#i also want friends to yell about ffxv with

[primamchorus]

realizing I need more ffxv blogs to follow 🫠

[amidst-wonderland]

final fantasy: rebirth {a mess of emotions, not in chronological order}

this is more story-based, so heads-up spoilers below.

“question. does that make me a dumbass?”

not aerith asking about reno

chadley nearly outing cissnei and cloud getting real confrontational about it.

cloud is so much more conversational in this, i felt in remake he was bordering on joker level’s of player-character. he’s a lot more laidback, which is understandable since he didn’t really know anyone but tifa and midgar’s only like what a week long?

the game now feels like an ensemble piece rather an a cloud simulator.

cloud not realising he’s the one loner friend

americans aren’t the best swearers - put to much emphasis on the swear itself but cloud does it so well.

he’s a prickly, backchatting bitch in this game and i love every single second of it. he’s not mopey, stubborn and grumpy. he’s ‘i’m going to actively make myself your problem if you cross me, so don’t.’

barret immitating yuffie?! or, “oh, wow. tell us more.” it’s giving abridged.

yuffie’s little naruto run!

yuffie and cloud’s growing sibling dynamic is the cutest shit. like, he should be be pissed at her but immediately protected her from the captain.

all i hear is priscilla’s dad’s irish accent from abridged when ever someone says her name or, “mr dolphin, ye daft bastard.”

rufus shinra… the man that you are.

every rude and elena scene, just, yes. her with the ice-lolly, the corneo fight, rude’s pub club?! babysitting palmer. (also, they call it the clean-shaven club when rude literally has a beard).

i genuinely thought we were gonna at least get that iconic reno and rude scene outside of gongaga (and as a long-shot a reunion with cissnei - i stand by the fact tseng absolutely knows where she is.)

that final turks training facility was a bitch to find.

don’t get me wrong, yuffie, barret, tifa and red’s trials were sad but aerith’s absolutely wrecked me. like i’ve got a stuffy nose already and i literally couldn’t breathe with the tears.

same with dyne and barret, like what you mean you want me to fight palmer?! i’m sitting here ugly crying about two men who love their daughter and have been through hell and back.

i’d love to see cissnei and leslie get involved with the wutai turk team-up

as much as i love aerti’s ‘improved over og’ friendship. it’s not passing the bechdel test anytime soon.

fuck queen’s blood.

cloud saying “down boy” sir- THE WHIMPERING!

the kids locking yuffie in with the hooded men on the cruise.

nanaki walking in the cabin on two legs fucking kills me. i also caught barret admiring himself in the mirror.

the fact the name tag is, “???” when we can hear yuffie cheering on cloti.

did they kiss?!

so, we finally see loveless and it was everything i ever wanted. genesis, i’m sorry, you were right.

“death doesn’t suit a turk”

cloud jr is too cute and i love my chocobro protagonists

speaking of, i’m in two heads about ffxv. you can see a lot of the inspiration the team got from that game but i think they left out the one thing that made ffxv perfect, which was the constant chatter during traversal

cloud turning on tifa during the gongaga reactor mission is giving the ffxv: omen trailer

i need a tonberry robot for my desk

jessie’s poster! i really thought she’d be alive with biggs

cloud calling gus a prick is when it clicked for me, like cloud’s got bite

i need esther’s red boots

cid is played by j. michael tatum?! sebastian- france- kyouya-

elena stuck in the heat yelling at rude, omg this is the turk moments i love.

as someone who is scottish, i can’t believe i witnessed cait sith tell cissnei to “wheesht”.

not the biggest fan of cissnei’s new colour scheme. would’ve gone with browns, accented gold buckles and mustard yellow personally

wished they’d’ve put in an turk easter egg in her house.

cosmo canyon’s lantern scene is so pretty.

gold-fucking-saucer. woah

sitting at the water tower with aerith felt wrong, and i know that was intentional.

omfg vincent, why he kinda dressed like gyuvin in en garde?

jesus, roche.

still not keen on seph’s voice - mainly because i don’t like tyler and also zack is better but i’m still not keen

symbiote!peter to “OMG GUYSSS HAIIII” is like fucking whiplash. two minutes ago we were crying over harry, now hotels?!

i knew that’s what marlene saw! and now zack knows! i am not okay!

was low-key waiting on elena throwing the keystone to reno to catch for a grand intro but he kinda just appears, and i loved every second of it.

the way both tifa and aerith have had to stop cloud murdering a turk.

cloud with blood by his own hand on his face is such a chilling image. it’s like seeing someone like superman with it.

avalanche versus reno and rude’s fight was giving advent children, like specifically reno and rude’s fight with loz and kazoo. (which i rewatched recently. rude’s face when reno steps on his glasses is the funniest thing in that film, also i can’t unhear fred from scooby-doo when loz speaks even though i know it’s not frank welker - it’s the dude that plays corneo).

[lunarlegend]

Noctis & Gladio: Chapter 4

i've posted the dialogue from this scene before, but thanks to this lovely mod for FFXV Windows Edition, i was able to record Noctis & Gladio's infamous argument on the way to Titan with the properly subtitled Japanese audio as well:

one huge difference between Noctis' original personality versus his localization personality is that Japanese Noctis is a brat. this is not meant to be a bad thing, or even a character flaw (in fact, i myself find it very endearing)--rather, Noct's attitude is a constant reminder of his immaturity…especially because it resurfaces most whenever his responsibilities can't be avoided (and as a result, his growth throughout the game from Prince to King becomes much more impactful).

a great example of this is during Brotherhood Episode 4, right around 9:24. as soon as Ignis reminds Noctis of things he doesn't want to hear, Noct becomes defensive, and by the end of it, he's yelling. in the Japanese version of the game, the characters' personalities are consistent with the anime, and as things start heating up during the main storyline, so does Noct's bratty demeanor. you can hear it in the way he speaks to Gladio leading up to their argument.

to his credit, Gladio has a whole lot of patience for Noctis in the Japanese version. Noct's friends know he is like this, and they understand why…their Prince has an impossible burden to bear, and it only gets worse the more they learn about it. as i said, Noct's attitude does not make him unlikable; it shows his immaturity. and this is especially apparent in comparison to his friends, who have already embraced their roles as his protectors.

but, one unfortunate alteration i feel the localization made is that it took a lot of the bite out of Noct's words…it made him far less of a brat, and far more sympathetic. whereas in the Japanese version, you can plainly understand Gladio's frustrations, in English, Gladio simply looks like a bully, and Noct a victim. the same can be said about Chapter 10 (which i will also analyze more once i get to it). and in that way, these comparisons are not only about the changes made to Gladio's personality, but also about the changes made to Noct's.

[heartlessfujoshi]

flufftober day 1 - promnis 'no stakes'

Title: No Stakes Chapter: 1 of 6 Fandom: FFXV Pairing: Promnis (Prompto Argentum x Ignis Scientia) Rating: Teen (Subtle Flirting - Fluff - Ep Ignis V2) Word Count: ~2,730 Prompt: "I've got you."

Summary: Prompto gets thrown into a life he never wanted. All he cared about was his best friend, but as their roadtrip became something entirely different, things began to change. 

A/N: Hello! I am participating in this year's Flufftober challenge. It was definitely a challenge for me, as I normally don't stick to just fluff. I hope you'll enjoy as I update this story over the course of the month.

---

Prompto was not having fun. At all. 

Not that he thought the other guys were having their own fun, as he knew they were all in the same boat. It was kind of weird, if you thought about it. Here he was, someone that happened to become best friends with the Prince of Lucis, and because of that was suddenly thrust into his inner circle. Becoming a Crownsguard member was never something that had ever crossed Prompto’s mind when he befriended the Prince at the beginning of high school. No, he thought that Noctis was really nice and kind of cool, and wanted to hang out with him. That was it. 

Cut to four years later, and now here he was, standing off to the side as he watched his best friend, and two guys who had somehow become sort of friends to him, fight off a pack of animals that he couldn’t seem to get a beat on. The animals were snarling, baring their fangs at all of them. Prompto held up his gun and took aim, hoping to the Six that he wasn’t about to shoot one of his friends accidentally. Ignis had told him over and over because they were in the protection of the Prince, that friendly fire wouldn’t really hurt them that much. Ignis Scientia - who was the Prince’s right hand, who would know anything and everything there was to know about what could, and could not, affect the group.

“Prompto! What the hell are you doing?!” Gladio Amicitia, the manliest man that Prompto had ever known, yelled at him from twenty feet away. He was also the Prince’s technical Shield, whose job was to protect the Prince at all costs. “Can’t you aim better?!” 

“I’m trying!” He tried not to sound as panicked as he felt, but it was difficult. He could see Ignis and Noctis doing their thing that made him wish he could be close to one of them like that. To see Ignis and Noctis move through battle together was a thing of beauty - they were so in sync with each other it was a bit off putting. “Can’t you back away for a little bit so I can get some shots into them?” 

“No!” Gladio yelled back at him, as he went attacking with his very large shield, pushing one of the beasts away. “Noctis!” 

The Prince used his warp strike ability, Prompto staring at the blue image of him as it disappeared, using his powers to get into the thick of battle. He fired off another shot, and managed to kill one of the animals. He let out a little whoop, pleased that he was able to contribute to this battle. He knew he was the weakest one when it came to these fights, and tried his best to hold his own, but sometimes it was difficult. 

A gloved hand touched his shoulder, drawing his attention to his left. “Don’t worry, Prompto. You’re getting better. I know it’s challenging.” Ignis had sweat dripping from both of his brows, but he could see that the hunt had invigorated something inside of him, as he had a smile on his face that Prompto wished desperately was for him. “You are doing the best that you can.” 

“It’s not good enough.” Gladio and Noctis came over to where they were standing, Gladio clearly upset by the accidental misfire. “You grazed my arm, you ass.” 

“I didn’t mean to.” Prompto wasn’t going to get upset. Gladio had the tendency of being a bully at times, but only because he was the oldest of them all. He had more experience than any of them when it came to the scenarios they were now being thrown into on the regular. “It was an accident.” 

“He’s fine.” Noctis tossed Gladio an elixir that he caught with expertise and broke it over his head. “You did good, Prompto. Better.” Noctis grinned, and patted his shoulder in the same way that Ignis had just done. But Ignis’ touch had felt a little different from Noctis’ - not that Prompto was putting any stock into that, as he knew that it was always going to be a no go for that one. “Come on - how about we go and celebrate at Takka’s before going out on another hunt?” 

His stomach rumbled. “I could go for something dead.” He grinned, and threw his arm over Noctis’ shoulder, the two of them laughing together like they used to in school. “Are you treating, Prince?” 

“Nah. But Ignis is.” 

“Very funny, Your Highness.” Ignis’ voice drifted behind them. Prompto began to laugh with Noctis, as they began to make their way back towards Hammerhead, as it had been a long day. Finishing that hunt felt good, but now he wanted to relax for the rest of the night. 

They had been out on the road for four weeks now. Insomnia had fallen, the King had been killed, and now they were technically dead according to the news reports. No one knew where they were, or where they were to be found, which was fine. Ignis said that it would work to their advantage, allowing them to stay off the radar from Niflheim. Of course, Prompto knew that that wouldn’t work forever, but hadn’t said anything as he knew it wouldn’t be appropriate. No, they all knew what their course of action was to be now - they had to keep Noctis safe, and get him to Altissia somehow. 

It was dark by the time they made it back to Hammerhead. “Hey, can we sleep in the caravan tonight?” Prompto asked, looking at Ignis who had hung back as Noctis and Gladio continued their way into the rest stop. “Or do we not have enough funds for that right now?” 

“We have plenty.” Ignis looked over at the Prince. “Is that what His Highness is requesting?” 

Prompto shrugged. “I dunno. I know I’d like it. Hey, Noct!” He called out to the Prince, who turned around to look at him. “Caravan tonight??” He pointed to the caravan behind where he and Ignis were standing. Noctis gave him a thumb’s up, then went into the restaurant with Gladio. “Guess that’s a yes, Iggy.” 

“I suppose it would be.” 

He’d noticed that Ignis still had a look on his face that he wasn’t used to seeing. But, figuring it had something to do with how they’d fought today rather than anything else, he gave a quick nod of his head, and then followed Noctis and Gladio into the restaurant to take in his fill of some good food. 

The caravan was cramped, but it didn’t bother Prompto. He was glad to be sleeping on a mattress. He didn’t mind camping, in fact - it had been one of the things he’d been looking forward to the most for this trip, but he did miss the comforts of home. 

Home. 

He had no home now. 

No, no. Don’t think about that. He shook his head, and exhaled a deep sigh. He tried not to think about what had happened to Insomnia, as it would really do no good. He had to keep going, otherwise he would completely break down, and no one in this caravan needed that. 

“Are you all right, Prompto?” 

Turning his head, he saw that Ignis was looking at him from across the way. “I’m fine, Iggy. Did I wake you up?” 

“No, I was awake. Can’t quite get to sleep.” Ignis yawned, then turned his head to look up at the ceiling of the caravan. “I heard you sigh. Are you sure you’re alright?” 

Prompto winced. “Yeah, Iggy. I’m okay. It’s just…” He closed his eyes, and exhaled another sigh. “It’s really tough. I don’t know how you’re handling all of this, but I’m struggling. A lot.” 

“Appearances can be deceiving, Prompto.” He saw a small smirk on Ignis’ lips. “I’m doing my best to fulfill my duty to the Prince, as well as make sure things are running smoothly.” 

“I’m holding everyone back, aren’t I?” 

Ignis sat up, Prompto following suit as they looked across at one another. “Never think that, Prompto. You are doing the best that you can. Do you think I have experience in what we’ve been thrown into? Because I can assure you, I do not.” 

“You make it look like you do.” Prompto could see Ignis was looking over at the door where Gladio and Noctis were sleeping. The caravan was split into two sections - the back had a much larger bed that could be occupied by two people, while the front had a cot and a couch that two people could sleep on. They had stayed here a couple of times, but most times they would sleep at a haven. “I’m trying my best, Ignis.” 

“I know you are. That is why I do not wish for you to have those thoughts, but I know that that is easier said than done.” 

Prompto returned to laying down, tucking his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. “I’m afraid I’m going to make a mistake, and it’s going to be a bad one.” 

“If you make a mistake, we will be there to help.” He could hear Ignis moving back down into a lying position as well. “This is a lot. We all know that. But how we proceed will help us survive.” 

“Okay, Iggy.” Prompto sighed softly. “Sorry to keep you awake. I’m going to try and sleep now. Don’t want to be tired tomorrow when I know we’ve got some more hunts to go on.” 

