things. 

[bonjovian]

Never Let Me Go: Chapter Sixteen

Quick little author's note: I am so proud of how far this story has come. I was so nervous about how it would go considering people I used to talk to put a damper on my inspiration for this fic, but I now know that there are a few people who read this still and it means the world to me. But that's beside the point. This chapter introduces the oc x canon I have been hinting at for the last couple of chapters :)

But thank you to those who have been reading this

Masterlist

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Seventeen

Word Count: 1,641

Tag List: @ocfairygodmother @oddballunicorn

Gaia adventures away from the group, set on taking in the new sights of Altissia, but soon encounters someone unexpected. What is she to do?

I wandered through some of the streets of Altissia, keeping in mind the goal of finding Maagho, but also just taking in all the sites I could find. I grabbed my journal from my pocket, excitedly writing down everything that interested me. After a moment I stopped to look around. I caught a glimpse of someone familiar passing by. That coat, I thought, that's right, Ravus and Ardyn are both here, too. He looked over at me for a moment before approaching me. I tensed up, suddenly nervous.

"Have we met before?" Ravus asked, looking me over. "You seem familiar."

I just nodded slightly, trying to find the words. "Yes, sir. That imperial base in Duscae. I was with Noctis and the others."

"I suspected you were one of the Crownsguard," He responded with a slight smile. "We haven't been formally introduced. I am High Commander Ravus Nox Fleuret."

"Gaia Machina. No fancy title," I laughed softly. He nodded.

"Is this your first visit to Altissia?"

"Yes, sir. We're all just checking out the area right now. We're supposed to be looking for a specific place, but I admit I got caught up in just exploring."

"Would you like for me to show you around?"

I nodded. "That would be nice, sir."

He chuckled softly. "You needn't be formal with me. I'm not your superior. Perhaps while I am showing you around, we may come across what you're looking for?"

I nodded slightly, letting him take the lead. "This place is Imperial territory, correct?" I asked.

"Indeed, though they still maintain their own government. The empire is far more generous with Accordo than they are for other territories."

"I see," I mumbled. "I hope that Niflheim doesn't think I'm one of their troops."

"If someone thinks that, I will clarify that you are just another tourist," He turned to look back at me with a small smile.

"Thank you, sir- I mean Ravus."

We continued walking for a moment in awkward silence. I couldn't help but notice some passersby stopping to whisper. "Pay them no mind," Ravus said calmly. "They aren't talking about you. Rather, it appears I have quite a fanbase I wasn't aware of."

I laughed softly. "I mean, it isn't every day you see the High Commander just strolling around Altissia," I joked.

He stopped just ahead of me, at one of the numerous gondola stations nearby. "As you are aware by now, the city uses gondolas as transportation. I understand if you do not feel comfortable riding with me, but there is someplace I would like to show you."

"You don't make me uncomfortable," I rubbed the back of my neck. "I just find this whole thing very new to me."

He chuckled softly, motioning for me to go ahead of him. "Ladies first."

I blushed slightly as I carefully sat down on the gondola. "I still really don't like boat rides," I laughed.

"Do you get seasick?" Ravus asked, sitting across from me.

"Yeah, but it's nothing major. Suppose that's how everyone is the first time they ride a boat. But what was it you wanted to show me?"

"Just a few areas you might find fascinating. I know a lot of tourists are flocking to a spot."

"Alright," I smiled. "Thank you for doing this, by the way." Soon the ride was over and we reached our stop.

"Come, right this way," Ravus motioned for me to follow him again. We must have been in a plaza area.

"Look at all these fancy buildings," I mumbled in awe.

"The Claustra estate is over that way. I assume Noctis may have business there soon," Ravus responded.

I kept looking around, the various food stalls littering the street catching my eye next. "Wait, they have ice cream here?" I asked. "I've never had it."

Ravus turned to look at me, clearly confused. "You've never had ice cream?" He asked. I shook my head. "Would you like to try it?"

"Yeah, how much gil is it?" I asked, rummaging through my jacket pockets.

"Don't worry about it. I'll pay."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure," he responded, walking over to the stall and motioning for me to come over. I quickly made my order, just something simple. I tried it hesitantly as Ravus paid for it.

"So this is what Prompto meant by an ice cream headache," I laughed quietly, putting a hand against my forehead. Ravus looked over at me and chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"You can't eat it too fast," he warned, motioning for me to follow him.

"You aren't getting yourself any ice cream?"

