#this is what you are dealing with Noct

[someobscurereference]

ive been rereading your ffxv fic "im trying hard to take it back" for literally four years now. please end my suffering and tell me how gladio feels. please. PLEASE. (but only if u want ofc)

(fic) Short answer: Gladio feels insane guilt and spends a lot of his life trying to make this up to Prompto. In the process, they deepen their connection as friends and do begin a relationship probably around the one-year mark of endless darkness. <3

Longer answer: (implications of abuse/violence tw but no worse than in the fic itself; just what others assume to be true even if it's not in the context of this specific fic)

Gladio is a secret romantic at heart who has always envisioned meeting his soulmate, but he's also duty-bound and duty comes first. So even though he reads romance books (amongst other types of books too) and indulges in his head a bit as many people do, he's often put his duty to the crown first and foremost in his mind. He also didn't imagine his soulmate was anyone on this trip and thought perhaps the person he may have been fated to meet died in the assault of Insomnia. Even if they were a refugee, they can't be a priority to him at this moment. His priority has to be Noctis.

Prompto has obviously grown on him over the course of their road trip, but there are aspects of them that don't 100% mesh (as is true with every realistic relationship). That said, Gladio never in a hundred years would want this moment of (understandable but out of line) frustration and anger in the wake of Luna and Altissa to be a permanent mark on Prompto's face. He's genuinely horrified and disgusted with himself for a long time after this and spends most of his life trying to make it up. He feels like a dirtbag about it.

That said, Prompto runs away from him in this moment and they need time to calm down, just as the fic shows. Noctis goes after Prompto, just like in canon. Prompto falls off the train and has his Despair Arc just like in the DLC, now with the added despair of "well, in addition to being a clone, my soulmate hates me. And in addition to the mark of inhumanity on my wrist (barcode), I have a giant hand print of him literally Shoving Me Away on my face. Forever."

Aranea: Well, do you want to die about it. Or do you want to live.

Prompto, eventually like in canon: Live, I guess. But it will be excruciating.

Aranea: That's what living is. We do it anyway. Your friends love you. Get off the floor.

He fights his way through his issues and gets rescued like in canon. Gladio probably tries to talk to him when they all catch up again, trying to apologize, and Prompto tells him to hold off on that for later.

Then, of course, Noctis is eaten by the crystal and "later" becomes much, much later as they evacuate and try to survive in eternal darkness. (Though they also can't Not think about it because it's a giant hand print. On Prompto's face. And every person they meet has Something To Say about it, for better or worse, whether they knew Prompto before or not. Prompto cannot escape it, and when Gladio is not doing Crown Duties he feels he must do in Noct's absence, he's with Prompto, so he also Cannot Escape It either. Even when the person speaking is unaware that Gladio left that mark. It's almost worse when they don't know, but when they see it's Gladio, who is such a big guy who seemingly hit Prompto and left that permanent mark there, some of them get nasty to him and some back off out of fear. Both are horrible. The guilt is eating him alive.)

Eventually, enough time passes as the dust settles that they do Talk About It. Gladio apologizes sincerely, for the 500th time. Prompto's like, "Well. It's not like you could have known that this would be The One Time it happened." And then cracks a joke about their soulmate mark being a Prompto's hand print on Gladio's ass from a butt slap in another life, which does help the tension somewhat. (The more Gladio tries to apologize, the more Prompto grows sick of hearing it, so they just have to move on and keep going, as he's learned to do.)

They grow closer over time, especially because there's not a lot of people who have survived to this point and even less later on. They do get together romantically, both because they do like the idea of soulmates (for different reasons) and also because they're living out of each others pockets for years, so there's an affection and dependency that develops there. Also, teenage Prompto always thought Gladio was really handsome and teen Gladio thought Prompto was cute and sincere for a pipsqueak.

When they are out together on dates in normal settings surrounded by strangers after the light returns, Gladio will receive dirty looks for the rest of his life from strangers who see the hand print on Prompto's face and immediately (correctly) assumes it was out of anger rather than a funny accident or something. (Edit: Some people will assume there is a funny story attached. Gladio will not know what to say to this. Prompto will play along.) He will learn to live with this. Prompto is really grateful Gladio is with him despite everything.

[sageteapost]

Hi! i saw you write for ffxv and read the dating drabbles you made and wanted to request more expanded hcs for Noctis if thats okay? Like what else would come with dating them, love language, jealousy level and maybe even tropes if that's okay- pls feel free to add or change anything to this broad request 💀 tysm in advance and stay safe 💕

❝Hmm, I see...❞

authors note: ABSOLUTELY ANON!! Could always write more about Noct haha. And no worries, I've been cooking for a long time about this.

cw + tags: Mostly fluff! Gets spicy for like, a split second, but that's it. Not proofread, sorry for any typos! [Established relationship. GN! Reader.]

summary: A more expanded list of dating headcanons about Noctis from this post!

As for love languages, Noctis is tied with physical touch and quality time. Surprisingly, he's a big cuddler and very affectionate. At least in private. He's a bit shyer about it in public especially with the title of Prince and trying to keep proper images sometimes, but he's much more open about it during more intimate moments.

Kisses, cuddles (just be prepared to deal with how he becomes a koala), the whole thing. Just as long as it's all in the safety and comfort of being at home.

He's actually kind of playful with his affection. It's actually a bit more different than from what you'd might expect.

And if he's feeling like it, he can be handsy. At first, he's very shy about it, but slowly grows more comfortable and wilder.

Very soon, you'll have to deal with a sleepy prince who loves to nip at your neck sometimes.

Like I said in the previous post, Noct loves spooning. Not only does he sleep better, but he loves your body heat.

I think he's the type of guy to absolutely cover himself in blankets to feel nice and toasty, but also loves to blast the AC so it's freezing (me).

So, if you like sleeping toasty with weighted blankets as he spoons you, you're in luck.

As for how Noctis deals with jealousy, it's more on the quieter side compared to someone like Gladio. But definitely still enough to stand up and say something.

However, he's not the type of guy to immediately jump the gun if anyone started talking with you. He trusts you. It's only when they get a bit too close or try to be handsy is when he'll step in.

By confronting them, he doesn't make a huge spectacle about it. He'd simply just whisk you away. Maybe make a quick snide comment on how you're taken or just make up an excuse to say you're needed somewhere else.

Noct makes it quick. Either because it's the royal status that prevents him from doing too much or the fact, he's not super into making a huge spectacle out of things.

This may fall into some of the things you'll have to deal with in dating him, but it's not really the fear of losing you to someone else but more of the feeling that maybe he's not good enough for you. How you deserve someone else who isn't riddled with anxieties or the heavy duty he carries on his shoulders as the future king of Lucis.

Noct will become extra cuddly and clingy afterwards. Gently kissing you everywhere as if to reassure himself that you're there.

But what really helps him and makes him feel better, not just after moments of jealousy, is when you tell him those words.

'You're good enough', 'you're worth every single second of each day,' and 'I love you, regardless of who you are and the burdens that may follow you.'

ANY of those words of reassurance or a variant of them will make him melt.

Come now, the man has had very little chances where he could choose what he wanted for his own sake and happiness, and you reassuring him that he's deserving of it makes him over the moon.

[zzprompto]

hiiii I love your stuff and wanted to make a request. is it possible to get an accidental confession from the reader where we're either talking to ignis or whoever you choose about how we have feelings for either prompto or noctis and they over hear us talking about them? you can choose whoever or both. have a good day/night<3

thanks for requesting!

☆ not so secret

noctis lucis caelum x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

[name] paced around, waiting for ignis to finish talking to gladio so he could get some advice of his own. his brain was rattling around in his head, different thoughts squirming around as he stood there, consumed by his own thoughts. he need to talk to ignis, and quick.

after what felt like centuries, ignis was finally done talking to gladio. [name] took this opportunity and he quickly rushed over to the cook, not wanting anyone else to steal his chance.

"ignis. we need to talk about something. something.. serious. i don't know who else to tell, i feel like you'd be the best guy out of all of us to talk to." [name] rambled, voice rushing to finish it's sentence - just how the thoughts were rushing around [name]'s mind.

ignis nodded in response to his friend's rambling, seemingly quite concerened now for his friend. what could of happened? surely it wasn't something bad, right? because [name] surely looked distressed.