“Good night, Prompto. Sweet dreams.” 

He closed his eyes, but sleep didn’t come for another two hours. He listened to Ignis’ even breaths, and wondered how he could be more like Ignis. Ignis Scientia, the Prince’s Adviser and Strategist. Of course Ignis knew what to do out here as he’d been training for it his entire life. But him? He got a crash course in combat when they graduated high school, and it had been all he’d known since then. Now he was putting his own training to use, however badly he was doing. 

In the morning, he woke up and saw that he was alone. Gladio and Noctis were still asleep, and so he went outside and saw that Ignis had a cup of coffee and was sitting towards the east, watching the sun rise. 

“The sky is so different out here.” Prompto remarked, as he took a seat near Ignis. “The colors are so vivid compared to back home.” 

“That would be because of the barrier.” Ignis brought his cup of coffee up to his lips and took a deep sip. “Nature is truly remarkable, don’t you think, Prompto?” 

“I do.” The sky was now turning a pale orange, and slowly transitioning to the blue that would become their enemy later in the day. That was one of things he missed most about Insomnia - the barrier kept it at a reasonable temperature all the time, and now without it, he was suffering through the elements like everyone else in the Lucian kingdom. 

They said nothing else, both respecting the quiet. Noctis came out and sat down next to Ignis, who immediately got up to go and grab some coffee for the Prince. Gladio stumbled out a few minutes later, scratching the back of his neck as a loud yawn left his mouth. “What are we doing today?” Gladio asked. 

“There’s a hunt in the mines nearby.” Noctis yawned, then tipped his chair back to sit on the two back legs. “Supposed to pay good money.” 

“The mines it is, then.” 

Prompto felt his stomach clench. The last time they’d gone to those mines, it hadn’t turned out so great for him. But it was a new day, and that meant that anything could happen. It didn’t necessarily mean that something bad was going to happen again to him. No, he knew that this wasn’t going to be like the last time. 

They had breakfast, and then headed out before the sun rose too high into the sky. Prompto hummed to himself as they made their way across the desert, and headed towards the mine only a little ways away from Hammerhead. As they made their way into the cave, their flashlights turned on on their chests. Not that it did much good - the light only went out a few feet in front of you, and even that wasn’t enough in Prompto’s opinion. 

The sound of feet shuffling on the ground had Prompto turning around fast. “Behind us!” He shouted, as he saw a group of Bombs coming right towards them. The light that shone off of them made them look more menacing than they were, and it only intensified that awful feeling that had yet to leave Prompto’s gut. 

“Come on!” Noctis shouted, as he charged towards the group, ready to spring into action as if it was the most natural thing to do. 

Prompto fired off a few shots, feeling somewhat helpless, but after he was able to stop two on his own, he gained his confidence back. He saw Ignis sprint towards danger, his daggers out and ready to be used. It was still so strange to see both Ignis and Gladio fight, as he never really had seen it before coming on this trip. Cor had always told him that they were a sight to behold, as they’d been training to protect the Prince since high school. Prompto was a little jealous, as he wished he’d had the same training, but really - he was the Prince’s best friend. That was it. He had no stake in this game. Not like Ignis and Gladio did. 

They concluded the hunt, finishing off the last varmint with a flourish from the Prince. “Let’s head back.” Noctis groaned. “I’m starving.” 

“You’re always hungry, Your Highness!” Prompto teased his best friend, who shoved him away with a playful shove. But, it was enough of a shove that Prompto began to lose his footing, and that wasn’t good as they were in a mine that had a bunch of different drops to who knew where. “W-Whoa!” He tried to grasp at the air, as if it would solidify for him, and turn into something he could hold onto before falling to his impending doom. 

Just as he began to go over, a strong hand slammed down on his forearm, and yanked him back upwards. “I’ve got you.” Ignis’ breath touched his cheek, as his hand stayed tight around Prompto’s forearm, their chests coming into contact at the close proximity that had naturally occurred by moving so fast to save him. And he believed him. He knew that he was in no danger of falling backwards, not when Ignis was holding onto him for dear life. 

“What’s taking so long?” Noctis’ voice drifted from the front of the mine. “Hurry up - I’m really hungry.” 

Prompto stared into Ignis’ eyes, the two of them still standing so close to each other. Prompto wanted to say something. Anything. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. You saved me. I think you’re beautiful. You look nice without glasses. Your grip is so firm. All of these things were racing through his mind as he couldn’t look away from Ignis, who was staring directly into his soul. 

It lasted for a total of maybe five seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Prompto. Ignis slowly relaxed his grip on Prompto’s arm, and then took a step back. “Coming, Your Highness.” Ignis said the words while still looking at Prompto. But soon, he turned his head and began to walk out towards the entrance to the mine. Prompto’s shoulders dropped as he exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

What the hell was that??

He took off and joined the group outside, trying to shake off this strange feeling. Being in such close proximity to Ignis had been jolting - and not in a bad way. He reached for his forearm where Ignis had grabbed onto him, and tried to take away the touch that was still there with his own hand. But it did no good. Ignis’ grip had been branded onto him, and after that intense staredown with him, Prompto knew that he was in trouble. 

Big trouble. 

---

Cross-posted on AO3

[theguardianofinsanity]

Look to the Sky

FFXV boys x gn reader

"The prince of pain!" You hear Gladio yell out. It distracts you for a second, you almost get scratched by a daemon.

"Yup" Noctis responds warp striking another monster. Landing blow after blow, you suddenly feel something wet hit your arm. Thinking it was drool from one of the daemons, you shake the thought out of your head and focus back in on the hunt.

You see Prompto make an impossibly good headshot, taking out the daemon in one blow. "Good job Prompto!" You say to him while taking on a daemon that was right behind him with your gauntlets.

"Thanks Y/N!" He turns around and sticks another shot into the daemon you're fighting. After you both are done with it, you see something come at you. You doge it to see was one of Ignis' daggers.

"Iggy! We don't want another situation, my back just stopped hurting!" You yell to him.

You all look around, trying to find anymore snarling hellbeast. You feel another wet drop on your arm, you do a 180° to see nothing. That's weird. Two more drops fall to your face, hitting your nose. You look up to see a gray sky. That makes sense, "Hey guys it looks like it's about to rain, might want to get a move on" Gladio announces already ahead of you all.

"My apologies!"

"Hey! Wait up!" Prompto yells out running towards him. Honestly you didn't mind the rain, it can be peaceful. Before the roadtrip, from time to time you would walk outside during a light sprinkle and just admire the grey sky. So you decide to take some time and walk slower than the others, glancing up at the sky.

Noctis noticed you weren't with them. Looking behind him to see you had just stopped walking, sat down and were staring up at the sky. "Uh, Y/N? What are you doing?" The others stop at his question and look at you.

"The sky looks nice" you reply in a soft voice. So entranced by the rainy environment you barely notice someone coming toward you.

"Ya know, you do have a point" you looked over to see that Gladio laying on the ground looking up.

"I'm glad you agree" you respond, laying back like him, "I could be here forever just gazing, losing touch with reality with you guys. Come on, join us!" You beckon them to you with your hand.

"Y/N, you're a genius. Although one downside" you hear Prompto say while you all are walking back to the regalia. You hear the squishing of something wet, "Wet shoes are very uncomfortable" He continues while wringing out one of his shoes.

Your view of the sky is suddenly blocked by a man with blonde hair and freckles, "You're honestly not bothered by the rain?" You shake your head. "Then I'm down" he starts to lower himself to the dirt. "Noct, Ignis! One of us, one of us, one of us!" He continued, getting you to join in while Gladio chuckles. You're not sure who caved first but soon it was 5 best friends hanging out in the rain, not one care in the world. You hear the clicking sound of a camera as the rain starts to fall a little harder.

"Eh, you'll be fine, they'll dry. Though now I have smell your feet in the meantime." You plug your nose to make your point.

"My feet don't smell!"

"Uh huh, be in denial. Luckily, I brought warm and dry shoes. They're in my bag" you breathe out, proud of yourself for bringing them along. "Hey Iggy, what time is it?" You ask.

Ignis checks his watch, "It is currently 5:45 P.M., a wise time to head back. The sun will be going down soon" he says. "I believe it would also be wise to find a place to camp tonight" he looks around.

You all walk to the illuminated plateau, carrying the stuff to camp. Prompto runs up to you with his camera showing you the picture he took while you all were rain gazing. "It looks amazing blondie, you're getting really good at this!" he smiles at you before running to show Gladio the other pictures he took. "So any training tonight?" You ask looking at Noctis. He puts down a couple of chairs before answering.

"I saw a place as we were driving, it isn't far" Noctis finally speaks up. He leads the way to the regalia.

"Nah, let's take it easy tonight, I just wanna relax and kick your ass at King's Knight"

"Oh you wanna go! We can fight! Let's go!"

"After we eat, it has been a long day" Ignis pipes in.

"Fine, but afterwards, you're going down princey" you glare at him.

"Good, I want a challenge" he glares right back.

___________________________________________

I actually did this a couple of days ago, my pug slippers got fucking soaked

Headcannon: Prompto's shoes smell, they stick his shoes at least 10ft away when his isn't wearing them

[noirbriar]

FFXV AU: The Little Things

In which the young glaives all share 1 braincell with an overactive imagination during down time and ends up with a beautiful misunderstanding. Please note that they are also, unreliable narrators.

Borderline OOC crack because this group is wild like that and I needed something stupid, hence this ficlet.I’m going to go back into my hiding hole now.

——

“I’ve figured it out.”

“What?”

“You are dating a criminal.”

Nyx spits out his beer, and glares at Libertus,“ What- Libs?!”

“Its either that or you became a sugar baby.” Libertus declares darkly.These are the things you never wish to tear out of your childhood friend. However, considering all the meagre bits that Libertus can squeeze out of Nyx, it was the only logical conclusion he could get.

Nyx Ulric stares at his old friend and comrade dumbly like he’s stupid.

Here in their quiet corner at Yamachang’s, the crew of four are decompressing after yet another deployment. The Galahdian owner himself too busy yelling at his neighbouring vendor for tripping his power cable, again.

“Huh.That sounds retarded but kinda makes sense. ” Crowe wonders aloud blinks with a brow raised at Nyx, who is blinking at Libertus’ outrageous declaration stupidly. Her interest peaked, before taking out her cell and typing in something. Pelna though, has blanked out completely.

“What are you doing?” Libertus turns to her and peers over her shoulder. “The hell!? Crowe!”

“Moogling how to get him a fake passport and ID out. Lestallum sounds safe. Or maybe we should get plastic sur-“

“No! We’re not doing that! We’re Glaives and thats illegal!” Libertus snaps and slaps down the young mage’s phone on the table,“I just want to tell you, I’ve connected the dots anyway-” The bigger Galahdian replies blandly.

“You’ve connected shit. What are you idiots up to?” Luche calls out as he joins the crew along with a couple of other Glaives in tow.

“We’re talking about our Hero’s mysterious lover.” Pelna starts. A few whistles and laughter rose at that.

“And we also think that he’s dating a criminal.”

Silence drops before chaos breaks out amongst the platoon.

“Just-hold on! How did we even get to this conclusion?!” Nyx yells at the group who starts up a heated debate.

“Okay, hear me out. So-“ Libertus pauses for a swig, “You only told us that he’s a dude, earns enough, their job makes them travel, a rather good fighter and quite a looker and YES. I . Know. Your standards. AND! We know he might have killed a man or two. So, you put A and B, you get a damn criminal-”

“You get shit! When did you see him kill someone huh!?” Nyx jabs a pointy skewer violently over, which Libertus simply shoves away.

“He’s not denying he CAN kill!” Someone shouts from the back, earning them a finger from Nyx.

“You got us all drinks when we went to the new club! The hostess came to you and went all ‘Hey handsome! Courtesy of your sweetheart’! And you took it with thanks! Like, you knew all along we had free drinks coming!”

“Weren’t you drunk on the floor by then? Also, I’m not going to be turning down free shots even if they are from someone else!”

“Didn’t the same hostess tell us not to take both trays, said the other one was for the VIP table next door and its spiked, and we all laughed?” Minos, one of Nyx’s fellow kinsmen, mutters wryly and receives sudden attention from the Glaives who fall silent once more.

“Oh so Nyx’s sugar daddy was the one who bought us drinks?” A new glaive, pipes up while munching on a cracker.

“Thats it?! Thats your takeaway from all this? Not the fact that Nyx’s sugar daddy bought us Glaives shots and poisoned the civvies next door?” Kaia, one of the Galahdian ladies, barks grimly.

“What?!” Now even Luche looks constipated, and Luche doesn’t give a shit about anything outside of work.

“Will you please stop calling him that?! We both share the expenses!” Nyx groans, mentally exhausted with this lot who are all ignoring him in favour of something juicier.

“I’m was going to take a piss and saw some of the VIPs next table. Then I saw some were on News at 9 the next day, said that their death is still pending investigation. I checked. Its some rich bloke and a private banker involved in some money laundering thing and stuff awhile ago. ” Minos finally lays out his findings to his audience.

“C-Could it be just a coincidence?” Pelna, ever the optimist.

“See! Criminal! You can’t tell me all this secrecy is normal!” Libertus exclaims helplessly.“Then that one place you went for a date-“

“I knew it! So you lot really were the ones that stalked me then?! Ifrit’s bloody dick, what the fuck is friendship even at this point?!” Nyx throws his hand up in frustration and glares at his platoon.

“We were worried, dumbass.” Crowe rolls her eyes and sips her soda. “Though I have to admit, you managed to shake us off every time. Can’t even even track your partner either, like he’s never there whenever we tried to stake him out. Impressive.”

“That’s not the point! The point is that we found out that area you went for your date down by South Gate is run by Lucian gang members. Legit, proper, fucking, gangsters who doesn’t give a shit about the law! You had told us that your boyfriend said it was a place run by a ‘family friend’!” Libertus yells, earning them another round of roars from their comrades.

“It was! And the food is actually good!” Nyx tries retort but the Glaives are not having it.

“You don’t just simply vanish from a Kingsglaive! Or get connections like that! Libs is right! I bet he is a gang leader!” one of the glaives yells.

“Am I the only one paying attention to the fact its a restaurant run by a gangster?” Pelna mutters dryly to Crowe beside him.

“The people there have mad tats tho. Gotta say I like the fancy design they got going-”

“Crowe. Please.”

