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aiorevelations · 3 years ago

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A Number, Not a Name: Part 18

Enjoy everyone!

4 months earlier:

Regis scanned the fragment of paper spread out across the table before him. Not even a month ago he was a desperate man chasing the shadows of his lifelong mentor. What he’d found in the jungles of South America had been nothing short of a profound revelation. The ancient words inscribed held the key to changing humanity. From the very beginning, he had believed deep within his soul that what Professor M spoke of was true. He couldn’t explain it. He just knew it. Though he’d never have suspected that the place which possessed what he sought was merely some speck on a map. A hamlet of small-town America. In the end, though the where didn’t matter. What mattered was that he attained his goal. Failure was his greatest fear. After what he’d sacrificed to get this far he wasn’t about to fall short an inch away from the finish line. Like Professor M had. When he stumbled upon he’d found a broken sickly old man barely clinging onto life. Filled with regret and sorrow that though he literally held in his hand the culmination of his life’s work, he would never live to see it. Regis had vowed that would not be his fate.

Fate, however, was a funny thing. Previously Dr. Blackgaard had possessed adequate resources yet lacked the knowledge he required. Now just when he had attained the necessary knowledge his funds were depleted. Alas Professor M had died, weighed down in debt, and without any assets to further fund Regis’ research. Dr. Blackgaard was one to keep his research away from prying eyes. The last thing he wanted was to inform anyone of his discovery. Who knows what might happen. Word could spread to the general public if that happened it was game over. Blackgaard was well aware however that the little venture he was starting in Chicago wouldn’t provide him with the funds he needed. The choice was before him. Either choose not to share his work and lose any chance of funding or take the chance and inform potential investors of his findings. When put that way there was only one option - the latter. “Blast” he muttered under his breath.

He rolled up the parchment and stood up from his chair, grasping his walking stick as he sat up. Pacing back and forth on the wooden floor he tried thinking of someone who would work as a potential investor. Blackgaard’s mind raced. Too many people had their motives and agendas they were trying to serve. The last thing he wanted to be was someone’s puppet. He’d rather give up his work altogether than be a pawn in someone else’s game. It has to be someone who has enough resources yet can be easily fooled. Someone obsessed with power and ambition that they’d do anything to obtain it - even trust a complete stranger. A person who is so full of themselves they’d never think anyone could bring them down. Sasha meowed, interrupting Blackgaard’s thoughts. He stooped down and picked up his faithful feline companion. Softly, he stroked her neck and behind her ears, prompting a deep purr from Sasha. “Oh, Sasha…Now, who do we know who’d be aware of someone like that.”

Blackgaard had a long list of reliable contacts. Men and women spread across the globe. People who were aware of plots and schemes of power and the people behind them. Blackgaard’s polished shoes thudded on the packed earth as he circled the jungle cabin, left exactly as it had been when Professor M died. Professor M’s research notes and documents were packed carefully in boxes that were neatly stacked. His personal effects and clothes were strewn throughout the room.

Regis placed Sasha down on the floor and walked to where Professor M’s trunk was located in the corner of the small hut. He opened the lid and searched through it until he found a notebook. He scanned over the pages looking for a particular name. An old contact of theirs who Professor M had known even before he met his esteemed mentor. They had come to value her greatly. Every secret or scheme going on she always found a way to find out. Finally, Regis' eyes landed on the name he was searching for. Blackgaard knew she was the answer.

…..

4 months earlier:

Liana stared blankly ahead. She was busy pouring coffee yet her mind was somewhere else. Today would have been Erik’s birthday. She tried to push it to the side and carry on waitressing, but the memories would come flooding back. Picnics in the park. Splashing each other in the lake. The way he’d shower her with flowers and chocolates on Valentine’s Day.

Liana had known she’d never be able to have peace until her father and all those responsible answered for their actions, but she at least thought with time she’d be able to have a sense of healing. Instead, the more time passed the more angry she became. She should be spending these years with Erik. If he was here she was certain they’d have been married by now probably with children. Living a happy and beautiful life. She’d been robbed of that life and forced to live a cold and lonely one.

“Liana!” Hearing her name, she snapped out of her thoughts.

“Uh sorry. Millie. What is it?”

“You’re pouring coffee all over the counter.” Liana glanced down and saw she’d overfilled the coffee cup, causing the liquid to flow all over the countertop.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She set the decanter down and grabbed some napkins from the dispenser.

“Are you okay? You’ve seemed distracted all morning.”

She wiped up the spilled coffee. “I’m fine.” Liana picked up the coffee cup and walked to a table by the shop window.

She set the piping hot coffee on the table. “Here you are, sir.”

“Thanks so much” the man graciously responded.

“Would you like anything else?”

“No, this is good for me. Thanks.”

“Of course. If you need anything please let me know.” She forced a smile and began to walk to another table where two women were waiting to order. Halfway to the table, she stopped. Her eyes were drawn to the television mounted in the corner of the room. An image of a man’s face caught her eye. His familiar features, grey hair, wrinkled skin, piercing black eyes, matched the image she’d seen in person on multiple occasions. One of the faces seared into her head for the last nearly five years. There was no mistake, the man was none other than Davit Dalmar. Below his image was the headline “Breaking News: Davit Dalmar, CEO and founder of Dalmar Petroleum, announces run for Krudian parliament.”

Liana found herself chilled to the core seeing his face. It took her back, back to that night. The worst night of life. She holding her dying boyfriend in her arms, knowing there was nothing she or anyone else could do. She bit back her lip and took a deep breath. No, she wouldn’t break down, especially in a Budapest cafe.

What was that expression? The past has a way of catching up to you. She’d always planned to go back. To go home. Deep down she knew what she had to do. That pain. That anger. That overwhelming feeling of loss. It was still there. Burning in her soul stronger than ever. She knew she’d never be able to move forward unless she went backward. Nevertheless, when it came to confronting her past she’d find herself paralyzed. Unable to go back. Memories of Krudia, her father, Eric haunted her. Every street or shop in Bulin came with some painful reminder. The very thought of stepping off the airplane filled with her dread and terror.

But now seeing Dalmar had served to remind her of the men she’d left behind. And of what she’d lost. He was a monster. Him and her father both. She felt another wave of anger surge through her. In what world was it fair that Erik was dead and Norvan and Dalmar were still breathing? How could someone be so heartless as to take him from her without a second thought? How could people, like her father and Dalmar, find pleasure in killing others? She may have thought the removal of some malevolent individuals necessary but never took pleasure in their demise only in the justice being served. One thing couldn’t be denied: her father and Dalmar were insane. They had to be brought down. Any reservations or fears she had, Liana knew she couldn’t wait any longer. She was done running from her past.

…..

Present-day:

Jason woke, tied to a chair. Ropes dug into his wrists. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, or perhaps blood, though he wasn’t sure which one. His eyes adjusted to the dim light. He appeared to be in some type of warehouse. Above him, warehouse pendant lights flickered the only source of light in the room.

It all came flooding back to him—what he'd prayed had been only a nightmare—The car chase, men shooting at them, Tasha slumping forward on the steering wheel ….

Tasha. His heart began to race and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Where was she? He prayed she was still alive. He frantically glanced around him but saw no one.

He couldn’t help but wonder if his earlier actions had caused this.

He struggled to loosen the ropes that bound him. Straining he turned every which way trying to free himself. It was no use. He let out a scream of frustration and lowered his head. A feeling of helplessness and utter loneliness consumed him, His head throbbed but the physical pain he was experiencing didn’t compare to his overwhelming guilt.

It’s my fault. The words stabbed through his mind. I got us into this. I shouldn't have acted recklessly—Why didn’t I just stick to the plan? Why did I have to be so stubborn? He shook his head. I wanted so desperately to prove myself that I ended up screwing everything up. If I get out of this I’ll probably have to resign. The last thing the NSA wants is someone who can’t complete a routine mission, let alone their first assignment. Who knows, maybe that’s probably for the best anyway. Donovan saw right through me. My flaws and weaknesses…how careless I could be…and I proved him right. Now not only is the mission ruined but Tasha’s life is in danger because of me. If she dies I’ll never be able to forgive myself.

He glanced up at the ceiling. Right now he didn’t feel like he belonged anywhere. His whole body felt numb.

There was nothing he wanted to do, nowhere he wanted to go. Nothing mattered anymore, except doing everything he possibly could to right his mistake. To make sure Tasha was safe and if possible successfully complete their assignment.

Whoever was behind this would probably hurt him. The thought barely registered in his mind. He knew he should feel something. Dread. Fear. Anxiety. But he didn’t. All his thoughts were turned to Tasha. They could do whatever they wanted to him. It didn’t matter. He would willingly sacrifice his life without hesitation if it meant they didn’t touch her. At that moment he knew he was powerless. There was only one thing he could do. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.

…..

Tasha’s eyes darted around the room, her eyes landing on the metal door to the side of her. She felt something digging into her skin and realized she was tied up. Tasha lay against the wall struggling to recall previous events, how she’d ended up here. Her mind was blank. The last thing she remembered was leaving with Jason for the gala. She looked down at her clothes. Instead of the dark blue dress, she remembered she was wearing light pink pajamas. She looked around the room. The floor was layered with dirt. Cobwebs hung from the corners of the room. Jason was nowhere in sight. Who knew where he could be. For all Tasha knew he could be lying dead somewhere or being mercilessly tortured.

The door creaked open causing Tasha to look up. An older muscular man entered the room followed by a tall brown-haired woman.

It didn’t take a genius to guess what they were probably after. Information. Luckily, Tasha thought, she’d been briefed and trained how to resist such efforts. She sat up in her seat and braced herself for whatever was coming, though she couldn’t help the shivers that traveled down her spine.

Milena’s eyes met Tasha’s. Tasha tried to read them yet they seemed nearly expressionless. The man’s on the other hand were easy to read. They were deathly cold.

Milena spoke. “I have to say that was quite a showing back there. Very impressive. My hired men are known for their efficiency. You and your associate were their hardest targets ever by far.” She crossed her arms. “So congrats.”

Tasha kept a blank expression on her face. "You might as well just skip to the end. I’m not saying anything.”

“Who said anything about getting information? I’m not so stupid as to waste my time trying to get intel out of an NSA agent.”

Elias walked over to Tasha “Never saw that coming did you?”

Tasha looked him directly in the eyes. “Can’t say I didn’t. If I was in your shoes I wouldn’t waste my time either.” Fear trembled through her, but at the same time, there was a defiance in her eyes. Even in face of danger, she wasn’t one to submit or hold back on fiery comebacks.

A dark chuckle escaped his lips. He glanced at Milena. “I like this one. Too bad we can’t keep her around.”

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be the best company anyway.” Tasha glanced at the metal door beyond Milena and Elias. There was one question she had to ask. Though a possible answer filled her with dread. Life had a funny, even almost cruel way of unfolding. Not even a few hours ago Jason and she had been going at it and now here she was worrying over his safety. Though she was still deeply angry and upset at Jason for what he had done, all that mattered to her right now was that he was alright. “Is…he okay?”

“He’s alive if that’s what you’re asking,” Elias replied.

A wave of relief washed over Tasha. At least she and Jason were both alive. When it came down to it that alone only mattered. A dark thought crept into her mind. But then again who knew what their captors had in mind for them. Perhaps it would have been better for him not to survive, that might have been a merciful fate.

Elias stepped closer to Tasha. Then, from under his black shirt, he unslung a small black pistol from his belt.

Tasha’s mouth began to run dry and her heart began to race. Elias twirled the gun on his finger, only increasing Tasha’s uneasiness.

She ignored him, keeping her eyes fixed on Milena. “You know, you seem like a straight shooter so I’ll cut to the chase. Why exactly do you need us? If you’re not after information I fail to see the point.”

Milena gave a small laugh. “Aren’t you a fast talker? Trying to hide your fear?”

“No, my boredom.”

Milena clasped her hands. “Let’s just say I need you both for a plan of mine.”

Tasha eyed her confusingly. “What kind of plan.”

“That would be giving things away now would it?”

“What things? Are you working for Dalmar?”

Pain flashed across Milena’s eyes at the mention of his name. It was only there for a second and was gone as soon as it came. Not before being noticed by Tasha. “Dalmar, that monster. Heck no! Your whole plan of bringing him down is still happening. You and Edward are just playing a different role than you originally planned.”

Tasha found herself shocked by Milena’s revelation. However, she made certain not to show her surprise to those in the room. Basic training - never show your opponent what you’re thinking.

Milena turned to Elias. “Would you give us a moment?”

He glanced from Milena to Tasha and back to Milena again. He placed his gun back in its holster. “Sure.” The door clanked shut behind him.

“I know what you may think of me and I can’t say I blame you. I’d probably feel the same way too…but I just want to say that I admire your tenacity. I respect what you’re doing.”

Tasha leaned forward. “Really. I would never have guessed. If you respected my mission, why interfere with it?”

“Trust me. I had my reasons. The justice I’d get from your NSA wouldn’t be enough.” She spoke, a hint of sadness showing in her eyes for a brief moment.

From the first time she laid eyes on her Tasha could tell that the woman standing in front of her wasn’t a hardened criminal. That there was something beneath the surface. It was obvious now she’d suffered some tragic painful event in her life. Dalmar’s doing most likely. Tasha thought for a moment about how to respond. She knew the words she’d say would probably not change her mind or course of action, but she had to try.

Tasha spoke softly. “I know what horrific things Dalmar is capable of…Sometimes it seems that men like him just end up walking away but that’s no ex—”

“Excuse for me to take the law into my hands. Yeah, I figured that speech was coming. Guess what, I don’t have time for it.” Milena said strongly before turning around and walked across the room. Well, that went well but pretty much how I expected. Tasha thought as Milena shut the door behind her as she exited the room, leaving Tasha alone once again.

#aio fanfic #Adventures in odyssey #adventures in odyssey fanfiction #aio fanfiction #aio #adventuresinodyssey #jason whittaker #tasha forbes

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gayregis · 4 years ago

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Oh yeah that reminds me of another question I've been meaning to ask (sorry to jump on you like this haha) but which vampire canon change in B&W annoys you the most? For me it's the whole 'even touching silver will harm a vampire' (when it's explained that Syanna figured out Dettlaff was a vampire because he wouldn't directly touch a silver candlestick). I just choose to ignore that detail bc I don't think it makes much sense haha

omg this is such a good ask im so excited to answer

first of all, i really agree with you, even when i hadn’t read the books fully i had read that one passage in lady of the lake where regis gestures with a silver fork at the banquet, and blood and wine tries to make it so like regis and dettlaff are the same “kind” of vampire, so this obviously doesn’t make any sense, and since it’s just such a small detail i tried to ignore it, like, maybe dettlaff just wanted to keep the silver candlestick fingerprint-free, ever consider that, syanna? you’re gonna pawn something, you don’t want like a billion fingerprints mucking it all up... and then syanna thought this made him a vampire, when in reality he was a vampire but the candlestick had fuckall to do with it

but yeah i think i’m gonna do like a top 5 style: TOP 5 THINGS CDPR GOT WRONG ABOUT THE VAMPIRES. im not gonna do a countdown because im a very direct person and think its best to get the worst out of the way.

1. their society and relationship with humans.

the thing that upsets me the most that cdpr changed is how vampires exist on the continent. stuff like tesham mutna and the unseen elder breaks canon lore so hard it makes me physically upset.

this is a bad thing because not only is the trope of “vampires control everything from the shadows as a secret society so they can feed on human blood” incredibly boring and overdone (it’s a trope, so it’s something that the witcher should stand to invert since that’s pretty much the purpose of the witcher), but it also has origins in antisemitism (the myth of the illuminati or “reptilians/secret societies controlling the world”, blood libel), so it’s super gross! i don’t want the vampires to be that trope, that’s completely unfair.

they already were something other than that trope, they already HAD their own society (or lack thereof) as part of the canon lore. maybe it is personal preference, but i think that their “anti-society” is super interesting. how does something like that function with no rules or figures of authority or customs? it’s incredibly different to the ways humans function in this universe, who are mostly bound around their nation, city/town/village, and home unit, and abide by strict custom and systems of authority. it’s really something to be explored from a lore perspective, there wasn’t a whole lot explained in canon (for good reason: see #2) so it has perfect potential to be elaborated upon in the adaptational spinoff that is the witcher games.

it makes them super boring and trope-y to have them all kowtow to One Figure Of Authority in the area. plus CDPR states that the reason toussaint is so perfect is that this secret society controls toussaint as an area to perfect blood, when toussaint literally existed as a fairy-tale duchy to be an OBSTACLE to geralt and his hansa in the saga. it was the “leave-your-quest” test. think of the island of the lotus eaters from the odyssey. it’s a perfect place, there’s no reason as to why it is perfect, it just is, and it keeps the company hostage there for months so they will get distracted and eventually forget what they came there for.

in canon as well, vampires do not seem to care much about humans. regis certainly does, but he is regis :). there was little conversation about how vampires view humans, rather about how humans view vampires and project their innermost fears and desires to them. further breaking some vampire tropes. in blood & wine. instead of that trope-flipping, we get... “vampires tortured humans out of curiosity and selfishness.” what? why would they do this? there is not much to gain, and it would take a lot of cooperation and effort to get to this point, which leads me to ask, HOW could they do this? as regis says in bof, there were only about 1,200 vampires when they arrived on the continent, so they were completely and utterly outnumbered as they were likely scattered around. they wouldn’t be able to build a castle and re-engineer toussaint to fit their needs. i understand that he is massively biased, but i feel like regis calls these first vampires “hapless survivors” for a reason, and also since regis is regis, i do not feel like he would feel this way about them if they committed massive crimes against humanity.

tl;dr for this point: not only is it fucked up for no reason but to be gross/shocking to the audience, but it also removes their purpose as a metaphor, which is #2.

2. the removal of their purpose as a metaphor in the story.

originally, the vampires are not meant to be the focus of the witcher series or even a smaller part of the series at all. they are simply a metaphor for aspects of human society so that regis can have a backstory. the vampires are nothing more than a fictional means of exploring the effects of alcoholism, and a thought experiment as to what an authority-less, family-less, custom-less society would be like. the question “what do youth do when they have no support and no guidance?” already is one of the witcher’s major questions as a saga, the vampires and regis’s backstory serves to be another one of the stories within it that fits this theme. except we add more conditions to the thought experiment this time, like “what if these youth never aged and were powerful enough to survive on their own?” there would be no reason for them to ever change or grow out of their behavior. it’s quite interesting, because it’s meant to reflect upon human nature, the vampires are metaphorically humans. there is no reason for regis to even be a vampire, except that he needs to be able to survive death and learn from his mistakes. a human would have died had he hit rock bottom like regis did, but since regis wasn’t human and could rise from the grave, he had the chance at a new life. humans don’t get second chances. this is the point of the entire story being about vampires.

now, i understand that the purpose of the witcher games is to entertain, unlike the point of the witcher book series, which are like any other books and serve an author’s message. so, it stands to reason that the vampires do not have to prove a strong point here, but they should retain their essential traits and serve as the metaphor which was already really interesting and deserves more explanation and thought. i think using a fictional lens to take a look at real-world issues can be helpful sometimes, when done respectfully and when still using creativity. even if it’s just to entertain, that doesn’t mean it should be brainless and throw all of the commentary out of the window.

the vampires as a subject for the game to focus on should really be a vessel for thought and critique. it should mean SOMETHING for them to be there, because they were originally a message and a metaphor.

but in blood & wine, they are incredibly shallow, only there to exist for the attention-getter of gore.

does it MEAN anything that dettlaff regenerated regis from his own flesh and blood? or does that just happen because we needed a convienient way to bring regis back and tie him to the antagonist? does it MEAN anything that dettlaff cuts off his own hand? or is that just because it’s cool and kinda gross. does it MEAN anything that the vampires attack beauclair? or is that just because there needed to be some violence and conflict.

there is no deeper meaning! it’s all just flashiness to shock the audience! it’s incredibly shallow and because it is shallow, it becomes boring and forgettable.

blood & wine focuses on details about the vampires that are gross, gorey or bloody, uncomfortable because of how nasty they are. and these elements have NO PURPOSE to the story other than to gross you out, like regis being regenerated, dettlaff skewering regis like a kebab, dettlaff cutting off his hand and that hand being handled by the bruxa, geralt, and regis, regis going crazy in a cage, syanna also getting skewered, etc. ... it’s this focus on the physical action that is happening on screen with little thought as to any deeper meaning that makes me tired and nauseous. why treat the vampires as savage animals?

as a mention in this topic, i am going to comment on how they deliberately changed the lore to “make childrens’ blood taste better than adults’ blood,” because that is mega-gross. why change it to focus on child endangerment? that’s nasty! why make orianna feed on children when it was LITERALLY canon that the “best” blood was that of strong adults? if you want to make orianna morally grey, she could have owned any other kind of place to get blood from. see #2 for more discussion of this.

3. their focus on the conjunction of the spheres.

the vampires never had this obsession with “returning home.” i... have no idea where this comes from. remember how i just said that i appreciate a metaphor for real-life when it is done respectfully? CDPR gave us this awkward metaphor for the vampires “wanting to go home” because they have to “assimilate” in this new world, apparently every vampire ever misses their homeland. ... it’s the story of immigrants who didn’t have a choice to be born in The New Land, but they were anyways, and now they want to go home. and it’s the story of minority groups, who are overshadowed by the society they live in, but cannot be themselves in, because it would mean violence.

this is an incredibly awkward metaphor just because it’s not done well, but also CDPR literally just focused on how extremely violent the vampires are, and how they also control everything so they can use the humans they were thrown in with to their own fancies. this is... i didn’t know that the metaphors for fantasy racism in the witcher could get any worse than sapkowski’s were.

also, there’s some weird lore-breaking moments when regis says he misses the vampire homeworld or whatever, and i just am left staring at my laptop like. you’re only like, 4 centuries old, regis. the conjunction of the spheres occured more than 3 times your age in the past. plus the fact that regis in baptism of fire calls himself a “descendant,” it’s obvious that someone at cdpr just didn’t do their research when writing those lines.

4. their power level and exactly how powerful they are.

let’s take a moment to think about a grain of truth. the second story in the witcher books, it was written before sapkowski had a lot of the vampire lore down-pat. geralt says things like “it’s silver, this blade is silver” and “an ordinary vampire couldn’t come out in the sun,” which are incongruent with what we learn in baptism of fire about vampires. but nevertheless, there’s a lot which is still accurate to the vampires, such as that VEREENA ABSOLUTELY KICKS GERALT’S ASS. geralt very nearly DIED in that fight, he was ABOUT to die, but nivellen saved him at the last split-second. geralt finds out that vereena is a bruxa, and he is alarmed, he shouts and then falls on his ass. he scrambles, he’s unprepared to deal with a foe THIS powerful. he manages to land his sword on her during the fight, but it barely harms her. she dodges incredibly, and swipes of his sword that should have hit do not. she screams terribly, and geralt is in incredible, writhing pain. he uses his signs to help him, this is no normal fight with a normal foe. flash forward to in baptism of fire, when geralt meets another vampire, one that is considerably more powerful and unique than vereena was. dandelion asks geralt, if ... potentially... maybe... and geralt responds that he sincerely doubts that he could beat regis in a fight, and he really does not want to have to try.

geralt was BESTED by vampires in the books. he was as close as a witcher can get to being INTIMIDATED by their power. but what happens in blood & wine? there’s like 8 bruxae and alpors ganging up on you and you can easily vanquish all of them with your silver sword and by knocking back maybe a glass of black blood and white raffard’s decoction. it’s fine, it’s easy to kill vampires. geralt doesn’t hesitate to fight dettlaff. he doesn’t worry, he doesn’t tell anyone that he sincerely doubts that he could beat him in a fight, that he doesn’t want to have to try. instead, it’s regis talking geralt out of the fight, trying to advocate for peace.

CDPR massively nerfed the vampires just to make them easier targets for the player. i think this is unfair to how the vampires were powerful threats to be reckoned with in the books, foes that even geralt, a witcher, did not want to face. not even out of geralt’s pacifism and apprehension to slay innocent and/or sentient beings, but out of not wanting to fucking hit that die button

i also understand that regis was supposedly less powerful now because he was just tired from being regenerated, but vampires like bruxae should have been able to turn into giant bats. there’s nothing stopping them besides cdpr not wanting to code it in, just like how they didn’t want to code in bruxae or alpors wearing clothes (because vampires do wear clothes in canon).

5. their classification: adding new vampire species, distinguishing between “higher vampires” and “TRUE higher vampires”

just plain annoying to me. there’s only seven types of vampires, as regis says in baptism of fire:

“In the case of higher vampires, never, I agree,” Emiel Regis said softly. “From what I know alpors, katakans, moolas, bruxas, and nosferats don’t mutilate their victims. On the other hand, fleders and ekimmas are pretty brutal with their victim’s remains.”

“Bravo,” Geralt said, looking at him in genuine admiration. “You didn’t leave out a single class of vampire, Nor did you mention any of the imaginary ones, which only exist in fairy-tales.”

so there are seven classes... five of which are higher vampires which can probably be classified by having sentient thought and not harming their victims, two of which are lesser vampires, which are quite violent with their victims and more animalistic for this reason.

also i am confused as to why CDPR made fleders the least likely to sustain flight, when their name i’m pretty certain is taken from fledermaus, the german word for bat, which just means flying mouse (feel free to correct me if i’m wrong, idk german), so “fleder” should just mean “flutter,” or “to fly.”

SO. it’s total bullshit to be like “there’s some higher vampires and then TRUE/REAL higher vampires, which cannot be killed...” and it confuses everyone as to who is ACTUALLY a higher vampire and who is not, when the system we had before wasn’t broken at all!

BONUS. general changes to vampire powers

it annoys me how they turn into puffs of mist/smoke instead of vanishing, simply vanishing. no deeper reason why, it just bothers me because you’re not supposed to be able to see them at all, that’s the point of turning invisible/incorporeal.

there was no mention or demonstration of how regis can hypnotize people, even though that was probably his most frequently used vampire power in the books asides from turning invisible/incorporeal. it showed that even though he was very powerful, he opted to use his passive powers and nonviolent routes of dealing with people.

i think it also makes the vampires way overpowered to be able to regenerate each other with each other’s blood ... and it takes away from the finality of stygga... also them just flying and turning into bats whenever they want, as if regis didn’t say that he can only turn into a bat during a full moon. they made them overpowered and still made it super easy for geralt to kill them. alright

#ask #vamp squad #regis #dettlaff #dol--blathanna #long post /

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bittybattybunny · 4 years ago

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I'm enjoying the various facts of the RuClipse Aus, mostly because I was planning to do RuClipse month. So Im curious how many you have? I know you got A LOT, I mean, I remember the list you post before and apparently you have more under your sleeve (Im looking at that Regis kills Eclipse D':). Im just curious as which ones are more present in your mind/you have more facts and lore. -from a RuClipse fan

dlkgjsdkgkldsngkladnklgsfd

I JUST

IM SORRY IM JUST BLOWN AWAY I HAVE FUCKING RUCLIPSE FANS

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE SHEER SHOCK THIS GIVES ME AND DELIGHT

dgfisjkgfjdskg

Speaking of Ruclipse month I’m makign a proper “banner” with teh prompts this is the WIp image

As for Aus!!

this is gonna get long---

Ummmm The lsit wasn’t full full cuz like I have some AUs tied into others and some I’ve made since then... Like i have a number of Aus I don’t talk about since they are mostly JUST RuClipse focus like I have a Kelpie AU in which Arulius is a Kelpie who’s been trying to eat Eclipse since she was a child but winds up falling for her when she’s older because she’s facinating and eventually starts staying with her because humans age too fast. I also have a Red Riding Hood AU that’s cute fluff. Plus my Fairy Cinderella one.

IDK an exact number tbh I’d have to like. Sit and count. I just like to write them cuz it’s relaxing and I really need that (like man i need relaxing... i had a break down at my day job and my manager had to drive me home by force cuz I wanted to keep working----but that’s because im a severe workaholic with some trauma involved with perfectionism)

Which are my focus/most lore

Right now it’s @eclipseofthehat that’s a big one!!! I’ve been working a lot on the comic scripts and figuring that plot out since I consider that AU kinda my “hub” Au in which everything else is the AU of if that makes sense?

Other than that I’m slightly obsessed with the Nutcracker AU and the Triassic Planet AU but I’m not the main writer on those so I can’t do much lore there.

Well I’m making a shit ton of angst in the Triassic Planet AU but that’s cuz Gin is as angst fueled as I am.

The thing with me is I get inspired off pretty much anything and can come up with a full damn lore plot in a matter of hours.

Sometimes I go ham on them and they become full-fledged things (like the Lamia AU i have was based off of the simple fact of I was watching Anime, a lamia showed up and I went ‘hey what if’ and now I wrote about 7 short chapters i need to finish) or I just do a snippet (the phantom of the opera au. Like i do have the full plot figured. but I really just wanted to write a small snippet)

I have a lot of like partially written things I just worked on while I was bored, sometimes I sketch things randomly and run off.

I get stressed out pretty easily and over whelmed with day to day stuff so I use this as my escape.

anyhow here’s a smallish list of AUs i have rn I think are new from that list im too lazy to look up:

Under a read more CUZ IT GOT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT

Lawbound (Hattie summoned poor law student Prynce Arulius Law who is dead by his fiancee’s hand and trying to solve his own murder. Chapter one is written to post Im doing the cover. chapter 2 is started. Epilogue is also already written)

Red is the Wolf (Red riding hood au, Eclipse is a young woman who’s slowly become a wolf forest spirit due to being born with too much magic. If she interacts with humans she’ll remains human. however she has a terrible fear of people. Her life gets thrown when she accidentally encounters the Prince in the woods and discovers he’s similar to her but his curse is more damaging. She winds up trying to break his curse while slowly falls for her)

The Snake prince (based off my favorite fable from childhood ‘the enchanted snake’ in which Arulius is a Prince who was turned into a snake for the sin of signing the order to execute the forest guardians. his fiance was unable to bear his snakeness and had him trapped in her basement where he escaped injured. he was found by folklorist Eclipse who is a witch and the lone survivor of the massacre. they have no idea of the other’s identity but this is the one AU he’s pretty open about his feelings and while she’s trying to break his curse they end up in love and eventually she has to do the kings trials and Ru semi breaks his curse and the two flee his father who wants her dead. I actually drew a really cute picture of right after eclipse properly breaks his curse. it’s a super fluffy au tbh)

Sunken Ship (new au from the past week. Eclipse is a sea witch who loves ship wrecks. she met the ghost of Arulius Law, a law student who passed away when his fiance shoved him off the sinking ship. She took his skull back to New york with her so he can try to move on. Bittersweet story of them growing close but he’s dead... but mermaids live a long time. and im a slut for reincarnation)

Whipped Water Horse (this is the kelpie au i talked about above. Arulius is a Kelpie who’s been threatened with a whip by Amaris Nightingale since she was a small child and she doesn’t fear the fae. ends up falling in love with her and saving her several times from her human suitors under the guise of “youre my target so no one can have you” has some major angst and some not so fun stuff nearly happen)

The contractor’s wish (Snatcher is a demon who has to grant the whims of those who form contracts by writing in the book he’s bound to. Eclipse found the book while cleaning her attic out and ends up freeing him without question. he sticks around and slowly recalls being human and how he wound up in his situation while trying to figure what his actual wish is)

Cute Barista (a coffee shop au with a cinderella twist. Amaris is a graphic design student who works at her brother’s cafe “the horizon” and attracted the attention of a law student named Arulius law who visits daily. Her brother tried to get him to piss off but sadly the two actually enjoy chatting with each other. As a peck you to her brother they start going on dates. She’s very down on herself and he’s secretly the reclusive prince who’s been in hiding because he’s afraid of peoples reactions after he was scarred by an accident in his youth. he’s trying to find the best way to tell her the truth but also doesn’t want to scare her away. He’s a single father in this having adopted Harriet while doing volunteer work)

the Art Student’s muse (this one is fully written i just haven’t posted it. Basically, Arulius is an art student who became obsessed with this one nude model they had. Like not persay in a creepy way she just captivated him. he gets a lot of shit from his best friend Vanessa but winds up keeping the model in mind despite not seeing her. In his senior year they cross paths again and she has a break down but they wind up together.)

