#crownsguard

[he6o]

Ignis - Brotherhood & Crownsguard 🔥

The second standee I tackled, featuring various foodstuffs from that one episode of Brotherhood and from the road trip. Plus bonus carrot 🥕🧡

These 6-7” standees have been designed as a place to write notes - maybe a to-do list, or a reminder of what to cook tomorrow XD The background design was kept generic (as opposed to saying ‘notes’ or anything specific) so they can be used however you want, or just as art to display if you prefer!

Pre-orders available here

[koritea]

A Crownsguard puts all others before themself.

Some art of my oc Calor <3

[ahdenyadahling]

Final Fantasy XV - Fate & Destiny

note: mild language/trauma

Chapter Eleven, Part Two

The ground below Noctis gave way and he fell, sliding down the smooth embankment. I watched with horror and a bit of pride as Gladio went after him, as was his duty. Just in front of them, the Titan rose.

The Titan, one of the Six Gods of this world, the Star of Eos, was also one of its greatest saviors. As I said, when the Meteor was about to crash onto our Star, large enough to cause worldwide destruction, the Titan caught it on his back, holding it aloft to this day. The impact still left this crater, the Disc of Cauthess, and in places, the Meteor still burned and lava flowed at the Titan’s feet. Weary with exertion over his accomplishment, the Titan slept, the Meteor still resting on his shoulders, until he could regain his strength and do with it as he saw fit, whether that be set the Meteor down or hurl it back into space. But now, his gaze was set upon Noctis. One eye was, anyway; there was a shard of the meteor through his right eye.

From above, watching Noctis and Gladio disappear from view, I clung tightly to each of the remaining boys shoulders.

“Noct, you okay?” Prompto sounded scared.

Ignis, as usual, was more level-headed. “Is there any way back up?”

“No,” came Noct’s voice, and we each breathed a sigh of relief to hear him, “you guys just look for a safer way down.”

The three of us broke into a sweat as we made our way down turning paths, with pockets of rock which fumed heat and sometimes molten rock. It was an arduous process, and our breathing was labored, both by the workout and the excruciating heat. We met Noctis at the bottom just as he was dodging the Titan’s sweeping left hand, which was twice as large as Noct’s entire body. My heart leapt into my throat, noticing Noct fought alone.

“Where’s Gladio?” I shouted.

“On his way,” His Highness assured me, slicing at the Titan’s stony hand as it made to knock him over again.

We were also quite surprised when several Magitek Engines appeared above us, distracting the Titan and allowing us to fight. It wasn’t until Ignis ordered me to take aim at the Magitek soldiers that I realized what the Empire was really trying to accomplish: to take down the Titan themselves. With my whip, I knocked away pull lines they tried to hook into him while Noct and the others continued their fight. When the Titan fell forward and the fight appeared over, the Archaean revealed to the prince that his betrothed, the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, had begun to convene with the Gods. This meant she was asking for their blessing in supporting Noctis as the Chosen King. This fight was simply to prove Noct’s worth, and with the Titan’s support, he was one step closer to his title. At this point, the Titan had had enough of these Imperial Warships buzzing around his head. He smashed what ships he could reach, causing an earthquake which tore another hole in the earth. Lava began to pool around us, leaving us scrambling for higher ground as the earth under our feet melted.

And to our perturbation, one more ship appeared, with Ardyn bestowing his ‘kindness.’ We were loathe to trust this man, but this time, Ardyn properly introduced himself as Ardyn Izunia. The name meant nothing to me, but Ignis questioned, “Imperial Chancellor Izunia?”

“The same. Come aboard, I guarantee safe passage. Or die in the rubble. It’s all the same to me.”

Ignis made a fair point, saying how we couldn’t die here, we had no other option. And so we were brought aboard the Imperial Warship. We were rescued by the same man who may or may not have had a hand in the attack on Insomnia that ultimately killed Noctis and Gladio’s fathers.

We sat on the floor of the Imperial machine, quietly discussing our options for when we landed. Where was he even going to let us out? It turned out, not too far from my home in the forest of Duscae. But we had a bigger problem- the Regalia was missing. The Empire had clearly ‘taken it for safe keeping’ during the Titan fight, but it was not returned to a specified location.

Under the authority of the High Commander, the Imperial War Strategist, most of the road blockades had returned ‘for public safety.’ Ignis suspected it was a tactic to keep us under surveillance, or at least keep us locked down to this region. In the meantime, Noctis had called Cindy, asking her to keep an ear out for the car, and of course, to my annoyance, Prompto was bouncing over his shoulder just to hear her voice.

Without the car, I made a suggestion. “If we kill Deadeye, we could start using Chocobos to travel.”

“Oh dude!” Prompto grabbed onto my shoulders and kicked his feet in the air, “I do love the way you think!”

“I suppose you do make a convincing argument,” Ignis acknowledged, his gloved fist on his chin.

We walked up the winding road toward Wiz’s Chocobo Races, a road I knew by heart, and although I was excited to see Wiz, my pace slowed. Gladio put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

“Worried about your mom?” he asked.