“ALRIGHT! That’s it. Either I’m leaving or I get wasted, I should not be sober for this shit.” Luche grumbles like the wet blanket he is and turns to help himself to a crate of beer from the back of the stall along with a couple of fellow Galahdians.”I don’t care who you’re fucking, Ulric! As long as it doesn’t become a problem for us or affects you out there on the field!”

The rest of the group turns to Nyx.

“What can I say? I like to live dangerously on the edge.”Nyx deadpans back as a retort, knowing he cannot argue back at these group of morons anymore at this point.

“I don’t think I want to know more really. In case I do get arrested, so I can legitimately tell them I know nothing.” Pelna finally gathers what sanity he has left hanging at long last and shakes his head. A few Glaives grunt in agreement, considering their status as refugees working in a less than welcoming city, before heading up to get their order from Yamachang.

“Let’s be real, even if he is a criminal, Nyx is a big boy, he probably can stab him first before anything happens.” Crowe tries to convince them as they began to settle down and dig into their supper instead. “Also, I’m gonna have to see how we can get you a fake ID, lover boy. You caught yourself in a mess, so just be careful, yeah? Even if we can’t kill him, I can help you have a Plan B.”

“Wow. Comforting.” Nyx replies dryly.

“You make your own choices but do look after yourself, my brother, please. Though I will admit, you look happier since you started dating. Don’t get hurt, if not, we really are going to go rogue and find a place to bury the guy.” Libertus sighs heavily, swinging an arm around his old friend.

“Thanks. Love you assholes.” Nyx huffs while the gang starts becoming rowdy once more.

“Love you too, Hero.”

——

Nyx finally arrives home at ass o clock, but not really all that wasted. Not after lugging Libertus’ whole ass back to his own apartment, which was enough to sober him up throughly. The young soldier heads up the stairs, careful not to make a noise. He stops by Prompto’s room and checks on the little one, tucking in carefully his chocobo duvet before heading back to the bedroom. He takes a shower and notices the fresh pair of his sleeping pants left by the side of the bath. Nyx smiles and puts it on, before tossing the towel over into the laundry basket. He would get to it tomorrow on his rest day.

Nyx switches off the audio system playing softly and wriggles in under the covers, squirming into his sleeping boyfriend’s hold. Cor gives an annoyed grunt and holds down the restless Galahdian trying to burrow a hole into his shoulder. Nyx finally stops once he is comfortable.

“Cor?”

“Mmngn.”

“Love you. Even if you are a criminal.”

“…I- What?”

.

.

.

——

Extra:

A quiet Crowe, a dissociating Pelna and a nervous Libertus dressed in plains clothes sits on the cushions in a fancy restaurant, feeling exceptionally out of place. The private room decorated in fine pinewood and foreign paintings on its doors. The bamboo in the garden fills the place with a peaceful sound. Yet neither of the Glaives are feeling the zen. Each staring at their hands silently until a stoic lady hands a menu to their host while a waitress serves up some refreshments. The intricate and colourful tattoos visible from the collar and sleeves of the lady’s elegant garbs when she leaves the room. The trio tries their best to refrain from staring at the supposedly high ranking member of the Lucian underground society.

“You may find grilled eel decent, Nyx seems to enjoy it. I personally would recommend bluefin tuna.” The Marshal remarks, glancing at the paper with the seasonal menu of the day quietly. Before he takes the bottle and pours out some for his fellow guests, but pauses to give the underage mage a sparkling juice instead.

“Y-yes sir. Um,” Libertus starts uncomfortably. Out of all the people, of course Nyx just had to go big and date the Immortal, their superior officer and the Lion of Lucis. He’s a Ulric, and they do nothing in halves. “May I ask why…?”

“We did skip a lot of the usual traditions in a marriage, in both Lucian and Galahdian. It matters little to me, but Nyx takes family very seriously, and you three are the closest to that for him. It won’t do for him to miss out on a proper family dinner in your customs. Especially now that you know about our relationship and Prompto.” Cor explains, his arms crossed over his chest once he hands them a delicate cup each.

“I-I see.” Libertus mummers softly, as he remembers that the chocobo chick they have adopted into their community is actually a Leonis. Though he is also somewhat surprised and glad to see a Lucian taking care to note of their Galahdian traditions. They pick up the offered refreshment with a bit more ease now.

“This way at least his own kinsmen will not think he has gone on to elope with a criminal either.”

The Glaives chokes on their sake just as Nyx arrives in casually with young bubbly Prompto bouncing by his side, oblivious to the prior tension in the room.

——

A/N: Cor is just being a lil shit here, messing with his ‘in-laws’. While trying to observe both Lucian and Galahdian customs that he vaguely, somewhat, remembers. Does Cor really know the yakuza? Can the glaives outwit the Marshal? I leave what exactly happened in this fic up to your interpretation.

[bladesandstars]

fanfic writer tag game

Tagged by @mathclasswarfare - thank you, this was fun!

What’s your all-time favorite ship? Choosing one is hard. Impossible, even. The top-level, makes me emo about songs in my car even to this day, are: highspecs, ignyx, sylorenz, claurenz. How many works do you have on AO3? 146! Mostly FFXV and FE3H, but various fandoms and some original work, too.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 375,683 What are your top 5 fics by kudos? push till it breaks, a very E-rated Tadashi/Adam (SK8) fic that was so fun to write. I loved exploring their dynamic and personalities. I wrote this at the height of SK8 frenzy - I think it might still have been airing, even. I love all the energy from Tadaai fans and will definitely write for this pairing again.

and all for the want of a horseshoe nail, T, Sylvain (FE3H) character study. Ah, I’m so happy I looked and that this is #2! I love Sylvain so much, and early in playing this game had the “you NEED TO SEE how important you are to your friends’ lives!” instinct to shake him by the shoulders. Heavily, heavily inspired by It’s a Wonderful Life, one of my favorite movies of all time. I might even call this a crossover.

More fun under the cut!

Sounds Like Fun, E, Fleurentia & Prompto (FFXV) - I’m ALSO so delighted this is in the top five, it was hilarious to write. Poor Prompto can’t tell WHEN to interrupt his grossly-in-love roommates. I adore all of them.

An Unexpected Complication, E, Claude/Byleth (FE3H). This was a really early fic when I was playing - I think Claude is hella sexy, and apparently you all do too, based on this result. I see you! Sexy man having his plans interrupted by someone distractingly attractive is a real good vibe. I love people taking Claude by surprise.

The Dragon’s Dagger, E, Highspecs (Ignis/Aranea, FFXV). My first longfic! Just under 20k, it’s not all that long by some standards, but plotting and completing 10 chapters was an amazing accomplishment for me, and I’m still proud of it.

Do you reply to comments, why or why not? Yes! I promise! It may take an incredibly long time because sometimes I get weird and self-conscious, but I do respond to them all. Flailing and yelling over writing was one of the first ways I made fandom connections, and that will always be valuable to me.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Dagger hurts because the end precedes Ignis heading to the Leviathan summoning. But in terms of sharp-ass feels, I think it has to be In Between Days, because Ignis is certain he’s lost the love of his life and he just...grieves. I’m not sure I could have written it if I hadn’t already been sure I was going to give Nyx back to him, but Ignis didn’t know that at the time, and it was sad and painful but very cathartic to write.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? I wrote a couple of gifts for Christmas, one Claurenz and one Mercievain, and both have incredibly happy endings. Excited to give them tomorrow! Do you write crossovers? I do! I wrote a Pacific Rim crossover starring Sylorenz for the FE sci-fi zine, and in my WIPs are Westworld and Person of Interest crossovers. 

Have you ever received hate on a fic? I’ve gotten a few comments that were odd, but nothing I would categorize as hate.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Hell yeah! One of my favorite things about fanfiction is exploring personality dynamics, and how they are the same or different with different romantic or sexual partners. Sex has an intensity I really enjoy writing, much like action scenes. And it can (though it doesn’t have to) provide a really good environment for emotional connection as well. I’m enthusiastic about sex and think it’s something that is good and fun to think about, so yeah! I write it a lot!

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I’m aware of! Please don’t, though.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Amazingly, yes?! My Ignyx fic Impossible Things was translated into Russian here. I still think that’s such a neat thing to have happened. (Also, this was the fic that took me from “damn, I ship Ignis with Nyx, that’s such a good ship” to Flaming OTP Status.)

Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have, and I adored the experience, and I’d love to do so again. Got at least three projects on the horizon where co-writing is part of things.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? Aranea/Nyx lawyer AU.

What are your writing strengths? Banter, spice, dialogue, and characterization, including the level of characterization where the details that aren’t dialogue really “sound like” the POV character. Also PLAYLISTS! I can slap songs onto anything.

What are your writing weaknesses? Me and long plots are Not Friends right now.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? This stirs up all my sexy “Faerghus as Russia” headcanons, as well as French Canadian Gautiers.  All super good, but I don’t speak another language well enough to try it.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? FFXV. Forever grateful to this fandom for bringing me to writing! I love it a lot!

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? I’ve mentioned a lot of faves already, but let me also hype the three-part Ignyx series I wrote, the odes to Lorenz and Ravus, and the Sylorenz Leicester Falls AU that’s consuming me lately. Tagging @heyitsrosencrantz @lunchtops @omgkalyppso @tehrevving @neist (only if you wanna, of course), and anyone else who wants to do this!

[nothing-but-dreamy]

COMRADES

Pairing: FFXV!NYX ULRIC x MALE!READER

Words: 1.567

Warnings: cursing

@furtato5ever Thanks for your request! I had fun to write it and I hope you will like it

Synopsis: Sometimes, things get messy and go wrong and in these times, it's good to have a friendly supporter by the side

Exhausted, Nyx sat down on a bench in front of his locker, raking his fingers through his hair to loosen the strands and to get the sand and dust out of them. With closed eyes, he enjoyed the silence around him. The first time in hours there was no noise. It was just quiet and peaceful. Nyx was just sitting there for a few more minutes as he heard something soft coming from some distance. The sound was low, even muffled but Nyx recognized it as crying.

Frowning, Nyx stood up and was about to follow the sound as Luche stormed into the locker room, furious with a raging expression and gritted teeth, "Damn it!", he called out and punched into the nearest locker that the metal was screeching nasty.

"What's the matter?", Nyx asked, looking warily at his friend who was usually calm and composed.

"What's the matter?", Luche hissed, mimicking the question while narrowing his eyes on Nyx who flinched back by surprise about the hate-filled eyes.

"Four Glaives are injured and in hospital! Four! Drautos yells and screams how messed up things were just because this idiot is too clumsy for his own good! I tell you what, just to have the ability to use the King’s magic shouldn’t be enough to join the Kingsglaive. He’s the best example!"

"Who do you mean?", Nyx asked and regretted it immediately as he saw Luche's gleaming eyes.

"Who I mean? The newbie, for fuck saken! I tell you, this guy will be our end! He can't do the easiest things. During the last training? He almost killed his partner as his blade slipped through his hand in the middle of a warp!”, Luche screamed and threw his hands frustrated in the air before he turned back to Nyx, “Oh! Or during the training with the fire magic? He almost burned down the whole Kingsglaive headquarters! On the battlefield earlier? He should secure the left wing but no! The idiot was hiding behind a wall like a coward just watching how the Behemoth ran through the line which is the reason why four of us are in the damn hospital now.", Luche called out and as he was done, he was panting for air. Without saying another word or waiting for Nyx to respond, he grabbed his things and left the locker room to get off some steam somewhere else.

As Luche was gone, the silence seemed to be even louder than before and through it, the muffled sound of new cries caught Nyx' attention again.

Slowly, Nyx followed the sound through the room to the last row of abandoned lockers, walking around them to find the source of the soft cries in a corner: Yn, the newbie.

Yn sat on the ground, leaning against the old, used metal of spare lockers. His head hung low between his shoulders. He was still dressed in his dusty battle uniform, just the hood laid loosely around his neck and the gloves in his lap. All in all, the sight of him screamed for misery.

Without a word, Nyx walked over to his comrade, kneeling down to sit next to him, leaning against the same locker as Yn.

Yn noticed the other Glaive but he didn't dare to look up at him. Yn felt ashamed. He blamed himself for everything Luche had said earlier. He was the reason why others were injured. The mission had almost failed because he was a coward. With a bit of force that the door of the locker clacked, Yn leant his head back, staring at the ceiling, "I don't think I can do that. No! I’m sure I shouldn’t do this.", he whispered.

"It wasn't just your fault.", Nyx said calmly, remembering how messy things had been on the battlefield.

Yn released his breath, "You heard Luche. It was my fault.", he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut but couldn't stop new tears from falling down. Now, he even felt ashamed of crying in front of the famous Nyx Ulric.

Nyx watched Yn. He had been in his position before as well. Doubting himself. Asking what he was doing with the Glaives. All Glaives felt like this from time to time. That was just naturally and came with the job they were doing. But to let these thoughts sink too deep into their minds could end deadly, "Well, you're new-"

"Yeah, I’m the new one and I messed up! Again.", Yn hissed, angry about himself.

"Yes, you did.", Nyx said honestly, shrugging with his shoulders, "But we all did before. No matter what plans the Captain or Luche have...on the battlefield, things are different. Things get out of control."

Slowly, Yn turned his head to look at the man next to him who got called ‘hero’. He had heard so many incredible stories about Nyx that Yn saw him more as an idol than just as a soldier, "Yeah… right. I'm sure you also did things wrong, huh?", he scoffed, unamused.

Nyx chuckled low, "Oh, trust me, I did. By the sight of my first Behemoth? I was rooted to the spot in the middle of the field. I couldn't move, at all. I mean, these demons are scary as hell. Niflheim uses them to intimidate us and guess what? It works pretty well the first few times.”, Nyx said and remembered his first fights behind the wall all these years ago.

“And then? What happened? Were you also ‘hiding behind a wall like a coward’?”, Yn asked, quoting Luche’s words.

“Oh, no. No. I wasn’t hiding. Like I said, I was rooted to the spot. Libertus had to push me out of the way or otherwise I wouldn’t sit here with you right now. I was so scared. I expected to die there. I mean, have you seen these things? They’re big, mean, vicious monsters. with their huge teeth and horns.”, Nyx explained with a grin.

“Hell, tell me about it…”, Yn breathed, agreeing with Nyx while remembering how the big paws of the Behemoth were drumming mercilessly on the ground and the claws were burying into the sand just inches from the spot where he was crouching.

“It’s okay to be scared. We’re not machines like Magiteks. We feel things when we’re fighting. We’re humans after all. Yes, some of us got injured but they’re still alive and they will make it. I know the guys, they’re tough. And if you ask me, I’m still convinced that it was the wrong decision to send you to secure a line without backup. No one expects you to know everything just yet. Wielding blades and using magic is one thing. Learning to live with fear is something else, something that needs some time and practice.”, Nyx said reassuringly and nudged Yn’s shoulder with his own.

