#Forgotten ancestor: Ardyn

[sparklecryptid]

“Did you think no one remembered?”

Luche’s voice is cold, frost coating his lips and dusting itself across his uniform as Shiva’s curse bears down on him with all it’s weight. He knows he is skirting the rules here, he knows it is likely he will die from this - from the cold that is seeping into his bones and the ice that crawls through his veins. Luche knows this might be the last time he ever speaks a word but the truth deserves to be heard. Lies must be amended and the truth of what has been done must be known.

The Sage looks at Luche and his eyes are dark, marred by two thousand years of pain and hatred. Luche does not begrudge him that, he is not disappointed that Ardyn is not the same man who Luche’s ancestors loved enough to fight for. No one can be expected to stay the same in the light of such torment.

“Did you think that you were forgotten?” Luche says, his head tilts to the side and he shivers as the cold wracks his body. He has the eyes of Regis and the Prince on him, he has the Oracle’s gaze on him as well and Ardyn is still so still as Luche speaks, “You weren’t. Despite what history wrote there are those who never forgot what you did. How you saved them.”

“What good did that do your ancestors?” Ardyn scoffs, “Look at you now, freezing to death at the height of summer. Why bother remembering when it brings you naught but pain?”

“Someone has to.” Luche’s lips crack and bleed and he still speaks. “History does not deserve to only be written by the victors.”

“There must be more.”

“Must there?” Luche says, “You were our king once and we loved you. Is that not reason enough to keep your history alive?”

#HELLO FRIENDS HAVE A SCENE FROM A FIC I MIGHT NEVER WRITE #just thinking about Luche dying freezing to death because he’s speaking things that the curse does not want him to #but he speaks anyway #he speaks because ardyn the man his family loves deserves some truth #Luche is not a kind man but he is cunning enough to know #that Regis is sentimental #that Regis will be willing to at least listen to what the rest of his clan has to say #(clan Lazarus in the background like ‘yeah we are totally going to free the accursed and the king of light from their fate’ #‘if shiva didn’t want us to not interfere she shouldn’t have given us foresight’)

[ffxvficrec]

GladNoct Big Bang Round Up

General Rating

You can also check out the collection here:

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GladnoctBB2021/works

We’ve listed the archive warnings and ratings, but please remember to mind the tags!

I'll Catch You by kickcows

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Mature Rating

Noctis Caelum, the famous movie actor, has been injured due to a bad car accident, and the one to help on the road to recovery is a physical therapist by the name of Gladio Amicitia.

Sands of Destiny by countingpaperstars

No Archive Warnings Apply

Explicit Rating

After leading an attack on the holy city of Insomnia, Prince Gladio, adopted son of Tenebrae's queen, acquires a dagger that gives the one who holds it access to the Sands of Time. Gladio ends up on the run with Insomnian Prince Noctis after being accused of killing Queen Sylva. They must learn to trust each other in order to protect the ancient treasure from dark forces and unmask his mother's assassin, or fall into ruin along with the fate of their world.

The Deep Dive by Noctislucent (Baekhanded)

No Archive Warnings Apply

Teen Rating

Gladio is a researcher, a historian 'obsessed' with finding the lost city of Altissia. He sets off on the journey of a lifetime to find the city with a team unmatched by any.

He finds so much more than he bargained for

chasing honey by ignisgayentia

No Archive Warnings Apply

Explicit

After an assassin threatens Prince Noctis’s life just before his journey to Altissia to deliver an important address, King Regis hires outside protection, the trusted Amicitia Guard, to escort Noctis to Altissia alone. When Noctis first meets his assigned guard, Gladiolus Amicitia, tensions between them are high, but along their journey, things slowly start to change. After dealing with attempts on their life, daemons, a broken down car, and crappy hotel rooms, they learn more about each other and their destinies than they ever expected to. How will Noctis deal with the conflicting feelings he has for his bodyguard?

Thy Kiss Art Broken Glass on Mine Lips by BumuBokkusu

No Archive Warnings Apply

General Rating

A Greek Gods/Mythology AU where Regis is lamenting to the gods over his people who are sick and dying from the mysterious Starscourge disease that is plaguing the kingdom. The gods hear the King's plea and offer him a bargain. Because they want to test this King’s heart, they offer him a deal: they will heal his people of the scourge if he sacrifices his only son. After much consideration and heartbreak, Regis decides to give up his own son for the sake of his people. The gods place a curse upon Noctis, one that will last throughout the rest of his life. It is a curse that slowly turns the boy into cold, crystalline, shimmering glass until the day he becomes completely petrified - a melancholy statue. Gladiolus, a farmhand that has fallen in love with Noctis, embarks on a quest to rid the prince of his cruel fate, even if it means denying the gods themselves.

Highway Tune by EzraTheBlue

No Archive Warnings Apply

Explicit Rating

Gladiolus Amicitia lives a quiet, unassuming life as a long haul truck driver, when he picks up a quiet, sullen young man hitchhiking along the highway. Gladio soon realizes that his passenger is hiding a few secrets: primarily, that he’s Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, run away from home on the eve of his father overseeing the signing of a peace treaty that will end a fifty-year war. Secondarily: he’s being chased by an assassin who wants him dead for reasons unknown, but he’s unrelenting and his grudge is very, very personal. Gladio can’t ignore someone in trouble and agrees to get Noctis back to Insomnia safely, even though Noctis’ attitude and their pursuer won’t make things easy. The road home is treacherous - will Gladio and Noctis make it safely, or will their assailant prove an insurmountable roadblock? Or… will their own conflicted emotions get in the way?

Caught in a Storm by Mangoesaregood8

No Archive Warnings Apply

Explicit Rating

An early morning training session is interrupted by a sudden incoming storm. With the battery dead in the Regalia, Gladio and Noctis are forced to weather out the storm in the cave. However Noctis got soaked, so Gladio devises a few creative ideas to help the prince keep warm as they wait to be rescued.

Vide Cor Meum by HeartlessAngel

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Mature Rating

M.E. 744: a terrorist faction opens the West Gate, overriding security protocols overseen by the Crown’s Shield and Captain of the Crownsguard, Clarus Amicitia. Hundreds of Galahdian refugees pour into Insomnia, much aware that they will not be received with open arms. They are helped into unmarked vans and cars to be driven and released into anonymity in the slums in a coordinated mission orchestrated by the terrorist faction’s leader: Izdihar Abadi, wife of Clarus Amicitia, Gladio and Iris’ mother.

Far from everyone manage to escape into the night. The Crownsguard arrives with haste to neutralize the threat and close the West Gate. It’s a massacre that would have gone unrecorded had Gladiolus Amicitia not been found beside his mother’s body, clutching the Master Key to the Wall’s Gates.

Clarus rushes Gladio to the Citadel where he makes a covenant with Crown Prince Noctis, five years overdue, to assure the Amicitias’ place in the Lucian Court. And so begins Gladio’s life as the Shield of the future King, shrouded in suspicion, hurt, and unattainable wants.

Besmirched by hesp

No Archive Warnings Apply

Teen Rating

The stories say that it was once wielded by a king of old to turn the tide of a great battle. That it could fell dragons with a single sweep of its blade that shone like daybreak. That it could rally the hearts of men, even when all hope had been lost. While the name of the king and the place of the battle have been forgotten, the storied Sword of Light is the last hope of Noctis Lucis Caelum, heir apparent to the crown of Insomnia. With few clues and less time, he is smuggled out of his childhood home as a centuries-old plot descends upon the city. Outside of its protective walls, Noctis meets Gladiolus, a man whom fate had tied to Noctis long before their paths crossed in the wilds of Lucis. The two agree to journey together in search of an object that may not exist on a quest that may be doomed in hopes of restoring that which may be lost forever.

Working apart but in tandem, Ignis Scientia, trusted adviser and friend of Noctis, remains in Insomnia to search for clues about the Sword of Light and ways to aid Noctis in his quest. Ignis is joined by Prompto Argentum, a commoner and unlikely friend of Noctis, whose own abilities may be the difference in attaining their impossible goal.

Gravity by HardNoctLife

No Archive Warnings Apply

Explicit Rating

Noctis Lucis Caelum is celebrity royalty with a secret, Insomnia's Prince of Pop-Rock searching for love in all the wrong places.

Gladio Amicitia is a wayward son, returning to Insomnia after wandering the Lucian countryside for five years, looking for a steady income and a good time.

When their worlds collide after a one-night-stand, it sets them up to learn the hard way that it's okay to fall for someone you can't have—so long as you don't hit the ground.

The Curse of Eternal Sleep by The_PrincessCat

No Archive Warnings Apply

General Rating

When the child of King Regis and Queen Aulea Lucis Caelum is born, a grand Unveiling Celebration is held and all of the kingdom is invited. Everyone is present, except for Ardyn the Sorcerer. The Three fairy siblings Nyx, Libertus and Crowe bestow gifts upon the young infant. However, after both Crowe and Libertus grant their gifts, a puff of ruddy smoke appears in the center of the celebration and Ardyn appears in the midst.

He curses young Noctis to prick his thumb on the end of a fishing lure on his 18th birthday and die. All this because they refused to invite him to their party. In a self satisfied gesture, Ardyn disappears the way he came.

King Regis hides away his son, unwilling to let his only son face this fate. During the years that lead up to Noctis's eighteenth birthday, Noctis begins to fall in love with a boy from another kingdom. Unbeknownst to them both, it is both Noctis's downfall and tragedy.

When Noctis fall into his thousand years slumber, Gladiolus Amicitia springs into action to journey to the end of Eos and will fight a dragon for True Loves First Kiss.

Bloom by Crazyloststar

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Mature Rating

Ancient texts suggest the Shields of Kings were so devoted to their charge, they sprouted flowers from their very skin. Over time something changed; the power of the crystal, their devotion, or something else unknown. This idea became stories told to elevate the dedication of those who took up the position of Shield to the royal family.

Either way, the Shields of today now honor their ancestors and their duty by covering their bodies with flowers permanently with ink.

But the stories of old are more than fairy tales.

A Silver Compass by katerleegrand

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

No Archive Warnings Apply

Noctis is alone, simple as that. No one to turn to. No one to call a friend. High school has been rough for him already, and most days he wishes he could just disappear off the face of the planet.

But when a new student joins Noctis's class, he manages to change Noctis's life around completely. All Noctis has to do is give him a chance.

#gladnoct #gladnoct big bang #gladiolus amicitia #Noctis Lucis Caelum #ffxv #ffxv fanfiction #final fantasy xv

[secret-engima]

5) Of course, this leads into idea number two: Specific Clan Arms. In canon, Ardyn's blade, the Blade of Rakshasa(?) is stated to be a brother blade to Somnus' Blade, and I kind of really like the idea of everyone who ever collects Clan Arms STARTS with the Sword of the Sage/Sword of the Healer King. Or, as it's better known, the Izunia/Vitae Clan Arm (NOT the Lucis Caelum Clan, there's no such Clan on Galahd). (It also gives everyone the excuse to meet their how many times granddad.)

a-world-in-grey said: 6) Ardyn's not complaining. It gives him an excuse to train the brats in the name of proving themselves and talk with so many people. Then I thought about Clan Ulric, and my brain IMMEDIATELY went to Nyx's kukris because the SYMBOLISM. Nyx is KNOWN for his kukris in canon, and having those kukris be the Clan Arm? YES. I don't know enough about the other clans, but I imagine there's all sorts of weapons. And the first time someone brings their armiger out to play, Regis and Co are going to be

a-world-in-grey said: 7) rather surprised at recognizing NONE of the weapons used. Heck, it probably takes someone pointing out that they have their own ancestors, why would they use someone else's Arms? I also want to see Regis and Co react to one of the few who has a complete armiger, because damn, that's a lot of weapons and that person knows how to USE them. Talk about poetry in motion. Deadly poetry in motion and Ooooh I can see bby Cor developing a crush.

Me: YES to Specific Clan Arms. But I will tweak your one on Ardyn. The Sword of the Sage is not the first one they collect, that wouldn’t be fair to all the non-Ulric Clans, no, the Sword of the Sage is the LAST one you collect. Their final Trial to become a Vitae, after they have walked all the isles, lived for a time with all the Clans, learned their ways and passed their Trials, then they travel to the Home of the Sage (or return, in the case of Ulric Vitae) and challenge him for the Rite to his Blade.

It will be the most brutal fight of their lives, for Ardyn is still immortal, for all the Scourge is being slowly weaned out of him, generation by generation, and he has given this Trial to many, many Vitae before. He’s seen all the tricks, he knows all the best uses of the Clan Arms, he will DRIVE any potential Vitae across the Trial grounds like a Maelstrom and they will know the real meaning of being Touched by the Storm. Then, when they are panting and shaking, and maybe even on their knees, sure they have failed their Trial, Ardyn stops, and kneels beside them, and gently heals their injuries and aches, then leads them by the hand to his home and sits them down for tea. He folds his hands and rests his chin on them, gold eyes with emerging flecks of blue sparkling like stars, and says, “You fight like you have seen many things, Child Mine. Tell me about your journey.” And so they do, and unbeknownst to them, THAT is their Trial. To look the Sage in the eye, feel magic older than they can truly comprehend tangle gently with theirs, and tell him everything. Their beginnings, their trials, their successes and failures. Loves found and rivalries made and scars gained. Of ocean sailing and storytelling and the exploration of forgotten ruins to find what was lost. Ardyn listens to their life story-

Then he smiles, and bids them wait two weeks in his home.

He spends those two weeks in his Forge, and when he comes out, it is with a sword, unique to them and their story, engraved with symbols and scenes of their journey, emblazoned with the colors of their Clan and heart. The Crown of their Clan Arms, an ultimate expression of their journey and heart, forged by the hands of the Sage himself, balanced perfectly to fit the fighting style they showed him during that brutal battle.