I nodded, and he smiled down at me, promising, “I’ll talk to Noct. See if we can stop by between missions, alright?” He kissed my cheek and encouraged me to jog alongside him. We passed by the others, running faster than them, and found that although the race track was closed, there were still people milling around the premises. A few rows of Chocobos were out in their pens, enjoying the sunlight, and Prompto was the first one over to pet them. While he took pictures of and with them, Noctis, Ignis and I spoke with Wiz Forlane, the owner of the racetrack and issuer of the Deadeye bounty. I had known Wiz for many years, and he was like an uncle to me. He was proud to see my Crownsguard uniform and that I had taken up the hunt like my father. I could see he was apprehensive about my fighting abilities, but when Gladio approached and set a strong arm around my waist, saying he’d watch out for me, Wiz nodded and gave us directions on where Deadeye was last seen. My heart was pounding in my ears, but like every other matter in my life, there was no turning back.

[legendaryglaives]

The Crownsguard paratrooper uniform somewhat resembles an MT trooper in silhouette.

Just a thought.

[darkwing-ramblings]

The Dragon Prince Season Seven: Ezran

Hello @leavemealoneniw ! My explanation is long so I have made a separate post but shall reblog yours with a link too? Also much of this text was drawn from discussion with @fanf1cadd1ct , if you want to check that out for further elaboration. But first, your request:

 “So… why we making it seem like Ezran  went down a “Dark Path” when literally all he did was put a criminal (in Katolis eyes)  in custody? I’m confused please tell me without the Rayllum code cause I couldn’t honestly care less.”

It’s undeniably unfair asking Ezran to just forgive Runaan but not acting to imprison Runaan is in no way equivalent to the personal nature of whether forgiveness has been granted and so pretty irrelevant to the debate. Ezran doesn’t have to forgive Runaan at all: him being angry and resentful was all within his rights and shouting and being upset and walking out of the room and refusing to look at Runaan would all absolutely have been deserved. But the other four assassins involved are notably dead so in terms of consequences four out of five of the team who infiltrated the castle to kill the king have already paid with their lives not to mention Runaan himself has paid with two years of his freedom to summarise why, on principle, it was imprisoning Runaan I find to be where Ezran crossed the line. If Exran had simply banished Runaan from Katolis it would be a different story- that’s absolutely reasonable and everyone involved would be happier I imagine if Ezran let Runaan disappear half a continent away where Ezran never has to see him again (which is an extremely reasonable urge and I utterly support).

Rayla does not phrase her demands Ezran release Runaan politely but they hold water in my eyes: Runaan is essentially a prisoner of war from a kingdom Ezran has no authority over who was just released from the custody of Katolis by Katolis’ high mage and crown prince/heir to the throne (aka Callum), who additionally gave permission for Rayla to bring Runaan to Katolis as a guest. Politically it complicates Ezran’s reaction significantly as a result and this is where Zubeia herself is most relevant: Runaan is essentially military personnel under her authority who acted under her orders assassinating King Harrow. 

At the time Runaan killed Harrow Katolis was essentially at war with Xadia, the kingdoms were not allied in any way at all and open hostilities were ongoing such as concerning Harrow and Viren’s personal assassination of Avizandum, Xadia’s king, and believed lethal violence against Azymondias the unborn heir (that in reality it turns out Azymondias was kidnapped and stored in a basement for likely dark magic usage under conditions he couldn’t hatch in which would eventually kill him- it’s barely better). Harrow is the king of Katolis and Viren its high mage who killed another head of state (that he commits treason by lying to Harrow about Azymondias is completely irrelevant to the case of killing Avizandum where he committed no crimes so far as Katolis’ law was concerned)- retaliatory military violence is more of the same and not special. Runaan’s arrest and imprisonment by Katolis post-killing Harrow is absolutely legitimate: he’s a foreign soldier (an assassin is not a separate category that means anything tangible given what we’ve seen of Katolis’ actions against Xadia) who just killed their king.

And yes, it is by Katolis. Callum and Ezran have voluntarily left the castle and Amaya is away- Soren is the legitimate head of the crownsguard and Viren is the legitimate high mage of Katolis and they are two of the major authorities for Katolis left in the castle at that point post Harrow's death. Additionally, Viren is later legitimately given leadership in a peaceful transfer of power (no matter the circumstances of political stuff surrounding it) when Ezran steps down so I don't feel he's exactly divisible from the authority of Katolis. It is understandable Ezran probably doesn't feel that way, yes, but Viren very much is not practically separable from the kingdom at that point in time or following. Soren as head crownsguard with delegated authority also is particularly legitimate on behalf of the crown of Katolis. Runaan remains imprisoned by Viren and to his knowledge during his time as regent and king. The imprisonment of Runaan itself is fine as a hostile agent of a kingdom they’re essentially actively warring with- the torture isn’t and Claudia implying Runaan may be used as dark magic spell parts isn’t (Xadia’s cultural taboo on dark magic is absolutely enshrined in their laws and so it may be legal in Katolis but I still object to treating anyone that way regardless).

Zubeia being brought up to point out the hypocrisy of not holding it so tangibly against her yet holding Runaan accountable is why it matters as a discussion point.

But that’s all well and good for somewhat covering the two year time skip period where Runaan can arguably be seen as facing consequences for killing Harrow already by Katolis- which is what Ezran we see feels he should do. The other four assailants also died in the break in- during combat or slain afterwards perhap-. Harrow’s death has not gone unpunished or unaddressed under the authority of Katolis. Hence my issue with Ezran ordering Soren to arrest Runaan who is not a citizen of his kingdom and is a prisoner of war just released from Katolis’ own imprisonment by a legitimate authority of Katolis (its new high mage undoing the actions of its old one rather poetically, neatly stopping the cycle of violence on a microcosm pleasingly). Because Katolis and Xadia AREN’T AT WAR after the time skip they’re diplomatic allies- Ezran, if he wants to legitimately prosecute Runaan needs to go through Zubeia for permission who is his ally or it’s potentially an act that could justify renewed war and reopen hostilities. In other words it’s utterly irresponsible, dangerous and unjustifiable by any legal principle if Ezran intends to honour his agreements of peace.