"yes, of course. you can come to me for anything, [name]." ignis said, giving [name] a small smile. he hoped it would somehow reassure him, or calm his nerves about this hidden situation to an extent. "now, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" ignis asked.

[name] took a deep breath, trying to calm down his racing mind. it seemed to work, or well at least for the time being. he could talk to ignis and not worry about his looming anxiety about the topic.

[name] cleared his throat, eyes focusing on the ground briefly before he looked up. he leaned in a little closer to ignis and he finally spoke. "i like noctis, romantically i mean. i just.. i just don't know if he feels the same. he has luna, a perfect, fairy tale ending to his story." [name] speaks, eyes trailing down to the floor once again. "no prince or king runs off with another prince, he always ends up with a princess - marrying her so she'd be his queen." [name] mumbles, clearly disappointed by the situation he has been put in because of his feelings.

ignis' eyes widen for a brief second as he takes in the initial shock after learning the news. his eyes then soften and he looks at [name] sympathetically, trying to make sure his friend doesn't worry about this 'boy drama' he has gotten himself into.

"i would've never thought you liked noct, but thinking back on it now it definitely makes sense." ignis chuckles slightly, shaking his head as he thinks of all the moments that had been shared between noctis and [name] over the years. it was clear that their bond was that beyond friendship - but to what extent? nobody knows yet.

throughout the years that all the men knew eachother, it was obvious that [name] and noctis were the closest. they'd always end up hanging out more, having more to say to eachother, or even having more secrets between eachother. it was clear that the two men cared for one another a fair deal.

yet, there was always a hint of something more.

there had always been a little glint in [name]'s eye whenever noctis was mentioned, or vice versa. there was always a smile, or a special applaud that the pair had for one another that they didn't have for anyone else. it was always clear that the relationship between the two was more than platonic.

even some of their friends caught up with all the signs. prompto was really the first one to notice, he even started to tease noctis about it. he'd often say how great of a couple the prince and [name] would be, and as of late he had been saying that noctis should marry [name] and not luna. noctis always brushed it off, however. he tried to act nonchalant, but there was always a blush on his cheeks whenever he heard the mention of his friends name.

whilst the conversation between ignis and [name] was occuring, noctis couldn't help but try and listen in. of course, his intentions were merely innocent. he had heard his name escape his friend's lips, and wanted to see if something was wrong. what he did not expect however, was for [name] to be confessing his feelings for him to ignis. noctis was perplexed.

the ravenette stood there in shock for a few seconds. he tried to process everything he had just heard, trying to see if he was just making things up. but no. he wasn't. [name] truly liked noctis romantically, and noctis felt his heart swelling as he heard the words fall out of [name]'s lips.

after gaining the courage, noctis decided to approach his friends. he stood besides [name] and smiled at the other man softly. it was the special smile he had only reserved for [name], none of his other friends. yet, this time the smile looked a bit different. it was as if the smiled was filled with an aspect of love and hope.

"i overheard what you said, [name]." noctis whispered as he stood besides his friend. ignis decided to take this as his queue to leave. he didn't even have to play the matchmaker, his friends were going to do that all themselves without his help.

[name] looked at noctis and he felt a little hot. perhaps it was from embarrassment, or perhaps it was even from the anticipation, the ever so painful longing of loving a friend.

"you did? oh fuck me.." [name] chuckled, shaking his head slightly as a nervous smile filled his features. noctis wanted to reply with something crude, but he decided to hold of for the time being. he'd say such things when they'd actually get together.

"i believe this prince doesn't need a princess.. another prince will do just fine for him." noctis replied, a smile on his lips to conquer the one [name] had. "that is.. if you're willing to have this prince?" the ravenette continued, holding out his hand for [name].

[name] nodded and he took noct's hand, taking a step forward to hug his friend. well, they weren't actually friends anymore. they were more than that now. they were practically soulmates, in all platonic and romantic senses.

"yes.. i am willing to have you and your offer of us being princes together." [name] hummed, feeling content as he held the prince in his arms. he just felt so relieved he didn't have to hide a part of him anymore. it was all out in the open.

noctis gracefully accepted the hug, his own arms going around [name]'s body. he wasn't sure what label to put on his relationship with [name] at the moment, but he was sure to find out. it was sure to be something that fit too, something that represented the two of them greatly.

"thank you." noctis whispered, pressing a small kiss to [name]'s cheek. the prince then earned a flurry of kisses to his face after that.

- author's note: hope you guys enjoy <3 decided to do noctis because i haven't written for him yet + there's barely any noctis content anyway

- navigation ; masterlist ; request

[tonberry-yoda]

hi hello okay i’m back because i just heard that FINAL FANTASY 16 IS COMING OUT AND IM SUPER PUMPED BC LIKE AHHHHHHHH! but with that being said, can you write hcs for the chocobo boys (if not just prompto is fine💕) with a medic s/o? they are kinda witchy but love cooking and handling animals but they also are the medic for the team bc the squad can’t all rely on noct😭😭 gaaahh tysm and BIG CONGRATS ON THE MAGAZINE THATS SO FRIGGIN COOL!!!💕💕

Chocobros with a medic s/o

notes - I HAD TO GET TO THIS ONE BECAUSE IVE HAD A SECRET FFXV BRAINROT AHHHH. And omg I am also super excited for FFXVI!!!! <33333 I just love this idea too so thank you so so so so much for sending it in <333 AND OMFG THANK YOU FOR THE CONGRATS IT MEANS THE WORLD I AM SO EXCITED TO SHOW YOU GUYS!!!

Prompto

this man is so grateful to you

like you are his saving grace

we all know this little dummy will find his way to fall in a ditch and hurt his arm by accident

without you, he'd probably be dead LMFAO

he will always walk up to you and in the cutest little voice be like... "y/n, I hurt my arm again"

and you'll just jokingly sigh and fix him right up

he always asks you about how you do it and all that and finds it really cool that you are able to fix him up with herbs and stuff

and when you cook for him??? he would never tell iggy, but he loves your cooking more ;)

also the fact that you're good with animals makes chocobos love you which means they are always just around you and that makes prompto love you more <3

Ignis

BRAINROT

you two definitely were the enemies to lovers troupe

like you were competing

you both could cook and take care of the others so it was immediate competition

you were always pushing each other around in a kitchen or whatever

but then you realized it was easier for you to deal with stuff as a team

and ofc you fell in love <3

he thinks you are very talented and honestly, when he's hurt, he will come to you and always feel bad lol

like he will feel like a burdan

please remind him that he isnt <3

he will love to learn how you use your herbs and stuff <3

overall, he just loves how amazing and talented you are and is so thankful about how you help the rest of the group

Gladio

this man trusts you with his life

he is always getting beat up and needs you there by his side to help

he appreciates it a bunch

and you'll always call him a big dummy when he gets hurt and then get straight to working on him, but that always makes him blush

make him ramen

please

like homemade stuff

please stop this man from eating cup noodles

but yeah, he is always getting hurt so to watch you work on him and help him out means the world to him

Noctis

this man gets too embarrassed to tell you he's hurt, so you always have to spot it

omg what a child

you will always get on his ass about that and he'll just be blushing as you work on him

ignis gets mad because you are super nice about Noct being picky and will make him food he enjoys instead of trying to make him something he doesnt like lol

you will baby him a bit because he is the king and he needs to be protected <3

he gets blushy when you do and act like he doesnt like it, but we all know he does <3

~~~~~

final fantasy masterlist | pinned post

2023 @tonberry-yoda – do not repost or claim ANY of my work as your own! likes, reblogs, and comments are not only welcome, but appreciated

~~~~~

[thatsuccessfulpokemontrainer]

We stay silly :3

Hello! My name is Phyto, you may know me from my main account (@a-photo-of-a-cryptid), or my many pokemon ones ^^

I run several rotomblr blogs and wanted a space to rant about my sillies, answer questions and comments ooc, as well as catalogue my favourite posts and bits of art.

I will also be posting art of the characters and possibly fanart of other rotomblr blogs here.

A summary of all of my blogs will be below the cut!

Hope you enjoy :33

@thatfailedpokemontrainer - My first account and my most active one. A 17 yr old pokemon trainer from Johto who has been put through the horrors. Will interact with higher stake plots and deal with darker topics. He is also quite morally grey and will make fun of you. He's my scrunko and I am always willing to talk about him!