"Not this time," he responded. I ran to catch up with him. We reached a more crowded area and I made sure to keep close to him. It wasn't a matter of being afraid to lose him in the crowd, but more a matter of not liking crowds. He stopped after a moment. "Here. I figured you would find this something of note."

I realized why there was a crowd. We were right where Lunafreya's wedding dress was displayed. I smiled slightly, looking up at Ravus. "I should let the others know where this is! I'm sure Noctis would be happy to see this!" I whispered excitedly. I noticed he seemed more upset than anything else. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he muttered, walking away. "Shall I see you back to the Leville? I am sure your friends are waiting for you." I nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Ravus," I said after a moment, walking next to him. "You're worried about Lunafreya, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" He asked. "Her duty as Oracle is strenuous, as you probably heard."

I nodded slightly. "Yeah, I heard about that. I hope whatever she does to awaken the gods doesn't hurt her."

"It drains her," He responded.

"I can't imagine how it feels. For both of you," I sighed. "I don't really have much for a family myself. Just my mother, and the guys, if they count."

"I would say they do. It's obvious your time with them has created quite the bond. It seems unbroken even after... that event."

I nodded. "For the most part."

***

The rest of the way to the Leville was quiet. It felt a bit awkward, to be honest.

"Thank you for showing me around," I smiled slightly. "Suppose I'd better get back to the others now. I had fun!"

"I enjoyed it as well," he responded before clearing his throat, seeming a little flustered.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just haven't met anyone like you. I'm aware of the age gap, but if it's alright with you, I would like to continue seeing you."

I felt my face turn a bright red. I stammered, unable to find the words. "Romantically?" I finally asked. He simply nodded slightly. "Yeah, I don't see why not," I responded. Why did I say it like that? "I mean- I would love to. I'm just at a loss for words right now."

He nodded and kissed me for a short moment, causing me to freeze up yet again. "I'm glad. You should probably return to Noctis and the others now, I am sure at this point they are quite worried," he advised with a smile. I nodded and ran into the Leville, where the others were waiting.

"So, Gaia," Prompto began, walking over to me. "See anything interesting?"

"I saw where Lunafreya's wedding dress was being displayed if that's something to note," I smiled.

Prompto nodded slightly. "Anything else? Your face looks pretty red."

I shook my head. "No," I lied. "It was just that."

He grabbed his camera and went through it, looking for something. He stopped at a picture. It was of me and Ravus. If my face could turn even redder, it would have. "What's this?"

"I can explain," I stammered. Noctis laughed.

"Hey, he didn't attack you from what I saw," Prompto laughed. "He must really like you."

Gladio walked off to the hotel room without a word, though his silence spoke volumes.

"It's a long story. Hard to explain, but I just bumped into him and," I began.

"It was a date, wasn't it," Noctis chuckled.

The thought of that never crossed my mind until then. "Shit, I guess it was," I admitted. "But now I gotta ask why you were following me, Prompto!"

"I just wanted to make sure nothing happened to you!" Prompto laughed, ducking slightly when I glared at him. Well now they know, I scolded myself.

"So long as he doesn't try anything suspicious, I suppose we can allow it," Ignis said, turning to Noctis.

Noctis nodded. "Maybe you can get some information from him that we can use."

"I'm not going to be a spy," I interjected. "Politics weren't brought up at all, so that clearly isn't the reason behind this!"

"If he does anything to you, let us know," Prompto crossed his arms, trying to look serious.

"Look at you being a good older brother," Noctis laughed, patting Prompto on the back. 

"While you were doing that, I found where Maagho is," Ignis responded. "We'll be heading there tomorrow." 

"You had an eventful day, Gaia," Noctis teased, putting an arm around my shoulder. 

"Technically we all did," I crossed my arms. "It was a really long boat ride and you guys kept teasing me the whole time." 

"Well, it paid off, didn't it?" Prompto laughed. "And weren't you just talking about how you wish you could have someone to call your own?" 

"And it's the other Nox Fleuret," Ignis chuckled. 

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "Enough guys," I laughed. "I'm going to our room, I am absolutely exhausted." 

With that, I made my way to our hotel room and practically collapsed onto one of the chairs. I got lucky, I thought, I really did go on a date with Ravus Nox Fleuret himself... 

[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.

[weebsinstash]

I like the idea of reader thrust into the abo universe! ardyn finding out you are a new omega and deciding in his helpful fashion to play some mind games with the chocobros. He comes upon you outside somewhere or another lost and it's raining/cold and offers you his coat. You've seen him before or seen him in the distance talking to the chocobros so you trust him enough to accept. He graciously walks you back to the hotel and you return to the chocobros absolutely covered in another alphas scent and they get riled up. Getting all up in your face, sniffing and trying to scent you and you, not really grasping the whole abo thing yet, just get increasingly annoyed and frustrated at them until they snap at you.