Ezran, as king of Katolis, being on first name terms with Zubeia, the queen of Xadia, does not make the political and diplomatic implications go away. Peaceful negotiations with her for reparations arguably owed when the kingdoms are at peace once again is what he needs to open up process wise and a bag of worms it’s extremely ill-advised to open: Zubeia would be within her rights to open up equivalent cases against Katolis’ citizens and military personnel felt to have committed particular crimes she’s decided she cares to prosecute. Amaya was on the expedition to kill the magma titan and killed Xadian elves on the border and helped establish new military outposts by pushing further into new ground aka she’s not an innocent to this type of situation. It isn’t inconceivable Zubeia has solid grounds to push for Amaya’s death in such a situation (slaying the magma titan was the expedition where Avizandum defended their own border from invasion by foreign powers on behalf of one of their civilians or else sentient beings under their protection who was killed and used in a dark magic spell as parts desecrating the corpse that King Harrow/Katolis drew on to “justify” Zubeia’s mate’s death). The goodwill between Xadia and Katolis is new and fragile- Ezran’s confidence Zubeia was injured and perhaps unlikely to object to her subject’s ill treatment for actions taken during a war undertaken with her authority is no justification for Ezran risking everything he’s worked for and the safety of the people in his kingdom who are unusually vulnerable given the loss of their fortified capital has just happened because of a personal desire for vengeance. Imprisoning Runaan is a significant political failure and provocation on a practical level.

(Yes, I do have complaints about Azymondias here too- he may be young but he's prince and Runaan is his subject and frankly Zym getting involved would have made sense on a practical political level at least, particularly given Rayla is one of his citizens he knows and it's her father and Runaan did it on Zym's mother's orders, he could at least have said something passed on through Ezra. Ezran is a young king rising to the challenge Zym also ought to try and act fittingly as a prince. But he’s practically a toddler so it’s still significantly younger than Ezran’s age equivalent so there’s that.)

Additionally, it’s hypocritical of Ezran to not hold both Zubeia and Runaan equally accountable for Harrow’s death- he can’t pursue only one and have any moral high ground because as understandable as Runaan seemingly registering as the sole perpetrator is it’s utterly baseless in how royal power works. Ezran is a child but he’s also a king- having emotions is no crime but it’s extremely important what he does with them and if age was an excuse and the reason he couldn’t be expected to work past them in any scenario then the argument becomes not about Ezran’s choices and slight moral decline in the throes of anger at all but about how actually Opeli or whoever should be regent as Ezran shouldn’t hold the throne in the first place. I do wish the conflict had bubbled up concerning Zubeia and her delegated authority more though previously in the show yes as her and Ezran having such a harmonious relationship has always confused me because she factually ordered Harrow’s successful assassination- and ordered Ezran’s own too even if it was unsuccessful without fact checking what his age was at all (which we know because Rayla was on the mission and fully briefed and didn’t know that Callum wasn’t Ezran at first). It’s a failure of due diligence but even a toddler is comparatively less bad than an unhatched egg so given Ezran is named and it’s reasonably inferable he’s an unborn child it’s not hard to see why it occurred: Zubeia just didn’t care that much she wanted someone to pay for her pain and didn’t much care about the specifics of it. Zubeia actually saying something about the whole mess she created feels like the missing piece of character moments I’d personally have enjoyed being touched on a little further.

Now I personally think imprisoning Runaan (note that Soren may have done it but as it was under Ezran’s command Ezran is just as accountable) made Ezran very compelling as a character with all of his complexity and it was an extremely entertaining watch as no character is flawless and they can all make mistakes, but it was absolutely not a path taken free of darkness in terms of his decisions becoming morally murkier. It reminded me of Harrow as a character foil to Ezran wherein they both fell prey to the same impulse that Harrow denounces before his death: it's all well and good denouncing the cycle of an eye for an eye and a life for a life and a wrong for a wrong until it's your loved one who suffers it if you can’t put your money where your mouth is! Blood feuds (rarely considered morally a-okay) are a staying feature in history for a reason! Ezran paralleling Harrow oh so well was neat (whilst Zym has it seems actually for the time being moved away from Avizandum's shadow of violence more fully following Zubeia's over reformation, her wholeheartedly rejection of it is neat as it parallel's Amaya meanwhile and gives proof adults as well as children can change no matter how far down it all they may be!). I particularly loved the ensuing Rayla and Soren dynamic reprise too where they're both opposed because of principles and personal loyalties! How it worked out perfectly showed the show’s themes in the microcosm I thought!