@joltik-guy - MY SPIDERSONA!! Basically if spiderman was nonbinary and existed in the pokemon universe. Expect spiderman typical violence and angst, but nothing too crazy. They're a happy go lucky college student who sometimes eats batteries (we don't talk about it)

@pokemoncryptids - An account born from my love for cryptids. Run by a depressed 20 year old and a hello skitty obsessed 16 year old expect some whiplash. Not very high stakes, but will talk about darker topics, and Delta has some existential issues going on. ALSO- there are secret motivations and lore here that is yet to be uncovered, if that interests you, shoot them an ask.

@maris-mons - Sprites EX-best friend turned bad guy turned good guy! Mari's blog is extremely low stakes, just a gal and her pokemon, she is trying really hard to make friends, but it hasn't worked out so far. If you like rants about plants, check her out ^^

@bones-poison-and-pokemon - Sprites brother, an asshole and an idiot /pos. A newly fledged gym leader of New Bark town, Casey loves poison types and their partner Noct. This blog will be low stakes also, but there are darker themes at play due to his upbringing and subsquent mental health issues. The absolutely boyfailure of all time.

@a-nickits-den Sprites roomate beedrill- who is uh- morally grey at the best of times. Beedrill was raised in a cult and is trying to unlearn what he knew while being a major conspiricy theorist and chaos ensues. If you like drama and a guy suffering- take a look

Also the idea of this came from the @twodragons-blooper-reel blog, (hope you don't mind the ping), their blogs and art are amazing, so if you like what this blog id doing definitely go check them out ^^

[marmolita]

in amongst the fic writing I've been doing I'm still playing ffxv and I FINALLY got through Cartanica tonight. What a seriously frustrating part of the game! I kept getting lost, or I'd fall off a cliff and then Gladio would yell at me for getting too far ahead (I FELL Gladio I wasn't TRYING to get ahead), or it got so dark I couldn't see where I was going at all. I tried to do that photo side quest but when I had two left I was like screw it this isn't worth it.

Anyway it's a great mechanic that you have to wait for Ignis because it really does immerse you in the sadness and frustration. Also Gladio was very much a dick this whole time, probably because he knows he should've been the one to get hurt for Noct instead of Ignis but he can't change the past and can't deal with his feelings. I did appreciate Ignis's little speech but man I wish Noct had some lines in there? and it's not like I could go talk to Ignis afterwards.

Anyway my last thought on the matter is that this dialog popping up after Gladio insulted me absolutely killed me:

[veryace-ficrecs]

Prompto/Ignis Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

third time's the charm by greyskiesblack - Rated T

The last thing Prompto expects when he finds a Mr Flopsy toy is a date, but that's exactly what he gets.

For What It's Worth by saisei - Rated T

Genetically engineered clones weren't made to live long. When Prompto finds out he has just months to live, he calls Ignis. Ignis will know what to do.

Come Find Me by saisei - Rated T

Prompto sees Ignis' soul-light the moment they first meet; Ignis doesn't. Prompto knows that not everyone's guaranteed a happy life with their soul-partner, but he's glad to be able to be friends. He doesn't mind knowing he can never have more.

i saw you in the stars by chthonicheart - Rated T

To: Noctis 11:02 AM did i happen to get married to anyone last night? To: Noctis 11:02 AM particularly, ignis?

The Train by Selador - Rated T

Someone summons daemons in the middle of the train in Insomnia, and Ignis isn't sure if he wants to date the blond guy who helps out or recruit him. Fortunately, he's good at multitasking.

Momentum by Asidian - Rated T

Just the sight of him, standing there holding a cup of coffee, barrels through Prompto's brain like a puppy excited about going out for a walk – and before he even realizes what he's doing, he's fumbling for the camera. He snaps five shots, in quick succession: Ignis looking into the distance, expression soft and preoccupied. Ignis lifting the coffee. Ignis with his lips on the rim, taking a tentative taste. Ignis closing his eyes as though to savor it. Ignis with his eyes open again, looking directly toward the camera. Wait, thinks Prompto, as the last one burrows its way into his thoughts and starts setting off alarm bells. What?

Dragon Blush by Selador - Rated G

Dragons always protect their hoard.

You Say Rotato (and I Say I Love You) by lithos_saeculum - Rated G

Prompto, brainwashed by late-night infomercials, starts buying Ignis useless kitchen gadgets. Surely this can't end well. Or can it?

until you make me move by taizi - Rated T

This moment is one Ignis will keep until it sits in his memory the way Prompto’s camera sits in his hands; well-loved and weathered from being picked up and admired over and over and over again.

How to Break a Deal With the Devil by ohmyfae - Rated T

Prompto Argentum was cursed at birth by a bored trickster god, giving him inhuman, glowing red eyes. His curse earned him censure and ostracism from the town in which he grew up, but he stubbornly refused the god every time he appeared to offer Prompto a wager as a way out.

Then Prompto met Ignis Scientia, a blind traveler from Insomnia with secrets of his own, and with their burgeoning friendship, Prompto found that he suddenly had much more to lose...

Hold Me Tight, Or Don't by countingpaperstars - Rated T

It was then that he saw him - the most gorgeous person he’d ever laid eyes on, leaning against the bar and laughing openly at something his friend next to him was saying. His hair was spiked up, like many of the other patrons', and he’d somehow squeezed into the tightest pair of jeans ever created, a purple coeurl-print shirt stretched across his broad shoulders like sin.   In which Prompto finally meets Noctis' advisor Ignis, but to both of their surprise, they've met before.

The Short Double-Life Of Ignis Scientia by ohmyfae - Rated T

Ignis Scientia has promised Noct that he'll go out and meet his new friend, Prompto Argentum. Just for an afternoon, of course, to make sure that the strange, disconcertingly cheerful teenager is truly everything he seems to be.

Eight hours later, Ignis is sitting in Clarus Amicitia's office, covered in glitter and body paint. How the hell did it end up like this?

Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive by whimsicottly - Rated G

“Give it to me straight. Does Ignis hate me?” “Yep,” Noctis says. “Wait, what?!” Prompto struggles to not fall out of his chair. It takes him a second to recompose himself. “I mean, of course! I knew that.” “That explains why he watches out for you in battle, takes the time to learn about your interests, and makes excuses to spend time with you,” Noctis, the traitor, continues. “Good job figuring it out.” “When you put it that way… “

If the Strain Proves too Much by saltslimes - Rated T

Prompto knows, on some sort of principle, that Ignis will not kill him. Consciously, unconsciously, whatever. But practice and principle are two different things.

[savage-rhi]

"You’ve always been there for me, now, it’s my turn to be there for you"

Noctis and Ignis you pick romantic or platonic

The campfire crackled softly, casting a warm hue over the clearing. Noctis sat on a log, staring into the flames, lost in reflection. The night was quiet except for the occasional rustling of leaves and crickets chirping. A content sigh left his nose, thankful for the noise in the background. Though the cricket's cries were annoying, it beats being alone in one's thoughts at this late hour--at least, that was Noctis's justification for tolerance.

He suddenly heard footsteps approaching him from behind, knowing it was Ignis because of his steady steps.

"You're up late," Ignis remarked as he stretched while yawning, sitting beside him.

Noctis didn't look up, his eyes remaining on the flames ahead. "Couldn't sleep."

Ignis nodded, his gaze following Noctis's into the fire. "Something on your mind?"

For a moment, Noctis remained silent, unsure how to voice the heaviness weighing on his heart. The responsibilities, the expectations, the looming burden of his destiny—it all seemed too much, too overwhelming. He had done an excellent job playing into the facade of the "brat prince," someone who took things in stride and did not bother with the future. How could he anyway, when the world was falling apart at the seams? Nevertheless, Noctis knew in his heart of hearts that he couldn't keep up the act forever, especially since he cared too much for his own good. If any of his friends could understand that most, it was Iggy.

He bowed his head as his hands and fingers intertwined.

"Ignis," Noctis finally said, his voice low and troubled. "Do you ever wonder if I'm really cut out for all this? For being king?"

Ignis turned to him, the glowing embers from the fire reflecting in his glasses. "Noctis, I've known you since you were a child. If there's anyone who can bear the weight of the crown, it's you."

"But what if I can't?" Noctis breathed while he shook his head. "What if I fail everyone?"

"What's brought this upon you?"

"I..." Noctis bit the inside of his lip and shrugged. "Everything."