Swapped (a short one shot chapter in which TLC eclispe wakes up as Moon guardian Eclipse and gets very confused emotions when snatcher kissed her)

Darkrai’s Wish (a pokemon au Ive posted one chapter of already in which Arulius is a darkrai but used to be human and doesnt remember this. he has to deal with being human again thanks to a little jirachi and dealing with the fact he loves Eclipse who has issues cuz he used to be a pokemon)

Wolf bite (Prince Arulius was cursed as a werewolf in his youth. as an adult when he got out one full moon he bit a village girl giving her the curse as well. She winds up nearly being burned at the stake for witch craft and he has her saved and brought to the castle. he’s trying to make it up to her but she’s understandably pissed off. It’s a lot of him trying to get her to be not angry but also they start liking each other and she helps teach him a lot about how the world works because he’s naive and sheltered)

Familiar (Amaris lives in a world magic exists. many people have famialars to help do day to day tasks and the more impressive your family the better. Most meet their famialar when they are children, however, Amaris didn’t. But one day her past returns and she is taking care of a small chubby dragon who to everyone else looks like a deformed ferret and has to learn her magic may not be as limited as thought as well as the truth behind her familiar and the strange young man who keeps stopping by her work with flowers for her)

The Prince’s Pet Snake (this is the lamia au. Eclipse is a dangerous lamia with venom to take down an army. Arulius is a naive prince who thought of her as an animal and came to realize she’s far more human than he thought and being dumb to the fact he loves her despite he’s engaged. Has a sad ending)

Tangled Adventure (tangled au: Arulius law was cursed by his wife and is now trying to find the horizon and the daughter of the moon to break it. he picks up a changling child along the way who’s also searching for the horizon to find out where she came from. they meet the daughter of the moon but it seems to break the curse isnt as simple as they think and after making a deal with her to show her the outside they get into trouble when the queen comes looking for her lost prince)

Going Ghost (a danny phantom au idk if i’ve mentioned at all lol. hat and bow are twins and friends of arulius and they are inspecting a weird floor at his girlfriend's house. he winds up getting stuck when they trigger a gate to the horizon and becomes the snatcher. thankfully MJ and Eclipse where there and can somewhat help him calm down but it’s nuts)

Princess and the Rogue (a fantasy Au in which Eclipse is a runaway princess who became a fighter and teamed up with the rogue Snatcher who was cursed after wooing a noble woman. the two have been traveling for a few years and have one of those totally love each other but wont say it but also the search for the princess is getting intense and his curse is getting worse.)

Undergrounded (this is just my undertale au. )

Skates on Point (an ice skating au. Arulius is part of a famous olypic duo, Amaris is a selective mute woman who teaches at her daoptive father’s rink and an ex-ballet dancer. her brotehr was the gold medalist in the olympics but had to quit when he lost the use of his legs in a car wreck. Arulius is stressed over his realtionship and skating and winds up going to skate at the owl express rink where he sees the young woman skating alone in the morning. the two wind up bonding and spending more time togehter and she with his urging and her brother’s urging starts skating competitivly while he starts show skating under and alias and the two wind up performing togehter and realize they may have a thing. Eclispe is in teh process of adopting two little girls but having issues and ru helps and its jsut a lot of healing for everyone. Chapter 1, 2 and 3 typed as well as various snippets)

The little sea wolf (a little mermaid au but eclipse is the mermaid and a sea witch who winds up befriending teh prince after she saved him from thugs. things get sticky when the mermaid princess fell for him after seeing the sea witch save him from a shipwreck and deamnds to have him. the sea witch beause of teh strain of her magic starts to break down and unless she gains a soul she’ll die. Sena punches ru in this one and its great)

So yeah thats the ones on top my head im sure i probs have more but i cant think

#ask #anon #long post #Eclipse Guardian #Prince Arulius #sketch #digital #themoonguardianandthelostprince #anyhow sorry im so wordy weep #also like most these aus i deabte if ill ever post #a few i will when done but idk #ya get me???

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secret-engima · 5 years ago

Note

"Isn't that why you came here? To be with her again?" Arydn in the portrait Hall/thing with Sommus' Ghost, looking at Aera's photo "... you said we are brothers forever… was that… a lie?" Arydn to Sommus the void/thing/whatever "No matter what awful things you may have done. You will always be my brother." After Aryan and Sommus after they talk through their problems. Or maybe different scenes???

gfdfghgfd oh ohhhh hurt me why don’t you. Buckle up this spawned an Angst Ficlet.

-The first time Somnus manifests, Ardyn thinks he’s just having one of his Quiet Day delusions again. But instead of repeating any one of a thousand nightmarish taunts Ardyn has heard in his dreams for centuries, the apparition looks up at Aera’s portrait and goes, “Is that why you come here so often? To be with her again?”

-Ardyn doesn’t respond. The ghost seems to sigh and then disappears.

-Thing is- it keeps coming back. Only in the Hall of Arts, only when Ardyn is alone. He is determined to ignore it as the newest symptom of his insanity until it reaches out one day, frustrated with his constant silence, and Ardyn feels the ripple of old magic, like the Ring reaching out to him in the shape of see-through fingertips. He recoils on instinct, expecting to be hurt-maimed-taunted-murdered, his armiger flaring to life in a screaming pulse of get-away-get-away-stop-HUrtINg-mE and the ghost- backs down. There is something like guilt in faded blue eyes as it disappears again.

-Ardyn stays away from the Hall of Arts for a long time.

-But eventually he returns. He always returns and so does the ghost. It lingers out of arm’s reach, watching him as he sings for the portrait of his lover. Finally, Ardyn sighs, and deigns to acknowledge the living memory, “What do you want, Mystic.”

-The ghost winces at the use of his epithet over his name or “brother”. “To talk.”

-Ardyn doesn’t take his eyes off the portrait, just laughs bitterly at the irony of it and tells the picture of Aera, “Two thousand years I hung in darkness with nothing but pain and the screaming of my own mind for company and now he wants to ‘talk’.” The ghost’s wince deepens, Ardyn refuses to acknowledge it. Titus finds him and the figure of Somnus disappears before Ardyn’s Shield can spot it. Ardyn doesn’t know if he’s relieved or upset at the interruption.

-The next time Somnus appears, it is Ardyn that asks a question. He still doesn’t look at Somnus as he does so, instead runs gentle fingers over the contours of a statue as he murmurs, “You said once that we were brothers forever. ... Was that ... a lie?”

-“I did what I thought was best,” Somnus answers halfheartedly and Ardyn laughs without facing the apparition.

-“You always were a terrible liar, Mystic.”

-Another period of avoidance. Nox was getting wise to the fact that something was happening whenever Ardyn was alone in there, but Ardyn would not tell him what was happening, nor could he bring himself to stop.

-Ardyn stayed away from an entire month this time, religiously kept himself busy and distracted so as to not wander into the empty Hall of Arts.

-For being an immortal memory, Somnus never was patient. He finds Ardyn in the library this time, pouring over an old manuscript that details the time of the Clever, “I looked for a way to cure you,” blurts the figure that looks like Somnus right at the height of their shared lifetimes, “I never told my children to torment you after my death. I would have decreed against it if I thought for even a moment they would try.”

-Ardyn sighs and puts his book aside, but studies the swirling grain of the table rather than looking up at the ghost, “What do you want, Mystic-.”

-”Somnus.”

-Ardyn narrows his eyes at the table, but doesn’t answer. The ghost gets visibly upset out of the corner of Ardyn’s eye, “My name isn’t Mystic. It’s Somnus.” Ardyn breathes and gives no answer, ghostly hands slam on the table in front of him, “Look at me for Astrals’ sake, brother! Say my name!”

-And anger coils, tight and poisonous, “Accursed.” The ghost falters, Ardyn slowly stands, towering to his full height (height he always had on Somnus, he had always been the taller and larger of the two of them), “Forgotten King. Adagium.” He breathes and studies the scars on his hands, “You,” he hissed without looking, “reduced me to a title. Less than a title. You decreed my name was never to be spoken again. You made me a monster and then you ensured no one would remember anything else. I couldn’t even remember my own name when they broke me out of Angelgard. It took a mad scientist with an obsession for illegal excavation and item acquirement to even remind me of my name!”

-“Ardyn-”

-“Oh it’s Ardyn now is it? It’s brother now? What changed? What happened to make me deserving of common human decency again?” Finally Ardyn looks up, fury in every line. Even for a ghost, Somnus is pale, “Say your peace and then leave me be, ‘Founder King’. I have no need for your pontificating-.”

-“I’m sorry.” Ardyn stops. Stares. The memory of Somnus stares back and there is something broken in blue eyes, “I’m sorry,” he repeats in a whisper, “for everything. For Aera, for you, for everything I put your through. I didn’t understand at the time, and by the time I did you had paid the price for my greed. I told myself I was doing it for the kingdom, that I was in the right, but it wasn’t and I wasn’t. I spent my entire life looking for a cure once I got my head on straight. I left word for my children to continue the search and free you someday but Gilgamesh-. Well. It doesn't matter now. I know that doesn’t do a single thing to make up for everything that happened, that I did, but ... I wanted you to know that I am sorry, Brother. For everything I did to you. And ... I wanted to thank you. For sparing my descendants this time. You would have every right to lash out at them again, but instead you have spared them. You ... make them happy. I hope they do the same for you.”

-Somnus’s chest rises and falls in a shaky sigh that stirs no air, “That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll leave now. I won’t bother you again.” Somnus turns and begins to fade, and Ardyn swears softly under his breath before calling out.

-“Somnus.” The ghost startles, turns back to face him. Ardyn’s hand half rises as if to touch the see-through shoulder, then falls back to his side again, “No matter what awful things you may have done ... you will always be my little brother.” And it’s not quite forgiveness. Ardyn isn’t sure he remembers how to forgive a hurt that old, but it is something. Something precious.

-Somnus smiles as he fades away.

-Ardyn stares at the space where the memory had been for a long time, then quietly gets up and walks away. He tracks down Regis and Nox, sitting in the garden talking about some new movie based on a historical book they both like, and both of them startle in concern when Ardyn sits down between them, for once allowing himself to be touched by the man who thinks he is Ardyn’s half-brother.

-“Ardyn?” Regis asks and the word is as fragile as Ardyn feels. Ardyn shakes his head. He doesn’t want to talk anymore.

-They let him sit in silence and listen to their chatter as they resume talking, Nox’s fingers gently twining with his uncles in silent reassurance.

-The sunshine feels very warm against Ardyn’s skin.

#SE asks #oliverslewty asks #Secret Engima Rambles #Nox verse #angst

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ficswithrimi · 5 years ago

Text

Mine (Chapter 11)

Title: Mine

Pairing: Noctis Lucis Caelum x Reader

Genre: Angst, Romance

Trigger Warning: Mentions of blood, violence, depression, suicide attempt, and minor sexual content

Synopsis: Daughter of a Niflheim soldier, you were sent out to Tenebrae to spy on the Nox Fleuret family and their involvement with the Lucis Caelum family. However, after learning the truth about Niflheim, you betray them. Your journey of revenge begins after learning of the death of your adoptive sister, Lunafreya, and your childhood friend Noctis Lucis Caelum.

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

A/N: Wow, this highkey took several months and I sincerely APOLOGIZE! I was stuck on so many scenes and I hated everything and I sTILL HATE EVERYTHING! But I can get the story back rolling along after this chapter so I’m relieved for that! Uh... so I’m thinking chapter 13 or 14? Yall might need some tissues cuz that’s gonna be Altissia, probably, hohoho. Anyways, try to enjoy! ALSO! The next chapter may take longer to come out because I’m moving to South Korea next month and uh, I’ma be busy! But I’ll hopefully find time to write! Enjoy~

_________

Lunafreya’s POV

It was gorgeous – Altissia was. The bright blue ocean surrounded the city with vast waterfalls around almost every corner. When the oracle entered the city a couple of days ago, it felt as if she was transcending into a new world. It looked so peaceful here. More so than her home of Tenebrae or anywhere else she’s visited. Immediately, she had been greeted by waterfalls and castle-like structures. Inside the city, citizens and visitors from other countries roamed the streets carefree – both day and night. The fear of nightly daemon attacks didn’t exist here, and it felt like a haven to the blonde woman. Gondolas were around every corner as it was the way of travel in the city surrounded by water. Lunafreya stared in awe as couples and families excitedly rode the wooden boats to their destinations. It was truly a dream-like city. If she were to die soon, she’d want it to happen here. Tenebrae and Lucis brought her pain and she wanted to die someplace where she wasn’t reminded of her mother being murdered before her very eyes or the reminder of seeing King Regis fall dead to the floor while she escaped. Though Altissia was under Imperial rule, it still retained its own government and by that, to Lunafreya, it didn’t feel as if she was constantly being watched. In fact, she was immediately taken into the care of Altissia’s current representative, Camelia Claustra. Though the Empire was close by, she felt slightly at ease.

Lunafreya was still reportedly dead to the world so exploring the city was something she couldn’t do. She did, however, visit the church where she was to wed Noctis. Her blue eyes had widened in amazement at the place. The inside was completely white with a giant window at the end that displayed three overflowing waterfalls. The stained glass that made up for the other windows was decorated with pictures of the history of Altissia, even down to where it was part of Solheim and under the rule of the Gods. The church was the oldest building in the city. Besides the white interior, gold hues filled out the rest of the venue. The cushioned seats were a golden color, as well as, gold specks sparkled on the white marble floors. A gold grand piano stood near the priest’s podium and Lunafreya imagined hearing “Here Comes the Bride” being played on it as she walked towards the love of her life. What amazed Lunafreya the most about the altar, however, was the giant portraits of her and Noctis that hung down from the ceilings. Noctis’s portrait, which showcased him in his formal prince attire – something Lunafreya had never witnessed in person – hung on the side where Lunafreya would have stood while her portrait hung on Noctis’s side. It had brought tears to the oracle’s eyes as her heart wept in both happiness and sadness. Happiness because the city and others did so much to prepare for the royal wedding between two old friends. Happiness because it confirmed that she was supposed to marry the man she’s been in love with for the past couple of years. She was so close to being reunited with Noctis. She was so close to being with him – even if just for a little while. And that’s where her sadness came in.

Again, the Empire found a way to separate her from the ones she loved. Lunafreya knew that Noctis’s true calling was upon them, but she had hoped to live blissfully with him for a bit – before the summoning of the Gods took the final toll on her. Her, Y/N, and Noctis… reunited. Though her sister despised the man for unknown reasons, she knows Y/N would’ve eventually lived happily with Noctis and her. Besides, Lunafreya knew Y/N didn’t actually despise Noctis. It was just a façade the younger woman put on for reasons to Lunafreya unknown.

“How is the oracle feeling today?” The voice of Gentiana caused Lunafreya’s ears to perk up. The blonde woman, who had been gazing out at the city from her room in Claustra’s presidential-like house, pushed herself off the window and faced the divine messenger.

“The same as yesterday. I’m weak and I don’t know if I’ll have the strength to summon the Leviathan.”

Gentiana’s expression was emotionless as she took in Lunafreya’s words. Though her expression didn’t say how she felt, Lunafreya knew she was worried deep down.

“The Chosen one and thy sister shall arrive soon. Then the summoning shall take place…”

“How… soon? Will I have a chance to see them before the summoning? If not Noctis… can I at least see Y/N? She’s been so worried about me and I want to properly-“ Lunafreya suddenly stopped speaking as a lump formed in her throat. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought about the words she was going to say. “Properly… say goodbye…”

Gentiana bowed her head as she crossed her hands in front of her. Lunafreya stared silently at the woman as a tear escaped her eye. “Within a week’s time shall they be here. From Umbra’s report, there are still things to be done in Lucis…”

“Will I see Y/N when they arrive? Will I be able to hug my sister for one last time?” Lunafreya swallowed hard to push back the lump. Instead of giving her an answer, Gentiana bowed to the oracle to dismiss herself. Lunafreya’s eyes widened in shock as the messenger vanished in front of her. Unable to control her tears any longer, Lunafreya let out a loud wail as she dropped to her knees.

“Noctis… Y/N… I’m so sorry…”

~!~

Your POV (Eight years ago)

“When the light fades from this world, I’ll no longer be by your side,” Lunafreya smiled sadly at the sky above her as a 13-year-old you rolled your eyes at your sister’s words for the umpteenth time. There she goes, spewing nonsense about whatever it was – the end of the world? – that she read from that fairytale book she’s obsessed with. You both were out in the field of sylleblossoms, lazily watching the clouds float by. It was the first time you had spent time with your sister since she was sworn in as the new oracle. Immediately after the coronation, she had to travel to begin healing people from the scourge and reassuring people about the world. With her gone, that left you alone with Imperial soldiers who didn’t give you the time of day. You were lucky if they fed you. When Lunafreya started her travels, the ones you considered family went with her – Umbra, Pryna, and Gentiana. Ravus, of course, was now affiliated with the Empire. He stopped visiting as often after Lunafreya became the oracle. You had asked to be allowed to travel with your sister, however, the Empire didn’t trust you outside of the manor in fear you were plotting something against them. They weren’t wrong. If it wasn’t for Lunafreya, everything would’ve been up in flames by now.

“Is this what they teach you when you travel? That when the sun sets or whatever, you’re gonna just… poof, disappear?” You propped yourself up on your elbow to look at her. The 16-year-old let out a heavy sigh as she closed her eyes, a frown now present on her face.

“It is predestined by the Gods…”

“Well tell the Gods that as long as I’m here, you’re not going anywhere! I vow to protect you with my entire being!” Lunafreya’s eyes widened in sudden shock as you quickly jumped up and grinned smugly towards the sky. “We’ll always be together, no matter what the dumb Gods say.”

“Y/N, you can’t call them du-“

“And,” You looked down at the blonde teenager as she stared up at you, her blue eyes glistening with tears. “I’ll make sure to always put your happiness before mine. Besides, if it wasn’t for you… I wouldn’t be alive right now. I owe you everything, Lunafreya.”

Lunafreya let out a small chuckle as a tear rolled down her cheek. Hopping up, she immediately engulfed you in a hug. “Being my sister is enough.”

Closing your eyes, you returned her embrace. However, you immediately opened them as your eyes landed on the Imperial soldiers that stood guard from a far distance. You vowed to get Lunafreya out of here, whether you escaped with her or not. It was your fault that she was in this mess, so you would be the one to get her out. Lunafreya’s happiness was all you wanted for her and you wanted to be the one to give it to her.

~!~

Gladiolus’s POV

Usually Gladiolus and Ignis were the first ones to awaken among the four men – Noctis being last, of course. The muscular man would go off to a clear field not too far from the camp or motel while Ignis would be on a search for breakfast. Since Y/N joined the group, sometimes she would assist Ignis with the cooking – though the woman obviously had no idea as to what she was doing. Gladiolus would tease her about how it was because she came from royalty. That usually resulted in Y/N shooting daggers in his directions.

This morning was a little different, however. Ignis was uncharacteristically still asleep. Gladiolus assumed he was trying to gather as much sleep as possible to prepare for the long drive to Cape Caem. He didn’t understand why the 22-year-old didn’t just ask Noctis to assist in driving. The prince had held a license since he was 16, after all. Carefully making his way to the front of the room, Gladiolus glanced over at Prompto and Noctis who were dead to the world. He frowned slightly as his eyes focused in on Noctis. The prince was almost hopeless. Sure, he was strong, and his scrawny muscles got him by most days when fighting imperials and daemons, but his mentality was what Gladiolus feared the most. Was the prince aware of what was happening? Did he realize he ruled over Lucis now? More importantly, was Gladiolus fitted to protect the nonchalant prince? There were days the royal guard felt he could never live up to his father’s name or the past royal guards of the Lucis Caelum family. Hell, he felt even worse he couldn’t protect Jared or be there for Iris in her time of need. Was he fitted to guard someone so important to the world?

Shaking these thoughts from his head, he quietly slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The motel they were staying in had a barren field behind it. Gladiolus had peeped out the place when they first arrived and instantly thought it was perfect for training. As he walked down the hall, his eyes glanced towards the door where Iris and Y/N slept. He thought about asking Y/N to train with him but knowing Iris, she would beg to come train as well. Gladiolus didn’t want his only remaining family member anywhere near danger. He was so relieved when they arrived at Lestallum and saw Iris wasn’t hurt.

The sun was just starting to rise, burning the remaining lurking daemons with its rays. Gladiolus was kind of glad that sun took out the pests as he didn’t feel like risking his life during training to fight them today. Usually he didn’t mind, but his mind just wasn’t there. As he climbed over the fence that separated the small outpost from the field, he squinted his eyes as he saw a flash of blue go off in the distance followed by the screams of a saberclaw. That was weird, he thought as he slowly trudged towards where the light came from. He was pretty sure he left everyone still asleep at the motel.

As he got closer, he noticed a female figure take shape before him. Soon, he was able to make out her appearance; her neck-length hair was pulled into a low ponytail as she adorned a simple white tank top and black leggings. Gladiolus already knew who it was but the armlet that adorned her right arm to symbolize her affiliation with Tenebrae gave it away the most.

“I thought princesses slept in to get their beauty sleep?” Gladiolus smirked as he approached her.

“Shit!” The woman jumped in fear as she whipped around to come face to face with the older man. “What the hell, Gladio, you scared me.”

“My bad, princess,” Gladiolus let out a hearty laugh only to stop as he examined Y/N’s face. The hair that escaped from her ponytail clung to her face from the beads of sweat present. Grabbing the edge of her tank, she wiped it off, flashing her bare stomach briefly. Gladiolus cleared his throat as he shifted his eyes elsewhere. “So, what brings you out here at the ass crack of dawn?”

“What’s it look like? I’m training,” She shrugged as she turned her attention back towards another saberclaw.

“Training involves more than just throwing daggers at some saberclaws,” Gladiolus chuckled. “How about I help you out-“

“I believe I’ve told you this before but I’m well trained thanks to my brother,” Y/N threw a glance over her shoulder at Gladiolus.

“The same brother who easily blocked your attack and pushed you down when we ran into him?” Gladiolus smirked as he saw the woman tense up briefly. “Or have you acquired a new brother since then?”

Lowering her daggers, Y/N turned around slowly while rolling her eyes at the older man. “Okay, Gladiolus, let’s train.”

Gladiolus’s already present smirk widened at her words. “My pleasure, princess.”

~!~

Your POV

“Put away your daggers. It’s not all about weapons,” Gladiolus said as he began to remove the black tank he wore. Your eyes widened as he revealed his muscular physique, taking notice of the tattoo that extended from one arm to another. On the left of his chest, the image of a squawking bird’s head connected to the rest of the tattoo. You gulped nervously before quickly shifting your eyes away from the man, face turning red in the process.

“What? Never seen a body quite as sexy as mine, before?” Gladiolus obnoxiously asked, causing you to snap your head back at him in annoyance. Avoiding looking at his body, you forced yourself to look him into his eyes.

“Are we gonna train or what?” You frowned at him. He let out a chuckle as he got into a battle stance, fists blocking his face.

“Of course. Try aiming for my face,” He said as he watch you get into your own stance. He nodded at you to go as you took off running towards him, preparing to aim for his stomach – abs – that would cause him to move his hands down there, leaving his face open. However, as you began to execute your punch, his arms immediately grabbed onto yours and twisted them around.

“Ow, what the hell?!” Your grimaced as he held tightly onto you.

“Too easy. Your eyes glanced at my stomach and I knew you would aim there first. The eyes will always be a dead giveaway to where the opponent will attack first,” He explained as he let go of your arms. Shaking the pain out of them, you regained your stance and frowned at him. “Try again.”

You and Gladiolus spent the next 30 minutes or so training – mostly you attempting to attack and Gladiolus immediately blocking it. It frustrated you at how easy it was for the prince’s shield to block your attacks that once worked on Ravus. After training with him for years, you were positive you could handle any attack given. Hell, it wasn’t even that long ago you took on a train of Imperials. What had happened since then? Had you somehow weakened? You couldn’t even fight off Ravus that time you guys met up with him just as Gladiolus had said. How were you going to get your revenge on the Empire and protect Lunafreya like this? Your mind wandered as you tried to land another surprise attack on Gladiolus by swinging your leg in the air to push him backwards with your foot. However, Gladiolus caught your foot before it made contact and pulled you towards him by it. Losing your balance immediately, you fell into the man’s sweaty chest just as he released your foot. His hands rested on your waist as he steadied you up.

“What’s on your mind?” Gladiolus asked as he looked down at you. “You’re not focused on this.”

“H-huh?” You blinked at him before shrugging his hands off you. “I’m not thinking about anything besides how to successfully kick your ass.”

“Well that’s not gonna happen if you’re not focused,” Gladiolus shrugged as he backed away from you and plopped himself on the ground. “What’s on your mind? I know I’m not Prompto but hopefully you can talk to me as well. We’re all friends here.”

You bit your bottom lip nervously as you stared at the man. He was nonchalantly looking towards the sky. He wasn’t going to pressure you into telling him what was wrong, but you knew if you didn’t, his feelings would be slightly hurt. You wanted to tell him, of course, but you couldn’t tell him everything. You could mention your worry about Lunafreya or how you just wanted to hurry up and be reunited with her. You could tell him about how her happiness meant the world to you and you wanted to see her smile brightly again as she once did when she was 12 – before the Empire attacked. You wanted to tell him how there was one person that you knew could make her happy like that again but… that person happened to be the same person who made you happy. Though you didn’t show it often, there was no denying he made your heart flutter and wish that it was you he loved and not your sister. That it was you who was meant to stand by his side. How Iris’s words from the previous night had been ringing in your ears since last night and that’s why you had been out training since the first rays of the sun had risen.

“You’re telling me you don’t feel anything when you’re with him?”

Of course, you felt something when you were with him. You always did. And that scared you. That’s why you pushed him and your feelings away. You couldn’t hurt Lunafreya again and knowing that you were… in love with him would kill her.

“I… I’m in love with him…” You finally said as you lowered your eyes away from Gladiolus and to the ground. “But… I can’t… have him…”

“Why not?” Gladiolus immediately said. “Cindy isn’t interested in Prompto, I can guarantee you that. You have a chance. Though, I’d have to say, never thought he’d be your type.”

You let out a low chuckle. You couldn’t tell if Gladiolus was being serious or not. “My life would be so much easier if my feelings were for Prompto…”

Silence fell between you two and the only thing that could be heard was the low howl of the wind and the feet of saberclaws running in the distance. Gladiolus stood up from the ground and made his way over to you. Placing a hand on your shoulder, you looked up at him with tears forming in your eyes.

“The prince, no, king makes the final call, right? About who he wants to be with? Don’t doubt yourself so much, kid. Noctis cares for you a lot more than you may think. As for your relationship with your sister… how do you expect to make Lady Lunafreya happy when you’re not happy yourself? She won’t be happy if you’re not. You’ve risked your life for your sister’s happiness. To me, that’s the most selfless act. Be selfish for once, Y/N,” Gladiolus squeezed your shoulder as a tear fell from your eye and onto his arm. He didn’t understand. He didn’t know the full story like Prompto did. You couldn’t have Noctis because of Lunafreya and because of your affiliation with Niflheim. He wouldn’t accept you. Your feelings for him would never be reciprocated, no matter how much Noctis cared for you. He was your brother-in-law. That was all.

“Hey, what are you guys doing?” The voice of Iris could be heard from the near distance. Gladiolus and you turned your heads towards the sound of her voice. Everyone was apparently awake and ready to hit the road as Ignis was signaling for you two to come over there. Prompto was on his phone while Iris was shouting at Gladiolus to put a shirt on and stop flirting with you. Your eyes landed on Noctis who’s arms were crossed. He seemed to be glaring at the scene in front of him, but he was too far away for you to see well.

Removing yourself from Gladiolus’s grip, you pushed away your previous emotions and waved back at Iris. “We’re coming!” Turning back to Gladiolus, you frowned slightly at him, “Thanks for this talk… but… I just… can’t hurt her like that.”

“Hmph,” was all Gladiolus said as he reached for his shirt to place over his head. He watched as you ran towards the group. As you neared Noctis, you must’ve said something to the prince because his body posture suddenly became stiff and his gloved hand went immediately to his face as if to hide something. You smiled gently at him before throwing an arm around Prompto’s neck, distracting him from his phone, and walking towards the Regalia. Noctis turned briefly to watch the scene before glancing back at Gladiolus who smirked at the prince. He didn’t seem to acknowledge it, however, as he began to follow the others to the car.

“He definitely loves her…”

~!~

“Are we there yet?” Prompto whined as the Regalia sped down the roads of Cleigne. You guys had been traveling for about two hours now with Cape Caem still nowhere in sight. Ignis said that everyone would know they were near when they began to see the vast ocean, however, no oceans had appeared as of yet.

“Prompto, if you ask that one more damn time,” Noctis grumbled under his breath.

The seating arrangement for the Regalia was more favorable for you today than it was yesterday. Gladiolus decided to sit in front with Ignis leaving Prompto to the back. Because Prompto was small in figure, everyone was able to fit in the backseat without having to sit on anyone’s lap. You were especially grateful for that. After last night with Iris and this morning with Gladiolus, you didn’t want to be too close to Noctis. Prompto picked up on this as he requested you sit closest to him in the back instead of Iris. Of course, Iris didn’t have a problem with this. Noctis threw you and Prompto glances every now and then whenever he would show you something on his phone or you’d use his bony shoulder as a pillow.

“We probably won’t make it again today…” Ignis said as he eyed the four of you in the back.

“Seriously? Why’d your dad pick such a faraway hideout, Noct?” Prompto complained.

“I don’t know, let me ask him,” Noctis frowned at the blond.

“Yikes, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Prompto let out a nervous chuckle. Noctis ignored his comment and repositioned himself the best he could in the cramped backseat to sleep comfortably.

“You can sleep on me, Noctis!” Iris suddenly said as she sat up straight and patted her shoulder. Hearing this caused you to lift your head from Prompto’s shoulder and glance at the girl. Your eyes shifted to the front where Gladiolus sat, waiting for him to intervene at any given moment. However, the older man was fast asleep.

“Uh,” Noctis said uncomfortably as he also glanced to Gladiolus for help. Noticing he was asleep as well, he turned and his cerulean eyes met with your hazel ones. Your eyes widened slightly before you pretended to be still half-asleep and dropped your head to Iris’s shoulder that faced you.

“Ugh, Y/N! What are you doing?” Iris frowned as she tried to shrug you off her. However, you just pretended to be asleep and didn’t budge. You had to give it to the young girl, even though she seemed aware of the situation between Noctis, you and Lunafreya, she was still persistent on making him fall for her.

“Mh, you’re more comfortable than Prompto…” You mumbled quietly.

“Hey! Well sleep on her for the rest of the trip then!” Prompto frowned as he scooted closer to the door to create space between you two.

Iris turned her head in disbelief to Noctis who was smirking down at you. However, you didn’t notice as you pretended to be asleep. “Sorry, Iris. Looks like my sis-in-law got to you first. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“Sis-in-law my ass,” You heard Iris mumble under her breath. In response, you shoved your knee into the teenager’s leg, causing her to jump slightly.

The car was silent for awhile as mostly everyone had fallen asleep. The only ones who lay awake were Noctis – surprisingly – Iris, and Ignis, of course. Even you had tricked your brain into falling asleep after all the pretending. However, you could still hear everything that was going on.

“So Noct,” Iris spoke up. Noctis, who was on his phone playing King’s Knight, arched his brow to acknowledge her. “What does she look like? Lady Lunafreya, that is.”

“H-huh?” Noctis stuttered from Iris’s sudden question. The teen only blinked her brown eyes at him as she waited for a response. “Uh… well, I haven’t seen her since I was 8. She had medium-ish blonde hair with bangs? And icy blue eyes? She was taller than me and uh, she was thin?”

“So, you don’t know what she looks like now?”

“No idea… but I’ll know it’s her when I see her. Besides, I’m sure Y/N will point her out to me,” Noctis chuckled slightly as his eyes landed on you.

“What did Y/N look like when she was younger?”

“Y-Y/N?”

“Yeah! Was she always beautiful? You can say if she was or not. She’s like dead asleep,” Iris laughed. She knew you weren’t fully asleep because after asking her question about Lunafreya, you pushed your knee into her leg again.

“Uh,” Noctis glanced at you again to make sure you were asleep. “She was… always beautiful. Her hair was longer when she was younger. It went to the middle of her back but because she was a princess, she kept it in some fancy bun with braids around it. She was much shorter than Luna and probably an inch shorter than me. She’s been short her whole life,” Noctis laughed as he said this. “She didn’t talk to me a lot when I was in Tenebrae but when she did, I remember it making me really happy, even if she was sort of rude.”