The mission order had been a stupid decision in the first place but then, Nyx remembered how he got tested by the Captain in almost the same way. Maybe it was just one of these cruel ideas to see if the new one was cut from the same cloth as the Captain himself...

“I should quit. I will mess things up again and again. It’s just a matter of time until someone dies because of me. I couldn’t forgive myself.”, Yn said low, casting his eyes to the ground.

Nyx watched the young guy. He had seen a fire in Yn’s eyes that told Nyx that he wanted to fight against Niflheim. Yn had his own reasons to fight against Insomnia’s enemies and now, he just had to learn to use these reasons as his drive. Nyx nodded slowly, “You could quit but as I see it you don’t want to. You wanna fight. You wanna kick asses. You just have to get better with your skills.”

“Yeah, and how? The last time I tried to train, I almost blew up this place.”, Yn said crestfallen, fumbling with the gloves in his hands.

“Then, we train together. I will show you a few tricks. You know, Libertus sucked at using lightning magic. One time, he even knocked out himself. I’m not even sure what he tried in the first place and then, he laid shocked on the ground. I swear, I even saw small clouds of smoke evaporating from his ears.”, Nyx said grinning and was pleased to hear Yn chuckle, “And now, Libertus used these powers regularly without hurting himself. Just one tip, if he uses magic? Keep some distance. Just in case.”, Nyx said with a wink.

Yn laughed and wiped the tears from his eyes. He still felt miserable for failing the mission and his comrades. He was sure, the Captain and Luche were disappointed and Yn expected to get a speech about it...or even some impositions. But Nyx’ words had been reassuring. Now, he felt less alone with the fear he had felt before, “Thanks. This talk was … I guess I needed that.”, Yn said, feeling better than before.

Nyx stood up, offering his hand to his comrade who took it and stood up as well. With a grin, Nyx looked at Yn, “You’re welcome. We're Glaives. We fight together. We fall together. And, most importantly, we drink together. Come on, the first drink is on me.", Nyx said and just like that, Yn had found his first new, real friend and supporter.

[secret-engima]

Look look, I know you've implied that Sasuke!Nyx is the only FFXV reincarnation in the Naruto 'verse, but - just. I had a sudden mental image. Of /Libertus/ as a Maito - as in, a close relative of Maito 'Konoha's Glorious Green Beast' Gai. ("YOUTH!") Perhaps a younger sibling or cousin or something? Because. Because the /mental images/ of the /rest/ of the non-uchiha-Compound family /reacting/ to an Uchiha being Best Friends with a Maito - Kakashi would despair. Gai would weep - in JOY.

I was not on board with this plan until you said Uchiha being Best Friends with the relative of Might Guy and now I’m dying.

... FINE.

One exception. JUST THIS ONE.

And also Crowe. Because I’m a sucker but SHHHHHH.

Because of course Libertus and Crowe would bully their way through the afterlife and timeline to follow their Ulric. Of course they would.

Hmmmmmmmmm *cracks knuckles* ficlet ramble time!

-Jun will forever be grateful that his mother was the one to name him and not- well- his father.

-Of course he only knew to be grateful AFTER meeting the man his mother had had a teenage fling with, but his point stands. Which was after that wildfire swept through and burned down most of his little village and the trauma of nearly burning made him Remember. Remember another life, another time, another way of life.

-Made him remember Nyx and how Libertus, after finally passing away of old age, had found no Nyx waiting for him, had gone and picked a fight with ... he thinks it might have been Ramuh? Or possibly Bahamut himself, and demanded to be taken to his best friend RIGHT NOW. No he didn’t care if Nyx had wandered off to become a Walked Twice. You think Libertus isn’t stubborn enough to qualify? TRY HIM YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD.

-Not his most sparkling moment of intelligence to be sure.

-But that means ... Nyx has to be here. Somewhere. Surely.

-But there is no Nyx in the village, and the village is struggling to cope, especially his mother, considering both their home and her workplace had been reduced to rubble.

-They end up leaving the village. They had never treated Libertus’s mother too well after he had been born, so it was no real emotional loss. Libertus is physically five when this happens, and he tries his hardest to help his mother and make her smile. She’s the only Clan he’s got after all.

-They wander from village to village before settling down in one where his mother finds work as a seamstress. Libertus, now eight, makes a few yen running packages and messages around town, his brown braids with the little blue beads he’d managed to get bouncing against his temple.

-It’s on one of his runs when he’s around nine that he rounds a corner too fast and smacks right into someone’s leg. He lets himself fall, tucks and rolls back to his feet with the flexibility of a child and the skill of a glaive, an apology already on his lips.

-The leg turns out to be owned by a NINJA. Wonderful.

-The ninja is staring at him, a little metal toothpick hanging from his mouth so loosely that if he gapes a little harder it’s gonna fall out. Libertus has a bad feeling about this. He yells an apology that is possibly too loud and energetic (an odd side effect of this new body, he tends to get ... loud and enthusiastic when nervous) and books it. He wants nothing to do with ninja, he just wants to grow up enough to travel so he can go find his idiot.

-The ninja doesn’t follow him.

-Nope. The ninja turns up again two weeks after Libertus had successfully forgotten about the incident with ANOTHER NINJA. This one is wearing some kind of awful, AWFUL jump suit of eye-searing green (watch out indeed), a red belt (oh dear), and the world’s shiniest bowl cut.

-Weren’t ninja supposed to be STEALTHY?

-The living neon warning sign is looking around with fervor as the two enter Libertus’s mother’s workplace (how did the ninja know she worked here), and his mother gasps. But not out of horror at the truly awful outfit, but out of ... recognition?

-“H-hello again,” she murmurs with a mix of fear and memory that makes Libertus’s hackles rise and him discreetly snatch one of her spare scissors off the shelf in the back room.

-The green ninja gives a booming, smiling greeting, then ... sobers. Quietly asks if she’s ... doing well.

-If she has a son.

-That’s about the minute Libertus notices that the man has caterpillar eyebrows. Caterpillar eyebrows just like Libertus’s, who did NOT inherit those from his mother thank you. He got her soft chestnut hair and hazel eyes.

-Libertus dives out of the back of the store and tries to stab the ninja in the femoral artery with the scissors because PYRE NO is he gonna be taken away from his mom by ninja for being some kind of wayward blood child.

-He doesn’t manage to get the artery, the ninja is too fast, but via the advantage of surprise and glaive memory, he DOES manage to bury the scissors into the man’s leg.

-It’s really not fair that all the man does is hold him up by his scruff and laugh about it. He has a bleeding leg. SHOW SOME PAIN.

-There’s talking after that while his mother fusses in terror and the toothpick chewing ninja pulls out a roll of bandages with a sigh (if it hadn’t been for the current situation, Libertus would have sympathized, he knew what that Sigh meant, he too had an idiot to look after).

-Surprisingly, the green ninja (Might Guy! He announces with a smile that literally sparkles what the pyre) does not insist on taking “Jun” away from his mother.

-Nope. He takes his mother WITH them back to the village. For a wedding. Libertus is honestly stunned. Weren’t ninja supposed to be sneaky and without honor? He has literally no obligation to marry the woman he had a fling with as llike- a FOURTEEN year old just because a kid came out of it. But apparently nope. Libertus’s father is the one ninja with a sense of chivalry because he signs a marriage certificate within hours of getting back to the ninja village of Konoha with mother and Libertus in tow.

-And just like that, Libertus’s name is Might Jun.

-What.

-What is going on.

-No he doesn’t want to be a ninja buzz off.

-Libertus takes to exploring their new home, partly to avoid his new ... father and partly to look for Nyx because who knows, maybe he’ll get lucky for once.

-He’s passing the ninja academy when he hears laughter and footsteps. He sidesteps, but isn’t fast enough to keep from getting run over by a screaming blur of orange. While trying to catch his breath from being trampled by the screaming orange blur (who has yet to notice the impact), a hand appears in his vision. He follows the hand up a pale arm and to a concerned face with black hair and black eyes, “Hey, you okay? Sorry about Naruto, someone let him have ... caffeine...” the boy’s breath stops. He’s staring at the side of Libertus’s head.

-No. His head. His temple.

-His braids.

-And Libertus, on an old instinct from another life, tilts his head as he sits up, looking for braids.

-He sees the purple bead and cord, the simple twist braid partly tucked behind the boy’s ear and hope burns through him like liquid fire. No way. No way. What were the chances of finding Nyx HERE.

-Check that, it’s a child soldier death academy. Why wouldn’t he find Nyx here.

-If it’s really Nyx.

-He swallows his fear and whispers, “For Hearth and Home.”

-Hope flares in the other boy’s eyes, his lips twisting before he rasps, “Libertus.”

-And the next moment Libertus is on the ground again, pinned down in the middle of the street by a sobbing Nyx, but that’s okay, because Libertus is sobbing too. A second after that and he’s hauled to his feet and dragged off by Nyx to a too-empty compound that still stinks of old blood and bleach and bundled into one of the houses so they can sob in privacy.

-Libertus spends a good ten minutes screaming himself hoarse at Nyx for dying. For being a self-sacrificing heroic idiot. Nyx screams back that what was Libertus doing here then huh?

-“I died of old age you idiot! Like you should have!”

-Nyx pauses “...Oh.” A blink, a flicker of red in black eyes and Nyx whispers, “What happened ... after?”

-And Libertus tells him. He tells him everything as they lie on Nyx’s futon, tangled around each other in a puppyish pile like they did when they were children. He tells him about Insomnia’s fall, and Princess insisting on separating, on going to Galahd and waiting until the Long Night fell and he returned to the glaive. How he was the Captain and hated every second of it, hating having to choose which brothers and sisters would take the suicide missions, hated losing more and more people as the night kept going.

-He spoke of the young king who returned ten years later with age and wisdom in his every line. How they followed him to Insomnia to take back the dawn. How the king died purifying the scourge and giving them a chance. How he had gone back to Galahd with the survivors and rebuilt their homes until Libertus was old and grey and couldn’t really walk because of the ache in the hip a daemon shattered during the Long Night that no one had had an elixir for.

-Then he speaks of waking up here as Jun, of his mother and his ... new father. Of being taken here and exploring and finding Nyx.

-Then Nyx huddles closer, and tell him his story in return. In waking up his memories in a massacre. All of his Clan. Gone. Again. Murdered by a kinslayer, a former BROTHER and Libertus keens for his friend. Nyx whispers of putting himself back together and training, and it is only now Libertus registers the pink and purple ribbon woven into a tiny braid in his hair, a declaration of revenge.

-Nyx also tells him of Naruto, the boy he’s adopted, of little Hinata and her flinches and how she blossoms like a flower in the sun with just a little bit of kindness and praise. He talks about his Anbu, the masked ninja that leaves potted plants on his window sill and is secretly addicted to Nyx’s cooking, terrible as it is, and how even though the man will not speak and won’t give his name, Nyx has adopted him too.

-Libertus hugs Nyx as tight as he can and swears that it will be alright.

-He comes home late that evening, dragging Nyx behind him by the wrist, looks his new father in the eyes and says he wants to become a ninja.

-The promise of training, of becoming strong enough in this world to protect Nyx, is worth the manly tears and illusionary sunsets his declaration gets.

-Of course, dragging Nyx home only causes more manly tears when he announces that this is his new best friend (what kind of name is Sasuke anyway, Nyx is much better, but they keep their old life names to themselves). And they get ... a lot of odd looks after that as they run around, attached at the hip just like when they were kids the first time around. Might Guy, his father, has a lot of Feelings about this friendship. Mostly Manly Tears and booming declarations of Youth. Libertus smacks Nyx over the head the one time Nyx grins and says Lib’s new dad is fun.

-Meanwhile the rest of the village watches in horror at the budding friendship of the Last Uchiha and Might Guy’s newfound son. Because MIGHT GUY’S SON. AND THE LAST UCHIHA.

-Kakashi feels a creeping sense of Doom™ in his future.

I’ll cover the reunion with Crowe in another ramble sometime, and more reactions on the Might/Uchiha friendship but for now this has already gotten long enough so I’ll leave it there. XD

[bgn846]

One Giant Warp - FFXV Promtis

         Summary:            

Noct wants to show Prompto how he warps, how hard could it be? Very hard, like the wall he just threw himself into attempting to demonstrate.  However, the one nice side effect of his miscalculation is Prompto fawning over him.  Maybe he should throw himself into walls more often. a.k.a. Noct likes Prompto and doesn't know how to tell him.

--

It turns out the old adage of keeping your eye on the ball wasn’t just meant for sports. The same reasoning applied to warping. This fact made itself known when Noct decided to risk a quick glance over at Prompto. The prince had wanted to ensure his friend could see the feat he was about to perform.  Sure, his best friend was paying attention, and subsequently got to watch as Noct slammed himself into the wall of the training room.  One small note of comfort being, no one else had been there.  

The feeling of pain was first and foremost in his brain as he writhed on the floor.  Thank the six, the walls were covered in mats. Though he was pretty sure they weren’t meant for warping into. Noct was dimly aware of the floor vibrating as Prompto ran over.  His frantic shouts also helped clue Noct into his approach.

“Noct! Buddy! Oh em gee please tell me you’re alright?!” Prompto yelped in a panic.

Only able to manage some sort of guttural sound in acknowledgment, Noct reached out his hand to grab Prompto’s arm. Squeezing firmly he held on in hopes the gesture would calm his friend. Typical to Prompto, it didn’t work.

“Dude, shit, are you dying or something? Why are you holding me like that? Say something I don’t know what t--.”

“M’fine!” Noct blurted. “Hurts, give me a minute.”

“Did you break anything? If you did then you shouldn’t move. How’s your neck feel? What about your back?” Prompto rapidly fired as his blue eyes darted to and fro. “When you said you wanted to show me how you warped, I didn’t think you’d do it so forcefully!” he finished with a wince.

The shock of literally throwing his body at an immovable object was wearing off, and Noct attempted to roll on his side, albeit slowly. Thankfully, nothing twinged and the only part of his body that was starting to throb was his head. A headache he could handle.  Having to explain why a potion was missing later due to a broken bone wasn’t something he’d been looking forward to.

He knew he’d never be able to say the real reason why due to certain people like Ignis being able to see through him in a heartbeat. That was the only issue with practically growing up with someone, they knew all your tells.  Fibbing to Prompto, on the other hand, was easy.  Not that admitting he’d merely been trying to show off for his secret crush would work well either.