Ignis reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Noctis's shoulder. "You won't fail because you're not alone in this. You have us—Gladio, Prompto, and me. Whatever happens, we face it together."

Noctis looked up, meeting Ignis's eyes. Although he wasn't feeling any better, the soothing words could get him through the night. He could make it work somehow.

"You've always been there for me, Ignis." Noctis finally said, giving a small smile. "Through everything. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"And I always will be, Noct." Ignis smiled softly, a rare warmth gracing his features that was usually reserved. "Remember, this isn't just about you leaning on us. You're stronger than you realize. You've been there for all of us in ways you might not notice. Now, it's my turn to be there for you."

Noctis furrowed his brows. "But you've always had my back. Arguably, more than my father. I don't see how I'm doing much for you when you've had to play mom all this time to me."

"I never saw it like that," Ignis said sincerely, sadness in his eyes at his comment. "You've taught me much about myself, just as I have taught you about the world. We've learned a great deal from each other, you and I. I consider that worthwhile between best friends, don't you?"

The words hit Noctis with a quiet assertiveness, a reminder that their bonds were more than just duty—it was built on trust, and a deep understanding that couldn't be spoken for in earnest.

"Thanks, Ignis..." Noctis murmured, feeling a sense of calm wash over him.

Ignis gently squeezed his shoulder before letting go. "Get some rest. We have a long road ahead, and you'll need your strength."

Noctis nodded, the weight on his shoulders lifting a little now. As Ignis stood to leave, Noctis called after him.

"Ignis?"

"Yes, Noct?"

"I'm glad you're with me."

Ignis paused, a faint smile touching his lips. "As am I, Noct."

With that, he turned and walked back to his tent, leaving Noctis alone by the fire. The warmth of Ignis's words lingered, a quiet assurance that whatever lay ahead, he wouldn't face it alone. Noctis released a breath he had held back, realizing perhaps it was time to finally let go of the mask that had shielded him for so long. Maybe it was time to start acting like a king; the king his father knew was underneath the strife of a young teenager trying to find his feet. The king that Ignis believed in.

Noctis knew he could do it, as long as he had him.

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[thevanillerose]

TRAINING | GLADIOLUS x READER | FFXV

~ WRITING COMMISSIONS ~ ~ PATREON ~ ~ KO-FI ~

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not own anything except my own writing. All properties belong to their respective creators.

“Hey, time to get up sleepy head!” “Mnn...” “C'mon princess, you'll have plenty time to doze later...” “Jes...just...one more minute...”

THWACK. “OW!”

You jolted up like you were on a spring, and quickly shoved his heavy boot away from your side. He hadn't kicked you hard, you were more irritated by the fact that he had pulled you out of such a nice dream. Riding a Chocobo through a field of fluffy white cotton. Ah...you could just...lay back down and...drift away again...

“Ah ah ah, you're not gonna slip that one by me. Come on-” A strong hand took you by the arm and hoisted you up before you had a chance to even open your eyes properly. Rubbing the sleep from them as you were sent stumbling forth and out of the tent flaps, you finally came to enough to turn and give him a good glare.

The man who woke you up was Gladiolus Amicitia- the trusted and loyal bodyguard for Prince Noctis. He stood tall in the sunlight...though he always stood tall, whatever the weather. Hard not to when you were pushing 6'6”. And if his height wasn't notable enough, his muscles certainly were. To say the guy worked out would be an understatement.

Amber eyes smirked back at you, and you scoffed, running a hand through your messy [H/C] hair so you could at least smooth it down. Yes, much like the Crown Prince himself, you were bad for sleeping in. However, Gladio hadn't even given you time to get ready, much less compose yourself. And you needed to. He was training you this morning...and training with him was really no joke.

“Remember what I taught you last time?” he walked over and slapped his palm down around your shoulder. You just looked up at him sourly. “I barely remember my own name right now.” He just laughed heartily. It was hard not to cheer up a bit when he did. His happy moments may not have been as infectious as Prompto's, but it was always nice to see such a tough man smile. Really, he wasn't so bad.

Gladio had been training you like this every morning for the past week while you camped out in Duscae, but it wasn't out of cruelty. If anything, it was the opposite.

You were more of a tactician than anything else, and sometimes you really felt tacked on to this party. Even being sent to accompany and protect Prince Noctis had been a last minute affair. Not that you were complaining...it was far better to be here than back in Insomnia.

You were still shaken by the news. And Noct...well...you tried not to ever talk about it with him.

Gladio only wanted you to feel like you were of more use, since you had told him you'd felt you weren't of any. He was looking out for you by doing this...as torturous as it could be having to wake up at the break of dawn and start exerting yourself. Regardless, you were grateful.

“C'mon princess, let's get going before the others wake up. You wanna be back in time for Ignis' famous breakfast, right?” Gladiolus attempted to spur you on with the promise of food, and yes, shamefully, it was enough to get you going. Letting him lead the way down off the camping plateau and toward the marshy plains, you jogged lightly after him, but soon picked up the pace enough to become level with the guy.

A little sweat was already gathering on your brow but you tried not to make a big deal of it. It would be true to say that part of you wanted to impress him. When it came to anything physical he was always the king, and you at least wanted to keep up in some respects.

Eventually you reached your destination, which was one of the fishing shacks arranged around the edges of the vast lake there. Coming to a stop by the mirror-esque water, you caught sight of yourself reflected within it. All hunched over with your hands on your knees like that and your hair strewn haphazardly around your face, you couldn't help grimacing.

So what? You were spending one-on-one time with an objectively attractive male. Who could really blame you for wanting to look presentable?

Quickly fixing yourself, you then turned and exhaled slowly, seeing that Gladio was already standing there ready and waiting to start the next phase of training. The run here was only meant as a warm up. Here was where the real tricky stuff started.

You called it 'tricky' because you really weren't a fighter. Sure, you could handle the daggers you carried well enough, but you were still distinctly lacking when it came to combat. Gladio was here to help you gain that sharp edge...to become more capable. You hoped.

“Let's pick up where we left off last time.” he cracked his knuckles, though it was for preparation, not intimidation. “You need to learn to become more aware of your surroundings. Half of combat is all about blocking. If you go crazy just trying to get in a hit anywhere you can, you'll not only tire yourself out, but you'll leave yourself completely open for a counterstrike.” This was all knowledge you could have inferred yourself, but you still listened to him intently as he carried on: “The key is timing. Knowing when to attack, and knowing when to shield yourself. Now-”

Suddenly, his fist swung. You gasped and stumbled back a step, quickly throwing up your arm in a clumsy fashion. Naturally he didn't plan on actually hitting you, but his knuckle still came close enough to give you a scare. Pulling back again, Gladio took another step towards you and laid his hand upon your shoulder once more, making sure you were steady. “See, now that's an issue. And it was only hand to hand too. You'll definitely struggle if you try to block a sword like that.”

Most certainly in the case of the one he carried. No innuendo intended.

“Right...okay...” you sighed heavily. A bout of weariness hit you again but you quickly shook your head to get rid of the sensation. Gladiolus didn't seem to notice, instead just carrying on with his lesson.

“Let me show you the best way of doing this. Take out your daggers for me.”

Doing as he asked, you placed them in his palm when he held it out expectantly. Lifting the weapons to his eyeline, Gladio then felt the blade of one between his thumb and forefinger, before humming and nodding.

“Yeah, it's strong enough alright.” “Strong enough for what?” Your innocently phrased question prompted a live demonstration from the man. And you didn't feel quite so innocent when he stood behind you and pressed up against your back.

It was in moments like these that you really noticed how small you were compared to him. You weren't actually that tiny for a girl, but you were practically a gnat in comparison to someone like Gladio. His strong and muscled arms looped around in front of your chest, though didn't wrap around you. Rather, he had only positioned himself in such a way so that he could take your hands in his and help guide the glinting blades. Even his hands alone seemed to engulf yours...

“See, if you cross them like this-” Gladio moved your limbs so that blade was against blade, forming something of an 'X' shape, “-it'll act as a makeshift shield for you. Blocking a two handed beast like this still isn't ideal, but it gives you an option if you don't have the time or speed to roll aside.”

As you stared up at the two intertwined blades, you could see the sun shining boldly through the gap. The heat from those golden rays beat down upon your already sweating face, and you squinted. Your vision started to blur, your knees wobbling.