Moving on to the rest of your asks and how this relates to the ABOVE:

YES. The Kukri’s symbolize something, all the Clan Arms do-. Each Clan has a different Arm, and more than that, because there are more than one Vitae running around at any given time, there is no HEREDITARY Arm. When a Vitae-to-be passes the Trial of a given Clan, the Clan Forgemaster makes them their own Clan Arm in the style of the Clan. For Ulrics, it’s Kukri, small and sharp and sturdy, with purple cords from which dangle Coeurl teeth. For the Altius, it is a staff, crafted from the finest woods and inlaid with stone that is best for channeling elemency. For the Ostium its twin hatchets, with hafts of black wood, treated to be elemental proof and nigh-on unbreakable, able to even withstand steel and magic. And so on and so forth, each set unique to whoever has passed the Trial and the Forgemaster that made it (it should be noted that ONLY Ardyn forges swords. The others have weapons that range from spears to chakram to chain whips and war fans, but when it comes to an actual sword, that is only the Sage. The ultimate proof that a Vitae has completed their journey is the mere fact that they have a sword to call their own. No one else does). After the owner dies, the weapon is returned to the Clan that forged it, to keep and hang in their Great Hall as yet another cornerstone of their history, another story to tell in the flickering firelight as the Elder gestures to the weapon-covered walls and tells the wide-eyed children that This. This is Galahd. These are the symbols of our Clan, proof of our unity and soul.

*cackles* Regis and co are NOT READY for Galahd. So not ready. There are SO MANY types of weapons and combat styles, so much to keep track of yet any of the Clan have AT LEAST four, some are bold enough to hold seven and the Vitae hold weapons in the double digits that they can swap and use freely in combat. Cor totally gets a crush. He is NOT the only one (cue Regis staring at Aulea in wide-eyed AWE and budding adoration).

#SE asks #a-world-in-grey asks #Secret Engima Rambles #Thrown to Wolves verse #galahd culture

[sephirotha]

Will we see a part 2 to Poor Unfortunate Stella? Octo-Ardyn is so creepy I love it!

Poor Unfortunate Stella

Happy Ending

And now, Sephirotha presents the twisted, dark creepy Octo-Ardyn in an alternate ending.

--------

Stella’s eyes hurt.  She let her legs dangle over the pier, her feet getting splashed by the gentle waves of the sea.  She shivered a little as she cast her eyes up at the sun steadily setting over the horizon. She swallowed.

She failed.  Ravus was cold, unapproachable and couldn’t even be bothered to eat dinner with her and his younger sister, Luna.  Stella tried to take solace in what memories she had on land, before she would be turned into a daemon.

Luna took to her almost immediately, but perhaps that was because she had been lonely as the princess of her own kingdom.  Stella knew all to well of the isolation.  At least she had been blessed with a twin brother and a clumsy, curious merman for company.

Stella smiled bitterly.  She’d always wanted a sister.  Perhaps if she’d taken a deal where Luna would have granted her humanity permanently, she wouldn’t be a weeping mess, waiting for her last minutes to ebb away.

After all, it wouldn’t do to just turn into a flopping mess in the middle of the castle.  Even if it was in front of Luna, she had the awful feeling Ardyn’s curse would just turn her into a daemon and she’d hurt her.

Another tear rolled down her fair face as the sky began to turn darker. She heard something break the surface of the water.  She turned away.  She had an inkling who it was.

“Why is it that every time we meet, I see those beautiful eyes full of tears?”

Yup.  And let’s hope he left the ink in his damn cavern.

Stella moved to the side as a couple of tentacles landed near her, pulling the warlock out of the sea.  Ardyn settled beside her, reaching out to push their hair out of her face. Stella slapped his wrist away and he frowned.

“Really, you ought to be nicer to your uncle,” he said as his tentacle went around her body and finished pushing the hair out of her face.

Stella lifted her legs and turned her back to him, hugging her knees to her chest.  Ardyn sighed.

“And do look at me when I’m speaking to you.  Really, where are your manners?”

Stella shoved the tentacle that settled on her shoulder off.  She turned her head, her mouth forming words that she was unable to voice.  Ardyn wrapped a tentacle around her ankle and spun her a hundred and eighty degrees, holding her in place whilst folding his arms.

“I will chalk this rude behaviour up to you being distraught,” he said as two tentacles snuck around her abdomen and brought her closer.  “Must I really put up with this melodrama?  It isn’t the end of the world to be mine.”

Stella’s hands pressed against his chest as she managed to maintain an arm’s length of distance in the very least.  She gave him a questioning look as he cupped her face, his thumb gently stroking her skin.

“Ah, already forgotten our terms of agreement?” he chuckled as he pushed closer.  “It was live happily ever after with either your human or me.”

Stella’s questioning expression turned into horror in under a second.  Ardyn grinned wider as he pulled her closer still, his forehead pressed against hers. He wrapped one arm around her waist and gripped her hand with his spare hand.

“Oh yes.  It matters not if you somehow slithered out of my deal, you’d be married off sooner or later.  Why waste your affections on the common merfolk, when I can enrich your mind, body and soul?”

Stella struggled in futility as he squeezed her hand.

“Now, I have something to return to you, dearest.”

Stella’s eyes widened as he crushed his lips into her.  She wriggled as his hold on her grew stronger, pressing her into his chest.  Something went down her throat and she gagged, whimpering as she tried pushing him away.

She let out a gasp when he finally broke the kiss, turning away from him.  Her lips wobbled as she tried not to burst into more tears.

Ardyn smiled as he licked his lips.  “The first of many, my darling.  Ah, your voice was wonderful company to have.  Alas, I do believe it would be even sweeter coming from your lips.”

Stella glared at him as he let one arm go down and scoop her legs up. “Creep!”

“Your pet names could use some work, but we do have eternity to work on it.”  Stella thrashed as he picked her up, holding her close and facing the sunset.  “Just a few more moments…”

Stella kicked her legs and tried to shove her palms into his face. Ardyn leaned away from her hands and squeezed her leg.

“Dearest, if you move them like that, the transformation back will be more painful.  Do try to keep them still and together.”

“Let me go!  I’d rather die than be your plaything!”

“So hurtful are your words.  After listening to this voice tell me such sinfully sweet longings, you wound me, my star.”  Ardyn glared at Stella, his nails digging into her shoulder.  “We had an agreement, Stella.  I have your signature as proof of your commitment.”

Stella’s stomach dropped as one tentacle presented a scroll before unravelling it.  Ardyn lifted it so she could see her signature glaring at her smugly before her eyes.

“Perhaps you should read the fine print next time,” he muttered and rested it in her lap.

Stella’s hands shook as she picked up the bottom part to look at the words glumly.  Ardyn pressed a kiss to her forehead, shifting her so he could rest her head on his shoulder.  

“You are to be my queen.  You are to be by my side for all eternity.  You shall give me heirs, grant me the family that your ancestors denied me.” Stella dropped the scroll and Ardyn wiped away another tear from her eye.  “As if I could turn my beloved into a mindless daemon.  Not with your face…her face…”

Stella looked down at the sea with defeat in her eyes.  Her breath hitched and she closed them, her hands reaching for her legs.  Ardyn felt the change through the cloth of her dress and held her closer.  Stella sobbed against him as he caressed her lower body, eyes trained on her feet.

Once the last of the sun’s rays were gone, Ardyn was caressing Stella’s tail.  The princess wept harder, covering her face.  Ardyn pulled one hand away and squeezed it.

“Now, now, this isn’t the time for tears,” he chastised her gently. “Let us return home.  This is a new chapter in our lives, let us embrace it.”

Stella glared at him as he tightened his hold before leaping into the dark sea with her.

#fanfiction #ardyn izunia #original female character #final fantasy xv #little mermaid #ask me anything #ask me questions #ask me stuff #writing requests #ardyn x oc

[chococraziness]

Chapter 1:

OH WHAT A CHAPTER??? I still need a name for this story

The boat slowed as we had become closer to Angelgard, an island that holds a secret, a dark one at that. This island unbeknown to all of Eos is where the most forgotten part of history lies. The boat stopped completely, and the squad moves onto the land of the island.

"This place.... I don't like it, it's creepy and strange." One soldier shuddered as he observed the new area.

I honestly have to agree with him. If it weren't for our ancestors' diary, I wouldn't be here. However, I must find Ardyn, he and all of Eos need our help.

"Shut up you swine! You're a Niflheim soldier toughen up!"

And there he is, the biggest asshole of them all and also, unfortunately, the leader of this mission. Verstael Besithia. Verstael shoved past the terrified soldier and made his way towards me, a determined but smug look on his face.

"Sapphire! You sure you can handle a place like this little girl?"

I looked at the disappointment that makes my faith in the human race decline.

"I can handle it, but can you?" I reply with a sassy but equally as sarcastic tone.

With a smirk on my face, I gave him a little wave as I walk further from him and closer to a nearby cave, not looking back once. After walking through the entry of the cave, I start to speed up, I beyond anything, need to get to Ardyn first. As I jog through this labyrinth, I observe the area. It's dark, the only light is coming from the torch attached to my shirt; the rocks around me form sharp edges, sharp enough to impale somebody.

I stop at a fork in front of me, there are two paths.

"Sapphire!" An annoying voice calls out, Verstael, he's getting closer.

"Think Sapphire, think, what path did the diary say to take?" I whisper to myself, trying to recall the pages.

"Go straight."

Nodding I keep walking forward, trusting the voice in my head, a voice I know so well. I get to the end, it looks like an ordinary wall, but with the knowledge and power my family holds, I know better. I step straight through it, the feeling of unfamiliar and ancient magic washing over me.

"Holy shit..... It's actually him."

WELL THAT WAS FUN

@chocobroness heyhey I actually had motivation to do things 😂

#final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv imagines #what the hell am i doing??

[fallintosanity]

i’m mean to my favs

i’m sorry prompto i love u

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11

Noctis floated high above his city, its nighttime lights glittering below and sending bright flashes through the crystalline glaives that surrounded him. The look of awe on his younger self’s face when Noct had called on the power of his ancestors and leaped off the balcony had almost been worth the knowledge that this was the same power which would kill him as soon as he returned to the present. At least he’d get some use out of it beforehand.

The city looked different enough from up here that it took him a minute to figure out which direction Prompto’s house was. Prompto had lived in a comfortably middle-class neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, several miles from the Citadel. The route by car took some twenty minutes or more depending on traffic, but flying up here, able to bypass the complex street grid, Noctis made it in under ten. He dropped to the street in front of the little house and stared in dismay. Prompto’s front door had been smashed open, and golden light spilled out onto his tiny front patio. The acrid scent of daemon miasma hung in the air.

Dismissing the Armiger, Noctis ran inside. He knew in his gut that he was too late, but he searched the house anyway, nearly tripping over the smashed remnants of the kitchen table. A curtain rod had been yanked down and shattered, the handrail of the stairs to the second floor broken off partway up. As he raced to Prompto's bedroom, a cheerful tune started playing - Prompto’s ringtone.

The bedroom was an even bigger mess than the rest of the house: the desk and chair in splinters, the window broken, schoolbooks tumbled everywhere. Noctis could imagine all too clearly what had happened. Prompto would have gone for his usual run after getting home from his part-time job, showered, and changed into pajamas, then sprawled out on his bed to do homework. Whatever had broken into his house had done it fast, leaving him no time to call for help before barging in and grabbing him.

The phone was still ringing; Noct found it buried under a tangled mess of torn bedsheets that had been dragged from the bed most of the way to the door. The name on the screen was Prince of Naptime and he choked down a laugh that was more hysterical than he could afford right now. That had been an in-joke between him and Prompto for most of the second half of senior year; he’d all but forgotten about it in the years since.

He hit the answer button, and his younger self’s voice immediately said, “Prompto? Are you okay? Where have you—”

“Not Prompto,” Noctis interrupted. “Give the phone to Ignis.”

“But—”

“Now,” Noctis said, putting a bit of his father into it, and was relieved to hear shuffling and rustling noises.

“Noct?” Ignis asked.

“Looks like Ardyn got him,” Noctis said without preamble. “Or… Ardyn’s daemons, probably. Everything’s torn up.”

Ignis huffed out a sigh. “We’re down to ground level at the Citadel, but everything’s still in disarray. It will be some time yet before we’re able to reach the garage and a vehicle.”

“Okay,” Noctis said. “I’m going to see if I can figure out where they went.”

“Keep this phone on you,” Ignis said. “We don’t have access to tracking resources, but we can at least get in touch with you.”

“Got it,” Noctis said. “I’ll call you back when I have an idea where I’m going.” He hung up, dropped the phone into a pocket, and hurried back through the house to the street. Worry churned in his gut as he went, along with a swirl of guilt. Even though he knew there was no way they could have done anything to stop this - Ardyn had probably made his move the moment the sun went down, so Noctis would have been too late even if he’d left when Young Noctis had first said something was wrong - he couldn’t help but feel it was his fault Young Prompto had been taken. Noctis should have pushed his dad harder, should have insisted on getting out there and looking for Ardyn.

King Do-Nothing, Gladio had said, bitterly. Regis had sat on his hands and waited, and it had put Prompto in danger. Noctis couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

He burst out onto the street, then skidded to a stop in confusion when he saw an elderly woman peeking around the curve of the fence. She held a cell phone in one hand; Noctis could just make out the emergency numbers already dialed on the screen, waiting for her to push the call button. She eyed him up and down, then asked, “You’re Crownsguard, aren’t you?”

Close enough. Noctis nodded. “Did you see what happened?”

“Daemons,” the woman proclaimed. She pointed to a house a little ways up the road, whose windows had a clear view of the street in front of Prompto’s house. “It was about half an hour ago. I was eating dinner when I saw ‘em running up the street. They broke into the Argentums’ house and dragged that poor boy out.”

“Where’d they go?”

She pointed in the opposite direction. “Out toward the factories.”

Noctis took off running. “Thanks!” he called over his shoulder.