Another character who was crucially missing at the key window of that situation imploding was Amaya. I feel like Amaya’s presence would have helped mediate a lot more than Callum’s and that her presence was sorely missed as an adult, a family member and a soldier more accustomed to situations of complexity like it to talk to Ezran and help him process it all better. Perhaps even to suggest banishment. Surely she was needed in Katolis more than in Lux Aurea even if she's newly married? Sigh, oh well, she did hug Ezran before he left at least? I still sorely missed her experience and wisdom from being an adult tied to the crown family as long as Ezran's entire lifetime and then marrying into a separate one (kudos to Janai for lucking into a spouse with both a military and political background that's dead useful in an advisor who has actual experience supporting a king and queen!). The disparity highlighted of Callum taking Harrow’s death better as he’s both older and unlike Ezran has grieved a parent he can remember (as well as one he mostly can’t/can’t at all about his birth father which their mother is the equivalent for to Ezran)

before Harrow was also pronounced in a very cool way. Callum feels like he comprehends Zubeia played a significant role in Harrow’s death and has a relationship in spite of that- Ezran it feels didn’t and may never get closure on fully now Zubeia isn’t around to face the fallout of her actions directed towards her anymore (but he had two years so honestly he did have time to seek it out if he really wanted to and he has Zym who parallels him directly and lives with the knowledge Ezran’s father killed his own father so they can support each other at least?).

The following is less about why I don’t think it’s ambiguous that Ezran failed to adhere to his own standards and principles- hence undeniably showed decline from his more established role as the ideal moral example to everyone in the show- but is relevant to the discussion in terms of aggravating and mitigating circumstances.

To me it feels notable that in the scene Ezran spots Runaan and during their stay in Katolis briefly Runaan was always unarmed- Rayla had the sense to not return his bow to him etc in that period because that would have been horribly undiplomatic. Runaan being an invited guest and unarmed when he’s arrested are ways that the disproportionate scale and immediacy of the escalation cannot be pinned on him or Rayla regarding them. Runaan on his part is very helpfully not making things worse by resisting arrest or denying his actions or adding fuel to the fire saying anything horrible and went quietly when arrested by Soren (again... the deja vu cannot have been fun, it was very handy there were no explosive PTSD reactions to chains and guards from Katolis soldier's uniforms later either, given the timeline for him is barely a week since being conscious outside of Katolis' dungeons that could have been much worse, he also didn't beg for death this time). I only imagine Rayla appearing on good terms with Callum and Ezran regardless, helped enormously in soothing worries Runaan might face "more practical uses" as Claudia put it again in any type of dark magic way as was said at his previous capture. None of it needed to be written that way but Runaan shows no signs of present hostilities and beyond breathing cannot be said to have aggravated the situation- making Ezran’s choice that much more clearly unjustified in his handling it the way he did and his own. 

Callum informing Ezran that Runaan would be arriving with Rayla beforehand would have helped, possibly, but that’s something it’s reasonable for Rayla and Runaan to assume he would do if it was necessary and not on them given they have literally just arrived in that scene. Callum hasn’t seemingly been there much longer but has met up with Soren and Ezran for a bit beforehand so had the time practically if unlikely emotional capacity. Again, I reiterate, Ezran screaming for Runaan to get out of his sight I would stand by- having Runaan dragged away by an armed guard not so much.

Callum starting with "I understand how you feel and why Ezran, it was wrong that our father was killed and I grieve him as much as you and it is a terrible tragedy that Katolis was destroyed and I am here with you and just as grieved. But it is still not Runaan's fault and I don't think you should be holding him prisoner" would have helped, but to some degree Callum DID cover most of those points so... I can see how they were all trying and it still fell apart. Callum's approach in private later if repeated a couple of times would have eventually gotten somewhere, I imagine, but not in a time frame that was fast and it’s not actually fair for Runaan to await Ezran fully processing Katolis’ destruction before he’s given his freedom back.

Rayla breaking Runaan out in the middle of the day as a MOONSHADOW ELF was absolutely hilarious, I have to say, waiting less than a day would have helped greatly but she was really just that impatient. It’s utterly terrible decision making. Without it we wouldn’t have gotten confirmation that Ezran is willing to violently recapture Runaan at potential cost to his soldier’s lives though which was another yikes when the imprisonment was for reasons I put above not one I felt was warranted, sensible or particularly justified in a legitimate capacity. After all, if “any actions taken against someone once they’ve killed a king are inherently justified and there is no disproportionate force etc and diplomacy doesn’t matter judging if it’s fine” then Harrow’s death was absolutely justified so Runaan facing consequences for it is… both shaky and exploration of why the cycle of violence continues: which Ezran’s actions endorse in spite of his words about the cycle in how own view being bad and hurtful and something to stop because continuing it isn’t right. For her part, Rayla just had to see two of her parents pass on and pick only one to save and chose Runaan, she's not seen Ethari in two years and when she did he was hurting and she was hurting and they were both grieving so she wasn't ever going to compromise her family given the poked at wounds of her own grief. If grief is a good enough defence on its own she and Ezran’s ought to cancel each other out. To her minute credit she did try to ask Ezran release Runaan before resorting to breaking Runaan out: her father the tortured ex-prisoner-of-war imprisoned by her kingdom’s allies for actions taken when their respective kingdoms were not allies and were not those of a renegade but their monarch’s will making disobeying if ordered arguably treasonous and ergo illegal. 

Ezran sits in the ruins of Katolis on his violently killed father’s burnt throne, having not fully grappled with the nature of Harrow’s death as he's young and it's hard and unlike Callum he has no memory of working through grief of the type where a parent is remembered was never going to resolve smoothly. Amaya isn’t there. Callum tries but him having a romantic relationship with Rayla doesn’t help with mediation and Ezran is just not at a point that sort of plea can get through to him yet. He’s snapping at Zym because of stress later on in the season for instance and talking about weapons against the dragons in very cold war-esque terms oblivious to Zym being a dragon and right there and looking extremely uncomfortable about it. Ezran seeing Runaan was never going to end well but the specifics of how it goes are what raised flags to me. Ezran and Rayla are friends so there’s elements of mutually feeling personally betrayed by each other over the entire mess because they wanted more support that doesn’t help. 