Actually doesn't have to be Ardyn, could be a genuinely concerned alpha helping you out and the boys just going overboard on your return. Something about a still confused reader getting annoyed with them and then being put in their place appeals to me!

I've had so many ideas about the chocobros getting protective to the point it's overbearing 🥺 i have little scraps of drafts here and there from different ideas I've had with them, such as Reader sleeping in the same tent as the bros and having nightmares that make them cry in their sleep, so the boys have been secretly holding/cuddling them which is... well intentioned but kind of a huge invasion of privacy, especially if you find out by accident that maybe they're not doing it out of completely platonic reasons

And then I have a different idea where Noctis and the boys are on a journey or whatever outside of the Crown City before the events of the game and Reader eventually gets, well... reluctantly kidnapped back to the Citadel for their own good cause they get really really sick at some point with some Mysterious Omega Disease which is probably just a bad first heat. But you know, with the Wall and everything, once you go in....

And then I just like. Creating drama from the boys being condescendingly over-protective :3

And then I just think of all sorts of tense scenarios involving the ABO concept of "emotions have unique scents" so when Reader starts presenting, it's a massive change for them because it's really kind of a big loss of privacy? Imagine you just randomly get an intrusive thought or an upsetting daydream or you remember something from the past, enough to stress you out and make you excrete The Anxiety Pheromone and suddenly you have four very concerned alphas all "what's wrong, what can we do to help, it's ok we're here for you".

Every negative feeling sets off their Protective Alpha Instincts and they go into full Husband Mode wanting to take away all of your worries and I can imagine the drastic shift from feeling like "one of the gang" to "the delicate omega we must protect " and the way they start treating you different would be absolutely suffocating. You go from roughousing and playfighting and goofy shit like jumping into rivers for fish to "oh no don't do that, thats not safe, you might get sick, oh no let us do that for you" and just all of that would make me run off to the first mysterious handsome silver-tongued stranger to lure me into their clutches ~

[ladykf-writes]

A Second Chance at Family, CH1

SO! I’m dropping a whole chapter of a one-day-fic that I have zero timetable on but a lot of feels about. I don’t want to post CH1 and never come back to it, or come back in a few years -looks guiltily at INAG- but this will be a thing at some point probably and I need to hear you all scream with me.

NOTE: Verstael is ableist and there’s passing mention of that in a brief but beyond merely ugly way. It’s not dwelled on but if that’s triggering please give it a pass.

The road to hell, they said, was paved with good intentions. “He meant well” could be put on Ardyn’s gravestone, assuming he ever died and anyone cared to put up a marker. After hanging around for thousands of years, he was very seriously doubting it, but strange things had happened to him time and again defying what he thought was the truth.

As with so many things since he had emerged into the ‘modern’ era, this was to Verstael’s credit and blame.

A scant two years after Verstael had rescued him, his ‘studies’ - studies of Ardyn, insult to injury - had led to what would become magitek trooper program. The cloning program, which was apparently ‘okay’ because it used Verstael’s own genetic material.

That was the first jarring clue that, no matter how kind his rescuer had seemed, there was a gulf in their morals. The second, arguably worse clue, was that he happened to be there in time to find out that the ‘defective’ MTs - anyone in anything less than what Verstael considered perfect condition (something that made the healer in him that Ardyn had thought long dead rise up and howl in fury) - were to be disposed of.

Disposed of.

He’d gone home with a wide-eyed child who, as it turned out, had ‘subpar’ hearing. Of a sort that frankly a good set of hearing aids would take care of, but even if he’d had to learn sign it wasn’t… he shouldn’t…

It had taken a very, very long time to calm down. Blessedly for once, he’d learned to scream inside his head a long time ago.

MT-1C4214N was given the name Cassian and as far as Ardyn was concerned, that was his boy. But that didn’t stop him from doing everything in his power to talk Verstael into finding homes for the rest of the ‘imperfect’ clones. (Six help him, his boy would not grow up believing that there was something lacking just because he had a medical problem.)

Verstael seemed bemused and had an air of definite indulgence, but he didn’t care what his motive was behind his cooperation. The important thing was that no more little ones were done away with, because they deserved better. Realistically, Ardyn knew he couldn’t take them all in, but he still fostered a few that needed a little extra help before finding homes. Right up until he had to actually take on duties as the chancellor, and then it was hard to find time just for Cassian.