As he ran, he pulled out Young Prompto’s phone and shot off a quick text to let Ignis and the others know which direction he was going. The phone buzzed with replies almost instantly, but he ignored them in favor of pouring on more speed. Half an hour was a hell of a head start, even on foot, and he briefly considered calling the Armiger again and flying - but the factory district was full of tall buildings and deep shadows. If he was in the air, it would be too easy to miss daemons clinging to the darkest spaces. On the other hand, nothing said the daemons had to stick to the direction they’d started out in. If they’d turned down a side street once out of sight of the old woman…

He shoved that thought down. Daemons, even ones under Ardyn’s control, generally weren’t that bright. They would take the shortest path between them and wherever their destination was, which meant their destination was something in this direction. He had to believe that - Insomnia was too big a city, too easy to get lost in, for any other option.

Despite his fears, he couldn’t keep up the sprint for long, and had to settle into the ground-eating jog he’d used with his friends in the wilds of Duscae and Cleigne. Slower, but sustainable. The occasional nauseating whiffs of daemon miasma in the air reassured him that he was moving in the right direction, and he could only hope that he was gaining ground.

He was deep in the factory district, jogging along an uneven sidewalk on the edge of a worn-down road, when he spotted bright red blood drops on the sidewalk. Fresh, still gleaming. His stomach knotted at the thought that Young Prompto was injured and bleeding - but at the same time, hope surged through him. He had to be close. Despite the burning ache in his legs and lungs, he picked up speed again, dress shoes slapping the pavement in a steady rhythm.

Then shadowy figures passed beneath a flickering streetlamp half a mile up the road. Noctis squinted, struggling to make out the shapes - but he’d fought too many bussemand not to recognize their distinctive cavorting gait. Calling a sword to hand, Noctis flung it as far as he could, warped, and did it again, this time landing on the wall of one of the massive factories only a few hundred feet behind the daemons. This close, he could see the squirming, struggling figure one of them held tucked beneath its arm.

Prompto.

Noctis flung the sword again, warping in and taking out the rearmost bussemand in a single hit. He took down the second with a spear through the chest before it realized what was going on, and beheaded a third even as it squealed an alarm. Two more leaped at him, but Noctis phased through their attack and zeroed in on the one holding Young Prompto. He warped close, calling daggers to his hands and slashing at the bussemand’s chest and shoulder, forcing it to drop Young Prompto in a heap on the ground in order to defend itself.

It wasn’t enough. Noctis ran the bussemand through, then pounced on the remaining daemons, weapons flashing as he ripped them apart. They were almost hilariously weak, probably struggling just to hold their forms within the protective bounds of the Crystal, and dispatching them took maybe ten seconds. When they were gone, their bodies dissolving into miasma wisps, Noctis turned back to Young Prompto - and froze.

Ardyn Izunia stood there, one hand wrapped around Young Prompto’s throat, the other holding the boy’s right arm stretched out to the side. Young Prompto looked terrified, blue eyes huge, thin chest heaving with stifled sobs. He wore nothing but a pair of King’s Knight pajama pants and his old green-and-white wristband, his bare feet bloody, bruises swelling around his ribs where the bussemand had held him. Ardyn was clearly putting painful pressure on his throat and arm; he was trembling and tear tracks marked his cheeks.

“Ah, Noct,” Ardyn purred, as though they were meeting casually at some diplomatic function. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Get away from him,” Noctis snarled. He called the Armiger, the crystalline weapons flashing grimly in the dim streetlamps, but Ardyn held Prompto in front of him like a shield and Noctis didn’t dare attack.

Ardyn looked down at the boy trembling in his grasp. “Really, now,” he said. “All this effort, and for what?” A knife appeared in his hand in a shimmer of red, and Ardyn continued, “Such an empty little thing.” The knife flashed, Prompto yelped, and the familiar wristband fell to the ground, sliced clean through, revealing the barcode tattoo stamped on his wrist. Ardyn met Noctis’s eyes over Young Prompto’s head. “I’m surprised you care. There are so many more where it came from, after all.”

Noctis bit his tongue. He couldn’t rise to the bait, not when Ardyn had his hand around the boy’s throat. Instead, he demanded, “What are you after, anyway? First the attack on the Citadel, now this?” He was about to say more - but stopped as he realized the expression that had crossed Ardyn’s face at his words was surprise.

Still, Ardyn recovered quickly. “You know what I want, Noct.”

“Then let’s do this,” Noctis challenged him. “Let Prompto go and we’ll fight. You and me.”

Ardyn laughed. “Where’s the fun in that?”

As he spoke, Young Prompto moved, his free hand coming up in front of his stomach. His hand was trembling, but he caught Noctis’s eye and folded down two fingers. It took all Noctis had to keep his gaze on Ardyn, to say, “So you don’t want to fight after all? Coward.”

Young Prompto folded down one more finger, then another. Noctis braced himself.

“I want to spread the Starscourge—” Ardyn began, just as Young Prompto folded down the last finger. Noctis flung every glaive in the Armiger at Ardyn’s head even as Young Prompto went boneless, all his weight on Ardyn’s grip on his throat. Unprepared, Ardyn let go of him, then flung up his arms to block Noct’s attack. Red light shone around him, Ardyn’s Armiger flashing into existence, and Noctis called his own glaives back—

Gunshots rang through the night, followed a moment later by the rumble of an engine and the squeal of tires. Ardyn jerked, miasma-tainted blood spraying from a hole in his forehead, his shoulder, his side. Gladio’s voice yelled, “Noct!” and Noctis lunged forward, grabbing Young Prompto by the arm and shoving him behind himself, toward the sound of the approaching vehicle.

Ardyn straightened, his face a nightmare of yellow eyes and oozing miasma, his mouth a rictus grin. “A party,” he murmured. “I’m afraid I’m not dressed for one. I’ll see you soon, Noct.”

Noctis flung the entire Armiger at him once more, but Ardyn was already gone, his body dissolving into daemonic wisps and vanishing into the shadows.

#final fantasy xv #ffxv #chocobros #sanity's time travel fic #fanfiction

[destinysthralls]

@chosenbythecrystal [ noctis + ardyn : maleficent au ]

On the day of their births, Noctis and Lunafreya had been blessed by the fairies---Granted beauty, and happiness for all of their days. Uninvited to the birthday bash, and seeing great reason to enact revenge upon the family that had stolen his wings and banished him to the darkness---Ardyn had cursed both of them instead, to prick their fingers on a spinning wheel on their sixteenth birthday, and enter eternal slumber along with the rest of their damned kingdoms. Both of the infants were at once skirted away to the wilds, pixies in tow---in an attempt to hide the little devils from the Master of Evil himself. Foolishness, really, especially as the pixies and the children were so easy to find in their little cottage in the outskirts.

They had been disgusting at birth, as all children are. Reddened and screaming, hands too small to do anything but pinch into fists, gummy, blubbering, drooling mouths always open in a scream, the veins on Lunafreya’s head blue and spidering, visible through her thin tuft of blonde hair. And the smell of them---viscera and excrement and bile.

When Ardyn found them again, however, left in two identical pale gold bassinets outside in the rain (those stupid fairies were only good at magic, apparently), it had been after almost three weeks of travel. He had stared down into their bassinets---peering, like an old cartoon owl, one eye too wide as his brow raised and faltered. The rain that touched him turned black with scourge, and would’ve threatened to drip over the children if not for his back shielding them---what a time to miss his wings... But the babies did not cry, and instead only giggled, reaching out their hands for him, cooing and gurgling in that way such infants do.

It was enough to bring a grimace to his face. He breathed in, and immediately gagged. “Still don’t smell any better,” he chided. With a wave of his hand so as not to touch---he summoned the forces of evil to change their diapers, and then guided them both inside the house towards the nursery. Ardyn waited for the fairies to arrive for quite some time, wondering how they could leave the child here all alone---but they didn’t come for hours. In the meantime Ardyn fed them, cleaned them, entertained them slightly with the use of his powers. And by the time the fairies had come back, he felt a deep well of shame he had thought he’d forgotten---and instead of his grand plan of scaring the fairies off and taking the children for himself---he disappeared into the shadows... Only to continue to watch the little boy and girl grow up, taking care of them where the fairies did not.

At the age of thirteen---Noctis was permitted to go into the woods on his lonesome. He had grown weary of spending every second of his time with the same four people, and the fairies wanted to give the boy some degree of freedom, as boys are meant to have. Ardyn, rather protective, and moreso ever more curious now that the boy was almost a man---fell upon his shadows in the darkness, always one step out of reach, but not too hard to find, if the boy he had taken care of now for so long wished to see him.

He watched him---silently and carefully, thinking of what to say, and only finding dreadful answers. As Noctis had grown older, he had only grown to look more and more like his ancestor, Somnus, Ardyn’s brother who had stolen his wings in order to become a holy man. Ardyn could remember playing with his brother in these very woods when Ardyn was his very age. It was wistful, and annoying, and pathetic. Ardyn had every mind to leave right then. But as always, something about the boy drew him close.

#chosenbythecrystal #{ ch: a plague on both your houses } #{ rp: a plague on both your houses | ardyn } #{ ardyn: master of evil | maleficent au } #HOPE THIS IS OKAY I DIDNT WANT IT TO GET TOO LONG TBH LMAO

[fallenangeloflight]

Sneak Peek

A sneaky lil thing for a story that I'm writing about Final Fantasy XV. Original idea comes from @chocobroness

The boat slowed as we had become closer to Angelgard, an island that holds a secret, a dark one at that. This island, unbeknown to all of Eos, is where the most forgotten part of history lies. The boat stopped completely and the squad moves onto the land if the island.

"This place.... I don't like it, it's creepy and strange." One soldier shuddered as he observed the new area.

I honestly have to agree with him. If it weren't for our ancestors diary I wouldn't be here, however I must find Ardyn, he and all of Eos need our help.

"SHUT UP YOU SWINE! YOU'RE A NIFLHEIM SOLDIER TOUGHEN UP!"

And there he is, the biggest asshole of them all and also, unfortunately, the leader of our mission, Verstael Besithia.

Verstael shoved past the terrified soldier and made his way towards me, determined but smug look on his face.

"Rydia! You sure you can handle a place like this little girl?"

I looked at the disappointment that makes my faith in the human race decline.

"I can handle it, but can you?" I reply with a sassy but equally as sarcastic tone.

With a smirk on my face I gave him a little wave as I walked further from him and closer to a nearby cave.

(Are you proud @chocobroness of what I have shown?)

#final fantasy xv #ihavenoideawhatosgoingon #pleasesendhelp #ardyn izunia #episode ardyn #final fantasy xv imagines

[theperidotshade]

It occurs to me I’ve mentioned my Fisher King AU a few times but I’ve never actually shared what it is.  Partially because I outlined it in asks to other people a couple times and Tumblr ate the asks >.>

Anyway, the basic set up is the same for the Ardyn in Paradise AU, because this one actually came first and I adapted it for Ardyn in Paradise.

In case you don’t know/have forgotten the set up for AiP, Ardyn receives the Crystal and Ring earlier than in canon, and is an actual King for the duration of his healing journey.

Unlike AiP, he doesn’t figure out how to actually use the Crystal against the Starscourge (in AiP, he uses it every time he returns to his capital—not Insomnia, that city hasn’t been founded yet—so that it’s smaller power expenditures and he essentially burns away the accumulated daemons he’s taken in, in exchange for a small cost to his health/longevity).  In the Fisher King AU, he leaves it all for the end like in canon.

But even though he’s filled to the brim with Starscourge, the Crystal has already accepted him—it just can’t get rid of the Scourge.  There’s no rejection, per se, just a stop gap measure of shielding Ardyn’s self from the daemons.  So Ardyn’s stuck in a sort of limbo of perpetual illness, and—this is the important part—he’s a King, bound to the land.  So he becomes something like the Fisher King in the Grail quest of Arthurian Legend—always ‘wounded’, unable to die, with the land reflecting the health of the king.

The Astrals in this ‘verse are a little kinder than I usually write them, but honestly that can be chalked up to the fact that the Crystal didn’t reject Ardyn—they’re still uneasy in his presence due to the Scourge, but he’s also one of their favored, so they come to his aid when things go badly.

And oh boy, do they go badly.

See, like in AiP, Somnus is very ambitious, and he accuses Ardyn of becoming a daemon.  Unlike AiP, his accusations against Ardyn can’t be disproven by means of bleeding in public—Ardyn bleeds black.

It doesn’t quite get all the way to the crucifixion, as he’s rescued by Somnus’ wife Kalliope and spirited away with the help of the Astrals, but he is tortured in this ‘verse too.  It doesn’t leave any marks, however, because this universe’s Curse essentially reverses any damage done to him by returning him to his baseline condition of when it went into effect.  Which becomes somewhat important in the story because I’m projecting again and need to write out my feelings re: trauma that leaves no scars and the subsequent urges to self-harm to have some visible proof of what you’ve been through.  But I digress.

Anyway, Somnus is in all respects a usurper—which means the Crystal accepts him and his descendants, but only partially.  They have very limited access to the magic it grants them, and Ardyn is still King in all but name and function because he still has those vital ties to both land and Crystal.

And because Ardyn is still tied to the Crystal, it does interesting things to the people who claim the throne after him.  Like, oh, trying to mirror him as much as possible—the chocobo accident happened in this ‘verse (though he’s dmab this time around), and all the Lucian Kings develop suspiciously similar mobility issues in their left legs with no ascertainable cause.  Yes, I turned Regis’ mobility impairment into a plot point, and you can’t stop me :P  Incidentally, the Citadel has fewer stairs, more ramps, and more elevators in this ‘verse.  Can’t imagine why ;)

At this point, I should mention that the end game for this ‘verse is heavily inspired by Patricia McKillip’s The Riddle of Stars trilogy, which has a very bittersweet ending, fair warning for those of you who aren’t familiar with it.

Anyway, as the Chosen King, Noctis is essentially Ardyn’s heir—he needs to live through the end of the prophecy because Lucis has been bound to Ardyn’s magic for two thousand years; its sudden absence could cause disruptions in the land itself, such as droughts, flooding, infertile land, earthquakes, etc.  So Noctis and his descendants are meant to take Ardyn’s place.