“… Why are you not marrying Y-“

“Wake up, everyone! We’ve come near the ocean!” Ignis suddenly said, cutting off Iris. Everyone who was asleep groggily woke up, but their eyes widened when they saw the view of the ocean.

“Whoa! This is beautiful!” Prompto exclaimed as he quickly focused his camera on the ocean before him. The sun was setting, and the orange hue reflected off the calm waters. “Y/N, do you see this?”

You just nodded as you focused on the blue waters. They reminded you of Noctis’s own breathtaking blue eyes. Your cheeks colored themselves in a pink tint as the thought crossed your mind. However, you weren’t just blushing from your thoughts. You were also blushing from what Noctis had said to Iris about you.

“We’re gonna camp near the beach tonight. Is everyone okay with that? The sun is setting and I don’t want to put Ms. Iris in danger,” Ignis said as he pulled the Regalia to the side of a bridge.

“Fine with me. I need to stretch, anyway,” Gladiolus said as he immediately hopped out the car. “The tent isn’t gonna fit all of us, so I volunteer to sleep outside so Iris can get the tent.”

“It’s fine, Gladdy. I can sleep outside,” Iris offered as she exited the backseat of the car.

“No, it’s dangerous. It may be a haven, but I don’t trust it 100 percent.”

“I’ll sleep outside,” Noctis shrugged. “The tent is a cramped when it’s all of in there, anyway.”

“Well, I’m not going to argue with you. I’m gonna go ahead and set up camp,” Gladiolus said as he removed the items he needed from the trunk of the car and made his ways to the stairs attached to the bridge.

“I’m so excited! My first camping trip with you guys!” Iris grinned at you and Noctis.

“It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be,” You mumbled as you pushed past her and began to follow the others who had already started walking. Shrugging, Iris ran to catch up with you as Noctis strolled lazily behind.

~!~

Aranea’s POV

“Were you able to recruit her?” The smooth voice of Ardyn filled the woman’s ears. She rolled her eyes as she leaned against one of the rails overlooking the city of Altissia. Pushing herself off it, she casually strolled past Ardyn and several of the imperial soldiers behind him.

“Is she here now?” Aranea sarcastically asked as she pretended to look around the area for Y/N. “Because I don’t see her anywhere.”

“We don’t pay you to fail missions-“

“Ha!” Aranea let out a loud, breathy laugh. “Pay me? You guys barely pay me. I go out of my way for the Empire only to barely afford to feed myself half the time. I don’t do this for the money, buddy. I do this to serve my country.”

“Buddy is no way to refer to your chancellor,” Caligo suddenly spoke up. At the sound of his voice, Aranea whipped her head to the short, pudgy man and gave him an incredulous look.

“I don’t think you have the right to speak to me since you’ve been demoted. Y/N almost ended you and you barely escaped,” Aranea hissed. “If I were her, I would’ve finished you off whether the prince intervened or not.”

“You bit-“

“Alright, alright, settle down. You both failed your missions, however, you both have the opportunity to regain yourselves-“

“I’m really not up for kicking their asses again, “Aranea groaned. “She’s not going to join us, anyway. She’s too much in love with her prince to betray him now. Anyone with eyes can tell she loves him. They came into the arena holding hands.”

“She really is a traitor. How could she love a Lucian – more specifically – the prin-“

“Shut up, Caligo,” Ardyn said sharply, causing the man to stiffen. A smirk played on Ardyn’s face as Aranea’s information registered in his mind. “So… both of the Nox Fleuret sisters are in love with the prince, huh? This could… actually work.”

“What are you planning, Ardyn?” Aranea arched a brow as the red-haired man began to pace back and forth.

“Do you happen to know which sister the prince has feelings for?” Ardyn asked, ignoring Aranea’s question.

“The one he was supposed to marry, I suppose, but he and Y/N have chemistry… why?”

“It’d be a shame if… one of them just… died in an attack or something…”

“Why do you want to kill the sisters? What have they done to you? I agreed to recruit Y/N and fuck around with the prince’s head a for a bit, not kill anyone,” Aranea immediately said.

“This could work in my favor…” Ardyn smirked to himself as a new set of plans began to roam his mind. Noticing Aranea and Caligo were still staring at him in a confused way, he replaced his smirk with a grin and snapped his fingers. “New plan! Aranea, you and I will be headed back to Lucis to assist the prince with the next royal arm he has to receive.”

“I said I’m not-“

“We’re not fighting them. We’re assisting them. Redeem yourself with the prince and his entourage.”

“And what about me?” Caligo spoke up. Ardyn turned his head over his shoulder and threw a smirk at him.

“You stay here and train. I have a feeling… a world-changing even will be going down soon. You need to prepare yourself, Caligo. And as for you…” Ardyn looked towards a soldier who stood upright, shotgun pressed tightly into their chest. “Step forward.”

“Sir!” The soldier immediately responded as he took a step forward. Aranea arched her brow again as the soldier’s voice rang through her ears. She’s heard that voice before. It was stern and emotionless. It’s been a while since she’s heard it since she’d moved up in the ranks, so she couldn’t quite put her finger on who the voice belonged to.

“Are you ready to meet your daughter again?” Ardyn smirked at the soldier. Aranea’s eyes immediately widened at Ardyn’s words. This soldier was…

“Maybe you’d be able to convince Y/N that she should be assisting us. You are her father after all. Do whatever you deem as necessary,” Ardyn’s eyes darkened as the man nodded his head in confirmation and returned to his spot beside the other Imperials.

“What… is he planning?” Aranea quietly asked herself as she stared in shock at the man known as Y/N’s dad. Whatever Ardyn had up his sleeve, she knew it meant danger for the prince, the oracle, and Y/N. She had to find a way to let them know or even stop it before it was too late.

“Okay, so when do we leave for Lucis?” Aranea asked.

Ardyn just threw another smirk at her. “Tonight. We must prepare the temple, after all!”

~!~

Your POV

You lay awake in the tent, staring into the darkness that surrounded you as the others slept. The flames from the still burning fire pranced its shadows on the tent’s walls from the outside. Dinner was hours ago as it was about 2 in the morning. Noctis was sleeping outside so you guessed he kept awakening to add more wood to keep the fire alive. Though it was the middle summer, the beach that you guys camped on was a bit chilly without the sun’s warmth around. Even inside the tent, you were shivering from the cold. Prompto and Iris slept the closest to you while Gladiolus and Ignis occupied the other corner of the tent. You worried about Noctis who was outside alone. Though he claimed he wanted to sleep outside, you couldn’t help but think he felt a bit lonely. As far as you know, ever since the boys started traveling together, no one was left to sleep alone. You decided that you should check up on him. Besides, if he was awake, which you doubted, you wanted to ask him about what he meant by his words from the previous night – that he could never hate. It’s been nagging you in the back of your mind since he said it, but you didn’t want to make the situation awkward between you both with the others noticing. Maybe it didn’t mean anything. Maybe he just really cared for you as Gladiolus said. Maybe…

You quietly got up from your spot, careful not to wake up the others, and made your way out of the tent. To your surprise, Noctis was sitting in his chair, a blanket draped over his shoulders, staring at the fire before him. Quietly, you walked towards the prince. He must’ve heard the crunching sand underneath your feet as he whipped his head in your direction. A blush creeped up your face from being caught as you shyly waved at him before continuing to walk towards him.

“Are you okay?” Noctis asked as you neared him. You just nodded your head as you plopped down in the chair beside him. A small shiver coursed through your body as the heat from the fire and the coolness from the night air collided with one another. “Do you want to use my blanket?”

“I’m fine, thanks…” You said as you avoided his eyes that were staring at you. “So, uh, why aren’t you asleep?”

“I could ask you the same,” He smirked at you. It only lasted a second, however, as it fell. “Just… thinking about everything that’s happened lately… and how close we are to seeing-“

“Lunafreya?” You cut him off, already knowing that was the name he was about to say. He just nodded at you while your heart sunk slowly in your chest. “I’m… looking forward to seeing her, too. I just want to hold her in my arms and apologize for ever leaving her…”

Noctis’s eyes widened at your words. “Oh yeah, why did you come to Insomnia? Was it to see me?”

Noctis playfully smirked at you as he awaited your answer but was only surprised when you nodded your head in agreement. “It was my birthday… and I just wanted to see Lunafreya happy again, like she always was whenever you sent her those messages in the notebook. She would read your messages repeatedly just to feel connected to you somehow. At night, she’d sometimes cry… I didn’t know why until I overheard her talking to Gentiana about her life being unfair… how she wished she wasn’t an oracle and how she could just love and be with you. But those… assholes… the Gods, they took that all away from her. So, to reunite you guys, I went to Insomnia to find a way to tell you all this in hopes you would’ve come back with me. Now that I think about it, it wouldn’t have worked. Tenebrae is filled with Imperials ready to attack your family… I was really stupid…”

“You’re not stupid for wanting your sister to be happy…” Noctis said softly. “I want Luna to be happy as well.”

“She’ll be happy once you two are together. Maybe you can finally plan this wedding that’s been delayed which feels like for centuries,” You let out a forced laugh at your words. Noctis didn’t laugh, however, as he slightly frowned at you.

“I think… Luna will be happier once she sees you and knows with her own eyes that you’re safe. She really loves and cherishes you, you know?” Noctis said. “I promised not to tell you this but, when we were kids, she was really sad when you wouldn’t play with us…”

“Luna why are you sad?” An 8-year-old Noctis watched worriedly as the 12-year-old girl shed tears on the drawing before her. She was fine just a few seconds ago so Noctis didn’t understand why the girl was suddenly crying. The girl often looked distant whenever Noctis and her would play together, but she’d quickly cover it up with a smile.

“I-“ She sniffed, “I miss my sister. Why won’t she play with us as well? Did I do something? I ask her, and she tells me no and goes to play with our brother. Why doesn’t she like me anymore?”

Noctis’s eyes lowered as he listened to Luna’s words. He knew that it wasn’t Luna that Y/N didn’t want to play with – it was him. The boy didn’t understand why Y/N didn’t like him. However, that shouldn’t stop her from playing with her sister. The day he met the Nox Fleuret sisters, he knew that Y/N really looked up and loved Luna. He felt bad for getting in the way of that relationship.

Sighing, Noctis rolled his wheelchair over to Luna and placed a comforting hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry… Y/N doesn’t like me... so maybe she doesn’t want to play with you because of me. I can go hang with my dad if that’ll make her play with you…”

Luna let out a chuckle as she placed her other hand over Noctis’s and blinked her tears away. “There’s no need for that. I’ll be okay. I’m sure she likes you, so don’t worry, okay? Also, Noctis…”

“Hm?” The boy widened his eyes at the older girl.

“Promise not to tell Y/N I cried over her, okay? I know she isn’t doing this on purpose and it’ll probably break her to know that she upset me.”

Noctis immediately grinned at the girl. “It’s a promise!”

“She cried… because of me?” You blinked at the prince before you.

“Don’t tell her I told you – hey, Y/N, what’s wrong?” Noctis looked at you as tears ran down your face. You stared off distantly at the ocean and the moonlight that reflected off it. You’ve hurt Lunafreya before to the point that she cried? How many other times have you hurt your sister? How many times have you betrayed her? Even with being careful of every move you make and going out of your way to bring happiness to your sister, you still hurt her. You bit down on your bottom lip hard enough to break its skin and taste blood as your thoughts continued to run wild.

“Hey,” Noctis’s voice broke you from your thoughts as he was now crouched down in front of you, both of his hands caressing your own. More tears fell down your face as you looked at him. Without a second thought, his thumb came to your face and brushed away your tears. The mere touch caused another shiver to run through you. “We were kids… it’s not that big of deal, right? You know you love Luna. Luna knows you love her and would never purposefully hurt her and-“

You stared at Noctis as he tried to calm you. He was always trying to calm you and trying to get you to open up to him – even as kids. The night at the hotel in Lestallum where you got him to admit to you his true emotions about his father. Originally, he wanted you to open up to him, but you managed to flip the script. Then the other times he’s come to comfort you or even save your life. The time where he stopped you from killing Ravus and even the other night from that Imperial commander. Noctis was always there reassuring you and making sure you were okay. And… each time, you fell deeper for him. Deeper in love with the man that was meant for your sister. In love with the man that would hurt Lunafreya for life if she found out you held the same feelings for the man she confessed to you she loved so many years ago.

“Are you listening to me, Y/N?” Noctis looked into your hazel eyes, causing your heart to stop as you locked your eyes with his. Love. That’s what you saw in his worried eyes as they searched your watery ones. Love. It was what Iris, Prompto, Gladiolus, and even Ignis had been hinting at all along. Noctis loved you. At this realization, your eyes filled with tears as you abruptly stood up and attempted to walk away from the campsite. However, Noctis was faster and grabbed onto your hand and pulled you into him. Your eyes widened as he held onto you for a while. “Do you know how to dance?”

“H-huh?” You hiccupped, taken aback by his sudden question. Here you were crying about your situation and he wanted to dance?

“Princesses know how to dance, right?” He asked as he pulled himself away from you slightly. You watched as Noctis grabbed your hand and placed it on his shoulder while he took the other in his own hand. He then gently placed his free hand on your waist and looked back at you with gently smile. Meanwhile you blinked confusedly at him. “As a prince, I kinda had no choice but to learn. I hate it, but I’ve been told it helps people temporarily forget their problems.”

“I-I,” Your face was red, you knew it. Hopefully, he would think it was from your crying. “I know… the basics.”

“Okay, I’ll lead,” Noctis said as he began to sway you around. You hadn’t danced ballroom style in so long. Your eyes kept glancing towards your feet to make sure you didn’t step on his as he twirled you around the fireplace. “Try not to look at your feet so much…”

You nodded as you looked up at him. He grinned at you as he spun you around, causing a small laugh to escape from you. This was a side you haven’t seen of Noctis before. Did Lunafreya know about this charming side to the prince? Did he ever tell Lunafreya that he wanted to dance with her in front of a fireplace that overlooked the ocean? That he wanted to spin her around until she got dizzy and tripped over her own feet with him catching her each time? How he’d stare lovingly at her as the moonlight reflected in her glassy blue eyes that had a few moments ago been crying? Did Lunafreya know this side of Noctis? You wanted to think she didn’t… that he was only this way with you. The shy, distant prince that people came to know disappeared into a gentle, caring one when he was comfortable with those around him.

“Why… can’t you hate me…?” You muttered as you two continued to dance around the fire. However, at your words, Noctis halted his movement and looked down at you, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

“Huh?”

“Why can’t you hate me?” You asked a bit louder this time, so he could hear. “Even if I did something horrible… or was a part of something horrible. If I were the cause for all the trouble in your and Lunafreya’s life…wouldn’t you hate me?”

“Does Lunafreya know about this horrible thing?” You nodded as Noctis chuckled. “Then if she doesn’t hate you… then why would I? I literally cannot hate you, Y/N. I will never hate you.”

At his words, you broke your hand away from his and wrapped your arms around his waist, taking him by surprise, as you buried your face in his chest. He smelled similar to how he did the day you met him again in Hammerhead. His musky cologne applied from earlier today mixed in with the smell of nature. “Why…”

“Huh?” He said as he still stood frozen.

“Why can’t you be mine?”

Your eyes widened at your words as you realized what you had just said. Immediately, you tried to pull yourself away from the prince, but was prevented from doing so when he wrapped his arms around you. Your heart was pounding so loudly you could practically hear them in your ears. Maybe he didn’t hear you? Maybe he was just returning your hug? Maybe he-

“Y/N, can I kiss you?”

You pulled yourself away from him at those words and stared up at him. His face was red as he avoided your eye contact. “I-I’m sorry. Forget I asked. I’m-“

~!~

Noctis’s POV

Why did he ask her that? She was clearly upset about hurting her sister. Her sister that was clearly in love with him. And here he was asking could he kiss her. But, he couldn’t help it. Her questioning why he couldn’t be hers? He didn’t want anything but to be hers. And to hear the woman he was in love with indirectly tell him she felt the same, how else was he supposed to react? Maybe not asking her to kiss him, however. Noctis wanted to crawl into a hole. When did he even become this bold? He was trying to cheer up the crying woman, not make her uncomfortable. She stared at him for a while as he tried to stumble out an apology.

“I’m sorry-“

“I’m sorry…” Y/N said which gave Noctis his answer. He blushed in embarrassment as he slowly dropped his arms from the woman. He knew he messed up. Ugh, how was he going to come back from this now. “Lunafreya, please forgive me…”

Noctis looked down at the former princess in confusion as she looked up at Noctis and nodded her head at him. “You can kiss me…”

Noctis let out a shaky breath as a small smile became present on his lips. Carefully, he cupped Y/N’s face and brought his face down to hers. His eyes flicked up to her already closed ones. He chuckled as he saw her awaiting his kiss. Gently, he placed his lips onto hers. At first, she didn’t react to it however, he was reassured she didn’t regret her decision when her arms snaked around his neck to bring him closer to her. He obliged as he moved his hands from her face and to her waist, deepening the kiss in the process. Was he really kissing Y/N? The woman he had been in love with for so long? It was like a dream come true.

And just like dreams, the moment abruptly as she pulled away and looked at him in horror.

“I-I’m sorry…” She said as she gazed at him for a moment for disappearing back into the tent. Noctis stood there in shock as his lips still tingled from her soft ones being on his. He glanced towards the tent where she disappeared to and let a small smile dance upon his lips.

“I’ve always been yours… Y/N…”

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eatpotatoes1-blog · 2 years ago

Text

(S3E7)

Oh noooo. Lilaaaaa. Her relationship with her mom hurts me. But also now there is a pretty lady talking to her.

omfg slay lila. pls

Wait stan is From so far back. woah.

Lila saw fake diego walking sexily. Slay.

OOH they r gonna go terrorize diego <3

and regi singing his little song in his car?? hell yeah. A ROLLS ROYCE

Oh god harlan.

Luther makes a good point if u ask me. What Allison did was fucked.

This interaction between 5, diego, and lila gives me life. I’m obsessed. you 2 walking STDs. 90% moron 10% pelvic thrusts. I didn’t get this by giving a mummy a handjob.

Just... Luther trying to take the lead and get the umbrellas to do anything and diego being like uhhh lol or what.

I miss mom :(.

The testosterone twins but its actually just viktor.

5 and ben betting on viktor and allison😭

SORRY HARLAN IS VIKTORS SON. BECAUSE HE’S JUST A LITTLE GUY

GOD I LOVE THEIR ACTING. I”M OBSESSED. THIS MOMENT BETWEEN VIKTOR AND ALLISON. UGH I”M PEEING MY PANTS.

GOD BEN QUIT SMIRKING. THE FAMILY IS SUFFERING.

YEAH VIKTOR. I am team viktor. Don’t get me wrong, ofc i love allison but i think she is having a bad run.

Oh my god is diego upset by it? He looks so sad. And his little “We don’t fight like this” He looks like scared or something. do i look?

Is this bens room? the one with all the art in it?

oh my god jennifer. from the jennifer thing that they said earlier

that guy put the ‘dick’ in dictator. I love klaus.

“What I’m saying is, you were a terrible father” “yes picked that up thank you”

“other father” Like the other mother from coraline.

woof klaus. Hit by a car. HIT AN RUN. AGAIN. AND AGAIN AND A GAIN. SLAY KLAUS. But don’t get sent into obllivion pls i love u too much

awww lila nd allison moment :)

OH FUCK GRACE No. I am a 5 supporter.

Also how did he kill grace when like nothing else kills her?

omg regi and klaus and their cute little moment 🥺

WOOOOOO NO MORE KUGEL <3

oooh and viktor with the long sleeve shirt under a polo.

should I actually be team viktor or is my vision blinded by bias?

also UGH FIVE <3

WhATS GOING ON OUTSIDE??

okkkkkk luther and sloane are kinda cute 🙄. WAIT HE”S PROPOSING??

Lila is actually pregnant wow.

five and viktor. GOD. THEIR LITTLE MOMENT.

This show has scenes that I want to play over and over and over again in my head and my brain can’t think of a way to make that happen,

Kugel is back and killed Fei <3

#FUAT #umbrella academy #fua #TUA

0 notes

thechocobros · 7 years ago

Text

“SEE LUNA SAFE TO ALTISSIA” - part 17

Pair: Nyx Ulric / Lunafreya Nox Fleuret

Previously: message me so I’ll give you the links ;)

Words: 9344

Plot: Luna and Nyx didn’t fell in the Empire’s trap, Nyx didn’t had to use the ring and he survived. What would have happened if Nyx really had the chance to ‘see Luna safe to Altissia’, like he promised to Regis? Part 17: The final battle has begun. Thinking that Nyx is dead, Luna tries to focus only on her mission to guide Noctis. She is determineted to tell him the truth about the prophecy and to dispose of the malicious Astrals, but this will come with a price ...

Personal Comment: LAST CHAPTER BEFORE THE EPILOGUE! (an epilogue i accidentally deleted from my drafts but ok -.- ) I’m sorry for the horrible delay, I know I didn’t update in an eternity. I hope this big finale will repay your patience somehow. It was an extremely complicate chapter for me to write, more than the other ones probably, due to the action sequences. But here we are, my fix-it fic is over. It was an amazing journey, I loved it. It was long, difficult, but both Nyx and Luna deserved it. I hope you all think the same.

Let me know what you think, guys :)) I just want to thank @loveiscosmicsin for the costant help she gave me and YOU ALL READERS, because I wouldn’t have finished this novel fic if it wasn’t for your amazing support. I love you all.

Stay tuned for the epilogue ;)

Luna stood paralyzed before Ardyn Izunia, mouth agape in sheer terror. She was fully aware that the man was the most inconvenient of obstacles at that point of the fight. Leviathan’s power raging in the background she had no energy to face the Usurper at the same time too.

But for some kind of destiny’s joke, the man didn’t seem to have come to fight for now. He bowed deeply instead, taking his hat off in sign of respect.

“My fair princess! How long I have waited to meet you! The pious Oracle - the Personification of Purity - who rebelled to the prophecy that decided your destiny. A model for the future generations, to never accept a fate written by someone’s else hand. I barely was able to contained my joy when you slew the Glacian.”

Lunafreya frowned and pressed her fingers around the indented grooves of the trident, seeking support in its comfortable power. She knew that if things would have turned out badly, she could count on her white magic, but at the same time gears whirred in her brain, seeking for other possibilities. Wit had always been her best weapon since she was nothing but a scared little girl, powerless in front of the cruel Empire.

“You seem very well informed for a mere chancellor, Ardyn Izunia. So am I.”

“Then permit us to be honest to each other,” Ardyn sang with his mischievous voice, mellifluous enough to impress her, but not enough to mesmerize her.

“I didn’t expect you would response with a smile to the death of one of the Astrals, the very ones who wish to give the true king their blessing.”

“In a matter of speaking, the prince receiving those blessings was originally part of my plan,” he was attentive to not using the word ‘king’. “But perhaps I can handle it better without that condition. I’m a flexible man, after all. Anyway, let’s not speak of myself. I came here bearing gifts! This is an altar where sacrifices are offered afterall” he continued, indicating Leviathan destroying the city just a mile away. The goddess’s tail swept away an entire building in one swift motion.

Despair filled the atmosphere and soon the bleakness of the situation will embrace the Oracle as well. Luna’s focus on Ardyn was frustratingly deviated by her worry for Noctis who she couldn’t see anymore. Her first instinct was to run straight to him as soon as possible but then Ardyn gestured to the airship that brought him here. The hatch of the ship automatically unveiled an unbelievable sight in the cargo hold. Luna gasped and widened her eyes in disbelief.

The Crystal.

The ancient artifact bestowed upon the Caelum dynasty of yore and the object of desire that Niflheim made off with in the confusion of Insomnia’s mayhem. It retained a calm glow as it was simply anticipating for one to exploit its magic.

“What is the meaning of this?” Luna asked, trying to divert attention away from her confusion.

“Oh, don’t recognize the Crystal when it’s right before your eyes? The Empire, obsessed by their greed and whatever shiny bauble that caught their attention at the moment, hasn’t quite tapped into it.”

“The Draconian and the Infernian are sealed within it,” Luna said, trying to connect the puzzle pieces.

“You’re right. And you should give them a good wake-up call.”

Leviathan moved and another earthquake summoned a sort of small tsunami which almost reached the altar and swept Luna away. When she was able to stand on her feet again, her knees had bled through her dress and Ardyn Izunia was staring at her with the most malicious of the smirks.

“What game are you imposing?” she challenged, raising her voice over the storm, simply not in the mood to entertain him.

Ardyn extended his arms, feigning concord in a circumstance that hardly was.

“Why does everyone jump to that conclusion? Do you think that I’m not capable of charity? Why, I came all this way to bring the Crystal to you.”

No, of course Luna didn’t believe in the gesture or his words for a second. In fact, she immediately considered the option of fleeing while there was still a considerable distance between them, a distance that the Chancellor was aware of.

To awaken two more deities into the chaotic fray would only wrought more destruction upon them all, she knew it too well. But at the same time, she contemplated that an opportunity would be wasted if she didn’t. At any rate, chances of survival after calling upon them were slim, and if she perished, who would have rouse Bahamut and Ifrit in her stead? She had to give Noctis the opportunity to fight the Gods and reclaim the power of the ring at all costs.

Perfectly aware of following Izunia’s twisted games, she decided to do as he asked for now. She aimed her trident toward the Crystal and let the white magic flow from her. She began to sing and pray, perpetuating the ritual, a performance done way too well by now. As the white lights around them flurried, the Crystal started to tremble so much it almost disintegrated, and everything else in the area subjected to silence. Enclosed in the proximity of her calling, there was the reason why both Ifrit and Bahamut shouldn’t have been driven from the Lucian Crystal in such a violent fashion. Once freed, nothing in the universe could encompass the awesome power of their combined antithetic might. But it was now or never and Luna didn’t really have other choice.

In a instant, the Crystal’s energy exploded.

A burst of an raw, unimaginable force.

The incredible effort sapped Luna every ounce of her strength, never had she been close to death’s gate. The blood from her face dissapated, along with breath bated and heart had skipped a beat. The feeling of losing control on her own body overwhelmed her more than the fatigue ever did and more than the illness looming over her. It was unusual and somehow… unclear.

In the depth of the silent absurdity, Luna reached for her stomach, where she felt something indistinguishably protruding from her side.

She blinked, seeing a dark substance coat her fingers. It couldn’t be blood. It was not the right color.

With Luna’s bearings regained, her eyes adjusted to the Chancellor who had enclosed the distance at last, offering a malevolent smile to the Oracle’s confusion. The blade that met the mark of its incision couldn’t be confused with an hazy dream. It was real.

She had been stabbed.

There was no reason to look for a particular motivation beyond the unexpected act. Retrieving the weapon from Luna’s reach, Ardyn casually wiped the dagger with a handkerchief. Her role fulfilled, she was expendable in his eyes.

As she gasped and instinctively applied pressure to the wound, Luna had a delayed reaction to the pain. She was occupied with the regret of not surviving long enough to speak to Noctis one last time. What would have given to have the chance to make amends, to finally tell him about the prophecy, and giving him the chance to choose to save himself. She would have sold her soul in exchange of the opportunity to apologize, the thought had been on the back burner of her mind, in their correspondance, but it was too late. How selfish she had been before Nyx opened her eyes? All her life, she deluded herself into protecting Noctis by withholding the truth of his destiny? She never told her childhood friend that bearing the Ring would cost him his life and now, it was too late. She didn’t deserve forgiveness, nor mercy. She earned this death sentence.

She lifted her chin, noticing over Ardyn’s shoulders the colossal visages of Bahamut and Ifrit raised from the nothing after their prison was no more.

She also noticed Noctis, standing on the top of a building, looking at the chaos raging against him. He was ready to face Leviathan and probably also the other Astrals, but he was alone and still not at the peak of his power. It turned out clearly he didn’t use the Ring yet. It was just a matter of time before he realized that his only chance of survival was to doing it.

A tear streaked Lunafreya’s cheek. Ardyn best not misunderstood it as a sign of weakness, but desperation filled her veins like never before. She would have told Noctis the truth about the Ring, and permit him to choose his destiny even if it was the last thing she did in this life.

But it would mean that she would be reunited with her husband in the Beyond.

—————-

Luna didn’t know that Nyx was not dead. He was alive, refusing to stand ground at a crucial moment.

As soon as he understood that the airship was not leading him in the right direction, he warped from one rooftop to the next, never stopping. Things started to be even more complicated after just a couple of minutes when Leviathan was repelled by the Oracle’s magic. Nyx understood that his wife’s negotiations didn’t succeed and chaos erupted. Debris, crashing walls of water, and explosions hailing around him made evading almost impossible. He had to summon all the tricks in the books to reach an intact building where he took cover for a minute to catch his breath. He felt exhausted already and he got nowhere. On the contrary, he lost track of the altar... or what was left of it. In spite of this, he was totally able to see the fight was growing exceedingly violent.

Soon enough he felt ready to warp again, but a different kind of explosion prevent him from doing it. He froze, looking to the sea, outraged by the scene before him. Two huge and threatening entities appeared not very far from Leviathan, raising from the darkness with cries of hysteria and writhing manically as if they were wild beasts released from restraints. Maybe that it was, especially considering the circumstances.

Nyx couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Bahamut and Ifrit?” he murmured, stupefied. Aside from fairy tales, he did not know anything about the Astrals before meeting Lunafreya, but she recently educated him about mythology, even at cost of sacrificing the safe and intimate moments they shared in bed. Not like Nyx could fault his wife’s bad timing of a time and place, it was a terrible habit, but at least the private lessons turned out to be useful. He was now able to recognize the Astrals.

The Glaive was aware that Lunafreya would attempt summoning Bahamut and Ifrit later on, but he was also aware that the Crystal was under the Empire’s control, possibly very far from here. So how come Lunafreya summoned them already? Something he couldn’t known must have happened.

“How is it possible? Where did you find the Crystal?” And then realization hit him like he was struck by lightning. “Izunia!”

The mere pronunciation of that name send a chill up to his spine. If the Chancellor found a way to Lunafreya, it meant that she was in mortal danger. And Nyx couldn’t believe she accepted to envoke two more enraged gods into the fray. It could only mean the situation was desperate.

“Damn, pulling the brave princess act again,” he cursed beneath his breath. He would tell Luna in person soon though. If he got to her in time.

“Nyx!” The unexpected voice which called up for him sounded like the frenzied mix between surprise and relief.

Nyx turned around to meet eyes with the Crown Prince of Lucis, covered in grime and soaked with sea water, a very far image from the one of royal blood would be presented. Now that Nyx knew the prophecy that Noctis should have fulfilled, the one of him becoming the True King of Light, he wondered if the Astrals have been not only malicious but also befuddled all along because there was nothing majestic in that skinny and clumsy young man. The universe dictated that he was the Chosen One? With a small smile, Nyx thought that maybe it was because Astrals thought he would have been the perfect lamb to lead slaughter – silent, pliable and compliant. Like in Lunafreya’s case, bad news were in store for them.

“Your Highness.”

“What are you doing here?”

In that moment Leviathan’s move threw a debris in Noctis’ direction and if Nyx didn’t warp in time, the impact would made its mark.

“About to go save Lunafreya’s ass, but I guess I can make time to save yours.” Nyx yelled in the attempt to be heard in all the confusion. “What’s up with you royal types and attracting the worst of every situation possible?”

Noctis lifted his chin and shoved the Glaive off him.

“It’s not like I asked for this and yet, here I am.”

Nyx sighed dramatically. This wasn’t the time or place to discuss this, so he didn’t comment any further and just helped the boy up.

“We gotta go. Did you use the Ring already?”

“They wouldn’t be alive if I did,” Noctis grunted, staring at the Astrals raging in the distance. “I … still don’t feel ready.”

When he caught the apprehension in those words, Nyx felt hesitation knot inside his stomach. If carrying the ring on a chain on his neck made the Glaive feel like he had a leash, wearing it on the finger must have felt like succumbing to the death. And the prince was nothing but a boy, brave but naive. Strong but inexperienced. Did he sense where putting the ring would have lead him? Did he guessed the required blood prince beyond it? If he did, he didn’t say anything.

“Should I wear it now, Nyx?” Noctis asked instead, looking at the Astrals in the distance. There was so much distress brimmed in his eyes and an hollowed echo in his voice that Nyx almost wished to shield Noctis away from every possible harm. Sadly, fleeing was not an option.