At least no one in Niflheim was going to take the little one away, but he ached for the moments he was missing even if the boy miraculously never seemed to hold it against him. It helped when he had an office to bring him to, letting him play in a pen where he couldn’t get into trouble. And if that encouraged some of the nobles to want ‘one for themselves’ well… he didn’t like them acting like people were pets but it was safer than the alternative. They’d be alive and cared for. They’d have a chance.

For a while, that was the status quo. He was kept busy keeping an eye on the war with Lucis, and he and Verstael grew further apart by nothing more nefarious than neglect. That didn’t mean he stopped checking on the MT’s however, not at all. And he should have realized that his ‘interference’ would eventually have consequences.

Even then, he never could have imagined the consequences that actually did occur.                                                                                    

Over a decade down the road, and he still stopped by to check on the MT production lines now and again. Checking up on Verstael, making sure there was nothing more unsavory than usual going on, not that he suspected the scientist realized that was his motive. In fact, months ago he’d commented offhand that he must be ‘missing a little one around’ - Cassian was twelve, now, and by no means an adult but definitely not ‘little’ either. Ardyn had just smiled and said all ages had their charms. And that was that. He’d thought nothing of it.

He should have.

“Ardyn!” Verstael still brightened when he saw him, oblivious of the gulf that had grown between them where a warm friendship had once been kindled. “I was hoping you’d drop by. In fact, I was considering contacting you myself.”

The first twinge of apprehension made itself known, and he told himself to relax; there was no reason for alarm yet. “Oh? Do tell, whatever’s on your mind?”

“I was thinking about… well, about your situation, and I realize I was unthinkingly cruel,” Verstael said, and sounded genuinely apologetic.

“…my situation?” Ardyn said carefully.

“Snatched away from your beloved, from any chance of family - of an heir to your legacy,” Verstael said softly. “And then I go making the MTs. Of course you looked and saw children. I was a blind fool, and I’m sorry.”

Ardyn smiled tensely and tried to silence the increasingly louder alarm bells in his head, instinct insisting Verstael had gone and done something far more foolish. “You meant no harm.”

Verstael seemed relieved at that, perhaps mistaking it for forgiveness. “Of course not. But I hoped… well. I hoped to make amends. If you’ll follow me?”

Ardyn followed - what else could he do? - every step increasing his trepidation. There was a door at the end of the hall, to the rooms Verstael claimed for his own workspace, and they were almost there when Ardyn felt it.

Magic.

Powerful, familiar magic, almost a living breathing echo of his own.

A cold chill washed through him as he followed Verstael in, catching sight of a bassinet built for two.

“I know how important familial bonds are to you, Ardyn. I never meant to make light of that,” Verstael said gently, leading him forward when he stopped cold. “You deserve this.”

In the bassinet was one of Verstael’s clones, curled on his side sucking his thumb. Beside it, however, was another little one. Not a newborn… maybe a month old? Old enough, his mind supplied, that Verstael would be sure the baby would survive. Because this was no clone of Verstael, not with the wisps of red hair and armiger-blue eyes, a shade he knew intimately well. This was the source of the magic he’d felt.

“We’re quite lucky I even had enough blood and tissue samples left for the one, really… if he’s to have a sibling you’ll need to help out there,” Verstael said, oblivious to Ardyn’s wildly turbulent emotions. “It was quite the effort, but he was perfect on the first try. A marvel in any incarnation, hm? …Ardyn?”

“I… you… you made…” Ardyn couldn’t even say it, resting a hand on the bassinet. The boys both looked at him, blinking placidly.

“A clone, Ardyn. A little Izunia for you to dote on,” Verstael said, beaming. “And of course, he can have a companion his age to keep him company. Unless you think this will be too much for you and Cassian?”

“No! No of course not,” Ardyn said quickly, mind whirring. “You said you can’t make another?”

“No, not without more materials, I’m afraid,” he admitted. “But should you ever desire, I’m quite certain it can be arranged.”

Ardyn laughed, a touch hysterically. “That’s quite alright, two infants is enough even for me. But I should get them home. I don’t suppose you have something more suitable? I can’t take them out in the cold air like this.”

“Oh! No, no of course not, one moment.” Verstael bustled off, leaving Ardyn to stare at the babies.