As Ardyn’s heir, Noctis is the first to connect fully to the Crystal’s magic since Ardyn himself.  Which is very, very hard for him because he has no teacher for most of the things he can do aside from warping and infusing flasks.  He’s the only one who can actually use the Armiger.  (Aside from Ardyn, but Noctis doesn’t know that, shh).  Elemancy in its more raw form?  Nobody has a clue how to help him, which is a Problem because he keeps accidentally setting things on fire, oops.  Noct can even heal a bit because his magic’s meant to have the same properties as Ardyn’s.  Ardyn’s tricks with time and illusions are also things he could learn if he had anyone to teach him, but he doesn’t.

Meanwhile, Ardyn is mostly keeping himself to himself, wandering around Eos trying new things and meddling here and there when something he Does Not Approve Of happens.  He heals Noctis from the coma post-Marilith, for example, and helps smuggle Prompto out of Niflheim (the MTs are just clones in this ‘verse, not humans dissolved into daemonic miasma and encapsulated in machines).

Ardyn has a very strange friendship with Cor in this ‘verse, where they constantly get each other into and then out of trouble.

Niflheim is still a threat, just not as much of one.  They still have magitek, of course, and they’re still winning the war, but without the daemonic aspect of the MTs, Lucis is not as hard-pressed.

Not to say that it’s a walk in the park—it’s bad enough that Lucis is grasping at straws and sends Noctis out in a mirror of Regis’ own journey, to seek allies and gather the Arms of his ancestors, which prophecy has decreed he will wield.

There is no Wall, so attacks on Insomnia do happen; the city is besieged after Noctis leaves, and the Chocobros are cut off from their home.

Then Ardyn starts showing up to check in on his heir and begin to teach Noctis what he’ll need to know.  He can’t leave his possible final rest up to chance, now can he?

Basically, along the way, Noctis learns more and more about his fate and Ardyn’s story, until the final test of his ablilities, which is complicated.  Because Ardyn’s Curse and the Scourge are so entwined, removing the former could cause the latter to overwhelm him, and the Curse can only be removed by Ardyn’s abdication, while the Scourge can only be destroyed with a sacrifice, which can’t be Noct.

If you’ve read The Riddle of Stars, you know how it ends.  If not, here’s a hint: this is not a fix-it.

#my fanfic #ffxv #Fisher King AU

[autumn-maple13]

Lost to Time - Chapter 8

Child of Ardyn FFXV Fanfic

Chapter 8: Moving Fast

The days of fooling around with the guys seemed like decades ago as Amara stood alongside her fellow Glaive, listening to the Captain fill them in on their next mission. They were to be moved to a long forgotten Lucian fortress overlooking a section of the great rift that partially split the Lucian continent. Nifelheim was moving too close for the first time in years, and the King was desperate to force them back. The entire Glaive was being sent out to the location.

All except a select few that had been chosen to defend the capital in case shit hit the fan.

Amara was one of those selected, and she wasn’t the only one who showed clear disdain over the decision.

“Sir, with all due respect Solis is one of our best fighters!” Luche hadn’t often tried to defend her, but he was the first to do so now. “Leaving her behind-”

“Was an order of the King. Solis, you’re in command of the unit being left here.” Drautos cut through everyone else’s chatter, silencing the room with the weight of what he had said. “His Majesty personally ask you be spared from this fight, because he thinks the Empire may try to use this as a cover for something else. As one of our best fighters, he wants you here as a back-up. If things go South, you’re in charge of the entirety of Insomnia’s defenses as the leader of the first response unit alongside the Crownsguard.”

“Sir, I-”

“Have been promoted to Platoon Leader.” Drautos dipped his head. “You’re more than qualified for this assignment. The rest of you’re dismissed to get ready! We move out at 2200. Solis, report to Captain Amicitia for you assignment details at 1800.”

As the Captain left Amara found herself receiving compliments for her promotion, though it was clear that those who had been working alongside her since she joined were using it to cover their concern. The woman thanked them, but bowed out quickly. She had several hours before she would be made active, and she couldn’t spend it among the Glaive as they prepared for what could be the death of many of them.

Cor Leonis was the first person she ran into, and the moment he saw her he jumped in her way to keep her from leaving. It must’ve been the look on her face, because he turned around and tugged her along with him to one of the breakrooms the officers of the Crownsguard used. Clarus and Gladio were both found there, and jumped up from the table they were talking at when they saw her.

“Solis?”

“Amara what’s wrong?”

“I…” she choked. “I’ve been promoted. I’m a platoon leader now.”

“That’s great Amara!” Gladio seemed to hold the excitement she should have had, but the solemn look his father and the Marshall took on made him fall silent. “Isn’t it?”

“Amara, I’m sorry. I didn’t think his Majesty really intended… I didn’t think it’d actually be put in motion.” Clarus walked over to put a hand on the woman’s shoulder, making his son realize for the first time just how much she had grown since he first met her as children. “You do know you have the support of the Guard, correct?”

Cor nodded, leaning against the wall behind them. “Whatever you need, let us know.”

“What’s going on?” Gladiolus walked over, looking between the three officers. “Dad?”

“Gladio, this isn’t just a promotion for her.” Clarus didn’t try to keep the seriousness of the situation from seeping into his voice. “Amara’s been put in charge of the first and most important part of Insomnia’s defenses while the Kingsglaive is deployed on a major mission against the Empire.”

The youngest man took a step back in shock, looking at his friend who was on the verge of breaking. “Seriously?”

“Yes.” Amara barely had any strength in her voice as the weight settled on her. She wondered in vain why backs were made to carry burdens, feeling like she was going to collapse beneath herself any second. “If the Glaive is defeated, or this fight really is a ploy for the Empire to use to their advantage, I...”

Clarus looked grim. “She has to make the call to begin the defense of the city.”

“Why would King Regis put that kind of responsibility on you?” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and her shaking her head in response only made him more confused.

“I better go get ready… I’m sorry for bothering you all during your break.” she managed to straighten enough to salute, but returned to her previous stature as se made to leave. The men offered her no words of comfort or encouragement, staying silent as they watched her leave.

Only a few, horribly uneventful days later, not long after her fellow Glaives had returned from the bloodbath of a fight they had barely survived, Amara was wishing she had opted to stay and help them instead of staying on active duty, following through with the King’s command until she was relieved. She now stood at the city’s West gate, staring in horror at the Empire vehicle that she had been sent to meet by the King himself. It was an envoy that had requested an audience, and being the only option on such short notice she had been sent immediately.

Amara watched as the red haired man got out of the car, and walked across the line that seperated the city from the land beyond. “Ah, a Glaive was sent to meet me? How nice of his Majesty to recognize the importance of this.”

His voice was so familiar, as was the very color of his hair and eyes. The smile he gave her should have been taken as a threat, but the shock on her features didn’t fade. As she got behind the wheel of the car she had driven out to retrieve him, he turned down the back seat to sit up front with her, taking off his hat to rest in his lap.

“Do you have a name, ma’am?” he waited until she had turned the car around to head back into the city. “I’d like to be able to thank you properly for your speed in getting here.”

Her throat felt dry. “I’m… I’m Amara.”

“Oh? A lovely name, child.” he must’ve have seen her tense, or the way her fingers twitched on the steering wheel. “Is everything alright?”

“I… Yes sir.” her voice was cracking. Why was his presence bugging her so much? Why was being near him making her so sad?

“Ah, you must be nervous. Oh how silly of me, I forgot to introduce myself!” he chuckled. “I’m Chancellor Izunia, Ardyn Izunia.”

“Ardyn?” the name struck a chord with her. “Forgive me, but… I feel like I recognize that name from somewhere other than the news.”

“Oh? Perhaps someone you used to know shared a similar name.” he mused, but the look on his face was a teasing one. He seemed to know much more than he was letting on, but the speed at which she was driving was making her approach the Citadel faster than she would have liked in the moment. She wanted to figure out where the feelings ripping her apart had come from before she handed him over to the King. But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything else, and he didn’t seem to mind the silence that settled over them, probably enjoying the almost charged atmosphere. When she pulled up to the Citadel she was quick to cut the engine and walk around to open the door for him, but found herself shocked further when he rested a large hand on her head for a moment, ruffling her hair slightly as he leaned down to her level.

“You may not remember yet Amara, but darling the darkness in me won’t allow me to forget.” his golden eyes seems to glow when he looked in her eyes. “If you want to know the truth, you’ll be the one to return me to the gate.”

“Yes sir.” the response was automatic, the shock made her too stiff to move immediately, but she managed to pull herself together to follow him up the stairs to properly hand him over to the castle guards who were to escort him to the throne room high above them. Captain Drautos arched a brow as he walked over to join her, looking at her curiously.

“I see why that rumor is going around now.”

“The one about how I look like the Chancellor? Yeah, I do too now.” she cringed, looking at her feet. “To be honest, I’ve never seen the man’s face before now so I always just brushed it off as just a side effect of having red hair, but when I saw him at the gate…”

“Hey Solis, just because you look kinda alike doesn’t mean anything. For all we know you could have a common ancestor or something.” Drautos put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a slight smile when she looked up at him. “Look, you’re still on duty and he’s going to need to be escorted back to the gate so just find out what you can from him.”

“Are you saying that as my Captain or as a friend?”

“Does the answer change anything?” he chuckled, giving her a slight nod before he left her there alone to await the Chancellor’s return. It wasn’t long before he was waltzing towards her again, whistling a little tune as he played with his hat. Setting it back atop his head, Ardyn Izunia winked at his escort, a motion she took as her cue. Running on ahead to start the car and get his door open for him, she took one hesitant look at the faces of the guards who walked with him down to her, ignoring their shock and narrowed eyes to help the Niff into the car. Once she was behind the wheel again, she was shocked to feel him set his hat on her head.

“Amara, you don’t remember anything before you awoke in Insomnia, do you? How long have you been here now?”

“No I don’t, and I’ve been here since I was five so fifteen years now… what do you mean ‘awoke’?”

He chuckled, ignoring her question and opting instead to watch the sights of the city flitting by. “That’s nothing you need concern yourself with at the moment, though I must admit I’d often wondered when you would end up...”

“Excuse me?”

“Child, surely you’ve realized by now that your control over Regis’s power is so easy for you.” he narrowed his eyes at her, a smirk on his lips. “That’s not something that anyone else can say, because they were never meant to hold it to the extent that it has been given.”

“How would you know anything about this?”

She gasped and hit the brakes when his hand suddenly held a flame, thankful that the road to the West Gate was abandoned for the moment. “You-?!”

“Hold Lucian power? Yes, and to a much greater extent than you realize.” he watched her confusion melt into curiosity. “And I want you to know for one very important reason.”

“Ardyn?”

“Darling, this meeting was to discuss the future of Lucis. I came to offer terms of peace.” he extinguished the flame in his hand, and motioned to the steering wheel. Checking for any oncoming traffic, Amara started driving for the gate once more. “Lucis will have no choice but to accept our ceasefire, lest the new weapon unleashed against your fellow Glaives in this last battle come here.”

She felt her blood chill - almost as soon as she had gotten one of her comrades to tell her what had happened during their deployment had she been met by stories of the fearsome new weapon of demonic proportions. “It was a test...”

“Yes, to see if the weapon would work as well as planned.”

“So why reveal your powers to me?”

“Simple, you will need to know who to reach out for when it all comes to a head.” his smirk returned. “Once you do, the truth will be fully revealed to you.”

Amara looked at him once more from the corner of her eye, still trying to figure out why he was so familiar, and now how he had the King’s magic. With the gate in sight he flicked the edge of his hat, still on her head, but made no move to retrieve it.

“Hang on to this for me. Think of it as a keepsake,” Ardyn gave her a smile as she came to a stop, and opened his door. “You’ll hear from me again soon enough.”

Giving her a smile and wave, the man returned to the awaiting Imperial vehicle, and was gone as quickly as he had arrived.

#final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #ardyn izunia #ardyn lucis caelum #ardyn ffxv #amara solis #lost to time #gladiolus amicitia #ffxv gladio #clarus amicitia #cor leonis #KINGSGLAIVE #ffxv kingsglaive #king regis lucis caelum #king regis #regis lucis caelum #noctis lucis caelum #ffxv noctis #ffxv ignis #ignis scientia #prompto argentum #ffxv prompto #captain drautos #general glauca #ffxv #ffxv fanfiction #ffxv fic #ffxv oc

[antimundi-blog]

the crystals

In the eons that the Star has been extant, there have been a total of five Crystals that were granted throughout the long course of the world’s history. Blessed by the gods, the Crystals themselves are manifestations of cosmic energy. When the world was first created, the gods were at their most powerful. Before the Hexatheon became the primary gods that ruled the world, the Forgotten and the Hexatheon alike were responsible for the creation of the world. Needing their power, when they finished creating the world and its inhabitants, the gods realized that there was no longer any need to maintain the sheer and immaterial levels of power they boasted. Channeling their power, from the first made four thousand years ago, to the youngest that was Lucis’ Crystal, the Crystals came into being as divine fonts of power connected to the Star and the gods themselves. 

Solheim’s Crystal - The first made was Solheim’s Crystal, bequeathed to the fledgling Empire of Solheim from Ifrit and granted to his human descendants and successors that would become the dynasty of Solheim’s sultanate. Solheim’s Crystal was first made four thousand years ago and imbued with Ifrit’s power. It was also blessed in junction by the sun goddess, Eos, granting the Crystal the following elements: Fire, Solar, and Knowledge. Those connected to the Crystal of Solheim through the sultanate’s royal blood are able to wield every level of fire magic, all levels of solar-influenced magic to banish away darkness, while its knowledge is less an element than it is a passive ability that allowed users to see and commune with unseen gods and spirits normal people couldn’t without it overwhelming their human minds. However, Solheim’s Crystal was destroyed in the First Astral War and now only a shard of it remains. Its elements are the sun & fire.