A pointless response was on the tip of Nyx’s tongue and remained unsaid, leaving him insecure of how to answer the prince. He had to have faith in his wife, trusting she would have guided Noctis until the very end, doing the right thing, and revealing him the truth, all with a smile on her lips. His main goal now was to protect them both.

So Nyx took Noctis’ shoulder and pulled him close, to encourage and to assure him he would have stand by his side, no matter what. Noctis seemed grateful for that hasty but heartfelt gesture and exchanging an understatement nod, they warped ahead at the unison.

The prince and the Glaive, off to save their princess.

———

If those were her last breaths, Luna would have used them to blow things in a way that Ardyn couldn’t ever predict.

Watching with distraught eyes of her own blood dripping on slippery stone, she retrieved her trident again, imparting all her power to it. A thick ring of light encircled her, vibrating and taking everything down like a tsunami. Her white magic yearned to reach the target, searching every perimeter of the atmosphere with spasmodic accuracy until it finally found the prince and another very dear person that Luna didn’t expect to sense.

———

Warping closer to the Astrals felt like shooting against the world’s end. It was fire and water, wind and earth, the elements shaken, the certainties lost in a vortex of unknowns. It hurt. It really did.

If Nyx and Noctis didn’t have each other to rely on, there was no way that they could safely navigate through the vortex of destruction on their own. There was only forward, but obstacles before them forced them to embark detour after detour and time wasn’t on their side.

But then, they sensed Lunafreya. Like a sudden slap on the face, they suddenly knew she was there. They did not see her face, nor her figure. But it was her and she was everywhere.

“Your Highness, it’s time!” Nyx screamed, seizing the prince’s arm as he pointed at Leviathan, the closest divinity. “Take her out, I’ll cover you!”

Noctis nodded to the Glaive and focused, absorbing Luna’s magic from the chaotic atmosphere with deep breaths and closed his eyes. He secured himself to the wall of a building but he was rewarded for his concentration when he begun to levitate, the ancestral Armiger appearing from the nothing and circumnavigated about him.

Nyx looked at him in awe, holding the kukris in his hands, feeling that his own weapons couldn’t compare, much less leave a dent. For a moment he was certain that Noctis would have been fine against Leviathan without his help and such an intuition found confirmation when Noctis projected the first attack.

It was a blast.

Fueled by the Oracle’s white magic, Noctis warped and slit, weapons serving him like a dozen of new arms. Nothing dared to move again after his lethal and unstoppable contact. Nyx had troubles in following his lead in the chaos but whenever he caught him, he saw him hitting the target with great precision and he felt so proud of him and even more so of Lunafreya, who lent such an outstanding strength to him.

It was then his mind caressed the memory of Luna that he felt his heart ache in the desire of being reunited with her as soon as possible. He quickly gazed the altar and the gods in the distance with renewed resolve and his feet started to move by themselves. First, they trotted, then they ran, and in the end, he warped. Without taking his eyes off Noctis, he got closer to his wife and finally reached for her.

———————

But what he expected to be the fulfillment of his promise and an happy reunion, quickly turned into the worst nightmare when he faced the truth of what happened during his absence. An absence that almost swept away the light from Luna’s eyes.

“Nyx…” she whispered, letting the trident fall and trying to lift herself up from her forearms.

Luna would have thought she was dreaming if the pain she felt reminded her that the time on this world was to a close.

“Lunafreya!”

Luna lifted her chin enough to see the Glaive warping next to her, panic spreading all over his face. She found again all the details she thought she lost forever: the small tattoos, the braids, the shape of his jaw, the perfect lips now split and covered with blood. His strong arms picked her up, touching her with desperation and at the same time, delicately.

“I thought you were d–” Luna started, but her breath halted abruptly, stealing away her words.

Nyx adjusted her in his embrace and checked her out from the point of her head to the tip of her heels. His heart fell in a black abyss as soon as he noticed the wound on her abdomen and the urge of doing something almost brought him to the edge of the sanity.

“I’m fine!” When he screamed, he was angry. Damn, he was so angry. This was not supposed to be happening. “What happened to you? What–?” A grimace of pain moved on Luna’s beautiful forehead and she felt the urge to hide her face in his neck to alleviate her suffering. She wanted to cry because he was real, he was alive, and she was dying instead. Where she was headed was somewhere her Nyx would not be.

“Nyx. Nyx…” Her voice was on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry. I did all that I could, I–”

“Hey, the prince got the Ring, okay? He’s gonna fix this mess. You did it. Now look at me. Stay with me. You’re not dying on my watch, Lunafreya.”

Luna smiled and looked at him expectedly.

“You did your job. You delivered the Ring to Noctis… and you came back as promised.” Nyx got drawn by the sweetness in her tone and in that moment everything around them disappeared, the raging Astrals, the decadent city, the chaos, the wounds. It was just the two of them, looking at each other in the eyes, trying to stop the time and capture eternity in the middle.

“Told you I would,” Nyx whispered, caressing her cheek with the thumb, wiping away the water of the ocean. Or maybe, it was her tears.

“Thank you… My dearest Nyx. Help Noctis now, I beg this of you. I beg you.”

“You still have to tell him about the Ring,” Nyx said, frantically, hoping to offer her more reasons to stay, like his wish to remain forever together wasn’t enough.

Luna surprised him by answering, “I will.”

Her promise left Nyx speechless. Then her lips moved, but no sound that he could make out until he leaned in. She gained all her remaining strength to whisper, “I love you” and closed her eyes, looking so tired and pale.

Nyx’s eyebrows furrowed, panic stirring in his chest as soon as he understood what was happening. The acutest pain hit him and paralyzed him. He wanted to say something but couldn’t. His lips were trembling badly. Tears pushed and asked to be released, but he couldn’t do that either. So he just stared at his wife, numb.

“Nyx!” Nyx recognized the voice. It was Noctis, calling for him from a close distance, like an echo, it barely reached him. Another voice joined, a different one, with an aristocratic accent.

“Noct!” This was Ignis. He arrived there, too.

But the Glaive ignored them both. He kept staring at Luna. He got closer to her lips and pressed his forehead to hers, trying to gift her his warmth, praying in vain to save her.

When he failed, he felt the world stop moving.

—————–

When he almost finished Leviathan off, Noctis had ran toward the altar, sensing Luna’s magic abandoning him. The attempt had caused him pain not only because Leviathan’s hysteria: Bahamut had joined the battle, taking the Goddess of the Sea’s side and throwing the young Prince in the ocean like he was a mere puppet. Noctis couldn’t explain how he survived that.

He felt the Ring calling for him, asking to be used but he did his best to ignore it, certain he had to wait a bit longer. Just a bit longer.

So Noctis swam to the river, Luna’s white magic sneaking away from his veins. As soon as he reached the altar he understood why. She was dying. So pale, so beautiful, curled in Nyx’s arms.

“Nyx!” he called, but then Noctis fell to his knees, a sudden tiredness embraced him. Something else was happening, something inside him. He didn’t even had the time to panic because energies were quickly abandoning him. He had the time to look for the Ring in his pocket, pressing it against the palm of his hand.

“Noct!”

The prince turned aside and noticed Ignis alongside with Ravus. He smiled to his loyal advisor then his sight got blurry. The ring toppled to the pavement and he fainted.

————-

Ravus was still paired up with Ignis when they headed for the altar. But as the High Commander’s breath hitched in seeing his sister’s corpse, Ignis ran to Noctis’ side instead and quickly checked his pulse. Sensing it was still there, he sighed in relief but at the same time searched for the cause of his fainting and founded nothing but the ring beside him. He took it with justified fear and then swallowed, turning around to look at Nyx and Ravus.

The Glaive was huddled there, staring at the woman in his arms. His eyes were empty, haunted by the final words bestowed to him. Not even Ravus, destroyed by seeing his sister lifeless, could equal his level of numbness.

Ignis understood. He understood far better than Noctis or Ravus ever could. He knew what meant dedicating your life to someone and not being able to protect that person in spite of every effort. If Noctis wouldn’t been revived, he would have felt dejected from existence in the same way. So he stood up, thinking of getting closer to Nyx and Ravus to offer them comfort, but there was not time for mourning because the Astrals were still raging in the distance and because someone appeared not very far from them.

“Ardyn!” Ravus seethed, recognizing him.

“Hello there. What a happy reunion in such a distressful time.”

Ignis quickly assumed a defensive position, certain that he wouldn’t have let him closer to Noct or Luna. “Nyx Ulric! On your feet!” he called, praying that the Glaive would abandon his comatose status and react because they needed him now more than ever. “Nyx!”

When Nyx lifted his eyes, there was death inside. "Give me the Ring,” he said.

Ignis gasped. Nyx knew what using the ring would mean. When Insomnia was under attack he saw Ravus using it and suffered the consequences. Lunafreya had told him that Noctis himself - the Chosen one - would have consumed his life for using it. So when he asked to Ignis to hand him the Ring, he knew that what would have been the consequences, but he just didn’t care. Lunafreya, his princess, his wife, his reason to live, had died in his arms and this made him reckless. His life meant nothing now she was gone. He failed his mission. He didn’t protect her. To atone for such a sin, he would have sacrificed his life to kill the murderous Astrals and maybe also the Usurper, so Noctis didn’t have to.

“No, Nyx. Using the Ring is a right reserved to the True King and only Noct –” Ignis started, but got interrupted by the Glaive’s prompt response.

“You wouldn’t use it if it was Noctis in Lunafreya’s place?”

Ignis didn’t reply, averting his gaze with a grimace. So when Nyx reached for the Ring, Ignis hesitated just for a second before handing it over to him. Damn the consequences.

It was fast. Nyx wore it before Ignis’, Ravus’, and Ardyn’s shocked eyes. And the darkness fell on that dimension, bringing Nyx face to face with the powerful kings of the past.

—————————-

Blades of grass caressed Noctis’ cheek and he woke up. At the beginning he couldn’t recognize the perfume of the sylleblossoms, too much time was passed since he last smelled it. Twelve years, probably.

As he stood up and the blue color of the flowers filled his eyes, he understood he was inside a dream, there was no other explanation to such a contrasting scenery. Trapped inside the body of when he was just a eight years old boy, he looked around, searching for Luna, the only one he shared the memory of the sylleblossom field with.

“Noctis?”

There she was, the younger version of her. Blond hair on her tiny shoulders, the cute little dress, she was exactly like he remembered in her fondest memories.

Noctis felt his heart warming up, childhood dreams filling with bittersweet tenderness his mind repressed from the associated pain of her visage.

“Luna?”

“So you found your way here.”

Noctis stood up and looked at her. Once again, they were two children in a flower field, talking surrounded by peace.

“And you found me” Noctis whispered then, comforted by that thought.

“A chance to see you once more. Who would have thought?”

“Luna. Where are we? What’s happening?”

“I needed to have a moment to speak with you, Noctis. Before I go.”

“Go where?”

In that moment, the wind swished graciously and Luna’s beautiful white dress follow the breeze, getting longer in the air. When Noctis lifted his chin to look at her again, the child was gone and an adult woman, mature and emotionally drained, replaced her instead. Still, she was beautiful.

“Where you can’t follow, Noctis. I’m dying. I enjoyed my moments of happiness. Since I left my goodbyes with Tenebrae months ago, I knew this day would have come,” she whispered, but her echo could be heard from the distance in the irisdescent atmosphere. “The Astrals ordained my death and rebelling against them came with a price. I’m ready to the fare as long as you, Nyx, and the all of Eos are preserved.”

The mention of that name in the conversation woke doubts in Noct’s mind. Even if he was trapped inside the body of a child, his memory of an adult was able to reach for the image of Luna dying with Nyx’s lips on hers. That caused him pain but also a dazzling feeling of emptiness.

“You love the Glaive, don’t you?”

Luna let a second pass and then nodded.

“I was happy, Noctis. He made me happy, even for just a little while. So don’t think you couldn’t save me because in a way... He did already when nobody else could.”

Noctis forgot how to use the tongue to speak for at least one minute straight. The feeling inside his heart was confused and uncertain, very similar to the frustration of not being able to do what he always wished to: helping Luna.

“What… What should I do then? What do you want me to do?”

“Your burden is heavy enough. You still must banish the Darkness from our Star, Noctis. Ardyn Izunia is the Usurper and even if we’d succeed in killing the malicious Astrals, he still would try to have his revenge on your lineage. The only power able to destroy him is the one restrained in the Ring, but about that you must be warned of something your father and I never had the courage to share with you.” Luna could barely conceal her sadness looking at the child she shared so many fond memories with. He really cared for her, as much she cared for him. It was about time to speak him the truth and guide him one last time before parting ways. They were like parallel lines, after all, always so close, never destined to entwine.

“What is it about?”

“The Kings ask for a blood price. The Old Wall can be summoned from drawing the essence of your life.”

“Does it mean I’m gonna die…?”

Luna’s heart ached.

“So speaks the prophecy, Noctis.” The spark died in the boy’s eyes and Luna had only a faint hope to offer him. If she would have suggested him a corect line of action which implied saving his life, she would have considered her calling of Oracle really fulfilled. Guiding him was her mission, after all. Making him happy was her wish. “But you can defeat it, together with your best friends and with the loyalty of the Glaives like Nyx. So many people are ready to stand by you all along, Noctis. So many people are ready to challenge fate to see you safe. Not a single life will be taken if you will share your burden with all of them.”

“Share my burden…? How?”

“Inside the Crystal, you’ll find an answer. The Kings of Yore will show mercy to their descendants. Once you’re inside there, your trials will start and you’ll enter into reflection. Remember you’re not alone. If you’ll keep in mind that you don’t have to carry your burden alone, you’ll manage to survive the cruel fate the gods chose for you.”

A sudden and far noise broke the peace of the meadow. The sylleblossoms delicately waved, the earth underneath their feet did, too.

Noctis panicked a bit like the kid he seemed, while Luna looked upon the sky with sad eyes. Understanding what was happening, she got so close to tears and had to battle a lot to be strong.

“What’s going on up there?” Noctis screamed. The dream they were trapped in started to collapse.

“You belong to the realm of the living, Noctis” said Luna then, aware of running out of time, “Godspeed. Reclaim your throne. Nyx has certainly used the Ring already like the stubborn fool he is. Don’t let the Kings burn him alive for his recklessness, I beg of you. Join forces with him.”

The sylleblossoms around them started to melt and moved like waves of water. Still, Noctis had questions.

“What about you?” Luna shook her head in response. “No! Luna!” The mysterious flow pulled Noctis away from his friend and no matter how much the boy streched out to reach for her, he just couldn’t touch her.

Luna didn’t ask to be saved though. She was smiling, because she told Noctis the truth in the end because Noctis would have saved Nyx and together they would have saved the world.

Her duty was done.

Her calling finally fulfilled.

———————

Nyx found himself floating in an indefinite blue space, surrounded by darkness and clueless of what expecting next. He figured that such a place was an alternate dimension used by the Kings to get in touch with the mortals but he couldn’t be sure. Yet, all that space, with no appropriation of space or size, made him even more anxious than he already was. He was sure that the Kings of Lucis wouldn’t have welcomed his impudent initiative, so he stood there alone for a long minute, in silence and uncertainty, contemplating the possibility of his imminent death.

“Show yourselves, Kings of Lucis!” he called out in the end, tired of waiting.

Like they were sparks of blue fire bursting out of a volcano, the spirits of the kings appeared all around him, minacious and powerful. They didn’t make a sound nor move a breeze. What did he expect from ghosts? And Nyx hoped that ghosts may go gentle on him.

“You call upon the wards of this world’s future, mortal. And if you come lusting for our power, you must first stand in our judgment,” one of them started. Nyx thought it was the most important among them so he turned around until he faced him.

“You did nothing as Insomnia burned and now, you did nothing as the woman who did so much to preserve the light in the world - the woman who dared to challenge the gods when nobody of you did – suffered and died. She is the blood of the Oracle, but you let her alone in this fight!”

Nyx’s voice trembled as he spoke so, but didn’t end it there. On the contrary it screamed out loud. He was angry, he was in agony, he was ready to fight not only the Gods but also the ghosts of the Kings of Lucis in order to receive even the slightest hope of bringing Lunafreya back. The pain of having lost her had hurt him so badly that he was ready to try and risk everything. He would have gladly got down in hell, sunk his feet in the river Styx and fought the devil himself if it was necessary. Everything. Everything to keep her safe - or in this case, to bring her back.

He didn’t want to think it was over and that she was lost forever, not yet, but he couldn’t deny that the situation was kinda desperate.

“Man is a fool creature, clinging to his past and cowering from his future” answered the Kings in fact. “Wasting his strength on bygone days. And what future are you wards of? So shortsighted. And cursed never to rise above it. It does not fall to us to guard your city or your woman.”

“But it falls to you to guard the future!” Nyx screamed back.

“Guarding the future is something we do of our own accord. At a time we so choose.”

“The longer you wait, the more the world burns! Old or new, or whatever it is, give me your power. Now! Destroy the gods. Banish the darkness. If you can’t save her, don’t let Lunafreya’s death be in vain!” Nyx’s voice was starting to get not only reckless, but also really desperate. With Lunafreya gone and the prince unconscious, if the Kings of Lucis would have refused to help him too, there would be no hope.

He wanted to save everything and everyone, it was something written in his blood and he couldn’t help with it.

“You do not command us. Yours is not even royal blood.”

That statement hit Nyx’s nerves. He couldn’t believe that the Kings would have been so irrational and stubborn to refuse his request just because he wasn’t a member of the royal family. Truth to be told, he could have asked nicely, but there was no time for it. They had to listen to him, and quickly. So he opened his mouth to try to work out a response and give them a piece of his mind when another voice joined the conversation, interrupting him.

“His may be not. But mine is.”

Nyx boggled and turned around in shock.

He may have not spoken with that voice so often, but he would have recognize it between a milion similar ones.

Noctis was standing there, some steps away from him, lifting his chin to face the Kings, an unspoken courage on the face. He was raising his right hand in the air and it was then when Nyx noticed the ring on his finger. Puzzled and confused, the Glaive checked his own hand, seeing that the ring had dissapeared from there to materialize on the prince’s. This caused an hesitant smile dawning on his face.

“The Ring. How…?” Nyx whispered, adressing to Noctis. “How come you’re here?”

Noctis glanced at him briefly and smiled wryly. “Luna.”

That name made Nyx’s heart lighten and enlarge. “You spoke with her…?” he asked increduolously.

Despite his question, Noctis walked ahead, ignoring him to address the Kings instead.

“Father.” One of the shadows twirled gently and bent down, getting closer to Noctis with obvious familiarity. He didn’t say anything, so Noctis did first, “Grant to Nyx Ulric to go on living. I’m gonna need him as much as I’m gonna need the support of my friends. That’s how I can defeat the prophecy, isn’t it?”

“The prophecy is matter of the gods and the Kings put it into action. You must know by now that the power of the Ring costs a life because it’s fed with vital energy. No one can change this” the mechanical voice of the ghost king replied.

“What if each one of us sacrifice a piece of their own life instead?” Noctis asked it as a question, but he looked pretty confident about his suggestion. “In that case, you’d have your blood debt and we all would survive long enough to enjoy the light of the dawn for years.”

A deep silence fell among the ghosts of the kings.

“Who plotted this scheme?” Someone asked. Surprisingly enough, there was stupor in the question like they were outraged that someone actually dared to elaborate such a proposal.

Noctis didn’t answer but his grin milded with a tender expression, revealing the truth without speaking a word.

Luna.

It was certainly her the one behind the suggestion.

King Regis - it was clear it was him under the solid armor which made him hard to recognize - stepped ahead, slowly. “For years I mourned your fate, Noctis. I would have done anything to save you and I still would. But your life is very high valued, your request cannot be granted so easily. If we accept, how many people would have to share your burden when it was meant to be only yours to bear?”

“I don’t know. How many people died for me until now? Without my knowledge?”

Regis boggled at the veiled accusation, hit right in the feelings. In his mind shocking images of Insomnia’s destruction probably appeared, because he immediately seemed to submit.

“I’m sorry, Noctis. I was only trying to spare you the pain... I thought your destiny couldn’t be changed.”

Noctis’ face frowned in suffurance. “I wish I knew about what gods had in store for me, Dad. We would have find a solution together. And maybe … you’d still be here, too.” The boy almost started to cry but he quickly hid the feelings behind a mask of resolution, determined to settle down the right priorities. He looked at his finger, were the ring was positioned. Glowing with a menacious shade of red, it looked like an horrible instrument of death.

“But we can still change destiny, Dad. I’m going to get home back. Trust me. Believe in me.

King Regis took a long minute before nodding. For some reason, Nyx imagined he was smiling under the helm.

“My wayward son is ready to be a king, then” he said then, a voice so human in spite of the eerie reverberations. And he stepped back, to rejoin the rest of the Kings. “He’s right. A lot of people will be ready to lend him their strength. We must prepare to pay our blood debt and Noctis will do what he must. Let’s grant him our power and send the Glaive back with him.”

There was a long silence, but for some reason, the King who spoke first - the most hostile one - didn’t bother to object. It was like he trusted King Regis completely even if he was technically the latest addition to the club.

“Very well, Chosen. You and the impudent Glaive return to the realm of the living. We’ll grant you our powers. And then you’ll enter into Reflection, for you, the journey has just begun.”

But Noctis didn’t seem to be satisfied yet.

“The world is going to need a guide while I’m inside the Crystal. Who should I trust for this? Ravus? I don’t think so. You all know that Eos always looked to only one person for inspiration,” he added, knowing exactly he was crossing a line he shouldn’t have get close to. Asking to the Kings a ressurection when he just obtained the greatest powers almost for free was really… audacious. In spite of this, there was the sparkle of a smile on his lips. Like he knew that Kings wouldn’t ever deny anything to their beloved last heir.

Nyx realized he was not so shameless compared to him. And for this reason, he promised his eternal loyalty to that young King instantly.

“Now, now, Young King. We take lives, we don’t give them” one of the Ancestors replied though. “The favor you’re asking is something only the gods are able to grant. Throw them on your feet and they shall do as you order. They will give back the life they slowly sucked away all along. The Oracle is not of our concern.”

Noctis turned. He and Nyx shared a deep and meaningful glance.

Nyx didn’t know what to say, so great was the confusion and the emotion. He just saw history being written under his very own eyes and he could barely realize it.

“Of course. The Six ripped off Luna of her white magic, and if we kill them one by one, they’re gonna give back what they took. Luna’s life included. So, we can stick to our original plan” Noctis whispered, opening the palms of his hands and closing his eyes. The Ring glowed again, glowing red, and Nyx understood they were going back to reality with an unbelievable pact sealed with the old Kings of Lucis. Unable to formulate into words the strong emotion he felt inside, he just stepped ahead, closer to Noctis. As he reached for his shoulder, King Regis interrupted him in the attempt of stealing another promise.

“Nyx Ulric. You used the Ring and this will take a major tool on you, no matter if you’ll survive or not. The old wall is no joke and you was so reckless to ask for it. However, I am getting used to trust you with the lives of the dearest people I still have on earth, because I know you didn’t let me down and never will. Take care of my son.”

Nyx took only one instant to figure what Regis wanted to say. The Ring was made of black magic, the darkest and the most powerful one. If it was true that the life price would have requested a certain amount of strength from Noctis’ best friends, a major price would have come upon Nyx, because he dared to use the Ring, going way too far. He couldn’t think of playing with fire without getting burned. At the same time, he couldn’t regret trying. So he nodded with a serious expression.

Regis probably was satisfied of his courage, so he added, “However, once that Luna is back, she will help you fighting the darkness of the Ring’s repercussions. Godspeed.”

And if that was the deal to be struck, the darkness didn’t scare him.

So, he smirked like he was used to, “Where do I sign?”

——————-

With a flash made of light, they returned back to reality.

Ardyn didn’t got any closer and the Gods were still raging behind, so both Nyx and Noctis realized that just a couple of seconds had passed since they left the real world to speak with the Gods.

So they didn’t lose any more time, they both sprinted up on their feet and summoned their weapons, Nyx the kukris, Noctis all the ancestral weapons in his arsenal. Shoulders against shoulders, they shared a nod and silently agreed on what to do.

They parted ways without even the need to wish each other “good luck”, because no luck was needed. They both had the power of the Kings of the past and that was an assurance of victory already.

Noctis threw himself agaist the Astrals first, knowing they were the priority if they wanted to clear the path to Ardyn and if they wanted Luna back. With the Ring on his finger he was unstoppable and lethal while Leviathan was heavily injured already. He didn’t took a lot of time to knock them off, one by one, but Nyx didn’t notice anyway. In fact, everything happened so fast that Nyx could barely aknowledge the sequence of action at all. He didn’t have the time to see Noctis killing Leviathan and Bahamut, then Ifrit, then summoning Titan and Ramuh and dispose of them too. He didn’t have the time because he was busy keeping Ardyn occupied until Noctis would have been back and he did it amazingly.

Like Regis’ ghost warned him, the power of the ring was taking a toll on his body already. He was feeling the dark magic of the Kings running through his veins, leaving marks similar to burning cinders on his skin. In spite of this, he didn’t bother. He would have kept the promise he made to Regis: he would have stood by Noctis side, no matter at what cost. He would have gifted him his own vital energy at the right moment. And he would have survived to see Luna running back in his arms.

Nyx learned that hope was the most powerful magic in his own arsenal. Without it, he wouldn’t have been the hero everyone labeled him with when for the first time in forever, he felt to stand the title.

Thinking of this, the power of the ring overwhelmed him to the point he completely lost the control on time. Maybe the pride and the self condidence were pushing him towards the darkness quicker than he could expect. Once again, he didn’t care.

Ignis and Ravus came to help him and that was when Ardyn himself started to lose the fight. All of a sudden, the Usurper couldn’t avoid the blows delivered by the kukris, nor the trajectory of the magic, and Nyx felt the darkness inside him getting stronger and stronger, he lost his soul to it.

He kept casting death spells, until the climax brought him to the point where he could barely remember how to breathe.

That was the moment when a voice called for him.

“Nyx, that’s enough.”

He couldn’t stop immediately, even if he wanted to. He kept attacking Ardyn, like another wave of darkness had deleted his rationality, replacing it with pure fury. It was not until he recognized the voice calling him that he halted.

“Nyx.”

He gasped.

His vision blurred.

He stopped this time.

He let the kukris falling on the ground and all of a sudden he felt like the powers of the ring abbandoned him, which made him kneel down and almost faint. His heart missed a beat, confused by the lack of adrenaline he previously lost himself to. If a pair of pale arms didn’t embrace him, he would have certainly crushed his face to the ground.

The scent of her hair hit him first. Then the warmth of her skin. Nyx sighed deeply, finding relief even before completely aknowledging what was happening. He used his last reserves of strength to hug her so tight that he feared losing her if he didn’t hold her close.

“Ardyn is gone,” she whispered in his ear, delicate like a sylleblossom and gentle as a breeze.

He was not instead. Trembling and panting, the Glaive asked harshly, “Is he dead?”

“No, my love. But he will be, one day. By the hand of our King, not ours.”

Fair enough.

Only then, Nyx sighed deeply, slowing regaining control on his muscles. As the power of the kings started to leave his body, he felt the skin melting and the brain going empty. He almost wanted to cry to give to vent the numbess, but he ended up abandoning himself to her, burying his nose in her hair.

“We both did enough, Nyx. Let’s take a break.”

Her voice was so calm, and that was the only thing that prevent him from falling apart.

Nyx flinched back to look at her, eager to involve other senses in the relief of having her back. And Lunafreya was there, real and alive. He admired the square shape of her jaw, the bones of her collarbone, the crystal blue of her beautiful eyes. She was covered in powder and dirty water, but she never looked so human and beautiful. He immediately reached for her cheeks, to caress them and wipe away a tear stemming from the source.

“You’re back,” he whispered, still shaking. The spirals similar to burning cinder reached his neck, but the only touch of Lunafreya’s hand took it away with a glow. Her healing magic was his cure. Not even when he made love to her thinking there was no tomorrow, he felt more intimately connected to her like when she cured him in that specific situation. She literally sucked away the darkness inside him with the delicate touch of her fingers and that felt like heaven. With a sigh of relief, he leaned forward to kiss her smile. When they interrupted the kiss a minute later, she finally managed to nod.

“What did you offer to the Kings in exchange of my life?”

“Nothing more than what we already planned to offer. The lives of the Six.”

Luna opened her mouth in disbelief and immediately checked the marks on her stomach. Nothing was visible under her thin and white dress, which meant they were all gone. The knife wound created by Ardyn was gone, too, and only the stain of the dark blood smudged the fabric. The destruction of the gods inverted the course of her destiny, exactly like they originally expected. When Noctis killed them, their death gave back her life, her magic and her health.

Realizing this, Luna gasped but the shock on her face was well concealed by the calm of her inner confusion. She was just too surprised to actually show it. She just stood like that, Nyx’s hands on hers, and said nothing.

In the meantime, around them the fog had cleared, revealing that Ardyn had dissapeared. Ravus and Ignis - exausted by the surreal fight - limped toward Nyx’s and Luna’s direction, dismay on their faces that in Ravus’ case quickly turned into excitement.

“Lunafreya!” he screamed, shamelessly stealing her from Nyx’s arms to hug her like he never did before. Luna gladly accepted his affection for once, wondering why she had to die before seeing his brother act like when they were children. “You were dead. How…?”

Nyx stood up with difficulty, looking at the weird spirals on his burning skin slowly dissapear, leaving behind scars. Shelving the mixed feelings he had towards the Ring’s blood price and Noctis’ survival, he focused on the view of Altissia around them.

Destruction and chaos was everywhere.

The corpse of the gods had dissapeared immediately after their death, but the signs of their rage remained in the felled buildings and broken bridges. The darken clouds in the sky opened a little, so the weak rays of sunshine could touch the flowers destroyed by the water, the upside down tables and chairs of the restaurants and the broken glasses of the windows. It was a distressing view, but Nyx could only feel relief.

The Gods were gone. Somehow, they accomplished the impossible. But if the battle was won, so it wasn’t the war. Izunia was still alive and he would have spread the Darkness upon all Eos.

As a matter of fact, he looked for Noctis and noticed him up there where what was left of the altar was located. He stood all alone with the Crystal next to him. Even from the distance, the ring on his had was extremely visible, as much as the sad expression on his face.

His eyes met Nyx’s, and he smiled. That look meant a lot for them both. It meant “I will be back soon I promise”, “go, we’ll settle the rest”, “hold on until the day I will reclaim the throne”, “take care of them” and also … “take care of her”. Nyx somehow understood all the layers of the glance and simply nodded, clenching the jaw in a nervous and silent movement.

Then, Noctis quickly glanced back at Ignis, looking for Prompto and Gladiolus who were running in their direction. A soft smile warmed up his expression. In that moment, Nyx noticed that something was different in him, already. His way of standing tall was different, his shoulders were straighten up, his face looked more mature. And when he turned his back to his friends to enter inside the Crystal, Nyx observed the awareness in his walking.

The young prince would have been a great King once he would have come out of the Crystal. He would have lived long enough to rule well on Eos, sharing his burden with his loyal friends. With him, too.

While he was thinking at this, Luna’s fingers slid between Nyx’s ones, delicate as feathers. The Glaive turned to watch her positioning next to him, holding up to his arm. Her eyes were glowing like diamonds under the rays of the sun, a sun that would have shown rarely in the next years.

Nyx found inspiration in watching her, knowing that she would have lead Eos during Noctis’ absence, spreading hope in his return.

So, it was it. The moment of the separation had come. Darkness would have fallen upon them. But it would have been temporary.

Nyx and Luna stood in silent reverence as they watched their future King dissapear inside the Crystal, leaving the burden of the world on their shoulders.

#lunyx #lunafreya nox fleuret #nyx ulric #final fantasy xv #kingsglaive #ffxv #see luna safe to altissia #obina writes and this is weird

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spectreblanc · 7 years ago

Text

Why Episode Ignis SUCKS!

So, here I am.

Episode Ignis is morally corrupt AND bad for the gaming industry. I'm serious. This kind of catering to the fans could seriously ruin the gaming industry if it isn't ruined already.

I wasn't originally going to say anything about what I thought of Episode Ignis, and I'm aware that this will probably earn me a steady stream of hate on this blog, but I don't care because I really hate the way Tabata just keeps vomiting out whatever he THINKS we want to see. And when said "vomit" comes in the form of some VERY disturbing themes- not only within the narrative, but in story-telling itself- that's when I just gotta say something.