Suddenly the sky was rolling around you. A mix of blues and greens shot through your vision, until you felt the middle of your back hit something firm. The sight before you was replaced by a sudden darkness, and your eyes fell heavy before closing...

Some time passed, yet for you it was an instant. Those same eyes of yours began to flicker, letting in little glimpses of far more filtered light, before eventually opening enough to let you see the canopy of leaves above. At your side, your palm ventured out to help push you up, gracing over a soft, cool fabric, set down against the slightly moist grass. Though you managed to urge yourself to sit, something quickly took hold of your shoulder.

You knew that motion anywhere.

Looking over, you could see Gladiolus sitting on the same navy blue blanket, his arm outstretched to hold you steady. His sharp amber eyes never left your weary visage for a second.

“Easy there...just take it slow.” he urged you cautiously, before gently letting his hand slip away when he was sure you were sitting fine. Blinking a few more times to clear away the last spots of drowsiness, you observed the gruff man with a furrowed brow.

“...What...what happened?” “You fainted.” he stated simply, turning his attention away from you momentarily to focus on the pot of food he was stirring, before looking back again. “It was my fault. I think I pushed you too much, too soon.” “No that's...that's what I wanted though...” you spoke drearily and shook your head in what felt like slow motion. Clearly you still weren't totally together after that ordeal, but at least you were in the shade.

Gladiolus must have caught you when you collapsed. Good thing he was standing right there, eh?

“Doesn't matter what you wanted, I should have seen it coming. Obviously you were already at your limit.” Gladiolus continued to scold himself while he spooned up some soup and motioned closer. His hand went to your lower back and he held the spoon before your lips. “Open up. Ignis made this for you.”

Usually you would have been internally freaking out at this point. Every time he touched you during training you always felt a bit of a spark anyway, but here he really was treating you like the 'princess' he affectionately called you (even though you were far from royalty). However, you were still so woozy that you merely did as he wanted with little reaction, opening your mouth and letting him feed you. It was delicious of course, as could be expected from the delicacy master himself- Ignis. Though a worrying thought came to mind as he helped you eat, and between your second and third spoonful you had to ask:

“-Did the other boys find out about this then?” “What, about you fainting?” Gladiolus smirked and shook his head. “Don't worry, I had a feeling you'd want to save face. I just told them you wanted to have breakfast down by the lake since it looked so nice. They didn't suspect a thing.”

Good. Relieved, you started to relax a little more. Your strength returned enough to let you finish the soup yourself, and once you had you felt magnanimously better. Finally, you were human again.

“That was awful. Dammit...why am I so weak?” you questioned curtly, and Gladiolus took his turn to frown. “[Y/N], you're not weak. Not even slightly. Do you think we could have come this far if you were?” He had a point. You were already well underway on your journey, and it wasn't like it had always been a piece of cake. Still... “I need to be stronger than this. I need to get stronger so I can protect the Prince...”

Yes. Maybe you did. But as Gladio looked at you, he didn't see a single thing he really wanted to change. At first he could admit that he had doubted how useful you would be as part of the Crownsguard. Yet over time he had come to see just how important you were to the team. You were incredibly smart, and quick thinking. You had a knack for knowing what to do even in the most baffling situations. Just as a good defence was as important as a good attack, it was also crucial to have that kind of clarity at your disposal.

Besides...that wasn't the only thing he had started to notice about you. You had many other notable assets too...and as you sat there in the mottled shade of the lakeside tree, he saw one of them very clearly. A gentle, tender smile had spread across your lips and in turn illuminated the rest of your features. Sometimes he doubted it was possible you could look any prettier, yet in that moment you perhaps looked the most beautiful he had ever seen you.

“Thank you, Gladio. For helping me so much. I promise I'll do better next time...” “Don't...don't worry about it.” Did he just stutter? Stumble over his words? Hell, he even rubbed the back of his neck like a sheepish schoolboy. Gladiolus quickly composed himself again though. Right now wasn't the right time for that. Right now he wasn't ready to reveal anything of that nature.

“You can take a day off tomorrow, and then we'll carry on after that.” he told you, to which you nodded affirmatively. “Sounds good.”

That was right. For the moment...he just had to focus.

In a way...he was training himself too.

[echo-goes-mmm]

Hoarding Behavior #4

Masterpost

Previous

Next

Warnings: non-graphic processing of an animal (dead deer)

River woke up with purring in his ear and warmth against his cheek. What? His eyes flew open. He was on the opposite side of where he started, pressed into Master’s chest. He looked around wildly, and Master’s arms were loosely cradling him close. 

It wasn’t the worst feeling in the world, but there were better places to be than in the arms of a Master who could tear him apart. He slipped out from the hold. Noct cracked open an eye, but said nothing. He curled up on himself, and went back to sleep.

Now what?

He gazed around the den. His eyes landed on the cooking fire. Pots and pans hung on hooks from the wall. Breakfast sounded good.

He grabbed some eggs from a carton on the counter. He took a pan off the wall, and ran straight into a problem. How would he light the fire? It had long since gone out, and there were no matches or any flint. Of course there wouldn’t be; why would a dragon keep those around?

“Need a light?” He jumped. Master was right behind him.

“Yes, please.”

Master leaned over the wood and puffed a ball of flames. It lit instantly, a low heat perfect for eggs. 

“Thank you, Master.” He began to crack the eggs into the pan.

“I am going hunting,” Noct informed him, “I must kill all the bears in the wood to appease the village.”

“What about the wolves?”

“There are no wolves in the forest. I implied there was to make a better deal,” admitted Master, “Wolves are clever, and would not bother sharing territory with a dragon.”

“Oh. Um, have fun?” Noct cocked his head.

“I suppose I will. I do not care for bears. They dig up my garden and steal honey from the nearby hives.”

“You have a garden?” asked River as he scrambled his eggs.

“Of course. Why would I not?”

“I just… thought dragons ate only meat.” It seemed silly in hindsight. He had just eaten the dragon's food last night, and that had potatoes.

“Mostly. But I am fond of many things. I would not buy from humans when I can hunt and grow it myself. Aside from bread, of course.”

“Right.” River imagined Noct kneading bread and getting dough caught on his claws and the patches of scales on his hands.

“I will be back.”

“Okay.”

River ate breakfast slowly. Noct would be gone for at least a few hours. He washed the pan in the marble sink and hung it back on the wall. What to do now? He supposed he could just go back to sleep and wait for him to come back.

River laid back down. He sighed, staring at the ceiling. Even that was clean. Everything was clean. There wasn’t even a cobweb to dust away.

River wasn’t used to just lounging around. Even the servants at his old owners’ houses left messes for him to clean. There was always something to do. But Noct was incredibly tidy.

He sat up, already bored. He eyed Master’s collections on the shelves and displays. A tour of Noct’s things couldn’t hurt.

___________________

He was so fucked. 

River stared at the remains of the glass statue. He’d tripped over that damn chain and his elbow knocked it off the shelf.

He heard the distant whoosh of air in the tunnel. 

Of course Master would come home now, when he had no time to clean it up.

He watched, petrified, while Master carried in a deer on his shoulder. Noct glanced around the cave as he dumped the deer on the stone. His eyes landed on River and he must have seen something on his face, because he frowned and made his way over.

“What troubles you, my treas-” Master stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the shattered glass. 

“I- I’m sorry, it was an accident-” Master whirled on him, snarling. River stepped back, but Noct grabbed his wrist in a bruising grip. He raised a hand-

But the slap never came. Noct’s hold loosened.

River opened his eyes. Master was still clearly pissed, but he dropped River’s wrist and turned back to the shattered statue. 

“Go away,” he said, his voice oddly upset, “I will punish you later.”

River left him by the glass, and he sat in the nest. He grabbed a pillow, clutching it tight to his stomach and burying his face into it.

A faint sniffling reached his ears. He looked over. Noct was sitting on the floor, a piece of glass in his claws. He saw Master wipe his eyes. 

River couldn’t imagine that a small statue of a horse was sentimental or especially valuable, but dragons were different from humans. They were hoarders, drawn to certain items. Maybe it didn’t matter the object, everything they deemed important was worth crying over.

He really messed up.

Noct cleaned up the glass. But instead of coming over and punishing River as promised, he dragged his catch of deer to the kitchen. He began to butcher it, skinning it and portioning out cuts of meat.