Accordo’s Crystal - The next Crystal to be made was Accordo’s. A kingdom under Solheim’s control, the then-Kingdom of Accordo was the most powerful maritime power in the world. Known for its fleet of vast and beautiful ships and swaths of land that once belonged to Niflheim under its control for natural resources, its power was said only to be second to the empire’s itself and made the sultans extremely wealthy. Made from the blessings of Leviathan who was heavily worshiped by Accordians in those days, Accordo’s Crystal was gifted to the Doges & Dogeressas of Altissia whose royal blood alone could unlike its power. It granted its users dominion over controlling water, the weather, and allowed for passive abilities in divination and using water for scrying. Though it is still in existence, Accordo’s Crystal was seized by Niflheim hundreds of years ago when Accordo was assumed by Niflheim as one of its territories. Its elements are water and the weather.

Niflheim’s Crystal - Before Niflheim ever came into being, the Khanate of Neva was ruled by Khans and their Khatuns in the frigid north of the world that was Shiva’s dominion. In those days, Neva was a fiercely contended territory locked in a perpetual civil war between itself and Solheim that sought to make the Khanate its own. Answering the prayers of the Khan at the time--the first Aldercapt ancestor--the god of the region, Alexander, the God Fortress, & the Archaen granted the Khan a Crystal in order to bring the peace that they sought. This Crystal granted the users, through Aldercapt’s line, the abilities of control over earth and metals and manipulation of crystallization to use as armor and for offense. Regarded as the first betrayal against the gods, this Aldercapt forwent the promise of peace and instead used the Crystal against Alexander and killed the God Fortress, converting him into an aerial fortress located in Gralea whereat his death was. And it has been kept there ever since. Its elements are metals and earth.

Tenebrae’s Crystal - As it is rare for Crystals to bear more than one patron god, Tenebrae’s Crystal is unique that it contains not one, but three. During the First Astral War, the First Oracle was gifted with this Crystal forged from Eos’ light, Bahamut’s holy power, and Fenrir’s inhuman force of will. Granted to the first Oracle to assist the Chosen, Somnus Lucis Caelum, Gentiana Fleuret, the demigoddess daughter of Bahamut and a human woman, granted power unprecedented to her line. Tenebrae’s Crystal granted dominion over Light and Holy elements for offense and defense, healing powers, the ability to commune & summon with the gods, and gifted superhuman constitutions to those of its royal blood that included durability and the ability to harbor the Starscourge without immediately succumbing to it. While it served Gentiana well, it was seized four hundred years ago in 356 M.E. by Niflheim when they invaded Tenebrae and killed the Oracle of the time. Its elements are Holy and light.

Lucis’ Crystal - The youngest of the Crystals, Lucis’ Crystal is the first and only Crystal to have ever been forged from the heart of a goddess, this being Etro. In the aftermath of the Astral War, before Ifrit succumbed to death, he plunged into the depths of Pitioss, prison of the gods, and rescued Etro before the Starscourge borne from her consumed her entirely. As her darkness threatened to take over the Star should it have reached her heart, he built a pyre on Ravatogh and lit it so it would purify her remains. Then, using his left arm that wound up becoming scarred and tainted, he extracted her heart and found that it had crystallized when it cooled, being what remained of her heart. However, when the others eventually caught up with him, Somnus and Bahamut struck Ifrit down and slaughtered him without much of a fight. Bahamut retrieved the Crystal made from Etro’s heart, purified what he could, and gifted it to the Lucis Caelums for their service during the war. Lucis’ Crystal bears dominion over death, dreams, time, and dark magic. Warping--a means of moving through time--and use of the Armiger are forms of dark magic tempered by Bahamut, whilst vestigial abilities of Ardyn’s healing allow for enchantment by making curatives as the line of Lucis is incapable of white magic. Though Umbra & Pryna are Fenrir’s offspring, Umbra is connected to the Time element strongest while Carbuncle rules over its dominion over dreams. Its elements are death, dreams, and time. 

#headcanon // slivers & fractals #god it's only been 10 million years since i last made a headcanon 8V

[sephirotha]

House Arrest Part 3

A roleplay with @rosiesuzuya

Stella adjusted her hood in the mirror.  She tucked some stray strands of her hair back behind her ears then pulled her mask up.

She felt some sense of security when she felt it around her nose and she sighed.

It had been roughly an hour since Ardyn announced that they should go to her and Noct’s old apartment.  She had been procrastinating to avoid seeing her ancestor so soon.

Stella took a deep breath, adjusted her appearance for at least the fiftieth time and walked out.  

When she arrived at the throne room, she saw Ardyn pacing before the throne.  He sometimes paused to look up at the throne and Stella vaguely heard his voice.  Not that she could hear what he was saying.

She raised a hand to announce her presence and froze when Ardyn barked out a word, one that she didn’t recognise.  Probably Old Lucian.

Yeah.  No.

Might need to come back later.

Stella swivelled a hundred and eighty degrees and decided to take a walk around the Citadel to give the old man some space to ramble his insanities.

She hadn’t walked four steps when dark mist surrounded her before taking Ardyn’s appearance before her.  He looked annoyed.

“So eager to leave alone, Stells?” he spat.

Stella raised her hands.  “You looked busy?”

Ardyn narrowed his eyes, those golden pupils darting across her half-covered face.  Stella felt her muscles tense, preparing to bolt if necessary.  She didn’t dare relax when his scrutiny faded, and he offered a smile.

“My apologies, my dear,” he said with a dismissive wave, “this old man was caught up with memories of more…enjoyable days.” Stella swallowed at his sombre tone. He offered a hand.  “However, let us not dwell on the past.  Are you ready for our trip?”

Stella nodded as she ignored his hand and walked towards the lifts.  She pressed herself to one side as Ardyn joined her and pressed for the ground floor. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked at the numbered lights.  The back of her neck prickled as she felt his gaze on her.

“Why do you hide your face?” he asked.  “Am I not worthy to see your beauty?”

Stella shuddered slightly.  She hated how his words seemed to drip with honey.  But where there’s honey, there will be bees to sting.

“Keeps me warm,” she muttered.

“A scarf would suit you better,” her captor mused as they arrived at the ground floor.  “That mask is hideous and unwelcoming.”

Good, Stella thought to herself.

She lingered behind Ardyn as they walked out into the city.  The daemons moved out of the way for the Accursed and leered at her as she followed. Her hand twitched, ready to summon her axe if need be.

“They won’t hurt you.”  Stella glared at Ardyn as he turned his head to look at her.  “You’re mine, they know to not attack you.”

Stella snarled.  “I am not yours.”

“For the next ten years, you are.  Or have you already forgotten?”

Stella’s stomach churned as she glared to the side. His words were venom.  She’d rather go deaf than to have to hear another sugar-coated syllable fall from that wicked smirk.

Despite his ‘reassurance’, Stella nearly jumped a couple of feet when a Nagarani slithered into view.  In the span of a few seconds, memories of turning into toads flashed before Stella’s eyes, including nearly getting eaten whole by the damned snakes.

Ardyn smirked when she grew closer to him, eyeing the oversized serpent sceptically.

“Afraid of snakes, Stells?”

“None of your business.”

Ardyn laughed as the Nagarani slithered out of view, but Stella didn’t draw away from him.

Every time a daemon would step into view, particularly the large ones, Stella would quicken her pace to stick close to Ardyn. Ardyn would laugh and reassure her that she was safe.

Yeah, like she was going to trust him.

When they finally got to the apartment block, Stella stepped into the lift with Ardyn and pressed for the sixth floor. The lift was smaller than the one at the Citadel and it didn’t leave much room for Stella to press herself against one side of the lift.  Their elbows could touch, and she was sure Ardyn was deliberately brushing against her.

She practically leapt out of the lift when they arrived at the floor and sped-walked to the apartment.  She fumbled with the keys for a moment until she managed to open the door and walk in.  She went straight for her room and nearly slipped on a few playing cards when she stepped in.

After regaining her balance, she looked at the scattered cards and smiled behind her mask.  She crouched and began picking out the cards she wanted to take as keepsakes. She paused as Ardyn crouched next to her and picked one up.

“My brother and I…” he murmured as he held it to the light, “we used to place a similar game to this every night as children.”

He trailed off as he got up and walked to the bed. He sat down and looked around, a wistful smile crawling onto his face.

“This is a nice place, Stells,” he said, twirling the card around.  “I wonder… How many memories of your sweet adolescence have you had here?  Times spent with your brother, your friends…”  A mischievous gleam crossed his eyes.  “Your first love?”  He chuckled as Stella glowered at him.  “I want to hear it all, Stells.  Tell me all your memories from when you first moved here…”

“It is none of your business!” Stella snapped.

Ardyn’s smile dropped as Stella pushed herself to her feet.

“You want to target Noct where it hurts?” she spat. “Then do your own research.”

Ardyn’s eyes flared and Stella swallowed.  He turned his attention to the card in his hand and Stella walked across the room to her desk.  She looked through her drawers, trying to take her mind off the tension in the room.

When she finally plucked the courage to turn around and face him, her heart dropped.

There he was, lounging on her bed…

With one of her diaries.

Judging from the cover, it was the one she had when she was fifteen.

Stella’s cheeks went red under her mask.

“OI!”

Ardyn dodged her as she lunged for him.  He laughed as he retreated to the door and she faceplanted into her pillows.  She shook her head, propping herself up and glaring at him.

“Don’t read that!” she barked.

“But, Stells,” Ardyn sighed as he continued reading, “you told me to do my own research.  So, I am.”

“It’s private!  Give that back!”

Ardyn disappeared after she jumped off her bed and tried to grab him.

“First of December,” his voice echoed in the apartment, “Got up at half past five.  Ignis was already here with my favourite breakfast.”

Stella ran out of her room, expecting to find Ardyn. Except he wasn’t around.

“Aw, Stells,” Ardyn cooed.  “Chocolate crêpes?  I daresay, that is an adorable image.”

“Ardyn, give it back!” Stella demanded.

“Ah, ah, ah.  You didn’t say the magic word!”

“Please!”

There was a disappointed sigh.

“Oh, Stells.  You need to learn to say it nicely.”

“Motherfucker,” Stella cursed under her breath.

“I had to have singing lessons from seven to half nine, which meant a late start to school.  But I only spent two hours before I had to leave again to rehearse for the new winter holiday production.  I have so much to catch up on.”

It was her words from his lips and Stella loathed it.

“Stop reading it out loud!” she shrieked as she stormed out of the apartment.  “Show yourself!”

Ardyn wasn’t out in the corridor either.  She bounced on the balls of her feet, clenching her fists.

“So…” Ardyn spoke and Stella flinched when he sounded…dark.  “The King’s hand, hm?  These childish feelings of yours have their roots deep in your teenage years, it seems.”

Stella’s heart dropped.

“Those feelings are private…” she whimpered.

“I wonder, Stella…  Would you ever sing for my sore heart?  Or maybe, you only reserve that sweet voice of yours for Ignis?”

Stella detected an innuendo in that last sentence and it made her sick.  She swallowed down the bile that was building up at the back of her throat.

“My last performance was the night before I left Insomnia,” she snarled, “and it shall remain that way.”

Enough is enough.  She is leaving Insomnia now.

Before Ardyn could read out another page, Stella turned and ran down the stairs, leaping down half of them at a time sometimes.

She burst out of the apartment block and turned to head towards Insomnia’s gates.  She ran three steps before a Red Giant appeared and blocked her path.  She skidded on the pavement and turned around to run the opposite direction.

It was like the whole daemon population knew where she wanted to go, and they were preventing her from going anywhere near the gates.  Every turn she intended was blocked off by a large daemon, prompting her to turn back and find another way.

Panic gripped her mind as she began to run almost blindly.  Every corner was greeted by a grotesque face and a set of sharp teeth.

Stella’s legs felt weak as she jogged up a set of steps, wanting to find somewhere to catch her breath.

Only, she lost it when Ardyn awaited her at the top of the stairs, eyes showing his anger.  Her legs trembled as he approached her.

“Your last performance…” he growled, “was at this very spot.”

He raised his hands and Stella felt paralysed.

“Your last performance…was for my traitorous brother!”

He ripped her mask off and Stella let out a small scream of terror.

The princess felt her heart race as she looked up at the statue next to them.

Ah, she had been cornered to the Mystic’s Statue.

“You sung the very song…” Ardyn snarled as black ooze dripped from his eyes, “that was sung at my execution.  For him.”

Stella choked as his hands flew to her neck and began squeezing.  She gripped his wrists as he loomed over her.

“Oh, it was a glorious day, my dear!  How people cheered for the end of that monstrosity! The very one they used to worship! The very monster they once called their saviour!”

He laughed sardonically, his nails digging into her skin.

“Oh, how they cried when they realised that not even death could vanquish me!  How they fled whilst the Mystic…my own flesh and blood, locked me away to be forgotten…”

Stella’s feet flailed as she was lifted off the floor. Her hands gripped Ardyn’s wrists as he put pressure on her neck.  His face, tainted with the Starscourge, laughed at her.

“Look at me, Stella!” the Accursed demanded. “Look at what you celebrate every year.”

Stella gasped for air as those hands crushed her windpipe tighter.

“A failed attempt of murder…”

Tears pricked Stella’s eyes as she glanced up at the statue of the Mystic.

She was going to die.  He was going to murder her.  Like how he murdered Luna that day…

Stella felt the edges of her vision darken and her struggles grew weaker.

Then she was dropped.  She fell to her knees, then to her side, coughing and holding her neck.

“A country built on blood and lies…”

Stella looked up to see Ardyn looking up at the Mystic’s statue.

“And yet…they still love you.”

Stella tried to shuffle away but he noticed.  He crouched before her and grabbed her hand. He placed a potion in it and squeezed her fingers around it.

“I lost my temper…” he muttered.  “Please, use this and excuse me.  I expect you to be back at the Citadel by midnight.”