Noct simply had to survive this moment and move on, or rather move up. The floor was very comfortable right now, and the idea of even attempting to walk wasn’t sounding promising.  Fighting gravity combined with relearning how to balance was the least of his worries. He already knew he’d need Prompto’s help getting back home. The prospect of having to hang onto the blond was proving to be a worrying thought.

He didn’t mind being close to Prompto, quite the opposite, he wanted nothing more than to stay close. Having a crush on your best friend was fun and torturous all at the same time. Resigned to keeping his fantasies in dreamland Noct focused on trying to sit up.  No need in delaying this process any longer.  He needed to rest and forget this ever happened.  However, when Noct did sit up the room spun.  Guess he’d hit his head harder than he thought. Muttering a curse under his breath Noct clamped his eyes shut and reached out for the nearest thing to steady his movements. Prompto’s warm and slightly clammy hand enveloped his a second later.  Right, he forgot, Prompto was the nearest thing.

Laughing nervously to detract from his now equally sweaty hands, Noct began rambling. “I’m fine, really, it’s all good,” he lied opening his eyes once more.  Big mistake. Prompto’s blue eyes were right there, brilliant and bright, staring straight at him.

“You don’t look so fine, buddy. You sorta look ill.”

“You try throwing yourself at a wall and see how you fair.”

“Not funny, you didn’t see it from my perspective, or hear the noise either.”

“What noise?” Noct asked bewildered. “Did I yell?”

Prompto huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes. “No, dude, the noise I’m talking about is when your body hit the wall. It sounded like a sack of potatoes dropping.”

“Oh, yeah it wasn’t supposed to go like that.”

“We should get you to the clinic or something, just in case.”

“Huh? Clinic? Six, no, I’m not going to the doctor.  I’m fine,” Noct defended while attempting to stand and promptly grabbing his friend for support.  Stupid head, spinning around and making the simple act of standing an issue.

“Whoa, I gotcha,” Prompto supplied as he slung Noct’s arm over his shoulder.  “I know I just started crownsguard training but I’ve already learned about first aid,” he beamed proudly.   “Which means we need to go to the clinic.”

“Seriously Prompto, I’m good, I’m not gonna go,” Noct tried again as they hobbled along to the door.

“I’m not going to be responsible for killing the crown prince of Lucis because I let him bully me.”

Noct scoffed, “I’m not dying, my head hurts I need to sleep it off.” This statement got Prompto even more animated.

“Your head hurts? Shit, dude, that’s worse. You shouldn’t go to sleep.”

Noct was about to tell Prompto that he was perfectly capable of reading his own injuries when an idea struck. If he needed to stay awake then this was a perfect excuse for them to spend the rest of the afternoon and night together. Prompto slept over all the time but always used the guest room if he hadn’t already fallen asleep on the couch.  This time Noct had a valid reason for him to share his bed.

Impressed by his own cleverness Noct voiced his brilliant idea without pause. “Why don’t you keep an eye on me then, make sure I don’t pass out or something worse.”

“I’m already doing that dummy, and I’m going the extra mile by taking you to the doctor.”

Thinking fast Noct remembered that Cor might still be around. “What if Cor clears me? Would you accept that instead of the doctor? He’s got a medic certification too, remember?”

Prompto pouted but eventually nodded. “I trust his judgment, but I still think you’re being a baby.”

Noct waved Prompto off with his free hand motioned for them to go in the direction of Cor’s office. Needless to say, Cor was not amused by his appearance five minutes later.  The man took one look at the pair of them and scowled. “Noctis, why do you have a rather painful looking bump developing on your forehead?”

“I hit the wall with my head, but that’s not what’s important right now. Can you make sure I’m not going to die so Prompto won’t make me go to the clinic?”

Taking a deep breath Cor stood from his desk and sauntered over. “I warned you not to take your eye off the ball.”

This time Noct scowled and gave Cor a look that he hoped would stop the older man from pressing further. “You can’t even warp,” he grumbled.

Cor hummed in agreement, “I still saw your father do plenty of stupid shit, so I know the principle behind the magic.”

“Yeah, yeah, am I okay? You’ve seen real dead people before so you’ll know what to look for.”

“Noct, shut up,” Prompto whispered. “He’s the immortal for six sake.”

“Yes, I know,” Noct hissed. “That’s why we are here.”

Cor took all their comments in stride and if Noct was being honest he would swear Cor had a slight smile on his face. After some cursory questions about how he was feeling and Cor examining his head, he was given the clear to go home. A stern warning to call if anything changed was given out as Prompto steered them out of office once more.

The next challenge on the long, terrible journey home was transportation. Noct knew he shouldn’t drive, and he was not going to call Ignis for a lift. If he could keep this little accident a secret it’d be even better. Ignis wasn’t even scheduled to visit later. If Noct played his cards right he’d have Prompto all to himself for the whole night.

Convincing Prompto to drive the car back to his condo was tricky.  Noct laid out how terrible it would be if Ignis showed up, and how degrading it would be if Gladio found out.  They were best friends this was a moment between them, and them alone.  Noct was babbling and he knew it, but it worked.  Prompto finally took the driver’s seat and slowly navigated them to his place. Noting to never ask Prompto to drive again Noct focused on staying upright on the walk to the elevator.  Having someone to lean on was immensely helpful; otherwise, he was sure he’d have fallen over in the parking garage.

Curse living on the ninth floor, the elevator made his head throb painfully and he wasn’t about to take the stairs. Prompto noticed immediately when he sucked in a labored breath once the elevator began moving.

“You’re still feeling awful aren’t you?”

“I’m not in pain if that makes you feel better.  My head still hurts, but not anything unbearable,” he added quickly.  Prompto might take this admission as a sign of weakness and decide to call Ignis or something worse.

“Cor said to make sure you ate and to take it easy, let’s focus on that for now.”

“We can order pizza!” Noct exclaimed making them list sideways. This using his crush as a crutch was great.  Maybe he would stay ‘dizzy’ for a little longer. He was starting to enjoy this moment for all the wrong reasons.  Noct wasn’t even sure if Prompto liked him back that way. Asking that question of his friend though was another matter entirely. Noct didn’t want to risk losing one of the best things that had happened to him.  Prompto’s friendship had been a relief from the mounting daily pressures he faced.

Ignis and Gladio always had his back but this was different, Prompto didn’t come from their world. He wasn’t familiar with all the pomp and circumstance of being a royal. They were friends because they got along and had fun together, nothing more and nothing less. Noct was loath to ruin such a great thing by offering up his true feelings. Something about ‘hey I like, like you’ felt like a good way to seriously rock the boat.  Things were smoothly humming along; there was no need to destroy a perfectly good friendship.    

Lost in his own thoughts about how nice Prompto’s body felt Noct didn’t notice they’d reached his front door. It wasn’t until a hand began patting his pockets did he realize the issue. Prompto wanted his keys to get in.   “Huh, sorry, they are in my other pocket,” he offered sheepishly.

“Well then, we gotta switch sides for me to reach them,” Prompto announced right before ducking out from under his arm and moving. The sound of jingling keys erupted soon after.  

Noct was about to whine at being jostled until Prompto’s body pressed up against him once more. Smiling like an idiot he leaned further into his friend.  Unfortunately, his timing was terrible, and Noct merely made them both fall forward. The newly unlocked door swung open forcefully, and Prompto barely had the strength to keep them both upright.

“Dude, warn me when you’re gonna do that!”

“Sorry, you feel really good,” Noct murmured sleepily.  It wasn’t until a healthy blush developed on Prompto’s cheeks did Noct pick up on what he’d said.  Shit. This was bad. “Ya know like ah, um--,” he trailed off completely at a loss for words.  There wasn’t really a good way to explain away what he’d just said.

“You should sit down, I’ll order food,” Prompto quickly cut in as he looked everywhere but Noct’s face.

The walk to the sofa was deathly quiet as Noct desperately tried to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind. Prompto eased him down gently a minute later and then disappeared like his butt was on fire. Groaning at his own inability to function like a normal human Noct leaned back and stared at the ceiling, resigned to drown in his own insecurities.    

--

Prompto’s hands were shaking by the time he made it into the bathroom.  Noct’s apartment was open in the main living area so he couldn’t seek refuge in the kitchen.  He also knew he couldn’t stay in here forever. He needed to keep an eye on Noct and hiding in here wasn’t the way to do it.  His mind was still reeling from the simple comment his friend had made.

‘You feel really good’ was a benign statement in of itself, but combined with all the soft smiles and other things Prompto had noticed recently, it took on a whole new life. Maybe he hadn’t been imagining all of it before.  Maybe Noct liked him as more than a friend.

Pulling his phone out he called the one person who might be able to give him some advice. Prompto had wanted to let someone else know what had happened, just in case they needed help later, despite Noct’s protests.  He wasn’t about to put his friend in harm’s way.  Suddenly worried he opened the bathroom door and looked down the hallway.  Noct’s fluffy head of hair was still visible over the couch.

He was about to wander closer to really check when Noct’s hand came up and touched his fresh bruise.   Thank the six, he was still okay. Going back to his little haven, Prompto hit the call button and waited.

Gladio picked up on the third ring. “Hey Prompto, what’s up?” he asked jovially. “We didn’t have a training session today, did we? I thought it was on Monday.”

“No, no, you’re good I uh just need to tell you something real quick.”

The shield must have picked up on the stress in his voice due to his next reaction. “What’s wrong? Are you alright? Where’s Noct? Is he hurt? Are you hurt?”

“Whoa big guy, calm down, I’m fine.  Noct’s mostly fine. Cor checked him out if it makes you feel better.”

“What do you mean Cor checked him out?”

Prompto had to cover the speaker on his phone for fear Noct might heard Gladio hysterically laughing. The tale of Noct’s great warp strike to the training room wall was very funny to him. After Gladio had quieted down again he continued. “So yeah, I wanted you and Ignis to know, so you could like be prepared if something else happens. I felt like it was the wise thing to do considering the circumstances, and the fact that he refuses to go to the doctor.”

“Okay blondie, I’ll alert Ignis and make sure he promises to keep his mouth shut.  I appreciate you callin’ You’re a good friend to Noct, he needs more people like you in his life.”

Gladio’s comment made Prompto remember the other reason he’d called.  “Uh, so you were also right about the other thing.”

“Huh, what other thing?”

“The thing you relentlessly tease me about when I miss a move in training. The thing about Noct like, liking me and being to chocobo to admit it.”

“Seriously?! What’d he say?”

“Nothing much but I think hitting his head has made him a little loopy.  He’s super relaxed and saying things and hanging on me.”

“You gonna tell you like him back?” Gladio asked.

“Should I? I don’t want to ruin things.”

“You’re not gonna ruin anything. Noct likes you, just tell him and see how it goes.  I’d suggest you not try to ya know do anything tonight, he’s injured after all but talking about stuff is fine.”

“Oh em gee too much info Gladio, I’m not gonna jump him tonight, he needs to rest.”

Gladio laughed again but there was no malice behind it. “Go back and sit with him. You’re hiding in the bathroom, aren’t you? I can tell by the echo.”

“Yes!” Prompto hissed. “I got nervous, shit, I still need to order pizza.”

“Hey, calm down. Go sit with him and I’ll order for you. I can use his account to pay and then you can focus on making sure he’s alright.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Sure kiddo, you’re my friend too.  Besides, I know what you two like to eat.  Go check on him; make sure he’s not passed out or somethin’.”

“Okay thanks, Gladio.”

“No problem, call me straight away if anything changes. It sounds like he needs to rest and take it easy for the weekend.  I’ll let Ignis know so don’t worry about that either.”

“Alright, I’ll keep you posted. Thanks big guy.”

Pocketing his phone once more Prompto opened the door to check on Noct. His friend was still in the same spot and moving his arms around like he was having a conversation. Expect no one was there.  Wondering if he’d gone temporarily insane Prompto slipped out into the hallway and listened.   Sure enough, Noct was talking, but after a second Prompto figured out he was simply talking to himself.

The dialog was all over the place. Noct was berating himself for being stupid and messing everything up. What in the hell was his friend going on about? Not wanting to see Noct act so self-deprecating Prompto ran back into the room. “Hey you didn’t mess anything up,” he chided while coming to a stop next to the sofa.

“You’re still here?” Noct exclaimed with a pained look. “I thought maybe I’d messed up so bad you’d snuck out.”

“You’re such a dork, I’m not gonna leave. I told you I’d take care of you and I meant it.”

“Oh, you’re not mad at me?”

“Dude, how hard did you hit your head? No, I’m not mad at you.”

‘Sorry,” Noct mumbled as he looked away and stared at the floor.

“Sorry for what? Pizza is on its way and we get to hang out for the rest of the night and watch movies and like uh, you know be idiots together.” Prompto offered with a smile.

“What kind of pizza did you get?” Noct asked with a pout. “I’m hungry.”

Unable to stop the burst of nervous laughter from escaping his mouth, Prompto blurted the first thing that came to mind, “It’s a surprise buddy. You’ll love it don’t worry.”  

“Okay, I trust you.”

“So ah, how’s your head feel now? Is it still pounding?”

“It’s getting better, but I think I’ll be glued to the sofa for the rest of the night.”

Sitting down next to Noct, Prompto gathered his thoughts. He wanted to talk to Noct about how he felt, but he wasn’t sure right now was the best time. Gladio’s words flashed through his mind at that moment. Prompto should try and talk about stuff. He didn’t think he was reading the signs wrong, Noct sure seemed like he was interested in him.

“Um, what did you think you’d messed up?” he asked finally.

“Huh?” Noct whispered as he settled down into the cushions further.

“You were saying something earlier about messing up, what did you mean?” Prompto was sure Noct’s face was turning pink. That had to be a good sign. No one would blush if they didn’t have feelings to admit. Noct looked stricken; he clearly wanted to speak but couldn’t seem to find the energy.  Time dragged on as Noct stalled.  Gladio has been right, Noct was never going to say anything first. Prompto couldn’t believe he was about to do this but his friend needed him, now more than ever.   Taking a deep breath he voiced his own feelings in hopes it would prompt Noct into revealing his own.

“You--you felt good too,” he managed through the lump in his throat. Noct didn’t immediately react. Prompto watched as various emotions played across his friend's face. Noct was confused at first; it was an odd statement to make when they weren’t actually touching. It was understandable that he’d be wondering about the context. Then, in a flash Noct turned his head and looked at him with wide eyes. He’d figured it out, hopefully.