It’s brilliantly entertaining and a delightful powderkeg of politics and diplomacy and vengeance and grudges and grief. I have no complaints as it let the characters all be complex and none were one dimensional and loved them all the more for it!

[littlenimart]

honeyspot soufflé crisis

(or, when you’re a paladin at a gala and the pastry chef goes missing, you’re going to roll up your gauntlets and lend some citizens a hand)

[dent-de-leon]

given that the Claret Orders were hunted down in the Empire, I wonder what Caleb would have thought of Molly if he never left the Orders--

[lbulldesigns]

BREAKING NEWS: NOXIAN ATTACK WITHIN DEMACIA!

An attack at Demacias Grand Plaza Station took place at 11:30 AM this morning, the main culprits are a Noxian Fire Mage estimated to be around six years of age, and an unknown assailant who at this point in time is suspected to also be a Noxian agent, the second attacker is unidentifiable at this time what is known about them is that they are a presumed young woman, with long orange hair tied up in a single braid. She is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and is armed with explosives and a firearm; both suspects are at large and presumed highly dangerous.

Captain Garen Crownsguard is leading the search for the attackers and has asked that civilians stay indoors and call the Mageseekers and City Guard if they see anyone suspicious, he also asks that if anyone comes across anyone fitting the assailants' descriptions to stay away and await assistance; the Mageseekers have also implored civilians to not be swayed by the fire mages young appearance, she is confirmed to be out of control of her magic and is suspected to have a contract with a Shadow Bear (a Noxian borne demon).

With the presence of a Noxian mage here in Demacia, the Vanguard are being issued to secure Demacias borders from any further infiltration from Noxius, King Jarvan IV has promised that all threats, internal and external, will be dealt with and has vowed to keep the people of Demacia safe and that the attackers today will be dealt with swiftly.

[smallest-turtle]

17-year-old recently emancipated minor and legal guardian of his younger sister Cor Leonis is now sitting at a parent teacher conference with his own former 7th grade teacher who knows he just disappeared from the school system 4 years ago. Wish him luck.

[sakuranightmarez]

Random Prompto HC poll

Once upon a time Prompto had glasses (Brotherhood/EpPrompto) then in-game he's never seen with glasses. So I ask to y'all for your esteemed opinion:

[kingsleytealeef]

i must have missed this my first watch cause asdfghjkl- TALIESIN!

[a-world-in-grey]

Do Prompto's parents know about her health issues? Or did she manage to hide it from them?

Oh, Prompto's parents are fully aware of her health issues. The issues don't develop until at least a few years after she discovers her magic, so probably when she's ten or eleven, but even with how often her parents aren't around it's just not possible to hide that from them. Partially because her babysitters notice and tell her parents, but also because before she's taken to various doctors her health issues are obvious enough that her parents would have to be blind and dumb not to notice them.

Prompto's parents, of course, are really fucking concerned about Prompto's sudden health issues. They take her to doctor after doctor, but no one can figure out exactly what's causing the issues or how to fix them, which just leaves mitigation and coping strategies. Unknown to Prompto, Prompto's parents figure that her health issues are inherited from her biological parents and debate asking Cor or the King for more information. I haven't decided if Prompto's parents know she's a clone or not, but Regis and Cor, who do know, probably figure Prompto's health issues are a result of the cloning process when they hear about Prompto's health problems.

Meanwhile, Prompto - and by extension Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio - never really think too hard on the cause of Prompto's health problems. Her health is what it is, they don't really put much thought into it beyond helping her cope. Which, they probably should, what with Prompto's health noticeably improving after they start training her magic, but dumb teenagers will be dumb teenagers and they're more focused on hiding Prompto's magic from anyone that might report it back to Regis. (Might even have Prompto's doctor put her on a new drug around this time, so Prompto's improvement gets attributed to that instead.)

[one-winged-dreams]

Fucking struggling to compose myself thinking about how Gladio and Lux were probably each other's first relationship/kiss/what have you

[ahdenyadahling]

Final Fantasy XV - Fate & Destiny

Chapter Eleven, Part One

note: mild language

Chapter Eleven: Ardyn & Titan

We traveled back to Lestallum in the morning to inform Talcott that his information was invaluable. However, as we reached the hotel, another headache sent Noct to his knees. Ignis had him lie down on the sofa in the hotel foyer while Gladio checked in with Iris, and the four of them stayed behind to talk out the next plan while I wandered outside, heading for the outlook.

Seeing the Disc of Cauthess from this angle was amazing. It was like lightning had struck the earth, sending rocks jutting sky-high, then flash-freezing them into thin pillars that glowed with crystalline energy. It was beautiful and terrifying at once. I stepped toward the scope for a closer view, nodding politely to the man who had just finished using it. He tipped his hat to me and took a step away, only to turn back to me, his eyes wide in either surprise or confusion.

“Excuse me, my dear,” he began, taking his hat off and placing it over his chest, “May I again gaze upon your visage?”

Uncomfortably, I obliged, seeing no harm in simply looking at someone, and I in turn scrutinized him.