River stewed in anticipation as he watched Noct get up to his elbows in viscera. It made sense to punish him after salting and wrapping the meat. He couldn’t let the dead deer linger in the warm room, but he hated waiting like this.

Noct opened a stone door in the wall, and disappeared behind it. That must be where Master stored most of his food.

He waited as Master returned and cleaned up the blood and gore.

He waited as Master went to dispose of the excess.

He waited as Master washed the pelt.

He waited as Master went to clean himself up.

He waited as Master set the skin aside for tanning.

Until finally, Master turned to him. His face was stern and impassive, and River shrank under his gaze. He took the pillow from River and tossed it aside. 

Master hauled him up and dragged him to another part of the nest. He forced River to his knees, sat in front of him, and then pulled River over his lap. 

River flushed. He whimpered when Master yanked down his pants and pinned his wrists with one hand.

The first smack surprised him. He gasped, jolting forward in Master’s lap.

His face burned and he tugged involuntarily against Master’s grip. Master barely noticed, his hold like stone as each measured smack landed on his ass. Soon the dull ache of each blow turned into a stinging pain when his hand landed on him. Again. And again. And again.

It was humiliating.

His whines turned to sobs, but Master did not let up. He wasn’t hitting him any harder than before, but it felt worse with each strike.

Until finally he was finished. River lay limp, and he pulled his arms close to bury his head in them. He didn’t have the energy to move off of Master’s lap.

Master rubbed his back and let him cry.

As far as punishments went, it wasn’t… the worst. His ass hurt like hell and he was completely drained. But a spanking was vastly preferable to the cutting torture of a whip. It was more embarrassing, somehow, even though Master had left him nearly dressed. When River got the whip, he had to strip to his boxers and everyone saw everything. But here he was strangely more flushed and ashamed while covered up with only Master to see.

After a few minutes, he could breathe properly again. He sat up and wiped his face with his hand.

“Here,” said Master, handing him a pillow. River pulled it close in a tight hug.  Master draped a blanket around him.

Master got up, glancing towards him with pity as he passed. It was over, and he wasn’t mad anymore. His expression puzzled River. Did he regret punishing him?

Noct began to make a meal, and River didn’t know if it was supposed to be lunch or dinner. Either way, he was grateful when Master handed him a plate of roasted vegetables and a tender cut of seared meat. 

Master had given him a knife with his food, but clearly he was supposed to use his hands to eat. 

River still felt miserable, a headache forming, but it was a little funny when Noct used the claw on his finger as a fork to stab the veggies. He supposed he wouldn’t bother with a fork either if his hands had naturally pointy bits.

But the way Noct ate his venison- sharp teeth flashing and the steak quickly disappearing down his throat- reminded River that he was trapped with a predator. The most dangerous, lethal predator in the world, and River belonged to him. Even if his idea of a punishment was far more gentle than he was used to, Noct was still deadly.

taglist: @paintedpigeon1

[shadowreader23]

Final Fantasy Replay part 2

It was time to head to Golden Quay. Noctis mentally prepared himself as he got in the regallia not noticing the concerned look on Gladios face. He woukd be meeting Ardyn face to face for the first time. Shoulf he act as he did the first time? Should he be a bit more friendly to Ardyn? Woukd he be able to hild hinself back? He understood ardyn now and he knew why the man had done what he did bit that didnt mean noctos had to forgive him for all the pain and suffering he had caused. All this overthinking was giving noctis a headache. 

"Noct?"

Huh. He must have beem to lost in his thoughts to hear the question prompto asked

"Sorry prompto could you say that again?"

"I asked if we coukd stop here to take a photo with the chocobos" promoto smiled.

Right the chocobos. Prompto loved the animals. They did this the first time around as well.

"Of course" Noctos smiled as ignis stopped the car and they walked over to the group of wild chocobos prompto had spotted. Noctos missed seeing his friend like this. So young, happy and carefree this was the prompto he wanted to save. They stayed for around an hour as prompto got his photos and they sat down taking a short break and sharing some of the snacks they had packed for the journey. They hadnt done this the first time around.... it was nice but ended all to fast. They got back into the Regallia and finished their trip to Golden Quay. ___________

Ignis pulled into the parking spot with a sigh. Golden qualy finally they had arrived.  He was still concerned about Noctis. While he hadnt had anymore episodes he still seemed off. Ihnis just hoped the prince wasnt attempting to conceal an illness of some kind. He refilled the regallia while Noctis amd prompto had a chat looking at the beach.

"You're worried about him as well" Gladio said knowingly recognising the look that meant ignis was deep in thought.

"Yes hes been off ever since the incident" Ignis pondered

"Maybe the crystal triggered something?" Gladio suggested

Finished filling the regallia ignis paid and they proceeded down the bridge to the restaurant. __________

"If you're here to catch the ship im afraid your out of luck"

That voice. Ardyn. Ardyn. Noctis took a deep breath to keep his cool and decided to go off script slightly.

"Why's that?" He asked playing the part of spoiled prince

"No ships in or out on order of niffleheim" ardyn rolled a coin between his fingers before throwing it at noctis who caugh it. "You can use it on your travels" then Ardyn walked away. Very short very breif encounter he didnt attack ardyn or yell at him mayve he could do this after all.

In the relm of the Astrals Shiva smiled.

"We should check anyway" Ignis said and lead the group through the restaurant to the dock where sure enough there was no boat in sight. Dino was sat there but after they found out about the boat Noct decided they wouldnt go on his silly quest and instead they spend the afternoon doing hunts. They needed to get stronger and soon. So they backtracked to the chocobo ranch and took care of the monster in the area meaning they could now rent out chocobos and they all got some practice in. Noctis had really held back he was readjusting to fighting the way he used to it was just taking a while he was happy the arminger followed him back though it would save him so much time by not having to find all the royal tombs.

After dealing with the Monster they hedded back to Golden QUay and spent the night in the luxury room. It would be the last time they had such fine accomidations for a while.

As soon as his head hit the pillow Noct was out like a light. He had a room of his own but decided Prompto could share with him and Ignis and Gladio could share the other room.

Prompto was going to feel loved this time. He was going to know noctis was his friend no matter what and the even though he was a MT noctis didnt care. Prompto was his friend and deserved so much better than he got last time around.

_______ "Prompto had no idea why Noctis was suddenly acting a lot nicer to him but he didnt mind. The prince was less angry and standoffish agreed to his photo ideas and was more than happy to listen to him talk about chocobos and help take photos with him and now instead of sharring with gladio and iggy he was here sharing with noctis! The prince had insisted. What had happend? How had he got so lucky? Were he and Noctis best friends after all? How had that happend? When had that happend and how hadnt he noticed?

The bed really was comfy..... with that thought prompto also fell asleep.

______ Anyone want Part 3?

[purgetrooperfox]

*Blinky Blink*

gazcte post op, shadow!roach ?, talk is overrated (tentatively re/working), and refsheets for the WIP Game pleasse?🙏💘

[wip titles game]

hiiiiii 👁👁

shadow!roach is a stab at What If Roach In The Reboots, basically hinging on him surviving the Loose Ends fire because someone in Shadow Company saved him. I was thinking maybe for leverage against 141 reasons that ultimately fail and then Graves gets it into his head that if they piece Roach back together with the right story, they can use him. spin a tale about Price sending him and Ghost into a trap and leaving them to die, reframing who betrayed who. Operation: Turn Roach Into An Attack Dog. give him a vendetta against Price, misguided desperation for revenge at all costs, extremely poor coping with trauma, and Graves holding his leash. Roach's "loyal to a fault" deal switches hands because Graves saved him, healed him, showed him the truth

then Ghost is alive, but that's not his Ghost. everyone is around, but they're all wrong everything is all wrong. :)

He imagines the ceiling collapsing. The way dust would do the air and fill his lungs in a cheap imitation of gasoline and smoke. Rubble would be heavy, layered with medical equipment. Machines meant to keep people alive could just as well crush the life out of them. It might even be faster than all that, if he takes a good blow to the head. Losing consciousness all at once would mitigate the pain.

The fissure his life creates in the laws of nature would be allowed to heal.

When he blinks focus back into his vision, the ceiling is intact, if not in prime condition. Those life-saving machines buzz and drone what's become a familiar lullabye. He could almost sleep, were it not for the hell he knows waits for him when he lets his guard down.

