#it is at a constant war for first place with gladnis but...

[tenebriism]

if u want iggy can also smash or pass noct even tho we're not writing that as a ship rn (doesn't need to be in the same timeline obviously)

Smash or Pass - [ ACCEPTING ] ;;

No. No. NO. That is his SUPERIOR, that is the PRINCE, the heir APPARENT, the FUTURE KING, and as his ADVISOR, this is the most INAPPROPRIATE and INTRUSIVE question he could EVER be asked ! How absolutely mortifying ! How INCONSIDERATE ! What BENEFIT comes of receiving Ignis' answer !? Do you seek to SHAME him !? To make him feel even WORSE about his feelings !? He knows they have no place in this arrangement -- it does not matter how much the heart may yearn, for it is second, third, fourth, and BEYOND to duty.

" . . . I am so sorry, your highness . . . " Wherever Noctis may be, astrals above, Ignis is so sorry . . . and to King Regis, as well, because gods, does this go against everything the Scientias stand for, and everything Ignis has been taught.

" The . . . former. " No, Ignis, it must be verbally uttered. Those are the rules of the game, and you are, probably, Insomnia's best Rule Follower, right ? " . . . ahem. Ah . . . yes, well . . . sma . . . gods, how unbecoming of me. Smash. There. Speak of this NO further. "

Do not ask for further details. Do not pursue him. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. He is taking his first ' Sick Day ' in 5 years. Apartment is locked, lights off.

Do NOT Disturb.

[moonraccoon-exe]

Consider this. Iggy's blinded because he betrays Ardyn and the Niff empire. Like, Iggy, since he was child, was meant to, idk, gather info and report back to Ardyn or whatever. But, since Iggy grows up alongside Noct and Gladio, and treated kindly by King Regis, etc., Iggy ends up loving these kind people, the beautiful city of Lucis and whatnot. Now Iggy doesn't have the heart to hurt his newfound fam and home.

So, of course, Ardyn is not happy with the news.

“Are you sure you’re doing this? Are you leaving us for them?”

“More than I’ve ever been before.”

“I see. So you won’t be my ears and eyes anymore.”

“No. Try if you want, but all that these eyes look at from now on, they’re not showing you. Your ears set on the King of Light are deaf.  Your eyes watching over him have gone blind. ”

A pause. A smile.

“Too bad.”

The man’s suddenly appearing in front of him, an inch away, too fast for Ignis to do anything in response.

“Then so be it.”

He has a flame in his hand.

He’s too quick for Ignis to react.

And there’s suddenly nothing but pain. And a scream.

And then, really nothing this time.

MAAAAAN, would this be one WICKED and super AWESOME scenario despite all the angst and the pain. Can you imagine it!?

Loyal Ignis, turning out to have started as a Nif spy all this time, but switching to the Lucian side somewhen during his years living there, falling in love with the kingdom, with its people, with its places. Loving its king. The prince. The Shield. Everyone that’s around him. (side note: I actually once had this similar idea, but it it didn’t involve the journey and it was a Tenebraen rather than a Nif spy and it was a Gladnis lmao)

You’d think Ignis is a moody and usually upset man that’s too serious for his own good, but truth is that he’s in a constant internal struggle, where he knows why he’s there and he reminds himself what his duty is, but he can’t help but not want to. Because every time he sees that frustrating teenage prince asleep on the couch, or every time he trains with the Shield, or every time the King offers him company…it feels wrong. 

This people are amazing. Why would anyone want to harm them? Political issues? Economy? War? All those things, all regard material things, whether it’s lands or money or anything else. And material things, are they really worth hurting people as good as them? People as kindhearted, as funny, as good. 

Still, Ignis does try during the journey to do as he was raised to do and spy for the empire. He knew about the Fall of Insomnia and did his best acting when giving the news to the party…but when they went to see it firsthand…it felt so wrong. He knew there would be invasion, but that was senseless destruction. And even though he had been mentally prepared, even though he knows that’s not and never was his home…well, it feels like it was. And now it’s destroyed. 

So it’s constant doubt all across the journey, even though he’s very much obviously on the Lucian side. And it’s on Altissia, when he gets to be separated from the party with a believable excuse, that he reaches for the Empire. The acting goes on when he first departs from his comrades, fighting off MTs. But, once out of sight range, he simply walks, hurriedly but walks, as the MTs open the path to him and ignore him like it’s nothing.

Until he reaches the Chancellor’s aircraft. Faces him. He’s asked to report. 

And he, for the first time, openly denies to do so.

Mygod.

Imagine, after the conversation and the “fight”, Ardyn just going to drop the unconscious and majorly injured Ignis somewhere like he’s a piece of trash.

“There. Your friends should find you here at some point. Let’s hope they do it before you die out of pain, hm? It’d be a shame to let someone with your potential go to waste.”

He’s putting a foot on him, smashing his already injured head against the floor.

“What a shame…now my eyes are blind. I wonder how far they can go now without becoming an obstacle for his Majesty.”

There’s a last pressure of the boot against that skull, and of course, no reply. 

And there’s him; Ardyn’s ears and eyes, “deaf and blind”. And blind. 

The eyes refused to see for him,So he shut them closed.