None of this is fan theories or trying to figure out what's really happened or trying to fill in plot holes. It's clear both endings have plot holes. This blog is just WHAT'S WRONG WITH EPISODE IGNIS AND WHY I HATED IT. And why, in my opinion, it didn't fix anything.

I've compiled my reasons into one little...big blog. Divided into chapters for organization.

(I'm not borrowing anybody's opinions or theories, btw. I wrote this blog before I even knew anyone had similar fan reactions to mine about the alternate ending.)

The date I started writing this in One Note was Dec 14, in case anyone is interested. No? Okay.

So buckle up, and don't say I didn't warn you...

HEAVY SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

CHAPTERS:

1. IGNIS IS OUT OF CHARACTER 2. IGNIS IS A SELFISH PRICK 3. IGNIS TAKES OVER EVERONE ELSE'S ROLE 4. THE ORIGINAL STORY'S BUILD-UP AND CLIMAX IS GROSSLY OFFSET 5. WHY THE ORIGINAL STORY IS BETTER 6. COMPARING FFXV'S STORY TO OTHER GREAT EPICS 7. BAD MORAL/MESSAGE 8. THIS ENDING IS NOT CANON 9. PURE FANSERVICE 10. LINGERING QUESTIONS 11. OTHER THINGS I PERSONALLY DIDN'T LIKE 12. IN CONCLUSION

Okay, saying episode Ig sucks is kind of shameless clickbait, I admit. The episode proper was actually great and I really enjoyed it. It was compelling, exciting and answered enough questions. The alternate ending part... Not so much.

Keep in mind that most of my criticism is directed toward the Alternate Ending, and from a story-teller's vantage point, but there is a bit directed toward the main episode as well. And this is just STORY criticism. The gameplay elements of Episode Ignis and the visuals and music were great. No complaints there.

So, let's get started!

1. IGNIS IS OUT OF CHARACTER

We're all familiar with the bespectacled, level-headed, pensive advisor that is Ignis Scientia. With his cool logical methods, he is the one the bros- and most importantly Noct- rely on as their anchor. The voice of reason in the medley of chaotic situations which they often find themselves. But, watch out! Throw a magic ring and a prophetic vision into the mix, and he becomes a one-man recipeh for disaster, who's ready to literally burn the world! See what I mean:

-Ignis doesn't use any of the cool decision-making skills we've come to expect from him in the main game. He's all raw emotion and flights of fancy now.

-He's never shown signs of obsessive protectiveness over Noct before. He cares, yes, but one little vision makes him completely lose his ability to examine the situation and think clearly. This is a direct contradiction to everything we've previously learned about his personality!

-The creators of episode Ignis also based the alternate ending on the comradeship that was built up in the story parts that THEY CUT OFF. The close bonds that the bros come to forage during the later parts of the game never happen, thus making their actions (and especially IGNIS'S actions) unrealistic. Remember, all that's happened to the bros at this point is a few hours on the road trip in the regalia, they've captured a few summons, collected a few weapons... Nothing has really happened. No death, no vision loss, Ignis and the others act like the story proper has already taken place.

2. IGNIS IS A SELFISH PRICK

The alternate ending seems innocent enough. Ardyn threatens to kill Ignis, and he has little choice but to put on the ring and defend himself. But it's what Ignis says first that is highly disturbing. Ignis's words are at best emotionally compromised-- at worst, EVIL. Let's listen in on some quotes:

-"This world means nothing to me. Do with it as you wish!" (To Ardyn) (TO ARDYN!!!!)

-"A world without him isn't worth saving!" ??? What about Prompto and Gladio? What about Iris, Cindy, Cid and Aranea, you BLATHERING BOBBY-SOCK??? ...Actually they never make nice with Aranea if this happens, do they... Huh.

-"I refuse to let Noctis sacrifice himself!" Again, "I refuse to do this." "I refuse to do that." Ignis isn't thinking about what is really best for Noct and the others. He's thinking about himself and what he wants or doesn't want. Isn't that Noct's choice? Did you ask him? Ig only wants it to go HIS way. Like, Dude, just because your bud might die, you'll let the world burn? That's not your choice!

And I'm sorry, this isn't self sacrificing or beautiful. It's DANGEROUS for Ignis to be thinking this way, much less get praised for it. He's willing to throw away everything everyone has sacrificed up until that point. Regis, Luna, Nyx, EVERYBODY. Ignis didn't 'rebel against fate'. He acted selfishly without consulting any of his friends, and only by the good grace of Tabata did it work.

-Ignis doesn't believe in Noctis. Regis and Luna both believed in him, but Ignis sees one vision and freaks the hell out. He is like: "No, I will make all these decisions for Noct. I will not allow him to decide if he wants to go through with it. I'll risk burning the world down instead." Whatever happened to "Stand by Me"?

-after he learns of Noct's potential death, Ignis tries to make Noctis discontinue his journey. Even though he knows now that Noct is the only one who has the power to save the world! And just as Noct is beginning to realize how important it is! Just on the heels of Luna's death! He's only thinking that he doesn't want Noct to die because he's SELFISH.

-Ignis treads dangerously close to the same path as Ardyn in the alternate ending and it's NOT RIGHT that he can do the same thing, yet have a better result. Selfishness ALWAYS leads to harming those we wish to protect most.

-I CAN'T BELIEVE THE LUCII FOUND HIM WORTHY OF THEIR POWER WHEN HE JUST DECLARED HE WOULD LET ARDYN BURN THE WORLD DOWN! Sense made: 0%

3. IGNIS TAKES OVER EVERONE ELSE'S ROLE

Say hello to you new protagonist everybody! Ignis Scientia effectively usurps the lead position from Noctis. (And everybody else's positions too.) Watch this:

-Ignis takes over Noct's role of the game's protagonist/hero.

-Ignis takes over Gladio's role as Noct's guardian. He says something like: "I swore an oath to protect him!" No, Ignis. That's Gladio's job. You are a cook, remember? Now be a good boy and come up with a new recipeh for us.

-Ignis takes over Prompto's role as Ardyn's hostage in Gralea.

-Ardyn reveals his true identity to Ignis (a complete stranger) and Noctis never finds out??? Idk.

-Ignis takes over Ardyn’s role as the guy who’s gonna burn the world.

-Ignis takes everyone's role for himself except his own, which was to be the pensive, intelligent and dependable advisor. He totally takes leave of his brain!

4. THE ORIGINAL STORY'S BUILD-UP AND CLIMAX IS GROSSLY OFFSET

-The train ride to Gralea, Noctis coming to terms with Luna's death, finding the strength to wear the ring-- all this character development and story arcs NEVER HAPPEN! Noct just decides on the spot that he's gonna hop right into the crystal and... That's basically it. No doubts or fears or hesitation like he had in the original story. Nope, we skip all the development and cut right to the chase. The previous build-up made him a human, relatable and interesting character. It made us stand up and cheer for Noct. Now, just the sight of Ignis messed up on the ground and BOOM! Skip straight to the ending. Character development and struggles be damned! Such an immediate decision as Noct makes is not only highly unrelated to his character, but doesn't even make for a good story. I don't know how people say it does.

-Everything becomes too easy. Luna's death and Iggy's vision loss stirs up some serious turbulence that the bros have to work out before they continue their journey. All this is skipped in the alternate ending.

-Ignis's vision loss becomes just a tease.

-There's no penalty for using the ring's ultimate power to banish Ardyn for good. Noctis's survival doesn't make any sense. It's kinda easy to defy fate when there's no consequences for any of your actions, eh? Seriously, there's no consequences to putting on the ring and summoning the Knights of the Round to defeat Ardyn and restore light. This is wildly out of whack with every way the ring's magic has worked until this point. (That is: draining life force in exchange for magic.)

-Noctis doesn't die defeating Ardyn now? Just because Ig used the ring on him ten years ago, doesn't mean he's still weakened all this time later. And if it does, then we should just do this all the time. There's no good explanation for this that I've seen.

-And why would Ardyn still go through with his plan. I mean, you can't exact revenge on your own bloodline and the crystal if you're not strong enough to at least take him down with you, Ard.

-Luna and Noctis's "love story" (big fan) is stepped all over. Not that it was well written to begin with, but now her death has no effect on Noctis or anything that comes after. I guess Tabata's no good with commitment to relationships.

-Ignis trying to "change fate" is like saying every other character didn't try to figure out EVERY possible way to save Noctis. Do you think Luna wouldn't have tried to find a way to save her only friend? DO YOU THINK REGIS WOULDN'T HAVE TRIED TO FIND A WAY TO SAVE HIS OWN SON?? No, they were basically stuck-up bigots who were willing to sacrifice Noct because it was convenient. Yep. Not buying it. I mean, Ravus looked for years for another way for Luna to fulfill her calling without spending life force (even selling his own soul in the process) and couldn't do it, and suddenly Iggy just snaps his fingers and BOOM! "I've come up with a new way to fix everything!" Imma call bogus on that one.

-Now the Genesis artwork makes no sense, because Noct never had a blind companion.

-Luna's t- t-...tr...TRUE feelings for Noct are never disclosed via Gentiana/Shiva.

-Ardyn is now on the losing end for the bulk of the game. Horrible dramatization!

-The world of darkness now has reduced meaning because everyone now knows Noct is gonna be back and kick Ardyn's backside in a bit.

5. WHY THE ORIGINAL STORY IS BETTER

I say "story" and not "ending" because it's pretty obvious how much of a change there is to the story, depending on which ending you choose.

So, there's a generally accepted fan theory that Noctis never had a choice in his destiny and was basically funnelled down the path to complete it by the prophecy and/or the Astrals and/or the Knights of the Round. Not going to name any names, of course, but there's this thing that the FFXV fandom says: "Noctis never had a choice but to sacrifice himself. That he was the slave of the prophecy and the Astrals were using him." That he was a victim of circumstance. That it "wasn't fair". Like somehow the prophecy and Astrals were forcing Noct to kill himself.

I've never seen any real evidence to support this. On the contrary, no one is forcing Noctis to do this. The prophecy's not something you can rebel against. A prophecy is just a foretelling of something that is to come. It doesn't force anybody to do anything. In fact, it's only fair that Noctis know what's coming if he chooses to go through with his destiny. A last chance to turn and run from it if he so wishes. In fact, it would be unfair if he had no warning whatsoever.

The magic of the ring is what kills Noct. We know that the more magic one uses, the more life force is drained (see KG and ep Ig). Like simple Physics: what goes up must come down. He who uses the magic must sacrifice life force. That's what magic runs on. (like king Regis ages more quickly as he uses magic to keep up the new wall) It's nobody's fault. As the only one with the power to use as much magic needed to defeat Ardyn, (even the Astrals can't) Noctis has a choice to make. Surrender his life force to kill Ardyn, or give up and run. THAT is Noct's choice.

And he makes conscious decisions to sacrifice himself many times throughout the story. This is what makes our heroes and heroines worth looking up to. Putting aside their own desires and doing the best for everyone.

"I think I can do it... I won't let you down!" He tells Luna.

Still, Noctis had many chances to run. He could have turned from his responsibility and turned back. But he knew his Dad and Luna and the bros and the WORLD was counting on him. By the time he emerges from the crystal we see his resolve. He's made his decision and he'll see it through. Because only HE can. Only the chosen. By the ending campfire scene and when he takes Prompto's photo as a keepsake, it's clear he'd made his choice. And the bros RESPECT IT. They STAND BY HIM. There's none of this second-guessing stuff or making decisions for Noct.

As for being a victim of circumstance, aren't all heroes?

Ardyn, for one. Here we have an example of a man who could have been a hero, but his jealousy of his brother led him to do things that led him to hurting those he once swore to help. Noctis didn't let this responsibility drag him into the depths of despair and spite like Ardyn did.

The important thing is that Noctis makes the right choice. If he didn't, he would have ended up like poor, corrupted, jealous Ardyn.

As I said before, Ignis treads dangerously close to the same path as Ardyn in the alternate ending, and it's NOT RIGHT that he can do the same thing, yet achieve a better result. Selfishness ALWAYS leads to harming those we wish to protect most.

A direct corruption of morals.

6. COMPARING FFXV'S STORY TO OTHER GREAT EPICS

Seems like a good time to reference Lord of the Rings, since it's obvious Final Fantasy gets a lot of inspiration from there:

For example: It was never Frodo's choice to inherit Sauron's ring of power, but as the story progresses, he learns to accept his burden, because he understands that if he can't destroy it, then no one will. Even as it becomes abundantly clear that it will cost him his life. It's the doubt and fear that Frodo overcomes that makes him a true hero. He's faced with a situation no one would choose, but isn't that how all heroes are made? In the end he chooses to do what's right.

Likewise Noctis: As the chosen King of light, Noctis finds himself in a situation no one would choose. But it's how he handles it-- forces on in spite of everything -- because he knows it has to be done. And like Frodo, he finds himself the only one who has the means to do it. And he does it because it's the RIGHT thing.

And that's the ONLY kind of hero worth looking up to.

Other elements of the two stories match up too, like four protagonists set out on a journey, one with a very special mission, although they all will have to sacrifice part of themselves to see it through.

Speaking of which, let's take a look at the similarities between the theme songs:

In Dreams, by Howard Shore:

When the cold of winter comes, Starless night will cover day, In the veiling of the sun , We will walk in bitter rain, But in dreams, I can hear your name, And in dreams, We will meet again,

And now Stand by Me, by Ben E. King:

When the night has come, And the land is dark, And the moon is the only light we'll see, No, I won't be afraid, Oh, I won't be afraid, Just as long as you stand, Stand by me,

As you can see, both songs tell of the world being enveloped in darkness, but the bravery of the heroes spurs them on to complete their task with the help of their friends, because the world and all good things in the world DEPEND ON IT.

And, yes it's nice if there's an easy way out. A quick way to escape hardship and possible death. And in real life this even happens a lot, but those are the stories you never hear about because there's no sacrifice, effort and determination in them. For instance, if the Great eagles were to grab the ring of power, fly over to Mt. Doom and plop it in the lava, that wouldn't be a real story worth listening to.

Likewise, if Iggy were to put on the ring of the Lucii FOR Noctis, and defeat Ardyn halfway through the game, pretty much skipping the journey and the evolution of the characters, then that wouldn't be a good story, would it?

Why do you think you're so heart broken when Noctis finally does decide to sacrifice himself? Because, you got to know him and his friends throughout their journey. Their struggles. You felt like you were actually there through the ups and downs, observing all their actions. Taking part even. Through their hardship you learned to LOVE these characters and care about the choices they make.

That's how it should be. That's what makes every good story GREAT.

Look around. All your favourite stories follow the same pattern. It's not something we can dispense with to make ourselves feel better. It's OUR responsibility not to.

Okay, that got a lot deeper a lot faster than it had to, but you have to see, that Noct's sacrifice is in no way unfair or bogus. It's HIS choice.

7. BAD MORAL/MESSAGE

-So, the message the alternate ending portrays is basically: "Just act irrationally and irresponsibly on your own whims and desires. Without consulting your friends and the people who's decision this REALLY is. Things will come up aces ;)"

-Throw out your rational-thinking self-sacrificing heroes boys and girls, because here's one hot-head who NONE of the rules apply to!

-Heroes are made by the great deeds they do, and the obstacles they overcome. I guess heroes don't overcome their struggles anymore. They just go berserk and look for the quickest, easiest way out. And yay! They find it! What d'ya know. ;p

-The theme of Final Fantasy is not necessarily to "rebel against fate, or the powers that be". The theme of Final Fantasy has always been to overcome your obstacles, push forward and to do WHAT'S RIGHT, no matter the circumstance. No matter what the cost. Even if it's your own life. That's what's always been important about the Final Fantasy games I'VE played. That's the message I've always taken away from not only the Final Fantasy stories, but all great adventures in general. That's the true message to be learned.

8. THE ALTERNATE ENDING IS NOT CANON

-People have noted already that the ending is called "Possibilities" therefore indicating that you can take it or leave it. Like something that might have happened if Ignis had taken Ardyn up on his deal to come to Gralea.

-You can only play the alternate ending if you ALREADY played the first one, which leads one to believe that that's how the game is supposed to be played.

-You're seriously gonna make me invest in a DLC to get the "Canon" ending? (A whole year after the game came out?)

-Square Enix has even confirmed that the ending is not canon, but rather a 'possibility'.

9. PURE FANSERVICE

-Just because fans bugged hard enough for an easy way out. A blatant suck-up! At a time when fan service is butchering the industry! Calling this disaster "canon" is giving Tabata an easy way out of his responsibility. A responsibility to do it right the FIRST time, not just patch all your mistakes later. (If you can call this "patching") We paid for the GAME, not fan service.

-We all wish for that perfect ending where nobody dies and everything turns up roses, but at the cost of proper development, REAL heroic sacrifices and grievances and battle scars, I say NO.

10. LINGERING QUESTIONS AND PLOT HOLES

-So, remember that part when Noctis is lying there on the ground, and Ignis is lying there too and Ardyn offers to take Ignis to Gralea to lure Noctis to the crystal...? The key words were: Noctis is just lying there... Yep.

-What's up with those visions? Luna sending them? There's no way she would send those to him, because why? He's a random stranger who will just freak out and burn down the world if he sees them. It seems only to set up the alternate ending. And that makes me really mad. There's no way Luna would give Ignis the idea to turn from his path. Not after how strongly she and Regis and everybody believed in Noct. There's NO reason Ignis needs to know this. UGH!

-Why does the ring hurt when Ig puts it on? It didn't hurt Nyx.

-Ardyn reveals his true identity to Ignis (a complete stranger) and Noctis never finds out??? Idk.

-Why does Ardyn taunt Ignis (a total stranger) into thinking he's going to kill Noct? What purpose does that serve?

-Why was Ardyn shocked to see the ring in the alternate ending, but in the main episode he wasn't worried?

-Why could Noctis command the crystal so easily in the alternate ending, when it was ignoring him in the main game?

-What happened to the Niflhiem Empire? Did Ardyn still kill Iedolas?

-Why doesn't Ardyn kill Ravus/turn him into a demon? So much for wiping out the bloodline of the oracle. :p

-How come in the original story, Ravus is fooled by Ardyn disguising himself (as Noct),and Ardyn then kills him, but in ep Iggy, he sees right through the fake Gladio?

-And to top it all off, Iggy walks up to Noct at the end and mouths "Your Majesty", which is already starting to spark theories that that was ARDYN! Personally, I don't buy into the theory, but why the tease?????

11. OTHER THINGS I PERSONALLY DIDN'T LIKE

-It was short. Come on, we waited until December for and hour and a half of gameplay? Episode Prompto was way longer and fuller. (And raised a lot less questions...)

-All fangirl squealing aside, Iggy's outfit changes were kinda lame.

-All that money spent on an alternative ending when the main game is starving for patches...?

-Throughout the episode proper, we get dumb clips that intentionally set up the alternate ending. Like those visions and Ravus not dying/turning into a demon. They don't even serve a purpose into the main story.

-The blatant disregard for commitment to a story.

-The voice acting was a bit off in parts. Like, sometimes Iggy is just standing there screaming. Lol

-Ignis didn't come up with ONE new recipe!

12. IN CONCLUSION

-Tabata is spineless!

-Ahem, sorry. So yeah. Everything in this new ending is pretty messed up. The first one had it's issues, but this one to me is 10,000,000,000,872.5 times worse. It's hollow, with no backbone, and plays out like a cheesy fan fic I would pass up on AO3.

-Look, I love sweety, fluffy, nonsensical endings and happily ever afters and shippy ships too, but if Tabata sees the rate at which we're lapping up this sugar and rainbow vomit, he'll wonder why he should even waste time developing fleshed out characters with real struggles and cohesive stories, and we'll be stuck in this cheap fan service HELL forever! And that's disrespectful to true story tellers and well established character arcs everywhere! Disrespectful to the name of Final Fantasy!

-So yeah. That's all I wanted to say. I'll say no more on why I hate the alternate ending, because I know a lot of people liked it. I just wanted my friends to know why I'm won't be hopping up on this alternate ending train any time soon. ^^

Thanks for reading. Stay epic, you guys!

#Episode Ignis #spoilers #ignis scientia #final fantasy xv #ffxv #Spectre Writes

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bgn846 · 4 years ago

Text

The Niflheim Experiment Chapter 10

Gladio hadn’t expected an all-out shouting match between Ravus and Luna during dinner. Things had started off well enough given who was in attendance. Noct had been invited to their little get-together and it was obvious that Ravus wasn’t happy about it. However, that wasn’t what the argument was over. He could curse his stupid brain sometimes. Gladio had foolishly lamented the lack of a plan against the empire during the last course. This in turn set the gears in motion for what was going on right now.

Ravus was convinced Luna factored into the empires' plans and he felt they should be doing more to ensure her safety. Luna on the other hand figured they were in the safest place they could be. Behind a magical barrier. She was more concerned for Noct, who was sitting shock still and biting his lip with worry. The prince had tried a few times to butt into the conversation but Ravus cut him off every single time.

Gladio really needed to sit down and talk to Luna about her brother. She knew how to press his buttons something fierce. He was surprised they’d lasted this long without blowing up at each other. Ignis had even stopped trying to interject, and he was used to dealing with pushy councilmembers.

Waiting for a small break so he could try and add his opinion never came to fruition. Gladio watched in disbelief as Ravus slammed his fist on the table and yelled loudly. Without another word he got up and stormed out. Unsure if he should follow or not he looked to Luna and winced at the sight, she was crying. Noct, though not yet well versed in matters of the heart was by her side in an instant.

Looking back to Ignis he threw his hands up helplessly. Gladio had no idea what he should do. “Should I go after him?” he asked softly so only Ignis would hear him, which wasn’t hard given the sobs coming from the other side of the table.

“You can try but don’t push too hard,” Ignis offered in a hushed tone.

“Call me if something else happens,” he whispered before getting up and going out to try and find Ravus. He wasn’t sure if the man had left the suite or was sulking somewhere nearby. It appeared luck was on Gladio’s side when he spied the French doors open in the sitting room. Taking a deep breath he slowly approached and announced his presence. Ravus was a fighter he didn’t want to get run through for moving too fast.

“Ravus, don’t stab me or anything, can we talk?” he ventured. Nothing but silence followed his question. Maybe he wasn’t out on the balcony. Sighing heavily Gladio trudged over to the doors and poked his head out. Honestly, the sight that greeted him made his breath hitch. Ravus was indeed out on the balcony, and he looked like he was crying. Nothing like his sister, but the guy was displaying emotions other than a permanent scowl.

Unsure of whether he should stay or not Gladio began slowly back away, “sorry for disturbing you, I just wanted --.”

“Why doesn’t she understand,” Ravus hissed, “I can’t lose her. Not after what –what happened with mother.”

Instantly feeling guilty for having never made time to talk with Luna, Gladio ducked his head in shame. “Sorry for not helping, I know you asked me to talk to your sister, I’ve not made time.”

“This isn’t your fault Gladio,” Ravus huffed. “Our lives have been seriously fucked up for a while. Also, not your fault!” Ravus cut in quickly. “I agree with you now, the sins of the father shouldn’t be put on the son.”

“Uh,” Gladio was little lost for words. The last time they’d talked Ravus didn’t sound like he’d be changing his mind about that topic anytime soon. “Why?” he asked in confusion. “I mean you seemed pretty set on your feelings earlier.”

Ravus shook his head in frustration. “I’ve seen how he acts; it’s nothing like his father. He tries to play the part of the prince, but he’s still so young.”

Gladio could only nod in response, he was speechless. Ravus didn’t hate Noct.

“I wonder what he would have done if it had happened to him if he’d been in Regis’ place when the empire attacked Tenebrae,” Ravus asked with a somber tone.

“He’d have probably tried to fight back, I just don’t know if he would have succeeded.” Gladio lamented with a sigh.

“I would like to think the same, though as you’ve told me before, staying to fight most likely wouldn’t have gone very well.”

“We are still no closer to coming up with a way to defeat the empire. According to everything you, Aranea, and Loqi have told us, there’s an army out there growing by the minute. Its just a matter of time before they come knocking on our door wanting to pick a fight.”

“Yes, well at least we don’t have to go through that awful charade of trying to marry my sister off to Noct. If the emperor comes a calling, do not open the door.” Ravus huffed.

“Easy for you to say, not having a plan in place is sorta driving me nuts,” Gladio admitted.

“Why are you so obsessed with a plan? Having one doesn’t mean you’ll win.”

“True, but it would at least give me a false sense of hope until the time comes.”

“Are you quite alright?” Ravus checked as he turned to face Gladio fully. “You have been doing nothing but telling me we are going to win, we haven’t got a choice. The empire cannot claim victory! Yet, here you stand looking nervous.”

“I have no clue what they want Ravus, aside from us all just simply vanishing into thin air. I can’t figure out their game plan, even after knowing about the army of metal men they’re mass-producing.”

“They want the crystal, plain and simple Gladio, I’ve gone over this with you before in the pas--.”

“No! There has to be more,” Gladio spit out. “I can’t help but feel there is something we are missing. Why just the crystal, they can’t use it so why try?”

“This is the same group of people that attempted to turn you into,” Ravus paused and pursed his lips in thought. “Honestly, I don’t know what they were doing to you but it wasn’t good. The ways of the gods don’t matter to them. Power is all they care about.”

“We should strike first,” Gladio grumbled. “I hate waiting.”

Ravus hummed and wiped his eyes forcefully. “I suppose I should try and talk with Luna.”

“Yeah, she was pretty upset when you stormed off. I get it you’re angry and all, but she’s just trying to do her part as your sister and the oracle.”

“I’m aware of that, but how do I tell her she’s not allowed to die or be self-sacrificing. I can’t bear the thought of anything else bad happening to her.”

Gladio was about to respond when a soft sniffle from behind caused him to whip around. Luna was standing there puffy-eyed, and hugging herself. “You – you could say it just like that,” She managed softly.

In a heartbeat, Ravus had jumped up and run to his sister. They didn’t exchange any words, Ravus merely folded Luna into his arms and stood silent. At least they weren’t going to be shouting at each other anymore. Reaching out he gently punched Ravus in the shoulder and left. What a freaking night they’d all had. Returning to the dining room revealed an equally puffy-eyed prince sitting in his seat. Deciding not to comment on that detail Gladio instead walked over and hauled Noct out of his seat.

The prince protested at first until he understood what Gladio was doing. Getting trapped by your shield in a bone-crushing hug wasn’t something Noct ever asked for, but Gladio could tell he needed one. They stood like that for a few minutes until Noct released a long breath and relaxed slightly. Pushing his ward away gently Gladio offered him a smile. “That was intense wasn’t it?”

“No shit,” Noct scoffed but he was smiling at least.

“Did Luna find you both?” Ignis asked once they’d stepped back.

“Yeah, she’s working stuff out I think. It’s gonna get better now, or at least I’m hoping it is.”

“I suppose we should all take our leave, I would imagine they have much to discuss and our presence isn’t necessarily needed.”

They all agreed and hastily made a retreat to the relative quiet of the corridor. Gladio felt unsettled, he still had no answers. The fight earlier had drained his energy; all he wanted to do now was fall into bed.

“Do you wanna come over and watch a movie or something?” Noct asked with a pout. “I’m tired but I can’t sleep right now.”

Ignis sighed and walked over to rub Noct’s shoulders. “Yes, I can attest to that feeling. This evening didn’t exactly go as planned. What do you think Gladio, are you up for relaxing on Noct’s couch?”

“So long as you don’t mind me snoring through whatever movie you end up picking.”

Noct smiled and attempted to laugh but it fell flat. Gladio suspected he wanted the company more than the movie. Ignis drove them all over to Noct’s. None of them spoke aside from Noct asking if they could make popcorn for the movie. Despite the prince saying he couldn’t sleep, he was the first one to pass out on the sofa.

“Should we move him?” Gladio asked.

“He’s fine let him rest. We can finish the movie or nap if you’d prefer.”

“Let’s cuddle and watch the film.” Staying awake was hard and after ten minutes Gladio could feel sleep calling. Pulling Ignis close he toppled them sideways and grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa. “Looks like we’re all camping out here tonight.”

Ignis hummed noncommittally he already had his eyes closed and was well on his way to dreamland.

Following suit was easy enough; Gladio didn’t really want to dwell on the conversation at dinner any longer. Things had to get better; they had to find a way to beat the empire. Shoving the thought aside he shut his eyes and hugged Ignis closer. Sleeping on the couch wasn’t ideal but he felt safe. If Noct woke up in the middle of the night he’d have them there. That’s what mattered. Sighing heavily Gladio finally allowed his mind to shut off and he drifted off.

Despite sleeping all night on Noct’s sofa Gladio felt rested. The day went on like any other, once he’d gone home to change and shower. It was back to building up his strength in the training room and attending debriefing meetings about their non-existent Niflheim plan. However, as he sat waiting for their most recent meeting to start Gladio started to worry.

Ravus and Luna were meant to attend this meeting but they were late. Did they talk all night and were still asleep? It seemed unlikely since it was nearly four in the afternoon. Though, as time drug on he pulled out his phone to text Ravus. He sat and stared at his phone for a few minutes hoping to get a reply but nothing came through.

“Should we wait? Or cancel the meeting?” Cor asked as he looked around the room.

“I’ve sent guards around to their suite to see if they are inside.” Nyx supplied as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll call the head office and see if they found anything.” The soldier stepped away and began talking quietly.

“Gladio, didn’t you see them last night?” Clarus checked while scanning his phone.

“Yeah, we all had dinner in their suite; Ravus and Luna were both there when we left at around ten-thirty.”

Nyx came back over to the table with a worried look, “They aren’t there. The head office is reviewing the logs to see if anyone left during the night. I’m waiting for a callback.”

“You think they left?” Gladio asked in shock. “But why? Nothing happened with the empire did it?”

“Not that we know of, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have special intelligence on something else we don’t,” his father sighed.

“Hey, they’ve been upfront with us since we arrived. Don’t think like that.” Gladio huffed.

“We have to take every possible scenario into consideration Gladio.”

Nyx answered his phone distracting Gladio briefly. He didn’t want to fight with his dad right now but Luna wouldn’t do anything bad, he knew it. Ravus was more of a question but based on what he’d said last night it seemed like he was seeing things differently.

“That was the office, a car left at two this morning. The footage isn’t great but it’s clear that it was Ravus and Lunafreya.”

“What car did he take? Maybe it has a tracker?” Gladio asked quickly.

Nyx shook his head no, “Ravus was smart he nicked an older impounded car from the garage. We can’t track it.”

“What direction did the car go?” Gladio tried instead as he unlocked his phone and called Ravus.

“West side of the city, after that I have no idea.”

Focusing back on his phone Gladio prayed Ravus would answer. Why in the hell had they left? It didn’t make any sense, Luna felt safe here.” The call never connected and eventually, the line went dead since there was no voice mail setup. “I have to talk to Ignis and Noct about this.” Rushing up out of his seat Gladio was startled when his father’s booming voice reached his ears.

“Gladiolus! We need to come up with a game plan before you run off. Sit down.”

Clenching his phone tightly Gladio worked hard not to yell back at his father. Now was not the time to be sitting around. “We’ve been dawdling this whole time tryin’ to come up with a plan. We need to find them before the empire attacks.”

“We don’t know that the empire will attack us here.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’m done sitting around waiting for something to happen. We need to act!” Turning to leave Gladio ignored his father’s shouts and continued on ahead. Taking his phone out he called Ignis, he knew the man was in another meeting but this was important. The phone had barely rung when footsteps behind him made him tense up. Expecting his father Gladio was surprised to see Cor approaching with a look of fury.

“Don’t do that to the man, we’d thought you’d died.”

Sighing in frustration Gladio wavered in place. He didn’t want to cause more trouble but he was sick and tired of how things were going. “I’m tired of waiting, why don’t we know how to beat them yet?” Gladio groaned.

“Kid, I wish I knew the answer to that, but we are trying our damnedest to figure it out. Running off to rally your personal army won’t help right now. We need to be coordinated.”

It was at this moment that Ignis actually answered his phone. “Gladio, I’m in a meeting is this important?” Ignis asked softly, it was obvious he’d stepped away to answer the call.

“Luna and Ravus ran away,” Gladio replied with a sigh. “I gotta go but I wanted you to know right away. Make sure Noct doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Understood, he’s with me so I’ll keep an eye on his highness. Gladio?” Ignis paused.