Letting his head list to the side, he gets confirmation that Graves hasn't left. Yet. Impatience bounces his knee in a rhythmless staccato.

“Well?” he asks, like Roach was listening to a word he said. Like he expects an answer.

The urge to spit and seethe and snap at his throat rises like a tide. Unstoppable. Inevitable. It would be an unwinnable fight, though, and Roach doesn't pick unwinnable fights. He keeps his trap shut. Won't speak until he gets up on level ground, evens the playing field.

Graves isn't so stupid that he hasn't figured that out, but he keeps coming by and running his mouth. The why of it is beyond Roach's reckoning.

aheem gazcte post op is . I dumped Nocte in call of duty and gave him big gay emotions for Gaz. it's very self indulgent, because I too have big gay emotions for Gaz, just a little h/c post-mission recovery blurb. maybe after ultimatum, maybe pre-cod4, idk but Gaz is ambiguous injured. Nocte's there, he's unimpressed, he's worried, he's angry, he's trying very hard to compartmentalize

“I can't be everywhere at once.”

“No,” cuts sharp, “but you can go where the captain sends you.”

A muscle twitches in Gaz's jaw, try as he might to keep a grip on his temper. “I saved the captain's life.”

“And nearly paid for it with your own.”

The fan sputters in the corner, like its own protest to their present condition.

“I'm just trying to get everyone out alive.”

Nocte scowls – stubborn and furious and bright – and refuses to back down. “Maybe you should start by following orders, same as the rest of us.”

talk is overrated (let's just fight) is a vox undercover mission fic that I started a long ass time ago and didn't finish even though I mapped out the whole plot :/ what's written needs a rework so bad

Sometimes, Fox got the impression that troopers on the frontlines felt bad for the Guard. There were several reasons that sympathy would be warranted, from being stuck on Coruscant, to the politicians, to the Chancellor, to acting as military police, to the constant harassment, to the rate of unpunished murder of clones on the streets, and so on. Those weren't the reasons that Fox heard, though. No, the rest of the GAR pitied them because they didn't have a Jedi. Which made no sense whatsoever.

The Guard didn't have a designated Jedi, but they had Quinlan Vos. He was already more than Fox could handle. Vos was a deliberate nuissance and seemed to derive some sadistic pleasure from derailing Fox's entire day. For all that Rex and Cody complained about their admittedly crazy generals, Fox struggled to believe that they could possibly be worse than Vos.

It wasn't becoming of a trooper loyal to the Republic and, of course, to the Jedi, but Fox thought he might hate Quinlan Vos. The feeling seemed to be mutual, for all that Jedi weren't supposed to hate. Fox thought he hated Vos when he came barging, unannounced, into his office at all hours of the day for no reason but to eaate time. He hated the sarcastic flirting and patronizing nicknames. He hated the way he took nothing seriously and his complete lack of professional decorum. Fox hated how familiar he acted around the Guard and himself in particular.

He hated Vos' confident, swaggering gait and the way he draped himself across furniture instead of sitting on it like a normal person. He hated the way gold tattoos contrasted against his skin and brought out flecks of amber in his eyes. He hated how competent he was when he actually focused on a job. He hated his idiotic, regulation breaking outfit and the view of his stupid blasted arms and the knowledge that Vos could hand his ass to him if he wanted to.

And Fox hated, hated, himself for being attracted to such a bastard-ass Jedi

aaaaaand refsheets are gsheets I'm working on for my ocs! I'll link them to a ref post on here when they're done!

[promptisgiftexchange]

Here is the wrap-up of our sixth week of posting for the Promptis Gift Exchange. Individual works are listed below. 

The entire collection can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Promptis_Gift_Exchange_2024/works

 Please be sure to give our creators some love on Ao3!

Weekly Wrap-up #6

Title: A New Dawn -(Art)

Gift For: libbysketch

Rated: General Audiences (please mind the tags on Ao3)

Summary: Decided to combine 2 of your prompts to gift you a cozy little scene of older Noctis and Prompto, working and their own cat cafe, A New Dawn :D

Title: Scents And Sensibility -(Fic)

Gift For: DestinyIslandWanderer

Rated: Mature (please mind the tags on Ao3)

Summary: They say a beta is an alpha’s best friend. So Prompto is more than happy to be the supportive beta best friend of Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. Except as they grapple with all the embarrassments of puberty, Prompto may not actually be the beta he always thought he was.

AKA It’s no big deal that Noctis is an alpha and Prompto just presented as omega. Nothing could change their friendship (it’s going to change their friendship).

Title: All My Stars Lead To You -(Fic)

Gift For: KatrinaEagle

Rated: Teen (please mind the tags on Ao3)

Summary: Prompto is finally going to meet Noctis in person when their online D&D group plays a Live Show at Kweh Con.

Title: Welcome to our Town!-(Fic)

Gift For: Blivvi

Rated: Teen (please mind the tags on Ao3)

Summary: Prince Prompto Aldercapt has a Great Idea! During the signing of the Peace Treaty between Lucis and Niflheim, he will show Prince Noctis around his home! Surely this will be fantastic! ...Probably. ..... Maybe.

Noct on the other hand has a few thoughts and feelings about the peace treaty, and also about Prince Prompto himself.

Title: Dreaming like the Dead -(Fic)

Gift For: SalamanderSocks

Rated: Teen (please mind the tags on Ao3)

Summary: Noctis didn’t know his father would die, when he left Insomnia. He barely remembers his mother, so he doesn’t know if he knew back then. But he knew how his maid would die, before she did. It was an accident. As a child he only had a vague concept of what it meant to inherit the powers that came with the name Lucis Caelum, until something surged in him one day and he touched his maid’s wrist with an intend he didn’t understand and then he saw it.

Soulmate AU, where you dream of your soulmate's death, unless you're a Lucis Caelum.

Title: Rotenburo -(Fic) Mod Note: The author has locked this piece to the Archive. You must be logged into Ao3 to view it.

Gift For: Amarilly

Rated: Explicit (please mind the tags on Ao3)

Summary: Turns out Noctis has never been to a hotspring and Prompto is dying to give him an experience he'll never forget.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55925881

[primamchorus]

Meal Etiquette

A year has passed since Pluvira had come into Primam and Prompto's lives. Within that year, Primam had a rather lenient King of Insomnia, and rather caring brother who allowed her to spend time getting to be a new mother. Now, it seems that leniency has lifted and she has since been called back to her seat on the Royal Lucian Council, leaving Prompto staying at home and being the sole parent having to look after their firstborn.

Word Count: 782 Notes: I just wanted to write Prompto being a dad. Not really canon to what I have released of the rest of my XV: Reimagined. But fun...for me.

Spoon in hand, Prompto was making faces opening his mouth and closing it. He was trying to get the fussy baby in the highchair to get her spoonful of mashed mango and banana baby food in her mouth. Though, as it stood, this particular adversary was one of the most troublesome he had ever faced. At least when it came to getting her to eat her meals.

“C'mon, Vira…” Prompto said, sighing with a sheepish smile on his face. “Mommy had Uncle Iggy make this special for you! Daddy and Mommy have had Uncle Iggy's food, and it's so yummy! You'll love it! You just gotta…open…your mouuuuu-u-uth, ahhhh--”

Prompto gently bumped the spoon against Pluvira's pouty lips, her expression speaking volumes of her lack of amusement and defiance both. Her refusal to eat made Prompto bite back a groan as he attempted to think back on how Primam always made it look so easy.

‘Sometimes, you just need to sweeten the deal,’ Prompto recalled Primam saying. But what did she do most of the time?

Scrunching his face in thought, Prompto recalled that, most of the time, Primam saved feeding Pluvira for when they were ready for meals. But…Pluvira was at an age where she was using her limited vocabulary and was demanding ‘nummies’.

“Noct, I'm going to kill you…” Prompto muttered under his breath. It was only recently that Primam was called away back to her role on the Lucian Royal Council now that Tandem had no longer wanted to be her stand-in and handle her responsibilities. Which meant that Prompto was now on his own with Pluvira…and she was only ever fussy when Primam was gone.

Taking in a breath, Prompto slowly exhaled and dumped the spoonful of baby food back into the jar before getting up. He then had an idea and walked over to the fridge, looking around until he found the clementines. Pulling them out, he made sure to peel a couple of them before bringing them back in a small bowl.

This had to work.