He got up and walked around her, his coat brushing against her.

“If you leave, I will know.”

Stella flinched at his dark tone.  She listened to his footsteps down the steps and looked at the potion.  Despite her throat burning, she threw it aside.

She shakily pushed herself to her feet and looked up at the Mystic.  It looked down at her as she bowed to it.

She hobbled down the steps, gripping the iron railing for balance.  She paused as she heard a sinister hiss and looked up to come face to face with an angry looking Nagarani.

Well.

This just isn’t her day.

#fanfiction #final fantasy xv #ardyn izunia #ardyn x oc #roleplay #nagarani #red giant #somnus lucis caelum #insomnia #citadel #part 3 #house arrest #ignis scientia #ignis x oc

[sirladysketch]

This is a story that was supposed to be a oneshot, but I really need fluff in my writing life right now (HTLGI is hitting a dark patch) and I couldn’t stop cackling over the idea of this, so now it’s a 5 chapter, just-for-funsies fic. Hope you guys enjoy!

Ardyn was dead.

(....Probably)

They'd used the power of the Crystal to stop him, anyway, and although his dying words were a threat that he would return, the sky cleared, the sun came out, and Noct descended the steps from the throne to kneel beside his friends as they revived from the sleep spell.

The next few hours passed in a somewhat of a blur; he'd been injured during the fight with Ifrit, and going against Ardyn hadn’t done the burns any favors, so Ignis demanded that he rest while they secured the perimeter. He sat on the crumbling steps, sipping from an elixir under Ignis’ worried gaze as Gladio checked the immediate area. Prompto radioed into Hammerhead to share the good news and to request immediate backup, chatting with Talcott for a few minutes before signing off to preserve the battery. Hunters were en route, and the remaining Glaives (such as they were), were getting called back, but it would take a couple of days for them to muster to the citadel, during which time they were on their own.

By unspoken and unanimous agreement, they retreated from the broken throne room to seek out areas that had been less affected by darkness’ taint, and at length they found themselves upstairs in the royal suite. There was no indication of Ardyn even approaching this part of the keep, the hallways covered in a thin film of dust that stirred into little eddies as they passed.

Noct stopped in front of the doors that lead to the private domain that had once been his father's,  and took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay beyond. A comforting hand fell on his shoulder-- he wasn’t sure whose it was, but he knew that the three of them stood at his back, and he smiled, standing a little taller. He patted the hand and then stepped forward, grasping the double doors and pulling them open.

All at once, the last memory of his father in this room came to him-- Regis telling him of Ardyn’s decree for marriage, what the King had hoped the peace agreement would mean for the kingdom, why he felt that Noct and his friends leave the city, rather than stay and marry after the treaty had been signed. Noct had wondered if the King had known something, but he’d never be able to ask now.

Now it was empty. It smelled of stale air and dust, and only cracks of sunlight managed to filter in through the curtains at the window. He walked over and pulled them open, spilling light into the room and temporarily blinding all of them. He turned and tried to take it all in, letting his eyes adjust. For better or worse, this was his now. His responsibility to pick up, his duty to carry on so that the kingdom could rebuild.

And it occurred to him in that moment, standing in his father's sitting room, that he had no plans for what to do next.

They'd been planning up to the confrontation with Ardyn, all of their efforts focused on getting to the city and ending the darkness. He hadn't planned to walk out of that alive, hadn't thought he'd need to plan beyond summoning the power of his ancestors to destroy Ardyn.

He had no contingency plan in place for the event of his survival.

Crap.

He turned to his friends, wondering if they’d come to the same conclusion.

“So… what now?” he asked, glad to see that they, too, were sort of standing in place, unsure of where to stand or what to say. Gladio waited half-in, half-out of the doorway, as though he hadn’t decided whether it would be better to stand guard in the hallway to watch for attacks or to stay by Noct’s side to keep him safe. Prompto decided to take that moment to snap a photograph, once again temporarily blinding Noct, but he didn’t have the heart to chastise him, overwhelmed by the fact that they  could still make memories after all of this.

As it was, Ignis was the first to come back to himself, quickly assessing the situation and coming up with a plan.

“Now, we take inventory, then we clean,” he said, running a finger along a dusty surface and ‘tsking’ as it came away with a white smudge. “And I’ll see about getting something prepared for supper, shall I?”

Fortunately, Regis had left them a gift to that end. They worked on each room together, dusting and taking stock of the items his father (or more likely, his father’s Glaives) had hidden in nooks and crannies. As they went through the bedroom, Ignis let out an excited “That’s it!” and pulled out a collection of what had to be Regis’ personal bar, still intact and ready to drink.

The first toast went to Regis, the next to the brave men and women who sacrificed so much to get them to this point. The following toast was to friends and loved ones, and the rest of the next two bottles went to reminiscing about everything and nothing in particular. They did not speak of the future; tonight was about remembering what had been. The future could be dealt with another day.

Of course, the gods always have other ideas.

Noct shuffled out of the bedroom sometime mid morning the next day, bleary-eyed and still slightly hungover. He'd beaten the others out of bed, something he'd tease them about to no end once they surfaced, but given the celebrations of the previous evening, that was hardly a surprise. Somewhere along the line he'd lost his jacket and pants, but given the fact that it would be days before the hunters arrived and the guys had seen him in far less, he didn't really worry about it that much.

He was moving on autopilot through the rooms, taking the quiet of the morning to remember his father and the happier times they'd shared. He drew back the curtains in each room he entered, flooding the apartment with light and feeling better, more confident about what was to come. He could see the city--  his  city--  below, and while there were significant signs of damage, it looked like some districts had come through more intact than he’d initially feared. They'd have to investigate as soon as the teams reported in, of course, and they’d need to confirm that the daemons were completely gone, but they might be able to start moving people back into the city within a week or so, and then the real work would begin.

He turned from the window, lost in thought, and paused, staring into the room. The wheels in his mind were… well, if not turning at quite their normal speeds, they were definitely in motion. All the same, it took him a moment to figure out why he was suddenly on edge, and what had changed in the room since he'd entered.

“Holy fuck!” he yelped, stumbling backwards and falling on his ass. He heard the distinct crack of glass, but he didn’t  feel anything, so he’d leave that on his ‘investigate later’ list, focusing instead on the intruder in the room. He grappled with the edge of a chair to pull himself back  up to his feet, swaying a little and blinking away the spots and wave of nausea that threatened to overcome him.

Gentiana watched him collect himself off the ground with a cool, somewhat distasteful look.

“Are you well?” she asked, taking his bumbling lurches in stride and watching him attempt to look presentable. He tugged at the bottom of his shirt, very much aware of his missing pants, and reached forward to pull a blanket off one of the chairs in the room, wrapping it around his waist.

“Ah--Sorry, I mean, um, Gentiana, we were celebrating, and, ah, hm, we weren't expecting you, what, ah, brings you here?”

“What were you celebrating?” She asked, and there was a definite chill to her voice, although she didn’t  appear to be angry. He wished he still had that elixir from the day before to deal with the headache he could feel forming at the back of his tongue, something to give him an edge and sharpen his thoughts enough to hold--and remember-- a conversation with a goddess.

“We beat Ardyn,” he said, blinking at her. “The sun is out. We’re all alive. Take your pick.”

“Hmm,” she replied, as though she’d  forgotten  the fight he’d faced… gods, was it only yesterday? Oh, shit. He’d beaten up her boyfriend, was that why she seemed off? Granted, she’d  helped him beat up Ifrit, but he couldn’t help but wonder what had brought her back so quickly-- if she’d even left in the first place.

“...Do I need to be sober for this?” he asked, wondering if it would be rude to rifle through the Armiger to pull out another elixir. Or to head back to his dad’s illicit stash of booze. “Or is this a case where I should drink  more  to deal with whatever you have to say to me?”

This did earn him a slight smile at last, although it was brief. “I come to speak of you about grave matters,” she replied, and her eyes flicked to the other room where the guys were still sleeping off the various bottles of his dad’s private collection. “However, I imagine you will feel more inclined to the latter state of mind.”

“....Lemme get Specs,” Noct mumbled, then headed into the bedroom, shuffling over bodies and squinting at the shapes in the gloom, trying to figure out which one was which. He could’ve bent down to get a closer look, but in the end he figured that 1, they’d all probably want to hear what the goddess had to say, and 2, if he knelt down he might not be able to get up.

“Rise and shine, people! We’ve got company. Prompto, gimme my pants back.”

A few minutes later, the four were all more or less dressed and awake, sitting on one of the long couches in the parlor while Gentiana sat perched on one of the large reclining chairs. Ignis had tried to make it less awkward by offering her a drink, but she’d politely declined, and anyway there didn’t seem to be any tea or coffee left in the apartment’s kitchenette, at least nothing that could be considered safe enough to use.

Noct cleared his throat, praying that he was sober enough to deal with whatever pile of shit (and let’s face it, dealing with the gods had never been anything but a shitty experience) Gentiana was about to give him.

“So, why’re you here?” he asked again, trying to sound polite and courteous and not like he could taste the sunlight through the dull ache of an oncoming migraine. “Ardyn is gone, and I have a kingdom to get back together. Are you here to offer me advice?”

“Hardly,” Gentiana said, voice crisp. She brushed off imaginary dust from her long skirts, giving a little sniff as she continued. “Ardyn has been temporarily dealt with, as Bahamut told you from the start. Because you failed to destroy him, he will rise again, years from now, to attempt to take over the world once again.”

Her eyes narrowed, and Noct felt the guys around him stiffen, not quite ready to draw weapons, but they were all starting to realize that it might not be best to deal with an angry ice goddess when you were three and a half sheets to the wind. Noct regretted not getting a drink-- elixir or alcohol, either would’ve been a nice distraction and excuse to look away.

“You failed in your primary task as The True King, and therefore, I have come to provide you with a new one,” she said, sitting primly on the edge of her chair. “You must produce an heir.”

Noct blinked at her, wondering if he’d heard that right. “I… what?”

“You were chosen to save the world from darkness once and for all. You failed to do so--”

“Yeah, I got that part, sorry I lived. What’s the bit about the heir?” he cut in, but she ignored him, talking over his interruption.

“--so you must continue the Lucis line so that another King of Light will rise to do what you were unable to do. This is your obligation as king,” she said. She clasped her hands in her lap and smiled, looking as though she’d just made an innocuous comment about the weather. Noct spluttered, trying to pull thoughts out of the fuzzy wool that clouded his brain.

“Luna’s dead!” he protested. Gentiana had the decency to look sad about that, but her tone was matter of fact.

“Her brother has already begun making valiant efforts in continuing the line of the Oracle,” Gentiana replied, apparently unconcerned that Ravus might take offense at the goddess telling everyone of his unprotected sexual escapades. “It is now time that the King-- the sole wielder of the Ring-- do the same.”

Noct gaped at her, then looked to his friends, who shared mixed expressions of amusement and horror-- no doubt both at his expense. Noct ran fingers through his hair, trying to sort out what she’d said by repeating it aloud. “You just want me to… find some woman and…? How can you even…? Isn’t there something  else  we can do to stop Ardyn from coming back?”

“The line of Lucis is the only one able to wield the Ring,” she repeated, speaking slowly this time to ensure that he completely understood what she was saying. “Therefore it is your responsibility to ensure that that ability is passed on to the future King-- or Queen-- who will destroy Ardyn completely.”

“You don’t make people just to sacrifice them,” said Noct, voice soft. He looked over at Prompto, who caught his meaning and flushed, one hand going up to cover his tattoo. Noct turned back to Gentiana. “You can’t ask me to do that, it isn’t right.”

“Do you object because you are angry that I say that you failed your primary purpose in life? Or are you angry that I suggest that you rectify the mistake?” she asked, apparently not willing to put up with his refusal. Then she looked at his companions for the first time and tilted her head, puzzled frown on her face. “Or is it because you prefer to lay with men and therefore do not believe you are capable of continuing the line?”

“I-- that’s--- that’s none of-- Augh! It’s just not right, alright!” sputtered Noct, face burning. He very carefully did not look at his friends as he spoke, clearing his throat and forcing himself to take slow, even breaths. He was the King. The very epitome of calm and collected. He was  not  a rogue tomato in fancy dress, no matter how hot his cheeks felt.

“You lost your ability to contest this when you failed in your duty as King,” she repeated, standing and giving them all a level look. “I am telling you that it must be rectified, and soon. How you choose to do so is your own prerogative. Get it done, or we will be forced to take actions.”

And with that she was gone, leaving the four of them standing in the parlor, still hungover but not quite sober enough to believe what they’d heard, and definitely not drunk enough to put up with it. Noct fell back onto the couch and dropped his head into his hands, massaging his temples.

Ignis was the first to speak, clearing his throat as a way to break the tension. “...Well, it seems that we have a bit of a dilemma,” he said, not daring to look Noct in the eye.

“You think?” Gladio asked, then laughed, slapping Noct on the shoulder. “We’ve dealt with worse shit than this, your highness. Plenty of ladies out there who’ll line up for a chance to jump in bed with you.” Noct paled and swayed under Gladio’s hand. “‘’Course, Iris might have something to say about that,” he mused, knowing his little sister would probably cut a bitch to be first in line.

“I don’t… want to do that,” Noct said, gritting his teeth and sinking down to lean against the arm of the sofa.

“Well, for what it’s worth, Gentiana raised a good question,” Ignis said, thinking out loud. “One that we must address before we can determine the best course of action. Why  do  you object to producing an heir, is it any of the reasons she mentioned?”

“Ugh… all of the above?” Noct replied, then groaned into his hands. “I can’t do this right now, we have survivors to help, relief efforts to organize, a city to clean up and rebuild-- I don’t have time to worry about wooing someone for the express purpose of getting laid and knocking up some woman so the gods will get off my ass!”

They had the decency not to laugh at that, but Noct could tell that they were just imagining it, a line of women through the streets of Insomnia, signing up to do their duty for Crown and Country. For the first time in 24 hours, he was having serious second thoughts about  not  answering the Ring’s bloodthirsty call.