“Say it again,” he demanded, but not in a condescending way.

Licking his lips Prompto gathered what little bravery he had left and repeated his comment, “you felt good too.”

“You mean it?” Noct checked as he leaned forward and gripped Prompto’s arm. “I didn’t destroy our friendship?”

“Is that what you thought would happen?” Prompto exclaimed. “I’m always gonna be your friend. I don’t know what life would be like without you buddy.”

Noct instantly relaxed and flopped back into the sofa, “I was so worried I messed everything up.”

“What? By telling me how you really feel about me?” Prompto asking hoping this might bait Noct into saying more.

“I’ve had a crush on you for soooo long, I just didn’t know how to tell you,” Noct admitted with a relieved look.

“Were you trying to impress me with your warping abilities?” Prompto queried with a smirk.

“Maybe, but don’t tell anyone else that! I don’t wanna get yelled at for abusing my magic just to impress someone I like.”

“You’d already won me over the moment we met.” Smiling at how that made Noct blush even harder Prompto continued on. “I’m flattered that you were willing to risk life and limb to impress me, but next time, tell me how you feel.”

Noct laughed and winced immediately afterward, “Shit, oh man I gotta take it easy tonight.  That sucks.”

“Sounds kinda nice actually.”

“We could be trying out so many different things tonight, but I can’t even stand up without the room spinning.”

The true meaning behind what Noct had said, sunk in a second later. Oh, damn he was referring to those kinds of other things.  One idea did come to mind that they could do. “So, we can always cuddle until you feel better,” Prompto suggested slyly.  “Ya know, and then later we can do some other uh, stuff.”

Prompto didn’t have much warning before Noct slumped to the side and tackled him in a hug. “Thanks, buddy, falling asleep against you sounds really good.”

“Hey, no sleeping yet, you need to eat.” The sound that came as a response didn’t sound like the English language. Had Noct already zonked out? “Dude, no come on wake up!”

“Sleeeeep nowwwwww, pizza laterrrr.” Noct mumbled as he began to rearrange them on the sofa.

Prompto patiently waited until Noct was fully sprawled across his chest before he pulled out his phone again.  He needed to send a text to Gladio but he was waiting for the inevitable. Noct falling asleep.

However, once Noct had stilled he took a breath to speak. “Why is your heart racing?”

That was an easy one to answer. “We just confessed that we like each other more than friends and now you’re lying on top of me.  Why do you think my heart is racing?” He questioned jokingly. “I’m excited and nervous, and happy all at the same time.”

“Sorry, my macho display delayed our fun.”

“Honestly, I’m okay taking things a little slow. I like what we are doing right now and maybe later after dinner, we can uh, you know, try kissing?”

Noct giggled like a freaking two-year-old once he’d finished talking. “We can kiss now if you want.”

“Nope, gonna make you wait since you laughed at me.”

“Hey, I can’t help it, you sounded really cute.”

“I’m not cute bro, I’m manly just like you.”

Noct laughed again even moved his arm to hit him in the shoulder. “Fine, you sounded really handsome and strong. How chivalrous of you to wait on my account, so as not to spoil my virgin body.”

“If you weren’t injured right now I’d have shoved you off on the floor already. You should thank me for being so nice to you.”

Snorting and groaning in pain Noct stilled again. “Stop making me laugh. I gotta take it easy remember?”

“Sure, buddy,” Prompto drawled out. “You’re taking it easy, and picking on me at the same time. I don’t think that should be allowed.”

“Okay, truce, I’ll stop until I feel better.”

“Deal, but I’m gonna fight back once you get better too, don’t forget.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Noct asked indignantly.

“If you pick on me I’ll retaliate.”

“How? You can’t hurt me I’m the crown prince.” He offered haughtily but Prompto could tell Noct was teasing.

“I have my ways. I know someone who’d be more than willing to tell me where you’re ticklish.”

“Iggy wouldn’t betray me like that.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“Shhh, enough talk about that, lets enjoy this moment before the food gets here.”  Noct went so far as to cover Prompto’s mouth with his hand to silence him. One well-placed lick of his tongue had Noct crying out in disgust. “Not fair, no licking.”

“Ever?” Prompto asked coolly.

“Never!” Noct replied but he seemed to realize what that might imply and quickly changed his tune. “Licking s’okay,” he nearly whispered a second later.

“I thought so, but that’s for later remember.”

“M’sleep nowww.” Noct hummed.

Prompto let Noct rest this time.  Once his friend's breath had evened out, he texted Gladio to get an ETA on the food. For once the Friday night rush meant the hour-long time was actually welcomed, considering his current situation.  Gladio had of course asked how it went and Prompto was happy to reply that they’d confessed their feeling to each other.  He was graced with a thumbs-up emoticon and a smiley face.

Putting his phone down Prompto hugged Noct closer and rubbed his back. He was going to make sure they had the best weekend ever! Happy to simply be with Noct and hold him Prompto drifted off until the door buzzed.  The night was just beginning as was their new relationship.  Prompto couldn’t wait to have more adventures with Noct.  So long as he didn’t throw himself into a wall again!

AO3 Link

[thesilencebeforeastorm]

A Fight For My Friends - FFXV fic

A/N: I am SO SORRY that I took forever to write this but it’s finally done!!! Omg I haven’t written for the ffxv boys since 2018, I hope I did this fic justice. This is for @sylleblossomstar and even though you requested a AU, the fic is HALF canon. It’s just a few things tweeked here and there. I hope you enjoy!! Request are NOT open btw!

~

It had been a few days since the battle with Leviathan and things went terribly wrong. I was knocked out after I had gotten the hydrean’s power so I barely remember much but what I know now is that Luna is dead… We didn’t even get a chance to speak before I had found out from Ignis that she was gone. The pain I felt in my chest was unbearable as I cried alone, looking through the book Luna and I used to talk through. I wish that I was strong enough, that I could have her with me. All I wanted to do was save her… yet I failed at that. I failed my friends also. Ignis is blind now. I don’t know how that happened since I didn’t ask and he didn’t tell me. “It’s just a flesh wound” was all that I was told though it looked like he put up one hell of a fight. Dammit… why can’t I protect the ones I love? First it was Dad… and now Luna is gone too? I must become stronger. Not only will I get the power from the other gods and the rest of the royal arms but I will train harder and work harder. I will make sure that my friends don’t even lift a finger. That’s not how we usually do things but I’m sick and tired of always being protected yet the ones I love keep dying. What kind of Prince can’t even protect his people? Pft…Some kind of King I’ll be someday.

We had to board the train in a few days to head to Cartanica, though we had no money. We were all still pretty worn out from Leviathan and even though Gladio wanted to keep moving forward, Ignis insisted that we have some cash first and at least some rest afterwards. Altissia was a wreck so there would be no way we could find hunts to take up there. With nowhere to stay either, we got on Dad’s boat and headed back to Cape Caem. We wouldn’t go too far into Lucis considering that we had to leave again after a few days. Iris was happy to see us again, though she said we looked a mess and that she should’ve been there to protect us. Of course Gladio didn’t even want to consider the thought of his sister being there and having the possibility of something happening to her but they are Amicitia’s after all. It was their job to protect the Royal family. 

We drove up to a nearby town and found a post about some hunts that needed to be taken care of. With the amount of gil being offered for one of them, we would be set to go. This was my chance to prove myself.. To prove that I can protect my friends. Ignis was in no shape to fight. He can’t even see! He’s using a stick to walk around but without the help of Gladio or Prompto, he keeps knocking into things. All I can keep thinking of is Luna and Dad… Part of me knew I had to get stronger but if I didn’t have to keep fighting anymore, I would just get in bed and sleep for a week. Apparently, Gladio noticed my moping and we got into a huge fight.

“The hell is your problem?” 

I was caught off guard.

“What?”

“All you do is sit around your ass moping. You need to deal with what happened and move on”.

The hell??

“Move on?? I’m here aren’t I? If I wasn’t moving on then I wouldn’t even be trying to do any of this!”

“Yet you wish you didn’t even have to deal with any of this. You carry that ring around with you yet you don’t wear it. Luna didn’t give her life for nothing. Ignis took one for you too and for what!?”

“Enough Gladio!” I heard Ignis yell out.

“You think you’re a king but you’re a coward.”

I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing right now. Me? A coward? After everything we've been through?? The hell with him.

“Shut up!” 

“Don’t do this!”

I saw out of the corner of my eye that Prompto tried to get involved but Gladio shoved him in the face. Part of me didn’t even care that he was my bodyguard, I was ready to fight him like he was some regular on the street. I decided against it though and just walked away. I didn’t want to deal with any of them right now.

It was night time now and the hunt we got were for the daemons at this time. It was raining too which was just my luck. Anyways, now was my chance to show Gladio that I wasn’t a coward. I didn’t believe in myself as King but I didn’t have any other choice. I was going to do this whether I liked it or not. I was so conflicted in my head, deciding on what I would do. I just had to go through with it. 

It was an Iron Giant for a start. We knew what we were up against but seeing it actually in front of you was a completely different thing. Whatever. I decided to charge head on into the thing. 

“Noct! The hell are you doing!?” I heard Gladio yell out. I didn’t care. As much as he deserved to get punched in the face, I wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. I hit the Iron Giant several times before I was almost hit.

“Hey buddy, you aren’t alone in this! Take it easy and let us help!”. Prompto yelled out as he shot his gun. I ignored him.

All I wanted to do was fight. If I had to take out my frustration in some way, it would be on this Iron Giant. I completely blocked everyone out, distracting the giant from them. 

“I won’t let you hurt my friends!” I yelled out before activating the royal arms that I had for more strength. I knew in the back of my mind that using the royal arms would take a toll on my health if I over did it but with the Giant almost down and so I had to give it the best I had. I slashed through it from every angle. The guys were trying their best to fight and I could hear the constant yelling. I was so lost in the moment that I didn’t realize I ran out of stamina already and felt light headed. The rain made me slip from the Iron Giant’s sword as I fell to the ground, though it wasn’t a high fall. Man, I really wasn’t feeling good at all. I was so out of breath and couldn’t even get to my feet before the thing smacked me out of the way with its sword. The pain was unbearable as I cried out.

“Was that Noct?? Is he alright??” Ignis yelled out in the distance.

“Nocttttt!” Prompto yelled out.

“This thing is on its last legs, just take it down already!” Gladio yelled out before him and Prompto gave the final blow... or so I thought. I was so dizzy and hurt that I passed out.

~

I awoke in the tent at camp, not knowing what the hell happened. I knew I was fighting the Iron Giant but did I kill it? I tried to sit up but the pain shot up though my body as I hissed at it. I then noticed that I didn’t have a shirt on. I had bandages around my waist covered in some blood and my head. Shit… did I really get hurt that bad? I looked around to see if I could find my shirt which I did and put it on. Knowing the guys were outside, I tried my best to get up. Wincing at the pain, I made it out before I had two eyes staring at me. Ignis heard me leave the tent.

“Noct is that you?” he asked me.

“Yeah” I said as I found a seat by the campfire. There wasn’t any food considering that Ignis couldn’t cook anymore. I would go for anything right now.

“Hey buddy, you’re awake!” Prompto said to me. “This is for you.” Cup noodles. Oh well, it was better than nothing. “Thanks” I told him.

“How are you feeling Noct?” Ignis asked me. I wish I could say I felt great but I was in a lot of pain still.

“Still in pain but I’ll live” I told him.

“The hell were you thinking fighting on your own like that?” Gladio snapped at me. “You could have been killed.”

I sighed as I looked down. That was a little dangerous for me to go all out on my own to the point that I got sick and hurt. But it was for them.

“I know that I acted I reckless like that but… I had to protect you guys. After all that we’ve been through and all that happened so far, I didn’t want to lose you guys too.”

“Yeah well we would have lost you instead for charging into that thing like that. What good would Lucis be without a King?” he said back to me.

King… was I even fit to be King after all of this? I didn’t want to let them in on my doubts and risk being in another fight with Gladio but I would never be the King my Dad was. I stood quiet. 

“We understand that you want to protect us, Noct but our duty is to protect you. True strength does not come from facing danger alone but working together to defeat our enemy” Ignis said. I looked at him as he looked down, holding his empty cup of noodles. I sighed again. He was fight. We were stronger together, we were meant to protect one another. 

“We care for you bud. Can’t have you not being in top shape for what’s to come” Prompto told me. You’re not alone in your fight. We all have people that we lost”.

Lost… I was so caught up in my own act that I didn’t even think of their losses. We all had a home back in Insomnia; a place that we couldn’t return to. I knew Gladio’s Dad was the shield of my father. Did he die too? What about Prompto’s family… or Ignis?

“I didn’t want to let you guys down” I finally said. It was the honest truth.

“Me calling you a coward didn’t mean you had to head on straight to your death. You may be a royal pain in my ass but you’re still my brother. 

I looked up at Gladio when he said that. Sure he was tough about things and the way he spoke sometimes can come off as harsh but he only meant the best for me. He always knew how to get me to pull my head out of my ass and keep fighting no matter what, no matter if I liked how he said it or not. 

“I’m sorry” I said.

Gladio sighed. “Don’t be sorry, just let us do our part next time. We have Ignis to take care of now. We work together as one.” 

I agreed. I don’t regret what I did because the intention of wanting to do better and get stronger was there but I do admit that I had to fight with them and not alone. These guys were my brothers and even though I never said it to them, I loved them. 

“I love you guys” I said. I was never pretty vocal about my emotions but it had to be said. 

“We love you too buddy” Prompto said. Gladio and Ignis agreed.

“When are we heading out to take the train?” I asked.

“Oh we won’t be leaving any time soon” Gladio said. “You aren’t in the shape for it”.

“Gladio is right”, Ignis said. “Judging by what Gladio said about your wounds, you must heal up first before we go.”

Right.. I had forgotten all about the pain, being wrapped up in conversation.

“Aww look at that. A royal prince being taken care of by us. All three of us. Who better yet to take care of you than us?” Prompto cooed out. 

I laughed and shoved his arm before wincing again. They were a pain in my ass as well but what could I do without them...

~

Tagging: @humanitys-hottestsoldier @paopufruittt @final-fantasy-xv-nut

Masterlist

[noctanotherone]

A FFXVxover fanfic Idea I need help brainstorming on....

I’ve had this idea in my head for a while, and me @operagoose, @tevlyn-tauly, and a few others on our discord chats have been helping me flesh this out, unfortunately I work full time now and haven’t been able to brain storm with my friends much anymore because we are in different parts of the world and I can’t always talk with them because of the time difference, so I’m ganna post the ideas on here, and maybe see if I can get some help writing this because I can’t write stories for crap but I can bounce ideas massively!