This man appeared to be in his late forties, and was dressed very strangely. He wore a long, black leather trench coat and thick boots, though neither had the Crownsguard symbol. He wore an ascot with a dark floral motif. His shirt had a high-collared frill with another red scarf around that. I had never seen anyone dressed so flamboyantly, especially in a place as warm as Lestallum. Another thing that was strange was this man had my exact eye color, a crisp olive green with hints of hazel when in the light, and my same exact hair color, so auburn that it was almost magenta in the sun.

“In all my years,” he said, his raspy voice tinged with wonder, “I’d never seen another—” He smiled, and though he meant it to be sincere, I found it sort of creepy, “Forgive me, my dear, you must think me an awful lout. I was reminiscing, you see. You have her eyes. My mother’s. It’s been so long, so very long since—” he lowered his gaze and cut his words short. “I should like to know more about you. Where are you from?” The man extended one arm in an attempt to put it around my shoulder, but I backed away, slamming my elbow into the scope.

“Ey!” a voice called gruffly, and I was relieved to see Gladio appear behind the man’s shoulder. “This guy bothering you, Den?”

I opened my mouth, not knowing how to answer as I began to rub feeling back into my arm, but as the older man turned to face Gladio, each of them had different reactions to being recognized.

“You’re that guy—” Gladio began and immediately took a protective step toward Noct, who was just joining us. Still feeling uneasy, I placed myself behind Ignis, holding onto the crook of his arm a little tighter than I should have. He didn’t seem to mind, as his focus was on this stranger.

The older man’s demeanor completely changed upon recognizing the group, his tone light. “What a coincidence.”

Gladio nearly snarled, “I’m not so sure it is.”

“A curious thing, nursery rhymes,” the man began, unphased, turning toward Noct as he spoke.

I whispered to Ignis, “You’ve met him before?”

“Yes,” he kept his voice low, answering me while still listening to the man, never taking his eyes from him, “In Galdin Quay, just before… before the King fell.”

I began to understand Gladio’s sentiment. This appeared too convenient for a coincidence, and this man, while seemingly polite to me, was not one to be trusted. Engrossed in my thoughts, I lost track of their conversation, but it appeared we were suddenly accompanying him to the Archaean, the Titan in the Disc. It was surreal. Noctis needed to speak directly with one of the Six Gods of our world in order for his headaches to cease.

The man introduced himself as Ardyn, and my throat clenched. Surely his name being so close to mine was another coincidence- Ardyn and Ardenia, and Ignis glanced at me, also taking notice of the similarity and gauging my reaction. I was dumbfounded. Who was this man, and why was he helping us? We followed him to his car, a red and white Vixen convertible, where we split into two groups. Noctis drove the guys in the Regalia while I was given to Ardyn.

I sat in the back seat, not wanting to be too close to this stranger as he pulled his car onto the highway, leading the way for Noct.

“I never got your name, my dear.”

“It’s Ardenia.”

He swerved slightly, just as surprised as I was. “You don’t say. Well, this world is full of wonders, is it not?” He smiled over his shoulder and continued, “Tell me, my dear Ardenia, have you done much fighting alongside these boys?”

I was wary; it was an odd question. “I’ve done my share.”

“Have you yet encountered a monster, or a person, perhaps, which upon death or near death, emits a purple substance, a starry, lavender miasma?” His mouth turned in a half-grin, and I wasn’t sure whether to enjoy the way the worded death so beautifully or terrified that he knew something like that could happen. I answered with hesitation, yet truthfully, “Once.”

“Well, if it happens again, stretch your hand toward it. Be not afraid. When next we meet, tell me of your experience.”

I was silent, unsure of what to make of this ominous-sounding advice. Why was he so confident that we would meet again? I glanced over my shoulder to be sure that Noctis was keeping up in the Regalia.

Ardyn glanced at me from the rear-view mirror. “Someone you can’t take your eyes from?”

Heat rose in my cheeks. “Something like that. I’m… bound to one of them through old magic.”

He continued to grin, “Ah, but that’s not the one you were eyeing.”

My silence was his confirmation.

“Be that as it may, I don’t care much for Destiny or the Will of the Gods these days. Some advice from an old man, my dear Ardenia,” the grin dropped and his eyes darkened, “Do what you need to ensure your own happiness. People are fickle, resentful beings. Don’t try to please anyone but yourself.”

I nodded, but was that really sound advice?

Ardyn pulled us over to a gas station near Cauthess to spend the night. Although it was only mid-afternoon, even he didn’t want to be caught on the road at night. We spent an awkward evening sitting outside the RV, listening to Ardyn's ramblings of tales of old. Now with six of us trying to sleep in this camper, there was little debate as to who had to share a sleeping space with Ardyn, and that was Ignis. Noct and Prompto had already hidden away. Gladio took the pullout bed underneath. I squished into the dining seat, and Ignis closed the curtain behind him. When all we heard were soft snores, Gladio motioned me over, and I hesitated before I headed into his waiting arms.

He held me tight as we lay on our sides, facing each other. He began to whisper, “I hope you’re not mad at me for skipping out on you the other night. We haven’t had a good opportunity to talk until now.”

“No, I wasn’t mad. A little lonely. But we knew what we were getting into, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t… disappoint you, did I?”

“No,” I shifted to look up at him, and he sat up on one elbow, propping his head. I began to blush in the dark as I admitted, “It was incredible. I just… keep replaying it in my mind.”