A quiet voice spoke up amidst their bemused ponderings, soft and hesitant, but clear enough that they all broke from their private thoughts.

“I can’t believe I’m actually suggesting this, but some of Verstael’s equipment might be functional if you want to… skip the dating process.” The three of them turned as one to look at Prompto, who blinked at the sudden, intense attention he’d garnered. He took a step back, holding up his hands. “What? I’m not saying it’s a  good  solution, but if you really don’t think you’re, um,  up for the challenge …. Aranea might know some scientists who survived and could help you out.”

“Or you could get it on with Aranea, she’s pretty hot,” Gladio suggested. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, as though imagining the scene. “And she’d probably be up for keeping the armor on, so you could pretend she was someone else if she’s not your type.”

“There is also rank to consider,” said Ignis, apparently thinking through the possibilities and actually  considering this what the hell. “A king is usually required to marry into nobility, which is why Lady Lunafreya was such a good match. There may not be many candidates remaining, however, so that may be a moot point. Iris might actually be our best candidate to put forward-- she has an established relationship and affection for Noct, and the Amitica family line has certainly proven its fortitude these many long years.”

“Are you seriously pimping out my sister?” asked Gladio, crossing his arms and frowning in thought. “...I mean, you have a point, but  still. That’s my little sister you’re talking about.”

“Your little sister took out three behemoths in as many months,” argued Ignis, warming up to the idea. “She could certainly keep Noct in check.”

“Guyssssss you’re forgetting the fact that Noct doesn’t  want to knock up anybody!” protested Prompto, earning a grateful look from the King. Then he lost it when he continued, “...although knowing the Empire, they probably have everything you’d need for a Luna clone. Would that be weird? I feel like that would be weird.”

“I’m telling you, we pay Aranea to pop out a brat and it’s done-- no need to break any hearts over it, it’s strictly a business deal,” said Gladio, mind already made up.

Ignis pushed his glasses further up his nose, squaring off against the larger man. “And as much as you may not  wish  to hear it, I still believe your sister is our best option, and Iris would agree with me.”

“Or we could, you know,  not  worry about producing an heir right now and focus on stuff like getting farms up and running again, or, I don't know, helping survivors rebuild parts of the city so they can come home,” suggested Noct, but the three people he considered as his only surviving family just looked at him, shaking their heads.

“Dude, did you  see  what Shiva did to Ifrit? He's her boyfriend and she STILL turned him into a popsicle. No way am I letting her get pissed off at you, buddy,” Prompto said, shivering at the memory.

“It’s not the end of the world, kid. I’ll talk you through it, and we can get you  really  drunk if you’re that worried about it,” Gladio promised.

Ignis patted Noct’s shoulder. “It will all work out for the best,” he said, giving Noct a sympathetic smile. “It shan’t be that terrible a fate.”

Noct stood and walked into the bedroom, leaving the three of them to contemplate their newest quest, Operation: Get Noct Up. He’d been right; he was definitely  not  drunk enough to deal with this shit.

#my fics #ffxv fanfiction #post-Ignis ending #crack fics #Noct #For Crown and Country #my fanfics #WIPS #Final Fantasy XV #FF 15

[ardynium]

New thingie for Dad!Cor, Uncle Ardyn and the sunshine boy, still for the #kinkmeme. This one is long. And comes in parts. And has a title. Rest of the stories is collected here on AO3, for your reading pleasure.

Family Reunion 1

When Prompto's phone buzzed the tenth time in a row, he decided that it was probably important enough to step out of the movie he was watching. All messages from Noct. [prom] [PROM] [prompto are you home?] [is your UNCLE home???] [its finally happened] [my dad has TIME] [you know what that means right??] [of6 hes on his way now] [tell me your uncle isnt home] [fuck this ill call you] Visitors? Today was not a day for visitors. Nobody had told him there would be visitors today, and today was a bad day anyway, and he was in his pajamas only because Cor had promised him something nice when he put them on. Ardyn opened the door nonetheless. Stared. Stared at polished shoes. Pinstripes. A legbrace. More pinstripes. A beard and a friendly face. "Oh no. Not you." He closed the door. Breathed hard. Opened again, just to make sure he was really there.

Regis Lucis Caelum, current ruler of this city and country, was indeed there, and blinking in mild confusion at the scene unfolding before him. Checked with a side-glance if this was the right place. The sign on the door did say Leonis - it was. "Good afternoon," he said. "This is probably not the right place." The red-haired mess stared at him with an utter lack of respect. "Well, this is probably the right place, but this is... Tea?" This had to be the 'other relative' Cor had mentioned a few times - the one he did not talk about unless necessary. He was starting to get a vague idea why, and as he looked at him, a vague memory scratched at the back of his head. Hadn't he himself...? Oh well. He would simply have come back another time, but it had taken him literal years to carve this afternoon out of his schedule. He smiled. "Yes, please."

It had been hard enough to convince Clarus that he would be good up here on his own, that it would be really enough to place some of his men outside, and in the end, his shield had agreed to keep things as discreet as possible, for Noct's sake.

"You may sit there." He pointed at a rather comfy looking chair. "And you are here because of your son. Want to see how his friend's home looks like. Reasonable, very reasonable." He busied himself in the kitchen, fixing tea. Staring at the cake. It was his cake, but it had too many nuts, and while he wasn't opposed to nuts, everything had to be in regulation. "That is indeed why I'm here, yes. Thank you." Regis sat in the designated chair and looked around. It was a decent place, and it looked lived in, in a reassuring dents in the couch cushions, pictures on the walls kind of way. A surprise - not really what he had expected Cor's place to look like - but a pleasant surprise.

"You, of course, are acutely aware he is not feeling well." Ardyn had decided to share this cake, so he brought some slices to the table, together with the tea.

A frown. "I was hoping he'd fare a little better while he is here, at least." "Oh, he does. Does not even notice himself, and neither does the fledgling but I..." He dipped some of the cake into his mug, "...I see the shadows of his ancestors quite clearly." Regis' hand stopped on the way to the tea cup, just for a moment. He resumed to pick it up, then took a closer look at his host. There was something about that face that seemed familiar, quite literally so. Couldn't be, though. "Who are you?" "If you don't know that, I might as well be... John. John is a nice name, don't you think?" Ardyn beamed at the king. Close up, he seemed to be a rather nice person. Worth of cake. "It is, and this is some really good tea." He smiled. "I'm sorry, I'm sure my son mentioned your name at some point, but I seem to have forgotten." "Oh, I'm rather sure he did not. Calls me uncle, like the fledgling does. But what's a name for a boy his age? Nothing more then a name. No stories, and no memories. How pleasant that must be." Moods flew through him today like clouds over the sky on a windy day. "To be carefree is the privilege of the young and the foolish. Best we can do is let them enjoy it while it lasts." A shadow over the king's smile, just for a moment. “This may be true for most, but not for all, and not for one that bears the world's fate upon his slender shoulders.“ A part of his cake had fallen into Ardyn's tea, so he looked rather sad. The shadow grew darker, and the smiled started to fade. "That's not exactly common knowledge." “Oh yes, I know. Would you like cream with that? I would like some cream.“ Ardyn beamed. He liked having the Lucis Caelum some well deserved bad mood. Regis took a deep breath. Tea, and cake, and a potentially dangerous secret. "Certainly, if you don't mind," he said. "Then how do you know?" Again, it was the face that made him ask. "What is your part in this?" Ardyn wandered into the kitchen to get some cream in a spraycan, for the easy fix. “Take a wild guess, Regis.“ Pushing denial out of the way was hard work for most people on their best days, but the boulder Regis had to move was large, and heavy, and not exactly shaped to roll easily. Ardyn could watch the whole process play out on his face. He sprayed a smiley face on the slices of cake and watched him in delight. Another deep breath, and a little more tea, staring at the face on his cake. Regis finally cleared his throat. "You look taller in the murals."

“And I gained a few pounds since then, but then you always look like a better version of yourself in official portraits. Would you like a drink? I am quite sure Cor won't mind.“ If there had ever been a moment where a drink had been more appropriate, Regis couldn't remember it. He nodded. Ardyn brought him a glass with ice and, after a moment of hesitation, the whole bottle of gin. “Cor drinks this on really bad days, and I suppose this counts as one for you? Oh well, I do not blame anyone who is not keen on family visitations.“ "... not as bad as it could be." Still, he poured, and he drank.

The prophecy certainly didn't say anything about a man in a bathrobe who  looked as tired as Regis felt, or about the young Chosen King hanging out with his 'nephew'. Something wasn't  going quite as it was written, and maybe there was a chance in that. There was a number of issues that could be addressed here, a whole lot of questions asked. He summed them up in one. "So," Regis said, "where do we go from here?" “We could play something. Chess maybe, or Scrabble. Or we could talk about if it wouldn't be a grand old idea to lock me up somewhere where I can hurt neither you nor your boy.“ Coming from a man in pajamas with bunnies on them, even if they were quite obviously tailored, the latter sounded rather strange. "I thought about it for a moment, but somehow I get the feeling that locking you up would be a pointless exercise." The king picked up the plate with his slice of cake, and calmly cut a piece off with his fork. "And then there is the curious fact that you had plenty of time and opportunity to hurt Noctis, and yet never harmed a hair on his head." “Even though he might need a haircut, but who am I to talk.“ Ardyn stuck with tea and cake, and he smiled shyly. “Your boy has done nothing to deserve being part of horrible game they decided to play, and I... I'm so very tired of it.“ "I can only begin to imagine." This was difficult. Not hard as such, if it meant possibly saving his son, but difficult. As his ancestors before him, his whole life had been informed by his duty, and his duty was bound to devotion, to the Crystal, to Bahamut, to the Gods. If he remained faithful, if his family literally gave their life to the cause, the kingdom would be safe. Only that wasn't true anymore

It seemed that after more than two millennia, the bargain was finally off. It had only been meant to be upheld until the appearance of the Chosen King. That he was going to die early was a matter of fact he had come to terms with, but it became clearer year by year that in the end, the sacrifice would be for naught - no Wall would keep Niflheim at bay. Neither his kingdom nor his child were safe. This was difficult, and uncomfortable, but then again, the last ten years had been nothing but a chain of difficult and uncomfortable decisions. "What keeps us from laying down the cards and leaving the table?" “That your boy will have to kill me in the end, because he might be the only way out for me.“ Ardyn seemed to shrink with these words. “And that I fear his sickness is part of the Prophecy, and that they might try to end him if he does not play along.“ Blackness welled up in his eyes, and he wiped his nose with his sleeve. “I'm not ready to die yet. Have hardly lived.“ Regis frowned. "I think we can agree that even if we play by the rules, all of this is meant to happen once Noctis is king, and I plan on delaying that for as long I can. Time we can use to find a way around all of this."

“How I wish you to be right, child, and wise. There is one thing I have to ask of you, though.“ "Which is?" “Do not blame your Heart. I do not know if he knows by now or if he just prefers not to think about it, but he took me in out of sheer kindness, and he was the first to show such kindness in ages. He bears with me, and I am grateful for it. Not as my Shield, but as my friend, and those are hard to come by.“ The golden eyes were very focused now, shining like coins in the afternoon sun. "I won't."

The king smiled. "One of the few things I can promise, these days." Ardyn nodded slowly. "I do not envy you, child. Too well do I know your burden." Being called "child" was more than just a little odd, even if it made sense here. He was just about to reply when there was the staccato sound of a key being too hastily fumbled into a lock, and the door opened. "I'm home! Uncle Ardyn?" There was a slightly panicked edge to the voice that the boy wasn't good at disguising. "Ah, fledgling. Fancy meeting you here. Would you mind a round of Rummy with two old men? It is rather boring if only we play." Prom knew that air of seriousness that hung over them only too well from grown-up-talks, but there was at least no bloodshed, only cake. Nobody was in chains or threatening anyone with anything sharp or black, either. A short glance out of the window - no flying garulas. Noct owed him lunch.

"Sure," he said with a relieved smile. "I'll... just take my stuff back to my room first." "Do that. And hang the laundry while you're at it, will you?" They waited patiently until they heard the door to the boy's room. "You wanted to say something, child." "Only that the chance to turn the tide, as small as it may be, lifts that burden a little. Now, just to clarify," Regis said, "I would be correct in saying that everyone involved in this - everyone who is not a God - simply wants to live a normal, dignified life with a somewhat respectable mortal life span?" "I think this is what I want, indeed," his ancestor answered after short silence. "I'd be willing to help, even. Might have to." "I agree. Any plan with any chance of success would hinge on your cooperation, at the very least." The king thought for a moment, his eyebrows slowly knitting together in a frown. "And on Noctis being aware of it." "And him being willing. I thought about forcing him, but... there is cake, and puppies, and the fledgling, and..." Ardyn's voice broke. "I am glad that you found a place to call home." Nothing good could have come of leaving him to his own devices. Neither for the man himself, nor for Noct, or Lucis, or the world at large. "I am very aware that this is what keeps me here, child, and I try my hardest to let it." Some of Cor's gin ended up in his empty mug. His hands shivered. "The young oracle. You may not allow she follows my path." "How so?" Ardyn emptied his cup. Put it on the table. Started pouring tea. "This is her taking the pain of strangers, like I used to do. Taking their darkness." He kept on pouring. "Things are good for quite a while. She'll bear it. Get used to it. Won't hurt that much anymore. You can keep smiling." And he kept pouring. The mug spilled over, dark tea running over the table, dripping down on the carpet. "This is me." "I see," Regis said. After a moment of thought, he added, "On the long run we will need her support, too. I don't think she would knowingly work against a plan that leads to less bloodshed. Then again, I haven't seen the girl since she was twelve. It does defy divine will, and she is the oracle." “Doing what she does isn't exactly the best for your sanity.“ Ardyn's grin had more than a tinge of desperation, and he only now noticed that his little demonstration might leave stains on the carpet, so he went to get towels. "So we have not only Noctis and you to save, but Lunafreya as well." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And there is a deadline, so to speak - we need to act before the girl loses it and sets events into motion that we cannot stop." Like waking the Gods. That would be a problem. "She might be reasoned with, if she is alone. You know how to play Rummy, don't you?" A slight nod into the direction the boy had disappeared in, and a door opening. Regis nodded. "I do." "I can take a little longer with the laundry," Prompto said, with an awkward smile and both eyebrows raised, pointing a thumb over his shoulder back out of the room. "If that helps."