He reached out, brushing one fair cheek of the child that was both him and would blessedly never be him with his fingertip, swallowing hard. He was given a toothless smile and felt his eyes sting. Three children he had now. Three vulnerable sons in this frigid, godless daemon’s den. Forget how he was supposed to raise them, how was he ever supposed to protect them? It was entirely different when it had just been him. What could they do to him that was any worse than what he’d suffered already?

But children… Cassian was barely learning to handle a blade. These two couldn’t even sit up on their own. He had no one he trusted here, not since Verstael had proven himself to be ruled by his ambitions. To be fair, he didn’t really have anyone he trusted anywhere, and yet he knew then and there: he couldn’t stay here.

Verstael came back to help him swaddle up the boys and then he saw him off to the little apartment he stayed at when he came to visit. Cassian was waiting, but his usual shyness around Verstael vanished when he saw what Ardyn had.

Ardyn gave his head a tiny shake, bidding him to please be quiet, and smiled at Verstael. “I’m sure you’re quite busy. We’ll take it from here.”

“With your trusty assistant, of course.” Verstael smiled that same smile he always did - had it always been indulgently condescending? - and waved to Cassian before seeing himself out.

Cassian was still silent, waiting, wide blue eyes fixed on the babies.

Ardyn swallowed hard. “I need you to pack your things.”

His eyes snapped up at that, going wider still. “Pack?”

“We can’t stay here anymore,” Ardyn said softly. “It’s not safe.”

“…where is safe?” Cassian asked softly.

Ardyn considered that a long moment. Considered the fact that wherever he fled in the Empire, he would be found. That left one very unfavorable, risky option: throwing himself at Lucis’ mercy.

No, not at Lucis’ mercy - Lucis would have no mercy. He had to strike at its soft core.

Time to see if Regis truly deserved the title of The Father.

[the-blind-geisha]

for the love sentence starters (if requests are still open), “I never stopped loving you.” - for Noctis, SFW

A/N: Sure thing~ I'll be happy to! ♥

Word Count: 1,628

Rated: SFW

Working to cull the daemon threat in Insomnia felt like trying to put out fire with a lit match. Being part of the Glaive that worked behind the city's ruined walls, you did your all to make sure that the city would at least be in some form of good condition when the king was to return. But how was this going to be possible? Ardyn was sitting on the throne and the daemons spawned continuously with no end in sight.

The worst of it was when you lost contact with the base where Cor and the others were. What happened? Did the daemons manage to make it down there as well? It couldn't have been possible. The Kingsglaive was unstoppable in your mind.

Running from two Nagas, you did your all to try and contact someone at the base once more. “Marshal, please respond! Marshal, it's me—y/n—are you there!” Nobody answered. There was only white noise to greet you. “Dammit!” you swore, jumping out of the way of one of the incoming jaws of the mighty creature behind you.

Don't look it in the eyes, you reminded yourself. It can not only poison you with a mere bite but it can turn you into a damn frog of all things.

There was a horrible cracking sound after a very predatory hiss that emanated from one of the Naga chasing after you. Just as you were about to turn around and find out the source of that whip like sound, the tail of the beast snapped around and snagged your ankle in a quick move that left you wide open for its other attack as you slipped and fell.

Your head was pounding. The sounds of the fire and all daemons that had overtaken Insomnia were but a mere ringing noise at this point. The sights becoming that of a blur, you felt as blood trickled from an open wound on your head as the Naga's jaws dripping with saliva inched closer to you in a ravenous want to devour you.

Before you could even think to just surrender, a blade spawned out of nowhere and stabbed the daemon in the chest, making it lurch back and scream inhumanly. The King of Lucis, Noctis, appeared shortly after to grab onto the weapon and swing it upward to cut the creature apart. The tail, which had you grappled, loosened, and you were soon free.

It didn't matter. You were a mess from that fall you were unprepared for, and it was there you slowly blacked out.

“... Ey....” A familiar voice beckoned to you later. “...Hey... Y/N...? Up... Wake up...”

Eyes fluttering open, you saw the familiar King of Lucis there beside you as he had taken you to a secured location to check on your wounds. It was an old restaurant from what you could see—appeared to be some sushi place, but it didn't look familiar to you. Not that everything had aged properly as time went on. A lot was so far in ruin that you could scarcely recall the places you once visited on a daily basis.

“N-Noctis...” you muttered as he was apparently alone. Having known him for so long, you knew he wouldn't be bothered if you only called him by his first name.

“Yeah,” he answered with a sigh of relief. “You had me worried there, y/n. I was lucky I found you and the Marshal just in time.”