“I do too,” he leaned over and kissed me for a long time, and I assumed that because he was continuing this affection, we were a couple. Was that how it worked? Yet when I stopped his hand from moving anywhere than my waist, he mentioned we should probably sleep. There was no telling what we were in store for tomorrow.

Like any other old man, Ardyn was up at the crack of dawn, waiting for all of us at the table where I was supposed to be sleeping.

With his arm still around me, I felt Gladio jolt as Noctis slapped at his leg.

“Let’s go, loverboy.”

“Very funny.”

As Noct, Prompto and Ignis exited, Ardyn grinned at the two of us as Gladio sat up.

“Oh, how very wonderful to have a romance blossoming in our very midst.”

Gladio grumbled, “It’s no concern of yours.”

Ardyn spread his hands pleadingly. “But I only wish the young lady good will. She is obviously burdened with other difficulties, and you, oh, Shield of the King, are an insufferable fool for encumbering her poor heart.”

Gladio got to his feet, pointing angrily, “Shut your mouth, old man. We have an understanding, you don’t know anything—”

Ardyn seemed indifferent to Gladio’s threat and ridiculed, “Oh, please, do enlighten me to this understanding. Whatever will you do when those first throes of jealousy hit?”

Gladio stormed out, and I went to grab his hand, but he slapped it back at me. I don’t know why, but Ardyn seemed to be mocking Gladio while protecting me. And how did he know Gladio was a Shield? Who was this man, really?

Despite the awkwardness, we filled up the gas tanks and were back on the road by eight. The next stop: the Disc of Cauthess. Just shy of three hours later, we arrived at the gate, which for some reason was under Imperial control, fully barricaded and lined with Magitek soldiers.

Ardyn drove up to the gate and raised his voice to a sing-song shout, “Yoo-hoo, it’s me! Be so kind as to open the door?”

The cast-iron gates pulled aside with no hesitation, and I could hear Prompto in the car behind us exclaim, “Woah, that worked?”

That was where we parted ways with Ardyn. We still had no idea why or how he was helping us enter enemy territory unimpeded, but it allowed Noctis to continue his mission. I returned to my seat in the Regalia, and we drove for as long as we could, down winding stone and dirt paths. For miles, we were on a downward slant heading into the crater, before we found a crevasse too small for the car to fit through. We continued on foot.

“These ruins...” Ignis began, adjusting his glasses in wonderment.

To me, these ruins looked like some sort of stone ribcage of a gargantuan beast that was weather-worn and broken away in chunks over time. We rounded a corner, pausing when our eyes met an unexpected sight.

“Is that what I think it is?” Prompto questioned.

“Never expected to find a Royal Tomb here.”

Noctis nodded, “Let’s grab it and go,” He ran forward, calling forth another of the Royal Arms, and as soon as it was in his hands, another earthquake knocked us all to our feet, all but Noct, who was already bent over in pain.

“Get away! Quickly!” I had never heard Ignis’s voice so gruff as when he shouted that warning.

[garbria]

CorNyx 💛?

< 3

reunion kiss / relief 

Cor sighed, absentmindedly tracing the swirls on his arm. The light brown lines of his transfer mark next to light pink of his own healed soulmark scar reassured him. Nyx was alive, and hopefully in the group of refugees a few days out from Insomnia. It burned at him that he wasn’t able to go to Galahd after the attack, couldn’t even establish communication with the survivors in the chaos. He couldn’t have made another choice, not with his oaths to the Crown, but it still ate at him, that his soulmate’s home had been attacked and he couldn’t do anything about it.

He couldn’t even go look for Nyx. He hadn’t heard about the attack on Galahd until it was well over, with the clusterfuck that was trying to secure Regis and Noctis’ safety on the way back from Tenebrae. The Empire’s move on Galahd so soon after their attack on Regis and Tenebrae had caught everyone by surprise. Cor was the most senior member of the Regis’ retinue in Insomnia, so he’d been holding things down while Regis took Noctis for healing. When Clarus called about the attack on Tenebrae, Cor had scrambled to call in every available Crownsguard and Glaive to secure Regis and Noctis’ safe return. Not to mention having to deal with the unrest in the city once the news of the death of the Oracle and threat on Regis got out.

It reminded Cor why he hated politics and politicians as much as he did. He dealt much better with problems he could stab.

At least his connection with Nyx reassured him that Nyx was alive, despite the reports of the devastation of Galahd. 

He never expected to find his soulmate in a teenager on a diplomatic trip with Regis. Though with how they found out - Nyx nearly getting himself killed protecting Regis - neither Regis nor Clarus were particularly surprised he and Nyx were a match.

Despite their dramatic first meeting, Cor had tried to keep his distance over the years, keeping in touch with letters and the occasional phone call. Nyx was only sixteen when they met, and Cor couldn’t involve a teenager in the mess that was his life. Nyx needed to have his own life, with his family and friends. He wouldn’t let the wolves of the Council, or worse, the press, get wind of Nyx’s existence. He could protect Nyx better than that.

They had agreed when Nyx reached his majority according to both Galahd and Lucis, they would create their matching soulmarks to formalize their bond. Cor had managed a few weeks off around Nyx’s 18th birthday, and they completed the ceremony together under the stars. Cor had been pleasantly surprised to see how much Nyx had grown into himself, and the focused look in his eyes as he drew his kukri over the trace of their design to mark Cor and himself made Cor’s breath catch. The phone calls became more frequent after that.