And I wanted to ask @ertrunkenerwassergeist and @secret-engima or anyone else really, if they wouldn’t mind helping? I don’t mind sharing the ideas! I haven’t thought of how that would help yet because of universe lore but I figured it would be fun and even ideas can trigger other ideas! Specially when Eos lore is involved in this!

Basically the fanfic idea is for a FFXV&HP cover where the boys go to hogwarts, but it makes sense. And it’s all because of a special little curtain/portal in the department of mysteries and the archeological digs going on in Lucis that’s barely mentioned in the series.... and the lore gets very deep and even explains where magic came from in the HP world and why it’s only concentrated in some areas and why it’s not longer as prevalent in Eos and how it evolved with each world! Along with many other things which I will need to tweek still....

I’ll make another post here soon, I need to gather what we already talked about and post it up here, but having advice on how to write it would be great too!

But here is what I’ve written so far, it’s very bare bones and I didn’t even get to some of the double checking sources wise or even naming some characters yet, let alone spell checking it... and a lot of it is just notes of what happened with no conversations....sooooooo..... enjoy!

//——————————\\

It seemed like any other normal day so far. Dusty rooms here, dusty rooms there, dust dust everywhere! (Change to describe the department of mysteries and the poor sap who does not get paid enough for this, and walking into the veil room).

And then it happened.

A body came stumbling out of the Veil.

The veil of death. The veil of no return. The veil where any man went into came out of (fix to something better).

(Insert wizard name here) just stood there, flabbergasted.

The man that fell out of the viel was odd to say the least.

Black and strange looking clothes, even stranger tattoos, and let’s not forget the ‘interesting’ braided haircut/style... ...though he will say the muggles has had some interesting styles recently (80’s style ftw lol) but this didn’t seem to be a muggle....could it? This is the department of mysteries, so deep full of magic a muggle could never be able to get in! But muggles have done some strange things before...gotten into places they where never meant to be...

He didn’t know what to do l, he just stood there and stared as the man stood up from the floor and patted himself off before he finally noticed that he was not where he thought he was. “How the heck....?” Mumbles the strange man before he turned and noticed him. “Hey! Buddy! Mind telling me where I am at?”

He didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t in the manual, this veil has been here for hundreds if not thousands of years and something like this never happened before.

So he panicked, and sent a stunning spell to the poor sap before running and sounding the alarms, never noticing the other head sticking out of the veil confused as he ran away.

————

Nyx (with head sticking out of the portal) watched as the strangely dressed man ran away, his friend, Libertus on the floor, looking like he was frozen in place, he walked into the room the rest of the way and waved his hand in his friends face as he poked and prodded him, he was still breathing, so that was good, but what was that red flash of light? Why did his friend look as stiff as a board? And this place, it’s obvious that they weren’t in Eos anymore, let alone the citadel undergrounds.

When they were first assigned to this job to guard the archeologists as a punishment, nothing could possibly of happened besides extreme bouts of boredom....but trouble does love to follow his little group, so he’s not as surprised as he would be that some thing this weird would happen.

Speaking of, this only happened because they were goofing around looking and prodding at the weird arch with curtains, light, and floating smoke. Sure, they were getting yelled at by the archeologists in the process, be he couldn’t resist just sticking his foot out as Libertus was walking towards it.

It was meant to be a small prank! How was he supposed to know Libertus would fall thru it and ‘not’ come out the other side!

So, he did the only sensible thing. And stuck his head thru the veil to look for his friend, and when he did, he saw a bright flash of red light, his friend fall to the floor, and an oddly dressed man running away.

What did their perchant (?????? Is this the right word I want????wtf???) for trouble get them into this time...he muttered this time as he leaned over to poke Libertus...he had no idea....but he really should figure out what happened to his friend....he should probably also let the others know that they are okay...

As he stood up and stretched his body he turned back to the door and stuck his head in to let them know they were okay and that there’s a strange place on the other side, when he heard a loud noise before blacking out.

—————————

When word reached the King, Regis was shocked, what seemed to be a whole ‘nother world was on the other side of that strange arch that was found in a sealed room in the underground of the Citadel.

When he found out what happened to his more, excitable Kingsglaive members he shouldn’t of been surprised that something like this would happen to these particular men.

But It didn’t change the fact that after word reached him of what happened, he rushed to them as fast as he could.

When he got there and crossed the veil, he saw one of his men on the floor, stiff as could be. When he inquired about what happened, he was informed by Nyx that Libertus fell thru the arch like he was pushed and all he saw was a red flash of light before poking his head in.

Hearing that, He was cautious when he crossed that doorway to another world, and good thing he was, after he stepped thru with his magical barrier up, a red beam of light was shot at him. It harmlessly hit his barrier, it was so weak he didn’t even feel it.

And to see a group of shocked men seemingly armed with sticks pointing right at him on the other side, well, he knew to leave up his shield at all times as he addressed them.

(Insert Trolldad Regis talking to them Snarkily about his men being attacked and what ever shall he do and why did they attack them yadda yadda yadda)

(Also insert part about having a game of questions and answers, he asked one and they answer and they ask one and he answers)

(Don’t know when but also put in a part of them doing a type of exchange to learn about each others magic)

(Portion below for later, might have to rewrite to fit it with story.)

What was more interesting is it seems the people on the other side seemed to be teeming with magic! Something so rare for individuals but abundant in their own world. It seems to be more accessible and variable for those on the other side, but more restricted on how much, how powerful, and how they can access it, and last but not least, the amount of the types of spells they have! but it also seems that they have another weakness that doesn’t exist in Eos.... they couldn’t use technology around magic! It was so fascinating to hear about!

—————————

(This part will be about a few months later about Harry and on his side and how Diagonal ally is going all nuts about the discovery of a whole nother world and how a select few are coming over to their world to learn about their magic and a few on their side are going over their to learn about theirs, and about how somehow muggle tech works just fine with magic in their world and is actually somehow powered by it)

\\————————//

And that’s all I have so far, I already know what houses the chocobros are ganna be in, and this happens when Noct is young, just before his back injury, so some things will change history wise, other people will live and get to join the chocobros at a later date (Aranea for example), this portal actually jump starts peace talks around the world (the nifs only do it cause, oh look! Another world full of resources to conqur! The war with Lucis can wait until we learn more!) and like Noct not getting healed by the oracle but in the HP world when he gets attacked so Tenebrae never gets attacked.... still fleshing that part out a bit.

Another thing is Noctis will be underage when he joins hogwarts with Ignis and Gladio, so ages wise Noct will be 8, Ignis will be 10 and Gladio will be the only one of ‘proper age’ but Ignis will be 11 in feb so he gets a pass but Noct they can’t deny cause he’s a prince of a nation and yadda yadda yadda....I’m just stuck still trying to plot on how Prompto gets dragged into this....

Oh! And Cor will be a guard/teacher at this school....I’m sooooooo looking forward to writing 5th year! Cor vs Umbridge... It will be glorious!!!

But yeah! Hope you all enjoyed that plot bunny and maybe will even help me a bit!

[charlottedabookworm]

lols, I kno I've sent in a bunch of these, so feel free to opt out if you're not interested. How about a fix-it Doctor Who crossover for FFXV? Teen Noctis and Prompto end up being Companions to The Doctor (I'm partial to 13, 9, and 10 but it's up to you) and somehow, this saves everything.

1) Prompto actually meets the Doctor first, when he’s 10.

(Prompto first meets the Doctor when he’s just a few months old, when a blonde wearing rainbows happens to run past a man carrying a baby in a lab.

The lab blows up.

Surprise)

He’s maybe somewhere he shouldn’t be, camera in hand and glasses perched on his nose, when he walks into the weirdest fight ever.

(That guy was a fish)

And, just as he freezes, thinking he’s about to die, a man in a trench-coat sweeps in - a redhead a half step behind him, already yelling at literally everyone - and breaks it up easily, even if it takes a couple hours. Prompto is amazed.

The red-head - Donna, my name is Donna - sits with him while everyone else argues (occasionally yelling at the trench-coat guy) and walks him home and makes sure he’s got food and that’s he’s okay (and maybe she has some words for his parents who aren’t home again but he mostly ignores that because she’s so cool) and then they sweep out of his life.

(Or not.

The first letter comes days later, dropped in the letterbox with Donna’s signature scrawled on the back and Prompto feels so warm he could burst)

(The letters last for a couple years, telling him about dangerous exciting adventures and her idiot best friend and giving him tips with people and getting things done around the house and… 

and then, one day, suddenly, they stop)

(He’s pretty sure he knows why)

2) Still, for all he’s met the Doctor, Prompto has never really seen the TARDIS.

Which is how he and Noct end up accidentally inside when on the run from a couple kidnappers.

The TARDIS promptly takes off. The bloke in a leather jacket demands to know where they came from. 

Prom and Noct just stare.

(Best. Kidnapping. Ever)

3) So- the thing is.

The TARDIS? Still a little damaged by the Time War. And by ‘a little’, there’s a lot of damage, and a rather large dearth of spare parts.

And Eos? Not easy to get to.

The Doctor has no idea how the TARDIS got through the energy barrier surrounding the planet in the first place but she does not want to go back.

Which- considering that the Prince of Lucis is currently staring at him in horror - is not the best thing.

Noctis looks a lot less worried and a lot more confused when he reassures them that he will be able to get them back, and at the same moment they left, it just might take a while.

Prompto just nods.

(He’s already figured out that this isn’t the Doctor he knew. But Donna had told him a lot about Time Lords and the TARDIS and the Doctor - he’s realised, as he grew up, that maybe she just wanted someone to talk to about it all - and he definitely recognises the name Rose so)

4) Prom is bouncy and Noct is calmer but they both fall in love with the TARDIS so easily and they love the adventure and the travelling and meeting new people and it’s amazing.

Their enthusiasm helps a Doctor who is struggling so much to see any joy in the universe. They bring life to the TARDIS and the sound of their laughter intertwined with Rose’s (and with Jack’s) fills him with something almost like happiness

And the boys- they’ve grown up in the Crown City of a country in a century old war. 

They might be young, might be fairly sheltered from the worst of it, but they’ve spent more than enough time around war veterans

They don’t push, on the days the Doctor can’t handle it, and they distract Rose and it helps

5) Eventually, almost 6 months after they were ‘kidnapped’, the TARDIS is well enough to take them home.

They almost don’t want to leave.

They do anyway.

The Doctor lands exactly where they’d entered, at that exact moment, and they say their goodbyes - get the hugs and the phones in their back pockets and the promises to pop back sometime and they leave with bags that are expanded far beyond what they probably should be (but the Doctor knows things and he will not leave these children with nothing)

Nobody noticed they were gone.

Technically they weren’t.

6) Noctis lays Gladio flat with a move he picked up from an archaeologist he met on one of their trips

Prompto’s flirting now makes people blush like crazy, nobody knows how he’s suddenly so smooth

Jack is proud

7) Nobody understands the sudden banana obsession

8) Prophecies are one thing

Fixed points in time are another

It isn’t hard, to figure out what being The Chosen King means

But 6 months travelling all of time and space makes someone a lot less likely to bow down to fate

(If it’s Fixed, you’ll die anyway, Prompto whispers to him fiercely when it looks like he’s about to give in to it all, but we’re going to make sure you live)

9) The thing is- by the time they hit 20 (or so their birthdays say) they’ve seen more than one peace treaties. The Doctor has a habit of ending wars and, sometimes, he’ll stick around for the treaties and even the parties

So they know what they look like

They also know what a trap looks like

Noctis refuses to leave the Citadel, Prompto by his side

and, well, everybody’s rather thankful later

10) The square gun (totally not stolen from Jack) in Prompto’s hands takes a nice square out of Glauca

Might have taken a lot of tinkering to get around the safeties but totally worth it

11) when a phone box that appears between Aldercapt and his father it doesn’t surprise Noctis

he can’t say the same about the rest of the room

and he might not recognise the face that pokes out of the TARDIS with a grin but he knows the Doctor and the time lord still feels the same 

Prompto waves cheerfully, bouncing on his toes like he hasn’t just taken out Niflheim’s best General in a single shot

Six, Noct loves his best friend

then a woman steps out behind the Doctor and Noctis grins

“River!”

(The archaeologist winks. and promptly threatens the Emperor. very bloodily. the Doctor looks very smitten. and also very confused about how they know each other.

if he wanted to know he shouldn’t have lost him in that jungle, Noctis thinks, still feeling a little spiteful)

12) Everything gets wrapped up pretty quickly after that - at least with the empire

and then the Doctor runs into a man who is almost a fixed point but not (like Jack but artificial, not of time like he is, and oh, oops, do the boys know about Jack? spoiler alert, they do, they aren’t happy but Jack said he’d already punched him so) but this one he can fix

it isn’t hard to just reach out and tweak

there’s a reason his kind were called Time Lords after all

Ardyn disappears, still angry, still vengeful, but mortal

the Doctor leaves not long after

River promises to visit and the boys grin

everyone with any sort of common sense fears everything

13) A few months later, when they call him up again because they need someone to yell at a giant lizard about making people immortal against their will and trying to get teenagers to sacrifice themselves, the Doctor who appears is grey haired and grumpy

Prompto hugs him, just because

The Doctor flails

Bill - who introduces herself while the Doctor is flailing and is around their age - is brilliant and they exchange stories while the Doctor gets all Scottish-Grumpy and Value-of-Life and Oncoming-Storm on Bahamut and the dark-haired evilish one - Missy, Bill calls her - rolls her eyes and Nardole does

-something. He does something. He maybe goes and makes a cuppa tea

It’s great, reminds the boys of exactly what they missed about being 15 and travelling with the Doctor

(for everyone else, it’s a dawning realisation about why Noctis and Prompto are so good at dealing with chaos in general)

and then they totally dart off for another trip, just a short one dad we’ll be back for dinner!

Prompto asks this Doctor, who knows him, who recognises him from both times, about Donna, that night in the console room, and it’s not what he thought - she’s not dead - but she doesn't remember anything and he just

he cries

so does the Doctor

(later, Noctis decides to test if potions could help with the whole, meta crisis thing. because Prompto is sad

they do. because i say so

Donna gives Prompto the best hugs)

[ivalice-tifalucis]

My ramblings on FFVII Remake

The irony never lost on me that after so many years on tumblr, I finally act on my username, actually post things related to FF.