“The Marshal?” You were able to sit upright with ease, a potion no doubt being used to cure your injuries. “I-Is he okay? I tried to contact him over our secure Glaive line but he wouldn't pick up.”

Noctis nodded. “The guys and I got there before the daemons could try to break through to your headquarters. The Marshal was trying to keep them at bay, so that might be why nobody picked up. They were focusing their efforts to keep the base from the encroaching daemons.” A frown of sorrow still managed to tug at the king's lips. “There were a few casualties, I am saddened to say. We saw them on the way there.”

Closing your eyes, you nasally sighed at the lives lost in this war. “You've come back for us,” you muttered in disbelief.

Noctis laughed softly at the words. “You make it sound like I never would. Insomnia is my home, and I refuse to let Ardyn have his way with my peoples' lives.”

A sigh of relief made its way past your lips. “I am just relieved you are all right. I was worried you'd end up the same as Lady Lunafreya...”

He could sense the discontent in your tone when you spoke of such things. “No, I didn't, and I don't plan on doing so.”

He was hiding something in those words but you couldn't figure out what it was. “I'm sorry about what happened to your fiancée. That was cruel.” You closed your eyes, chewing at the corner of your mouth at having to remember such a thing. The sound of what happened was worse than one being there to witness it. You felt for the poor man.

“Another reason I plan on extracting my revenge against Ardyn,” Noctis muttered as he clasped his hands together. “You don't have to continue speaking of it, you know. I can tell talking of it bothers you a bit.”

It wasn't that you felt Lunafreya was a bad choice. Far from it. You were just inwardly envious. You made yourself very clear in regards to how you felt when it came to Noctis, and that was why you thought it was better to just became part of the Kingsglaive. You could serve your king and use that passion towards something far better than use it to stew in your jealousy over what you couldn't have. Even if she was gone, it didn't feel right. He deserved to have the one being who made him happy.

“I shouldn't be so selfish. And please, don't think ill of me,” you begged. “I hate she died. I truly do. She didn't deserve it. You both deserved to be happy, and I would have continued serving you both loyally no matter what.”

Noctis clasped his hands together between his legs as he lowered his head as if to lament about something privately. “Jealousy is a strong emotion. I cannot say I am not accustomed to it.”

Your head tilted to the side. “Since when?” To you, it felt like he had it all. He had the perfect wife to be and the most amazing support net when it came to his friends. What was he lacking?

“Since you started dating your last boyfriend some odd years ago,” Noctis answered with a weary sounding laugh to disguise the jealousy that still wanted to be vile.

“Ah. Him.” You glanced away with a nasally breath. “I have to admit that it didn't last long. My emotions went more towards work anyways. I just kind of liked being around you, and I think he could see that.”

“Really?” Noctis straightened up in his chair he was sitting in, interested by that. “After all this time?”

A laborious laugh resonated from your chest. “I never stopped loving you, Noctis. The gods could demand it so, but I would ignore them.”

“Even when I was engaged and on my way to be married?”

“Even then.” You shrugged your shoulders, resting your hand on the part of your body that was previously wounded only to find it had easily healed over with the magic of the potion used. “Yeah, I'm sure it's unhealthy as fuck, but I would have served you both loyally. I swear it.”

Noctis tapped his fingertips together, bowing his head as if to ponder on what to say or do. “Understand, y/n, that I cannot take your feelings into consideration right now. It's been ten years, yeah... but... to me it still feels like just yesterday ever since I got back from being trapped in the Crystal.”

“I don't expect you to.” You nodded at nothing in particular, eyes drifting over the ruins of what was. “Look around you, Noct. It's not just me that needs you but your people. Tend to them first, and then we'll talk down the line.”

“Even if it has to be years from now?”

“Even then,” you said with a smile. “Other things are far more important as of current. Your emotional healing being one of them as well as the safety of others.”

He nodded, recalling the gravity of the situation. “You're right. You're right...” he repeated as if to affirm it himself. It was then he got up and offered his hand for you to take. Your fingers slipping into his grasp, he aided you in standing. “The Marshal was worried about you. It was why and how we found you. You might want to head back to HQ or something.”

“I'll contact him.” Digging into your pocket, you pulled out your phone to show Noctis. “Technology still kind of works if you have the electricity to make it do so. Besides, I'd rather be out here on the front line—helping you.”

He stifled a laugh behind his lips. “Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you outside when you're done.”

You watched as Noctis was about to leave the building. “Hey, Noct?” you called, causing the king to stop and turn to look back at you. Your right hand turned into a fist as you brought it across your chest before bowing. “It's great to have you back, my King.”