"Will you stay for dinner, Regis? That would be nice. It has been a while since we had a guest." "With pleasure. I haven't really had the chance yet to see the rest of the family, have I?" “Then I shall make a dinner fit for a king. Fledgling? Grab a pen and join us for a while, I have a list to make!“ Prompto rolled his eyes - he was sixteen, it happened automatically - and turned to grab that pen and paper. “So. I will need...“ He dictated a whole lot of things, and after he was half through his order, Prom knew what it would be: homemade ramen. In uncle's world, serving someone a bowl of that stuff was close to a confession of love. His Majesty must have done something really right. So that had gone a lot better than expected, and he was getting ramen night out of it, too. Sweet. The only question that remained was how dinner would go once his dad came back home. He should probably give him a warning that yes, Ardyn was home. Prompto simply assumed that Cor knew where the king was. So the minute he went out to get the ingredients, he wrote a text, [guest f dinner, all ok, uncle makes ramen] That should about cover it. "Do you have preferences for dessert, Regis?" Prom's phone vibrated. [Surprising.]

[a freakin miracle. need anything from the store?]

"I think you can never go wrong with ice cream." [May need a drink.]

"Oh, I do think you can go quite wrong with ice, but never with chocolate. So, fledgling, you'll bring...," and his list continued. The evening would end in a coma, but one that was caused by food. [gin's open] Another text before Prompto went back to taking notes, this one to Noct: [ur dad stays f dinner, u owe me lunch.] [Shit. Have an eye on him. I'm coming.]

The last time uncle Ardyn had been seriously drunk had been years ago. Prompto had been at a sleepover, and Ardyn had been worried . Dad never told him exactly what happened, but there had been blood and tears, and Dad had been to hospital. With a few drinks and a good mood, uncle was simply excellent company. [will do]

"Okay, right, I think I'm gonna need a truck for that." "Why don't you get your friend? Should be enough for one more." It easily would be, and maybe for breakfast. "Really?" Excitement or annoyance? There was no way to tell. He looked down at his phone again pretty much immediately.

[u just got invited. (help. ><)] [am i beesee? Oo]

“Why not? The whole family gathered. That would be nice, wouldn't it?“ The look that Ardyn threw him gave Regis the very distinct feeling that his ancestor was just screwing with the teenager and enjoying himself immensely. [no ur not ffs] [it's my uncle + ur dad] [my dad? here soon] [get me out or haul ur ass over here] Regis had a hard time hiding his grin. The beard helped a little. [are we getting ENGAGED?!] “Do you think you can be back in half an hour, fledling? Then I'll start with the dough now.“ ( "Yeah, sure." [凸(｀△´＋）] “You want to help, Regis? You can sieve the flour. That is a pretty important part.“ Even Prompto noticed this uncle was talking to the King like he was a kid. And that the King was, very patiently, letting him - at least in these four walls. Still, he needed to get out of here now. Prompto grabbed his backpack and fled.

#dad!cor #papa!cor #kinkmeme #ardyn izunia #regis lucis caelum #noctis lucis caelum #noctis #threes company #cor leonis

[rexmajestatis]

@consiliarium / @verumxphantasia

It is Ardyn who tells him of his eventual fate, when he decides Noctis is not taking Ardyn’s efforts to guide him away from Bahamut quite seriously enough.

He gets no response, and he leaves in exasperation shortly after.

Two days later, Noctis is gone. Bolted in the night, leaving his friends to frantically search for him.

Ardyn’s methods are slightly more effective.

He finds Noctis in the tomb of one of his ancestors, staring silently down at the casket, hands skating carefully along the edges of it without touching the weapon.

“How courageous.” Ardyn’s voice seems to echo at first, and then he appears, and for just a split second his eyes are glowing disks of amber in sunken black pits and his teeth are too sharp and he’s seeping black sickness from his mouth and nose and eyes. His features are twisted with outrage and his voice is a low, grating snarl.

An instant later, he is simply Ardyn again, looking mildly displeased and sounding merely irritated as he carries on. “Running away when things aren’t going your way. A grand king indeed shall you be.”

Noctis stares at him placidly, expression blank, and Ardyn almost seems to falter for half a moment when he doesn’t get the reaction he’s looking for. Almost, but not quite.

“Nothing to say for yourself?”

“Even if I was actually supposed to be king, we both know I wouldn’t have been grand,” Noctis reasons levelly. “It’s not really a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ sort of job, but that’s pretty much what I would be doing.” His eyes narrow and his nostrils flare. “But you already know that, don’t you? You haven’t told me anything, either.”

The tomb seems to grow colder then, as Ardyn’s anger coils like a viper.

This boy belongs to him. Ardyn has saved him. Spared him. Gifted him. His leash may as well be infinite for how far Ardyn allows it to stretch.

And this is his thanks?

He hasn’t the right. This boy is a toy. A favored one, but a tool nonetheless. And he has forgotten his place.

Ardyn towers over him, and even as Ardyn bends, Noctis still needs to stand on his toes as the Alterplexian hauls him upwards by his jacket to crush their mouths together. Noctis’s mouth remains slack beneath the god’s, and Ardyn withdraws in disgust only a moment later.

“I expected more of you,” Ardyn remarks, his tone carefully detached.

Noctis flinches, gaze falling to the ground, until his hands slowly clench into fists at his sides and he looks back up. “Everyone is. But no one will just tell me what they’re expecting until I start making it difficult.” He scoffs out a sound that was…not quite a laugh, far too bitter and devoid of any mirth. “So you know what? Yeah. Doing nothing sounds like my best bet. At least then I know what I’m in for.”

Ardyn comes up short.

It’s an almost surreal feeling, to know that Noctis isn’t listening to him for once, when compared to the way he usually jumps at Ardyn’s word.

But no one’s faith is unbreakable; one can always be pushed too far. It is a lesson Ardyn has…not forgotten, but perhaps disregarded.

He steps close, forcing Noctis to crane his head back to look up as Ardyn cups his chin carefully. Noctis remains still, but warily, as Ardyn searches his face. The god doesn’t bother to let go as he muses, “Everyone has some sort of purpose in mind for you.” He leans down, until they’re nose-to-nose, lips brushing slightly as he nearly purrs, “Would you like to know mine?”

Already Noctis is softening, lifting his hands to cling to Ardyn’s coat. The Alterplexian has won already and he knows it.

#consiliarium #verumxphantasia #Drabbles #Twelve Days of Drabbling #ardynoct

[cygnahime]

Okay, by unpopular request, Troll Final Fantasy XV. Under a cut because I love you and want you to be happy, or at least not forced to read my Certified Bad Opinions.

So, let’s start in the center and work our way out. The central story is clearly the tale of Prince Noctis And His Pale Harem. Like, it’s 100% a self-indulgent Harem AU of itself. Because, see, ever since Noctis was little he was basically Assigned Ignis and Gladio as his moirails, because obviously as the Crown Prince his physical and emotional stability is too important to be left to chance. [N.B. Noctis is clearly a tyrianblood, like, that’s not remotely up for debate. Unusually short-lived tyrianbloods? The Crystal drains their energy, making their lifespans unnaturally brief? IDK it’s Troll Fiction.] Ignis is there to take care of his physical wellbeing and support him emotionally, and Gladio is there to protect him and be honest with him.

BUT! One of the awkward things about growing up in an arranged moirallegiance with someone is that it isn’t always all that romantic. And Noctis is kind of a shit moirail to both of them, because he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing and also they’ve just. Always been there. So he doesn’t completely think of them as romantic relationships that he has to put work into. I mean, obviously he supports them financially and politically, but that just sort of happens without his active input.

Enter Prompto! This lowblood [Probably some kind of weird Niflheim-specific blood caste passing as a Lucian lowblood? Fortunately the game doesn’t show blood spatter, so it’s easy to conceal from the audience, but the fandom has to bend over backwards to explain how the other characters don’t notice.] comes into Noctis’s life after a lot of Brotherhood-era drama about being Good Enough to be frenemies with The Crown Prince, but the important point is that Noctis is suddenly seized with the urge to support and protect him and has no idea what to do. Meanwhile, Prompto swears he just wanted to be frenemies! Really! But he wants to be there emotionally for Noct, who seems so lonely!

Most of the previous paragraph is wild fan speculation, but like. That motel roof scene is the palesmut equivalent of sex in semi-public places. GET A PILE, YOU TWO! There are some people who redship it, but imo the writers intended it to be pale.

What really gets the fans into heated debate and/or wild flamewars is how the rest of the group’s relationships shake out. How do Ignis and Gladio feel about this serendipitous relationship pushing them aside? Is it a big pale orgy, or is there quadrant-swapping there? There’s a compelling argument to be made that Gladio and Noct fumble toward a black relationship, which fits their actual adult feelings much better than their arranged moirallegiance. There’s also an argument to be made that that shit goes rotten after Altissia, to the point where Ignis steps in to auspisticize. And then of course Noctis gets sucked into the Crystal and it all becomes kind of a moot point. :c

(The Troll Animaterrorists put in the time to animate some fucking hugs on their last night together, because despite being, you know, members of troll society, they’re not monsters.)

SPEAKING of arranged relationships, the forced/arranged matespritship between Noctis and Luna is still a thing, and the game is very coy about whether we’re supposed to think it’s serendipitous or not. I mean, they seem fond of each other, and they know each other’s vulnerabilities, but they haven’t met since they were children, so it’s hard to see if the concupiscent attraction is there. Fandom is divided: is it red? Is she pale for him too, because Noctis is just that much of a mess that everyone wants to comfort him? Are they platonic and both shipped red & pale with others? Fandom fight!

Speaking of Luna, I struggle to explain how trolls would depict her relationship with Ravus, because as we know trolls have no siblings. I mean, they’re clearly in a situation where they were raised together and are very attached to each other and are of the same bloodcaste [violet probably], but what does that...mean? I’m hesitant to say this, but troll culture might go for moirails. Like, really rubbish moirails, because Luna’s ability to control Ravus’s poor decisions and Ravus’s ability to protect Luna are both highly in question, but they’re trying. Extremely trying, in Ravus’s case. I’m not entirely comfortable putting siblings in a romantic relationship, but trolls don’t really have a concept of incest, so ??? Let’s not think about it too hard.

While I’m talking about things that make me uncomfortable, I’m not even going to try to explain Gladio’s and Iris’s relationship. They’re the same bloodcaste and were raised by their mutual ancestor and Gladio is supportive of Iris’s red crush on Noctis. Unless in troll AU it’s a black crush, which would at least be interesting. Let Teen Girls Have Innocent Black Crushes 2k17.

Circling back around, Prompto is the fandom pale bicycle. [I can tell because there’s an entire tag on AO3 devoted to his suffering. It’s science.] There’s definitely a small but enthusiastic Prompto♦Aranea fandom since Episode Prompto came out, though it’s hampered somewhat by the fact that Aranea is written as kind of flat in her self-sufficiency. There’s also definitely some Prompto/Noctis/Luna in some red/pale combination or other, which I personally am all about. I mean, I’m the pale orgy person, it is I.

I’m sad to say that Ardyn♠Noctis is definitely a thing, canonically speaking. That’s what complicated murder/suicides are all about, in troll terms. It’s also literally destined, so there’s really no getting away from it, even though it’s manifestly an unhealthy relationship that does no one any favors. That or it’s Noctis♣Ardyn/the Astrals and/or the world at large, which you could also make a solid argument for. I think I prefer that, because that’s not how blackrom works at all. I’m pretty sure Ardyn is gunning for Noct’s pitch quadrant regardless, though not as hard as Loqi is gunning for Cor’s. With an actual gun. It’s doomed to be unrequited, because you will take aroace Cor from my cold dead hands. So I guess in troll AU he’s aconciliatory/aconcupiscent. (I say this just to demonstrate how little of the quadrant-specific vocabulary I have forgotten.)

Kingsglaive is a hard movie to pin down, quadrant-wise. Like, I definitely feel like there’s some kind of spark between Nyx and Luna, but it’s hard to pin down to one side of the red/black divide. There’s probably fic for both tbh. I guess canon keeps it ambiguous as well. I mean, they clearly respect each other, but also there’s a lot of sharing deep-seated insecurities. Personally, I’m all for healthy blackrom, as you know. Lunafreya could use a chance to clash with someone for fun.

Libertus is much more popular in the troll fandom than the human fandom. (Am I salty about the lack of fan content for my fave? Why would you say that?) He’s so soft and in such emotional distress! Your pale self-insert goes here! [Obviously all the Glaives are rust- or brown-bloods. The magic probably is replaced by unlocking latent psychic abilities. Or else they keep magic and this is a ~strange world~ where there are ~no psionics~.] Nyx and Libertus and probably Crowe are like...how Vriska and Terezi used to call each other ‘sisters’? Long-term stable nonquadrant cahootship? That’s them. I realize I had one use of ‘siblings’ in this post and I used in on characters who aren’t actually siblings, but nyeh. Maybe Gladio and Iris are also Troll Siblings. Cahootfriends. It’s not my fault Luna and Ravus kind of suck at being in cahoots.

And that I think covers most of the cast! This is only twelve million words long! I have so many thoughts, apparently! If you also have thoughts, please come share them! You are also a giant nerd and we should be friends!

#Cygna Fantasy XV #don't forget you're homestuck forever #Final Fantasy XV #troll romance for people who aren't trolls #cygnastuck #I'm so sorry everyone on mobile