So I finally finished FFVII Remake this Wednesday although stupidly I quitted the game before the credits finished rolling so I had to replay the last part again on Saturday. Thank goodness I already knew what to do so I only needed an hour to finish the last part. Took me 2,5 weeks and close to 50 hours of gameplay to finished as I also have real life obligation to do and couldn’t just play video game for whole day. And oh my god what an experience. As non OG fan who got introduced FFVII and FF in general because in 2006 her school best friend couldn’t stop yelling about Advent Children, who have watched Advent Children for god knows how many times even though she could barely understand the context, who felt weird at Dirge of Cerberus, and who cried stupid at Crisis Core ending, this game is beyond my expectation.

In 2015, when they announced the release, I was like ‘ oh great, finally they’re gonna make this after all’. I have waited for the remake for almost a decade at that time yet I felt empty because I was no longer care so much about FF anymore. I still haven’t even played FFXV yet I waited that for so long since the first FFVersusXIII trailer. So finally Square Enix got their shits together, great for them.

And then FFVII Remake was released. Y’know what, I didn’t even see the trailer. I didn’t care. But then covid-19 happened and I was bored. My brother kept suggesting me to buy FFVII Remake, said that the game got great reviews and I’ve waited for so long. I was like ‘ok, let’s see what the fuss is about.’ I never actually play the PS one game because 1) Never got the chance to, and when I could have the resource to play it, 2) I lost interest in FF. So it’s a good way to play a game you only read about it all this time. Then I read some of the review and bits of spoilers, because I’m that kind of person, that the game is not exactly a remake, that it’s only first few hours of original game, which quite dissapointing at first because you thought you’re gonna play like the real ans whole reimagined FFVII. And people talk about Zack. That’s what pique my interest more. I thought it’s only flashback because Zack did appear as flashback in OG but then spoilers said he’s alive??!! What??? Ok gotta have this game.

And so begin my geeky nostalgic journey. I haven’t heard The Prelude for so long and it was so beautiful hearing it on the menu. I stopped to listen to the song. Then the intro, beautiful, exactly what I always dreamed about if FFVII got a remake. Then the first bombing mission is done and Cloud met Aerith for the first time in Loveless street. And holy maholy, ‘wait, is that- omg The Promised Land from Advent Children!!!!’ Yep that sold me. No getting away from this.

By the release of this game, it brought me to realization that not every FFVII fans are keen of Compilation of FFVII which is too bad because I love Compilations with all its ups and downs. I wouldn’t like FFVII if it’s not of the Compilations. What makes FFVII far more interesting than other FF series is the mystery and big world building. Midgar is only tiny piece of Gaia compare to what we would explore in later Remake chapter. Every characters, good or bad have their own story and mystery. And while many of the backstory is explained in the OG, some of them got fleshed out in sequels and prequels. Listening to The Promised Land brought me to realize that FFVII Remake is not merely a remake but more like another chapter or maybe the first chapters that could conclude FFVII for good. Because I would love to see at least the definitive end of FFVII, where at least all the mysteries are answered. 

The introduction of the Whispers or Arbiters of Fate during first encounter with Aerith made me realized immediately that this is what people meant when they said FFVII Remake defied from OG. I think if used well Whispers could give deeper impact to Remake. It adds more mysteries but it could also answer mysteries. Yes, including Zack’s fate. It depends on how Kazushige Nojima and Tetsuya Nomura used it. Of course I’m also a bit anxious. I don’t remember what but something Nomura did and said in the past is actually what made me driven even further from FF and honestly I’m afraid. I never played Kingdom Hearts but I heard people talk about how it becomes bumbling jumbo which I agree since that’s the reason why I never play KH because I had no clue what it is even about. Even reading the plot made my head hurts. And in the last two years I have been let down by my favorite franchises that are Game of Thrones and Star Wars sequels. However I’m optimistic because I don’t think Tetsuya Nomura would want to destroy his own legacy. FFVII is what makes him the top tier guy in Square Enix in the first place. It’s his precious baby and he has complete control over it. 

In other topic, the game is absolutely beautiful. I had doubts when my brother told me they used Unreal while FFXV used Luminous Engine which based on what I saw on youtube made FFXV so beautiful and immersive (I hope someone could explain to me why). FFVII Remake is also beautiful game within its capacity. Of course because the engine limitation there are few downs on the graphic and render. I couldn’t get over that door in Sector 7 slums looks so unrendered I thought the game had rendering delay. But overall the game has reimagined Midgar perfectly. Other than objects that you could way too easily kick, there is so little bug. Other than Crisis Core, which was only PSP game and couldn’t do much, this is the only time we see Midgar before disaster other than the OG game. And Midgar is amazing. The upper plate, the cities look modern and well planned while the slums look so lively and dense. The Wall Market is festive and crazy, the mission is also crazy. I had a great laugh and snicker all the way during this part. Exactly what I would imagine Wall Market would be when I read about it all this time. The puzzles are great. The gameplay is also great. It’s not repetitive and makes you feel accomplished. Each enemies require different approach. I sometime had to look into walkthrough so I could find a good suggestion on how to defeat certain boss, after I failed so many times. There is a need for strategy so I have to prepare what kind of materia and accessories I would use on certain character which sadly lacked in the last FF game that I played almost a decade ago, which was FFXIII. 

The music, damn I haven’t stop listening to Hollow since I finished the game. You notice that the previous posts had me got mind blown by it. Nobuo Uematsu has done it again. He touches my heart with his music, and he has done it again. The rest of the soundtrack is also great. Did I mention that I stop for a while to listen to The Prelude? Also got nostalgic and humming along with Main Theme, Aerith’s Theme, Tifa’s Theme, Shinra’s theme, Those Who Fight.

All in all, the fact that I couldn’t stop talking about this game, to me, is indicator that this game is amazing. 9/10 (because I don’t like that they used Unreal).

[mastrechef]

This idea has been stewing in my mind for a while after a discussion my sister and I had about some of the more outrageous Kingdom Hearts theories. I finally decided to just go ahead and write it. I’m still fleshing things out as I’m currently rereading Otherland by Tad Williams, which this idea borrows heavily from (if you’ve never read it, I highly recommend it). I figured if I was going to take the time to write it, I might as well do it justice.

The moon shone brightly as he framed it with his fingers. It was nostalgic standing amongst the towering buildings and the myriad of glittering lights reflecting off rain drenched metal. Familiar streets snaked off in every direction in an intricate web, desolate and empty when in his memory they were always packed with life, no matter the time. This was a place he had once considered home. That was a lifetime ago. More than a lifetime it seemed some days.

"A far-off memory that’s like a scattered dream, isn’t that right?" he said to himself.

He shaped his hands into a heart as he held them up against the brilliant moon. The thing that started it all and the end goal everyone was charging towards. Kingdom Hearts.

Described as the collective heart of all worlds and all people, it was coveted by those who sought greatness. There were so many stories built around it, tales of immense power and wisdom granted to any who managed to claim it. Yet did anyone truly understand what that entailed?

He doubted it. The truth of Kingdom Hearts was such an elusive thing, something that defied imagination. As of yet no one had come close to learning that truth, nor to obtaining the true Kingdom Hearts.

From behind him, he could just make out the sound of a dark corridor opening over the gusting wind. Turning to look, a familiar figure stepped out to join him on the rooftop.

“So you finally decided to show your face again.”

“Luxu,” he exclaimed, dramatically clutching at his chest as though in pain. “I’m heartbroken you aren’t happier to see me.”

“As if!” scoffed his most faithful apprentice. “Maybe I would have been if you’d shown up in time for the reunion. Man, Aced is as hot-headed as ever and the others aren’t much better.”

The Master just smiled privately to himself. Luxu could deflect all he wanted, but they both knew his indifference to be false. There was no hiding the relieved glint in his eyes and the slight softening of his expression. For all that he acted rather laid back these days, it was different when he felt it in truth. He had been waiting a long time for this moment.

The Master was absolutely tickled that someone actually missed him.

Time was such a nebulous concept to someone like him, who drifted seamlessly between past, present, and future. He had known his students long before he ever met them and even after all this time it felt as though it was only yesterday that they had parted ways. Yet for them, it had been far longer. He wondered how the others would react to finally seeing him again.

“How'd the kid get here of all places?”

Luxu’s question broke him from his musing. He tucked his hands behind his back as he explained. “His little tumble down the rabbit hole from misusing the power of waking was interrupted. Someone was waiting for him and stepped in to give him a hand.”

“Someone from the outside?”

“Bingo! You're right on the money. Someone sent a proxy here with only the instructions to 'save Sora.'”

“Ha! Good luck with that. The kid’s pretty determined to do himself in.”

“I’m not too concerned,” he said with nonchalance. “But better to keep an eye out. Can’t have anyone getting impatient and moving before the time is right.”

…

Sora had been wandering for some time, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of the twisting streets of this strange city. No matter which way he went, he inevitably ended up back where he started in front of the building emblazoned with “104” in glowing red lights. He had woken up here after his rather disheartening defeat at the hands of Yozora. Wherever here was, it was the same place that they had fought in, although Sora had caught only the barest glimpse during the fight.

Since coming to in this lifeless city that was like a cold facsimile of San Fransokyo, Sora had encountered Yozora no less than three times. Each time Yozora has no recollection of their previous interactions, and each time they fought. Sora had not yet been able to beat him. It made him think of Riku, and of a childhood spent chasing after his best friend, who was always faster, always stronger.

Letting out a gusty sigh, he found a nearby park bench and sprawled across it, tilting his head back to gaze up into the unfamiliar night sky. “I wonder how they’re doing… Riku, Kairi, and the others…”

He grimaced as a pulse of not-quite-pain pulsed through his chest. Even before the final clash with Xehanort, he’d been feeling a phantom ache in his heart that had only worsened as he used the power of waking to save everyone from that horrible first confrontation with the Xehanort-possessed Terra. Sora may not be the smartest, but he was more perceptive than most people gave him credit for, at least when it came to matters of the heart, so he suspected that he knew the cause.

There were few things in his life that Sora had regrets about, but helping someone in need would never be one. Even if it was to his detriment. Ventus had needed a place to heal and Sora had happily offered his assistance. Of course, he didn’t actually remember that, but didn’t make the sentiment any less truthful. However, ever since waking Ventus, he’d had this lingering feeling of being hollowed out, like a piece of his own heart had broken off when Ventus left.

Sora would have been more surprised if he hadn’t felt any different. After all, Ventus had been with him for more than ten years.

By the end of the final battle he could feel the fragility of his heart and realized the truth in the younger Xehanort’s warnings. He really had overstepped his limits. The decision to go after Kairi was an easy one, if a little selfish. If he was already past the point of no return, the least he could do was make sure everyone else was safe first.

Sora hoped that Riku and Kairi would forgive him and that they didn’t blame themselves for his disappearance.

Echoing footsteps startled him into awareness. It seemed Yozora was back, since no one else ever showed up here. Getting to his feet, Sora turned to meet those eerie heterochromatic eyes. “Hello again, Yozora.”

“You know me?” Yozora asked, just as every time before. “Who are you?”

“I’m Sora, remember? We’ve met before.” He didn’t really know why he kept trying. So far, nothing has worked to spark any recognition.

“Sora? You’re Sora?” That same steely-eyed look of determination returned, that same look he always got as soon as he learned Sora’s name. Sora mentally prepared himself to fight once more, tuning out the rest of the repeated conversation.

Yozora drew his weapons and Sora made one last plea to resolve things peacefully, but the other was not deterred. Resigned, Sora summoned his keyblade.

“Time to end this.”

Having seen it multiple times now, Sora was ready for the lasers and dodged out of the way, regretful that he was out of practice with barrier magic. It would really be helpful right now. He kept bobbing and weaving, waiting for the slightest break in the relentless assault. There! With a yell, he rushed Yozora, putting the full force of his formidable strength into his swing. Yozora was knocked back, but it didn’t faze him for long. His opponent started teleporting, trying to catch him off guard, throwing around more lasers and appearing out of nowhere to engage him directly. Sora did his best to dodge and deflect as many attacks as he could, but Yozora was fast—faster than anyone he’d fought before.

He stumbled as a beam of energy grazed his side in a flash of white hot agony. Already, he felt fatigued and he hadn’t even been fighting for more than a few minutes. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Sora waited for another opening and charged Yozora again, his hits striking true.

It wasn’t enough. Yozora’s aggression only heightened, as did the intensity of his attacks. Everything became a blur. Between the pain and the exhaustion, Sora simply couldn’t keep up. For the fifth time, Yozora struck him down.

“Not again,” he groaned weakly. How was this guy so strong?

“Sorry, but I don’t lose.”

Sora was sick of this pattern. Nothing ever changed. Was this all just a dream he couldn’t wake up from? Is any of this for real or not? He didn’t know. None of this... makes sense to me. His thoughts trailed off as he once again succumbed to the encroaching darkness.

Some random side notes: I’m still on the fence about whether or not the Master of Masters is actually a villain or more of a Dumbledore-esk character, but he’s definitely going to come off as more of a villain in this.

As for Sora, I’m going to be playing around with his character a little bit. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with having a character who doesn’t change, but I still found it vaguely annoying that in KHIII he still acted like the same 14yo kid he was is KHI.

I do plan to bring Vanitas into this because I think he’s interesting and the way his fight in KHIII ended felt kind of unresolved.

Also, it seems that in cannon very little time passes between KHII and KHIII, which I find a little strange, so I may fudge the timeline a bit, though it’s not very explicit.

I think I’ll try to keep up with this in between my other writing. And maybe work on some more FFXV stuff. Maybe. Depends on if I have any actually good ideas.

[albedosoyna]

Post the first line of your last 10 published fics, then tag 10 people....

@wandererriha posted this and I went, why the hell not.  Also, tag yourself if you want.

Broken (FFXV):   Prompto chewed his lip as he tapped the message to Noctis.  

Date Night (FFXV):   Date night didn’t go as planned and Gladio could have been happier.

Beef Cake (FFXV):   It had been two weeks.  Two whole weeks without Ignis.

Mushrooms (FFXV):   Ignis couldn’t speak.  He tried but no words were coming out.

Hiccups and Promises (FFXV):   The beautiful singing voice that filled the bar was unmistakable.

Dying (FFXV):   “I’m dying, Iggy.  Dying,” Gladio’s voice was thick and nasally.

Making Up (FFVII):   Cloud loved rainy days.

Battle Reward (FFXV):  Noctis was being carried by Gladio and complaining about it.

Marshall (FFXV):   “Again!” He yelled at the young men in front of him.

Photos (FFXV):  Cor crossed his arms as he looked at the young friend of the new young king.