Until Noctis was attacked and Cor’s world became consumed with protecting the royal family and the kingdom. He hadn’t talked to Nyx since a few weeks before the Marilith attack, except for a quick return text to let Nyx know he was safe in Insomnia. Once his agents in the field reported the attack on Galahd, Cor had stolen a few moments to call Nyx, but it hadn’t gone through. He hadn’t had time to try again, not with everything falling apart around him. 

His people told him that a group of refugees from Galahd were on their way to Insomnia. If Nyx wasn’t among them, then he would leave the rest of this clusterfuck in Clarus’ hands and go find him. Regis and Noctis had been back for a few days, but security concerns were still high, worried that the Empire would continue its advance. Clarus could deal with all that without him for a few days if he didn’t get word on Nyx soon.

His phone rang, and he pulled himself out of his thoughts as he answered it. “Leonis.”

“Marshal, I’ve word that the Galahdan refugees are at the gate. Apparently, one of them is asking for you.” Monica’s voice was a calm anchor as Cor’s emotions threatened to wash over him.

They were supposed to be a few days out. How had they gotten here without him knowing? Was Nyx there?

“I’ll be right there.” Cor hung up without waiting for Monica’s response. He grabbed his jacket and strode down the hallway just short of a run only because running would cause panic that would further delay him.

The Crownsguard saluted as he drove up. He asked for the officer in charge as he walked up to the gate post. He could see a large group of people milling outside, but his view was mostly blocked by the Crownsguard holding them back.

“What’s going on here, Lieutenant?” Cor demanded.

“Sir, these people are demanding entry, but they have no immigration papers.” The lieutenant fidgeted nervously, not making eye contact with Cor.

“Your orders are to direct refugees to Refugee Resettlement, are they not?” Cor asked, his voice flat with disapproval. He knew there was anti-refugee sentiment on the rise in Insomnia, but he was not happy to see it in the ranks of the Crownsguard.

“But Sir…,” the lieutenant finally made eye contact.

“Are those not your orders?” Cor snapped. “Get these people moving.”

The lieutenant snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.” He turned and shouted orders at the other Crownsguard. Cor was gratified to see the crowd start to move slowly through the gate.

“What is it, Lieutenant?” Cor asked as the lieutenant turned back to him.

“Sir, there were some troublemakers in the group who tried to push their way through. We have a one of them in custody.” The lieutenant looked towards a closed door. “They thought to use your name to get through the checkpoint.”

Cor narrowed his eyes at the soon to be private. “And you didn’t inform me?”

“I didn’t think you’d want to be troubled by people trying to take advantage,” the lieutenant said, eyes widening.

“Stand aside.” Cor stalked over to the closed door, opening it to find Nyx glaring daggers at him.

Nyx blinked in surprise as Cor stepped in and closed the door behind him.

“Cor?” Nyx sounded unsure.

“Nyx,” Cor reached out to touch him, then reconsidered. “Are you hurt?”

“Cor!” Nyx practically threw himself at Cor, burying his face in his shoulder.

Cor’s arms tightened around Nyx, and Cor felt a weight lift off his chest. Nyx was here, in his arms, in more or less one piece. “I’ve got you, you’re safe now.”

Cor could feel Nyx’s shoulders shake in his embrace as Nyx cried. He rubbed Nyx’s back with one hand, and ran the other one over Nyx’s hair.

“Cor, Mother, she-” Nyx broke off and clutched Cor tighter. 

Cor could only hold on, murmuring reassurances and berating himself for not being there to help.

Eventually, Nyx’s breathing evened out and he pulled back, but Cor didn’t let him go far. Nyx looked up at him through red-rimmed eyes. Cor used a thumb to brush the tears from Nyx’s cheek, noting the new tattoo as he did so.

Cor only had the split second warning of Nyx’s eyes dropping down to Cor’s lips before Nyx was kissing him. Cor cradled Nyx’s face as he pushed into the kiss, tasting salt and something smoky. Nyx tried to deepen it but Cor pulled back to rest their foreheads together.

He hadn’t expected their first kiss to be in the holding area of a gate post, but that was Nyx, always surprising him.

“You’re safe now, Nyx. I’ll make sure of it. You’re my soulmate and that gives you rights here.” His thumb was still absently brushing Nyx’s cheek.

Nyx grimaced. “They shoved me, threw me in here, told me there was no way trash like me would know you.”

Cor went rigid with anger. “They will pay for that, I promise.”

Nyx shook his head. “Selena tried to get involved but Lib pulled her back. They’re out there waiting for me.”

“We should go find them, then.” Cor didn’t move, enjoying the feel of Nyx in his arms.

Nyx didn’t move either. “What now?”

Cor leaned forward for one more kiss, before stepping back. “You and Selena are more than welcome to stay with me. Or I will help you find a place, if you prefer. You’re my soulmate. That makes you and Selena family. I’ll make sure you have what you need.”

Nyx shook his head, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached out and brushed his fingers over where he knew Cor’s soulmark was.

Cor smiled. “You’ll always have a home with me.”

Nyx’s smile was tinged with sadness, but no less genuine for it. 

“Come on, let’s go find your sister and get you settled in.” He led Nyx out, ignoring the lieutenant and reminding himself to have Monica delete the securty footage. As well as rearrange his schedule for the day. Nyx had been through a lot, Cor was going to be there for him now.

[ruinedbycatastrophe]

like this for a starter/meme from cor leonis of final fantasy xv!!