“Yeah?”

“Take a deep breath you need to calm down I can hear the stress in your voice.”

Laughing lightly at the comment Gladio did as he was instructed. “I’ll be in touch soon, I’m reviewing our options with dad.”

“Very well, stay calm, we will figure this out together.”

“Kay, be safe.”

“You as well,” Ignis offered then in a very low voice he added ‘love you’ and hung up the phone.

“Is he gonna yell at me?” Gladio asked with a frown as he pocketed his phone once more.

“Maybe, but he’s hot-headed like someone else I know.” Cor quipped as he pulled Gladio into his side for a one-armed hug. “Come on, the sooner we talk the sooner we can act.”

“Ignis said he’d keep an eye out on Noct to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.”

“Good, let’s get back; time is wasting as you so aptly pointed out.”

Clarus and Nyx were reviewing security footage when he returned, neither one looked up until he’d sat down.

“We have requested footage from other cameras in the area, we are trying to find out if they left the city or not,” Nyx explained after a moment of awkward silence.

“Do you think they would stay in Insomnia or leave?” Clarus asked in a tone that Gladio recognized. The man was upset and trying to hide it.

“Sorry I got worked up. I’m – I’m tired of this and it’s barely even begun.” Gladio admitted.

Clarus’ expression eased somewhat and the tension in his shoulders had lessened. “I understand that Gladio, but we all need to work together right now.”

“Noct’s gonna want to go after her, we need to address that first.” He suggested as he rolled his chair closer to watch the footage.

“Well he can’t, I’m assuming you’d stop him correct?”

“He’s my prince and future king, and sometimes he uses that position to his advantage.”

“Gladio makes a good point, he’s going to want to look. We may need to figure out a way to do that but on our terms.”

“You can’t seriously be suggesting that the crown prince go out in a search party are you?” Clarus asked Cor dumbfounded. “The last time he left the safety of the city we were ambushed, along with my son getting captured.”

“I understand that Clarus, but we need to consider all avenues.”

“It sounds like you have an idea already?”

“He has his arms trials still to complete does he not?” Cor questioned calmly.

“No,” Clarus cut in, “not happening.”

“Instead of the standard guard, we used to send this time we bring an army with us. Aranea and Loqi can help too, that way we will be better prepared.”

Gladio watched his dad’s face carefully. It was clear that Clarus knew he was going to lose this battle purely based on his expression. Thinking fast Gladio added something that might move the topic ahead. “Maybe if Noct goes on this trip for the royal arms, it might force a move from the empire, but this time we’ll be ready for them.” He wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by ‘ready’ but Gladio knew they needed to do something versus waiting.

“That isn’t a good idea, at all,” Clarus growled. “Will he actually try to attempt any trials while on this charade?”

“No, it’s simply a cover story. Gladio is right Noct will not stop until he’s allowed to help.”

“Gods save me,” Clarus grumbled. “I hate this idea and I personally won’t be the one to tell Regis about it, that’s on you.” He added with a menacing finger pointed towards Cor. The man will not take a liking to sending his only begotten son out into the world like a sitting duck.”

The idea was crazy, Gladio knew it but they had to think of something. Otherwise, Noct would sneak out, and then they’d all be screwed. Hunkering down for a long discussion Gladio offered up his take on what Noct would do. Time was running out and they had to act fast.

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#ffxv #fanfic #gladio

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ff15trashgoldenslumbers · 7 years ago

Note

Uhm...hi! First of all, I love your blog so much. You are definitely deserving of all the love you get and deserve even more. I was wondering if you could possibly write how the chocobros would react to their S/O obsessing over a baby (that isn't theirs, maybe a family member's or stranger's) I'm sorry it isn't much to go off of

Hello Darling, thank you so much! I enjoy the love that I get, and also have room to give and get more! Children are…well they’re a gift from above…

~~~~~

Noctis

“Are you pouting?” You giggled, holding the fourth Princess of Duriya, as you sat in the guest chair aside your fiance.

“No.” Noctis scoffed.

“She’s a natural.” Regis replied standing alongside the child’s mother.

“Are you certain that you don’t mind, Princess?” The child’s mother called, worried about offending you as you held her child.

You glanced to the three elder sisters ranging from 5 to 10, than to the baby curled so nicely within your arms and the bosom of your dress, “I don’t mind, she’s such a good baby.”

Regis chuckled fondly, “So long as your daughter is within my daughter’s care, everything shall be fine.” He replied with a wink, at your overly large smile. Regis loved seeing that smile beam on your face since he first started calling you Daughter after Noctis’s proposal.

“Thank you, your Highness.” The Queen bowed, obviously exhausted but ready to head into the meeting with Regis. “We shall return shortly, should you wish to put her down, a servant will be able to escort you to her chambers.”

You gave a wave, you didn’t understand royal hierarchy, as this woman was a Queen, and you were simply marrying into the royal family. Yet then again you were marrying into the richest and most powerful family, maybe your darling Prince could explain.

“Hey Noct, what’s that look for?” You asked, at your boyfriend currently glaring at your boobs, well more precisely the young child using your boobs as a pillow. Well as they were often used as Noctis’s pillows, and a few of your shirts and dresses had the drool marks to prove it.

“What look?”

“Noctis are you jealous of the baby?” You giggled, only for those blue sapphires to stare at you, then quickly away. There was your answer. “Noctis don’t get upset, she’s super cute. Do you want to hold her?”

“I’m not upset and no.” Noctis groaned.

“Really?” Both of you turned as you heard the baby start to fuse, “Oh…Oh no, is Noctis making you upset?”

“I am not.”

“She might be getting fussy cause she’s sleepy.” You replied, moving to stand, only to feel Noctis lift you up to stand instead as you were still holding the baby. “We should put her down for a nap, excuse me.”

“Yes, Prince and Princess.” A maid called.

“Where is the Princess’s chambers?” You inquired.

“I’ll escort you there.” The maid smiled, as she led you both down the hallway. To a rather grand nursey, “I shall go fetch the nanny for you.”

“This is a little much don’t they think.” You giggled, moving over to what you assumed was a cradle, hopefully. It was covered in so much bling, you felt more comfortable putting the child on the huge stuffed moogle in the corner. “Rest easy little one.”

Almost as soon as you put the little one within the bed, she was out like a light and you had your arms filled with a boyfriend rubbing his head against your breasts, reclaiming his spot like the cat he was.

You giggled stroking his head fondly, “I hate to see what you’re like when we have kids of our own.”

“That’s like in 10…” Noctis rubbed his face further against your chest, “Make that 15 years.”

~~~~~

Prompto

“You are the absolute cutest little thing.” You cooed to the baby inside the stroller. “So healthy and strong, how old?”

“18 months.” The mother beamed, clearly a new mother.

“Goodness, you are such an amazing mother, such a happy baby.”

“Thank you so much!”

Prompto watched as you continued talking to the woman and the baby, it had been going on for 5 minutes, but he couldn’t bring himself to tear you away. You absolutely adored young, anything! Kids, Chocobos, even that baby behemoth you tried to convince Ignis you could tame with all your love.

“I’m so sorry I wasted your time.” You smiled to the mother.

“No, no we love meeting new people. Say if you live in town, would you mind babysitting?”

You gave a soft sigh, “Oh I wish, unfortunately I like in the Crown City.”

“Oh, that’s too bad, we both really like you. Well have a nice day.”

“Buh bye.” You smiled to the mother, only than realizing that your boyfriend was waiting. “Oh! Oh Prompto I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Nah it’s fine, I know what you’re like around kids.” Prompto smiled, as you flushed deeply. “It’s super cute and I love how happy you get about it.”

You giggled softly, “Oh you’re the best.”

“Now let’s go see something both of us will be happy about.”

“What’s that?”

“Baby Chocobos.”

Prompto couldn’t keep down the laughter at the huge smile and squeal that escaped you.

~~~~~

Gladiolus

“Hi precious.” You cooed.

Gladiolus cocked an eyebrow, he was in the kitchen so who were you talking to? Moving into the back room, where you had set up your stretching center the man was greeted to you laying on the floor before a bassinet performing your floor stretches. He had forgot that you were babysitting your friends baby today.

“I was wondering who you were talking to.” Gladiolus chuckled, stepping over to you, as you performed your downward dog.

“Hey Baby.” You smiled, only to squeak at the loud smack on your ass. “I should have known better.”

“Yes you should have.” Gladiolus chuckled as you presented your cheek for him to kiss. “How long the munchkin been here?”

“About an hour, we were just about to go out for a walk, wanna come?”

“Why the hell not.” Gladiolus chuckled, only to have to wait, as it took you 15 minutes to get ready. Constantly going ‘One more second’, before finally getting yourself and the baby together. He stopped and watched as you wrapped a long piece of cloth around yourself before placing the baby within it.

“Ready?” You called, getting a coo from the baby and a yes from your Baby.

As the three of you walked through the park, getting stopped every so often by other women who fawned and cooed over the baby. You noticed that Gladiolus was being a little more standoffish,and had only allowed for you to hold his hand, and kept staring at the baby than away.

“Here.” Gladiolus replied handing you a small snowcone.

“Thanks baby.” You cooed, before looking down seeing that the little one had fallen asleep. “We should head back after this.”

“All right.”

You placed a spoonful of the flavor ice in your mouth, enjoying the mix of flavors of the sweet ice Gladiolus provide you, he was always so good at pick out the best mixed flavors. “Gladdy, Baby.”

Gladiolus tensed slightly, you only called him ‘Gladdy Baby’ when you were mad, or ready to ask for a strange favor, “Yeah?”

“Why do you keep looking at the baby like that?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, like you want to fight a kid?”

“What no!” Gladiolus quickly gasped.

“Than what’s up?”

Gladiolus glanced away from you both, a slight blush to his cheeks, “I…I was just thinking of how you would look with our kids. You’d be an amazing mother, our future children are lucky.”

Your spoon dropped from your hands, as you stared at you boyfriend, “Th..thanks.”

“I’ll go get you another spoon.” He replied all but bolting from the bench you were on.

You watched the tall man, thinking about maybe 15 years down the road, “You know, he’s the only guy I want to start a family with.”

The baby cooed loudly in agreement in their sleep.

~~~~~

Ignis

“Careful, little one.” You smiled, reaching out taking the small hand currently tugging on the tassel of the curtain within the main hall. Only to have that small hand currently wrap around your hair, well rather your hair than have an entire curtain fall on the two of you during the Gala.

“Are you alright, My love?” Ignis inquired for quite possibly the tenth time this evening.

“Yes, my love.” You smiled.

When the Gala had started, you hadn’t been expected to play babysitter to the son of a Duchess from a neighbouring country. Yet the nanny had fallen ill due to an allergic reaction in one of the hor dourves, and the backup nanny was stuck in traffic for the 2 hours at least. So being the only woman within the room that actually knew how to hold a child you took it upon yourself to make sure this child survived the evening as no one else seemed concerned.

Besides anything was better than listening to some of the conversations Ignis could get dragged into.

“Let me know if you require any assistance.” Ignis replied, resting a lingering hand on your own.

Yet all evening, even as Ignis associated with the rest of the room he always made certain that you were within his sight. He watched as you cooed at the baby, allowing him to pull at your hair or the shiny straps of your evening gown. He watched as you cleaned the baby’s face with a napkin with a giggle. He even felt a little hint of a green eyed monster make it’s way into his head, as you swayed softly to the music in the room, certain that you were humming along as you always did.

For nearly 3 hours Ignis watched you fawn over the little one, before the backup Nanny finally appeared. Only for the little one to put up quite the fight, reaching out to you, only for you to reach out a finger as his small little hand reached out taking it. Ignis tighten his lips, so as not to smile, as you pressed your forehead to the small hand and if he was reading those beautiful lips correctly, you had whispered.

“Good night my sweet little one.”

Ignis tried to appear that he was paying attention to the man before him, as you waved good bye to the baby, before moving over to his side where you were suppose to be.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Mister Scientia?”

“Yes, impeccably.” Ignis replied, despite not paying attention to the man, as you approached.

“Good evening gentlemen.” You smiled.

“Oh, you are Mr. Scientia assistant, I do thank you for handling my son all evening.” The man replied.

“Yes, the young one is quite the little angel. I do hope that you do not mind if I take Mr. Scientia, we have been requested by the Prince.”

“By all means.”

“Thank you.” You smiled, taking Ignis’s arm as you lead him towards the balcony.

“Is Noct all right?”

“Noctis disappeared about two hours ago with Prompto and their ‘friends’, I assume they’re already at his apartment eating a pizza. As for Gladio and his other, I’m uncertain” You replied, before a smug look appeared on your face, “Yet you would have known that, if you were not so distracted by me this evening, is there something wrong, Mr. Ignis?”

Ignis cleared throat, he hadn’t expected for you to catch him, “I had no idea that you were so wonderful with children.”

“Myself either, this was my first time holding one.” You replied a soft shiver going down your spine. “I typically stay away from children, they frighten me.”

Ignis stared in shock, before chuckling, “You did splendid, Darling.”

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amidalogicdive · 7 years ago

Text

Permission

Title: Permission

Rating: General Audiences Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Relationship: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Nyx Ulric Characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Nyx Ulric, Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII, Yama-chan Additional Tags: First Love, First Dates, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Disaster Date, good food, Mutual Pining, Dorks in Love, Asking Permission, Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling

Ao3 Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12515232

OCT. 26 - Dates: First Dates

In his many years as a Kingsglaive, Nyx had seen this room more times than he could count. He knew every corner, secret entrance and potential point of attack that existed. It was his job, his duty, and the glaive was proud of the heights he’d reached over the years. So, if someone had told him a year ago he’d be standing before the king for a personal matter, he wouldn’t have believed it. But here he was, back ramrod straight, hands clenching together at the small of his back as he glanced up at his Monarch. Nyx cleared his throat, trying to hold his gaze, praying to the Six that he wouldn’t sound as nervous as he felt once he opened his mouth. As for King Regis, the man who’d saved his life, he simply watched him with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

“Sir Ulric?” The glaive visibly jumped as his name echoed in the long corridor. “You requested this audience, and yet it seems you have not the words to speak?” His tone was tender, the laughter he wouldn’t voice, obvious in the creases and wrinkles around his green eyes.

Regis was a good man, a kind man, and always had been. Yet as Nyx stood there in the throne room looking up at his King, a legitimate feared for his existence washed through him. If the king wanted, he could easily have him beheaded or make him disappear, and no one would be the wiser. For a moment Nyx brain tried to talk some sense into him, reminding him that Insomnia didn’t behead people. Nyx told that sensible side of him to go jump off the fucking Wall. “I'm sorry Your Majesty, Sir." Yep, he sounded nervous. "Well, you see, I've... I have come here asking for your permission."

Leaning on his cane a bit more than I necessary, Regis shifted in his seat. “Permission?” The King knew Nyx well, and it wasn’t due to the flood of reports that Drautos sent about the rebellious warrior. Nyx was loyal, honest, and a good glaive who he’d trusted enough to train his own son. He also knew Nyx would never set up an audience for mere favors, so Regis knew this was important. “Nyx Ulric," Smiling, he tried to calm the glaive before him as he spoke. "you are a good man who has done much for Insomnia, for the throne. There is little I would deny you. Come now, feel free to speak your mind, we shall see if naught can be done."

“Thank you, Majesty. I just wanted this done the right way.” While he felt honored by the words; inside he was just praying he wouldn’t be struck down by the King’s own magic the moment his request was voiced. “Your Majesty," Mustering what little courage he had the moment, Nyx took a deep breath and... well took the plunge. "I would like to officially ask your permission to take your son out on a date.”

“A date?" Regis could honestly say he hadn't been expecting that from the glaive before him. "Date. Oh..." His eyes widened. "So there is... oh my. I see.”

Swallowing hard, Nyx knew what was coming, and his brain couldn’t help but repeat it like a mantra in his head: 'Fuck, fuck, fuck I’m a dead man. I’m gonna be burned to a crisp all for the love of a little brat.' Closing his eyes, Nyx waited for the hammer to fall and put him out of his misery.

It would be days before Nyx would see Noctis again…

“Nyx!” The glaive glanced up from the documents in his hand, smiling as the young heir of Lucis ran across the arena towards him. "Sorry, I'm late. Overslept."

“No worries little prince, did you enjoy your trip out to Wiz's with Prompto?"

Noctis shrugged, grabbing the edge of the half wall Nyx was currently leaning against and pulled himself up. "Yeah, I guess so. It's definitely more of a Prom thing, the whole chocobo obsession. I mean, it was nice, we got to hang and his mom paid for the trip so we rented the caravan right at the outpost." Ocean depths met his own icy orbs as the prince smiled. "So, yeah I enjoyed it because he did. Well that and neither of us get out of the city much, so it was a nice change."

"I'm sure it was."

"Oh, I got some fishing in too." Hitting his boots against the wall, Noctis nudged his shoulder into the glaives. "Brought you home some fish I caught, so yeah, overall I can't really complain.”

“Fishing? You must have been in heaven, and thank you for thinking about me, little prince. ” He nodded, eyes shifting to look around the arena for a moment. Seeming content to find they were alone, Noctis leaned over and placed a kiss to his lips. Nyx returned it, tasting a flavor that was sweet and uniquely - his Noctis. "Mm, I missed you too."

"Better have, glaive." Leaning back on his hands, Noctis let out a sigh. "Would have been a nicer trip if you'd come with us. Iggy is fine, but he's just... overly cautious about everything." Brushing his hands off on his pants a moment later, pale fingers wrapped around ashen braids as his eyes roamed over the glaive. "I really hate that training is the only time we can find to be together. That, or I have to sneak out just to have coffee with you."

Smirking at those words, Nyx leaned into the touch and placed a kiss to his jaw. "Then how about a real date? You, me, and a whole night to ourselves? Does that sounds nice, my little love?"

"Sounds great, but how are we pulling that miracle off, Nyx?"

"Well, while you were gone I asked your dad. Some home I survived his protective wrath and he said yes."

"Wait, you asked my dad? You told my dad about us?!"

Nyx couldn't stop chuckling at the look on Noctis' face as he nudged his way between his legs. "I told your dad I wanted to do this right." Wrapping his arms around the prince's waist, Nyx placed another kiss to his jaw. "I asked him if I could take you on a date. Surprisingly, he was ok with it, and permitted me to ask you."

"Permitted, huh? Kinda a big word for you there, glaive."

The comment was teasing, and still, Nyx couldn't help but pull him down for a proper kiss. Not that he would admit it to Noctis, but it was kinda addicted to the brat. "Gotta impress your dad somehow," He whispered, pulling back slightly. "The six know my track record with Drautos isn't gonna do shit for me."

"Mm, very true." Wrapping his legs around the glaives waist, Noct's hand rose, his thumb running over the crow's foot tattoo on his cheek. "So, a real date?"

"Yeah, a real date. Anything you want, I'll make it happen; that is if you say yes?" A small nod and a kiss signified his answer. When they pulled apart, Nyx couldn't help but lick his lips and grin. Yep, no doubt, undeniably addicted to Noctis. "So, what'll it be?"

There was a flash of uncertainty, "Your place? I want you to cook for me, real traditional Galahdian food." Agreeing to the terms, the prince's face lit up with delight. "Friday night? Nothing's going on Saturday... so maybe I can even stay over?"

"That sounds amazing, baby."

"Well then, glaive;" Resting his forehead against Nyx own, Noctis smiled. "I leave it to you."

Friday morning had come, and Nyx had planned every moment of the day out. He'd wanted everything to be perfect because Noctis didn't really deserve less than that. Unfortunately, as Nyx knew more than well, plans fell through and there was nothing that could be done about it.

The first sign that this day would not go as planned he'd been on his way to the markets. Nyx should have ignored the phone when it started to ring, but he was a man of duty, after all. Turned out that Drautos had called an emergency meeting, all were required to attend, no excuses. Cussing all the way to the Kingsglaive compound, he was less than pleased when it was just a change to routine and policy that could have waited. Some stupid paperwork had taken two hours to complete, that he could have easily done Monday. Once they had finished with the mandatory meeting, which Nyx had partially used to plot out his revenge against the Captain, he dashed for the door only to be met with a wall of water. A literal downpour had descended upon the Capital City. Cursing his awful luck, Nyx ran for his apartment, making it there in under ten minutes and only half drenched.

Despite the lost hours, Nyx felt he could still make this work and give Noctis the date he deserved. Pulling the meat from the fridge, he went to grab the spices and remembered he'd never made it to the market. The last-minute meeting and rainstorm had thrown him off, and he could only blame himself for overlooking the needed trip. So there the glave stood, half drenched in the middle of his tiny kitchen, meat ready to cook and missing half the supplies he'd meant to get earlier. Nyx knew he had to salvage this mess of a situation, and fast.

So, Nyx did what any logical person would do in this situation: Nyx improvised. Now, this might have worked in his favor if he hadn't of walked off for a few minutes to take a quick shower and change. A few minutes that saw the makeshift sauce that he'd tossed together start to burn. By the time Nyx had noticed what was happening, half the meat was overcooked and burnt to a crispy black, the rest was still half raw. He had no idea how it had happened but knew dinner was off the table, literally.

There was nothing he could do to salvage the mess he'd made, he knew this. Nyx also knew that Noctis would be showing up at his door in roughly thirty minutes. There was only one thing he could do at this point that might save this date. Grabbing an umbrella, Nyx made his way up the stairs from his apartment and to the small road above. He already knew he'd owe the prince a wonderful second date, so if he couldn't cook Galahdian, he'd buy it. A few blocks from his home he’d found his destination, taking the stairs down to the eatery two at a time.

“Yama-chan, I need your help.” The man arched a brow, looking at the glaive who was standing before him somewhat flushed and out of breath. “Look I got a date, no, it’s not just a date. It’s a big deal date. I was supposed to cook and all this shit happened. Now I have,” He looked at his watch for a second. “Fuck, twenty minutes to make this work and they want Galahdian. Real Galahdian and I know you half-ass it for the people around here but, please help me?”

“Ok, ok.” The man behind the counter thought for a moment, nodding and then kneeled down to pull out a few things. “I just happened to have some stuff here, let me see what I can do. Take a seat.” Nyx did as he was told, mostly because Yama-chan looked like he would kill him if he didn't. Taking a deep breath, he waited while praying to every god that his people; and Insomnia, believed in that this would work out for the best. It was ten minutes later when the cook waved him over and smiled. “Look I had some of the seasonings from my house here, it’s about as traditional as I can get without being in Galahd. Good luck, you owe me a story on how it went."

”You are a lifesaver, my friend!“ A quick check of his watch and Nyx knew he had just enough time to make it home and possibly get set up before Noctis arrived. Dashing up the stairs, he finally felt like everything would work in his favor - but the Astrals were cruel creatures. Turning the corner, Nyx ran right into another pedestrian, knocking them to the ground. Thankfully the food hadn’t been dropped, which made him breathe out in relief. ”Shit, I’m sorry. I’m in a rush and didn't see..." As he spoke, Nyx looked down to help the stranger, pale eyes widened in recognition. ”Oh fuck.“

Unmistakable sapphire eyes met his own, a scowl forming on the young man's face as he reached up to accept the help. "Nyx, what the hell?" Noctis. Of course, it had been Noctis, and he hadn't just fallen. Nyx had knocked him back into a puddle of mud that had gathered near the edge of the walkway.

"Baby, shit. I’m so, so sorry." Shifting the umbrella and food into one hand, he assisted the prince with the other. "I'm, I just I was... rushing to meet... you." Knowing that the day couldn't get any worse, Nyx stood there and held the umbrella over them both. Though, for Noctis, it was pointless since he'd been soaked in muddy water. Rubbing his hands off on the front of his shirt, the prince shook his head. "Sorry, it's just been a really bad day and now I've dragged you into it. Everything's going wrong, and I," Sighing, Nyx rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted this to be special."

Dark eyes glanced up to meet his own, cupping his cheek. ”Nyx, you don't have to try so hard. I already love you. All I need is you, that makes me happy." Acknowledging the words with a nod, Noctis stood on his toes to kiss him. "Now, please take me to your place. I need a shower and a warm change of clothes."

”Yeah. Come on, Little Prince.“

That was how the supposed perfect first date ended with Noctis in the glaives oversized sleeping clothes, and the two curled up under the covers of Nyx bed. Beside them was a tray with take-out Galahdian, a roll of paper towels and a few bottles of cheap beer. Noctis seems perfectly content, curled up against his boyfriend as they watched some stupid Insomnian reality show on the television across the way and ate.

Taking a bite from one of the skewers, Nyx had to admit that Yaya-chan did a damn good job on the food. Feeling a kiss pressed to his cheek, he looked at the prince curled up against him. "What was that for?"

"Mm," Noctis cuddled a bit closer to him and laid his head on the glaives shoulder. "this might not be what you wanted, or what I expected; but this is pretty close to perfect. Thank you, Nyx.“

A grin pulled at the corner of his lips, laying his cheek against Noct’s hair. "You're welcome, love."

Yes, everything was perfect, even if nothing had gone as intended. They were together, enjoying one another's presence and the peacefulness of the evening. In the end that was all that mattered, right? They were together.

"You know you owe me another date to make up for this, right?" While it was said as a joke, Nyx couldn't help but agree.

”Yep, completely.”

#deathbyfluffweek #nyxnoctocalypse #nyx ulric #nyxnoct #Noctis Lucis Caelum #regis lucis caelum #yama-chan #logicdive writes #my fics #ffxv #ffxv fanfic #ffxv fic #ffxv fanfiction #final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv fanfic #final fantasy xv fic #final fantasy xv fanfiction

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thatonedaydream · 7 years ago

Text

Next to you (part 1)

In an AU where Regis has passed away of old age and the mantle of king has fallen to Noctis only recently, you’re a regular citizen of Insomnia who’s managed to move into a new place with a friendly neighbour who you never see.

Summary: You meet your neighbour and bond over a mobile game.

Some people thought it was tough living in Insomnia. You could understand why. Insomnia was a big place and depending on your situation, things might not have been great. Of course you’d be bitter about being stuck in the slums, of course you’d love it if you had all that extra cash to live the high life.

You were just an average citizen.

You had days where you loved living in Insomnia and days where you’d hate it. It wasn’t too long ago that you had gone through an extremely rough patch, seemingly losing everything all at once; your long term relationship, your good job and subsequently your stable living arrangement. However, like the average citizen, you picked yourself up, decided your previous relationship was trash and found yourself another corporate job.

Honestly, the hardest part was finding a place to live. You had gone to multiple inspections, but there was only one apartment you really wanted which was also the most popular. It was close to the city, in a beautifully kept high rise. The balcony offered the most perfect view of the cityscape in the day as well as the evening. What put a lot of people off was the intensive process of applying for the place itself. The agents never disclosed who owned the building, only that jumping through a bunch of red tape and almost corporate interviews were how they wanted to choose the tenant.

If you had been happy at the time, maybe you wouldn’t have wanted to jump through all the hoops to get the place, but it was therapeutic in a way. You worked hard, so your mind was busy and it paid off. After all of the trouble, you signed the agreement and the apartment was yours.

It wasn’t until you had moved the last of the boxes into the apartment and waved goodbye to the movers that you closed the door and broke down. Things had moved so fast and you had only pushed yourself harder. It wasn’t until you felt like things were stable again that you felt it was appropriate to cry. It was a bit like slamming the breaks and crashing into the wall you had put up to hold back the hurt.

That wasn’t a particularly good evening of living in Insomnia. Still, it wasn’t like it didn’t pass as all things did.

“I’m hooome.” You called out to your empty apartment out of habit. It wasn’t like anyone heard you or would reply, but saying it was a way of acknowledging that the long day was finally over. You had come home very late into the evening as it was crunch time in the office and there was so much to do.

While it was a probably a good idea to eat some dinner, you were still fairly stressed from work and decided to make a cup of tea and sit on the balcony to relax for a bit. It was a cosy kind of space. The balcony was only big enough to fit you and maybe another person and a small outdoor table. The railing was tall enough for you to lean your elbows on comfortably, but also keep you safe.

The late evening breeze was enough to calm you somewhat and the view of the glittering lights of Insomnia made you smile. As soon as you set your mug down on the table, you inhaled slowly and exhaled the tense feelings you had held in during the work day. Slumping into the chair, you settled down to indulge in some mobile game apps.

Some of your coworkers that you had become friends with were obsessed with the game ‘King’s Knight’ and they managed to convince you to get it during the lunch break. Apparently, it was a good time for a beginner to join since there was an anniversary event going on and so there were lots of currency and experience bonuses, as well as new limited edition characters loosely based on real life influential figures (some kings and knights had obvious allusions to particular people).

Your coworkers had tried to give you the gist of King’s Knight, but it sounded like the game was huge, so they told you to focus on getting past level 20 or something first and they’d introduce you to more mechanics as you progressed.

For about half an hour you were so focused on trying to get through a few basic dungeons, that you didn’t realise your neighbour's sliding door had opened and closed. Between you and that particular neighbour, there was a large hedge so you couldn’t see into their balcony. When you had first seen it, you thought it was a bit strange, but if they wanted their privacy, then who were you to complain?

“Is that ‘King’s Knight’ I hear?” A voice called to you through the hedge.

You paused the game and raised a brow. “Um, yeah. Sorry, was it too loud? I can mute the app.”

There was a chuckle from your neighbour. If you took a guess, they could have been male from how they sounded, but you didn’t want to assume anything. “No, it’s fine. I’m a big fan, but I haven’t had time to play recently.”

“That sucks, sorry things have been so busy for you.” You shifted to sit in the chair closer to the hedge so you wouldn’t have to raise your voice slightly to be heard. Even though they had said it was fine to keep the sound on for the app, you turned it right down so you could keep conversing with your mysterious neighbour while playing your game. “I don’t think we’ve spoken before. I recently moved in.” You gave them your name.

“It’s nice to meet you. I—work—pretty late and leave early. Sometimes I can’t stay here the night, so it’s not surprising we haven’t met before.” They sounded kind of sheepish. There was a scraping sound like they had moved a stool or chair to sit down. “This is actually the first free night I’ve had in—it feels like months.”

“Play some ‘King’s Knight’ while you can, then.” You suggested, waving your phone, but quickly realising they wouldn’t have been able to see the gesture. D’oh. “I only just started today because my work mates said it was good. They seemed like they were having fun doing a raid or something like that during our break. I felt kind of left out so I decided to try it out.”

Your neighbour hummed. When you turned your head to try and peek through the hedge, you couldn’t really see anything. Maybe an outline of a person? “You shouldn’t have to pick up an app just to fit in, though.” The familiar sound of ‘King’s Knight’s loading music played. “I know you just started, but are you going to try and get some of the limited edition characters?”

You looked down at your screen and opened up the menu to look at the units you had which were all one star. According to one of your coworkers, one-star was the most common rarity. Five-stars were the rarest and obviously powerful. A majority of the limited edition anniversary characters were four or five-stars. “To be honest, I don’t know. I guess I don’t have that kind of attachment to the game yet. The character art is really pretty though. Are you going to try?”

There was another pause. “Hm. There’s only one I’m interested in getting—King Regilis.” There was something in the way your neighbour spoke that was almost personal or forlorn. “He looks pretty cool and—I think he’s based off the late King Regis. I feel like he’s pretty important to get.”

“King Regilis, huh?” You went to the summoning screen and saw a bunch of promos for the special anniversary characters. There was one that looked like the late King Regis. While it wasn’t like you had followed anything to do with Lucian royalty, you had remembered that a majority of the population had loved Regis’ reign. He was just and fair as a King and as a person, he was respectful and honest. “I hope you get him when you try.”

There was a comfortable silence as the two of you continued to play. While you hadn’t expected to meet your neighbour in this way, it was kind of fun. While they hadn’t given you their name, you felt like it maybe there was a reason for all the secrecy. They didn’t seem like an awful person, so it was fine.

“Hey,” Your neighbour called out your name. “You wanna add me as a friend in-game? I’ll send you some assist units to help you catch up to your friends.”

You were delighted by the proposal. While you had added all of your coworkers, it didn’t hurt to add your neighbour too. “I’d love to add you! But how do I do that again?”

There was a chuckle from your neighbour as he calmly explained the steps and told you his friend ID. As soon as you had sent the friend request, it was accepted.

— [inLuminis] is now in your friends list! —

You couldn’t help but sticky beak and went to inspect your neighbour’s unit list. The game allowed you to see icons of characters, but not details of the characters themselves, like levels or equipment. Even so, you could guess a majority of your neighbour’s characters were high level and perfectly geared. There were lots of five-star characters.