“Alrighty, Vira… Daddy's got your favorite. Look! Clementines!” Prompto plucked a clementine slice from the bowl and then popped it into his mouth. He gave a small ‘mm~’ as he ate it.

Pluvira watched Prompto intently, soon reaching out for the bowl with little grunts. She was determined to get her delicious little treats.

‘Hook, line, and sinker…’ Prompto thought with a grin on his face.

Sitting back down, Prompto broke one clementine slice in half and then took up the baby food jar once more. He got a smaller spoonful than before and then placed the small clementine slice at the end of the spoon. Pluvira was watching, kicking in her seat eagerly.

“Ah!” Pluvira opened her mouth nice and wide, and Prompto finally breathed a sigh of relief as he brought the spoon to her mouth and made sure she was not going to close it before he plucked the slice back and saw her close her mouth around the spoon.

“See? Not so bad,” Prompto said, keeping the clementine piece in his other hand. He knew that it was too small to feed her safely, and needed him to watch her pull at and eat it instead of getting all of it in there.

Pluvira's expression was one of shock as she looked up at Prompto as if she had just learned something new. To be fair, she really did. She then opened her mouth again, another eager ‘ah!’ being pushed out to indicate she was ready for another spoonful.

Victory! That was now just one less thing Primam had to worry about while she was away!

Taking the spoon, Prompto got it filled with Pluvira’s mash and brought it back. He watched her eat consistently from there on until she had her fill.

“Papa’s got it all figured out!” Prompto cheered to himself. Watching Pluvira bounce excitedly in her chair had been rewarding enough. Getting everything cleaned up, Prompto got Pluvira removed from the highchair, making sure not to jostle her too much after eating. “Time to get you in the bath, and then how about you and Daddy sit down and watch some movies after, huh? Wait for Mommy to come home?”

“Ma…ma…ma…” Pluvira babbled, sticking a hand on Prompto’s face.

“Yeah? Excited for Mommy to come back home?” Prompto asked, scrunching his face and then bringing his lips down on Pluvira’s hand a couple times, pretending to bite her. He started to walk toward the staircase afterward to bring Pluvira to the bath. “Daddy’s also excited for Mommy to come back home. We can show her what a good girl you’ve been to Daddy today.”

[greentrickster]

Dear Phoenix,

I hope this message finds you well. I myself remain hale and whole, in spite of Lility and Callyn's best attempts to drag me into more sorts of trouble and catastrophe than even Larry has ever proven himself capable of. I'm told it's part and parcel of being the 'Warrior of Light' (Lility) and a warrior of light (Callyn (and also myself if they're to be believed, and I'm not entirely sure what the difference is)), but, while my skill with sword, shield, and cane have improved by necessity, I am still at heart a lawyer and would far prefer they left me behind to deal with any necessary paperwork.

On a more positive note, it appears I'm not a unique situation after all in regards to having been thrown into this world from another one. We learned this through an encounter with a young man by the name of Noctus. I'll save the details for next time we're able to talk, but suffice to say that both his appearance and the fact that we were able to find him a way back to his own home gives me hope that someday I shall be able to return to Los Tokyo (and you) as well.

In the meantime, I shall have to take pleasure from the fact that Noct did not arrive in this world alone - his vehicle arrived with him, and Master Garlond was more than happy to accept a commission to craft me a replica.

I must admit, while rather ostentatious in design, the trails of Eorzea are far more pleasant with four good tires between you and them.

Love ever,

Miles Edgeworth

[gingerel]

promptis | caught in the rain

They don’t get to stay in Lestallum as often as Noctis would like and he gets it, the hotel is kinda pricey while camping is free. But they are staying, and he’d been looking forward to immediately face planting into one of the beds and only looking up if it was time for food or King’s Knight.

But Prompto — sweet, wonderful, overly energetic Prompto — volunteers the two of them to run out for groceries as Ignis frets over having enough time and Noctis is tugged out of the hotel before he has a single moment alone with the soft, clean bedspread.

It barely rains in Lestallum and yet they get three steps towards the market when the heavens open and drench them through in seconds. Everyone rushes for cover and the two of them are lucky enough to find shelter under a secluded overhang.

 “Great,” Noctis mumbles, shaking water droplets from his hair.  

Prompto somehow looks worse off than Noctis feels, hair darkened with the weight of the water. He blows upwards, trying to shift the long part of his bangs; it's too sodden to move. Noctis pushes it away for him, smoothing some of the dampness off Prompto’s freckled cheek with his palm.

Their height difference is negligible, but Prompto is distinctly looking up at him right now.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto mumbles. “I didn’t know it would rain.”

“I could be having a nap,” Noctis sighs, knowing that the statement for Prompto, will truly explain the depth of his current feelings.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto says again. “I just —” Prompto cuts himself off and diverts his gaze completely.

There’s rainwater even gathered in his eyelashes, Noctis notices, dripping out of his hair and onto his collar. Prompto shivers and Noctis uses it as an excuse to move closer, mumbling cold as he does, even though pressing tight when they’re both chilled and sodden through does little to alleviate.

“Just what?” Noctis nudges, physically poking at him too.

“I missed hanging out,” Prompto admits. He looks up but quickly darts his gaze away again. Noctis isn’t so used to him being this unsure around him anymore.

“We hang out all the time,” Noctis tells him.

But he knows it’s not the same.

All four of them together on this road trip, the weight of the world pushing them down is a far cry from how he used to feel hanging out with Prompto. Back then Noctis felt like a different person in those moments, or maybe the person he most wanted to be, snatching little moments of nothing but youthful joy and the occasional thrill of getting up to something they weren’t meant to do.

Goofy pictures in a photo-booth during a mall visit Noctis never had cleared, holding hands as they cross a balance beam in a park they long since aged out of — texting Ignis that of course Prompto has gone home even while he’s giggling from one of Noctis’ bad jokes in the bed right next to them.

Noctis feels like a different person now, too. But it’s not good. It’s not necessarily something he ever wanted.

“Yeah but…” Prompto drifts off.

There’s only one thing Noctis really wanted, and everything had gone to shit before he got anything other than a mere taste of it.

“I miss the arcade,” Noctis offers, smiling softly when Prompto pins him with wide eyes. “I miss just…hanging out.”

Prompto grins, shoving his shoulder gently into Noct’s side. He doesn’t move away much after and Noctis has to deal with being able to feel the shape of Prompto’s arm against him, listening to the rain pound noisily around them. So heavy is it that it seems to bounce off the concrete, tap tap tap against all the windows when the breeze blows it sideways.

“I miss you,” Prompto says, almost drowned out by the rain.

Noctis doesn’t quite gasp but he feels the air catch in his chest as Prompto’s words settle over him.

“Prom,” he says softly. Prompto’s hand catches one of his, thumb pressed against Noctis’ palm.

“Noct, I —” Prompto starts, swallows then bites down on his plush bottom lip. His teeth dig in so harshly it turns white all around them and Noctis doesn’t know how he’ll ever stop staring at it.

Prompto releases it, soothes over the indents with his tongue and squeezes Noctis’ hand.

He’s gone pink, Noctis realises, and he’s very close. Normally he might think too close, not because Noctis doesn’t like him being there but because it’s difficult to have him like this, to be so close and not be allowed to touch.

Today, he swoops the back of his fingers over Prompto’s cheek, lingering over a cluster of freckles underneath his eye.

“Prom,” Noctis says again.

Prompto’s brow sets, his eyes go steely, determined like when he’s going to clip the wings of a killer bee to take it out of the sky. It makes Noctis tense, braces for danger as Prompto leans close.

Being scared is stupid, he discovers, the moment it happens.

There was barely six inches between their mouths anyway, so Prompto closes it with almost no effort. The rainwater makes everything slick, the press of their lips together smooth but more chilled than anything Noctis had ever imagined it would be. With his hand right there, it only makes sense to cradle Prompto’s cheek in his palm, to hold him close in case he even thinks about running away.

They’re both panting a little when they finally pull apart even though the kiss was nothing but chaste. Prompto’s hand is resting on Noctis’ waist and his grin is surprisingly shy.

“I miss doing that,” Prompto murmurs. “Even though we’d never done it before,”

On the cover of it, it’s a statement that obviously doesn’t make any sense, yet Noctis understands it entirely.

“Me too,” he breathes and he nuzzles against Prompto’s cheek before kissing him again.