“Oh my goodness, you really are a fan of this game—” You caught your words before any more were carelessly tossed out. “Um, not that that’s a bad thing! This game has been out for years now, it shouldn’t surprise me that some people might have unit lists like yours.”

Your neighbour laughed and it made you smile. It sounded nice because it didn’t sound forced or polite. There was something charming in the fact that while they were secretive about who they were and how they looked, the interaction still felt genuine. “To be honest, it probably means I’ve spent too much money on this game.” They sheepishly confessed.

You continued to look through their units and hummed. “Y’know? Seeing how many units you have makes me want to try summoning some of the limited edition units. I think I might do that now.” You navigated to the shop screen and your finger hovered over the in-app purchases.

“Are you sure? Don’t feel pressured to put in as much effort into this game as your coworkers or I have.” They probably would have felt guilty over the feeling of possibly coercing you to spend money on a game you might have only been mildly interested in.

“What’s a few hundred gil?” You shrugged and bought a couple summoning attempts. “I might get lucky.”

Your neighbour laughed again. “That’s such a dangerous mentality to have in this game!” Their exclamation made you laugh too. “Turn your sound up so I can hear what you draw. If you get a legendary—a five star—it has a particular sound effect.”

You did as they requested. “Okay, here I go.” You had enough for two summoning attempts which came in groups of five. The characters were represented by, grey (common), silver (rare) and gold (legendary) cards which were all face down on the screen when first pulled.

“Oh—that’s the sound effect!” It sounded like your neighbour had quickly leant forward in their seat. “How many did you get?”

“Um—there’s two gold ones and the rest are silver.” You tapped the gold cards first. “Huh, one is ‘Everlasting Shield Crailus’.” The character looked kind of familiar, at least the insignia did. You were guessing it was a reference to one of the more prominent families that served Lucian royalty. “The second one is—” The second legendary card turned over and you giggled. “They didn’t really try with this one, did they? ‘Restless Knight Nox’.” The character obviously alluded to the current King of Insomnia, King Noctis Lucius Caelum. While it didn’t look anything like him the name was pretty telling.

“Crailus and Nox, huh?” Your neighbour mused. “You know, I—” They were suddenly cut off as a ringtone went off. It was just the default shrill ringing. “Damn, I have to take this—sorry, I was nice meeting you.” Their chair scraped against the tiles again as the stood up.

You found yourself standing too. “Yeah! Likewise, maybe we can—” You hadn’t seen that they had quickly left, but the sound of the sliding door opening and then slamming shut was an obvious clue that you were talking to yourself. “—hang out again sometime. Okay then...”

You sighed, grabbing your partly empty mug and headed inside as well. It was probably a good idea to head to bed anyway as you had promised to get to work early the next morning.

You wondered what your coworkers’ reactions would be to your new legendaries.

★★★★★

A/N: I wonder who your neighbour is.

part 2 | masterlist

#final fantasy xv #ffxv #reader insert

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myselfinserts · 6 years ago

Note

❛ you’re just whatever you think other people want you to be. ❜

Étienne was gone. His things were gone. He left without a note. Without a goodbye. He just up and ran away without saying anything.

Regi knew there’d have never been a goodbye anyway.

“I’ve tried calling him,” Luci sighed. “He probably just had some family things to take care of-”

“He’s not in contact with them,” Regi stated quickly. He tugged at the sleeves of his sweater, feeling like he was being tied up. “Kinda like me and Marianne…”

Luci nodded. “Okay then. Maybe he’s just seeing to some work things. That’s a possibility, right?” They gently put a hand on his shoulder. “Étienne wouldn’t just up and leave without telling us. He’s a logical man. A talented, smart person like you. It was probably some kind of emergency and saying he’s leaving or letting us know slipped his mind. Kinda like you when the new comics come in at the shop?”

That…does make sense, Regi thought.

“He’ll be back,” Luci assured, giving him a reasurring smile. “He’ll come back to to see you and tell us what happened.”

“As if he ever cared about you enough to bother.”

Regi’s body stiffened as he turned around slowly. The source of the new voice was someone he didn’t know. And yet he knew like he did his own siblings. The same berry-blonde hair he’d come to love on his best friend, on the head of an older man with a cold smile. His amber eyes were filled with a mix of disgust and surperiority.

Damien? How the hell did he get in here?

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

Damien shrugged. “You know my brother. He doesn’t care about anyone or anything but himself and his work. Just like you.”

Regi shook his head, backing away slowly. Luci had completely vanished from view. The room became a dark void as he whispered. “You’re wrong.”

“Are we?” Another figure with dusty blonde hair walked up beside him, looking forlorn. “You’re a lot alike, you know? Bottling everything up. Believing there’s no one in the world who understands hardships like you do. You both think you’re misunderstood geniuses.”

Another blonde, this time lighter, appeared, waking side by side with Marianne. “You both hide how you really feel about things. You put your creations over everyone else.”

“Stop. Just stop.” Regi was shaking. Fear and rage were boiling in his veins.

“He doesn’t care about you, Regi boy,” came a softer voice. A more digitized, angelic tone. A tone that belonged to another technological hero Regi had admired for years. A hero who joined the ever growing circle of people surrounding him.

Uncle Elbert? But he’s dead. Isn’t he?

“Étienne doesn’t care,” Derezzed said. “And you don’t either. Not really. You’re just whatever you think other people want you to be. You’re a nobody.”

Tanith stepped forward, hugging herself as she cried tearfully. “You never really did care.”

“It was always ‘I’ve got work’ and ‘like it really matters’,” Marianne scoffed. “I worked my ass off to feed you and this is how you repay that kindness?”

“We gave up so much for you,” Mary whimpered. “And you threw us away.”

“No I didn’t-” Regi was starting to panic. His parents walked up to him, shaking their heads.

“Are you really that weak son?”

“Are you really that selfish?”

“Shut up.”

A little girl, frozen and alone. Little Millie who he failed to save.

Oh god why?

“Why are you acting so cold?” Millie whimpered. “Why are you being so cruel?”

Ceri, standing there, removing his eyepatch. “You don’t think we suffered too? Why are you obsessing over Étienne’s betrayal? You can move on. He does all the time once he’s done with someone. Right? Isn’t that how he is?”

“No he isn’t. You don’t understand-”

“I think we understand plenty,” Damien laughed. “You’re both so alike, but you’re in denial because you’re a ‘suffering genius’ and a pro hero. Isn’t that right?! You think you’re better than the rest of us. Better than Étienne even-”

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!!!”

Everyone around him went silent.

“You think I like being like this?!” Regi screamed. “You think I like constantly fearing for my life and holding my hands close to me because I’m so damn afraid they’ll be chopped off again?! You think I derive pleasure from all the pain of losing everyone I’ve ever had the courage to open up to?! That being abandoned by my best friends and loved ones is my favorite pastime?! I can’t just brush everything off like you all can and pretend everything will be okay because it won’t! And I have to face that fact every day and move beyond it because if I don’t, it means death!”

Everything began to grow murky, the figures surrounding him staring at him in fear.

“You don’t understand anything and I’ve had it! I’m sick of the abandonment! I’m sick of it all! You think you understand how I feel about all of this? You’re nothing but shadows! A curse on my mind and my life! I’ve had enough of you!!!”

Soon, everything came back into focus. The void became the living room, covered in brand new items made from the appliances. Meatloaf was watching from outside, having snuck out when Regi wasn’t looking.

And staring at him, eyes wide with a waterfall of tears streaking their cheeks, was his beloved Luci.

It had all been a hallucination. But that didn’t matter. He had still said all that. He still said all of that while facing Luci.

He just called Luci the one thing he swore he’d never call them.

He’d hurt them.

It’s over Reginald. You lost.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Before he could see their response, he ran back to the bedroom, locking the door before hurrying to the lab and going into lockdown. R.A.I.N.E.E. watched him from one of the shelves as he went about the lab, pacing and cursing. He knew he shouldn’t have let this affect him so much. It was just how Étienne was. He always left without saying anything. That was always how he-

Regi stopped.

“That’s how Étienne always dealt with pain,” he whispered. “Burying it until he could be alone and never reaching out…He probably left because he was suffering because of this too.”

Regi sat at his desk, deciding he needed to do something to try and distract himself from the voices invading his head. He opened the draw to grab his sketchbook and-

“Wait a minute.” He looked around. “Where’s my resignation? I could have sworn I-”

Everything seemed to click.

Étienne was suffering from all of this just as badly as he was, but hid it. He discovered Regi was going to quit support design and didn’t mention it.

And he left before he could be hurt again.

It’s all my fault.

Regi closed the drawer and got out of his seat, making his way to the familiar corner he’d spent so many days in not long ago. He sat down, pulls his knees to his chest, and cried himself to sleep.

Luci closed up the kitty carrier, cooing gently to Meatloaf to assure her that everything was going to be okay. They didn’t want to leave. But they had to for now. Regi didn’t want them around anymore. And they weren’t in a state to take care of him. Be there for him. Their quirk had been overused and was clawing at their insides. Luci needed a break.

It was nonnegotiable.

“R.A.I.N.E.E.?” Luci called softly. “Can you give Regi a message for me?”

R.A.I.N.E.E. appeared on the coffee table, looking more monochromatic than usual. “Yes, Master Amaryllis?”

“Tell him I’m taking Meatloaf and we’ll be staying at the hotel for a couple of days,” they explained. “We’ll be back before we have to visit L and Marianne in Bel-Town. I promise. I just have to take a break for a few days because of my quirk. If he needs anything, he knows how to reach us.”

“Very well, Master Amaryllis.”

Luci nodded. “Thank you.” Before they turned to leave, they reached over and pressed their phone to the tablet on the table, transferring the data to it. “And if you can, try to call Étienne for me? I’m really worried about him too.”

“Yes, Master Amaryllis.”

With that last errand done, Luci grabbed their bag and Meatloaf’s things and headed out. No taxi waited. They’d have to walk. Crude, but they’d gotten used to it. Luci made their way up to the Secret Felines slowly, pausing every so often to catch their breath and let out a cough.

They made sure to hide the blood on their lips before walking through the door.

#myselfinserts #mybnhaocs #friend's ocs #the au of class #oops I think I went a little overboard #whoopsie daisy #Anonymous

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itsclydebitches · 3 years ago

Link

Title: Fighting to Thrive

Fandom: Witcher (video games)

Summary: When Dettlaff doesn't show at the toy shop Geralt takes matters into his own hands, diving deeper into vampiric culture than he ever has before. Might be the worst decision of his life. Might also be the best. (Or: a Geralt/Regis take on B&W)

Pairing: Geralt/Regis

Warnings: Discussed dismemberment, self-burning to seal a wound, various minor injuries

Word Count: 11,439

Author’s notes: Can be read below, but I highly recommend AO3 instead for formatting like italics. Tumblr doesn’t copy them over 🙃

***

Less than an hour in and this was shaping up to be the most awkward party of Geralt's life—and he'd once skewered a rat with a fork during dinner. An itchy doublet and witless small talk he could handle, but not when his one lifeline had taken to ignoring him.

"C'mon, Regis. You could at least look at me."

That earned him a rueful smile, just like Geralt knew it would. Regis did look, passing his eyes appreciatively over Geralt's outfit before turning away again, his shoulders bent.

"I apologize, Geralt," he said, releasing a sigh into the otherwise lively atmosphere. "I fear I am not the best company at present, certainly not up to the standards of one of Orianna's events. Though I would never wish to imply that I find your own company to be lacking in any manner, I would much prefer..." Regis' fingers flexed around the strap of his satchel, his gaze still averted.

"Would rather be back at the toy shop," Geralt finished. "Yeah, I figured."

How many times had Regis reassured him? Therefore I repeat—Dettlaff will show. Sooner or later. Along with a whole bunch of intellectual mumbo-jumbo about how a human—or something close to one, anyway—could never understand the vampiric mind. Geralt might have been insulted had it been anyone other than Regis delivering that proclamation. As it was, guy had a knack for softening even the hardest blows.

Geralt trusted that intuition, even if he could never hope to understand it. Problem was, "sooner or later" had turned into "later" and then "much later." Regis had sat in that toy shop for three days straight, looking more wane and nervous each time Geralt popped in to check on him. Getting more curt in his conversation too. Even word of the stolen Sangreal couldn't lift whatever mood he'd fallen into. Really, Geralt had been surprised he'd shown up at all. A hearty greeting, some quips about how he got to come in his raggedy clothes while Geralt had donned this monstrosity... Regis bore it all with a polite, but distant air. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Dettlaff's continued absence worried him.

"Think it was me?" he asked.

Regis blinked, startled out of his stupor. "Sorry?"

Geralt made a show of sniffing under his armpit. A few women sequestered around the fountain watched with a mixture of humor and disgust. "My scent. Or musk, as Yen used to say. Probably stank up the whole shop while I was rooting around. You said my presence would keep him away, maybe my smell's doing the job."

"As you've already observed, we're easily able to distinguish between a three-day old trace and a live—" Regis suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing. "You jest."

Geralt's lips twitched. "Only a little."

"Really, I'm not so maudlin that I need your suspect sense of humor to heal me," but the tension Regis had been holding in his frame lessened just a bit, his own smile becoming more genuine. "It was wrong of me to reassure you so confidently, Geralt. I simply cannot explain Dettlaff's absence." His eyes scanned the partygoers.

"Think he might be here?"

"No." Regis shook his head. "I would know if he was."

Yeah, more of that vampiric intuition.

"Then go back to the toy shop." Geralt ignored the gratitude that ran through Regis' expression; quick, but earnest. "Go on, I know you want to. The Duchess and I can handle a bit of investigating on our own and I'll be careful not to become the next 'wine' tasting."

"Ah... noticed that, did you?"

"That more than half the guests here are vampires? Yeah."

Regis smiled at him, soft and impossibly proud. "You must explain how you came to that astounding conclusion. Surely our Duchess would be appalled to hear it."

"Not hard," Geralt said. He found that gaze hard to maintain, favoring watching the partygoers instead. "You move... differently than humans do. More fluid, I guess. Elegant." Nodding, he warmed to the subject. "Long nails are a dead giveaway. Doesn't mean much on its own, but combined with the rest? Your irises tend to be dark, fangs, obviously—I know how you hide them. There are remarkably few shadows about and you've got a scent all your own. You might try to hide it with herbs and Orianna perfume, but it's still there, once you know to look for it. Really, your lot isn't subtle."

"Oh, but my dear witcher, we are." Regis' smile grew sly, showing off that hint of fang. "You underestimate your own observation skills—and the otherwise guarded knowledge you've been granted. I assure you, no one else could so quickly gauge our numbers. Many don't even believe we exist. You are unique, Geralt, and if you must brave these social niceties alone, I would encourage you to take advantage of that position. You could impress many with that knowledge."

Geralt merely snorted, rolling his eyes. The hand placed on his arm was no laughing matter though.

"You'll be fine alone?" Regis questioned.

"C'mon. You know I will. Besides, no sense in us both wasting the night away." Despite the Duchess' hopes, nothing had yet come of their investigation into the mysterious Cintrian. For all the ruckus of a soirée in a land where wine was sacred, the night was fairly quiet. "Go back and say hello to the puppets for me."

Regis grimaced. "I do hate those things."

"I know."

"You'll come find me should anything change?"

"So long as you do the same."

"But of course." His hand squeezed and only then did Geralt realize how long Regis had let it rest there. "Until tomorrow, Geralt. May you have better luck than I."

He disappeared into a cloud of gray mist then, the vampiric partygoers disinterested and the humans already drunk enough that it didn't matter. They'd have forgotten such a display come morning. With a tug at his collar, Geralt wondered how long he'd have to stay. The trail had gone cold and, really, he could do more good out in the wilds of Toussaint, ensuring the lesser beasts didn't destroy the Duchy while their master lay in wait. Or better yet, he could be getting some much needed sleep. It hadn't escaped his notice that the one time he had a real bed was the same time he was in little position to use it. Fucking figured.

However, with another discrete stretch Geralt admitted that his dreams of, well, dreaming were of the pipe variety. Anna Henrietta was like a hound with a bone, determined to pursue the same course of action until it bent to her will. Or consumed her. First it had been her refusal to believe in the immortality of higher vampires—Geralt still wasn't sure she fully understood that—and now it seemed to be this obsession with finding a man who clearly hadn't come. He'd spotted her half an hour earlier, chit-chatting with a trio in some darkened corner, fully immersed in a useless line of questioning. The more cynical side of Geralt, rather strong nowadays, suggested that Anna Henrietta didn't need a lead to keep playing the part of detective. She enjoyed the excitement—and this new type of power, no doubt. Stripping off skirts to race to Peyrac-Peyran's untimely rescue was proof enough of that. They'd be here for a while then.

"Not enjoying yourself?"

Hissing through his teeth, Geralt clamped down on the instinct to draw a sword that wasn't there, turning to find Orianna directly behind him.

Damn vampires.

"Gonna have to put a bell on you," he muttered, taking two steps back. She twittered behind her hand and for all the posturing, Geralt got the sense that she was genuinely amused.

"Well now, that would be entertaining, wouldn't it?" she said, raising her glass in a toast. "Though I'd much prefer that bell go on you, Witcher. The people of Beauclair say many things... and they whisper even more. Why, you've already been into most every nook and cranny of our humble kingdom, if such stories are to be believed. Is that why?"

"Why what?"

"Why you're not enjoying yourself. Perhaps my little party simply can't compare to a life on the Path."

She was angling for something, information no doubt, though about what Geralt didn't know. He'd pegged Orianna for a vampire the moment they'd been introduced, though he couldn't yet say whether she occupied Regis' station, or was merely a very old, very intelligent Alp. Either way, she sent the hairs on the back of his neck riding up in a way Regis never had; every witcher's instinct screaming at him to get silver into the palm of his hand. Interactions like this made Geralt wonder what had differed all those years ago, at Fen Carn. Had he simply been naïve back then, unable to recognize danger when it offered him a bottle of hooch? No doubt. His ability to sniff out vampires had increased greatly over the years, due in no small part to Regis himself... and yet, there was more to it than that. Geralt had faith in his past self. He would have kept his distance from Orianna, no matter whether he could explain that discomfort or not. Yet Regis? Not a single alarm had gone off during their meeting and to this day, not a single alarm ever had.

Regis was...

Well.

Geralt didn't allow himself to think about what Regis was.

Orianna tipped her head to the side and when she smiled she made no effort to hide her teeth. "I can practically hear you thinking, Witcher." She finished her wine in a single gulp, lazily extending her arm to the side. Instantly, a waiter appeared to claim it. "Come. We should speak privately."

"About?"

"Something I doubt you'd like our illustrious Duchess to overhear."

Orianna turned and made her way up the steps to the building's second floor balcony, seemingly confident that he would follow. Perhaps Geralt was still as naïve as he once had been—because he did.

Up to that balcony and then through a small door off to the side, almost imperceptible in the fading light. The room itself was nearly as dark, just a few candles lighting a laden table and a single brazier in the corner. Orianna sat herself down and began to partake in the small feast. Geralt kept his back to the door and the vampire in his sights.

"Oh come now," she said. "Surely you'll at least sit with me?"

"I'm fine standing."

"What a bore you are. I don't know what Regis sees in you." Orianna passed a critical gaze over Geralt, from head to toe. "Though what you lack in social skills I know you make up for in battle. You'll need that skill, Witcher, if you're to survive the coming ordeal."

There was a knife on the table beside her hand, but a small one meant for cheese. A bookcase to Geralt's left could provide a distraction if he toppled it, though against something this fast it wouldn't provide him with much of an advantage. A few hand-held objects might be used in a pinch...

Orianna read his line of thought and grinned. "Oh, perhaps not that boring after all. No, no, I am not your ordeal, Witcher. I'm your friend."

"Really?" he didn't bother hiding his sarcasm.

"Certainly. You want Dettlaff. I have a means of finding him. I take great pleasure in helping my friends." Orianna popped a bit of the cheese into her mouth, chewing slowly.

Geralt pushed off from the door. He'd willingly walked in here and if she wanted, Orianna could summon half the party guests to take him down. Would Regis have left if there was any chance of danger? Never. So he snagged the opposite chair, turning it so he could straddle it backwards. "I'm listening."

"Good. There is another vampire—no, no, not here. He lives apart from us, as is befitting one of his station. The Unseen Elder, he is called, Lord of this domain."

"Hmm. Lord of the Gharasham?"

"My, you are well informed!" Orianna's delight definitely wasn't fake, but it was the sort of delight an owner took in a dog who had unexpectedly learned a new trick. I thought you too stupid to manage it, her expression said. "Quite correct, Witcher. All who remain a part of his clan must obey his biding, whether they reside in Toussaint, or are all the way in Skellige. He can demand that Dettlaff appear before him, even insist that he give up this crusade of his. The Elder's power is absolute. Even I am not exempt." From the depths of her dress Orianna pulled a necklace: a pendant with a droplet in the center and five markings above it in the shape of a hand. Geralt recognized the crude symbol from the walls of Tesham Mutna. Though the design around it was—

"Wait," he said, leaning closer. "I have seen that before. Lots of little shrines around Toussaint. They to him?"

Orianna hummed. "Not quite. Almost none of us remain who were born in our world and thus The Conjunction of the Spheres remains as much a mystery to us as it does to you. However, legend has it that dragons were one of the first beings we encountered here. Intelligent, fearsome... in many ways our equal. We looked to them for insight into how to survive this place." She ran long fingers over the twin, dragon-like carvings and the half circle that connected them.

Geralt sat back. "Fascinating history lesson, but you're lying."

"Am I?"

"Or holding something back. If meeting with this Elder was so easy, Regis wouldn't have cautioned against it."

It was the only thing that fit. Regis had mentioned a shadowy figure at the start of all this, someone capable of forcing Dettlaff to show. A neat little solution, far preferable to the outright torture he'd subjected himself to... and yet Regis had dismissed the option out of hand. If he had been thinking of the Elder—and how many vampires had that kind of power?—then he clearly thought waiting in the toy shop preferable to the risk.

...Geralt wasn't so sure he agreed.

"I would expect nothing else given his strange obsession with you," Orianna said, grinning as he looked away. "Meeting with the Elder is a death sentence... unless you know how to properly present yourself."

"You're telling me Regis doesn't?"

"I'm telling you it wouldn't matter. Regis presenting himself before the Elder is nearly as bad as a human doing so. He's..." she waved a hand, the gesture dismissive. "Enamored with humanity, shall we say. Regis' refusal to drink, his preference for living among their kind—he may be older than many, but he certainly doesn't have their status. There are a number here who were shocked I invited him to this little gathering."

Ah, another reason he'd been eager to leave then.

"But you," Orianna continued. "You are not human. Yet nor are you vampire. A witcher with a reputation for sparing monsters... our Elder just might be interested in you. More importantly, I can teach you how to present yourself properly. Play your cards right, Witcher, tame some luck to your side, and you might just solve this little problem of yours once and for all."

Geralt tapped one finger against the table, then chose a string of grapes for himself. He ate each one slowly, weighing her words. "Sounds like a good way to get killed," he said.

"It may well end in your death."

"Funny, but that doesn't make me eager to take your advice. What's in it for you? One less witcher in the world?"

"Perish the thought." Orianna leaned forward to meet him, snatching the last grape from his hand. "It's far more simple than that. Your problem, Geralt, is my problem too. You think I like one of my own killing these men? Drawing attention to himself? To us?" She bared her fangs, hissing the last word like a snake. "How much have you already told the Duchess in an effort to appease her? Toussaint has been my home for two centuries and I intend for it to be my home for two centuries more. Yet that cannot happen if Dettlaff exposes all of us in his foolishness!" Her hand came down hard on the table, claws extended. Bits of grape juice squeezed out from between her fingers.

Geralt didn't flinch. "Why not go to the Elder yourself then?"

"Because I enjoy my existence," Orianna said, once again calm, aloof. "I'm not willing to risk my neck, not even to end this. The question is, Witcher, are you?"

Blast it all. Geralt had answered that question the moment he'd stepped across the border.

***

Training with Orianna was brief, but intense. Intellectually, that is. Whatever Geralt had thought he'd known about vampires, it paled in comparison to the deluge of information she hurled at him now. Some of it he'd caught glimpses of already, such as the history of Khagmar's drinking and the significance of Toussaint to them all, not just the Gharasham. Orianna told him about the peace the Elder so deeply craved and the likelihood that he too partook of blood, whenever it made itself available. They spent another half an hour together as the sun set and the stars rose, Orianna having him practice a deep bow that she was never entirely pleased with. His head didn't bend far enough, or his feet were not in precisely the right position. Geralt grit his teeth and allowed Orianna to manipulate his body like clay, ignoring the way her touch made his skin crawl. It reminded him of his Kaer Morhen days when Vesemir would turn fighting forms into muscle memory. He had nudged Geralt with a wooden sword the same way.

"It's you," she finally announced, lip curling in displeasure. "You're not... submissive enough."

"Some women like that in a guy."

"The Elder won't—keep your eyes on the floor! Do you want to die? Because that's how you do it. You cannot go in there as Geralt of Rivia, hired knight of the Duchess or whatever other title you might make claim to. You are a nobody. Nothing. Either humble yourself, or give up now."

Geralt's instincts told him to snap back. Instead he took a deep breath and swept into another bow, hunching his shoulders to make himself appear smaller. He tucked his chin down nearly against his chest, eyes on the carpet, and curled the fingers of his extended hand, trying to add a small tremor.

He heard Orianna hum. "Better. And what do we say?"

"Eclthi lautni ama."

"By the Gods your pronunciation is atrocious, but you're understandable. It will have to do."

Geralt tilted his head, deliberately making eye contact. "Enjoying this?"

"A bit."

He straightened, popping some of the kinks in his lower back. Endless bowing and formal clothes didn't mix. "The hell does that even mean? More supplication?"

"Quite the opposite." Orianna swept her arm out, producing a miniature version of the gesture. "I suppose a literal translation would be something akin to, 'I demonstrate that I am family,' though that's a horribly clunky way of phrasing it. You are, in short, announcing your good intentions. For another Gharasham the phrase would be literal. A different clan, a promise to treat the Elder as if he were their own leader. You? I can hardly promise how he will take it, but hopefully it conveys an attitude that will please him. Either way, if you approach him without ceremony be prepared to breathe your last."

Geralt grunted. All of this in an attempt to prepare him for what might lie behind that cave wall, none of it carrying a true promise of safety. "That it then? One bow, one phrase, and he'll hear me out?"

"Oh no. That empty palm of yours isn't symbolic. You'd best have a gift placed in it."

He stared. "A gift?"

Orianna's smiles had grown insulting again. "Mm hmm. There is no altruism in the Elder and you, my dear Witcher, can offer him nothing in the way of favors. He will not help you for free."

"Not even to protect himself? The rest of his clan?"

"Perhaps, though I wouldn't put any coin on it. Certainly not my life. Best approach with an offering."

Geralt threw up his hands. "Well what the hell would he want? Blood?"

"Some measly blood? Something he could gather any night he pleased?" Orianna snorted, the least dignified action she'd taken this night. Outside of spending time with him, of course. "Unless you plan to drain several villages on his behalf, don't bother."

"Then what?"

She shrugged. Considering the small knife, Orianna extended one of her claws instead. She drew it across her arm and filled a vile, previously stuffed with olives, then extended the container towards Geralt. "This is the only blood you'll need," she said. "I've told you were to find him, how to approach him, and have given you more than ample warning. The rest is up to you."

Slowly, Geralt took the bottle. "Aren't you afraid?" he asked.

"Whatever of?"

He looked directly in her eyes. "Of what will happen if I fail."

"Oh no." Orianna grinned, her teeth glinting in the candlelight. "Stopping Dettlaff is a strong preference of mine, certainly, but I'll survive no matter what calamity he rains down on us. If you stop him, if you die... it's really all the same to me."

Geralt left then, confident that this was the first lie she'd told him.

***

Stepping back onto the balcony, the first thing Geralt heard was Anna Henrietta's voice, rising above the general chatter. She called loudly—and demandingly—for the guest with white hair. Where was he? Where had he gone? Geralt grimaced. Not that their disguises had been particularly good to begin with, but if everyone here hadn't already known the Duchess and her favorite witcher were attending, they certainly did now.

Best to bypass that trouble entirely.

Standing on the railway, Geralt could just reach the edge of the building's roof. Swinging himself up he paused for a moment, surveying his options, and out came Orianna, smirking at his getaway. From there it was simple enough to slide down the other side, rolling into public property.

"Great party," Geralt muttered and set off at a jog towards Corvo Bianco.

As he ran the guilt began to eat at him. Not for ditching Anna Henrietta—that was a waste of time anyway—but for Regis, no doubt still sitting in that damn shop, waiting. They'd promised to inform one another if anything changed and... well, this was one hell of a change. Problem was, it was only a change for Geralt. Regis had already considered this option, discarded it, and while Geralt normally trusted his decisions... that trust had grown a little shaky after Tesham Mutna. Regis' debt to Dettlaff had clearly made him self-sacrificial and bringing him to the Elder was likely to put him in even more danger, should things go wrong. Geralt understood that debt though, considering he owed one to them both: Regis for Ciri, Dettlaff for bringing Regis back. He'd died for him. If caring for Regis earned Dettlaff unwavering devotion and a tendency towards torture, what the hell did a literal life debt imply?

"A fuck ton more than I've done for him," he said aloud, causing a drunk to cheer in agreement. Geralt flipped him off, picking up the pace.

None of which even considered his debt to the Duchy. No matter what he might think of Anna Henrietta, Geralt had promised to solve this problem with as little bloodshed as possible. He'd already been given a reward, the vineyard he'd now crossed into. They had no leads on this Rhenawedd and no way to find Dettlaff—except this one. Geralt had never been one to sit on his hands, certainly not when he owed so much, all around.

When put like that it became an easy answer: he'd go alone.

Though still early, the vineyard was quiet, everyone who lived on the property tucked away as the night cooled. Geralt slipped into the house and immediately began to assemble his armor, headless of the mess he made with his new, fine clothes. If things went well he'd be back before dawn and, regardless of what shape he was in, he'd clean up his mess before BB and Marlene awoke. If it didn't...

Well, a few messy habits would be the least of his worries.

Damn fancy boots were laced too tight and the silver pendant on his chest was caught in his shirt's threads. Growling, Geralt was just about to rip it off when he paused, considering the jewelry.

Surely it couldn't be that simple?

But then, simple was often what people craved the most.

Proving his own theory, Geralt finished dressing, donned his swords, and—while casting a longing look towards his bedroom— whistled for Roach.

***

"So we've come to the fun part."

Between Orianna's directions and his medallion, finding the cave was easy enough. There was only the faintest line of a door embedded in the rock and, small as a keyhole, another one of those symbols, nearly hidden beneath some ivy. Geralt had watched Regis at Tesham Mutna, curious about this world he so rarely got to see. All it had taken was him placing his palm over the door for it to open...

With a grimace Geralt poured Orianna's blood over his hand, coating it thoroughly. One handprint later the stone began to rise. He observed the mark as it disappeared, thinking that, in the darkness, it looked a great deal like the symbol of the Gharasham. Ironic that.

"Terrible security," Geralt said and poked his head inside.

A long tunnel stretched out before him and the sound of running water was surprisingly strong. Taking his first step, Geralt reached for his silver sword... only to then pull back. No. If he wanted this to work, he couldn't go in as a threat.

He considered leaving his swords behind, safely tucking them into the brush, but there were some things a witcher could never do. Walking into a higher vampire's lair unarmed, it turned out, was one of them.

Slow but sturdy steps, Geralt made his way deeper into the cave system. Smaller pathways branched off, but he stuck to the main stretch, the one that carried the scent of a living being. Geralt hadn't lied when he told Regis that he and his brethren had a particular smell and this vampire had done nothing to try and mask his. The blood in the tunnel was also a dead giveaway. Dried, but still visible to a witcher's eyes. Geralt followed both tracks with his palms open and his head bent low.

In time he emerged into a large cavern, a waterfall proving to be the source of the noise. For a moment it nearly distracted him. For one awful, stupid moment Geralt's mind was drawn to the allure of cool water... and not what hung above his head. It was only a lifetime of training that saved him. In truth, Geralt never saw the Elder move, he just felt it. He reached for his sword, pure instinct, only for Orianna's words to permeate at the last possible second. Geralt dipped low instead, his hand extended, the offering already glinting in his palm.

"Eclthi lautn—hnnk!"

He didn't get the rest out. It was rather hard to speak with teeth sunk into one's neck.

The pain was white hot and all-consuming, causing Geralt to clench his fists reflexively. He stumbled, held up only by the Elder's fangs and a single, clawed hand gripping his wrist. He drank steadily, almost indifferently, and within seconds the cave had doubled before Geralt's eyes.

"No—please—" He keened as his knees buckled. The Elder let him go, wiping at his mouth and licking the last traces from his lips. The room was still spinning, but Geralt could see those claws rising above, ready to strike—a predator finished with its prey. Kneeling before him, laid low instantaneously, Geralt didn't need to play at a submissive anymore. He also had nothing left to lose. Raising his own arm to mirror the Elder's, Geralt opened his hand right under his nose.

A ring shone between them.

What would a Lord of higher vampires want? He'd only found one answer in Orianna's teachings: for the gate between worlds to open once more. Geralt didn't have that kind of power and he wasn't fool enough to promise it. But if he couldn't send the Elder home, he could at least give him a piece of home to cherish.

"For you," he said. Gurgled, really, blood pouring from his mouth. "A gift."

Had he been in a better frame of mind, Geralt would have taken pride in the reaction he caused, the Elder's eyes widening in shock, then softening with something like desperation. The ring disappeared in a flash, held up to the meager light for inspection. The Elder cradled the jewelry between both hands, bringing it to his nose like a flower. The rumble of satisfaction he let out was akin to a purr.

With nothing holding him now Geralt toppled, head hitting the stone with a sickening crunch. Witchers couldn't afford to be confused though. Poison, blood loss, excruciating pain... they weren't allowed to panic, or to give in to their body's needs. So Geralt forced his arm to move while the Elder was distracted, fumbling for a bottle of Swallow. He downed it while curled in a fetal position, at the feet of a monster, coughing most of it onto his clothes.

So, all in all, not the worst scenario he'd imagined.

"Where..." The Elder paused for breath, like he hadn't spoken in several years. He probably hadn't. "Where did you get this?"

Mère-Lachaiselongue Cemetery, but that likely wasn't the answer the Elder wanted. Stealing from a vampire had been easier than Geralt might have imagined, simply by virtue of said vampire being out and the ring occupying an unlocked box on his bookshelf. He'd put it there prior to their trip to Tesham Mutna, saying that jewelry clashed rather obscenely with shackles.

Stealing from Regis though? That had been harder.

Geralt's voice was no better off and though ever word was fire, he forced them out, head still bent in what he hoped was a humble posture, not just a painful one. "A friend," he said. "Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, a member of your clan. For his sake and others' I humbly ask your favor. I need—"

"I already know what you need," the Elder said and to Geralt's horror he was picked up again, limp as a rag doll. He didn't know where the Elder was dragging him until he was already falling over the ledge.

It was a long fall, yet it might as well have been just a foot. Geralt didn't have time to process anything other than pain and a distinct yearning that somehow hurt more.

Regis? he thought—

-—and then everything went black.

***

In truth, Geralt wasn't sure he could give an accurate account of what happened next. He woke up, which was always the most he could ask for in these situations. The rest though?

"Fucking sucks," he rasped, pulling himself to his knees. He'd landed in a shallow pool off from the falls and when Geralt looked down, he found the water still stained with his blood. Great, the Swallow hadn't done enough then and the fall... yeah. The fall had shattered his other potions. Putting his hand down on some of the broken glass confirmed that. With a hiss Geralt managed to pull himself clear before collapsing again. He brought one arm up to bite deep into the leather of his armor. His other hand summoned igni.

A scar is better than death, he recited and closed the flame over the punctures in his neck.

It was too much though, even for his stamina, his extra mutations. Geralt passed out again and when he awoke he thought he heard Dettlaff's cries of rage somewhere above, followed by the screams of a woman. They went on for a long time, inconsolable, the sort of scream that only came from unimaginable pain. Geralt could only lie there, flinching from the noise, all too capable of empathizing with it. A dream? Reality? He couldn't say.

In time he was able to sit up again, then crawl, then stumble. Geralt moved because he had to, with nothing waiting for him in this cave except a slower death. It might have taken him an hour to climb back to where he'd been. It might have taken a day. All he cared was that he made it out.

The Elder was waiting for him.

"You live."

Geralt briefly closed his eyes. "Yeah. Would kinda like to keep it that way."

He no longer hung from the ceiling, but rather stalked the corners of the room, eyeing Geralt with an expression that was... impressed? Surely not. But he wasn't attacking again and that was really all that mattered.

That, and perhaps the hand that had appeared on the Elder's chest, hung by a fraying string. Geralt stared at it, wondering if he was hallucinating.

"It's done," the Elder said, surprisingly gentle.

"Done?" Geralt echoed.

"I see what you saw. I know what you knew and so much more," the Elder nodded, seemingly to himself. "Dettlaff came. His traitorous mate came. I forced both from my territory. I punished her." He gestured to the hand.

Geralt could see now that it was a woman's.

"You—you punished her? Why?" his fury was a dull thing, unable to rise above the weakness of his body.

"Yeess," the Elder hissed. "Traitorous! The human lied to my child. Manipulated him. Had him kill on her behalf. I saw," he said again, tapping his head. "I drank from you and I saw. My child cutting his hand in anguish. So I cut hers."

Geralt shook his head, regretting the movement the second he did. "I don't... I don't understand."

"The human Syanna will not return. Dettlaff will not return. All my children now know this."

"Syanna?" Dettlaff's mate... "Rhenawedd?"

"Correct. Your gift is repaid. Leave."

"I—"

"Leave!"

What else could he do? Geralt stumbled towards the entrance, refraining from turning his back on the Elder—for whatever good that would do him. He didn't move though, still as death, and the last thing Geralt saw was the hand with Regis' ring petting Rhenawedd's severed appendage.

He would have run if he'd been able.

As it was, Geralt only just managed to make it out of the system without collapsing again, his breath coming in sharp, painful heaves. Roach—good old Roach—was still waiting for him, comfortably partaking of the grass and the nearby stream. She didn't shy from the smell of blood and she already knew her way home. It was with immense relief that Geralt collapsed onto her back and let her lead him to the safety of Corvo Bianco.

His head was still down then, watching the fields pass underneath. Geralt had humbled himself and come out the victor.

So why didn't it feel that way?

***

Geralt managed to stay conscious for the ride back, occasionally hauling himself into a near seated position so he didn't scare the farmers. There was little reason to hide from his own staff though and he'd half expected to send one of them screaming for BB. As it was, they were already waiting for him.

BB... and Regis.

"Oh," Geralt managed, slipping from the saddle. He didn't hit the ground though, strong arms there to catch him as Regis moved from the door to his side with a speed no human could duplicate. However, if BB noticed he wasn't inclined to comment, both hands pressed hard against his mouth in a rather heartwarming display of concern. Geralt tried to reassure him and only managed to dribble more blood down into his armor.

That was going to be a bitch to clean.

"Don't talk," Regis snapped, carting him bridal style into the house. Geralt had a hundred quips he wanted to let loose, from a joke about whether he was being wooed to the incredulous question of whether Regis was really telling him not to talk. Nothing emerged though. His body could no longer keep up with his thoughts, muddled though they were, so Geralt simply sank into the arms holding him, grateful that someone else was taking control.

And yet...

"Sorry," he managed and Regis shot him a look so furiously anguished that Geralt shied from it.

"If you continue speaking," he said, each word clipped, straining. "Then I will not be responsible for my actions."

Sedate him or murder him? Could be either, really. Best not find out.

So Geralt, quiet as a mouse, allowed himself to be carried to his room where he was finally, gloriously, laid out on his bed. Too bad there was pain ruining the moment. Regis wasted no time, calling for hot water with the confidence of a man who'd spent a couple hundred years studying medicine. He'd already gotten Geralt halfway out of his armor by the time BB returned.

"Well be fine," Regis told him, laying one hand kindly over his. He whispered something more and BB nodded, perking up at the routine of another task. Still, he cast Geralt his hundredth worried look and though this time he just tried to smile reassuringly back, he feared it came out more like a grimace. It must have been enough though because BB bowed and promised that they would remain undisturbed, closing the door behind him.

That lock was possibly the loudest sound Geralt had ever heard.

Regis stood at the door for a moment, holding the basin. Geralt only knew he was shaking because of the small ripples in the water.

"I must examine you," he told the wood, voice thick. "Stitch, salve, sterilize. Take stock of the damage. Determine a long-term treatment. I have already called for a bath. You must be craving one after two days."

Two days? Geralt opened his mouth only for Regis to whirl on him, lips curled back in a snarl.

"Then and only then will you be permitted to speak. Understood?"

Stunned, he nodded. Stupid move though, what with a burned neck and all.

His wince softened Regis. He slumped to match Geralt's posture, letting out a shuddering breath, and put the water aside before he could spill it all. His hands, when they returned to Geralt's armor, were as gentle as an artist handling a masterpiece. "Come," he murmured. "Let me see."

He'd never needed to ask twice.

Geralt was stripped to his smalls and they both got to see precisely what this contract had done to him. Bruises littered his body, congregating on his right side and spreading all the way down to his foot. It was like seeing them suddenly made them real because only then did Geralt suck in a sharp breath, feeling their presence. His right shoulder had been dislocated in the fall, yet had somehow returned to its socket—no doubt another precaution he'd taken on instinct, the memory now lost to him. There was still glass embedded in his palms, a number of cuts from rocks that had wormed their way past his armor, and more than one ache that spoke of a damaged muscle. Still, none of it touched the pain that was his neck and when Regis tilted his head to get a better look, Geralt couldn't help but flinch.

"I'm sorry," Regis breathed, the fingers on his chin lightly stroking there, a comfort. "I could never recommend burning yourself, Geralt, but you did successfully stop the bleeding. However, I fear the venom will take some time to leave your system."

Geralt simply raised an eyebrow, the question obvious.

"We are capable of making the feeding... painful, should we wish it."

Lovely.

Blood loss alone should have had him begging for sleep, but Geralt found that he was wide awake by the time Regis had finished his inspection. His neck was the only thing that needed bandaging—the smaller cuts would heal on their own, courtesy of his mutations— so it was with no small enjoyment that Geralt was able to sink fully into the bath BB had drawn for him. Steaming hot and scented with lavender, it nearly made all of this worth it.

After soaking for what felt like an obscenely long time, Geralt cracked an eye open. Regis was seated on the edge of his bed, watching him with the intensity of a hawk.

Or perhaps just a vampire.

"Am I allowed to speak now?" he croaked.

"I would much prefer that you let your throat rest."

"Fat chance of that."

For the first time since arriving home, Regis smiled. Small, sad, but undoubtedly there. Geralt found himself relieved to see it.

"You could talk instead," he continued, gentle as he was capable of being. It wasn't much. "Never known you to resist talking and it sounds like you've got a story on the tip of your tongue. Care to share?"

The eyes that met his were sharp, almost unforgiving. "I am not the one who owes the other an explanation, Geralt."

Ouch.

"Yeah... fair enough... but humor the injured? Would help if I knew what you've already pieced together. Wasn't expectin' you here, y'know?"

Geralt deliberately slurred his words a little at the end, angling for an agreement. Not that he needed to fake his exhaustion. Sliding further into the still steaming water, he rested his head on the lip of the tub. Regis also slid to the floor and leaned against the bed's side, putting himself where Geralt could easily see him.

He blew out a breath. "You are aware," he began, "that my kind possess limited telepathic capabilities?"

"Yeah. How you talk to your ravens, right?"

"Indeed. The Elder's ability in this regard is... a fair bit more advanced, let us say. He is able to call upon all the vampires in his territory, if he so chooses, and until two nights ago I thought that such a message would only come in the form of a call to battle." Regis ran a hand through his hair, chuckling, though there was no humor in the sound. Given the time to appreciate his appearance now, Geralt took note of how disheveled he was: all wrinkled layers and drawn features.

"You likewise know that my heart does not beat in the conventional human sense, but I wager that it very well stopped at that moment. Luckily, I was not called upon to wage war on his behalf." Another rueful chuckle. "I doubt my ability in many things, Geralt, but in being a soldier most of all."

Regis was quite for a moment, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. His hands, bereft of the satchel now sitting by the door, clenched rhythmically against the edge of his shirt, like a cat kneading for comfort.

"What'd he say?" Geralt prompted.

"Hmm. He did not precisely say anything at all. What little was put forth in our tongue is rather difficult to translate—"

"Eclthi lautni ama."

Regis' head snapped up, fast enough that in a human Geralt would have heard the crack of his spine. He appeared to have been rendered speechless and whatever else might be going on, Geralt couldn't help but take pride in that small accomplishment.

He let out a chuckle of his own, this one genuine. "Sorry. Been told my pronunciation is awful. Only three vampiric words I know though."

Regis' mouth continued to work a moment, not unlike some poor fish pulled from its pond, until he finally rallied. "Considering that, to my admittedly limited knowledge, you are the only non-vampire to ever attempt speaking our language, I think your efforts are to be commended. However did you... no. Do not answer that. Not yet. I fear I'll never share this story if I don't get it out now." Tipping his head back against the bed, Regis shut his eyes. "The Elder communicates through feelings more than words, but the gist of the message was this: Dettlaff is now barred from re-entering Toussaint, as is his former mate, she on pain of death and him at risk of imprisonment."

Geralt swallowed. Harsh punishments both, though given what he'd seen of Tesham Mutna, he thought death the preferable option.

"Of course, I knew you must be involved somehow." Regis cracked one eye open, letting out an annoyed little huff. "My Elder speaking for the first time in centuries, on the very subject we were so eager to resolve, after I myself had made vague references to his existence? Why, how could you not be involved? With your penchant for getting into trouble, particularly of the deadly variety, it was nearly inevitable."

"...you done?"

"Never," Regis quipped and Geralt flicked a bit of the bath water at him.

The jovial mood dissipated quickly though.

"Needless to say I was... quite beside myself with worry. I went immediately to the last place we'd seen one another, the estate, obviously, though Orianna was less than forthcoming about your whereabouts. By the time I had resolved to approach the Elder himself, Dettlaff had found me."

"He—?" Geralt let out a low growl at the news. "He chose then to show up?"

"Out of necessity only. He'd been ordered to leave and turned to me in his grief." Regis shook his head, staring off into the distance. "In truth, Dettlaff was... difficult to follow. I have already explained how rich his emotions are. You yourself experienced a taste of that via Resonance. I realized quickly that his agony stemmed not from leaving our homeland behind, but rather the means by which this punishment had come about. Apparently, his meeting with the Elder revealed that dear Rhenawedd had never been in any danger. She had, for reasons of her own, orchestrated this entire nightmare. Her name isn't even Rhenawedd."

"Syanna," Geralt supplied, earning him another sharp look.

"It seems you've been well informed on the matter."

Not really, but Geralt knew better than to derail one of Regis' explanations.

"What is most curious is the etymology here. 'Syanna' is a shortened version of 'Sylvia Anna' and, the similarities between that name and our dear Duchess aside, I had already had the good fortune of procuring a pamphlet that has been distributed about the city."

From the depths of his many pockets Regis pulled a much creased bit of paper, handing it over. Geralt wet the abused thing in the act of unfolding it, but the writing was still quite legible.

"Dear Beauclairois," he read aloud. "Wake up! You are being diddled in the derriere by a ruling elite which plays you like fiddles. In broad daylight they have conspired to deprive you of the rightful heir to your throne ... the hell is all this rubbish?"

"Not rubbish at all, I'd wager," Regis said. "Though you should be forgiven for thinking so, given that I had the same line of thought upon first discovering this missive in an otherwise reputable establishment. Some anonymous citizen crying foul at the local government? Hardly what I would call an uncommon event. Yet this particular author appears to be better informed than I initially gave them credit for." Taking the paper back, Regis tapped a line near the bottom—The rightful heiress to the throne might return at any moment. "Were I not so well-acquainted with your own strange and colorful history, Geralt, I might have scoffed at these claims of a curse and a lost, forgotten royal. But you are intimately familiar—and I through dear Dandelion's songs—with the very real, worrying nature of such things. Through Dettlaff's tearful cries I formed what I consider a plausible explanation, one made more likely by the excellent history your Barnabas-Basil provided."

Too tired to parse through all that, Geralt merely ran a hand over his face. "Care to share with the class?"

"Certainly. It's a far simpler explanation than this otherwise complex investigation would imply. There was indeed a second daughter of the Duke, older than Anna Henrietta and thus the rightful heir to the throne, yet she was said to be cursed. She was exiled and then returned, intent on using Dettlaff as her means of revenge." Regis shook his head, claws beginning to extend. "I cannot possibly divine the entirety of her motivations, but the general picture of her intent is clear. She was using my blood brother for her own means and likely has been since they met. Whatever he saw in her... well, I cannot claim to see it too. Dettlaff's grief over losing her is great, his horror at a maiming to mirror his own indescribable, and his rage at her betrayal deadly. But even all of that cannot stand up against the Elder's orders. Dettlaff will bother Toussaint no longer and if Syanna wishes to see old age, she would be wise to keep her distance too."

They sat in silence together for a time, lost in thought. Soon though his mental discomfort was outweighed by the now quickly cooling water. Regis picked up on the minute shivers, hauling himself to his feet.

"I haven't spent time tending your wounds simply to let you catch cold, Geralt. Up. You can explain yourself once you've dressed."

Geralt moved slowly, tenderly, like a man twice his age and lacking in mutations. After some time to relax he was feeling all his injuries in full, but after everything, dressing in a warm nightshirt was the easiest thing this contract had asked of him. Regis gave him his privacy, spending some time scrounging up food from Marlene while he changed.

"Never said how you wound up here." Geralt said as he observed the spread before him. A broth with bits of shredded chicken, plenty of bread, and Toussaint's cure for all ails: a goblet of wine. Lunch in bed, he thought, testing his stomach on a bit of the bread. Lucky me.

Regis shook his head at Geralt's offer to share. "That's no great tale. By the time I had wrung this information from Dettlaff and seen him past our borders, a full day and most of the night had passed. Either you would return in time to this estate, or..."

"Or I was already dead," Geralt finished, ignoring Regis' flinch.

"Indeed. I came here in the vain hope that you might already be in the tender care of your staff. Barnabas-Basil was also eager to hear any word of your whereabouts and, as said, we had a rather productive conversation concerning what may be going on—though I was, of course, rather guarded about the exact nature of our woes. By the time I had begun to doubt my decision to wait..." Regis spread his hands.

"I came riding up, giving the whole vineyard a scare."

"Quite."

Regis pushed the bowl closer and all but shoved the spoon into Geralt's hand. "But I've indulged you long enough. You will eat and you will speak."

"Thought you didn't want me to speak?"

"Geralt."

"Right. Sorry." He spun the spoon in the soup a moment and then dove in. Between bites of the much needed meal, Geralt told Regis everything: Orianna's offer, her teachings, his encounter with the Elder, and the strange things he'd heard in his half-delirious state, now sounding far more sensible. Dettlaff had indeed been there then, as had Syanna, though based on Regis' expression he'd had no more idea that the Elder could force humans to appear before him than Geralt did. He must have overheard the sentencing above him, though he hadn't known what it was at the time.

Gerald didn't have Dandelion's flare for the dramatic, nor did he possess Regis' tendency towards verbosity. He kept to the facts, straight and simple, finishing by the time he'd gotten halfway through his meal.

Regis watched his covers the whole time, perched uncomfortably on the edge of his chair.

"Well," he finally said. "That was remarkably brilliant on your part."

Geralt paused with the spoon halfway to his lips. "Huh?"

"The ring," Regis explained. "Oh, the rest makes any fool look like a genius, but the ring? Utterly inspired. To give our Elder a piece of our homeland to cultivate favor... I'm sure that's the only reason you made it out of there alive, whatever his initial intentions might have been." Again his hands spasmed, curling into fists. "There is only one thing I fail to understand."

"What's that?"

"Why?"

He'd turned from Regis' compliments, never sure how to face those, and thus missed the first moment when his expression crumpled, grief rising back up to the surface. When Geralt spotted it he froze and didn't dare pretend that he didn't know what Regis was asking.

Why hadn't he done this with him? Together?

Geralt blew out a breath, pushing his meal aside. He'd suddenly lost what little appetite he'd had. "You have to know it wasn't about trust, Regis."

"Do I?"

Regis blinked at the question turned on him, rearing back a bit. Geralt cursed his idiot mouth—he wasn't out to accuse—but the words came pouring forth regardless.

"You just said I was brilliant, so do you really think I wouldn't notice?" he asked, gesturing in resignation. "You come back from the dead and hole up in some tiny village, not a word for years on end. Could have sought me out, Regis. Sent a note a least. C'mon," Geralt waved off the attempted excuse. "I might be on the Path, but we've got plenty of shared acquaintances, any one of which could have gotten word to me when I next passed through. Your lot might be untrackable, but I'm not. You think I wouldn't realize you didn't want to find me?"

Regis flinched horribly, but Geralt had warmed to the subject, talking over him.

"Takes Dettlaff nearly skewering me for you to step in, though you must have known I was in Toussaint the moment I arrived. Duchy's done nothing but talk up my arrival and there were probably rumors long before that. A quick reunion where every third sentence is a lesson on how different I am from a vampire—" an exaggeration, though the reminders had stung at the time. "—and the rest is Dettlaff this, Dettlaff that... didn't take me long to realize I was the bad guy here. A threat to your beloved blood brother. The interloper. Goddammit, Regis, I watched you torture yourself for that guy, breaking years of sobriety to do it. So when I had the chance to maybe fix all this for you both, without putting you in any more danger, I..." Geralt shrugged, exhausted. "You're damn right I took it. No regret. You died for me, Regis, helped me get Ciri back, and Dettlaff all but resurrected you. Yet I've been nothing but unwanted company since. It was the least, the fucking least I could do."

Regis was still as a statue beside him and Geralt's mind spun with the stupidity of saying all that. Would he agree with the assessment? Just walk out? Geralt wouldn't blame him if he did. He'd tried to fix things, yes, but it had still all gone so horribly wrong.

It took him an awful long time to realize that Regis wasn't still. He was shaking again.

He was crying.

Geralt could only gape, mouth hanging wide enough to catch flies. It wasn't just a few tears, but full-on sobs kept quiet through pure force of will, Regis pressing both palms desperately against his eyes, shoulders hunched. Geralt reached out, but stopped just short of touching him, unsure if it would be welcome.

"Shit," he whispered. "Shit, shit, shit. I—Regis—c'mon. Please don't..."

All at once he wrenched his hands away and there was a smile underneath, though the most self-deprecating one Geralt had ever had the misfortune to witness.

"Oh, Geralt," Regis breathed, breath hiccupping slightly. There was no anger in his voice, not a drop. "If that is truly what you believe than I have failed you most utterly."

Geralt's mouth worked for a moment, his brain clueless about what would come out. "I'm the one making you cry," he said, voice witless.

"Yes," Regis said, like it was some kind of revelation. "Yes. And that is precisely why I kept my distance. I have explained time and again how emotional my brethren are. Whyever would you think I was any different?"

Mirroring him, Regis reached out only to draw back, his shaking hand coming to rest against his chest. He shook his head wildly. "My dear Geralt. A vampire's love is everything to them, everything, you know that well thanks to Dettlaff, and my love for you—" He cut off, rocking with the force of those words. Regis took in a shuddering breath and still, still, attempted to smile. "My love for you is all-consuming. It is all that I am now and all that I can imagine being for the rest of my existence. It is me."

...Oh.

Oh.

"Of course I knew your whereabouts," Regis said, speaking more quickly with every word. "I begged Dettlaff for any news of you, sought out songs, every finished contract and ridiculous rumor. But they were just placeholders and for all that desire I had no intention of seeking out the real thing. You were free of me." It came out a plea. "A clean break, Geralt, and a healthy distance when this awful work brought us back together, the occasional reminder that I am not and cannot ever be human. It was best for the both of us. Because I knew I would slip, inevitably, as I have now, and I couldn't bear your rejection, or worse, your disgust tempered with pity. I am a coward, Geralt, and so incredibly sorry that my cowardice has caused you such pain, but I would rather love you from afar than risk—"

Geralt never found out what Regis would be risking because he wrenched him forward across the bed and into a kiss. He went willingly, if a little slack-jawed with shock, but the moment Geralt threaded a hand into Regis' hair he melted, keening against him like something wild, vulnerable. The kiss was short-lived, but a balm to them both, and when Geralt gently pulled back he found devoted black eyes staring into his. Regis gently brushed his knuckles against Geralt's cheek, disbelieving.

"You're exhausted," he murmured. "Poisoned. Traumatized. You don't know—"

"If you say I don't know what I'm doing I'll kick your ass, Regis, injuries or no." Geralt gave him a lopsided grin, warmth bubbling all through his chest. "Wanted to do that for years."

"Years?" It came out no more than a whisper.

"Uh huh. Just couldn't imagine what a brilliant vampire might see in a jaded witcher."

"How strange," Regis said, sounding almost drugged. "Because I too have yet to see what an accomplished witcher could see in an old, terribly flawed vampire."

"Funny, but I don't think either of us are particularly good at this."

"Perhaps not. But, Geralt..." Regis suddenly surged forward to press their foreheads together, hanging on like a man who clung to his capsized boat. "You must know, you must understand that if you give yourself to me I will never let you go. Ever. This is no short-lived dalliance. Like Dettlaff, I won't be able to part. I am an addict, in more than just blood."

Geralt could have easily reminded him of his decades long abstinence, broken only for family, and the control he showed now despite an intentional slip. He also might have spoken for hours about the differences, clear as day, between him and Dettlaff.

But Geralt didn't say those things. Instead he just tucked Regis' head beneath his chin, stroking a hand down his spine. "I promise I understand," he said, solemn as he'd ever been, and he was relieved at the tension bleeding out of Regis' frame. "Provided you understand that I'm not giving you up either. Might not be a vampire, but I can be mighty stubborn when I choose."

Breath puffed out against his neck and Geralt didn't mind the pain for a moment. "I am well aware."

"Then you're sure?"

"Since nearly the moment we met."

Ah... yeah. That he understood.

They stayed like that until the soup was cold Geralt's left leg had gone numb under Regis' weight. He didn't mind though. This... this felt like a victory, the sort that would take some time to truly sink in. Geralt only wished that they all got to share in it.

"I'm sorry," he said. Regis lifted himself up, eyes red from crying, but otherwise bursting with joy.

"Whatever for?" His hand seemed attached to Geralt's cheek and he willingly leaned into the warm, steady weight. It helped ground him and with Regis' touch he hardly noticed anything else.

Geralt sighed. "For... all of this. Misunderstanding. Wasted years. Worrying you. Me. I stole your fucking ring." Regis huffed out a dismissive laugh. "But Dettlaff most of all, I guess. I know how important he is to you. Me too, if I'm honest, if only for what I owe him. I thought the Elder would just summon him, not..."

"Not banish him and maim a young woman?" Regis grimaced. "I apologize. I didn't intend that as an accusation, but that is precisely the sort of capriciousness that made me wary to approach him. In truth though... it likely turned out for the best."

"How the hell do you figure that?"

"Simple: banishment is not death. For either of them." Regis snuck his fingers up into Geralt's hair, petting him tenderly. "It is what I feared the most. That this case would lead to Dettlaff's demise and, by the Gods, I was prepared for that. Because to choose him over you..." Regis shook his head. "That's no choice at all. No matter how much I may owe him—and I do owe him everything, Geralt—I could never put him above your safety. And yet, that sacrifice was never asked of me. Dettlaff lives and, I have no doubt, will heal in time. A woman who dared cross my people lived to tell about it. I live, Vilgefortz be damned, and, to my continuing shock, I have started something with you that I still dare not name." Regis searched Geralt's face, his smile widening at whatever he saw there. "Put your guilt to rest. We live, we may well even thrive someday, and that is entirely thanks to you."

Geralt didn't know how to respond to that, so he just grunted, weakly pulling Regis closer. It was the middle of the day, but their little room may well have been timeless. Regis kicked off his shoes and joined Geralt beneath the covers, limbs intertwining with exhaustion, with intimacy. They settled down into a witcher-vampire union as if they'd been doing so for years.

"Thrive, huh?" Geralt asked, his voice already slurring.

"If we should be so lucky, my love."

Two words to send him off into blissful, rejuvenating sleep.

***

The city of Beauclair celebrated Geralt of Rivia, renowned witcher and slayer of the Beast.

Appeasing the Duchess was easy, especially when she was already determined to believe only what made sense to her. Under Regis' watchful eye Geralt returned to the palace as soon as he could walk without dizziness, the both of them knowing that his remaining injuries would go a long way towards selling their tale. Not that he had to lie, precisely. While kneeling before the court—that, it seemed, was the way to survive in Toussaint: cultivating the right courtesies—Geralt apologized for his abandonment at the party, citing a new and dangerous lead as his excuse. True enough. He had then battled a most fearsome vampire, nearly resulting in loss of life. Also true, though Anna Henrietta didn't need to know that the Elder differed from the Beast, or that "battled" was being rather too kind to Geralt's side of the fight. He ended his story by pulling out Dettlaff's severed hand to his gasping audience, announcing that this was all that was left of their monster problem. The final truth, in a manner of speaking. Dettlaff would never haunt Toussaint again and Anna Henrietta, who had refused to believe in the immortality of higher vampires from the start, observed the graying appendage with a vicious satisfaction.

"We are most pleased!" she called, her voice bouncing off the high walls. "All hail Geralt, slayer of the Beast!"

He'd hear that damn line for months to come, on the lips of every citizen in the kingdom.

Figuring out what to do about Syanna was far trickier. Beginning at the again closed entrance to the Elder's lair, Regis had managed to follow her blood trail to a nearby castle, then East until the scents of the forest obscured the trace. It was clear that she'd been in the process of leaving though and given that Regis had sent Dettlaff North to one of his old hideaways, they should be keeping well clear of one another.

"She gonna survive that?" Geralt had asked, gesturing with one hand to the other.

"She made it this far," Regis had murmured, standing from his observations of the ground. "And if I were to wager anything on the woman who survived two exiles, Dettlaff, my Elder, and who knows what other horrors in her life... yes, I'd imagine she'll survive this too."

They banked on that survival and hoped that the next risk they took would come to mean something. An anonymous letter was sent to Anna Henrietta—penned by a most trustworthy bootblack—detailing her sister's involvement in the crimes, as well as the likelihood that she would have made an attempt on the throne. Yet alongside the horror was hope: vague directions about where she'd gone and a new, terrible feature to identify her by. The letter was curt in its honesty. You needn't believe us. Search for her only if you wish.

Just don't bring her into Toussaint.

Geralt and Regis were sure that, if Anna Henrietta did ever find her, Syanna's will to live would trump any pressure to return. Any relationship past that was up to them to forge; any tragedy that came of it was theirs to bear.

Regis and Geralt washed their hands of it.

As for them? Their lives looked something like thriving. For three months straight gifts poured in from the surrounding countryside, grateful citizens sending him everything from a humble cutting of grapes, to their oldest bottles of wine. There was a ceremony in his honor—stupid formalities all around—a couple thousand in coin, and a whole wagon-full of the Ducal's prized drink, Sangreal. When Geralt took one barrel for himself and dispersed the rest among his staff, gratitude rose to unheard of heights.

Things appeared perfect in Corvo Bianco, almost like a fairy tale.

Yet every time Geralt was sent another roll of exotic fabric, or a wheel of aged cheese, or he even just heard some well-wishes shouted across the cobblestones, he'd smile and mentally set the gift aside.

"Don't need 'em," he told Regis when he asked, eagerly accepting the newly delivered chocolates for himself.

"Oh?" he was already popping one into his mouth. "Something about witcher frugality, I presume?"

"Nah. Just got everything I need right here."

Hands around Regis' waist confirmed that Geralt didn't mean the house. Or the vineyard. Not even the beauty of the world around them. They could live in a sty for all he cared. Regis' company, the hitch of breath as Geralt pulled him closer... that was worth more than the entire Dutchy laid out on his doorstep.

And after everything they'd been through, Geralt was determined to ensure Regis understood that. He wasn't a vampire, but he had witcher ways of showing devotion.

"Everything I need," he repeated, "is here."

"Right here," Regis echoed.

Geralt kissed him, tasting chocolate and the promise of a future.

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